Finally... The Arrival...

[BadInfluence]

It had been what felt like forever in coming, finally having spilled enough blood to draw Achinnal Falls close enough for them to approach and take their place upon it, and even that had not been without costs…



They had to switch gears for a few weeks while they prepared, Gia having decided it was far better to keep the weak and the ill from the houses as they fell and cull them together in one space all together, trapped by magical wards to be… Well… Live bait. After all a spider does not seek out a dead fly in it’s web, nor would Achikinnal seek out the dead and dying all too willingly, but now this? Blooded, live bait, thrashing about in a cage? It was a morsel so temping that they could not resist… The weak and the cast off served a purpose then, rather than being put to death they were given a chance to fight back, both against each other and the giant spiders that had come out at them from under the sands… Had any survived? No… But it was a glorious death all the same, one that a Drow could be proud of, far better than being put out of your misery like a lame horse…



Still…



Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw…



Achkinnal Falls was not just a place, it was a thing, a living entity which housed massive territories on it’s back… The first home of the Drow until they had grown large enough to spread out and colonize Menzoberranzan… If one were to be so brazen… Achkinnal falls were very much like the birthplace of Drow civilization as it currently stood. When they arrived it was into a sort of wilderness, a sudden eutopia of wildlife, flora and fauna unlike any they had likely seen before. The lands were beyond fertile and rich, large swaths of wheat grew, wild and untamed under enchanted orbs that provided them with the sunlight they needed to grow. Indeed all over the land there were special orbs that were placed to help the Drow cultivate fields of food for when they had first been banished, before they learned to cultivate the food that grew in the dark, when the sunlight was still fresh on their skin… There were large lakes and flowing rivers, babbling brooks and cascading waterfalls, each feeding into the other in a perpetual circle that helped to create Achkinnals own atmosphere, completely unique and self sustaining…



Jacob and Nautilous had entered first to scan the area with their armies beneath them, they had their own special squads which were called the Blood Core that answered only to them and the Matron herself, highly specialized and skilled. After them the bulk of the army came after, an impressive mass of male flesh as each army had been naturalized into their own with each successive fall from the great houses. In the span of the six weeks that had passed since they had been on the surface another four houses had fallen and the others dare not even whisper Matron Navere’s name in fear that she would fall on them next. The wedding between Gia Navere and Thaylan had been put off until they arrived at their home at the behest of Lloth herself, the reasons for such were as yet unknown, and likely would remain so…



The first thing was afte the army had cleared out any squatters, riff raff, and Dryders they cut a path to the main Castle. It was a place well known to Gia and Thaylan for it was the home of their birth and childhood, to everyone else it was a massive, imposing structure that was as beautiful as it was intimidating. The next two weeks were spent preparing the castle to be habitable again, food that had been pillaged from the fallen houses were stocked up, plants and fungus were being planted in the caves and mountainsides around them… Slaves were put to work in the fields and orchards to harvest all that was on hand to be had, to prepare for the grand feasting and weddings to be had shortly, those who were gifted in crafts were put to work reupholstering everything that needed it but they were in luck… Much of what was left behind was still in extremely good order, needing only a bit of tender love and care for it to be brought back to it’s formal glory, all the royal fabrics taken out to be mended and washed while more pillaged goods tool their place…



By the end of that the castle looked as if it had never been abandoned, it thrived, hummed with activity like a bee’s hive. Everyone had their own sections of the castle for personal use, families in this wing or that as it suited them, formal offices were set up and the barracks were once more alive with the sound of metal and horses… Everything was moving like an incredibly well oiled machine… The people under Gia’s rule? Thrived. They are well and partied even better, already pregnancy reports were skyrocketing, the wines and drugs flowed freely and the orgies were intense even for the Drow. It was a celebration of the revival of the Navere house, their Matron with her lovers in tow, each strong and virile as their matron already carried in her the future generation of daughters to rule and guide them.



These were times of plenty and they were only getting started…

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Everyone's Current Standing:

Nautious Dragonsbane: Shield Master and Rothe Seriso of Gia Navere, Second hand and Rothe Seriso of the Patron Thaylan Navere, 

Jacob Dragonsbane: Right hand of Shield Master Nautilous. Calvary Leader and head of the Blood Core. Rothe Seriso of Rosamund Ganeth

Thaylan Navere: Patron Apparent to Gia Navere, leader of the Spider Core, elite squad of drow harlequin spies.

Gia Navere: Mzilst Malla lueth treemmou Ilharess, Prime Matron of Menzoberranzan, Matron over Seven Territories. 

Anya Navere: Head Priestess and Daughter of the Prime Matron

Rosamund Ganeth: Wife Apparent of Jacob Dragonsbane, Rothe Seriso of Jacob Dragonsbane, Head Physician of the entire Navere Household

[Deleted]

She wore stress well.. it was like her favourite ruby coloured lipstick.. vibrant and a perfect distraction.. something she always had with her no matter where she went.. or how she was feeling.. it was just a part of her.. the amount of pressure that had been placed upon her in the previous month was incredible.. it made the fuckery with Vakryn seem like childsplay.. but the only ones that could see the small cracks forming.. were Thaylan and Nautilous.. they were close enough to notice the subtle changes.. the twitches.. the slight deviations from her regular routine.. the trip to Egypt was most certainly a learning experience.. she'd not seen the sun.. nor felt it before then.. it was overwhelming.. and something she wished she had of had more time to feel out.. but the sheer amount of drama that hung about like a dark cloud meant a great lot of their vacation was shadowed.. she didn't even get to hear about how the ceremony went with Nautilous and Jacob.. He had kept his distance from her and she had no idea why.. she wouldn't push .. he knew what she felt about his actions when it came to succession the two high Houses.. she'd told him as much ..but still he stayed away.. she was skirting that fine line between intuition and paranoia.. the idea that things were being kept from her.. secrets.. perhaps even lies.. she wondered then how her Mother would have handled this.. and wether or not she did.. again she needed someone to talk to.. the trip back down into the underdark was thankfully uneventful.. quiet.. there was no ambush of soldiers.. or traps that they had not scouted.. the Armies were ncredibly well trained and picked up on absolutely everything .. she had to give the boys props.. Thaylan, Nautilous and Jacob had whipped that group of men and women into shape at an incredible speed.. the intelligence was perfection.. the communication and organisation was unbeatable.. was it any wonder they were just taking over every single place they raided.. she, Anya and Rose stayed in one of the smaller houses near by.. treated incredibly well by the Matron of the house.. it would be an ally.. someone who had their back.. the trade of supplies would be helpful..

