Orc Dominion: Zentara Ch. 05

Six months later.

Jeanette groaned as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and pushed herself up. Her belly was huge as she entered the final week of her pregnancy. Her half orc baby was strong, active, and rambunctious. The child seemed to take delight in kicking and playing inside her womb, sometimes making it difficult for Jeanette to sleep, or even just sit or lie quietly. Jeanette felt as large as a ship, her ankles and feet hurt, her back hurt, and even her breasts hurt, as they continued to swell and grow, filling up with milk.

The pitying looks she received from the staff at the estate didn't help. They were told the lie that she was a relative of Susannah's who had been assaulted by orcs in Sandora. It put Jeanette in a difficult position. The servants, for all their pitying looks, were very kind to her. She felt bad lying to them. But she also felt bad that they thought she was a victim of violence, when in reality she was a willing participant to it. Willing, that is, except for the trick that the scarred orc played on her, saying she couldn't get pregnant.

Jeanette spotted a packet lying on a table beside the bed and reached for it. The movement woke the baby, who began shifting inside her. Jeanette steadied herself, and opened the packet which contained correspondence from Ruar. There were economic reports, court gossip, city news, and updates on the degrading situation with Heste. King Connor and the Duke of Braden had grown more confrontational since the original date of the wedding had passed, and no firm date had been set.

The two brothers seemed to write almost daily letters with veiled threats and angry statements, warning of dire consequences of the wedding wasn't concluded shortly. More troubling, scouts positioned in the Lyskean Mountains had reported that Hesten military forces were beginning to gather on the other side of the pass. The bulk of the Zentaran military forces had already been transferred west to the other side of the pass. Jeanette and Frederick had debated via letters whether or not to occupy the pass or not, ultimately agreeing that they would not be able to hold the pass under a frontal assault anyway, so they chose to keep them held back to react if there was an attack, and to not provoke the Hestens.

Jeanette debated sitting down to read the most recent batch of letters, but the effort of standing made her push the idea from her mind. She began to feel a bit queasy with morning sickness, so Jeanette decided to forgo breakfast and take a walk around the estate. Jeanette strolled along a narrow dirt path that tracked around a small pond. Cradling her belly in one hand as she walked, she read through the letters with a pensive expression on her face.

The most recent reports from the scouts indicated that the Hesten forces were breaking into smaller groups, and getting ready to move. Frederick felt that the situation was critical and could erupt into conflict at any moment. He begged Jeanette to return to the capital, but obviously Jeanette was in no condition to do that yet. The rest of the letters were not as important, with nothing urgent in need of her attention. Returning to the estate, she returned to her room, requesting that breakfast be sent to her there and set about replying to the letter.

Jeanette wrote to Frederick that she could not return just yet, but that she would soon. With a bit of luck, she would be able to return within the fortnight. She also wrote instructing him to send word to Thesta and Sandora again, raising the amount of gold she'd pay in exchange for military support against Heste. Jeanette did not hold off much hope though, as right now they needed soldiers more than they needed gold.

If only there were another ally she could call upon, but there was no one. As Jeanette finished writing the letter, Susannah knocked on the door, and entered in the room. "Good morning, Jeanette...how are you feeling today?" Jeanette looked up and smiled at her friend. "I feel like a shipwreck. The same as I felt yesterday." Susannah giggled softly and looked down at the letter on the table. "Is that another letter for my father?"

Jeanette nodded. "Yes, more grim news from back home. I really should be-" Before Jeanette could finish, she doubled over as a contraction rocked through her belly. "Oh!" Jeanette's water broke, splattering on the floor beneath her. "It's starting!"

Susannah yelped, and reached over to grasp Jeanette's arm. "Come on! I'll get you to bed, and then summon help. The midwife has been waiting in town for a while yet. It'll be alright!" Susannah led Jeanette to the bed and laid her down, then went to send a servant to fetch the midwife.

