Part Eleven

Zeera and I walked around the compound as I showed her everything from the kitchen to the baths. She admired the glass tile and bubbly water of the baths, and I promised we’d come back to try them out. We spent about an hour walking through the house, introducing Zeera to people I remembered from my childhood and meeting those I didn’t.

Eventually, we made our way to the dining hall. As the guards opened the door, I grinned widely. T’rissdra certainly knew how to throw a decadent party on short notice.

The dining hall was full. Our entire household was there, along with important figures from a few other ruling houses. Matron Mother Vasiira Fret’tar of the fourth house sat to the right of my mother at the far end of the table, and Matron Mother Celia Alesek sat to her left. They were the only non-household members I recognized.

The long table was covered with so much food and drink that the tablecloth was invisible. Except for the three Matron Mothers who sat at the head of the table, all dining chairs had been replaced with plush cushions and blankets. I raised an eyebrow at the sight of my half-naked brother in a pile of cushions and blankets with a woman I didn’t recognize.

“Have you ever seen a Drow party before?” I asked Zeera as we walked towards the end of the table.

“I’ve never seen one, but I’ve heard the stories,” she said quietly, gripping my hand tightly. She was nervous to be in such a decadent room with so many powerful people.

It was customary to thank your host before enjoying their hospitality, so Zeera and I walked across the room towards my mother and the other two Matron Mothers. “Good evening, Mother,” I said before addressing Matron Mothers Fret’tar and Alesek. “Matron Mother Vasiira, Matron Mother Celia, how are you this fine evening?”

Matron Mother Vasiira smiled at me. “My, my, Larynda… you’re right. He is handsome…” she said, more or less ignoring my question.

Matron Mother Celia looked at me with a smug smile. “We’re doing great, boy. Larynda has thrown a wonderful party for your return! Tell me, where have you been all this time?” she asked.

My mother’s eyes went wide, fearing I’d say something I shouldn’t.

“I’ve been off on the grandest adventure of my young life, Matron Celia. I was leading a group of soldiers through the caverns surrounding Felynafay!” I said, not quite lying but not telling the whole truth.

Matron Celia smiled at me. "Indeed..." she replied dryly. It was House De’Endar’s worst-kept secret that I was out running around with the Barra D’aron. Between Mother and Durdrin, I can say they certainly didn’t raise an idiot, though. Either of these women beside my mother could be the threat looming over my family.

Mother smiled widely. "My handsome boy, why don’t you and Zeera go enjoy the comforts your sister set out for us?" she offered, waving a hand at everything T’rissdra had arranged.

"Thank you, Mother. You ladies have a wonderful evening," I said, giving them a slight bow. As I turned, I heard Matron Mother Celia speak up again.

"Doesn’t the girl have anything to say?" she asked snidely.

I turned back to face her and looked down at Zeera. "Did you want to say anything, my dear?" I asked. She shook her head subtly, and I smiled at her. "No, I spoke for both of us," I said politely, and Zeera nodded.

Celia was an old Drow, and the idea of a man speaking for a woman offended her. She jumped out of her seat and wagged her finger in my face. "How dare you! Arrogant child, to think you could speak for a woman." She raised her hand as though she was going to strike me but quickly lowered it when Mother spoke up.

"Celia, you strike my son, and I’ll let him kill you," she threatened. A strange response considering Celia was also a Matron Mother, though of a lesser house. She was still ruling council, though. Celia turned to face Mother and then sat down in a huff.

"Good thinking, Matron Celia," Matron Mother Vasiira said with a knowing grin.

Mother stood up from her seat. "Ladies, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to talk to my son about how to treat a woman." She grabbed me by the arm and led Zeera and me out of the dining hall.

When the doors shut behind us and we were in the corridor, Mother released her grip on my arm and turned to face me. "It’s Celia. Durdrin and Vasiira have confirmed it, just before Celia got here. She wants a higher position on the council, and with you and Vielyn seemingly gone, she figured we’d be an easy target," she said quietly.

"Well, I’ve got a way to fix that..." I said, summoning Deathsbite to my hand.

Mother grabbed my wrist and shoved my hand back down. "No! You said you’d topple houses for me, right?" Mother asked. I nodded at her. "Well, if you go in there and kill her now, her daughter will take over and seek revenge against us. If we bide our time, gather our strength, we can crush House Alesek and end her threat once and for all," she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper.

I nodded, and Deathsbite vanished from my hand in a puff of black smoke, reappearing in its sheath. "What do you need me to do?" I asked.