before the day would come.. that she would be told it was safe for her to re-enter her home.. the one home she knew as a child.. the one place she always felt safe no matter what was happening outside.. the place that held more memories than she could even possibly recall.. if the walls could talk.. the stories they would tell.. the carriage they had been given could only take them so far.. it was a bit of a treck from there.. the path was clear.. it was completely safe.. though even still they were flanked by several soldiers.. her heart had sped up wildly within her chest.. she was almost nervous.. anxiety inside her was brewing.. her fingers curled around Thaylans tighter the closer they got.. making their way through the forest.. the low laying greenery and ferns..before it would all be opened up to her.. the sheer size of it.. the castle kingdoms in the distance.. her heart seized hard in her chest.. enough that she had to gasp ..it actually hurt.. her hand rose as she covered her mouth.. she honestly never thought she would see this again.. that she would ever be going home.. it was a passing fantasy.. one she gave up on so very long ago.. -.. Its .. it just doesn't feel real.. -shock and awe registered on her face as they continued to draw her forward.. they by passed the city proper.. there would be a time soon for her to communicate with the people.. but not now.. not right now.. the estate.. it was Huge.. though it seemed so much bigger when she was younger.. it stood proud and tall.. unbreakable.. even after all this time.. it honestly looked like nothing had changed.. coming to the large front double doors.. the soldiers spread out to the sides.. giving her space as she just stood there for a moment.. her palm outstretched to the painted wood.. tracing down the patterns upon it.. her body visibly trembled.. she was almost waiting to wake up.. before the doors were drawn open for her.. and she was witness to the interior she'd known for as long as she could remember.. the family paintings.. the mirrors.. the carved dark wood and silver accents.. it was elegant..almost gothic in its decor.. she could see her Mother standing in the corridor.. she could see those teachers she hated.. and of course the ones she liked.. she could see so many old memories playing out before her eyes.. before it all vanished and she was left with that beautiful shell.. that now was hers.. she moved to step inside.. taking in a deep long breath.. reaching to remove her cloak.. placing it back over one of the chairs.. the click of her boots upon polished boards would take her to the main dining hall.. the long table where they all used to sit..she would take this time to soak it all in.. her hands falling to the back of the chair that Chaka used to sit at.. it was like she had been taken back.. beautifully bittersweet-

[Deleted]

He had been kept incredibly busy once they had left Eygpt.. the travel to the Matrons home was quite a task.. one he wasn't sure he was prepared for.. whilst yes he had a lot of fighting training behind him.. from general self defence to that which he had learnt when he was taken back to Naggaroth.. he was still a little behind most.. especially Nautilous.. and that meant his Father giving him nightly training.. to get him up to speed.. to give him a little more instruction on just how the Drow fought.. for there was little honour involved in the underdark.. it was all about being underhanded.. a dirty fighter.. whatever it took to be able to throw up the banner of the House you fought for.. you had to strive to succeed.. to survive .. Nautilous more or less pushed him into shape.. it hurt.. his muscles burned just about every night and he wore enough bruises from mi-stepping than he probably ever had before.. but in the end it was worth it.. he made sure she was safe with the Matron back in that second house.. whilst the three of them and their respective armies went in to scout, to clean up and to clear out.. he was utterly stunned and shocked by the sheer size of the property.. it was like nothing he had ever seen.. and he thought Silverthorn was large.. this place was clearly so.. So much bigger.. it took a lot of hard work, grit and determination to get that place cleared out.. he had not come across a drider in person before.. that set him back but when Nautilous took control of the situation he was fine.. it just surprised him.. something new.. soon the roads were clean and messages were sent out to have Gia come in.. the better of the troupes were called to flank her.. to make sure she was safe.. afterall if anything happened to her now it would all be for nothing.. Anya whilst yes trained was not quite at the level to take over.. not yet.. he stepped to the side.. allowing them to have their reuniting moments.. he had settled in a suite off to the east in the estate.. it was quite large, incredibly comfortable.. luxurious even.. and it had plenty of room for them to put a crib in should they choose to.. he had spent most of the day setting up his books.. making sure they were in the order of his preference.. his supplies.. his vials and tools.. his notebooks and pencils.. a touch OCD at times yes.. but it meant he knew where it all was and he could instruct anyone else of that fact .. he would wait for her there.. the place was buzzing with people.. he didn't want to get in the way.. and he really just needed some quiet time.. he just needed to see her sweet face and beautiful smile.. it made all the aches just go away.. -

[BadInfluence]

“I never thought that the day I left home that it would be the last time I would see this place… I thought I could come back when the dust settled but it never really did… Now that we’re finally here and I’m looking up at it I just wonder… How we ever lived in a place like that…” It was beyond massive, it was ungodly huge, easily over thirty bedrooms and who the hell knew how many baths, the three grand ballrooms, music hall, theatre… Literally he was struggling to jog his memory about just how much was in that place… And this was just the iceberg… This was only one castle of the four that made up the Achkinnal falls… After all the Navere house used to be much, much bigger, consisting of several clans but now… Now it was just Gia and Anya… Whittled down to almost nothing… Their daughters were a good start though if he were honest Anya needed to settle in with her own Patron and find herself a few babies on the way, not that he was anywhere fucking near ready to be a grandfather but at the end of the day, it was just down to the numbers…

The whole place was gorgeous all the same though, intimidating yes but still beautiful, these sorts of levels of workmanship weren’t seen anywhere else before… The whole place radiated magic and craftsmanship like music, just that perfect melody between the two, an art long since gone to anyone above or below. He could sense her nerves though, reaching out with a steady hand as Nautilous and Jacob were ahead of them on horseback, clearing the way in case anything from the first run had managed to escape them. His hand against her lower back he gently ran slow, comforting circles along her spine, easing away the tension there bit by bit. “Mother and Father would be So proud of you Gia… You’ve done so much, come so far and from such a humble beginning, through sheer grit and determination you have brought us together… All of us… Your family and your people… We all feel safe and guarded under your firm and steady hand.” Even though he knew she felt anything but. Proud, yes, but more than that he knew she few nervous… Tense… And he couldn’t imagine how that would be good for her in her current state but… Perhaps, he hoped, this was still far less stressful than her condition had been with Anya…

Once within the entire place seemed to open up around then while also somehow managing to embrace them, almost like a metaphysical hug to be back in the place that once echoed with their voices and footsteps, their mother scolding Chaka or himself… The laughter of them all playing together and racing around the halls… That same table where Gia used to play footise with him in their teen years and make him utterly and deliciously miserable over dinner… Down the hall and up the servants stairs he remembered one of the storage rooms in the attic where Gia and he used to hide when they were small… She would bring paper and pens and teach him to read and write despite the fact such was not meant for males… That same room had become a meeting place for hurried kisses and fevered touches… Looking down at the table once more he reached into his bag and pulled out a small flower, red as blood that grew from the mosses along the shorelines of the many rivers and cavern lakes, placing it on the plate that had been Chakas when she lived with them. “I miss her too… But it was mercy, what you did my sweet one, and I hope you try to look back on it as such… She was becoming a Dryder, a fate worse than death, at least you gave her the chance to leave this world still a Drowess… Still a Matron and a Mother. You gave her honor in her final moments and that is a beautiful thing.”

