Part Fourteen

She began to stir a short while later, and as she opened her eyes, she spotted me smiling at her and smiled back. “Did you have a good rest?” I asked.

Zeera nodded and sat up, rubbing her eyes and then reaching way up in a big stretch. “Did you?” she asked.

I smiled. “Always a good rest beside my Zeera,” I said happily.

She smirked at me and slowly got out of the bed, making her way over to the mirror. I followed her and watched as she ran her fingers through her hair and fixed her smudged makeup. She didn’t wear much makeup, though, being naturally beautiful, at least in my opinion.

I made sure I was all together as well before grabbing my hat and tossing it up onto my head. I tilted it over my left eye and turned to Zeera. “Should we return to the party?” I asked.

She nodded her head. “Sure, I would like to hang out with Jhule some more. She gave me the advice I followed when I was dealing with Matron Vasiira. She said, ‘Be confident, be bold, and no matter what, turn down the first offer,’” she said confidently.

I looked at her and nodded. “Do you know why?” I inquired.

“Jhule said that if I was confident and bold, then Vasiira wouldn’t think less of me or think me weak. By turning down her first offer, it showed that I was in control of the deal, not her,” Zeera said.

I smirked wide. “Clever and beautiful… how did I get so lucky to end up with you?” I asked.

Zeera turned and smiled at me before grabbing my waist and pulling me close. “I don’t know what I did to deserve a man such as you, rescuing me like you did,” she said as she rested her head on my chest.

“You smiled at me,” I whispered quietly as I thought about the day I had first laid eyes on her, the day I took control of Shadow Nine.

A little while later, we were back at the party. I was sitting with Durdrin, Caelnel, Rylzt, and Brudaer while Zeera had joined Jhule and Cazna, who were sitting with Mother and the two other Matron Mothers. Durdrin looked at me with a wide grin. “So, I see you’re following in my footsteps, huh?” he said proudly.

I turned and looked at him with my eyebrow raised. “What are you talking about?” I asked.

With a smirk, he pointed his chin subtly towards Matron Vasiira and then pumped his eyebrows up and down a couple of times. I rolled my eyes at him. “I guess, it’s Zeera’s fault. Yours too,” I said quietly.

Durdrin raised an eyebrow at me. “How is any of this my fault?” he asked incredulously.

I held up my hand and extended my pinky finger to show the ring he had given me. “You gave me this, Zeera made me use it, and now I have to bed that woman. Who knows where she’s been?” I muttered, sounding more annoyed than pleased by the situation.

“Huh…” Durdrin said as he looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

“Huh what?” I replied.

“Well, most men would kill for a chance to bed a Matron Mother. If you can please her… well…” he said as he held his hands out with a confident smirk and nodded towards Mother.

“Well, I intend to use my position to protect my house first and foremost,” I said quietly.

Durdrin nodded his head and then looked at me. “What are you planning?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t know yet. First, I need to hold up my end of ‘Zeera’s’ deal,” I said, indicating that I knew Mother was behind all of it.

“What shall we do about Celia?” I said almost silently, so only Durdrin, Caelnel, Rylzt, and Brudaer would hear me, thanks to our implants.

“I have yet to speak to your mother about that. We’ll figure it out after the party, though,” he said.

I nodded my head. “Okay, but perhaps I deal with it before the party ever ends...” I replied.

Durdrin raised an eyebrow. “What are you thinking?” he asked.

With a shrug of my shoulders, I thought for a moment before replying. “Well, Vasiira really doesn’t seem to like Celia. She likes Mother and seems to really like me too. Perhaps the fourth house may be persuaded to eliminate the sixth house with the right incentive,” I said with a confident smile.

Durdrin looked at me and smirked. “You think she’d destroy another house just because you bed her?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No, but I do think it will help to persuade her. We need to think of something else we can add to the deal. When I figure that out, I’ll put my plan into action,” I said with a shrug.

Durdrin nodded and sat back against the wall, picking up a bottle of wine and filling his glass. “Give me a few days to dig up what I can,” he said.

“Durdrin, she’s been having a bit of a covert war with House Dhalmaerth. Vasiira and Thraeyanna have had a rivalry going for the past hundred or so years. They take jabs at each other, but they’re more or less balanced in terms of strength, so neither has taken the plunge to try to destroy the other,” Caelnel chimed in. I always included Caelnel, Rylzt, and Brudaer in meetings.

