Naya thought it was going well enough. She hadn’t keeled over and died, for example, which became a bit more of a concern after learning one cook was an alchemist.

And the food was…good. Or at least the bread. The rest was tasty but far too rich for elven tongues, to the point Dariya was clearly pushing most of hers around on her plate like a child. Naya gave her the occasional glare until she took another bite.

“So, where are you all from?” Naya asked after another slurp of the incredibly salty soup.

Her hosts exchanged confused looks and didn’t answer so long Naya tried again.

“Did you come on ships? From the east? We hadn’t realized so many humans were on our continent.”

“We…” Haley shrugged. “Wait, there are other humans? Where?”

“Oh. I don’t really know.” Naya felt a little embarrassed. “I only know stories. I’ve never seen one. But my people say they live in the east.”

Haley seemed a bit disappointed. But she perked up.

“To answer your question—we came here with…some kind of magic. I don’t understand it, I’m afraid. We aren’t…well, I guess we aren’t from this world.”

Naya felt her brow raise. She was about to ask what world exactly they’d come from before Haley kept on.

“We can’t go home. So we don’t talk much about it anymore.”

Naya didn’t understand exactly what Haley was saying, or how this was possible, but she understood the sadness in the woman’s eyes.

“I know something about that,” she said quietly. “It must be difficult.”

“We’ve made new lives here,” Haley said, looking to the other, silent women chewing their food. “Mason and the other warriors have made it safe for us. We have enough to eat. The forest is beautiful. And we have many friends that are like family now. We do our best.”

“Yes.” Naya did her best to smile. “My people would like to do the same.”

They encountered another awkward silence. Naya searched for something to say, annoyed that Dariya seemed intent on sulking and playing with her food. She was about to ask when Haley’s child was due in a kind of panic before the noise of the outside world seemed to…freeze.

Naya’s keen senses no longer heard the birds, or the insects, or the wind. The human women all stopped chewing, staring off into nothing, their eyes strangely glazed.

Some kind of…warmth flashed over her, sending a prickle down her spine so sharp and quick she nearly jumped from her chair.

“What’s happening?” she whispered, feeling little hairs rise on her neck and arms as she glanced at the oracle.

“I do not know, princess,” the older woman answered, staring intently at the human women. “But look at them.”

The humans seemed completely frozen. Then everything returned. A voice yelled from somewhere outside the hall. And then another. Until dozens of voices were shouting and crying out in what seemed like…celebration.

Haley blinked and sagged, looking to the other girls with a wide smile until they all held hands.

“Mason…” she said, looking at Naya, “he and the others…they’ve won a great victory. They’re coming home.”

Naya tried to keep her discomfort and fear off her face as she smiled. She had no idea what had just happened. It felt like…divine magic. As if somehow these humans had been given a kind of message from a god. Or perhaps they shared some kind of…hive mind.

Perhaps they truly were from another world. Naya had taken Haley’s comment as maybe reference to some far away land, an island away from the continents. But now…now she wasn’t so sure…

* * *

Attention, Players and Civilians. Attention. The game world has momentarily been frozen.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

[Baron Mason Nimitz, of House Mason, Patron of Nassau—has seized control of the Western Nexus. This marks the final stage of phase two.

A countdown to a period of system-enforced, zero player-to-player violence has begun, along with a universally accessible list of all surviving players, along with their ranks and titles.

Further—all communication beacons will activate in three days. Biological imperatives will continue in phase three. World difficulty will increase. Planar activity will increase.

Congratulations on your ongoing survival. As ever, we are rooting for you.]

Haley took Rosa’s hand and grinned.

“What do you think it means?” Rosa whispered, and Haley shrugged.

“That things are going to change again. We’ll meet all the survivors. Mason will know what to do.”

The elves were staring at them, and Haley had no idea how to explain. She said Mason had won a great victory and left it at that.

But the longer she sat there thinking, the more she realized Mason was not going to be a ‘baron’ for long. This Nexus would change things. His name had just been announced to the whole of humanity.

Haley knew it was only a matter of time before there were ‘kings’. And that Mason would be one of them. She felt a hand move to her stomach, knowing it meant she carried an heir. His first born child.

Was she being naive to think she could be friends with Naya? Or would their children, and therefore themselves, be in a kind of competition no matter what? She didn’t want that. It wasn’t what was best for Mason. It wasn’t the life she wanted.

