Part Nineteen

“Masdrin…” Vielyn said quietly as he and Jhule stepped through the door just in time to watch the physician hit the stone floor.

As I heard my brother’s voice, I turned to face him, and he looked surprised, as did Jhule, by my murder of Mother’s physician.

“Vielyn, Jhule, go to your rooms and put on your armor. One way or another, you’re going to need it,” I said solemnly. I fully intended to kill Mother and any who tried to stop me.

“What?” Vielyn asked, confusion evident on his face.

“Why?” Jhule asked.

“She ordered the physician to poison my Zeera,” I said as I pried open the drawer on the physician’s desk to search for the emerald I had given Zeera. Jhule’s eyes went wide, but Vielyn blinked a few times before narrowing his eyes.

“Brother, may I borrow Zeera’s necklace for a few moments?” he asked.

“Why?” I asked.

“I have some questions,” Vielyn responded. I took the necklace from around my neck and handed it to him before trying to move past him. I was stopped by Vielyn, who placed the necklace around his neck and then looked at me. “What did the physician say to you?” he asked.

“He told me Mother ordered him to poison Zeera, and… she gave him Zeera’s emerald as payment,” I responded as I pried open another drawer and found the jewel, holding it up for Vielyn and Jhule to see.

When the necklace stayed silent, I noticed Vielyn start to tremble slightly. If Mother poisoned Zeera, did she also poison his woman and child? That was what he was going to find out.

“Vielyn, wait…” Jhule said. She knew exactly what our brother was thinking. She was hoping he wasn’t correct. Vielyn would be the only one who could stop me and Nine from killing Mother, and possibly my sisters. Vielyn stopped and looked at Jhule, our eldest sibling.

“I know what you’re going to ask her… if you get the answer I fear you’ll get… I just want you to know I will stand by you,” she said before turning her head to face me. “Do you remember the penalty for those who betray House De’Endar?” Jhule asked.

“I do not care for House De’Endar anymore. From now on, it’s death to any who betray Masdrin,” I said sternly. Jhule and Vielyn both looked at me for a moment. “Now go suit up. Whether you fight with me or against me, you’re going to need your weapons and armor,” I said as I shoved past them.

“Nine, form up,” I said into my comm implant as I walked through the door into the hall, making my way to my room.

My room wasn’t far, and when I got there, I went straight for my closet. I pulled the door open and dragged my armor case out. A few moments later, I was fully kitted out in my armor, and my kukris hung from my hip. My own House De’Endar dagger hung from my belt over the front of my left thigh, with a leather strap wrapping around my leg and holding it in place. My traitor brother’s House dagger was strapped to my armor between my shoulder blades, concealed by my cloak and pack.

As I placed my fedora on my head, I heard a knock at my door. “Who is it?” I called out.

“Caelnel. We’re here,” came the reply from one of my most trusted friends. Nine had been lurking around the house since I got here; they were never too far from me.

I walked to the door and pulled it open to see my ten Shadow Knights, Shadow Nine, standing in the hall, ready for battle. Caelnel, Rylzt, and Brudaer gathered around me, waiting for me to explain what was going on. I looked to each of them and then waved for them to follow me. I led the way to Vielyn’s room, where Shadow Thirteen, Vielyn’s shadow team, was waiting.

Vielyn came out of his room a few minutes later, wearing his ceremonial Barra D’aron plate armor with his sword belted to his hip and a kukri on his other hip.

Jhule joined us just a few moments later. She, too, was wearing her armor—a beautifully crafted set of leather and chainmail armor, similar in style to mine but with more intricate patterns. “Let’s go ask some questions,” she said with a sigh.

Jhule, Vielyn, and I, along with Nine and Thirteen, marched through the halls until we reached the throne room. The guards, sensing the threat to Matron Larynda, held their spears out towards us.

“Stand aside,” Vielyn, still Weapon Master of the house, ordered.

The guards stood fast, and I couldn’t help but notice that there were eight instead of four pointing spears at us.

“Vielyn, did you summon extra guards?” Vielyn nodded.

“When you went after the physician,” he said. “But if they don’t stand aside, perhaps we’ll turn the Shadow Knights loose on them,” he added.

