"Farmer Ivy had four cuhws-”

“It’s pronounced kaos.”

Mayari looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow at the human in chains. “What exactly is a cow?”

“Well...” Pater scratched his knee which made his chains clink. “You ever met a minotaur?”

“I know of them.”

“Okay, imagine one, but on four legs and naked.”

Mayari blinked and looked at the bearded dirty human with disbelief. “What a disturbing thought!”

Pater laughed. He tried to wrap himself in the blanket a guard had given him after the weather had gotten colder. It didn’t provide him much heat in his dark cell. He studied the orc princess who sat on the cold stone floor seemingly not bothered by the cold as she in one hand held a book titled 1001 Riddles For Children. In the other she held a candle to illuminate the pages of the book. She held it with her bare hand, the heat of the candle bothering her as much as the cold floor did. “You don’t have cows where you are from?” Pater asked the girl.

“We do not. Thankfully. And I do believe I should get on with this reading lesson.”

Pater smiled. “Easy. Haste makes waste, you know.”

Mayari rolled her eyes. “That is a very human expression. It excuses tardiness.” She returned her attention toward the page. “Alright... Farmer Ivy had four kaos. Then, she bought two. Her new kaos’ left horns were not broken. How many horns did farmer Ivy’s kao’s have in total?” Mayari shrugged. “Well, that’s simple math. That would be ten if the two new kaos have a broken horn each.”

Pater giggled. “Read the answer at the bottom of the page.”

Mayari did so. the answer annoyed her. “What? Twelve? But it said that two new ones’ left horns were not broken!”

Pater nodded. “Yes, but it did not say that the right ones were.” He smirked.

Mayari did not look amused. “This book is boring me.”

“Well, I think it is about time we try something a bit more difficult. Next time, could you bring the book The Goblin in the Pot?”

Mayari placed the book in the black sack that also had the cup and dices Pater used for the game yahtzee that he demanded she played with him before he gave her a reading lesson. “I will get that book. What is it about.”

“It’s a fairytale.”

“I’m not a child, human.”

“I beg to disagree, your highness. Either way, it is a good book.”

“We shall see, I suppose.” Mayari placed the sack at the left corner at the back of the room where no one would notice it. Before picking up the candle so she could leave, she stopped up to nudge her hands.

Pater looked at Mayari doing so. “Your highness, do you box?”

Mayari adjusted her cloak and pulled up the hood to hide her face. “Why do you ask?”

“I have a friend. He fought professionally. And after he had trained or fought, his knuckles were sore and he nudged them like you do.”

“Well, that is none of your business, is it?”

“I guess not.” Pater smiled. “Goodnight, your highness.”

Mayari walked up the stairs and walked past the prison guards. “You did not see me.”

“We did not.” The two guards said as if with one voice.

Instead of taking the door that led back to the castle, Mayari took the one that led her to the garden so she could take a detour to get some fresh air. It was a lovely and chilly night. She could hear frogs croak.

Mayari groaned in annoyance as she thought of the human’s remark of her hands. He was right, not that she would let him know that.

She would have to be at her lowest before sharing her private life with the likes of him.

A few weeks later...

Mayari looked at a card with the number six drawn on it before she placed it on the pile of cards on the stone floor in front of Pater. “I knew that it would be painful. But the worst part is that I must learn how to walk and move, as if I was nothing but a toddler. As if I’m trying to eat food with a spoon-”

“And you stick it in the nose instead of the mouth?” Pater placed a 10-card on top of the sixer.

Mayari looked at the bearded man with freckles. “What would you know of that? Your physic tells me that you have never lifted anything heavier than a fruit, human.”

Pater chuckled. “My friend Ivan complained the same way you are right now when he was a rookie fighter. So I can promise you that you have nothing to worry about, your highness.”

Mayari placed a card with a crown-wearing unicorn on the 10-card. “I do not seek your approval, human. As a matter of fact, I’m unsure why I tell you anything.”

“Well, that’s easy, your highness. I’m a dirty human who lives in a hole in the ground. You don’t respect me enough to worry I might judge you and I have no reason to suck up to you. You know that we can have an honest conversation.”

Mayari did not respond to that. They now both had one card in their hand, so they revealed their cards to each other. Pater’s card had a lower number, so he won the game. “You know, human... you do not seem like the former regent of a so-called glorious empire. With you as their liege, I would think the humans would have been bested by orc kind much sooner.”

“Well, you would be right, your highness. My wife was the actual regent, I got married into the royal family.”

Mayari was about to insist that they should get started with her reading of the book Lady Goat And Her Eggs, but she had to ask. “Color me curious, but what exactly were you before you became king?”

“A street performer. Musician.”

Mayari almost dropped the book. “You must be joking!”

Pater laughed. “That’s what they said to my wife. We were a classic case of royalty meets charming deadbeat.”

Mayari opened the book. “I care not for your love life, human. Now, we reached chapter two, correct?”

***

“... And so said, so done. She mounted the giant spider, pressed her heels into its sides, and galloped down the high street like a hue.. Wait, one moment, please... Hue...”

“Hurricane?”

“Yes, right. Hurricane.” Mayari squinted her eyes as she was reading Lady Blockhead, one more of the fairytale books Pater had made her read despite her protests. Though this one was more challenging to read than the other childish books. Mayari groaned. Bad enough most of her body felt sore after her mother had now become her sparring partner, now her eyes felt numb as well.

Pater scratched his beard. “Your highness, perhaps we should take a break?”