The birthing was long, but fortunately, not very difficult for Jeanette. It took nearly a day of panting and pushing to give birth to the massive half-orc child. Her newborn was a sixteen pound son, by far the largest child the midwife, or any of the other ladies had ever seen born. Though the half-orc baby was larger than a fully human babe, Jeanette's wide hips allowed her to give birth to her child without suffering any lasting harm. Luckily for Jeanette, the constant orc gangbangs she enjoyed at The Soiled Dove left her stretched enough that her vaginal walls didn't even rip during the birth. Much to the shock of everyone assembled though, the baby did not come out pink like a human, or even grey like an orc. Rather, Jeanette's newborn had dark green skin. Jeanette didn't know who the father was, as she had never been with a green orc before, or even seen a green orc.

The child had a clear mix of human and orc features. The nose was slightly upturned, but mostly human looking. The mouth and jaw was longer than normal, with teeth already grown in and small, stunted tusks just beginning to form. As the midwife placed the half-orc baby on Jeanette's breast, and the child began to suckle on her nipple, Jeanette's disgust and apprehension vanished, replaced by a deep love for her baby that she couldn't explain. She smiled down at her son, clutching him in her arms and watched him suckle at her breast. "He shall be called Agmar...I think...that will be a good name for him..." Jeanette bit her lip, and then looked up at the midwife. "You probably don't know...but will he always look like this? I mean, will he look like this, or grow up to look more human...or more orc?"

The midwife shrugged softly. "I'm sorry, My Lady, but I have no answer for you. I've not dealt with a half-orc child before..." The midwife and the other attendants looked at Jeanette with a mixture of admiration and pity as she happily suckled her babe. Jeanette knew that they probably thought she was mad for loving a half-orc child, the offspring of a brutal rape from a monster. Even though Jeanette knew it wasn't rape that made the child, even if it was she would have loved him, regardless. As the midwife and her attendants left the room, Jeanette tittered softly to herself. She thought it was funny that, like they said, no matter how ugly a baby is, his mother will find him beautiful. Jeanette knew that the green skin and protruding tusks that she should find him ugly and monstrous, but she just couldn't. Jeanette giggled again as he thought that might have something to do with all the orc men she'd been with. She obviously found them attractive enough, after a fashion.

Susannah took Agmar from Jeanette after he finished feeding and gently rocked him in her arms, smiling down at the now slumbering baby with genuine pleasure. "You're a beautiful little boy, aren't you Agmar?" Susannah looked from the baby to Jeanette. "I know you didn't want this, Jeanette...and that it isn't convenient for you...but he is a beautiful baby and you're a very lucky mother."

Jeanette smiled up at Susannah's kind words. "I know I am...I will find a way to make it work. We will...after all, Agmar needs his Aunt Susannah doesn't he?"

Susannah beamed back at Jeanette. "Yes he does...and yes you do, yes you do..." Susannah leaned down to kiss Agmar on the forehead. "I'll take him to the nursery, Your Highness. You try to get some rest."

"Thank you, Susannah." Jeanette wrestled with something for a moment. "Susannah, start looking for a discreet wet nurse as well. I won't be able to feed him, when we had back to the city."

Susannah looked at Jeanette a moment, and then nodded sadly. "Of course, Your Highness. I understand."

Jeanette spent the next week in bed, resting. She continued to feed and bond with Agmar, growing closer and closer to him. When the wet nurse finally appeared, it was difficult for her to hand him over. Still, it was something she had to do, and as she read the latest reports from Castle Greenthorn she knew that now more than ever. Thesta and Sandora continued to reject every appeal for assistance that Zentara made. No amount of gold, or trade concessions, or any other treasure would sway them to intervene on her behalf. They were too hard pressed by the orc tribes on the Angrian March to even consider dispatching forces to counter the Hesten threat.

Without the help of Thesta or Sandora, Zentara would have to face Heste alone. Heste had twice the population of Zentara, and much more of its resources devoted to military matters. Zentara was a nation of commerce, not war. Jeanette didn't have the generals or the trained troops required to defeat Heste in a war. She could no doubt slow the Hestens down, and resist bravely, but in the end, they would storm her castle and seize the whole country. Allowing the Duke of Braden to gain control of Zentara through military might would be far worse than him taking it through marriage to her.

Jeanette strolled through the halls of the estate as she mulled over the problem. There had to be a solution, she just had to think of it. Jeanette found herself in the nursery, looking down at Agmar. As she smiled at the sleeping babe, her eyes lingered on the small tusks just barely showing through. She started a moment, and an idea flashed in her mind.