"Partake in the party, get drunk, have a good time with Zeera. Do what Vielyn is doing," Mother replied. "Make yourself look like an incompetent drunkard. Let her think that even though my boys are home, they couldn’t possibly be effective leaders of my army," she explained.

I raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You’d like a reverse Masdrin Show?" I stated almost as much as asked. Zeera snickered.

"A what?" Mother asked.

Zeera looked at her. "It's what he calls it when he puts on a performance. 'Time for a Masdrin show,' he'd say. Then he'd do something, usually quite impressive. Like when he stole me away from Chey." She looked up and kissed my chin. "A Masdrin show is where he impresses everyone watching him. I'm guessing a reverse Masdrin show would be him acting like a bumbling drunkard," she said, looking up at me.

I nodded. "Yeah, that seems about right," I said with a cocky grin.

Mother looked at the two of us and shook her head. "Unbelievable... Fine, a 'reverse Masdrin show' then. Just don't attack Celia. We clear? We can't let her know that we know," she said.

My head bobbed up and down; I understood now. I looked to Zeera. "You want to help me?" I asked.

Zeera smiled at me. She enjoyed trying to help me when she could. "How?" she asked.

"Take charge. Order me around, tell me where you want to sit... near my brother. Make me go get food and wine for you. Make me wait while you go get food... it doesn’t matter, just be in charge. Right, Mother?" I asked.

Mother nodded. "That will help, yes. It will make him look weak," she said to Zeera.

Zeera looked at both of us, confused. "I don’t wish to make him look weak," she said quietly.

I smiled at her. "Reverse Masdrin show, remember? I need your help. It may make me look weak, but I’ll still be just as strong as I ever was. After the party, anyone who doubts that can come challenge me. They’ll find out exactly how weak I am," I said with a smile. I cared very little about what others thought about me. I cared only about what I thought and what the people I valued thought. I didn’t need to rely on my reputation to get by. Besides, those who knew me would see through the ruse instantly.

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Zeera smiled. "So I get to boss you around?" she said mischievously. I nodded and smiled at her.

Mother smiled and turned for the door. Once she was through, Zeera shoved me roughly through the door. "And don’t do it again!" she said, wagging her finger in my face. She pointed over to a pile of cushions and blankets a couple of piles over from Vielyn. "Wait over there. I’m going to get some food," she said as firmly as she could muster, though it still sounded almost like a request.

I smiled at her and nodded. "Yes, Lady Zeera," I said as I turned and swaggered over to the pile of pillows. I sat down as she walked over to the table and picked up a plate. She filled it with all sorts of food she had never seen before, mostly fresh fruit and other delicacies from the surface.

She was joined a moment later by Cazna, who helped her choose a few other delicacies before picking up a strange pinkish-red fruit and cutting it in half. The inside was filled with red seeds, and she picked one out and ate it before pointing at me and then leaning in to whisper something to Zeera. Cazna winked at her as she dropped the two halves of the fruit on her plate. She grabbed a few pieces of chocolate and added them to Zeera’s plate as well. She whispered something else to Zeera, then looked back at me and giggled before picking up a plate to fix for herself.

Zeera brought her plate over to the bar where Jhule was standing. Jhule didn’t like to partake in the festivities, so she tended to stay sober and keep an eye on things. Brudaer was leaning on the bar, seemingly trying to impress my sister, though she didn’t seem to be paying him much attention.

I watched Zeera ask her something, and Jhule smiled at her before handing her a rather expensive-looking bottle of alcohol and two glasses. Jhule smiled at Zeera, leaned in close to whisper something to her, and Zeera giggled in reply. Presumably, she thanked Jhule and walked back towards me.

She sat down next to me, set the plate in my lap, and poured herself a glass from the bottle. Without saying a word to me, she took a sip from her glass and then pointed to a piece of red fruit with a green rind, opening her mouth. I smiled at her as I picked up the piece of fruit and the small knife on the plate, cutting a piece of the red flesh. I gently placed the piece of fruit in her mouth, and she smiled in surprise at the sweetness of the ripe watermelon.

“Have a piece,” she ordered me.

“Thank you, Lady Zeera,” I said before cutting a small piece of the fruit for myself. She pointed to some dark red cherries. I had experience with these; they contained a hard pit with a small amount of cyanide. The fruit was safe to eat, but the pit was not. I picked up two and dropped one into her mouth before leaning in close to kiss her cheek and whisper, “Spit out the pit.” Zeera nodded subtly. I kissed her again before leaning back on my arm and looking at her.