I was young and, in the grand scheme of things, inexperienced. Durdrin had put three of his best Drow in my hands, and I made sure to give them the respect they deserved. Even Rylzt, who I gave a hard time most of the time, knew I held a deep respect for him.

“Masdrin, you’ll promise Vasiira the full support of House De’Endar and the Barra D’aron in the battle against House Dhalmaerth,” Durdrin said.

I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, you speak for Mother now?” I replied.

“Son, most of your mother’s soldiers belong to me. If we succeed, your mother will become Matron Mother of the fourth house. I hardly think she’ll object to our plan,” he said with a shrug. “But… I suppose I should go talk to her,” he said with a lewd smile.

Durdrin stood up and swaggered over to where Mother was sitting with the other ladies. “Oh, Matron Larynda, how my desires for you burn!” he cried dramatically. The other ladies, besides Zeera, rolled their eyes, though Mother smiled wide. “I cannot control myself much longer, beautiful Matron Mother, please… help me quench these fires!” he said as he knelt in front of her. Durdrin was putting on a show for the crowd. Mother enjoyed a show.

“Oh?” Mother said with a big smile. “I suppose you wish me to take you to my bed chambers?” she asked.

Durdrin nodded his head. “Please! I’m begging you, Matron Larynda, only you can help me,” he begged before resting his head in her lap, like a child.

Mother looked at Vasiira and Celia and flashed a big grin. “Well, ladies, I’ll see you in a little while,” she said as she stood up. She reached down and grabbed Durdrin’s hand as he stood up, and she then led them out of the dining hall.

A while later, Vielyn turned up, walking through the door of the dining hall alone and coming over to join me and the guys. “How are we doing this evening?” he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, Durdrin’s run off with Mother, leaving me to figure out how we handle this little situation we find ourselves in,” I said casually.

“What situation?” Vielyn asked.

I smirked at him. “Oh, it’s mercenary business, big brother. I wouldn’t worry your pretty noble head about it,” I said as I winked at him.

“Boy...” Vielyn said quietly as he stiffened his hand, ready to give me a knife-hand across the chops. I didn’t give Vielyn a hard time like I did with Durdrin and Rylzt. Vielyn didn’t tolerate it like the other two had to. I quickly filled him in on what was going on and the plan Durdrin and I had come up with.

“We’re just waiting for Mother’s approval,” I said, and Vielyn nodded.

“You two really think you can pull that off?” he asked.

“That would depend on how much Vasiira likes me,” I answered.

“You’d better be the best she’s ever had if you intend to pull that off,” he replied.

“I don’t know about that, but I’ll certainly give her a ride she won’t forget,” I said with a confident grin. Vielyn laughed and shook his head.

“At least you’ve got the confidence,” he said quietly.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I chuckled. I had more than confidence; I had the Drow’s Delight.

My friends and I sat there and talked, ate, and drank for hours. We all enjoyed ourselves, and soon we were joined by Zeera and Rylzt’s woman, whose name I finally took the time to learn. She was called Shurle, and she sat down beside Rylzt and wrapped her arm around his arm as she leaned against him. Zeera sat down in my lap and leaned back against my chest as she reached up to hold my face. “How are you doing, my handsome man?” she asked. My circle was complete.

I was surrounded by all my friends, my family, and we were having a decadent party with the finest food, drink, and women. I was doing great. “Better, now that you’re here,” I said quietly as I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a squeeze.

“Aww, you two are so cute!” Rylzt said teasingly.

I smirked at him. “Okay, little spoon, I’ve never heard Shurle moan your name,” I said cockily.

Shurle snorted and almost choked on her wine as she started laughing. The rest of the boys, as well as Zeera and I, all enjoyed a laugh at Rylzt’s expense. Caelnel leaned over. “I always tell you, ‘Don’t bother Masdrin, he’ll just make you angry.’ But you never listen to me. You know he’s been smarter than you since he was thirteen,” he said quietly.

Rylzt narrowed his eyes and looked back and forth between his woman and Caelnel. With a “Hmph,” he crossed his arms and leaned back against his pillow, feeling rather insulted again. Shurle leaned back against him and batted her eyes up at him, drawing a smile from the cranky middle-aged Drow.

The party would go on for days, and there were cycles of sleep, partying, napping, partying, and then sleep again.

I was laid back in a pile of pillows with Zeera resting beside me, her head on my chest. I absentmindedly ran my fingers up and down her arm as I drank my glass of expensive whiskey. Zeera and I had finished our Cloud Nine brandy that Mother had given us the night before.