But she knew then there was only so much she could do. She was going to have to trust Mason to handle this, especially since Naya wasn’t human. The rules of players and civilians didn’t count for elves. She had to remember that.

Mason could kill every last one of these people if he wanted. A fact they all knew and understood. They had different, harsher rules even than humans.

Haley made more smalltalk as best she could, then got the pies from the window and dished them with a polite smile.

As she got close to Naya she could have sworn she caught the elf flinch, and reach for something at her thigh. And slowly, very slowly, Haley began to realize the elves were more afraid of her than she was of them.

And maybe they were right to be.

When she was finished dishing she sat back down and met Naya’s eyes, taking a breath.

“When Mason returns, he will want to have your marriage handled quickly. He’s not a patient man.”

Naya looked shy, but smiled a little.

“I noticed. I’m also…eager. To have it all complete.”

Haley nodded, trying not to be jealous. She wasn’t worried about Mason’s affection, but she had been a little girl like everyone else, and once dreamed of a wedding and a husband waiting at the end of a long aisle.

“I think it’s important everyone in Nassau attend,” she said. “With a few warriors to remain on guard. But…the ceremony should be short, or Mason will be unhappy. We humans like to socialize after. Dance, drink, and eat. Is that acceptable?”

“That…sounds nice. Elves are much the same.”

Haley took another breath, again putting a hand to her stomach under the table.

“There is just…one small issue we need to solve. Where Mason’s…concubines will sit. During the ceremony. As it’s your day, perhaps we might…”

“They shouldn’t be there at all, princess,” said the oracle, her face suddenly transforming with clearly repressed outrage. “They aren’t nobility. They hold no claim to any titles. As far as I can tell, they have no official position whatsoever, which makes them little more than…”

Haley was taken totally aback at the outburst, having no idea the oracle would be so offended. She sat in silence until Rosa’s drill sergeant volume voice cut the elf off.

“Lady. I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but you better not finish that sentence.”

“Rosa…” Haley came back from her surprise, putting on a hand on the fiery Mexican’s arm.

“No.” Rosa stood and leaned across the table. “Listen, bitch. Haley’s just being nice. Truth is you aren’t queen, she’s queen. You’re not approving us. You aren’t anything. We’re approving you!”

With that Rosa turned and clacked on her heels back towards the bedroom, grabbing Lexi and practically yanking her off her chair. The Brit made a ‘sorry’ face at Haley, and a desperate sort of bow/curtsy towards the elves, then scampered after her friend.

The door slammed, and Haley took a deep breath.

It was pretty clear neither of the elves had experienced a pissed off, shouting Latina. Dariya was literally pale.

“I…I think we should go now, princess.”

“You don’t have to,” Haley said. “I’m sorry about that. Rosa can be a little…spirited.”

Naya did her best to seem unfazed, but was clearly shaken.

“Dariya is right,” she said. “Thank you for the invitation. But…I think we need a little time to collect ourselves. I would like to try again. Perhaps my people and I can cook for you.”

“I’d like that.” Haley forced a smile, breathing a little easier. They hadn’t worked out the wedding details, and obviously there’d been some…mistakes. But she decided she’d have to accept baby steps.

She walked the elves to the door, wishing there was something else she could say to smooth things over. But she knew the whole thing might just be hard.

“Good night,” Naya said, and Haley forced herself forward to kiss the elf on both cheeks. It was obviously a surprise, and Naya blinked and maybe blushed a little, bowing as she turned away.

Haley closed the door and slumped into a chair, wishing she could open a bottle of wine.

Rosa stomped out a little while later, waggling finger at the ready, opening her mouth for another round until she realized the elves were gone.

“They hardly touched their food,” Haley said, looking at the dishes with a sigh. Rosa sat beside her and bit her lip, looking at least a little apologetic.

“I’ll clean up. And I’ll be nicer next time. But I’m not apologizing to that stuck up slut, or her wrinkly old…”

Haley scooped a spoonful of pie and pushed it between Rosa’s lips. The younger girl clamped down and took the bite, wiping a few crumbs before she grinned.

“Sorry,” she said, looking down after a few chews. Haley put her head on her beautiful friend’s shoulder and tried not to miss Mason desperately.

“It’s OK,” she said, kissing Rosa on the cheek. “She is stuck up.”

Rosa grinned, then laughed, and Haley felt a little anxiety fall away as she joined her.