It was a small thing to guide her away from it, leading her to someplace a bit more sweet, something that would make her feel better… Off the many side halls and into the wing that would likely be theirs he lead her to a place that had been their own, a place shared for years, and something that would be used again quite soon… Pushing open the door which was a fair bit stiff due to disuse, the inside smelling of stale air and dust he brushed a few spiderwebs out of their way respectfully before summoning some very low lights, revealing that their old cribs were still there… The initials on each one too no less, faded and peeling but present, complete with teeth marks as they all went through those dreaded cutting teeth years. “A fresh coat of paint and fabrics I think will liven it up considerably… Think of it… Our daughters here… Sleeping so snugly in the very cribs we slept in ourselves… Our old toys and books… Even our music boxes… Do you remember those?” He asked with a warm smile as he stepped away to the mantle and would find one just where they had been left, winding the key until the music began to play, opening his arms to her so that they might enjoy a slow dance in what would be their daughters nursery. “Who knows… Within another year we may have to add even more cribs… You and I are blessed with incredible fertility it seems and I do recall someone wanting a very large family.” He said warmly as he moved in to kiss her slow and sweet, his fingers in those ruby curls and it had been so tender, so warm and decadent… But something in him snapped and the kiss hardened for a moment, turning from warm to steaming hot as he found himself devouring her in kisses before he realized what had happened and stepped away rapidly with his hand over his mouth, trying to hide the fact that his canines were elongated and protruding over his bottom lip.

It had been too long… Strange how he had forgotten all about his need to feed every month or so when he was active and yet he hadn’t taken so much as a drop in months… No wonder he was out of his mind! “No wonder…” He breathed as he took another step back and would circle her widely. “I should have realized my dominant side was coming to the fore because I need to feed…” He paused at the door and gave a quick call for Nautilous to come over immediately, grateful to hear the rapid steps of the familiar bootfalls coming up the hall, training after all had been going extremely well for them all at this point. Once Nautilous had arrived, mask in place he told him that he was to take over as Gia’s Patron for a short time until he returned. “I can’t say how it might be for you sweet sister, but for me the beast comes on quite suddenly if I do not tend to it before hand by regularly feeding, I need to go to the surface and hunt…” And it was hard to say it too… “I do not wish to leave, truly I don’t but if I don’t go now I will kill someone without meaning to… I’ll be back before a fortnight passes I promise… Until then my sweet Mistress…” And oh, the longing on his face to hold her, to kiss her goodbye… But he couldn’t… He knew if he got close he would sink his fangs into her beautiful neck and kill everything he had ever loved long before he realized it.

[BadInfluence]

Where was she? More like where wasn’t she. When they were visiting allied houses she was swinging between tending Gia and keeping her from stressing out too much and tending the other matrons and their families, it was part of the cost of staying with them after all, very few of the families had well trained doctors. Even fewer had ones who could do what she and Jacob could. Jacob being in the army now of course meant that he was earning quite the acclaim for a pale skin, he was feared on the battlefield and off, his bloodlust was borderline extraordinary, second only to his fathers… The story that was being spread (originally thought of by Thaylan and adopted by herself, spreading it around as it was simply beneficial to them all in the end) that Nautilous was a noble born Drow from a house that had fallen some years ago, Jacob his son was born between himself and a witch elf, providing the pale skin color. Given it was a witch elf they were taken somewhat kinder as they too were a banished race from Arvandor, one of those relationships that is build on shared anger and misery, strong trade and similar tastes… Because of that Jacob was given more respect than he had been as a doctor, he was half noble born, soon to be the step son of one of the most revered and envied Matrons in Menzoberranzan at the moment. He was not someone to brush off lightly!

Herself? She was half bred witch elf which of course only gained her some small favor, the rest was due to her position and her sex, making her have an easier time than Jacob had originally. Because of that she was given a bit more space, a little more respect as she found herself in the kitchen and demanding a corner of it for herself, getting into a pretty heated argument with the head cook. Thankfully Jacob had told her the earrings he had given her translated more than just elvish and she was able to hold her own, going toe to toe with the rather rotund woman, words were heated and hard… But she won in the end and once she had? She brought in all the things from the surface she had bought and began to stock the pantries with them. She then began to cook a meal for Jacob who she knew was likely bone tired, he was currently unpacking everything in their wing of the castle, setting up their work areas and the like… So what was she doing? What else but making him some of his favorite things? Like the earl grey tea he utterly adored, seasoned with a splash of whisky and honey, something to warm him up and ease his aches… Lemon and lavender cakes were in the oven, she was making a small batch for the moment but it would be enough for her to hide a few tins around here and there for her to sneak to him on those rough days… On the stove she had simmering pumpkin soup and fresh rolls warming.

She was exhausted too and she knew he’d kick her butt if he knew what she was doing down there but it was what she wanted to do. One hand was resting over her only now starting to show belly, feeling the repeated ninja kicks and kung fu jabs of their son inside, making her wince and catch he breath more than a few times. Those contractions hadn’t gone away either, they were pretty random but she did get a batch just about every other day, nothing too extreme but they were telling her that the ball was certainly rolling. Once everything was done she would set it all up on a tray and head over to the elevator, a brilliant invention in the castle that allowed much easier movement for large loads and the like, and a blessing for a pregnant woman! It was a flight up and down a hall to their wing where she would knock on the door and wait to be given entrance. After all she couldn’t exactly open the door on her own! Once he had let her in she would set the food down on the nearest table before instantly making a bee line for the most comfortable chair in the room and put her feet up, hands over her rounded belly as she tried to move their son into a position that wasn’t kicking her back and blue while doing a head stand on her bladder. “I can’t believe we’re finally here… This place is incredible… And far too big.” She said with a tired laugh as she put a pillow behind her and tried to get comfortable. “Goddess Above! Jacob, tell your son that my bladder is NOT a water bed for him to play on, sweet God alive…” It had been a favorite thing to do here and there with him, asking Jacob to tell their son to behave and things like that, it always seemed to brighten his day up no matter how bad or hard it had been.

“Come on my love, sit next to me and eat, you’ve been working so hard these last two weeks making sure the palace was ready for us all to move in and be safe… You need to spoil yourself a bit don’t you think?” She said gently before she sighed and stood up once again, this time moving towards their bed area, opening the armory to pull out a beautiful nightgown. Stripping out of her formal wear even this far along in her pregnancy her body was drop dead sexy, rounded in all the best sort of ways, making motherhood look like something incredibly erotic. She pulled the gown over her head and lifted her brunette locks out from the neckline, having dyed it some weeks ago it made her green gold eyes sparkle and glow, the darker hue suiting her coloring so much better than the blond ever did. She let out a heavy sigh as soon as she was free of her bra and panties, preferring to go naked under her at home clothes as often as she could. “Not long now I don’t think…” She said a bit short of breath as she once more took up that ultra padded seat and rested her head on the back of it, closing her eyes even as she reached for his hand to give it a warm and loving squeeze.