“Don’t get too drunk, you have a job to do,” Zeera said quietly, reminding me of my obligation to Matron Vasiira.

“Don’t worry about me, my dear, the plan will go on… as planned…” I said flatly.

Zeera squeezed me and sighed. “I’ll miss you, handsome,” she said quietly.

“Then you shouldn’t have made a deal with Vasiira,” I said with a bit more bitterness than I intended. I downed the last bit of liquor in my glass as she looked up at me with sadness in her eyes, and the lack of expression on my face told her all about how I really felt about the whole thing. I smiled a weak smile at her. “I’m sorry, it’s not your fault,” I said quietly, trying to help her feel better.

As I poured another glass of the imported whiskey, Zeera climbed to her feet and walked over to the table where all the food was. I watched as she looked around for a few moments before finding what she was looking for. Another Raptorian pomegranate, the same fruit I had overdosed on a few days earlier. Zeera was thinking of ways to make this as easy as possible for me.

She knew I was asexual and knew that when we had sex, she was the one who initiated it… except for when I overdosed on that fruit… She knew I didn’t care for sex, though I did enjoy it with her. I don’t even know if I liked the sex with her or if I just liked the fact that I was making her happy. I certainly didn’t dislike it anyway; she was my woman, and I wanted to give her anything she wanted, even myself.

This was not the case with Vasiira Fret’tar.

She walked over to Matron Vasiira and Jhule, who were having a conversation of their own. I watched curiously as she drew her House De’Endar dagger and cut the fruit she was holding in half and then cut one half in half again. She handed the two quarter pieces to Matron Vasiira and then leaned down and whispered something to her that I couldn’t hear. Vasiira looked past Zeera to me and licked her lips with a smile as she nodded her head at Zeera.

A moment later, she was on her feet and walking towards me, Zeera close behind her. As they approached, I stood up and smiled warmly at them. Vasiira returned the smile and reached out with her hand to grab my shirt and pull me towards her. “Come, I’ve been waiting long enough…” she said eagerly. I leaned in close to her; she was taller than Zeera, about my height.

“I’ve been waiting too…” I whispered quietly into her ear.

My heart sank as I watched the look on Zeera’s face as I left the dining hall with Matron Vasiira. As the reality of what was about to happen sank into her, she suddenly wasn’t as okay as she was the other day with the idea of me developing a relationship with this woman. It was too late, though; the wheels were already in motion. I took a deep breath to steady myself, and I had almost pushed Zeera out of my mind until Vasiira spoke up.

“Zeera told me how you do what you do…” she said as she held up one of the pieces of the pomegranate. I forced a wide smile as I took it from her and squeezed it into my hand, not wanting to wear all the juices like I did last time. I shoved the handful of “passion seeds” into my mouth and smiled as I chewed them up. They were tangy and sweet, one of my favorite flavor combinations. I ate far less than the last time and was hoping it wasn’t enough to cause problems.

“You should have some too…” I said quietly. Vasiira was grinning as she raised the piece of pomegranate she was still holding to her mouth and took a bite from it.

We moved through the halls of House De’Endar towards my chambers, and by the time we reached my door, we could both feel the effects of the pomegranate we had eaten. Mother had my door replaced and made sure to give me my key, not wanting me to cause any more damage to her house. I used the key to open the door and led Vasiira through first, and I was right behind her.

Two House De’Endar guards tried to follow, for what reason I still do not know. I turned around and shook my head. “What are you doing? Go away,” I demanded.

“Matron Larynda says we’re to protect Matron Vasiira,” one of the two guards said as he tried to push past me. I put my hand up and shoved him back forcefully.

“Protect her from what? She’s inside Mother’s house, with Mother’s favorite son. You think I mean to harm our friend and ally?” I asked. The man’s eyes went wide as he thought about the situation. “What do you think will displease Mother more, Matron Vasiira? Would it be if I didn’t fulfill my end of the deal we made, making House De’Endar look unreliable, or if I kill the man who’s interfering with me completing my task?” I asked.

The guards smiled and nodded, immediately backing off. “Wait outside if it makes you feel better,” I said before entering my room, closing the door behind me, and locking it.

I could feel the euphoric feeling, and to my eyes, everything appeared to be wavy and trembling. I wanted to move; I wanted to hold my Zeera. I wanted nothing more in this moment than to feel the sensation of her in my hands and her hands on my body.