Rylzt, Naraun, and Tazerin stepped forward. These three men were all weapon masters at one point in their lives. They alone could take the guards without much trouble. With me, Vielyn, and Jhule also willing to fight, the guards knew they would be massacred if they stood against us.

The guard nearest to me and Vielyn tilted his head slightly, exposing a mark on his neck—a small Barra D’aron tattoo.

He was the leader of Shadow Ten. “You want us to join you?” he asked.

I looked to Vielyn, who nodded. I, too, nodded. “Open the doors,” I ordered. Ten-Actual and Ten-One pulled the doors and then led the rest of Ten into the throne room, right behind Jhule, Vielyn, and I, along with our own Shadow Teams.

Mother watched as three of her children, escorted by a small army, walked into her throne room. Vielyn led the march, which came to a stop near Mother; she was easily within his reach.

“What is this? Why do you bring these soldiers into my throne room?” Mother asked.

“Did you have the physician poison Zeera?” Jhule asked.

“What? Of course not! Why? What did he tell you?” Mother shouted angrily.

Of course, she would deny it, I thought. Jhule looked to Vielyn and could tell that the necklace had spoken to him, informing him of her deceit.

“Did you have Grelia and my child poisoned?” he asked through clenched teeth.

“NO!” Mother shouted again. “And I do not appreciate these accusations!” she barked.

Vielyn’s head drooped as he looked at the floor. For the first time in my life, I could see tears streak my big brother’s cheeks. He had cared for his woman like I cared for Zeera, and even after all these years, he still hurt. Finding out Mother was behind both Zeera and Grelia’s deaths pushed him over the edge. In a flash, Vielyn was holding his House De’Endar dagger.

A voice from behind Mother spoke up. “All of this for a half-breed and a whore?” Viezere asked, trying to side up to Mother.

I turned my head to face him. “Shut up… Go sit in the corner and sulk, like you do when Durdrin is here,” I snapped back.

I hated Viezere. He used to take out his frustrations on me. He hated that I was Durdrin’s child and would punish me every time the strange crimson-haired man came to visit Mother.

“You watch your mouth when you talk to me, Second-Boy, or else!” Viezere shouted. I turned and took two steps toward him, and he immediately backed up and raised his hands.

“Or else what? You finally think you can fight a real man, Viezere?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

“Larynda… do something…” he whimpered as I stalked menacingly toward him.

Mother already had her hands full, trying to talk down her weapon master son.

I took another two steps as I drew my dagger. “COME HERE!” I barked as I lunged forward and reached out with my right hand.

Viezere knew death was coming. He tried to draw his own House De’Endar dagger, but he wasn’t fast enough. I grabbed him by his collar and pulled him close before burying my blade deep into his heart.

“Just what I thought. You can beat up a child but can’t handle yourself against a grown man,” I muttered as I dropped him to the ground. He then received a kick in the head for good measure… and spite…

As I turned back towards Vielyn, he looked like he was in shock as he stared at the floor. I walked over to stand beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You’ve betrayed House De’Endar and the Barra D’aron,” I said, staring at Mother. There was no emotion on my face.

“I am House De’Endar!” Mother shouted angrily. She could see what was coming.

“I’ve been loyal to you my entire life…” Vielyn said quietly. “And you betrayed me… you stole my Grelia and my daughter from me.” His head snapped up and he stared menacingly at her. “And now you’ve stolen a friend… a sister… from me…” he snarled.

I looked over to my four sisters, being held back by Shadow Ten, who were preventing them from interfering with what was about to happen. “I’ll not let some half-breed dark elf or some whore control my sons!” Mother barked, trying to justify her actions.

Jhule, the eldest of all my siblings, stepped forward between Mother and Vielyn. “Larynda De’Endar, you’ve betrayed House De’Endar. The penalty for that is death,” Jhule said before stepping out of the way.

My brother snarled again and stabbed forward with his dagger. Mother jumped back, narrowly avoiding being run through. She threw her hands out in front of her and began to cast a spell, but Vielyn was an experienced warrior, a veteran of many house attacks, and had even defended House De’Endar against an attack with only a handful of House De’Endar guards and Shadow Thirteen. He knew how to stop a spell caster.

