HENRIA

The orc roars in agony, gnashing its monstrous tusks as King Auric plunges his sword through the beast's heart. I shudder, the scene of the famous battle vivid in my imagination.

"Your Highness?!" A startled squeak shakes me from my thoughts.

Tearing my eyes from the rich tapestry before me, I shift the breakfast tray in my arms and gasp as the pot of cream wobbles, nearly spilling its contents. When it settles, I can't hold back an audible sigh of relief. The passing messenger boy gives me an odd look but continues on his way, dodging other bustling servants in the hall.

Normally there's a steady stream of chatter between the servants, one that falls quiet when I appear in their presence, but not today. The undercurrent is busy, yes, but subdued. Eerie. And the glances thrown my way are not the curious or quietly resentful looks I'm accustomed to as a princess, but compassionate, laced with pity.

I take a deep breath, glancing one last time at the gruesome tapestry. The battle was centuries before my time, of course, but today it feels as present as a weight around my neck. A shiver runs down my spine and before I can allow myself time for doubt, I scurry down the hall with my tray.

Well, scurry as much as I can in this dress, anyway. I grumble, trying to adjust the fabric while balancing the tray. My lady's maid had insisted I wear the royal blue today, as it would be appropriate for the occasion. But the dress is too tight, as always, and I am forced to take maddeningly small, demure steps.

Another servant gives me a quick look as she passes before dropping her gaze. Her dress allows her to walk quickly and efficiently. I suppose that's the purpose. She has tasks to complete, places to be. My dress is fit for the princess I am, suited for my purpose: looking pretty and rich.

Of course, the palace helps maintain the image. The servants have been working tirelessly to prepare for Tribute Day; every inch gleams. It strikes me as somehow macabre. I assume the last thing the Tributes want to see as they leave the palace forever are reminders of all the splendor they're being forced to leave behind. I was only eight years old on the last Tribute Day, and while I remember the same charged, hushed energy in the palace, I hadn't quite understood the enormity of the day nor what it meant.

But now here we are, ten years later, and this time the implications of Tribute Day loom heavy.

"Excuse us, Your Highness!" The voice comes from behind and I turn to see two servants carrying an oversized painting. It's so big that they're taking up almost the whole hallway.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I shuffle demurely to the side of the hall so the servants can pass.

The window to my right looks out over the lush, green garden of the south wall and I can't help a small, wistful smile. The garden is my refuge, one of the only places in the palace where I can hide and be myself, free from prying eyes and their expectations. Luisa used to spend time out there with me, too, when we were younger. I still remember the last Tribute Day...

Luisa, a year younger than me, is always faster. I race after her, trying to keep up.

"Come on, Henria!" she shouts at me. "Hurry! We have to save Lettie!"

"We won't let any orcs have her!" I swing a stick in the air, pretending it's a sword and that I'm fighting off palace guards who are taking our beloved nanny, Lettie, away from us.

Luisa climbs up on a bench in the garden, then jumps off, falling to her knees. I pause, watching her. Instead of crying, she scrambles back to her feet and brushes the dirt from her dress. "Here come more guards, Henria!"

"Stop them!"

We race around the path giggling, confident in how our game will really play out. We will be able to save Lettie from her fate, instead of losing her forever to the Orc Kingdom.

"Girls!" comes a stern hiss. We stop to see our new nanny rushing over to us, her face a mix of embarrassed red and shocked white. "Stop that right now!"

She takes the stick from my hand and throws it to the ground.

"But that's my sword..."

"Nonsense. You are princesses and this kind of play is beneath you. And on Tribute Day, no less! Imagine being so disrespectful to all the Tributes and their sacrifice." She takes my hand and then Luisa's before dragging us back into the palace.

I shake my head. The memory is bittersweet. A moment of happy innocence, one of the last I would experience with my sister. Not long after that Tribute Day Luisa fell ill and took to her bed. And she has never fully recovered, spending more and more time confined to her room.

The sun shifts outside and a shadow falls over the south garden. I look out to the mountain range that separates our kingdom, the Human Kingdom of Fellhaven, from the Orc Kingdom. The mountains are tall, dark, imposing. A chill runs down my spine.

On the other side of the range live the orcs. Giant brutes, with swamp-green skin, gnashing tusks and horrid, rotten breath. Monsters that thrive in the harsh terrain of the Orc Kingdom, a land of fire mountains that spurt molten rock, tar pits that trap anything that wanders too close, noxious air that can fell a whole army in a single gust.

I've never seen an orc, of course, not in real life. No one who has gone to the Orc Kingdom has ever returned to tell us the horrors they've witnessed. No Tributes have returned home to Fellhaven. Not that they're supposed to. The purpose of Tribute Day is to keep the truce with the Orc Kingdom intact.

Fellhaven sends women to the orcs. Peace between our kingdoms is maintained.

My stomach twists uncomfortably. Are you sure you really want to do this, Henria?

I bite my lip, feeling the weight of apprehension in the question.

"Henria? What are you doing?"

I open my eyes to spy my uncle approaching from down the hall. My uncle, King Renfred. I close my eyes in dismay. The one person I'd hoped to avoid and now here he is, standing before me.