[BadInfluence]

Keeping himself busy was likely the only way he managed to process everything he had going on in his life, trying to balance his heart and his mind was hard enough, but then he was entering this phase of his life where his role… Was entirely different than anything he had ever known. Even as a whore he had more freedom to rebel than the typical Drow male. He’s been going through training with one of Chaka’s sons, being brought up to speed on what was expected of him both in his position and in the Drow, not to mention everything else he had found himself lacking in… Chaka had been a whore, a bitch of the keenest nature, but her sons were noble… Extremely well educated and trained… He could find no fault with them outside of the fact that it was a bit humiliating to be getting trained by a youngster hardly off the tit in his mind…

From the moment he had returned he had sunk himself into training, pushing himself farther than he had ever gone before and even more the next day, his body was breaking down in so many ways only for it to be rebuilt again… He was being taught to master Bautha z'hin, Draa Velve (which he excelled at instantly), Jivvin Golhyrr (something he was expected to do when ever he captured another house in the name of Navere), Kyorlin Plynn (For Priestesses to be slaughtered as well as the lucrative drug dealers of other houses), Orb Alur (something he found he had another natural talent with), Ust Sreen, Z’har Thalack, and lastly Sargh’elgg which was only should he find himself in a pinch… While he trained others he himself was being trained by various masters they had captured from the other houses, gaining more scars by the week, keeping his second in command busy with patching him up when Jacob wasn’t also getting his ass handed to him through training, but at the end of it? When they were finally able to enter Achkinnal Falls, he and Jacob were so highly trained, their army so fluid they washed over the territory like a cleansing wave. Little, if anything, escaped their notice and the peoples could settle into the village and the royal family in the Castle within a matter of days instead of weeks.

At the end of it he was sore, tired and feeling insanely exhausted, his mind and body were both constantly being put to use and never before in his life had he ever worked so hard. It was… Rewarding… Here he had made a name for himself that had nothing to do with his skills in bed and everything to do with what he accomplished with his own hands. He was seen as firm but fair, he tolerated no insubordination or lies, anyone who dared slip up was dealt with immediately. Repeat offenders were slaughtered and used as fertilizer in the lands around them. His reputation preceded him where ever he went among the Drow now and he was treated with a sort of respect he hadn’t figured on receiving… He had done this on his own, not as Gia’s lover or future husband but as a man… A man… NO magical powers… No tricks, no godhood to make everything flow smoothly, this had been done with his own blood sweat and tears… He had never felt so accomplished before in his life.

Heading into he castle he was aiming to grab a long hot bath and something to eat while he worked on the ceremony for Gia and Thaylan to be married, it had been decided that it was more sentimental to do it once they were in their childhood home than in the House of another Matron. As such it had given him time to work on the poetry of it and he was almost content with it… Almost… Needless to say it was unexpected to hear Thaylan calling out to him seemingly out of the blue, drawing him forward and it was the first time he had actually seen Gia in weeks, his cheeks coloring instantly before he dropped his eyes as was expected of him. Words were said… Orders given… He said nothing, simply bowed with his fist over his heart, he knew well the chain of command and his place in it. Once Thaylan had left he stood silent, eyes on the ground as he waited for Gia to order him, request something of him… Speak to him… It was never, ever his place to speak first, his role was only to speak when spoken to.

If she looked closely at him he bore fresh bruises and burns from training, long cuts that were a touch too shallow for stitching and would have to heal up on their own, promising even more scars to stretch over his body. About his neck he wore the collar with the N on it and on his lower stomach right above the V of his hips he had the same N branded into his skin, it was still quite raw, fresh as it had been done the day they landed in Achkinnal proper. If Gia moved? He followed silently. If she spoke? He would reply. Otherwise? He was quite literally the perfect slave, keeping the proper distance between them, right on down to the centimeter.

Funny in so many ways though… He knew her so intimately, enough to have laid his head against her stomach and cried when he shattered under the weight of his world, to have made love to her and left a child inside her… Yet despite all of that, it was the past wasn’t it? He had made so very many mistakes with her, pushed her and almost broke her, all because he had no idea of the world he had decided to join… He had thought it would be easy… But once training began it was all too glaringly obvious that it was anything but the sort… When she wasn’t looking though his eyes were on her, his hand curling against his side as he fought the urge to run his fingers through her hair, to touch her so delicately… To tell her how much she meant to him… How sorry he was… How much he missed her… Tell her what had happened on the surface with Sydel, the feelings there, the worries and the pain… But he didn’t deserve any of it… Not anymore… He had thrown any claim on her love of affection out the gods damned door when he raped her, and really what else was it when she was tied to that chair, drugged up and made do follow their whims? He had raped the woman he loved and there was no forgiveness for that… He had done a crime that was worse than murder and he had no right to ask for anything other than exactly what he had now… Distance… Silence… His life she allowed him to have, he knew that now very, very well… And if he wanted to keep it he would keep his distance because he had no desire to hurt her ever again.

[Deleted]

She felt her brothers hand against her lower back.. the gentle show of support was probably more helpful than he might have realised.. he spoke on how proud their parents would have been.. it caused her lips to curl a little.. for her to nod her head-.. Its certainly a shame that neither of them are around to see it.. -she gave him a somewhat sideways glance.. leaning in against him for a moment before they would enter the House proper.. the one they both had called home for so very many years.. the walls held a million memories.. she just breathed it all in..they had come to stand there in the dining hall.. her hands resting atop the back of the chair where their sister used to always sit.. it stung a little.. and it probably always would.. she did love her sister.. she always had.. now they didn't always agree.. they had their fair share of disputes.. but Chaka was the older sister she looked up to.. her attention shifted when she watched him placing the flower down upon the empty plate.. her gaze.. that rich garnet lingered upon his.. as she leant in.. her head coming down to settle atop his shoulder.. -.. I know.. -softly spoken.. she knew deep down.. after learning about the reasoning for it all that there was no other way for it to end.. -.. it still hurts though.. -their fingers interlaced as he guided her out of the main hall.. down another corridor.. her attention shifting as she looked to the paintings.. the artworks.. the sculptures.. before he nudged open the dusty door.. her brows furrowed.. curiosity peaked before she caught sight of those cribs and her hand rose.. to press.. to place over her heart.. -.. Oh Thaylan.. -she almost whispered.. she could see their initials even with the flaking paint. moving in to approach.. fingers would brush along the wood work.. the fabrics had indeed faded.. they needed a bit of repair but it wouldn't take long at all to get them back to their former glory.. if not better.. her smile only grew at the thought of it.. if he was looking for something to brighten her day.. he had found it.. he had succeeded.. -.. This is.. perfect..