Vielyn raised his arm and then snapped it down as he flicked his wrist and launched his dagger. Mother slapped the dagger out of the air, which interrupted her spellcasting, and Vielyn closed the gap almost instantly. He reached out with both hands, grabbing Mother by the chin and the back of her head. In a quick motion, my brother twisted Mother’s head violently and broke her neck.

“MOTHER!” Baeda cried as she tried to push past the soldier holding her back. I watched the blade come up and press against her throat.

Vielyn dropped Mother to the ground, his chest heaving as he struggled to control his breathing. He began to swoon, and I reached out to catch him.

“Easy, brother,” I said as I felt his full weight in my arms. I gently lowered him to a sitting position, and I could see the tears roll down his face as he reached up and buried his face in his hands. I stood over him with my own dagger in hand, daring anyone to move against us. “Who’s next?” I asked as I stared down my four sisters.

“Who will protect you when I get free?” T'rissdra, the meaner of my sisters, growled.

I looked at her and blinked. “Who said you’re going to get free?” I asked.

“You wouldn’t! I was nice to the half-breed!” she snapped back. Clearly, she remembered things differently from how I did.

I glanced down at Mother’s corpse lying on the floor, then back up to T’rissdra.

“Kill her. She’ll be trouble,” Jhule whispered to me.

I looked down at Vielyn, and he nodded. T’rissdra was strong and incredibly clever; recently, she had even learned a few spells of her own to cast, though she was in no position to cast them now. If my two eldest siblings agreed, then I’d heed their advice—they knew far more about our family than I did. I had only spent a decade in House De’Endar, and I didn’t remember much before killing Antzar.

I nodded to the soldier who was holding her back, and he plunged his blade through her throat.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Jhule…” I said quietly as I reached my hand out to her. She looked at me curiously before slowly reaching out to take my hand. She was Mother’s eldest daughter and, in my opinion, the new Matron of House De’Endar.

I led her to the throne, and as I tried to lead her to sit in it, she froze. Her eyes went wide, and she shook her head. “No!” she said forcefully. I looked up at her, a little confused.

“I want freedom… I want to come with you and Vielyn…” she pleaded.

I nodded. “Are you sure, Matron Jhule?” I asked, making sure to use her proper title.

She nodded, and I shrugged, then looked over at Maya, the second oldest sister. She was a little meaner than Jhule but incredibly smart, though physically weak. “Maya, your time has come,” I said softly.

Maya shook her head. “I am not strong enough…” she said meekly. I waved her toward me, and the soldiers holding her back released her and moved out of her way. Hesitantly, she came toward me and Jhule.

I held my hand out, and she still hesitated, not wanting to come near me, especially while I held my dagger that was still wet with her father’s blood. The Shadow Knights had control of the room, so I sheathed my blade and held my hand out to my sister.

“Come, Matron Maya, take your throne,” I said softly. She was trembling as she took my hand, and I led her to the throne, where she sat down and looked around nervously, her eyes wide and her hands gripping the armrest of the chair.

I looked at Vielyn, who was still sitting on the floor, then up at Cazna and Baeda. “If anything happens to any of my remaining sisters, I’ll kill you all and destroy this house,” I said flatly.

“If Maya falls, House De’Endar falls. Are we clear?” I asked.

Cazna and Baeda nodded. They were young and would eventually fall in line, helping Maya run the house.

“Release them,” I said to the soldiers who were holding them back. They rushed forward and stood next to the throne, flanking Maya on either side like the older girls did with Mother.

“Congratulations, Matron Maya,” Cazna said with a smile.

Baeda smiled too, though hers didn’t seem genuine. “Yes… Congratulations, Maya… I wish you nothing but the best,” she said in a tone I didn’t quite understand. She seemed displeased, but she was still alive, not lying dead next to Mother or T’rissdra.

“She’s lying,” Vielyn said quietly. He pulled the magical necklace from around his neck and handed it to me.

I put it over my head and looked at Cazna and Baeda. “Neither of you will harm your sister. If you do, the consequences will be that both of you die along with our house,” I threatened once more.

“The three of you will do well to remember… The Barra D’aron manage this house’s security. The Barra D’aron were the strength behind Mother, and the Barra D’aron will be the strength behind Maya,” I said firmly.

