Jasper's POV

It had been nearly a week since I last spoke to Brenna. I'd been busy making preparations for war... with her father. She still knew nothing. It wasn't that I wanted to keep it from her. I just hadn't had a spare second to speak to her.

I wanted to tell her everything when she first got here. I figured she wouldn't believe me, but I at least wanted to be honest with her. I didn't want her to think she was a prisoner here either.

How was I supposed to tell this woman her father deceived us and then pretty much traded her to us for his own life? He all but said to use her as a whore. Now he's turned around and told his people we raided his castle and kidnapped her. Everything has escalated.

Corvus told her before she left that he had promised her to me and she needed to go with us. She knew that much, at least. Some of my men who were not there that day suggested turning her over and thought I was mad when I said no.

What was I supposed to do? His terms were clear; turning her over wouldn't fix anything. He was after my head and my kingdom. He couldn't care less about what happened to her. He wanted our mountains for mining and the Northern coast for trade exploitation.

I was aching to see her again. I decided I would sneak away from my duties just for a moment to show her around. It couldn't have been 10 o'clock yet. I went up to her door and knocked. I hoped she was decent this time.

I heard some banging and scuffling. I got worried something was wrong and burst through the door, ready to fight whoever was there. I found Brenna on the floor rubbing her ankle. She looked at me with an embarrassed expression.

"I'm okay. I just tripped." She said shyly. Her cheeks were already blushing.

I went to her hastily and took her foot in my hands to examine it. I inspected it for a moment and massaged it.

"I think you just sprained it," I chuckled, relieved that she was okay. "So does this mean you aren't up for my grand tour," I said, worried she'd not be up for walking. I swear I heard her heart flutter a little.

She started to smile a little. "I think I can manage."

With those words, I scooped her up in my arms and held her against my chest. I realized she was wearing the green dress I got from the traders.

"That color looks beautiful on you," I complimented.

She looked a bit embarrassed, so I sat her on her feet once I got to the door. Her blushing cheeks had to be the cutest thing. I felt guilty because I was skipping my duties to show her around, but she was worth it.

I put my arm out to escort her. Some of the women told me that's how they do it in their culture, so I figured I'd try it; to my surprise, she slipped her arm around mine and smiled at me. Gods, I wanted her.

Brenna's POV

My heart pounded as he walked me out the door. I couldn't help it. He just had this charm to him. How could this Orc who seems so intimidating be so kind to me?

He stopped when he walked out of my room and pointed to the door across from mine.

"Alright now, I'm going to trust you not to smother me in my sleep. Here are my living quarters." He chuckled and winked at me.

I could feel the muscles in his arms ripple as he pulled me along. He was so big. I felt so small and insignificant next to him. I couldn't help but stare at him to take in his features. He was so different than a human male but not any less handsome. I couldn't help but feel attracted to him.

He showed me around the North wing only. He said the East and West wings were living quarters for his soldiers and their families. I couldn't picture it, but he also told me this was just the castle. There was more of a small village, surrounded by the mountains, where the workers and elders resided.

According to Chief Bloodborne, the villagers and those who live in the castle are treated equally; his people can choose to be a part of the military or make their own living in the village. When the warriors retired, they would go live in the village too.

Next, he showed me the Great Hall and Kitchen. There was one more place he showed me inside the castle. Who would have believed it? They also had a magnificent library full of old literature, some of the texts dated back to the Elves. He let me look around a moment and then spoke.

"There's one more place I wanted to show you. It's where I go to think sometimes." He said.

I think he could tell my ankle was starting to get to me, so he quickly scooped me up like a rag doll and kept walking. His footsteps were like thunder. He carried me through these massive engraved doors onto a balcony.

The sun blinded me. Soon, I realized we were walking down large stone-carved stairs. I looked out into the distance. The view was breathtaking. Even though it was spring, you could see the snow-capped mountains for miles and miles.

We stood facing a field full of lush green grass and wildflowers. There were huge oak trees that were clearly old and mature, providing shade. He kept walking forward with me in his arms. I noticed the sound of rushing water. A tree had been in the way, so I didn't see it until we were closer.

A crystal blue waterfall trickled out of one of the nearby mountains. It spilled out into a large pool at the bottom. It was so clear you could see the fish swimming in the water. It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen.

White lilies were floating on the surface of the water. There were moss and vine-covered boulders around the pool of water. Chief Bloodborne carefully sat me atop one of them. Then, he lay down in the thick grass.

He closed his eyes and relaxed. The sun felt so good beaming down on us; it had been a few days since I'd seen sunlight. I closed my eyes and breathed in the fresh air as a cool breeze whipped my hair around. I opened my eyes and realized he was watching me.

"I want to remind you that you are not my prisoner," He said. "You don't need to stay in your room all day. You can go anywhere you like." He smiled and closed his eyes again.

He laid there for a while longer, enjoying the sunshine.

"I thought orcs hated the sun," I asked.

He chuckled. "No, but we are sensitive to it. I enjoy it but can't stay out long without thick armor and shade. It affects our eyes. We have exceptional vision at night. The brightness can hurt our eyes and darken our skin." He explained.

There were so many other things I wanted to ask him. I was trying to gather my thoughts. Before I could, he cleared his throat.

"I hate to cut it short. My men are probably wondering where I am." He said. "Would you like me to take you back to your room, or would you like to stay out here a while and keep looking around?"

"I'd like to look around more if that's okay."

He smiled, "Alright then, princess, I'll see you later."

"Wait," I called out when he got up to go. He stopped and looked at me. "Could we talk again soon? I have so many questions." I said admittedly.

"Of course," he said. "I'm going to stay busy with my duties for a while, but I'll see what I can do" He smiled before leaving.