“Is there a lot of pressure for you to produce an heir? Soon?” he finally asked, not quite meeting Taegan’s gaze. He pursed his lips, considering the question.
“Well, no,” he said slowly. “I mean, since Papa died before they had more children, I’ve known that the royal bloodline would carry on through me, so it’s always been sort of a given, I suppose. But I am still young enough that most think of me as the current heir, so no need for anewheir yet. My father didn’t become king until he was nearly a hundred, I think. I’m sure it would be very different if I were already king, though.”
“Makes sense,” Zorvut agreed. “For me... For orcs in general, since so many are slain in battle, there is a lot of pressure to have children young, and as many as you can. Not that I have any, though!” He waved his hand in a suddenly startled motion, and Taegan chuckled. “I suppose what I’m trying to get at is, do you...wantchildren? With me?”
The seriousness in his tone made Taegan pause. His uncertainty was understandable, but even if Zorvut had asked the same question before their heart-to-heart last night, Taegan’s sense of duty would have driven him to the same answer.
“Yes,” he said firmly, nodding. “I mean, maybe not for a while yet. But... well, when I think of having children, I think of the joy I shared with my fathers when I was a child. I think my childhood was a very happy one because of my fathers and their love for me, and the thought of being able to give that same happiness to another...” He trailed off, the sentiment feeling silly even to his own ears. But he could feel a warmth coming from Zorvut, and he glanced over to see a soft, almost tender expression on his face.
“I think that’s admirable,” Zorvut replied, and Taegan smiled, glancing away again in embarrassment. “I… Well, I do worry, though. I worry that a half-orc’s life will always be needlessly difficult, even for a prince. Or princess. I know well enough how it is to not be accepted, and I can imagine how much worse it could be for a half breed, for someone who truly doesn’t fit in anywhere.”
Taegan frowned at that. There was certainly some truth to what he was saying, and it was a valid concern. He had considered his children would be half-elves, but they would also be half-orcs. Neither had ever been a ruling monarch of the kingdom, so they had already ensured their children would be the first of their kind. And while there could be a particular freedom in setting that precedent, there would be just as much pressure, if not more.
“That’s fair,” Taegan replied slowly. “But let me assure you of this. The stereotype of elves is that we are all the same, but the truth is that as a culture we’ve committed to working together despite our differences. The elves of Aefraya have always remained loyal to the monarchy, because we trust that the gods have provided our monarchs with the wisdom to rule well. So some might put up a fuss, but when it comes down to it, I have no doubt that they will fall in line behind whoever ascends the throne. Including us, and our descendants.”
Zorvut did not seem entirely convinced, but the words comforted him and he nodded.
“I trust your judgment,” he said. “That was all I wanted to ask. Continue.”
“In that case,” Taegan said with a laugh. “Hmm. What’s your favorite food?”
They arrived back at the castle a bit after midday, and the butchered boar was carted off to the kitchens, where it would make a fine roast for the evening meal. One servant took Moonlight’s reins to return her to the stable.
“I’ll go put Graksh’t away,” Zorvut said before Taegan could turn to leave. “He’s been skittish the last few times the servants have handled him. I don’t think he trusts them yet.”
“You should go have your leg looked at, too. Just in case,” Taegan replied. Zorvut seemed to hesitate for a moment, then reached for Taegan’s hand, lifting it to his lips to kiss softly. Heat instantly flooded his face with the sudden display of affection.
“I’ll meet you for dinner,” Zorvut said simply, and turned to go.
“Y-yes,” Taegan stammered in agreement—though there were only a few elves around, he could feel their curious gazes on him.
“My prince,” a voice came behind him, and he turned to find Aerik, looking as politely disinterested as ever. “The king requests your presence in the throne room.”
“Of course,” he replied brusquely, pushing the tingling sensation lingering in his hand out of his mind. “Tell him I’ll be there shortly. I’m just going to put on some clean clothes.”
He found a fresh outfit had already been laid out for him when he returned to their quarters, and he made a mental note to ask Aerik to draw him a bath as well—even with a clean change of clothes, he could still smell horse and sweat on him. Whatever his father wanted, he hoped it would be quick.
The doors to the throne room were closed, but not guarded, so when Taegan arrived, he pushed them open gingerly to peek in before entering.
“Ah, Taegan,” the king’s voice called out the moment he looked in. “Good, I heard you were back. Come in, come in.”
When he entered, his father was seated on the throne, and a handful of nobles stood before him. Taegan recognized them, all local barons and landowners—they bowed their heads respectfully at him as he stepped toward them, and he nodded in acknowledgment.
“You needed me?” he asked as he approached the throne, lowering his head as he addressed his father.
“Not immediately, though I did want to ask you to join me for a few meetings I have tomorrow. The council of landowners will meet again tomorrow morning to settle some border disputes and discuss the expected harvest. I thought it would be good for you to listen in.” King Ruven smiled wryly. “And I just wanted to know how my son’s hunting trip went.”
“Excellently,” Taegan replied, suppressing a smile of his own. “We slew a giant boar, mostly unscathed. The kitchen should be preparing it for tonight.”
“Mostly?” Ruven repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Are you both alright?”
“Yes, but Zorvut had a minor injury. I believe he’s having it looked over now, though I don’t think it’s serious. The beast grazed his leg.”
“Lucky, then—being gored by a giant boar is a much more serious matter. Forgive me, my lords—” He turned to address the nobles who had been waiting in polite silence. “Give me just a moment longer and we can return to our discussion. Taegan, I can expect to see you both at dinner, then?”
“Yes, of course,” he replied, then hesitated before adding, “Father, if you want me to join your talks tomorrow, perhaps Zorvut should join as well. I’d like to have him get more involved in the goings-on of the castle, and he is eager to learn.”
The group of barons all swiveled their heads to look at him as if on cue—though their expressions betrayed little, they were still clearly startled by the request. King Ruven seemed surprised as well, though it was a more mild reaction, as if the thought had not even occurred to him.