He takes me in. Carrying a tray like a common servant is beneath my status, and I prepare myself for the stern lecture I'm sure is to come. But instead, his gaze softens and he looks down the hall to Luisa's bedroom door. So close.

"Henria..." He pauses, studying me. Then he shakes his head. "I know today will be difficult for you. But you must remember that Luisa is performing a heroic duty on behalf of the kingdom. As are all the women sent to the Orc Kingdom as Tributes. And as you know, it is important to fulfill the roles required of us."

"Yes, Uncle." I hope my rote response will be enough to appease him, but no. He launches into the usual diatribe that the whole kingdom has heard a million times before. The truce is crucial. Everyone must play their part. I try my best not to fidget in place but the longer he drones on, the more time I'm losing.

And I don't have any to spare.

"All citizens must perform their duties, from myself on the throne down to even the lowest of peasants. And so must Luisa and yourself." He focuses on me once more. "Once you're married to Duke Elmert, you'll have a better understanding of your responsibilities."

My mouth goes dry. Duke Elmert is an ancient, leering, lecher of a man. Not only that, he's been married three times before. Yet, each of his young brides have died in mysterious accidents.

I'm not going to let that be my fate.

"When you've settled into your role of wife and mother," he continues, "you'll truly grasp the importance of duty."

He stops, waiting for me to respond, but I don't, only dropping my gaze modestly. Finally, he sighs. "Your food is getting cold. You'd better bring that to your sister and say your goodbyes."

"Yes, Uncle." I give a small curtsy, the best I can manage with my hands full, and then take the dismissal offered and move down the hall once more, well aware that time is slipping through my fingers.

Finally at Luisa's door, I shift the tray so I'm able to knock.

"Enter."

Her voice is sweet and for the briefest moment all my anxiety and worry and confusion vanish in a wave of love for my sister. I push open the door and find her sitting in her bed, as usual. But the veil across her face catches me by surprise.

"Oh! You're already dressed for travel?"

I shut the door behind me and walk to her bed. She lifts the veil and smiles. "Henria! Have you brought me breakfast?"

I shrug, then set the tray on the bed before taking a seat beside her. We hug and I find myself clinging just a little longer before letting go.

"It's the least I can do. But I didn't expect to see you already dressed and ready to leave."

She gives me a small smile that I can't quite read. A lock of her thick brown hair, so like my own, falls over her shoulder and she pushes it back.

"I didn't really see the point in waiting. Though, I have to say, I don't think I enjoy these travel veils. How will I be able to see anything?"

"I think that's kind of the point. Why would royalty need to look out upon the world beyond the palace walls? Surely the unvarnished landscapes would only scar your vision."

She snorts at my sarcasm and gives me a nudge with her shoulder. And I'm hit with a moment of such despair that I almost begin to weep.

Even when she was a child, everyone assumed Luisa would be the one to marry best. She's younger than me, yes, but always just a little better in every way. I am pretty, Luisa beautiful. My grace does not serve me on the dance floor, but Luisa floats as if on air. I'm quick to take offense, but Luisa is kind and gentle in a way that draws people to her. Which is why it was such a tragedy when she first fell ill.

And now...now here she is, a Tribute about to be shipped off to the Orc Kingdom. A royal with little marriage prospects due to her health. Might as well just get her out of the way.

"Hey." Luisa's soft voice brings me back to the present. Her smooth hands clasp mine and we hold onto each other tightly.

"Luisa, I—"

"No. Let's not talk about any of that, okay? You've brought me this lovely breakfast. I want nothing more than to just spend time with my sister. Because Henria," she squeezes my hand. "I can take care of myself. I promise. I will be okay."

I gaze at the thin contour of her body, her frail form propped up in bed, and my eyes well with tears. This is the type of person she is. More concerned with me, who will remain safe in the palace, than her own impending doom.

I sniff, regaining my composure. "Well, you're definitely not going to be okay if you don't eat anything before you travel."

She laughs. "It's not that far to the Orc Kingdom."

"It's far enough. Besides, this is fresh cream. It might be your last chance to have it!" I pick up a berry scone and press it into her hands.

She chuckles, then sighs before dipping the scone in the cream and taking a bite. "You're right. This is very good."

I watch as she takes another bite, my heart practically pounding out of my chest.

Luisa blinks a few times, then looks confused. She drops the scone onto the tray. "Oh. I feel funny..."

Her eyes flutter, and then she's falling back against her pillows, asleep.

"I'm sorry, Luisa." My whispered apology is all I offer her.

It's now or never! I jump to my feet and get to work.

I'm out of breath by the time I'm adjusting Luisa's clothes on my frame. They don't quite fit, something I hadn't really accounted for. There's a knock at the door.

"Princess Luisa? Are you ready?"

I give a silent curse before tugging the veil over my face. The door swings open to reveal a guard, his gaze deferential and unsuspecting.

Clearing my throat, I bend down to grab Luisa's travel bag. "Yes. I'm ready."

I leave the room and my sister behind, following the guard to the carriages waiting for me and the other Tributes. He opens the door to the carriage. I take a deep breath. Then I step inside.

There's no going back for me now.

I'm on my way to the Orc Kingdom.