She picked up my hand and spit the pit into it. “Those are delicious. I’d like another,” she said with a grin. She was enjoying this.

“Of course, my lady,” I said before giving her the second one. Again, she spit the pit into my hand, and I smiled as I placed them on the edge of the plate.

We went through this routine until she had sampled everything on the plate except for the strange fruit that Cazna had given her. She pointed to a few other things on the plate and told me to eat them, and with a wide grin, I obliged her.

“Pour us some drinks,” she said with a wink, pointing to the bottle and the two glasses. She had emptied hers.

“Anything for you, my lady,” I replied as I lifted the bottle and picked up the two glasses. I tried to read the label on the bottle, but it was written in surface elven script, and I could only make out the number nine. I looked from the bottle up to Jhule, who was smiling at me.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Zeera said quietly.

I turned to face her. “She gave you this because of your eyes,” I said quietly. I went to get up and confront Jhule; I had warned Mother and the rest of them against making fun of Zeera.

“No,” Zeera said as she grabbed my arm, stopping me from getting up. “She gave it to me because it’s very expensive and, in Felynafay, very rare. Don’t go starting things that don’t need to be started, Masdrin,” she said sternly.

I relaxed and looked at the bottle again. “Expensive, you say?” I asked.

Zeera nodded. “It’s made by a small group of elves in Shore. Jhule says it’s the most expensive drink in the house and that Matron Larynda set a bottle aside for each of her children, the two Matron Mothers, and herself,” she assured me.

“Jhule and Cazna were both kind to me when they helped me,” she added quietly. “Now, pour those drinks,” she said with a smile. She was eager for us to try the expensive drink. I filled two glasses with the dark brandy and smiled as I handed one to her before taking a sip from mine. “Oooh... that’s nice!” Zeera said as she smiled at me. I nodded in agreement; indeed, it was good.

Zeera and I sat in our pile of cushions and blankets, and I continued to feed her and drink with her. She was having a wonderful time playing Drow noble, and I was having a great time indulging her.

A while later, Mother clanged one of her utensils on her glass, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. “Good evening, friends and family. I’ve gathered you here to celebrate the return of my sons,” she said as she stood at the head of the table.

“There have been whispers and rumors that House De’Endar was weak because my boys were away. That was not the case, and if anyone had tried to attack us, they would have found out that I can lead men just as well as Vielyn or Masdrin,” she said.

“Better than me, Mother!” I slurred, exaggerating how drunk I actually was.

“Quiet, you!” Mother retorted, and I quickly complied. “You boys come up here,” she beckoned.

I stood up and brushed myself off before making my way over, with my usual swagger, to stand next to Mother. I did my best to stifle a laugh as Vielyn, shirtless, pants unbuttoned, and hair a mess, stood on Mother’s other side. Apparently, he had received the same orders as I did. “Fasten your trousers, brother,” I said quietly to him through our Barra D’aron comm implant.

“Mother’s orders: look incompetent…” came the reply.

“When trouble comes knocking at House De’Endar’s door, these two and their many soldiers will answer,” Mother said proudly.

“Those drunks are going to lead your troops?” Matron Celia asked. “I’d have thought Jhule and Maya would lead House De’Endar’s soldiers,” she said with a wide smile. “To leave such an important task in the hands of these incompetent… men… could leave you with dire consequences,” Matron Celia said arrogantly.

I chuckled, and Mother quickly hushed me. "Indeed, Matron Celia, Jhule and Maya will be overseeing the boys to make sure they do their job correctly, but Vielyn and Masdrin will lead them into any battles that may befall us," Mother said. "I'm glad you boys are back from your adventures. This party is for you, so have fun tonight." She waved Vielyn and me back to our places.

"Thank you, Mother," I said before walking back over to Zeera with a slight drunken stagger.

Zeera smiled at me as I sat down beside her and leaned back on my elbow. She fed me a plump green grape. "Are you having a good time?" I asked her.

Zeera nodded and smiled wide. "Of course, handsome," she replied, eating a couple of grapes. "I've never seen so much exotic food. Everything we've eaten so far is from the surface." She took another cherry from the plate. "These are my favorite..." she said, spitting the pit into my hand. I smiled as she grinned mischievously, chewing her cherry.