-the gentle tune from the music box made her look up as she caught him holding his arms out to her.. and as if she could say no to that?.. easily finding her place within that hold as they shared that little moment in time.. allowing the music to conjure up all manner of images from their past.. -..mm.. You would be right.. I did desire a large family.. I must have talked your ear off about it quite often.. -she laughed a little.. and she probably drove him crazy about it.. the kiss was beautifully timed.. it was sweet and slow.. she felt his fingers within her hair.. her own hands coming down to rest there upon his shoulders.. before everything shifted.. changed and switched.. she murmured in response when without warning he all but devoured her.. her hands.. palm out came down to press to his chest.. what was this?.. had everyone fallen into some kind of madness suddenly.. Oh so many questions were circling her mind.. before he suddenly yanked himself away from her and she gasped.. blinking her eyes a little wider open.. she searched his gaze.. looking a little stunned.. it wasn't fear in hers.. it was concern.. before he announced his need to feed.. and that it could have been the reason his dominant side was coming forward.. she was a little speechless by this stage.. her hand rose as she pressed it to the side of her head.. his timing.. was horrible.. but she'd never say as much.. nodding her head when he said he had to go.. to leave.. to head to the surface to hunt.. for a fortnight no less.. -.. uh.. -her brows furrowed-.. mm.. Ok.. be safe.. -she heard footfalls approaching the room.. figuring it to be Nautilous.. someone she had not laid eyes on in ..well quite a while.. their eyes met as Thaylan disappeared off in a mad dash down the long dimly lit corridor.. her arms rose.. crossing there about her chest.. she looked a little rattled.. but with a breath.. her stoic usual poker face would fade back into position.. she watched him a moment..the way he stood.. the actions he was making.. his overal demenor had changed.. his shoulders were lower.. whilst still proud they werent dominant.. she could see the fresh bruising.. the cuts.. knowing he had been training hard.. she'd been getting reports.. for when her Weaponsmaster wouldn't talk to her.. she got one of his crew to do it.. she would always get her information one way or another..

the music box played its final note and silence fell around them once more.. she moved to approach him.. ankle boots clicked against the polished boards beneath her feet.. she stopped there.. before him.. looking to him.. face to face.. eye to eye.. before she would reach around him.. to unclasp that mask he wore.. to remove however it was fastened.. to slowly draw it away.. her gaze would remain upon his as his face was revealed.. before she would take his hand.. making sure he took the mask from her-.. I will always expect to see the man behind the mask.. everyone else will never be afforded such a privilege.. -she lingered a moment longer-.. Come.. -she nodded.. motioning for him to follow her as she stepped out of the nursery.. and back into the long corridor.. those long ruby curls bounced and swayed with he movements as she made her way down toward the main staircase.. one hand fell to the curved banister as she walked-.. You have been avoiding me. -she spoke.. her back was still to him by this stage.. he would have been a step maybe two behind her.. - I consider you family Nautilous.. Family dont avoid each other...-she turned.. glancing back over her shoulder as she reached the top of the second level of the House.. she continued down past a few more rooms.. the corridor was long and a little winding.. the walls were littered with pictures and paintings.. half tables with sculptures and priceless trophies.. there would be a door at the end .. it was heavy.. large.. it had no handle..and if he and his men had entered earlier to make sure the place was clear they would have found no way to enter it.. not yet.. she came to stand before it.. her arms lifting once more to cross about her chest-.. This.. will become your second home.. This is the war room.. Its access is only to authorised members of our kin.. I have the power to grand you access.. and then you have the power to grant others access.. but I warn you.. to choose those very, very wisely. -she turned then.. pressing her palm to the door..flat.. it took a moment.. before the barrel locks would roll and the door would begin to shift.. to open.. enough for them to slip in.. before it would draw closed once more.. the room was pitch black.. and smelt a little of dust.. -.. Its been locked up since Mother left.. so I imagine thats quite some time.. and I certainly doubt that anyone managed to gain access without her authority.. -words whispered on the wind.. a basic childrens fae light spell would have orbs fly rapidly to the ceiling.. flooding the room with a soft glow.. inside now that it was all in view he would notice just how large it was.. there were chairs against the walls..several big round tables.. and one very.. very large table in the centre.. the floorboards around it were extremely well worn.. as if people had walked around it.. a lot over the years..-..

What you see now.. is what anyone you have not authorised to be here will see.. Nothing.. it's just a room.. a few tables.. a few chairs.. kind of looks a bit like a store room really.. -she would move to the table.. reaching forward as if touching something.. as if dragging something toward her.. a quick swipe to the left.. then to the right.. before he would feel the hum of magical energy in the room.. still nothing to see though.. -.. In a moment I will ask of you to speak your full name and title.. -glancing toward him before she would turn back to the table once more..falling silent a moment.. - Yes -her voice would suddenly cut through the silence.. though she was not speaking to him.. - Mzilst Malla lueth treemmou Ilharess, Prime Matron of Menzoberranzan, Matron over Seven Territories Gianna Iolite Slyanna Navere.. Taking full control and ownership from prior family members. Remove all former titles and persons from the authorised list.. -she waited.. her nails lightly rapped against the well worn wood of the table.. -.. Perfect.. There is one addition, -she glanced across to him.. nodding her head.. waiting for him to speak as asked.. his full name and title- Nautilous will be given full and complete access to this room. He understands that should he use such a privledge for unwise movements that his life will be forfeit.. -her garnet gaze lingered.. watching him before the room would fall to darkness once more.. the fae lights snuffed out.. he would then hear a third voice.. it was soft.. feminine.. it echoed around the room.. -.. It is done.. -would be all it said.. before silence would fall once more.. she rolled her shoulders back and sent those lights up once more.. slowly the room came back into view.. but different.. he was now in the middle of a fully functioning, very involved war room.. the large empty table before him now held an exact replica of Menzoberranzan.. it was akin to a hologram.. it showed the houses and their positions..it showed the landscape.. it gave him all the intel he would ever need.. short of going inside the buildings himself.. now he would understand why the floor was so well worn.. it would have been walked everytime there was a war.. everytime there was a fight of any grand magnitude-.. Your family all have markers.. -she waved her hand a little.. moving dots would appear with little floating flags-.. You can find us.. whenever it is needed.. -they would be able to see Thaylan taking off for the tunnels.. Jacob settled in one of the suites.. Rose close by.. and then of course their own two dots in this room.. the walls were littered with maps and papers.. cities close and far.. places the precious weapons masters had visited and mapped.. and some they desired to.. -

The other tables are other locations.. their intel is not quite as.. refined due to having no one on the ground but it gives us a general idea.. -she pointed to them all-.. Arvandor.. Silverthorn.. Shimmershine.. parts of the Surface.. My Mother had very big ideas.. places she desired to see.. to visit.. and to conquer.. I only saw this room for a very short time before I left.. -she ran her fingers across the many pens and map points-.. Its yours now.. Use it well.. but.. keep it secret.. only those that need to know ought to know.. -she moved to stand there before the now opened curtain.. looking down over the lands before her.. the city in the distance.. the grand castles dotted here and there as her hands slid about her own waist-.. I understand you had a hard time.. on our trip to Egypt and something happened.. -she spoke quietly-.. and then you were gone.. -she paused.. her right hand rose to rub against the back of her neck.. she was still turned to look out.. away from him at this stage-.. Nautilous.. -she exhaled-.. Do not ever be afraid to tell me who you are.. for I can guarantee I will find out eventually.. -she turned.. to look to him-.. I need you to talk to me.. or this.. this is never Ever going to work.. -she tilted her head a little-.. speak freely.. I beg of you.. -her brows furrowed- if you can't.. then as much as its going to break me.. ill need you to leave

[BadInfluence]

