23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Valpar

My miresa was sorely mistaken about her punishment.

She would not receive the spanking that she very much desired, but a time-out facing a cave wall. I had never seen my tiny fairy so angry and red-faced.

I found it adorable. She looked like a field mouse defending her nest, trying to slash me with her small colorful nails as I lifted her and placed her by the blank rock wall.

She cursed my name and stomped her feet. She would look over her shoulder and glare at me. It took every ounce of me not to throw myself at her and forgive her for what she had done-touching me when I told her she wasn't allowed.

She needed this.

Boundaries.

I enjoyed everything she had done to me, and I would let her finish all over again, but she will learn that her actions will have consequences.

My little fairy stood and stared at the wall for the longest time. I did not leave her alone because my body would not let me venture far. My drums hurt too much to be away from her. It hurt me more to see her like this than she it did her, I am sure of it.

Once I felt she had learned her lesson, I allowed her to turn, and she immediately fell into my arms and landed with a grunt.

Had I done the right thing? I still wasn't sure, but I knew I could not do this spanking she wanted me to do. How could I do such a thing when I knew she was abused in her previous life before she came here?

I swallowed heavily at that thought alone and held her closer. My little fairy thanked me for what I had done for her.

An outsider might be confused by this but, in a way I understood.

My fists tightened when I held her. If she had truly been wiped of her memories, then she lacked boundaries and her mother--aunt has done a poor job of teaching her. There were other ways to teach my little fairy the dangers of not listening and obeying.

Especially in a realm such as this.

This was beyond what I was expecting of having a miresa. I have never raised an orcling, I was far too young to pay attention to how my ogamie or my orgamos raised the rest of my brothers. I was going to need help.

Sadly, that meant I would need to leave the cave and go beyond the forest to ask for help from the Queen herself, who gets punished regularly.

Because she was an attention seeker, just like my miresa.

I did not like the prospect of taking my miresa to the palace, especially with so many unmated males there and the risk of another orc seeing my female.

But a trip was in order, and there was nothing in the book, that I recalled, on taking care of a female that did not understand about listening to their males.

When it came to my female, I would do what was needed to be done.

"I don't need to wear this." My little fairy grumbled as I held her close to my chest. As more precaution I had a leash around her waist in case she wiggled out of my grasp. "You are carrying me. It is not like I'm gonna jump off and run away. It's so embarrassing."

I grunted and shifted the leather strap that held a gigantic sword on my back. "But when I put you down, I don't want you to get too far from me."

My female rolled her eyes and laid her head back. Her long pink hair danced across the marbled floor. "I won't. Besides, there are few places to run to in the palace."

We took the long walk down the hallway leading to the throne room. No one was escorting us, not when Calliope was in my arms. She was rambling on, telling me stories about running up and down the halls and bothering the guards, finding hidden passageways when her family spent the last two summers here. Several guards looked at her fondly and gave her a wave when we passed by. Once she looked away I would send a deathly glare to let them know that they weren't allowed to look at my female again. They swallowed heavily and stood upright, and didn't dare to take a second look.

If they knew what was best for them they would ignore her entirely once we left the palace.

My little fairy laughed, giggling and pointing at how one of the younger guards was shaking. "Look how nervous he is. It must be his first day." She gave him a thumbs up, but I glared while her eyes were glued to him, and I swear he urinated in his cloths.

The drums in my chest beat faster as we got to the heart of the palace. There were noises coming from the other side of the throne room. The double doors were opened wide and a hoard of creatures outside of it.

"It must be Assisting Day," Calliope sat upright in my arms. "They might be busy. Why are you wanting to visit with Aunt Melina and Uncle Osirus, anyway?"

I kept my reasoning why I wanted to visit with her family to myself. I didn't need for her to get excited about the prospect of spanking her. For all she knew, her punishment would always be to stand in front of a wall until she understood what she had done was wrong.

"I need to ask them questions," I simply stated, as we entered the room.

Immediately, Queen Melina saw us and waved her hand for us to come forward. The people in the line stared at us as we came forward, but I paid them no mind, although, there was one creature that stood out in front of the rest. The fairy that I had told to leave me alone, when I first traveled to the Golden Light Kingdom hovered over the rest of the crowd to see the commotion.

I groaned internally and pretended not to see her.

"Guess he goes for the king's favorite, huh?" The fairy lifted her nose and elbowed her friend who was flying alongside her. "See that, picked a human over one of us. Guess he wants to show off his manhood by ripping her apart." The small fairy cackled, and my miresa wiggled in my arms and pushed away to land on her bare feet.

"He's my mate, you dumb bitch!" She tossed her hair over her shoulder and stared up at the two fairies.

My eyes widened at her tone and language, but a sense of pride swelled in my cloth.

Good thing I strapped it tight to my thigh before we left.

"I don't see any mark!" The fairy replied, before she used her magic and transformed into her larger body, hovering just above my miresa.

I stood beside Calliope, putting my arm in front of her. I would not have my female get hurt because I would not take this fairy's advances.

"Leave, Calliope is my miresa and you are not. You know the ways of bonds."

The attention was now on us. The room quieted down, and you could only hear the fluttering of wings from fairies and pixies that flew above to see the commotion.

The fairy sucked on her teeth and crossed her arms. "I see no proof. Not a mark on her, or you." She waved her hand in front of us. "Karma was right," she muttered, "king's favorite gets what she wants, that spoiled little human child—"

My miresa snarled and screamed for Simon. Simon belted out a loud scream and stopped in front of her. My female used Simon's back as a springboard to jump higher in the air and grabbed onto the fairy's leg. "I'm not a child, you stupid flying piece of glitter shit!"

The fairy screamed, pulling on her leg. She was unable to fly away because the leash I had around Calliope's waist was tied to my wrist.