Jeanette wondered if she had enough money, and the ability, to bribe the orcs to stop attacking Thesta and Sandora, and still have enough money left to bribe the two Kingdoms into helping stand against Heste. As she pondered sending a letter to Frederick asking for recent treasury figures and projected income, another, even crazier idea struck her. What if she offered the alliance directly to the orcs? Could she bribe them to fight Heste for her? It would be cheaper, certainly, than having to bribe both. Also, removing the threat of the orcs from Thesta and Sandora might be enough to induce them to a permanent alliance against Heste. They would not be able to stand against the might of all three kingdoms and the orc tribes.

The idea seemed absurd, at first. She did not know any leaders among the orcs, or what motivated them. The only experience she had with orcs was in a brothel, and she didn't think that would serve her very well in this situation. True, she had learned some things about orc culture from interacting with them, but not enough to know what would motivate their leaders. Still, from what she knew of their raids on Thesta and Sandora, they were interested in treasure and women. Both of which could be found in Heste. It was just a matter of finding what the price would be to convince them to change targets.

Jeanette lifted Agmar and carried him around the room as she thought about what she knew of the orcs, trying to remember every gleam of knowledge she had heard about and from them. She knew that they raided for treasure, but that wasn't all. They also sent traders into Zentara, which was a sign that they were not just marauding hordes, but had some elements of a civilization. They always maintained good relations with Zentara so they would have an outlet for the loot they stole from Thesta and Sandora. That boded well for her ability to come to an understanding with them. Jeanette thought that her idea might have some merit after all, and resolved to make the necessary preparations to send an emissary into the Angrian March and return to Ruar as soon as possible.

As Jeanette rode through the gates of Ruar, she was greeted by a deafening roar. People lined the streets, cheering and throwing flowers down upon Jeanette and her revenue. Jeanette's heart swelled at the outpouring of support. She struggled to hold back the tears as she saw the genuine pleasure in the people's faces at her return. Jeanette raised her arm, smiling and waving in return at the people, hoping they wouldn't notice a change in her since giving birth. Agmar was near the end of the retinue, swaddled heavily in an attempt to conceal his appearance.

Jeanette hoped her idea would work. The people loved her, and she would be good to them. The Duke of Braden would kill that love, and crush the people. If her plan was successful, she would be able to prevent all that. As Jeanette approached Greenthorn Castle, she saw Frederick and a contingent of the royal guard lining the entrance to the castle. She rode between the lines of guards and smiled down at Frederick, passing him to ride the horse directly into the castle.

Jeanette dismounted inside, turning to greet Frederick with a smile as he bowed to her in greeting. "Welcome back to the city, Your Highness. It's been too long since I've seen you. The people are jubilant to have you return. With your return, I've no doubt we'll be able to settle things with Heste, one way or another."

"That is just the thing I wish to speak with you about, Your Grace. I've an idea, a plan that might resolve things for us. Though it is risky...politically, diplomatically...pretty much any way you could look at it." Jeanette walked side by side with Frederick as they made their way towards the royal apartments. "It must be kept secret, for now...as secret as we can possibly make it. But it has the potential to be very big."

"That is wonderful news, Your Highness. I was sure you'd be able to think of something. You've always been clever, even as a little girl. You were born to rule Zentara." The two walked silently for a moment. "How is Susannah doing, Your Highness?" Jeanette smiled at Frederick. "Splendidly. Thank you for giving her such free reign to attend to me during my mourning. She was a great help to me."

"Think nothing of it, Your Highness. Susannah and I are happy to serve you in any way you need us. My entire family is at your service." Jeanette looked over at him, studying his face for sincerity. She thought he looked like he meant it, and wasn't just flattering her. "Your loyalty is touching, Your Grace." The two entered into the royal apartments, and sat down at the receiving table. "Alright, you're no doubt eager to hear what I am going to propose...so I shall just say it. I believe we should forge an alliance with the orc tribes of the Angrian March."

