Chapter 83 Forgiveness.

The Primrose estate was not the biggest in New Larrin, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t impressive in its own right.

The gates were of curving steel worked to mimic sprawling ivy, the walls high stone and the building behind like a miniature palace of minarets and high windows.

A stuffy looking butler took their names, vanished, but within a few minutes returned and ushered Ava and Slade through the gate and towards the sprawling building.

Into the great hall they were brought, sunlight streaming through high windows stained red with rose patterns to glow on fine furnishing.

The orc stood out in the classy splendour of the receiving room. His leather vest and pants barely seemed able to hold in his densely muscled form. A tusked face grinned down at them, hair shorn short, a heavy blade sheathed at his side, he looked more like a barbarian come to raid the place than a guard.

The moment Slade saw the huge orc he tensed, but Ava squealed in delight and ran at him, throwing herself into his arms. "Thorag!" Ava cried.

"Ava Copperman!" the orc chuckled, squeezing her ass before setting her back down on the floor.

"So good to see you! What are you doing here?"

Thorag grinned. "Well," he said, scratching his chin. "After Primrose’s little ’incident’ she figured she should have a more permanent bodyguard. And wouldn’t you know it? I was looking for a job."

"That’s great! Oh, Thorag? This is Slade."

The orc looked at the werewolf, who met the other man’s gaze with narrow eyes. The two straightened a little, sizing one another up slowly.

"Nice to meet you," Thorag said with a tusky grin.

"Likewise. You know Ava?" Slade said.

"Yeah," Thorag said, giving Ava’s ass another squeeze. "We’ve met."

Ava looked between them, smiling in blissful ignorance of the tension crackling like a growing storm. "Thorag?" Ava said. "I was hoping to meet Lady Primrose. Is she in?"

Thorag glanced back down at the elf, but he suddenly seemed less enthusiastic than before. "Yeah," the orc grunted, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, she’s in. I ah... I was told to bring you to the solar. Just you, though."

Slade pushed forward, a low growl rising from his throat. "Where she goes, I go."

Thorag tilted back his head, eying the grizzled man. "Think she’s in danger with me?" the orc said, stroking the hilt of his sword.

Ava giggled. "That’s silly! Why would she be against me? I saved Lady Primrose’s life. Slade? Wait here. I shouldn’t be long."

The werewolf growled but reluctantly nodded. "Fine," he said, pressing his back against the wood panelling of the wall, arms crossed over his chest. "But I’ll be listening."

Thorag cocked his head in confusion but Ava tugged on his sleeve, and the orc turned back to her. Grinning down at the lovely elf, he wrapped an arm around her, guiding her out of the main hall and deeper into the manor, feeling the angry gaze of the werewolf against their backs.

"You’ve been doing well?" Ava asked the orc as they made their way down hallways crowded with portraits of dour Primroses of the past.

"Can’t complain. Work’s been good, and Primrose keeps me busy. Very busy," he said with a lewd wink.

Ava giggled. "I bet! Oh!" she gasped as she felt the orc give her breast a teasing squeeze, a blush rising on her cheeks. "Thorag, that’s... mmmm..."

"But I did miss this too," the orc grunted. "Hard to forget these tits. You should have come by sooner. I could’ve taken some leave from Primrose. Been your bodyguard. Body like this needs some good guarding..."

Ava moaned softly as his hand squeezed her plump teat, her jacket no protection against the orc’s aggressive touch. She inhaled his scent deeply. Heavy. Musky. Tantalizing in a way that made her core throb for a taste of his cock again. "Ooooh, didn’t... ah... think about it..."

"Gonna make sure you think about it lots before we’re done here," Thorag said heavily.

"Ooooh, but.... Um... I really do n-need to talk to Lady Primrose," Ava panted.

Thorag paused in his attentions. "Yeah," he said, pulling his hand back from her breast. "Right. That..."

Ava looked at him with confusion, but before she could ask Thorag stopped before a door and opened it, ferrying the elf inside.

Ava found herself in a solar, the ceiling a dome through which sprinkles of brilliant sunlight shone through. The glass walls were half covered in rosebushes rising from planters, the brilliant red of the roses glistening with a recent watering like they were sprayed with diamonds. On a small raised platform sat a thin legged table and two chairs. In one was Lady Primrose.

The last time Ava had seen the noblewoman, she’d been naked on a stone slab, rutting to the phantasmal touch of a cult’s spell. But there was no mistaking her, especially since her clothes left little to the imagination. A plush, sleeveless blue gown showcased the fullness of her breasts, her face of matured years but still lovely, if with a bit too much makeup. A lingering effect from her time with the cult of the Silken Gasp, whose magics had given her youthful loveliness and bustiness, with a price of a soaring libido.

Her hair was gathered in a beehive, her ears dangling with gold earrings, and her skirt flared with ruffles. A teacup was in her hand as Ava entered, and she smiled with full red lips, nodding.

"So good to see you, Miss Copperman. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you," Ava said, sitting across from the noble, Thorag taking up position by the door. "I actually came because I-"

"Wish me to testify on your behalf at your trial?"

Ava gaped. "Yes!" she said. "How’d you know that?"

Primrose chuckled, her bust bouncing. "Darling! It’s all anyone who’s anyone is talking about."

"Who are they?"

"The somebodies."

"Somebodies?" Ava said.

"If you don’t know who they are, you’re a nobody."

"I am?"

"Assuredly," Primrose said, setting down the cup.

Ava was confused, but pushed that aside and leaned forward on the table. "Lady Primrose, I could really use your help! They say what I wrote in that article about the Silken Gasp is all lies! But they’re not."

"True," Lady Primrose said.

"Then you’ll testify for me?"

"Oh goodness no!"

Ava’s hopeful face fell. "Wh-what? But... but why not?"

Lady Primrose sighed with the exasperation of an adult explaining astrophysics to a child.

She set down her tea cup and poured herself some more.

"Don’t get me wrong, Ava. I would adore to help you. Really, I would. But you see, the people who are suing you? Well, they’re my kind of people. As in, the sorts of people who I move with. If I were to take the stand against them, well, they’d turn on me. I’d be exorcised from high society. Even if you did win your case, which is quite unlikely in my opinion, I’d be person non grata. I’d be as welcome at a social occasion as a Leper serving finger food. So, you see, Ava, I would love to help you. Truly, I would. But it would make things very difficult for me, and things are already so difficult."

"I... I don’t understand," Ava said. "But they’re lying!"

"Yes, dear. But it’s a question of somebodies and nobodies. And darling, I am a somebody. So, I’m afraid you’ll have to find somebody else."

"But they tried to possess you! Kill you!"

Primrose stirred some milk into her tea. "Ah, well. You know how it is. Forgiveness is a virtue. Oh damn. That stupid maid used the three percent cream. I only take two percent. Ugh."