“Come, handsome,” Vasiira’s voice echoed in my ears, and as I looked up, I watched as her dress hit the floor. I smiled and licked my lips as I gazed at the beautiful Drow woman, standing beside my bed beckoning me. I may have wanted Zeera, but Matron Vasiira would suffice. She reached up and let her long, silky hair down. The purple and pink streak in the front of her hair broke up the dark grey of her skin and accentuated her hourglass figure.

“You’re far more beautiful than I could have possibly imagined…” I said as I flashed her a wide grin. In an instant, I crossed the room, and I had her in my arms. She let out a giggle as I picked her up off her feet and laid her down in the bed.

A few hours later, I had used up all the charges in my Drow’s Delight ring, and I was lying on my back with Matron Vasiira lying with her head on my shoulder and her leg wrapped around mine with her delicate finger tracing my abdominal muscles. “What would I have to do to get you in my bed some more?” she asked.

Still feeling some of the effects of the pomegranate that I ate earlier, I had totally forgotten about the plan my family and I had come up with. I shrugged my shoulders, not really sure how to answer that.

As another wave of euphoria came over me, I closed my eyes and rested back against my pillow, gently squeezing Vasiira’s rear end with my left hand. As I relaxed in my bed and the effects of the drugs started to wear off, the whole reason I was in bed with this woman began to come back to me. “I know of something you could do quite easily, but to us in House De’Endar, it would mean the world. In fact, this task that would be so easy for you to complete and would mean so much to my family that it may take me… years… to repay you,” I said as I shifted slightly.

Vasiira looked up at me and narrowed her eyes. “Oh?” she said suspiciously. “And what would this task be?” she asked.

“Well, Matron Celia is planning to attack Mother. If my house falls, then either I fall or I run off with the Barra D’aron. If House Alesek falls before harm can come to my house… well… I know I’ll have a lot of free time on my hands,” I said casually.

“Why doesn’t Larynda just wipe Celia’s house out herself?” Vasiira asked curiously.

“I do not know. What I do know is that if House Alesek ceased to exist, then Mother could turn her attention to helping her allies. I hear there’s a certain house that is not getting along nicely with our greatest ally. If we are not worrying about our own safety, perhaps House De’Endar and the Barra D’aron could assist in destroying House Dhalmaerth. Perhaps I could even plunge my blade into Matron Thraeyanna’s throat myself,” I suggested. Vasiira looked up at me and stared into my eyes for a long moment, trying to put everything together in her head.

“Your mother and I have been friends since we were young Drow attending the academy…” she said quietly, trying to assess whether or not she was being led into a trap. “You’ll kill Thraeyanna yourself?” she asked.

I shrugged and nodded my head. “Sure, if I get to her first,” I replied, making no definitive promises. Vasiira smiled wide. To her, it seemed like a win-win situation. She could easily crush House Alesek without leaving a single witness. Her soldiers almost doubled that of House Alesek. With Barra D’aron and House De’Endar soldiers backing up her own soldiers, she knew we’d win the battle against House Dhalmaerth as well.

Vasiira slowly slid out of the bed and walked towards the door. She pulled it open and leaned out to speak with one of the guards. “Send a runner to my house to retrieve Malice. Tell her there is urgent business here, and when she gets here, bring her to me right away,” she ordered.

“Yes, Matron Mother, right away,” I heard the guard reply.

Matron Vasiira moved back into the room, closed the door behind her, and locked it before turning back to face me with a wide smile. “Now… let’s see how good you are without that fruit to help you,” she said as she slowly moved towards me. The curves of her body seemed to sway back and forth seductively as she walked towards the bed and crawled in on top of me.

“Oh, if you insist…” I said with a grin as I reached up and held her in my hands.

About an hour later, Vasiira and I were still in the throes of passion when there came a knock at my door. “I’m busy, who is it?” I called out.

“Mother?” came the call from a young female Drow.

I looked at Vasiira and smirked. “I guess that’s all… for now,” I said quietly.

“Shame…” Matron Vasiira replied as she slowly crawled out of the bed. She walked over to the door, unlocked it, and pulled the door open, greeting the female on the other side. “Good evening, Malice,” she said as she stepped out of the way and guided her daughter into the room.

As I lay back in my bed, covered up to my waist with the fine black spider-silk sheet that covered my bed, Vasiira walked back to the bed and lay down next to me, putting me between herself and her daughter. “Mother, who is he?” Malice asked as she pointed her long slender finger at me.

