Chapter 14
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Mag was returned to her father king Throduk, who was overjoyed to see her alive. He was also grateful to the Trogolodites who had saved her. It was obvious that Skrad and Slar genuinely loved her. The other three princes were more interested in alliances, but it might be neccessary to marry her off to one of them. The pirates had not raped her, they knew she would be far less valuable if she was not pure. Perhaps even drunken pirates were too afraid what Selkath would do if they took away her value.
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Skrad was from the tribe of Askada, Slar from Trikru. Slar was a nice enough young man, but Mag loved Skrad. They were both 16, both had duties to their tribes. Part of that duty was that they could not be together, unless her father consented to marriage between them. But at 16, it was hard to keep their passion in check. They could not even be in the same room without a chaperone. but they would sneak a kiss every now and then. Mag went to her father one night to ask for his blessing.
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Mag: I want to marry Skrad, we are in love.
Throduk: There is a difference between passion and love. Love takes time. When you spend time together, have children together, come to depend on each other for emotional support, than love comes.
Mag: Skrad and I will have that love some day. I don't love Slar or any of the other princes.
Throduk: These marriages are not about love, they are about alliances.
Mag: Than the peasants are more free than we are, they can marry whom they choose.
Throduk: Perhaps. As royals we have a duty to govern wisely. Sometimes that means we cannot marry whom we love. When your mother and I first met, we were not in love, we both did what was necessary for our people, to unite the Orks. We came to love each other.
Mag: Love at first sight is possible.
Throduk: It is indeed. I remember the first time it happened to me. It was the day you were born, when I looked into my child's eyes and fell in love with her. I have experiences love at first sight five times since then.
Mag: You mean my brothers and sisters?
Throduk: Indeed. And I hope to live long enough to look into my grandchildren's eyes.
Mag: Even if those grandchildren are part Trogolodite?
Throduk: Yes, I very much want peace between Orks and Trogolodites, I want my grandchildren to have a more peaceful world than I had.
Mag: If I were to marry Skrad, there could be peace between Orks and Trogolodites.
Throduk: With one tribe, yes.
Mag: No matter who I marry, there would be hurt feelings among the other tribes. And your men made examples of the pirates. People know what happens to those who attack this royal family.
Throduk: This is true. There are advantages and disadvantages to marrying into any tribe. I've done all I can to discourage other attacks. Peace with one tribe is perhaps the best we can hope for right now. Perhaps, love should be the deciding factor. Very well, I will allow you and Skrad to marry.
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The castle was soon abuzz with rumors, how the king was about to name who would marry his oldest daughter Mag. Noone yet knew for certain who it would be, but that didn't stop people from gossiping and engaging in rumors. Some were certain she would be married to Skrad, but others were just as certain she would marry Slar. Slar had hired local minstrels to write sonnets about their "Love" and to recite them in the public square. Indeed, most people in Glantri believed that Mag loved Slar, they didn't realize that she loved Skrad. But Slar knew that she did not love him, and he would be rejected. He was discussing the situation with his advisor Gleskir.
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Gleskir: This is bad.
Slar: I am aware of that.
Gleskir: Trikru needs this alliance with Glantri, but if they ally with Askada...
Slar: I did all I could, now there's nothing more we can do.
Gleskir: That's not true. The common people believe Mag loves you.
Slar: But Glantri is not a democracy.
Gleskir: But if Mag were to die, some would blame Skrad.
Slar: We cannot harm her, it would risk war, and also I love her.
Gleskir: But we have a duty to our people.
Slar: Risking war?
Gleskir: If Glantri allies with Askada, they will eventually declare war on us. What have we to lose? If caught, I will accept full responsibility and be executed.
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Gleskir had brought a poisonous snake with him from Askada territory. He had hoped this could be resolved diplomatically, but was prepared for this. He covertly brought the snake to Mag's garden. She never even saw it, until it was too late. It bit her. They quickly got the castle doctor, but there was nothing he could do. When Skrad heard that his beloved was near death he rushed to her. But her guards wouldn't let him anywhere near her. King Throduk began questioning him. Gleskir was already trying to manipulate the king into believing it was Askada.
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Throduk: My daughter was bitten by a poisonous snake. A snake only found in Askada territory. How could a snake have gotten this far?
Skrad: I don't know.
Throduk: Someone must have brought it here.
Gleskir: Indeed, he would rather kill your daughter than let her live with another husband.
Skrad: No, we were in love. She wanted to marry me.
Throduk: But you heard of the people's gossip, all the sonnets that proclaimed my daughter's love for Slar.
Skrad: I cannot say what the poets on his payroll said, but we loved each other.
Throduk: Perhaps you didn't want to take your chances. If you couldn't have her, noone could.
Skrad: I swear I could never hurt her. I can't bear the thought of her dying.
Throduk: Return to your room, consider this house arrest. I must comfort my daughter in her final hour. When she is dead, I will deal with her murderer.
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Throduk and his children stayed by Mag's side in her final moments. Even in her state, with the accusations against her beloved Skrad, she refused to believe it was true. She begged her father to let her see Skrad before she died, but her father refused. Mag used her final breath to spare Skrad. When she died, Throduk went to confront him again. There were two guards to prevent him from escaping, but they failed. When the door was opened Skrad was already dead, he had hung himself. He left a suicide note, saying he could not live without his beloved Mag. In this moment Throduk knew he had been wrong, that Skrad could have never harmed Mag. He had been framed, most likely by Trikru. Gleskir and Slar were arrested. They both denied everything, but in his anger the king was ready to sentence them both to death. At this point Gleskir confessed that he, and he alone, had murdered Mag and framed Skrad. When he calmed down Throduk spared Slar and returned him to his people. Gleskir was beheaded. And for years Gantri would sing of the tragic love between Mag and Skrad, the forbidden love between an Ork and a Trogolodite.