True Love's Kiss (A Slow Burn, Orc Romance)

CHAPTER IV

VULTOG

Witnessing the Smith sisters verbally spar was not for the weak. I was a noble orc who'd had the privilege of watching some of my race's finest warriors fight each other to the death, but that didn't compare to the wounds of family.

"If you chuck him out, I'm goin' with him? And I swear on everythin' you'll neva see me again," Lady Juno blackmailed her older sister, Lady Rayna, in my defense. I was pleasantly surprised at how fiercely she was advocating for me. Her selflessness was a sign that she was destined to help me return home, regardless of whether she was my True Love or not.

Her words sliced Lady Rayna deeply. Distressed creases cut through the smooth brown skin of her brow and her dark eyes glistened with tears. Her mouth opened and closed, but failed to release any speech of retaliation. She was wearing a long, soft robe and a hair covering, which Lady Juno would later inform me was called a 'bonnet'. Thus far in our short time spent as adversaries, this was the most vulnerable I'd seen her look.

Lady Juno was evidently Lady Rayna's weakness. I vowed to remember this, in the event I ever needed to overpower her. I was certain that we would clash often.

"And who are you gonna stay with...?" Lady Rayna croaked.

"With Chidimma." Lady Juno was full of confidence.

Her cocksure manner lost its strength when Lady Rayna countered with, "Good luck with that Chidimma's mum hates you."

"Okay...fine...Emma will help me find a new place, innit," Juno parried. "That's her job. To help me transition into adult shit."

"Emma's already on my dick because she thinks I'm not good enough to look out for you. Me, with a nine-to-five and a flat," Rayna scoffed. "Do you really think she's gonna approve of you going on the run with some rando?!"

"She'd not my fucking mum, and neither are you so shut up!" Juno screeched.

"My name's on the lease! I pay most of the bills! And I'm not paying for him!" Rayna jabbed her knife in my direction.

I disliked that she kept parading her weapon at me. It was a reminder that I hadn't been the most skilled in combat during my childhood years. As the only son of Nag and Mura, I was groomed to take over their land and the incoming gold payments from their tenants. My life had been a rich and easy one, with my wife handling most of the administrative tasks.

"You can kiss both of our asses goodbye then!" Juno started to gather my illustrations of the harp and golden goose.

Lady Rayna plodded over to the opposite side of the table in defeat and slumped into the seat across from us. She kept a close hold of her knife. Sighing heavily, she reluctantly agreed to join my mission, "What does the...'True Love's Kiss' have to do with this?"

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Lady Juno made everyone a cup of tea whilst I described the rules of magic pertaining to my realm. I hadn't been much of a scholar either during my adolescence, but every orc and fae infant knew that the magic of love was all-powerful. Powerful enough to reverse curses and the like. From this basic logic, I could say without any doubts that a True Love's Kiss would reverse the appearance-altering and banishment curse the lying witch from the forest had subjected me to.

Next to me, Lady Juno hung onto my every word and tapped away at her "lap top"?

Her older sister, on the other hand, seemed dedicated to interrogating every element of my realm's magic lore.