"He was supposed to be here some time ago," Dariya complained, glancing out the window of their new home. "He said he'd return immediately."

"He's an important man here," Naya said, trying not to show her anxiety. "No doubt he's deeply engaged in some pressing issue."

The human settlement of 'Nassau' was actually incredible. The druid said it had been 'blessed by Gaia', which at first seemed a somewhat ridiculous claim until the elves felt its energy.

Life seemed teeming here from every tree, every blade of grass.

Forest life swarmed the settlement from every direction. The birds came and went in a never ending chorus of song, eating and mating, playing and bathing in the central fountain. The trees were filled with creatures. The small gardens the elves saw the settlers growing seemed to burst with abundance. The 'temple of Gaia' was a marvel of all things that grew.

"This is the place," Naya said, feeling with every moment more certain she had found a sacred land. She blinked and saw Dariya watching her, a small smile twisting the corners of her lips.

"May it be so, by Luna’s grace," she said, the smile fading as she took Naya's hand. "May the ancient gods bless us, and give us life."

Naya returned the smile and squeezed the oracle's wrinkled hand. They did not share the same faith, but the oracle had proved her loyalty to her house. She had saved her and her people, and despite her age had come with them on a perilous journey across the mortal world. Now here she was, still aiding them, still advising.

"We should have listened to you," Naya whispered, fighting back tears. "My father should have waited, should have taken more time to convince the council and get more support. If he had, he and my brother might still be alive. Maybe we would..."

"Enough of that," Oracle said, squeezing a little more. "I have lived a very long time, and we cannot ever go back and change the past. We are here, now, and you have found the best chance I have seen in a thousand years to save our people. That is more than enough."

Naya nodded, feeling a little wetness leak down her cheek. Then a hard knock on the door jarred Naya from her reverie, and the oracle sighed with obvious relief.

"Now fix your face, girl, your betrothed can’t see you in tears, can he? And it wasn't just words about the contract, princess. You shouldn't be part of the discussion. It isn't...appropriate." The old woman grinned. "But no one would know if you were listening. Say, from those stairs."

Naya smiled and let go of the oracle's hand as she rose to open the door. "I'd like to be here for the start," she said, smoothing out her clothes and wiping her cheeks. She had removed the formal silks of a courting maid from her personal storage, which was one of the few garments designed to show a woman's hair and curves to eligible suitors.

It was of course possible the patron of Nassau could still call off their engagement. And having now experienced this place, and the life within it, she knew she must do everything in her power to ensure that didn't happen.

She opened the door and stepped back as a wife would to greet her husband, head and eyes lowered.

"Welcome, betrothed," she said, bowing slightly.

Her nostrils flared with the scent of soap and feminine sweat. With fresh lust and fresh life. She glanced up to see a tall, blonde, beautiful female with her hands held awkwardly at her sides.

The druid stepped in beside her in what must have been his own formal attire, face and hair cleaned and trimmed.

Naya was at loss for words.

She wasn't sure what struck her more—the pure, masculine attraction of her husband to be, and how her heart sped at the sight of him, and the memory of his naked body glistening by the river. Or the insult—the near mockery of his having brought a pregnant mate to their marriage negotiation, who even now smelled of his lust...

* * *

"This is Haley," Mason said, smiling politely. "She's my assistant. She'll help with the negotiations."

Naya stepped back and returned the smile, and Mason relaxed a little when she didn't seem surprised or bothered by Haley. The oracle stood and smiled with tight lips from a nearby table.

"The house is acceptable?" Mason said as they stepped inside, painfully aware of his very un-Blake-like social skills. "You found food? Everything you need? I'm sorry but I...don't know anything about elves."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Everything is more than acceptable," Dariya said, a bit sharply, Mason thought. "Please come in. Does your...pregnant mate require any...special accommodations? I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about humans."

Mason blinked, sensing a definite...tone.

How the hell the old woman knew Haley was Mason's mate, or pregnant, he had no idea. But then that just further emphasized his ignorance about elves.

"No, thank you," Haley said, smiling as if she hadn't noticed any problem. Which she almost certainly had. "But that's very kind. Shall we sit? I brought some pastries. I thought we might eat a little as we talked."

After a few rounds of equally painful small talk they managed to get themselves seated. Naya informed them she wouldn't stay for the negotiation, her eyes more and more obviously inspecting Haley like a flank of beef.

"Perhaps you should leave us now," the older elf said, with a slightly disapproving tone. Naya's dark eyes flashed across the table before she smiled again and rose.

"Thank you, Oracle, of course you're right." She met Mason's eyes and her face softened, absent-mindedly pushing at a thin sash that drooped from her uncovered shoulder. "Please don't delay the wedding too long, Mason. I would like to begin our married life. As soon as possible."