I looked at Baeda and Cazna. “If Maya so much as suspects either of you is working against her, Shadow Ten will kill you.” I turned to face Shadow Ten-Actual, the leader of the team. “If anything happens to my big sister, you and your entire team die. Understand?” I asked. Ten-Actual, whose real name was Godiin Melani, nodded and walked over to sit a couple of steps down from the throne.

“Will my big brother still be my Weapon Master? At least for now?” Maya asked softly.

Mighty Vielyn, proud protector of House De’Endar, stood up and shook his head. “No, Matron Maya. I am done serving the Matrons of this city,” he said sadly as he looked down at Mother. Maya frowned, now just a little unsure of herself. She didn’t know Godiin, though she’d get to know him soon enough. Godiin would eventually become Maya’s Patron and Weapon Master of House De’Endar.

Suddenly, the sound of steel against steel rang out in the hallway, and I turned to face the door. “What the hell?” I said quietly. I heard someone shout, “Durdrin’s here!” from outside the open throne room door. Another guard called out, “They’re going to kill Matron Larynda! They’re in the throne room!” letting my father know exactly where we were.

“Nine, Thirteen, get ready! Ten, protect Maya!” I shouted as I drew my kukris. My siblings and I had just killed Mother, Durdrin’s favorite person in the entire world, and I was not sure how he’d react. “Vielyn… I need you, brother…” I said, a hint of nervousness in my voice. If Durdrin was coming in hot, I knew he’d have One and Six with him, and I knew he’d be ready for a fight. I would need Vielyn if it came to blows.

I stood ready with Shadow Nine behind me in the doorway. “Nobody is to hurt Durdrin!” I said into my comm implant to the two teams who were standing behind me. A moment later, I was joined by Jhule and Vielyn, both with their weapons drawn.

“This is my house. Not his,” Vielyn said quietly.

“Our house, Brother,” Jhule corrected.

Durdrin came around the corner that led to the front door like a bolt of lightning, with One and Six hot on his heels. He had fought through a few House De’Endar guards who had tried to stop him and was beelining towards us.

“What did you do!” he snarled as he started to close the distance between us.

“She betrayed House De’Endar and the Barra D’aron. She got what she deserved!” I shouted back as I readied my weapons. As my words registered in his mind, Durdrin slowed to a stop, his face sinking. His weapons dipped low before falling out of his hands, and he sprinted toward me, shoving past and moving, alone, into the throne room.

He spotted Mother lying on the floor, dead, and ran to her side, falling to his knees beside her. He scooped her up in his arms. “Oh, Larynda, what did they do to you?” he cried as he rocked her back and forth and kissed her forehead. “Why?” he cried loudly.

“She had Zeera and Grelia poisoned,” Vielyn said quietly.

Durdrin’s eyes went wide. “Says who?” he sneered as he glared at us.

“She admitted it to us,” I said sadly.

Jhule nodded, confirming what I was saying.

“Her exact words were, ‘I’ll not let some half-breed or some whore control my sons!’ and so Vielyn broke her neck. If he didn’t kill her, I would have,” I said solemnly as I knelt down beside my father and mother. “I’m sorry, Father,” I said quietly as I rested my hand on his shoulder.

Durdrin stared at Mother for a long time. I could hear him sobbing quietly. He’d have given his own life for Larynda; he adored her. Now, like myself and Vielyn, his woman had been taken from him. “She was my favorite…” Durdrin said quietly as he looked down at Mother.

“And Zeera was Masdrin’s favorite, and I’m sure Vielyn felt the same way about Grelia and his daughter,” Jhule said to him.

Durdrin looked up at Vielyn. “Daughter?” he asked.

Vielyn nodded. “She tried to kill your grandson and made your son hate his own child,” Vielyn added.

Durdrin stopped and stared blankly at the floor. “I can’t get him back…” he said quietly.

“What did you do?” I asked.

“You were going to kill him; I gave him to some friends and told them to hide him.” He realized that he, too, had been manipulated by Mother. He released her from his arms and slowly stood up before looking at me. “I’m sorry, son… but you were going to kill him. I couldn’t allow you to kill my grandson…” he reiterated sadly.

My shoulders drooped, but I nodded.