He was far from perfect, he struggled a lot with some things, he classified them as growing pains and tried to manage them as best he could. It wasn’t that he intentionally meant to mess up but there was quite the readjustment from the lifestyle he had been living to the one he now embraced. Like Nautilous he had been going through training though unlike him he only needed more of a refresher, a reminder of a few things really, leaving him more free time to spend with his sister as they traveled to Achkinnal Falls and took down every house between where they were and the falls themselves. He knew she was struggling though, like each day was longer and harder than the one before it, the stress starting to build up so heavy he wondered if she would crack under the weight of it. He did all he could to help though, truly he did, but even Gods can not help the mortal plight all the time…



Mentioning their parents, how proud they would be to see her here, her illustrious title like a mantle of ermine around her shoulder as she retook their ancestral home… Her words, the sadness there, the touch of longing… “Well sadly none of us know how to reverse the curse of the Dryder but I wouldn’t sell father out so short… He’s going to be here within a few days to help set up.” He said so casually, almost off hand really, like it wasn’t the biggest thing ever. Their father upon meeting for the first time had to leave so shortly after due to an attack on his people but all that had been squared away now and had written ahead asking for a good time to visit. He of course had taken it upon himself to inform their father about their newest location and his daughters new title, keeping him abreast of it all and telling him to come down when ever it suited him. They were always ready to welcome their father home no matter where they were. “Something about having a few of our baby things to give to our daughters and the whole need to spoil grand babies and some such thing… You know how Grandfathers are…” Which was true, their father once hearing they had twins on the way was borderline ecstatic, or at least as much as he could be. Strahd was a very warm person but not prone to large acts of emotion. Even so it was impossible to miss the exuberance that showed in the writing through the letters written back and forth.



Her mourning for Chaka was understandable, and while he and his eldest sister had no love lost he was well aware that it hurt his sister greatly that she was gone, probably one of those very few women his sister could lean on when the times got hard… Something she no doubt desperately needed now but sadly… There was no one for her to turn to outside of Anya and while Anya was strong she was still in many ways a child and there are things a mother at times can not talk to her daughter about… “I wish it could have been different, I can only imagine how hard it has been for you to suddenly be alone like this, Chaka was always a sounding board for you and someone who helped ground you at times when you needed it most…” He wanted to say she would make friends but lets be honest… Drow don’t have friends. You have lovers, spouses, children and that’s it. Everyone else is just fodder for the fire, they’ll burn you up if the opportunity arises, turn you over like a pancake the moment it benefitted them. No… She wouldn’t make friends but there might be people she could learn to lean on a little, to speak to such as perhaps Rose or… Well he had already breeched the topic of the other one and he was never going to bring that one up again without her own talking of it first.



The way he chose to cheer her up though was something very near and dear to his heart, their childhood cribs were still in the castle, still intact for all the years that had passed… Paint flaked, the room smelled of stale air and mothballs, but it was theirs… Complete with the rag tag bunching of their childhood toys and favorite books. “I thought Chaka or someone else might have destroyed them or turned them into something else, it was a shock to see them still here, lined up as they are with our names on them… I can only imagine what names will grace them in the near future but what ever they are… I’m so grateful we are home to bring our story full circle…” It warmed his heart quite a bit before he moved to the music box on the mantle and wound the key inside it, setting the music to play softly as they danced in the room where their children would grace with their presence, complete with the sounds of both laughter and crying as they grew… “You did but I loved it… I wanted to give you that big family long before I even realized what it meant to do that.” He said with a bit of an awkward chuckle. He had thought babies were something you made with a kiss or holding hands, maybe a seed he could feed her and help her belly grow before the baby came, something along those lines… Though when the act of ACTUAL conception came around, well let’s just say he enjoyed it a good deal more than just holding her hand… “Our poor daughters… They’ll barely be weaned by the time you are pregnant again… Lloth has blessed you I know it, I can feel it in my bones, such a large family we will have… I can easily see trying for twenty… The first ten daughters and the next, well, I’ll try not to disgrace you with a son but I wouldn’t exactly say no to having a little boy of my own… If you’re feeling generous…” Said with a laugh before he moved in to kiss her and it was meant to be something very slow and soft, just a romantic gesture, not the sudden all consuming need that exploded inside his head. It was more than enough warning for him to realize that he had been far too long without feeding, especially when he had nearly bitten her tongue twice just to get at the sweet blood pounding in her veins.



Seeing the concern he smiled at her with all the love in his heart despite the fact his fangs were quite pronounced. “You’ll understand soon yourself my sweet sister… Our daughters will drive you to feed and I am grateful we have our shield master on hand, but while you can feed from him, I must not feed from you… You understand my sweet spider?” He hoped she understood why he couldn’t stay near her for a little bit… Being pregnant she was far too tempting a target, his inner beast would overwhelm him and he would drain her dry, it had been trying to do just that repeatedly over the last months each time he dominated her… The satisfaction of his climax the only thing keeping him from feeding on her but now? Right now it was too much… He hadn’t felt worthy of touching her outside of companionship and brotherly affection since his err and the beast inside was ravenous and angry… He had called for Nautilous to come forward, after all those two needed to make up and he wasn;t about to let Nautilous run and hide again, he saw that mans shadow more than his face lately and that was saying something. Once he was sure that Gia was in safe hands he fled the estate lest he make some poor drow the victim of his hunger.









“Precautions must be taken My Matron… Not everyone has been proven to be loyal beyond fault.” Because of that he kept his mask on inside and out, only having ever taken it off within his own private quarters and even then only with the place warded by Thaylan and locked to the nines with several booby traps should someone be insanely stupid and dare to barge in on him. He knew that if anyone found out who he was it could be used against Gia in the form of blackmail or worse so he did his absolute best to keep any risk he posed to her at the absolute minimum. Even so he submitted to her taking the mask from his face, revealing a split lip and a bruised jaw, he refused to take it lightly in training and didn’t afford anyone else the luxury to do so either. They all trained hard, to the point of broken bones and a bit beyond that, given them the strength, skill and stamina to take down the houses they had so far. He followed her as she began to move, resisting the urge to twitch because his mask was gone, the thing had become a constant companion of his for over a month now and it felt weird to feel the air on his face.

As they walked she called him out on the very real fact that he had indeed been avoiding her, throwing all his time and strength into training and claiming victories for her, hell he hadn’t touched anyone outside of violence since Sydel. “Forgive me Mistress, you are right I have been…” He confessed to it without even trying to explain it away. What could he say? Nothing out here in public. There were too many ears, the walls had eyes and the floors had ears, there were spies everywhere and far more venomous than spiders. Did he think anyone would cause her harm? Likely not, the entire thing had been done according to tradition, her new people had no reason to complain. They had room, plentiful space to grow and food, medicine and care from physicians who were training those with the knack for it to help others… Honestly they lived better now with them than they had even in the wealthiest of houses and that was all because of Gia… But he also knew there were Priestess with strong magical abilities who would do anything they could to escape or exact revenge for the mothers that had been slain during the falling of each house.

