You resist your captors

Even if you can't return to the clan that took you in all those years ago, you by no means have to accept the world you reside in. They took you in against your will, and they will pay for that. They will also pay for killing your loved ones, but that will come later. For now, you rest in quiet contempt. You don't have to wait long, the Imperial lord, whoever he is, seems eager to rid any evidence and memory of your past. Two handmaidens enter the room, waiting by the door.

"Miss?" One asks, sheepishly. They are both young, and seemingly fearful of you. You imagine word has gotten round, and that the rumor mill has already created quite an exaggerated telling.

"Boudicca" You reply shortly with your name.

"There's a bath prepared for you, and there's a choice of clothes waiting for you." They hover by the open door. You remove yourself from the bed, standing naked in the light from the large window behind you. You nod silently

"Tell me ladies, what year is it currently?" You ask innocently enough. The two turn to each other, surprised by such a question, their shock worn distinctly on their faces. "It's year nine hundred and seventy four, by the Imperial calendar. Mid Summer." The answer brings you a small smile, which causes a curious streak in them to rise "Miss Boudicca, what's so funny?"

"Ten years...I lived with them for ten years. I had no idea."

"That sounds terrible..." One of them tries to confide and show solidarity, not knowing any better.

"No, it was actually quite enjoyable." You respond back, peacefully enough "I've survived ten years without wearing clothes, and nearly eleven without a proper bath. Stands to reason I can continue to go without those things..."

Once they understood your roundabout way of refusing the offer, the two handmaidens were shocked "But! Miss Boudicca, you can't refuse the offer a noble lord"

"I just did ladies" You respond in quiet defiance "Your lord is **** to pretend that my story doesn't exist. Tell your lord he can go fuck himself, in those exact words"

One of them does express a certain degree of cleverness, by at least trying this from a different angle "Miss, isn't there at least a part of you that wants a nice dress? I'm told there's jewelry and makeup as well. That's quite the gift. Does that really mean nothing to you?" You have to give her some credit, as she does evoke some old memories.

"It did, at one point. When I was about your ladies age, I very much wanted those things. I wished desperately that I had been born a noble woman and had the opportunity to live in luxury, or that some dashing prince would come for me..." Your optimistic, pleasant town took a sharp dive "and than I stopped believing in fairy tails. Fancy dresses and expensive makeups don't make you a better person, their design is to hide what's wrong with you."

The two young women look at each other puzzled by this unusual, novel idea, and would continue to stand there until you nudge them out "I won't be wearing anything, and I will not be bathing. I would invite you to stay here with me, so long as you remove your clothing as well." The two shy away from the idea and walk out. You notice the wandering eye of one of the handmaidens as they depart, causing you to suspect that she may yet be tempted in joining you in violation of the taboos.

Some time passes before another enters your room. A man, older than you, with slight flecks of gray peaking under his manicured brown hair, bringing in a silver tray with food and wine on it. Despite doing the work of a servant, the finery in his robes clearly makes him out to be a noble.

"I had heard you refused to go without a bath or clothing because you did not need them, but you still need to eat, same as the rest of us, so I took the liberty of bringing you lunch."

"Thank you" You respond kindly

"I also heard tell that you think I should go fuck myself" Your suspicion confirmed, he was none other than the Lord himself.

"I did say that, and you can" You respond gruffly. For his part, the sovereign lord seems merely amused.

"You are confused, I understand. You lived among the orcs for so long, you can't help but be confused by everything around you. I know I would be. Things changing so much, so suddenly. This must be difficult for you, but surely you must at least attempt to regain your humanity." His words of patience and condolence carry the same sting of bigotry and oppression as the rest.

"You understand nothing." You reply defiantly, arms cross as you rest against the bed "I left human society because nobles like you did nothing for common folk like me." The lord maintained his mercurial smile "My dear, it is the duty of the Imperial lords to keep you safe, and to protect you. That's how you came to be here, if you catch my meaning."

"The only protection I needed was from my drunkard father." You retort angrily

"Orcs are savages who attack human civilization constantly because it's all they know. You must understand that you are the rare exception."

"What I understand, is that Orcs attack and raid because they have no other choice! You have driven them into the most desolate environments, places where no other race could ever survive, and you have the nerve to pretend to be surprised when they attack others to gain food or resources."

The nobleman laughs at your train of thought "My dear, I am afraid you really are too much. Would you really have me believe that these brutish, dimwitted mongrels would grow to be fair, peaceful, and civilized, if only they were given the chance? That it's our fault their culture is nothing but **** and sex?"

"All I'm saying is you never gave them an opportunity to be anything else, just as you never gave them an opportunity to explain that I lived among them willingly, and happily at that."

The humor gone from the Lord's face, he walks towards you slowly. His hand brushes your shoulder and up to your neck "In time you will understand that we are superior to them. You'll figure out eventually that everything before now was an accident, that was never supposed to happen. You were meant to be here, among your own kind, and you will learn that our way is better. I will help in any way that I can, but do not test my patience. There are those among the court that would have you killed for consorting with the enemy. I may yet be convinced by their reasoning, if you continue to be belligerent. On the other hand, if you cooperate, you will find your station much improved from where you were..."

The lord's veneer of kindness reappears as he departs "I do hope you enjoy your lunch, it was cooked especially for you after all." You do admit to yourself that you are hungry, and eat the food provided. You have to admit, this is cooked better and more pleasing to the palate than the bloody roasts Orcs are fond of. A part of you reasons that like with everything else, the various clans do the best with that they had, but a part of you doubts as to whether an Orc would ever have the delicate sensibilities to cook a chicken this way, or to prepare wine and cheese.

You remind yourself the more pressing issue than who would make a better cook. In no uncertain terms, the person keeping you here threatened your life if you continue to disobey. Are you really so prepared to stand on your principles that you are ready to challenge that threat? Might there be other ways?