“It would appear she really did a number on you boys,” Maya said, her voice soft and sympathetic. “My first act as Matron Mother of House De’Endar is to assure you, Durdrin, and my brothers and sisters, that I’ll not treat you like Mother treated us,” she said softly. “We will save the lies and manipulation for those outside our house,” she added with a smile.

Jhule walked up to her younger sister and smiled widely. “You’re going to make a great Matron Mother, Maya De’Endar,” Jhule said.

Maya nodded and leaned forward. “I do not know what to do… I always thought you would replace Mother, and I’d stand by you,” she whispered quietly into her big sister’s ear.

Jhule smiled at her. “You’re Matron Mother of the fourth house of Felynafay; you will do as you please,” she said before standing up straight and winking at her. “You will figure it out, little sister. When you do, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with,” Jhule said proudly.

Maya forced a smile and nodded.

Jhule stepped aside, and Vielyn stepped forward. “Maya, be strong. Do not let these two coerce you. Remember, you are Matron of our house; you are the ultimate authority in our family,” he said before stepping aside so I could speak to her as well.

I didn’t have much to say. I wasn’t close to Maya or any of my sisters, really—not like I was with Vielyn. I stepped forward and looked at my sister. “Matron Maya, like Vielyn and Jhule have told you, you need to be strong. Any decisions you make will have the backing of your brothers, arguably two of the most powerful males in all of Felynafay,” I said, and Maya smiled at me.

Durdrin then stood up and roughly shoved me out of the way. “The Barra D’aron will back you fully; we’ll protect you from threats inside and outside your house,” the single most powerful male in all of Drow society said before turning and walking out the door.

That was the last time any of us saw Durdrin for weeks. He went off to deal with his grief in whatever way he did. He and Mother had been an item for nearly three hundred years—far longer than Vielyn or I had been with our women.

I, too, would disappear for a few weeks, hiding in my private quarters and grieving the loss of Zeera and Mother. Yes, Mother had done what she had done, but she was still Mother.

Vielyn was hurt the most, though. He had buried his woman and his child a little more than a hundred years ago, and now he had to bury the woman he was most loyal to just a few weeks ago.

Jhule would be our rock, checking up on her little brothers while also keeping her younger sisters in line as Maya got settled into her role as Matron Mother of our house. She’d make frequent surprise visits, escorted by Shadow Six, to make sure everything was running in accordance with Maya’s wishes. House De’Endar was treated as a Barra D’aron asset and would be protected as such.

A few more weeks passed before I decided to leave my room. I had finished wallowing and wanted to get back to work, to distract myself from the pain I felt.

I crawled out of bed and straightened my clothes before walking to the mirror. I ran my fingers through my hair to straighten it, slicking it back. I hadn’t trimmed my hair since before Zeera died, and I looked exhausted and run down. I had lost weight from not eating properly, so I decided my first course of action would be to head to the Barra D’aron inn to get some food and drink.

As I stepped through the door, I spotted Caelnel, Rylzt, Brudaer, and Jhule sitting in the booth we always sat in, so I walked over and joined them.

“Good to see you, Baby Brother,” Jhule said with a pleasant smile. I nodded to my sister and forced a weak smile.

“You look rough…” Rylzt said, though I could tell he was worried, not trying to insult me.

“I have not slept well in weeks,” I said quietly. “I am not used to sleeping alone.” They could hear the pain in my voice.

“Perhaps you should pay Matron Vasiira a visit,” Caelnel suggested.

I looked at him and shook my head. “No,” I replied flatly. I would not find comfort in the arms of another woman, at least not yet.

I ordered some candied cave crickets, a plate of fresh, raw fish, and a mushroom salad. These were both mine and Zeera’s favorite foods. The entire table looked at me with surprise when I ordered a bottle of Cloud Nine.

“You know that stuff is like ten thousand gold a bottle, right?” Jhule asked.

I shrugged, not really caring anymore. Zeera and I had earned the equivalent of millions of gold coins, and now it was all mine.

“Has anyone heard from Durdrin?” I asked.

Caelnel nodded. “He came home a couple days ago,” he replied.

“Where is Vielyn?” I asked as I waited for my order to be brought to me.

“He hasn’t come out of his room in days,” Jhule answered.