Following her in silence he was brought into a room that seemed much as any other, vacant and waiting to be put to use, wondering why she had put such… Emphasis… On it. He just blinked in silent confusion as he could not for the life of him figure out what she was getting at though it was not his place to speak what so ever. As a war room the space might be good but the rest left much to be desired. Had her mother never gone to war outside of her own people? And if she had, what evidence was there? A few worn floorboards? The small holes in the plaster from maps having been pinned up some years ago? “You Honor Me, Mistress.” He said humbly even though the gift at face value was little more than a lightly furnished room. When things began to change though his jaw literally fell open and he stared a bit like a fish out of water. She was just carrying on a one sided conversation with the air… Right? At her sign he said his own full name and title. “Shield Master Nautilous Dragonsbane of the Navere Household.” He said calmly and evenly, wondering why she had him speaking to the air, after all without his magic he was about as useful as balls on a nun in this sort of situation. Not longer after he said his name… It all just… Changed. Like a flash of lightning one moment it was there and the next it wasn’t. The whole thing had shifted and he felt a bit off center because of it, looking at her in utter shock as the room unfolded it’s real face, the fact it was more than just A war room. It was THE war room! He couldn’t have hidden the fact he was suddenly rock hard and achingly erect if he had tried, the sort of detail in this place, all the amazing maps on the walls and the markers on people… “Well Fuck ME-“ He said on a rough exhale as he just took everything in, making a bee line for the hologram on the table, the dots on it of his family and the others… Wondering if he might be able to refine this when he had his magic back, add other things to it so that it would become a thing of absolute horror with the devastation it could possibly aid in being unleashed… Oh… Oh yes… He was seriously in his element and utterly open in here, excitement and obvious planning written in his eyes as clear as crayon on construction paper. “Your mother was a war Goddess…” He said as he moved to the other tables, gauging what was there and what he could fill in, a viciously calculated smile crossing his lips as he looked at Silverthorn on one of those tables. “I can see she longed to take down Silverthorn… How delicious… It’s a juicy bit of meat to chew on without a doubt, not without it’s risks, the palace alone is so stiffly warded that it’s impossible to get in or out without everyone knowing… How lush to make it fall… Reveal the rotten core… The revenue alone from the trade ports would replenish Achkinnal falls back to it’s glory days before the Fall…” Now… Her words on keeping it secret? He couldn’t hide the warm laugh that fell from his lips as he already began to expound upon the Silverthorn map, filling in the large blank spaces with incredibly detailed facts. “No one but you will come in here, not even Thaylan… I wage war for You, my Mistress, no one else.”

When she spoke about the surface though he stopped, the light in his eyes dimmed before it vanished, his hand resting on the table… Still where just moments ago they were busy with activity… He listened as she spoke, not interrupting a single time through it all, knowing she had ever right and then some to speak about what was on her mind… Her concerns and her thoughts… When she was done, with the promise that if he did not speak then she would banish him, oh his heart ached inside his chest… It burned… He paused, unable to breathe for a few moments before he sucked a deep one in, letting it out on a heavy sigh before he would stand up and move to face her… Leaning against the large table as he would explain what had happened. “You said you wanted to be married as soon as we returned and I… I couldn’t do that without making things right.” He had to try, he had to make sure that he could start this new life with the best hopes and abilities that he could, and that meant he had to move beyond his past… He had to segment it off as it belonged, not letting it constantly haunt his very boot heels, doing that would never serve him in growing what so ever. “I asked Sydel to meet me in Sanctuary, I wanted to apologize to her for the way I left things, to try and explain why I left her.” He had grown SO much with Gia despite the short time together, matured in ways he hadn’t even realized he was juvenile in, and so because of that? He knew he had to do things right or it would never settle. “We met up and we talked and I realized to my shock how different she was… Sydel as I had known her was gone, instead she was something between Sydel and Sybelle, like the two halves of her had meshed into something new. It shocked me.” And it had… It had floored him.

“We talked for some time and I think… What happened to us was the best thing that could have happened to us. We were both forced to… Grow out of our toxic relationship, able to see it for what it was, two broken people who gave it their all to try and make it work but… It just wasn’t something we could do… Not in the place we both had been for so many years.” He remembered the feel of her finger against his as he explained that when two people are hurting, you cant help the other heal over your own pain, in the end your just neglecting one while trying to heal the other… But at the end? You both just bleed out and that was what had happened to them. They had bled out and he knew if one of them didn’t leave? There would be no coming back from it… It would be the death of their hearts. “My brother is dying from an incurable cancer, it’s the same thing that took his father from him as a child, and despite the fact I still resent him… I don’t hate him anymore… I just feel… Sad… Sad for him and for her… I ruined their story before it even got a chance to start and now life is ruining it for them instead… It’s cruel.” A sad fact… He paused and took a deep breath, looking her in the eye as he got to the second part of the visit, the one that made his stomach churn in knots even though he couldn’t find a shred or remorse or regret to bring to the front of it all. “As we talked she said she was trying to get pregnant but that she and Diovan were struggling and when I realized she was trying to have someone elses baby…” Damn… This was so much harder than he thought it should be… “I realized that I am not over her… Not in the slightest. I still love her, I still see her as my wife and I can’t let her go, she’s as much mine as I am hers…” There… The truth… Fuck. Fucking fuckity fuck fuck… “I offered to help her get pregnant and I put my seed in her belly. I can’t tell you if it took root or not, without my magic there’s no way for me to know, but the fact remains that I slept with her.”

He couldn’t breathe right… He felt ice cold and burning up in random turns, his muscles were tense and aching, his stomach was in knots and he felt like he was going to throw up from the sheer pressure of it. Infidelity was punishable by death. They weren’t married when he had done it but he wasn’t sure she would see it that way… “I told her to marry my brother and try to have as many children as they could, to enjoy the years they had left to them, to have that fairy tale they should have gotten so many years ago.” And he had sent her away with his seed deep inside her and a way to get pregnant… Hopefully she would wait like he had said so that she could make sure the baby she brought into the world was Diovans… But if she was rushed or didn’t heed his advice… He might find himself a father twice over this year… He released a heavy, torn and anguish heavy groan as he rubbed his hands down his face, raking them through his hair as he continued on, refusing to leave anything out. “When she left and I came back down I murdered the other Matrons to try and make myself feel better about what I had done. I felt covered in guilt… I still do… I don’t know what is wrong with me, why I can’t just decide it to be you or her, deep down I just Can’t Gia… I’ve been trying so hard, every day, I keep trying to make myself decide but no matter how hard I struggle and push myself… I can’t… I love you BOTH… Not just one or the other, not one more or less than the other, you both hold a half of my heart…” He dared to move then, to reach out for her hand, to take it lightly in his… Running his finger over the ring he had given her… Hers still upon his finger and proudly so… “I love you Gia, even if you might question that given all I said, it’s the truth. I am loyal to you of that I swear, I will never lead you to harm or shame, I will always do everything I need to in order to please you as my Matron, my Mistress… Every day I push myself to be a proper Drow Shield Master, I take lessons from Chaka’s son in decorum and how I am supposed to behave, there isn’t a moment that I am not striving to become a better Person…” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, daring to take a step towards her, then another if she didn’t tell him to stop where he was.

