#lich romance

“He said he'd put it back.” You hopped off the boat and onto the drawbridge. “Now everyone! I know this may seem strange for a while but we are on the threshold of the greatest treasure we’ve ever found! Behave and we all come out of this richer than any Rakshasa royal in the capital!”

Weak cheers rang out, but you knew they’d see the light once they saw what Luzas had promised all of you.

You went back inside the palace, following the way the tiles on the floor moved until you came into Luzas’ study. “Everything is going according to plan, sir. Once everyone is settled in their quarters you can give them all their roles within the household.”

Luzas looked you up and down, moving aside the books floating around him in a circle. “You seem all too excited for this.”

“Let’s just say I saw the light.”

“And by light, you mean the treasure I promised?” Luzas chuckled. “You’re an easy woman to please.”

You shook your head. “Not really. But your offer for the crew was too good to pass up.” You walked past him to the window, looking out to see Tog instructing the crew.

Luzas came up beside you looking out over the scene as well. He turned slightly and his hand reached out, touching your hair. You glanced up at him, touching the same lock he caressed. 

“What is it?” You asked.

Luzas took his hand back. “You have it down.”

“Oh right.” You ran your fingers through your hair as best you could. “I usually keep it braided up.” You leaned back out the window as a breeze picked up. Yellow flower blossoms danced upon the breeze.

“It’s been a while since this place had life in it,” Luzas changed his musings. 

That reminded you of Tog’s warning. “Aren’t you alive?” You rose back up to face him.

Luzas let out a low chuckle. “Yes and no. I am neither but I am also both at the same time.”

You furrowed your brow at him.

“Confusing, I know.” He sighed and held out his hands, both sinewy and bone at the same glance. “I traded both my life and death for this form.”

“How?” You leaned in from curiosity. “Was it a power trip thing?”

Lowering his head, Luzas averted his eyes from you. “You see-”

There were shouts from the hallway and the sound of something breaking. You scoffed, turning yourself away from the conversation. “I’ll go see what they’re up to,” you grunted.

You didn’t get much of a chance to return to that conversation. As the day went on, the crew was moved into the palace, and later on, they were all given jobs within the palace. Some worked as maids or butlers, others were in charge of the kitchen, others laundry duties.

“I didn’t become a pirate to clean,” a crewmate snarled as you walked by.

“It’s only for a short while,” you hushed them. “Enjoy it, because this means more than you will ever know.”

“But what does that mean, Captain?” 

“It’ll take too long for me to explain,” you replied. “I have to go get ready for supper.” You continued walking on. You knew the crew wasn’t going to enjoy this new lot in life very much, but hey, at least it would only be long enough until Luzas performed the spell to take your heart. Surely it wouldn’t be that long. You knew each day they would become more and more settled, probably even to the point they would complain when you all had to leave.

It was a few days into your stay when you had a bit of ease around the place. The crew seemed to be doing just as you expected, settling, and you were going along with Luzas’ requests. Anything to help get yourself closer to that amazing promise of his.

“Okay, so you have been holding out on me,” you told him.

Luzas gave you a look. “How so?”

You smiled, stepping in closer to his side. “Are you really the first orc king?” Leaning in, you were almost flush against his side. “Go ahead, you can tell me.”

Luzas didn’t really move away. “Not exactly,” he replied. “I am not the first orc king, there were many before me. I was simply the first orc king over men.”

“So you are!” You gasped with excitement.

Luzas sighed and moved away. “You’re not getting the distinction, are you?” He walked forward, going towards the door.

“Does it matter?” You followed along beside him.

Outside it was a walled off garden, or it must have once been. It was all earth and stone. But as you and Luzas walked forward, it began to bloom full of yellow flowers, those creeping vines formed around dead tree stumps to grow.

“I was the first orc to rule over men, it feels like a rather large distinction to me.” Luzas murmured quietly as he walked forward. “I fought hard and won the role fairly. Yet people want to make this distinction as if I were not a genuine ruler.”

“Well, what sort of ruler were you?” You walked on ahead, inspecting the flowers to see if they were real.

“That is not something I can answer,” he sighed. “My memory is clouded and rose colored. Much like you to your crew, only they can truly make claims to what sort of leader you are.”

You plucked a flower, noting it felt real in your hand. “Well, that sounds like a proper king thing to say. Bad kings do not think if they are good or not, only that they are the king.” You offered the flower to Luzas. 

He smiles at the offer and takes it. “Maybe. But as I said, I see my past in a rose colored light.” He took the flower, adorning his cloak with it. “But that world is long gone. Those people have long since passed into another realm. They fill the beneath.”

Your eyes widened. “The beneath? What’s that?”

Luzas’s eyes widened and he looked at you as though you had grown a second head. “You’ve not heard of the beneath?”

You shook your head.

He scoffed. “So many things have been forgotten since my time.”

You tilted your head side to side. “It is how time works.”

Luzas scoffed and sat down in the garden. “I suppose.”

