Shanalorre, Lori found, played very conservatively. She kept her pieces close to her core and mostly used them to keep Lori's own forces at bay, and deny her Horotract and Mentalist the ability to move freely. She was also very adverse to risk, opting to withdraw pieces that were threatened instead of attacking, and only attacking when there was no way for Lori to immediately retaliate.

Lori was far more forward, and would relentlessly chip away at targets of opportunity among Shanalorre's militia, forcing the other Binder to expend a turn using her Deadspeaker or her Dungeon Binder to bring the piece back. They weren't playing under official tournament rules, so there was no limit on how many times the militia could be brought back, but Lori was fairly certain this was the first game she had ever played where someone had brought their militia back more than ten times.

Occasionally, however, Shanalorre would move to take one of her pieces, forcing Lori to back off or otherwise temper her aggression. This led to a relatively slow game, as Shanalorre took her time considering what move she could make with the least risk to her pieces, while Lori had to consider how she could keep chipping away at Shanalorre's defenses. It wasn't exactly boring, but the much slower pace compared to her games with Mikon—she really should start bringing her board down to dinner again—gave her mind time to wander.

Still, there was no need to rush. Nothing urgent was going on, after all.

Every so often, Rian would come by to bring them more water, honey bread, or freshly roasted meat while looking increasingly sweaty. Given that Lori saw him awkwardly dancing with Umu, Mikon or Riz… or more likely, from the way they'd occasionally stop, move aside, and the woman in question would demonstrate something, learning to dance. He seemed enthusiastic, if nothing else, and clearly getting better as time passed. His movements were smoother, in any case.

"Binder Lolilyuri?" Shanalorre asked quietly.

Lori looked up from the board. "Yes, Binder Shanalorre?"

"I wish to thank you for continuing to accommodate us, despite our lack of contribution to your demesne," Shanalorre said as she reached out and moved one of her lords, occupying a space that Lori's Horotract could have moved to, though she hadn't been considering doing so. "We have stayed far in excess of our intended duration."

Lori waved a hand dismissively. "The fault is ours. After all, it's not as if you have the capability to return yourselves to your demesne. Your continuing to be here is because we are currently incapable of fulfilling our part of our agreement to return you safely to your demesne." Lori shrugged. "Besides, having your people spending their time in our baths is hardly a strain on our resources."

"Yes, that is quite clear," the younger Dungeon Binder quietly. "Your demesne is quite prosperous."

"Thank you," Lori said, accepting the compliment as she reached out and moved her Dungeon Binder, moving it like a Horotract to position it to take Shanalorre's Mentalist on her next turn.

"What would we need to do to share in that prosperity?"

Lori raised an eyebrow. "I do not see how you could. It is our prosperity, after all. I have no intention of sharing."

"And if our demesne became subservient to you? Could we do so then? "

"I am not going to kill you, Binder Shanalorre. If I intended to, I would have done so well before now."

"I do not doubt it, Binder Lolilyuri."

"So you need not fear my taking your life, core and demesne any time soon."

For a moment, Shanalorre's gaze rose up, a strange expression on her face. For some reason, she sighed. "And if I were to give my demesne to you to rule over as your own? If I surrendered my demesne to you and all my authority over it, and swore to become one of your subjects?"

…

What?

"What?" Lori said, staring at the other Dungeon Binder.

"Was my wording unclear?" Shanalorre said.

"Quite possibly," Lori said. "I'm sorry, I must not have been paying enough attention and misunderstood. Could you please repeat you words?"

Shanalorre nodded gravely. "What if I were to give my demesne to you to rule over as your own? What if I surrendered my demesne to you and all my authority over it, and swore to become one of your subjects?"

…

"You're lying," Lori said, even as she stared. "Or making some joke I don't understand."

"I am doing neither. I am asking if my demesne could share in your prosperity if I surrender control of it to you, and surrendered myself to become one of your subjects."

…

"Why would you do such a thing?" Lori asked. It made no sense. It wasn't something a Dungeon Binder did. No one just surrendered their demesne without a fight, not when it meant death so that their conqueror could claim their core and subordinate it.

"You said I need not fear my life being taken from me, and you have shown that you are a woman of your word" Shanalorre said calmly. "And so I surrender myself to you, and hereby place myself and my demesne under your authority."

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

…

This was a 'talking to people' matter, wasn't it? Why was she dealing with this by herself?

In a daze, she claimed and bound airwisps. "Rian!" she called out as she rose to her feet, her voice echoing across the first level of her Dungeon as the binding increased the volume of her voice to cut through the noise and sounds people were making. "Get over here!"

––––––––––––––––––

Rian, to his credit, came running to her side, or at least moved as quickly as he could through all the people between them. He wasn't able to beat Lord whatever-his-name-was though, since the other man had been nearby keeping watch over his Dungeon Binder. Lori ignored him as he loomed behind his Dungeon Binder, waiting for her own lord to finally arrive. He did so by skidding across the stone floor, and had to slow down by catching himself on the wall behind her.

"All right, I'm here," he said, covered in sweat and sounding like he was fighting the urge to cough. "What's the matter? Are you hurt?" He glanced at Shanalorre and whatever-his-name-was, scanning over the other Dungeon Binder as if looking for injuries.

Lori faced Shanalorre, resisting the urge to put more space between them. "Repeat—" she began, and winced at the loudness of the word. Ah, right. She dissolved the binding or airwisps before repeating herself. "Repeat what you just said."

