[Queen of Orcs 03] - Royal Destiny
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urkzimmuthi noun and adjective—The orc race, also the plural of orc. As an adjective, it means “orcish.” (children [of] mother)
vash verb root and noun—1. To bless, blessing. 2. To marry, marriage.
vata interjection—Good-bye.
vathem noun—A stone retaining wall used to create a terraced field. After the orcs occupied the Urkheit Mountains, such fields were used extensively.
Velasa-pah proper noun—The name of a human who was reborn before the washavoki invasion and became a great urkzimmuthi wizard. He tried to warn the orc queen of the invasion, but she failed to comprehend the danger or act upon his advice. He was residing in Tarathank when it fell. The orcs tell differing tales about his fate and the import of his prophecies.
Velasa-pah was the orcish wizard (see separate entry) who came closest to the human concept of a sorcerer because the knowledge he received concerned the spiritual realm. He created the Trancing Stone and foretold the future.
velazul noun—Lover. Unlike the human term, it is used only in the chaste sense. (give love)
washavoki noun and adjective—Human, either male or female. The word translates as “teeth of dog” and refers to the whiteness of human teeth.
washavoki invasion The first contacts between humans and orcs were peaceful, but that era was ended by the onslaught of human invaders from the east. At that time, orcs were ignorant of warfare and they were easily overwhelmed, despite their superior size and strength. Although orcs quickly learned how to make arms and became ferocious fighters, they never acquired the strategic skills required for victory. They were driven from their lands and survived only in the inhospitable Urkheit Mountains, which they named Blath Urkmuthi because they sheltered fleeing mothers.
washuthahi noun—A black, pea-shaped seed that is mildly narcotic and stains the teeth black when chewed. (teeth pretty)
weapons Orcs did not make weapons before the washavoki invasion, and their arms are adapted from human designs. Swords, axes, and maces are primarily used for combat, but orcs also carry daggers and sometimes hatchets. All their weapons are strictly utilitarian in design. They reflect the orcs’ strength, being larger and more massive than those humans carry. Spears and pikes are not unknown to orcs, but they are rarely used. Although orcs use bows and arrows for hunting, they do not employ them in combat.
wife noun—Human word for muthvashi.
Wise Sons—See “military ranks and units—orc leaders.”
Wise Woman noun—A human woman skilled in the healing arts. Wise Women also practice midwifery.
wizard noun—The human translation for minsi. Although Muth la speaks to mothers, on rare occasions she imparts special knowledge to sons. This knowledge benefits all urkzimmuthi. Although this may seem magical, it is not derived from sorcery. Renowned wizards include Val-hak, who brought the secret of making sand ice to his clan; Fluuk-jan, who taught his clan how to make steel; and Velasa-pah, who learned how to visit the realm of spirits and foretell events.
woman noun—An orc female is called a muth, but the term is not commonly applied to human females. There is no specific term for them in Orcish, although “woe man,” a corrupted pronunciation of “woman,” is occasionally employed.
yellow iron noun—The human translation for daumriti, the Orcish word for gold. Orcs do not prize gold and mainly use it in decorative metalwork and for weights used with scales. The chimneys in hanmuthis sometimes bear designs in gold. Orcs do not wear jewelry or decorate their weapons, so gold is not used for those purposes. Because the metal never tarnishes, orcs consider it a symbol for eternity. That is why their queen’s crown is made of gold.
zim noun—Child.
zimmuthi noun—The singular form of “orc.” (child [of] mother)
zul verb root and noun—To love, love.
THE QUEEN OF THE ORCS TRILOGY
By Morgan Howell
King’s Property
Clan Daughter
Royal Destiny
Praise for King’s Property Book 1 of Queen of the Orcs
“An unusual tale…Howell’s depiction of orc culture is fascinating—these orcs are as big, strong, and dangerous as any in fantasy, but they also have moral and ethical issues of importance. This is not a book to read for fun on a rainy night—it’s a book to think about.”
—ELIZABETH MOON,
Nebula Award–winning author of The Deed of Paksenarrion
“Dar never loses our admiration and compassion—qualities at the heart of any struggling hero. King’s Property tests your presumptions of ‘the other’ and brings to mind the cultural prejudices and wars born from betrayal that are so sadly evident throughout our own history.”
—KARIN LOWACHEE,
author of Warchild
“In a crowded field, Howell has succeeded in creating an original and vivid fantasy. [The] characters display unexpected depths of humanity—even when they’re not human. I was captivated by Dar. Highly recommended.”
—NANCY KRESS,
Nebula Award–winning author of Beggars in Spain
Queen of the Orcs: Royal Destiny is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
A Del Rey Books Mass Market Original
Copyright © 2007 by William H. Hubbell
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Del Rey Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
DEL REY is a registered trademark and the Del Rey colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
eISBN: 978-0-345-50045-8
www.delreybooks.com
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