A Terrible Kidnap
The maiden, Lila, walked the palace gardens as always, her golden hair cascading down her back, every step light, every movement graceful. She was admired by all in the kingdom, praised for her beauty and delicate features, cherished as the embodiment of grace itself.
But one fateful night, her world was torn apart.
The orcs came swiftly, mercilessly, storming the royal grounds. Before Lila could even scream, she was yanked from her chambers and stuffed into a rough, scratchy sack, her world plunged into darkness. They took her deep into the heart of the wilderness, far from her kingdom, far from anything familiar. The stories had always warned of the orcs—their savagery, their hunger for human captives. Lila's stomach churned with fear at what they might do to her.
When they reached the orc encampment, she was thrown down roughly by the fire, the monstrous creatures gathering around her. Each one was larger and more terrifying than the last—green skin, tusks, and bodies that bulged with muscle. They grunted to each other in their guttural tongue, and Lila’s heart raced.
She clenched her fists, her voice trembling with panic as she spat out, “I know what you're planning to do to me. But I won’t cower! Do what you must, I will—"
Her words were cut off by the sound of violent retching. The orc nearest her bent over suddenly, clutching his stomach. His face turned a sickly shade of green—sicker than it already was—and with a loud heave, he vomited into the dirt at her feet.
Lila blinked, momentarily stunned. “What...?”
Then another orc, standing just behind the first, gagged loudly, his hands covering his mouth as he lurched away, vomiting into the bushes. One after another, the orcs began convulsing, each of them retching with visceral disgust, their stomachs turning at the mere sight of her.
“By the gods!” the leader of the orcs, a massive creature with scars across his face, held up a hand as if to shield his eyes. “Are you... are you what humans call... attractive?”
Lila, still bound and trembling, managed to stammer out, “I... I’m Lila! The fairest maiden of the kingdom!”
The orc leader’s face twisted in sheer revulsion, and he bent over, dry-heaving before stumbling back. “The fairest?” he gagged. “No... no, I can’t...” He lurched forward and vomited into the dirt, his entire body shaking from the effort.
A chorus of gagging and retching echoed around the camp. One orc who had yet to vomit backed away, eyes wide with terror. “She looks like... like a skeleton wrapped in silk! No muscle, no strength! How do humans even find this... this thing attractive?!”
“I’ve seen dwarves with better figures!” another orc gasped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before dry-heaving again.
“Look at her face!” the leader cried out between gags. “It’s too... smooth! No scars, no tusks, not even a hint of muscle definition! I’ve seen rocks with more personality!”
Lila’s eyes widened, her face burning with outrage. She tried to rise to her feet, though her hands were bound, fury boiling within her. “How dare you! I am Lila, the most beautiful woman in all the land!”
“Beautiful?!” the orc leader doubled over, clutching his sides as he retched again, his whole body convulsing. “You’re hideous! I’ve seen trolls that are easier on the eyes!”
Another orc, who had been holding his stomach, finally gave in and vomited violently into the fire, causing a hiss of steam and smoke to rise into the night. “I’ll never unsee it,” he moaned, his voice filled with despair.
Lila glared at them, utterly livid. “You brutish, brainless creatures! I am the epitome of beauty! Women in my kingdom—”
“Enough!” the leader waved his hand desperately, trying to stop her from speaking any more, fearing another round of vomiting. “We won’t hurt you. We’ll... we’ll ransom you back to your people. Just... please, for the love of all that’s sacred, stop talking about how you look!”
The orcs groaned in unison, many still gagging, others shaking their heads in disbelief. One younger orc muttered to another, “I’d rather fight a dragon than be stuck looking at her for another minute.”
As they turned away, Lila, still bound and trembling with rage, could only stare after them, insulted beyond words. For the first time in her life, her beauty, her most prized possession, had been utterly rejected. And by orcs, no less.