You sure?" The noble asked his auburn eyebrows raised in perplexity. "I mean we could pay the clan to keep you employed..."
"No," Mazgoa replied, packing up her gear. "That would be shameful and dishonor the clan. I'm nearly as grumpy as you are, Your Highness. But traditions must be honored, you know obligations."
There was a faint smirk on his face, remembering how at those gaudy ball invites he'd sneak off with Maz so they could just rag and bullshit with the guards. Honestly have more fun.
"True, I'm just going to miss our time together. Shame it has to end"
"Yes." She sighed as she re-sheathed her sword after cleaning it. "The worst thing is that I get betrothed to someone I don't really like. 'Oh yay! A traditionalist! The guy with the biggest gains who loves the clan more than me!' Probably some muscle riddled weightlifter."
Mazgoa continued to speak as she lifted her trunk with one hand, as easy as one would pick up an apple. "I mean, I thought they'd get a clue with me picking the most unlikely of contracts. A wealthy kingdom, removed from the borders that hasn't seen or heard of orc culture-"
"Not true," the Nobel piped up. "The guards were gobsmaked that you were a Female orc instead of a guy. Remember when they tried to test you?"
There was a good laugh from the fighter. "yeah and I plowed the captain though a wall during the grapple test? I thought I was going to get fired on the spot." She seemed less tense now more accepting of her situation. "Thanks, Prince, I needed that."
"Hey I'm not a Prince I told you tha-"
There was another laugh from Mazgoa as she softened a bit more. "Oh I know, you're just 'the royal treasurer.' It's a shame I'm not marrying you. You get me."
Now it was his turn to be gobsmacked
"Oh, well I might as well level with you since this is probably the last time I'm going to see you. While, originally, I took you as some haughty employer. You know, like your cousins at the ball? Seeing only servants as people? You went out of your way to know me, respect me as a being, rather than a wall of meat or an object. Id rather marry someone who knows me than just someone who sees me as something to own."
The noble was still flustered by this confession.
"I liked how soft it was here," she emphasized by eyeing the slight pooch that had grown during her station there. "Honestly I could have done with more. Thank you, I shall remember this place fondly."
Mazgoa gave the noble a hug gripping his soft frame tightly before whispering "Keep growing this, alright? I mean while not conventionally attractive, I like it on you and so does some of the staff. So there's a good chance some other lucky noble might."
And with that she turned for the doorway, the fighter stationed as the guard to the treasurer.
He stood there for a few more seconds as his mind realed. Then chased after her.
"Wait! Maz!" He yelled following her to her cart and horse.
"It's technically your last day under my employ." He replied. "Now I order you to tell me everything about this 'wedding selection' process. In private, over lunch."
There was a grin on the Orc's face as she followed. Closing the door behind her.
"Are you sure? It's a pretty straightforward and dry process"
"I deal with lawmen most of the time, if there's a loophole, I'm taking it."
"Alright. The customs clearly state that the one who can gain the most weight during the 6 month period gets my hand in marriage."
"Yeah but the males grow muscle insanely fast in such a short time that-"
"I'm not saying muscle just raw, heavy, weight"
There was a blush on Mazgoa's face as she realized what he figured out.
"Oh! Well uhh... Yes! Just body mass. Nothing else. That's all they check."
"Then lets say if I were to just gain this weight....""Then you'd secure my hand. But it's a lot of weight. I understand some suitors use underhanded tactics to-"
"Nothing the right coin can buy. Alright then, I'll see to it. I'll clear my schedule for tomorrow. I'll have me servants fetch my cart and horse. I'm going to bring up, in that meeting with the ruling class today, that I'm interested in... Expanding relations between your clan and our Empire. Now which of our staff should I bring?"
Maz melted a bit, imaging her decadent lord all plumped and stuffed by his attendants trying to win her hand.
"Well there's the apothecary and the wizard... Oh and the carpenter and the nurse too..."