You sat down beside him, stretching out your legs and letting out a heavy, relaxed sigh. You leaned back, tilting your neck so you could see up into the sky and through the yellow petals of the vines. “My mother liked things that were rare. Jewels. Clothes. Stories. It was her whole thing to have a collection that no one else had. This included these big old books. Lots of which she took from monks and scholars who kept to themselves, kept their libraries safe. That’s how she found stories about you.”

“I see,” he murmured.

“Do you wanna know what they said?” You asked.

He shook his head slowly. “Not particularly.”

“Well, things were good, until they weren’t.” You stood up from your seat and looked back at Luzas. Even sitting, he was taller than you. “I’m going to catch up with Tog. If you should need me-”

“No, go,” Luzas sighed. “Take care of your own.”

You purse your lips. “Well, that includes you now, too.” You turned and walked back inside, wondering if that would mean anything to him at all.

Sometime later, the colors around the island were beginning to change, and night came on much sooner than expected. It didn’t feel like it should be a changing of seasons, but apparently it was. The once lush green around the island was turning golden and red. Everything matched the citrine and yellow pearls that Luzas kept in his home.

“It’ll be getting cold,” Tog yawned over tea. 

“Suppose we should start chopping lumber?” You asked, glancing idly over a book.

Tog shrugged. “He probably makes his own fire.” She then glared, turning to you with such a sharp look. “We are going complacent here! When is this going to end?”

You looked at her with surprise. “Oh-” You thought for a moment. “It’s a pretty important spell I think.”

“You spend your days with him! What is he doing?” Tog looked at her tea then pushed it back. “We’re becoming fat and lazy on the comforts here! Do you not realize that?”

You scanned her quickly. “You look adorable as always, Tog.”

The little blue kobold slammed her palms down upon the table. “That’s not what I meant! The crew is growing used to this life! We are becoming domesticated!”

You thought for another long moment. “I’m sure Luzas will be over with this spell soon,” you offered.

“Well, ask him!” Tog snapped. “I didn’t join you because you were good at being patient, Captain. I joined you because you were frightening! You were a powerful woman, and I wanted that! But that is not what I see in this castle.”

You furrowed your brow at her. “Hold your tongue, Tog. You will not speak to me in such a way.”

“Exactly!” Tog bounced. “Talk to him like how you talk to me! Not some simpering lady.”

It was your turn to stand up dramatically. “Simpering?”

Tog returned your harsh stare with equal ferocity. “We all see it, Captain! The way you followed him around, acting like some puppy dog. That is not our captain! Our captain leaves men and women behind her in a lush wreck! She leaves them weak! She-”

You grabbed hold of the edge of the table and shook it to make her stop. “You want me to talk to him! Then I’ll talk to him!” You stood up from the table, pushing it into Tog with your anger. You stormed out of the room, stomping down the hallway to where you knew Luzas would be.

You then hesitated outside his door, your hands slightly shaking. Puppy dog? You? No, you highly doubt it. They don’t know what they are talking about. You pushed open the doors of Luzas’ private chambers and stormed in like the pirate queen you were.

Are!

“Luzas!” You shouted out. Looking around the room you didn’t see him lurking like usual. Instead the lights in his chamber were dim, barely aglow. You licked your lips, wandering further into the room as the doors closed behind you. 

The room was unusually warm, and breathing in there was a hint of thick, wild musk in the air. You huffed, turning this way and that to find Luzas. You then saw his bed and the curtains were drawn around it. You frowned, walking towards it.

“Luzas?” Your voice wouldn’t come out louder than a harsh whisper. You pulled back the curtain forcefully, seeing Luzas lying in bed. 

Didn’t he once say he didn’t need sleep? He didn’t need food either but he often ate meals with you and drank libations despite the fact it wouldn’t get him drunk. Maybe he partook in sleep the same way he did those things.

His golden form was laid out against the bed, his long hair splayed out across the pillows, his arms, down his chest. 

“Luzas I-” You stopped, short of breath and all power within your body. Your eyes had trailed down his side enough to see that the sleeping giant had a giant awoken upon his body. Your jaw dropped slightly.

“By the goddess,” you whispered.

This thick, golden phallus hung in the air, barely suspended by its own stiffness. The head gleamed like polished citrine, shining in the light and reflecting shades of yellow, green and orange.

“No wonder he slouches so much,” you murmured to yourself. You went to pull back, no longer wanting to confront the sleeping beast. But as you pulled back, his hand caught you.

“What are you doing here?” His voice was a low, angry growl.

You were stunned, afraid to speak before anger returned. “Unhand me!”

Luzas chuckled. “I caught you spying on me and you think you have the upper hand here? Captain?” he said so mockingly.

“You will unhand me or I swear-”

“What did you come in here yelling about?” He growled again.

So he was awake! He was aware that you had been staring at him, ogling him even. You held your breath, still keeping your wrist held high. “I came to demand an answer,” you snarled back. “I want to know when this deal is sealed.”

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