Jeanette braced herself for Frederick's reaction, and he did seem shocked and a little appalled at the notion. "Your Highness! We cannot ally ourselves with the orc tribes...they're barbarians, it would alienate Thesta and Sandora, and we'd have to allow legions of them to cross our lands to get to Heste, and there is no guarantee that we could ever get them to leave again!"

"Those are valid points, Your Grace, but I think they can be mitigated. Thesta and Sandora will be grateful of we divert the orcs' attention from them to Heste. We will make ceasing the raids on them conditional of our alliance. I think we can even get them to join in on our alliance against Heste, if we can guarantee the attacks on them will stop. As for the orcs being barbarians...well, it might be so, but that hasn't stopped us from trading with them these past years. They might be uncivilized, but I don't think civilization is beyond them. They seem eager to expand their trade and set down roots. I am willing to accommodate some manner or orc presence in Zentara if it means ending the Hesten threat. We will have the money and the land, and they will provide military support. It seems an equitable bargain."

Jeanette spoke with calm assurance, though she didn't feel so confident. She had a lot relying on this plan, and it would be controversial enough that without the Chancellor's support it might not succeed. Frederick considered the Queen Regent's words carefully, examining the possibilities and the ramifications.

"Your Highness, What you say makes sense. You're right, Thesta and Sandora will be ecstatic if we're able to end the orc raids on their borders. While we've made a small fortune trading with the orcs, I am not sure that means we should welcome them into our homes. They will not have much left to trade if they stop attacking Thesta and Sandora, except for what they pillage from Heste. But it will be much harder to raid through the Pass than it will along the open border we share with the Angrian March."

Jeanette nodded along with Frederick. "You're right, it is a risk. However, the normalization of trade with Thesta and Sandora will make up the short fall. Right now trade has come to a standstill because of the orc attacks. So what if the orcs bleed themselves against the Hestens? It is better than our own people suffering under the Hesten attacks. It will also mean less orcs settling in Zentara in the long run."

Frederick smiled at Jeanette. "You seem to have thought this through, Your Highness. How do you intend to begin? Do you know how to contact the orcs? Or who to contact among them?"

"I've sent a courier into the Angrian March to find out. He's bearing some gifts for any chief he can find, as well as an invitation to visit Ruar as my guest. I'm hoping the possibilities, and the bribe, will convince him to come. I've also sent orders to allow him to enter Zentara without being molested." Jeanette took a deep breath as she finished her proposal, happy that it seemed to be well received. "Do you think the people will object to having an orc embassy visit the city?"

Frederick thought about it a moment, pensively stroking his chin. "I don't think so, Your Highness. The people are used to seeing orcs in the city. Perhaps not in so great numbers, but even still, it shouldn't disturb them. They might not like the idea of negotiating with them, or a formal alliance however. It would be better to keep that secret, until the deal is finalized and we can explain how it will benefit the Kingdom."

"Excellent. I am of the same opinion, Your Grace. For now, we will simply wait and see how the orcs respond. On another matter, how are preparations for the coronation going?"

"They are proceeding, Your Highness. Everything should be ready on schedule. It will begin with a procession carrying your crown through the city to you in the castle. It will then be placed on a pillow and carried by four young ladies from the finest families in the city to you at the top of the steps leading into the castle. They will then escort you to the throne room, where you will accept it, and crown yourself before the throne. Select nobles will then present you with the royal regalia, and the celebration will begin. Per your instructions, there will be feasts held in every neighborhood in the city in addition to the main banquet of the castle. It will be expensive, however, preliminary estimates suggest it will cost nearly twenty thousand gold marks."

Jeanette waved her hand dismissively. "That is fine. This is a once in a lifetime occurrence and the people need something to celebrate. We have more than enough in the treasury to cover the expense, and our income is more than enough to replace the losses. I also want you to begin assessing how much we can afford to pay the orcs for their services, as well as what gifts and bribes we can spare for Thesta and Sandora as well, if we need to buy their cooperation."

"I shall begin at once, Your Highness. If I may say so, your Highness, this is a bold plan. Bolder than anything your father would have tried. I don't mean that as a rebuke, or criticism. I'm pleased to see you come into your own and show such...dynamic leadership. I've no doubt you'll see us through this crises." Frederick rose from the seat and bowed to Jeanette. "Welcome back to the city, Your Highness."