She scanned him with an almost hungry look, then bowed her head slightly before she walked to another room. Between the revealing clothes and the look in the elf's eyes, Mason was kind of glad he'd spent some timing banging Haley. But of course in this new ridiculous world his lust didn't need much to get going.

"So," said Dariya, "firstly, it sounds as if we must establish you a noble house."

"Already done." Mason grinned. "I'm not sure how to actually show you the details, or..."

Haley's eyes glazed, and with now customary system magic a kind of hologram-like menu opened in the middle of the table, Mason's new house image displayed prominently in its center. Dariya's eyes widened in surprise, then she examined it all and smiled.

"A baron? We hadn't realized. The princess is also a baroness, though..." Here the old elf paused and shrugged. "Her lands are far away. In any case, very impressive. That simplifies things immensely as Princess Naya will not even lose official prestige in the union. We need only discuss progeny, any stipulations, and the dowry."

"Right." Mason winced and looked at Haley, then back at the oracle. "Why don't you just pretend I have no idea what any of that means, and move on from there."

Dariya smiled slightly and nodded her head.

"Prestige is the official measurement that tracks the power and reputation of all noble houses in the realms. Presumably yours will have none, but the House of Anshan is old and powerful. Any official act in the name of your house, whether it's war, alliance, or recruiting new members, will affect your prestige." Here the oracle took a breath before going on.

"By progeny—I mean that children produced by a noble union must be claimed by one of your noble houses. It is traditional for a man's children to take his house. But we thought, since this union is...unusual...that if the child is a boy it might take your house, but if it's a girl it might belong to its mother's. Would that be acceptable?"

Mason was about to say he didn't give a shit which 'house' his hypothetical children belonged to, but Haley put a hand on his arm and spoke first.

"That would be a meaningful concession. What if the only child from their union is a girl? What would the house of...?"

"House Anshan," repeated the Oracle, again with a slight tone.

"Thank you. What would it offer in exchange for making such a concession?"

Dariya stared just a little too long at Haley before she answered.

"What might you be interested in?"

Haley shrugged and looked at the ceiling as if she had no idea.

"I have only just become aware of the rules of noble houses. But it seems to me that, since Princess Naya's lands are far away, she has little need for her people's continued loyalty to her house. Perhaps…they should all just join Mason's?"

Dariya's eyes opened slightly wider as she stared. Her hands twisted on her lap for a moment before she stilled.

"That is...I hadn't even considered that a possibility. It seems...outside the bounds of..."

"They can change their allegiance whenever they wish, can they not?" Haley picked up a piece of pastry and took a dainty bite. "And since Princess Naya will be living in Baron Mason's...demesne, ah some words are the same in English. It seems only logical, yes? In fact perhaps this should simply be done and not treated as the concession, but as practical reality. We might think of something else instead?"

Mason glanced between the women, somewhat fascinated, as Dariya’s face moved from contempt and anger to something like respect in moments.

"You are correct, it is practical, but also a great boost to House Mason. We would expect it to more than compensate for the concession, and perhaps even affect the dowry."

"Unfortunately, my lord's house is not yet very rich in resources," Haley said as if embarrassed.

"No," the oracle smiled. "But it does have great warriors. And Princess Naya has no court members here. She would feel safer with...one, perhaps two bodyguards to serve her house and person directly."

Mason wasn't following all this exactly, but Haley looked a little shy as she turned to him and whispered.

"They want two of your players to swear loyalty to the princess. It would mean...she was really their patron, not you. But it shouldn't make much difference as they'll still be here to defend Nassau, and you'll be married to their patron. And you'll officially get the loyalty of every elf civilian in this settlement, which I don't even really understand, but I know it's extremely rare and valuable. I think it's worth it."

Mason blinked, slowly starting to realize this wasn't some meaningless negotiation. They were trying to literally determine the system-enforced loyalty of his players. Like they were exchanging players on a sports team.

Mason glanced between Haley and the oracle, a flood of heat moving up and down his body as he truly realized what the elf was demanding.

He practically heard Cerebus laughing from his throne of bones, bright eyes closing with mocking contempt. Mason felt his urge to reach forward and seize the old woman by the throat.

"I'm afraid…” Mason started, trying to control his anger, “we've misunderstood each other. My people aren't chips in some poker game. I'd kill and die for my 'warriors', and they serve me because we’ve bled together. Not because they owe me some kind of…ancient allegiance.”

He pushed back from the table and stood.

“I think maybe elves and people won't get along like I'd hoped. Haley was doing what she thought best for me, but I don’t want your people like that. If you go east, you'll find some towers with orcs that might suit you. I'm told they like exchanging slaves."

With that, Mason looked away from the women, and walked for the door.