I dropped the pit on the plate as Zeera picked up half of the pomegranate that Cazna had given her earlier. "Your sister says if I feed this to you... well... you'll see," she said, plucking a couple of the dark reddish seeds from the fruit. She popped them in her mouth before leaning over me.

"Lean back," she said, and I complied.

"Open up," she said, and I opened my mouth.

She grabbed a handful of my crimson hair and tilted my head back, holding the half pomegranate over my face. She squeezed the fruit in her hand, causing the juices and seeds to fall mostly in my mouth.

I knew the point of the pomegranate; it was a strong aphrodisiac. She wanted me again.

I smiled as I chewed the mouthful of pomegranate seeds and picked up a corner of the blanket to wipe my face. She kissed my lips and poured us both another glass of the expensive brandy. When I finished what was in my mouth, I wiped my mouth again and took my glass from her. The music in the room seemed to be getting louder, and everything was trembling to my eyes. I began to feel the urge to move and wanted desperately to touch Zeera.

"Let's dance!" I gasped as I tried to stand up. I immediately lost my balance and fell back over with a laugh. I lay beside Zeera and looked up at her. "My dear, I’d like to dance, but sadly I cannot. I seem to have fallen for you!" I said before laughing again.

Zeera giggled and shoved me so I was leaning back against the pillows. "You stay put," she said before straddling my hips. She leaned down and kissed me as she began to unbutton my shirt. She stopped abruptly and sat up. "You're hot!" she said, unaware that the pomegranate was a Raptorian pomegranate, which contained small amounts of MDMA in the seeds.

"You're pretty damn fine yourself!" I slurred before falling over.

"Masdrin!" Zeera screamed as my head hit the pillows. She leaned forward over my unconscious body and gently patted my cheek. "Vielyn!" she cried when I didn’t respond. That was enough to get some attention.

Vielyn looked over to see me unconscious and Zeera panicking. He quickly jumped to his feet. "Mother!" he called out, his deep voice booming over the noise of the party. Soon, Zeera was joined by Vielyn.

"What happened?" Vielyn asked as he knelt down beside me.

"Is he dead?!" Zeera asked as Vielyn grabbed me by the neck and checked for a pulse.

"He's alive. What happened?" Zeera pointed to the pomegranate on the plate.

"I gave him that. Then he wanted to dance, then he fell down, and now... it's now!" she tried to explain. She was worried about me and scared she might be accused of poisoning me.

By then, Mother arrived. "What did you do to him?" she asked angrily as she looked at my unconscious form lying among the pillows.

"She didn’t do anything. He had too much of that," Vielyn said, pointing to the pomegranate.

"How much did you give him?" Mother asked.

At this point, her fear and anxiety had taken over, and Zeera had shut down. She was looking at the floor and trembling. "Zeera! He’s burning up. Help me take him to the pool," Vielyn said as he grabbed me by the wrist and put my arm across his shoulder. He hoisted me to my feet and held me up. "Zeera!" Vielyn shouted.

When that didn’t get her attention, Mother smacked her hard across the face. "Wake up! Stupid girl, if he dies, I’ll kill you," she said as Zeera looked up to face her.

"Okay," Zeera said quietly.

"Zeera, help me get him to the pool," Vielyn repeated. Zeera nodded and grabbed my other arm, slinging it over her shoulder.

"Mother, he’ll be fine. He won’t be happy if you harm her, though," Vielyn reminded her subtly. Mother nodded and signaled for the guards to open the door.

Vielyn and Zeera carried me through the halls of House De’Endar, through the armory, to the gym where the family would work out. The swimming pool was past the hot spring, which fed the pool after cooling the water to body temperature by running it through pipe coils.

They walked over to the stairs that led into the water and slowly walked down them into the pool. Vielyn laid me back in the water while Zeera sat down and rested my head in her lap, keeping my face out of the water but keeping the rest of my head submerged.

"I’m going back to the party to keep an eye on things," Vielyn said, sounding far less drunk than he did in the dining hall. "You stay here with him. Keep him in the water and keep him cool. He’ll be fine; he just had too much of the passion seeds. He may be feeling particularly... frisky... when he wakes up. How you handle that is up to you," Vielyn said as he turned towards the door. "Come back to the party when you’re both ready," he said before walking out the door.

“Go in there and watch them. If she needs help, you help her or come get me, whatever the situation calls for,” Vielyn said to a guard just outside the door. The guard promptly ran into the room and stood next to the pool.

Zeera sat there with me, tears streaking her cheeks as she held my head and rubbed my forehead with water.