Shanalorre's face was smooth, almost serene as she said, "I surrender myself to Dungeon Binder Lolilyuri, and hereby place myself and my demesne under her authority."

Had this been a story, all noise would have stopped. Everyone would have ceased dancing and turned to bear witness, turning a scene of frivolous merriment into one of quiet import. Nothing of the sort happened, because only those closest to them could hear the words Shanalorre said, but those who did paused and turned to stare, even as those trying to make music hesitantly began playing again after cutting off abruptly from her summons.

Rian stared at the smaller Dungeon Binder, who was still seated straddling the bench. "Huh," he said, as if that was all the reply he was capable of. He turned towards Lori. "And you needed me here because…?"

Lori waved in Shanalorre's general direction. "Deal with this!"

He was silent for a moment as the people around them whispered and murmured and quite audibly began telling each other what had previously transpired. Distantly, she heard the attempts at music cease. Rian looked up at the ceiling for some reason, before sighing. "All right, all right, fine. Your Bindership, look at Binder Shanalorre and repeat after me: 'Why are you doing this?'."

Lori stared at him for a moment. He stared right back with a blank, if sweaty, expression on his face.

Eventually, Lori turned back towards Shanalorre. "Why are you doing this?" she said.

"Because I need to save the people of my demesne," Shanalorre said calmly. She stood, awkwardly swinging her leg over the bench so that she could get on her feet properly as she continued. "When we first settled the demesne, we were able to grow several accelerated harvests of vigas. Even at the time, the intention was for that amount to feed the full population of the demesne for only four pale months at the most, supplemented by the accelerated fruits. During this time, the demesne was intending to establish its infrastructure, including greatly expanded vigas fields and fruit orchards, without having to worry about growing food. Because of the dragon, this expansion did not occur.

"Due to the greatly reduced population of the demesne, we have been able to subsist on those initial harvests, supplemented by hunting and the fruits that continue to be accelerated. However, it will not last. We only managed one harvest before winter began, at which point our supply of fruits and meats ceased, and our grain reserves began dwindling. Unless we secure alternative sources of food, we will not survive to harvest later in the year, especially since my aunt sent that the division caused by my absence has led to delays in the spring planting.

"We need the assistance of Lorian Demesne if we are to continue to live. And so I surrender and place my demesne under your authority and rule. River's Fork is yours. I give you our mine, what little tools and resources we have that you do not. I give you myself, and all that I am capable of, as one of your subjects. I swear to obey you as my Dungeon Binder. In return, all I ask is that you treat the people in my demesne as you have treated your own."

Facing Lori, Shanalorre knelt, her head bowed deeply.

Lori stared at her. They were managing to maintain the accelerated growth of their fruits?

"Huh…" she heard Rian say next to her. "And you, Yllian? You're awfully quiet right now."

The lord's lips pressed together, his face otherwise blank as he looked down at the kneeling form of his Dungeon Binder. Then he stepped forward and knelt down as well. "I… agree with the Great Binder in this," he said, and his voice was of a tired man. "While it might be possible to survive until the harvest with care and rationing, our current circumstances make that difficult to enforce. And that is not taking into consideration the coming of storms and dragons. We beg you, your Bindership. Rule us."

People began to mutter. They sounded excited.

"Well… so there, I guess…" Rian said. He glanced towards Lori. "You heard them, your Bindership. What do you say?"

Lori took a deep breath, then another and another, until she was breathing in a steady, familiar rhythm to calm herself down. "No."

The muttering all stopped. Lord whatever-his-name-was's head snapped up to stare at her. Next to him, Shanalorre let out an exhalation.

"Wait, 'no'? What do you mean, 'no'?" Rian sounded the most shocked he'd ever heard her.

"No," she repeated, stepping back from Shanalorre, then doing so again, until she judged she was out of the range of any sudden lunges from the smaller Dungeon Binder. "I will not be fooled. This is clearly some kind of trick. No Dungeon Binder would simply subordinate themselves to another!"

"I never wanted to be a Dungeon Binder," Shanalorre said, head still bowed. "I do not wish to usurp your position, Binder Lolilyuri. You are safe from me, I swear."

"Of course you'd say that," Lori snapped. "No one would actually admit to wanting to usurp the Dungeon Binder! That's exactly what someone who wanted to usurp me would say!"

For some reason, Rian had both hands over his face and was groaning.

"I believed you when you said I did not need to fear you taking my life, Binder Lolilyuri. Why will you not do the same?"

"Then you're a fool," Lori snapped. "I could have been lying! Lying about not doing something is the easiest way to do it! Everyone knows that."

"Uh, your Bindership," Rian began, "maybe we should take a moment to calm down and—"

"Is that what you doubt?" Shanalorre said, rising to her feet and stepping towards Lori. "My sincerity? Is that all that stands between you and saving the people in my care?"

Lori took a step back as Shanalorre's hand reached towards her waist. The taller Dungeon Binder's eyes followed the movement, and they widen as the hand reached a belt knife that hung there. She hadn't noticed it at all during their game. Had Shanalorre been wearing it this whole time?

With a practice drawing movement, Shanalore held a naked blade in her hand. It was a small blade, barely the length of Lori's middle finger, but the point looked sharp and threatening and—

Raising her left arm, Shanalorre held the blade to her wrist. "If you doubt my sincerity, then let us remove it from the negotiations," she said.

The blade cut and blood began to flow.