With a frown, I nodded. Mother’s betrayals had done a fair bit of damage to Vielyn.

When the girl brought my food and drink and set them on the table, I tossed her a gold coin.

“That bottle costs more than that… a lot more than that…” she said sheepishly.

I looked at her for a moment and blinked a couple of times before realizing she thought I was trying to pay. “No, that’s for you. I’ll pay K'yodal for my food and drink,” I said, and the girl smiled at me. She was on one of the lowest rungs of the Barra D’aron ladder, but she still had the same rights as the rest of us; she just didn’t earn as much as those who put their lives on the line. She still got treated with

Most men in the organization didn’t tip, especially not to the women. They had been abused and used by the women in their lives before being recruited into the Barra D’aron and were often bitter about it.

Occasionally, you’d get guys like Chey who would abuse the women, feeling like he was getting some sort of revenge against the females of our species by doing so. Men like Chey were dealt with accordingly—usually violently.

Most men simply ignored the women around the compound unless the woman outranked them. Some outright refused to take orders from women; they were usually stuck in suicide units—units we didn’t expect to come home after their mission. We didn’t tolerate insubordination or the abuse of fellow members, regardless of what was between your legs.

Graciously accepting her tip, the girl nodded and smiled before turning and heading back to continue her duties. She came back a few moments later, still holding the gold coin. “Do I have to have sex with you for this?” she asked bluntly, holding the coin out.

I looked at her with wide eyes, surprised by the question. I shook my head. “No, that is yours. You go have sex with whomever you like,” I said with equal bluntness.

She smiled at me and returned to her duties once again. From that moment on, she made a point to be the one serving our table. The group of Drow sitting there were mostly officers, so she didn’t have to worry about anyone grabbing her or making lewd comments or propositions, and I tipped better than anyone else she’d seen.

I picked up my plate and my bottle of alcohol and made my way to the door. I wanted to go find Vielyn and sit with him, like he had sat with me.

On the way out, I gave a nod to K'yodal, the bartender and manager of the inn. He knew I’d pay him for the food and drink. I always settled my bill, and I had a rather large credit with the house, having pre-paid a few months in advance for the room Zeera and I shared.

I wandered through the halls of the compound until I found myself at Vielyn’s door. I tapped the door with the bottle and waited for a response.

“What do you want?” Vielyn asked.

“It’s Masdrin,” I replied.

I heard the locks on the door unlock, and then the door swung open. There stood Vielyn—Mighty Vielyn—looking run down and disheveled. With a frown, I walked past him, setting the plates of food and the bottle of expensive brandy down on the table before taking a seat.

“Is everything okay?” Vielyn asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t sleep much anymore,” I replied. “How is everything with you?” I asked.

Vielyn shrugged as well. “Is Maya okay?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yes, Jhule has been charged with the security of House De’Endar until House De’Endar’s mighty protector is ready to come back,” I said as I looked at my brother.

Vielyn shook his head. “I am not going back to that house. Maya will do exactly what Mother did—what every Matron Mother does. I’ll not be used again,” he said flatly.

Again, I nodded, and for the most part, I agreed with him. I, too, wanted to keep House De’Endar at arm's length, though I hoped Maya would be different.

“Come, eat and drink with me. I’d like to dine with my big brother tonight,” I said as I waved my hand toward the other empty seat. Vielyn joined me at the table, and together we ate the food and then drank the bottle of brandy I had brought.

Before making my way back to my room for the night, I looked at my brother and at my own reflection in the empty liquor bottle. “Brother, aren’t we a rough sort? Perhaps it’s time we went back to work, to find something to take pride in once again. I have never seen two finer-looking Drow look so rough,” I said with a slight smile.

Vielyn looked at himself in the reflection of the bottle and shook his head. “Perhaps you’re right, Baby Brother,” he replied. He stood up and walked toward his mirror to inspect himself.

“Meet me in front of the inn tomorrow morning. I will get us a mission from Durdrin. Apparently, he came home a couple of days ago,” I suggested.

Vielyn nodded. “What did you have in mind?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Business as usual—whatever Durdrin needs of us,” I said with a weak smile.

Vielyn nodded again. “Okay, I’ll see you there,” he replied. I turned and walked out the door, heading for my room.