Mayari rolled her eyes. “Again? See, this is why you humans are soft compared to us orcs. You have no sense of discipline, you walk when you could run.”

If it hadn’t been for the shackles, Pater would have crossed his arms. “Your highness, reading require stamina, just the same when you run. Are you telling me you don’t stop to catch your breath when you are out running?”

Mayari nudged her eyes. “Human, I don’t expect you to comprehend the life one as I live. As an orc AND as a princess, I have standards. I walk the extra mile that lesser creatures either can’t or are too slothful to muster. I must excel in a-”

“Is that why you use big words all the time?” Pater interrupted.

Mayari blinked. “I BEG YOUR PARDON?!”

“See, that’s what I mean. It feels like you make a sentence longer than it has to be, and you use words like slothful. Who even says that? Are you worried I won't think you are smart? I'm a loser in jail, who cares what I think?”

Mayari didn’t want to admit it, but Pater hat hit the nail right on the head. Her blushing cheeks proved it. “My father says that the sign of a true leader is how skilled they are when it comes to the art of rhetoric. And the best way to keep standards when it comes to speech is to be well-spoken at all times, or your tongue grows dull.”

Pater blinked. “That sounds... exhausting.”

Mayari was about to say something. But then she just took in a big breath and exhaled. “It... can be. Sometimes.”

***

Mayari was now thirteen years old.

She was tall for a girl her age, not to mention muscular. The second being the result of her mother’s harsh training for the last three years. Her arms felt as if they weighed a ton after an exceptionally harsh day of dumbbell lifting. And then she has to get history lessons from the old Geras who had taken over her education as her father was too busy to do so. And Geras was an awful bore.

Perhaps it was due to her desperation that Mayari now found herself enjoying her nights with Pater more and more.

“It’s your move, sir.” Mayari studied the black and white board.

“I haven’t played checkers in years. I tried teaching my kid, but she is a poor loser.” Pater snickered as he moved a checker on the board.

Mayari looked at the pieces as she considered her next move. But then she looked up at Pater. “You have a daughter?”

“I do. I think she is around your age.”

Mayari made her move. “Is she like you?”

Pater laughed. “Like me? HA! No. Not at all. She is her mother’s child. A fierce little warrior. Stubborn to a fault.”

“But... where is she now? I didn’t hear about members of the human royal family being captured beside you.”

Pater had picked up a piece. But then he dropped it. “Ah... Well, I’m not... sure I should...”

Mayari and Pater looked at each other awkwardly.

“Oh... right.” Mayari felt like an idiot as her green cheeks blushed. She stared at the checker pieces to avoid eye contact. “I overstepped. I apologize.”

Pater bit his lower lip. “I’m sorry-”

“No, don’t be. I mean, for all you know, I might trick you into telling me where she is so I could tell my father.”

Pater tried to say something. Then, he did as Mayari and stared at the board as well to evade eye contact... till he mentally kicked himself in the pants and manned the hell up. “Your highness, respectfully, look at me right now.”

Mayari grimaced. “Sir, it’s-”

“That, me not trusting you, was a great example of me being a coward. I decided you were orc first and not my... well, my friend.”

Mayari narrowed her eyes. “We are... friends?”

Pater shrugged. “I like to think so. Don't worry, I don’t have to be your friend. But you are mine. And friends trust each other. And I should trust you enough to tell you that my kid is hopefully in-”

“LALALALALALA!” The orc girl stood up with the speed of a cannon ball and held her hands on her head to cover her ear as well as closing her eyes. “I CAN’T HEAR YOU! LALALALALA!”

“But your highness-”

“I DON’T NEED TO KNOW WHERE SHE IS AND I DON’T WANT TO ACCIDENTALLY BETRAY YOU BY KNOWING, LALALALAL!” Mayari took in a deep breath as she carefully opened one eye. Pater looked at her and he looked like he was doing his best to resist the urge to laugh. “Well, that was humiliating.” Mayari noticed she had accidentally kicked the checkerboard and picked up the pieces scattered around the floor. “Sorry, sir.”

Pater chuckled as he shook his head. “If we are friends, then maybe you should call me Pat, your highness.”

Mayari put the game pieces in the little leather bag. “I’m not sure I will, sir. But I would like for you to stop calling me your highness.”

Pater watched the orc princess put the bag with game pieces and the checkerboard in the sack that was placed in the dark corner next to the stairs where no one noticed it unless they looked for it. “Well, in that case...” Pater said. “Would you let me call you May?”

The orc princess thought about it for a second. “I believe that I would be quite fine with that. But I should get back to bed.” But before she sat foot on the stair’s first step, she turned around. “Sir, if I may ask... do you miss her? Your daughter, that is.”

Pater looked surprised. “Well, yeah. Every single damn day.”

“But... you don’t seem... unhappy.”

Pater sighed. “Well... I am. I'm actually extremely unhappy. But...” Pater turned his eyes toward the sharp rock he used to draw on the rock floor. He only looked at it for a second and then turned his attention toward May once more. “Well, I fear that... if I allow myself to be sad... to be truly heartbroken while I’m down here, alone with my own thoughts... I fear the misery would drive me crazy and I might...” He looked at the green-skinned teenager who had a worried expression. “Well, I’m worried I might... well, I just don’t think it would be a good idea for me to wallow in my misery when I'm locked up here and all alone.”

She was at first petrified. But then, Mayari went and sat next to Pater as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “But... You are not alone, sir. I’m here.”

The orc and the human looked at each other, practically horrified by realizing how close they apparently were.