“This is Masdrin, Matron Larynda’s youngest son. He’s fun,” Matron Vasiira replied to her daughter. I smiled as the Matron Mother complimented me but stayed quiet.

“Did you summon me here to brag about your new toy?” Malice asked her mother with a raised eyebrow. Vasiira shook her head. “No, I called you here because I have something for you, my dear,” she said in a more serious tone.

Malice and Celia had a small feud going themselves, and Celia had shunned Malice in front of everyone at a House Fret’tar gathering. Malice would have killed the Matron Mother there had her mother not stopped her. “You remember Matron Alesek, right?” Vasiira asked her daughter.

Malice tilted her head to the side and nodded. “Yes, I am still upset you didn’t let me kill her,” she replied.

“I have something better for you,” Vasiira said cryptically as she rested her head on my chest. Malice looked at Vasiira curiously as she waited for her mother to tell her what was going on. “My precious girl, you are going to lead our soldiers and bring utter destruction to her house. Take as many of our soldiers as you need and crush your enemy, swiftly and without mercy. Celia may still even be in this house, enjoying Matron Larynda’s party. Wouldn’t it be great to see the look on her face when she learns of the fate of her house… in front of all of Larynda’s friends and family? Oh, I can just imagine the look on her face!” Vasiira said happily.

Malice thought for a moment and then smirked. “You’re Larynda’s son?” she asked, and I nodded my head. “Why aren’t you handling it on your own? Why must House Fret’tar do House De’Endar’s dirty work?” Malice asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “When I asked, I was told to shut up and do as I’m told,” I replied.

Malice eyed me suspiciously before looking back at her mother. “It will take me some time to prepare, Mother. I won’t fail you,” Malice said confidently.

Matron Vasiira smiled wide. “Of course you won’t. You never fail me, that’s why you are my favorite,” she said, drawing a proud smile from her daughter. Malice turned and walked briskly out of the room. “Take me home,” I heard her order her House Fret’tar escort.

“She will be the one to lead my house one day,” Vasiira said proudly.

Malice was the youngest of Vasiira’s three daughters and also the most competent. Malice’s sisters tended to just ride Vasiira’s reputation as a powerful Matron Mother while Malice sought to build a reputation of her own. I had heard of Malice, and I knew she was a rarity among all the people of Astenet; she was a spell caster. People who were able to harness the power of magic were incredibly rare, and those who learned to wield it effectively were usually held in high regard. Most Matrons knew a few minor spells but relied on a house mage for their magical needs. Malice was quickly gaining a reputation for being a powerful spell caster.

Drow had magic-like abilities, but those came from within us somewhere. It was part of what made us Drow and separated us from… the rest… Even Dark Elves had weak, watered-down versions of the same abilities, if they bothered to train them at all. Malice could cast real magic, though, and was well-versed for her age. As she got older, she’d get more and more powerful, and when House Fret’tar reached the peak of its existence, it would be thanks to Malice and her magical talents.

It was late in the night when Malice left, and as I held her mother in my arms, I couldn’t help but be proud of myself. I had put this whole series of events together in a matter of hours. I decided I wanted a house to fall, and now the house will fall. I thought for a moment; this would be a good opportunity to get some recruits for our organization.

“Excuse me for a moment. Can I get you anything?” I asked as I moved out from under Matron Vasiira and stood up. I grabbed a plush purple robe that hung on a hook near my bed and threw it on before tying it around my waist.

“Where are you going?” she demanded, bordering on anger.

“I need to speak to Durdrin and get some wine. Would you like me to bring anything else back?” I asked.

Vasiira eyed me and then shook her head. “I don’t need anything, and neither do you! And I know you can talk to Durdrin through that silly thing in your head! Whatever you’re going to say concerns my daughter and the attack on House Alesek, or you wouldn’t be in such a hurry. If it concerns my Malice, it concerns me,” she said, her tone showing her annoyance.

“Alright,” I said with a smirk.

“Durdrin, Matron Vasiira just sent Malice to take out House Alesek. Make sure our people know what’s going on! Vielyn, get near Mother and make sure Celia can’t harm her when she realizes her house is under attack,” I said as I sat back down on the bed. To anyone who didn’t know better, it would just look like I was muttering to myself.

“I’m with Larynda,” Durdrin replied. “Celia won’t get near her,” he said confidently.

“I’ll watch for the march,” I heard Vielyn say over my comm implant. He was talking about the procession of soldiers that would march through Felynafay from House Fret’tar to House Alesek.