I am a smart orc.

"You are certainly acting like a child." King Osirus sauntered up to us with Queen Melina, who was smiling brightly, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"She grew up so fast, didn't she, Osirus?" Melanie beamed up at Calliope. "Taught her everything I know."

The king sighed and waved his hand. The guards began leading everyone out of the throne room. Surprisingly, no one groaned as people walked away. That was when I saw the guards handing out parchments to the people. "They will get compensated for their time," Osirus said plainly.

"Miresa, let go," I growled. My female looked down, still holding onto the fairy's feet. The fairy still screamed, unable to fly any higher.

"Do I have to? I think I'm wearing her down." She wiggled and my shaft grew tighter against the leather.

A growl rose in my throat, and I pressed my hand against my thigh. My female was, again, wearing barely anything beneath the dress she wore, and I could see her cheeks perfectly.

What if someone else sees her?

"Female!" I barked. I raised my eyebrow, and she let go. She landed in my arms immediately, so I held her close and took in a deep breath of her scent. "Good little fairy." I hummed in her cheek. "You listened, so you will be rewarded."

She shivered in my arms and grabbed onto the strap that held my sword.

"A-a reward?" She breathed. "Right now?"

I chuckled darkly, shaking my head.

"Your Majesty!" The fairy landed and put her hands on her hips. "I know you are partial to Calliope, but honestly, you cannot condone this sort of behavior. Attacking one of your subjects like this?" The flustered fairy pointed to my mate, and I jutted my jaw forward, showing off my tusks and emitted a low growl.

King Osirus rolled his head making his neck crack. My teeth were grinding against themselves waiting to see what the king would do. Of course, since he was king, he had to be fair to all his subjects despite Calliope being his family. My female did attack physically first. What would the king do?

I'd protect her with my life and I would destroy this fairy if I had to.

King Osirus raised his hand. His gaze swept over Calliope and the fairy an unreadable expression.

The unruly fairy continued to speak, throwing her hand toward my miresa. I felt my anger growing, but my miresa sat in my arms with reverence as she waited for the king.

"Enough," King Osirus commanded in a voice that held the weight of authority. "Calliope, Simon, step forward."

Reluctantly, I put Calliope down. She patted my arm and stood in front of me, so I put my hand on her shoulder, ready to pull her away from the evil fairy. Queen Melina's eyes sparkled with a mixture of amusement and pride.

"Explain the encounter that sparked this remarkable display in my throne room," King Osirus commanded, his voice firm but not unkind. A smile tugged at his lips.

Calliope took a deep breath, her voice steady as she recounted the events that led to the confrontation with the fairy. She spoke of the taunts, the insults and, finally, the physical altercation that had ensued. She was unusually calm as she spoke, more than I would have been if I was forced to explain. I wanted to ring the little fairy's neck.

The fairy tried to interject, but a sharp look from the king silenced her.

When Calliope finished her tale, there was a moment of tense silence in the room. The king steepled his fingers thoughtfully before finally speaking.

"Violence is never the answer," he began, his gaze sweeping over to Calliope. "But in this case, it seems there was provocation. Ivy, you are aware that any two souls claiming to be mates is considered serious. Valpar claimed Calliope at the ball, and it was downright savage. You are lucky that Valpar, a decorated warrior from the war, has not asked me to punish you."

I wanted to smile at that, I didn't think that this would go in my favor. I kept my face plain of all emotion, but my miresa did not know how to hide her emotions.

"Ha!" Calliope pointed. "Told you we are mates. You can't lie about it! He's my big orcy-poo and you are just jealous you can't get his wiener schnitzel."

I groaned and wiped my hand down my face. "Miresa."

"Sorry, I mean his big club." My little fairy snickered.

"Miresa!"

"Okay fine, his lumpy third leg."

I covered my female's mouth and took a deep breath.

King Osirus ignored Calliope completely and turned his attention to the fairy with a look of disdain.

"You have overstepped your bounds, Ivy." King Osirus stated firmly. "You will apologize to Calliope and to Valpar for your blatant lack of disrespect and not following the laws this land has set for mate claiming. Mates can take their time and claim each other when they see fit, do you understand?"

The Ivy bristled but ultimately bowed her head in begrudging submission. "I am sorry for my behavior. Truly. It won't happen again, Your Majesty." She turned to the both of us and apologized again. I did not feel she was sorry, but to move this along, I nodded.

King Osirus nodded in acceptance. "And you, Calliope? Do you have anything to say?"

Calliope twisted her lips. "Sorry for attacking you. I have powerful feelings toward my mate. I have this urge to claim him, but we have decided to take things slow. I can't help it, I just saw his giant dilly yesterday, and I'm ready for him to impale me with it, and the urge is just so strong. I'm just so lucky to have a big, strong, handsome orc to be my mate—"

"There is no way in the ever-loving Underworld that he is your mate! You're a human!" Ivy screamed back with a reddened face as she landed on the floor.

My miresa snickered. "I think someone is jealous I have a big, handsome orc, you know, for a mate . " Calliope rubbed her hand all over my chest again, her hand drifting toward my shaft.

I leaned over and whispered in her ear. "You are being very, very naughty little fairy."

"Good naughty, or bad naughty?" She giggled.

My shaft twitched against my thigh.

"Good. I like it when you think so highly of me." And I did. My chest filled with pride that she was taunting this other female and staking claim on me that I was hers. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought it would happen the other way around.

She pinched her thumb and finger together and ran them across her lips.

"Leave, Ivy, before I have Valpar choose your punishment." Osirus snapped.

Ivy faltered for a moment, she opened and closed her mouth wanting to say something. She lifted her finger and narrowed her eyes at Calliope to speak but before she could say another word, Simon lifted his leg and urinated on her.