3. Olivia

Iwoke up the next morning praying it had all been a nightmare, something I had done every single day since I had found herself in this strange world, even though I was agnostic at best in my religion. But, when I opened my eyes, I was in the same place, though my circumstances had improved. Maybe.

I wasn't a prisoner in the wagon, sleeping on a hay-covered wood floor, with shackles around my wrists and ankles and bars on the windows. But the bars on this new prison were invisible. I'd bet if I tried the door, it would be locked from the outside, with guards stationed at every exit and patrolling the grounds. Sure, they told me this auction was the key to a better life, a safe life, and there was no way to get home. But I was just a better dressed slave, housed in a gilded cage until my new master could buy me.

The door opened and two girls came in to help me prepare for the day, much as they did the previous day. I had a bath and a new dress, very form fitting and flattering for me. If I hadn't been filled with doom for my circumstances, I might have even enjoyed the feeling of being dressed like a princess.

I was escorted to the same room with the women as before and joined Daria at the little table overlooking the courtyard. I had a plate full of sausage and eggs and fruit. At least I couldn't complain about the food.

Daria eyed me with a hint of amusement. "That dress is even nicer than the one last night. I should hate you, but I don't."

I glanced around the room at the other clusters of women as realization dawned. "You were the top bitch this year."

I put down my fork, the food suddenly losing all appeal for me.

"Got it in one. The top girl gets first pick. Now that honor goes to you." She sipped her juice and watched the people milling about outside. "Don't worry about it. As long as we settle a few rules between us, we'll be fine."

Here it came; payment for the advice I'd been given. "Many of us girls pick a time when to join the auction, when we think we have the best chance of getting the right male. Sometimes, we even arrange things to our satisfaction."

"You seem like an arranger."

A secret smile played about her lips. "I come from a poor farming family. I wasn't going to marry another farmer or spend my life milking cows. I set my sights a little higher. Fortunately, the goddess blessed me with looks to go with my ambition. The trader came to town and offered my family more than enough to compensate for any dowry my family would have gotten from the farmer's son next door. When I got here, I caught the eye of an orc lord's son from across the border. He has money, not enough to enter the king's tournament, but enough for the auction. Now, we just need to make it through the auction."

"You want to marry an orc?" I couldn't imagine marrying one of those scary beasts, but then again, it appeared I didn't have much of a choice. There were scarier creatures out there, based on what I saw walking around outside.

"Trust me, he was better than the options I had at home." She leaned forward, her voice lowering. "And they say orcs can make great lovers, if you pick the right ones."

She let her words sink in and continued to eat while I studied the creatures walking about outside. I felt so adrift in this new world. How was I to know what and who to pick?

After we had cleared our plates, I voiced the question that had been on repeat in my brain since the previous evening. "Is there really no way out?"

"No safe way," came the swift reply. "I meant it when I said the auction was actually in your favor. Talk to each of these women and ask why they're here, then come back and let me know what you find out."

Other women drifted over as they finished eating, gathering around us, some gestured over by Daria and others by their own curiosity about the new girl, me.

"So, you all want to be here. You want to marry monsters?"

"We don't consider them monsters. My father, now he was the monster, especially after spending the evening at the local tavern," a brunette admonished which braiding another girl's hair.

Another girl patted her shoulder and looked at me. "We all volunteered to be here. Most of us have a chance for a much better life here than back home. Beth here left an abusive father who was selling her to one of his drunken friends."

Beth snorted. "You make it sound almost nice. His friend tried to rape me and my father only stopped him until he could get money for me. Lucky for me, the trader came, and I jumped at the chance, getting four times as much money. But I didn't give that money to my father. No, I made sure it went to my little sister so she could get out and study healing at the local temple. She was settled before I left, far out of my father's tender reach, or his lecherous friends." She lifted her head and looked at me. "Trust me. I'd rather spend time with a troll or ogre than my father or his friends."

Holy shit. What kind of world did these women come from? "Didn't anyone help you? Stop your father from doing that?"

Daria sipped her cup of tea. "I'm not sure what kind of world you came from, but in our world, women are little more than property. My choices were this or marry a local farmer, push out a bunch of kids, and, if I survived the childbirth, work in the fields with my husband while he probably chased women all around the town. Here, I get to choose the male I'll marry and I'll be treasured. Females are rare for those you call monsters and, when they get one, she rarely works, but is treated like a queen."

"And she gets treated to giant dick with males who want to actually please her. Not a couple of pumps and done," another woman interjected slyly.

Daria smiled. "There is that. The males here are concerned with our pleasure and not just their own. A refreshing change. There is one snag, however. The orc king has locked down his kingdom. All human females must be brought before him first. Some orcs have risked his decree by attending these auctions and taking a bride."

"Why take a chance? Won't the king find out?"

"It's a risk they're willing to take to have females and offspring," Daria stated simply. "They can pay to enter the king's tournament and hope to win a woman, but the price is higher, the risk greater, and the women are not always willing, or so we've heard. "

"Most often, they're scarred after their time with the king," another muttered darkly and the women nodded in agreement.

"The king needs a female heir and, despite having a queen, he has no problem sampling the women taken. And he's not always gentle," Daria explained. "But if we're mated and with child, he can't touch us. Even he won't go against the law. At least not yet."

"What about you? Daria said you came through a portal, not by choice. What is your world like? Do you have family or someone to go home to?"

I had been so focused on finding the portal that I hadn't really thought about what going back would mean. What was I going back to? I hadn't spoken to my mother in three or maybe four years. My boyfriend had been fired from his most recent job as a security guard for a box store for, ironically enough, stealing. Now he spent his time on my couch, playing the video games he stole from the store and drinking with his buddies. I worked a dead-end job with nothing much to look forward to for a future except more hours and shitty pay supporting a man-child whose only offering was a decent dick and nothing else. What was I going back for?

Daria's eyebrow rose as if reading my thoughts. "Rethinking a few things?"

"A little," I admitted. In fact, it sounded a bit too good to be true. I mean, not having to work for asshole bosses for minimum wage. Having a man who cared if you got off, and had a giant dick and knew how to use it. And someone who actually cared about you and your feelings? It seemed too good to be true. I still wanted to go home, though. I mean, this world was not exactly what I signed up for, right?

While I'd been lost in thought, the other women had slowly drifted away into smaller groups, chatting and preparing for their auction. Daria, however, had remained while I worked through whatever I was doing inside my head.

"Wait until the reception this afternoon. They'll all be trying to convince you to choose them. You'll get first choice, lucky bitch, but you haven't been here as long as we have so you haven't had enough time to meet the suitors." She spoke without any heat, and I realized I was lucky she had cared enough to talk to me that first day and educate me.

I fixed my gaze on the woman who treated this whole venture as a business proposition, more than the others. "Teach me about the races so I can be prepared to pick."

Not that I was definitely staying but, if I had to make a choice, I wanted it to be informed. And, if a portal option showed itself or I found a way home, I could figure it out then. I just didn't want to be in a worse situation through my own ignorance.

Daria set her cup down in the saucer and studied me for a long moment. "As long as you accept the orc lord is mine. You'll meet him this afternoon at the reception, where we are put on display and mingle with the proposed bidders. We get to spend some time with them to make our decision. It's not much time, but you'll know him when you see him. He's mine. And if you're lucky, there will be another orc you can choose."

The last was said with much ferocity, and I nodded. "Deal."