“You’ve taught me love, you have given me a home, a place to grow… And you have helped me grow SO much… Every day I take a step towards the man I want to be, who I am slowly becoming, and I owe everything I have accomplished… Everything I have become… To You. Only you.” He would move her hand over the fresh brand on his hip, up to the collar around his throat, the fact that he had never once taken it off… He was her slave and he wore it with dignity and loyalty. “I don’t know what to do at this point about my heart, I remember well how you said you would not tolerate someone who could not make up his mind, someone who was undecided… And I promise I am not that because my mind is made up, I am decided, but the answer I sincerely fear you can not live with… I love you both in equal measures but for entirely different reasons, much as I am sure you feel for myself and for Thaylan, he hold your past while I have fallen into your present… I know if you had to, you could choose one of us and dispose of the other if you needed to, you are made of such strong, brilliant diamond like material… You’re flawless and so resolved, resolute in all you do, you never waver… But I don’t have that in me where I am right now… I will never betray you, I will bring you the head of any enemy you chose, I will hang your banners from everywhere you set your sight if that is what you want. I will give you more daughters and be the most amazing father to our children, I will show you more of the world and the things in it, I will tell you all the stories and adventures I know and I promise Gia… I will always bring a smile to your lips every day you allow me to be graced by your presence…” All of it was true… Sincere… And he wished with all his heart right now that it was enough for her… That she could understand how a heart could love two people at the same time, nor lacking in affection for either side, to be able to fit both in her heart… He also hoped that she might understand how he felt and allow him to stay with her even after all this was out on the table.

[Deleted]

He was in a completely different world.. the way people spoke.. acted.. held themselves.. it was all so vastly different than what he was used to.. the surface and Arvandor had softened him considerably.. being called home to Naggaroth to be for lack of better words.. restarted.. helped him work off the edge.. but... training with Nautilous put him in a much better position.. though it was hard.. most of the evenings when he got back to the makeshift beds he was utterly exhausted.. bruised.. rough and more than a little broken.. but he honestly wouldn't have traded any of it .. not a bit.. he got to spend so much time with his Father.. they got to know one another even better .. one thing he learned.. was that something was wrong.. Nautilous was not his usual self.. now he knew what had happened back in Egypt.. he was right there.. he saw it with his own eyes.. but this.. something about this was different.. but he wouldn't press or pry.. he knew Naut would come to him if he felt the need to vent.. whatever it was it was fuelling the determination and resolve.. they walked through those cities and cleaned them out with an unnatural ease.. making sure all was safe and secure for the Navere family and of course his own sweetheart.. when all was said and done though he had settled into those upstairs chambers.. the wing was large enough for them and several guests.. still a bit bruised.. few more scars than there would have been before.. but he felt good.. he felt really good.. content.. happy.. settled.. he heard the knocking on the door and promptly opened it.. his smile only growing considerably when his eyes fell upon her-.. Ah! wonderful.. such a beautiful sight to see -he drew it open a little wider.. letting her get inside before he could close it behind her.. watching as she placed the tray down.. before sinking onto one of the chairs.. he laughed at the baby playing on her bladder remark.. he nodded when she said for him to come sit with her and eat.. that it was time for a little bit of spoiling-..

Sounds pretty perfect to me yes.. I dont think Nautilous is going to need me again for at least a day or two.. so Im all yours.. -he slid out of his jacket, letting it fall down upon the back of a chair as he sunk down atop the seat beside her.. he poured them both a cup of tea.. making sure to turn her cup around so the handle was facing her before he plucked up a piece of that rather deliciously looking cake-.. Was a godsend you getting those supplies down here.. I think you'd be hard pressed to find the right ingredients to make anything quite like this otherwise.. -he took a few small bites and just about groaned in delight.. it was just what he needed.. it had been quite a while since he had the chance to have it.. his fingers curled around hers when she reached and squeezed his.. he leant over.. brushing his lips to the back of her palm-.. No I think you're right.. not long at all.. You look to have dropped.. I imagine it could be a week maybe two.. try and take it easy from now on.. -he nodded as he placed the cake down to pick up his teacup-.. dont overexert yourself .. sleep as much as you can and stretch.. -he sunk back in his seat a little further-.. - I heard.. through a few of the soldiers that usually when a city is resettled they usually have some kind of party.. kind of like a breaking in.. -he gave her hand another squeeze-.. Im not sure if you're up for it.. but if you're feet arent too sore.. and you've got a bit of energy.. we could maybe dance the night away?.. use it as a night of relaxation.. pampering.. before baby comes along and throws everything up in the air.. what do you think?

[Deleted]

-she had moved to stand before him.. removing the mask he wore.. unclasping the fasteners.. the ribbon.. the clips.. her head tilting when he spoke about precautions and she murmured in response-.. That might well be the case Nautilous.. but when you are around me.. in private you will remove it.. For my Safety.. -he could have been anyone behind that mask.. and if she allowed him to wear it wherever he desired well it would be far to easy to by chance replicate and have just about anyone gaining access to the most private of areas within the House.. she called upon him to follow her.. and they moved through the long corridors.. up the winding staircase toward a room off in a darkened corner.. something that seemed so.. basic.. unassuming.. why would anyone want to do anything in such an old dusty room.. she spoke clearly.. shocking him perhaps a little when she introduced herself to no one.. using her full name.. something not many knew.. before he would have to do much the same.. with his titles.. and it would be then that everything would shift.. it would change.. the room would more or less come to life ..the holographic maps would spring up.. the detail shown for the underdark was incredible.. then of course the other locations.. she explained what the moving dots were and how he could use them to locate certain family members.. his sudden exclamation made her chuckle a little and nod her head-.. My Mother was pretty incredible with everything she did.. she never did anything by half.. I only found out about this before I left.. I knew she spent a lot of time in here but I didn't know the reasoning.. her head tilted and her gaze shifted to the map of Silverthorn and she nodded-.. mm.. She did.. she knew Tirathon quite well.. the families did often meet up for trade agreements and the like.. its how I grew to know Aeson.. -her arms crossed about her chest- The last I heard though I was quite a bit younger at the time.. he made a pass at her.. she denied him ..strong armed him and he cut off their trade.. his pride was one of his biggest flaws.. she had designs on it ever since.. but.. as you can see.. -she looked down at the map.. pointing to several areas-.. there was a lot she couldn't map out as she never regained access.. but she still hoped that one day it would be done..

-she nodded.. turning then to look at the maps hanging on the walls.. the sheer amount of detail on all of it was incredible.. she told him this had to be kept secret.. for if it was to fall in the wrong hands it would undo them all.. he assured her of it.. that it wouild be just the two of them.. -..Perfect..-responded quietly before she moved toward the window.. it would be then that she would tell him how it was.. that something was wrong.. and she knew it.. but that he was keeping things from her.. he Had to be honest.. he Had to communicate or he Had to leave.. that was the end of it.. no more assumptions.. it had to come out now.. she let the silence fall between them.. if he needed a moment he could take it.. before he began to speak.. though it sounded a little strained.. her arms slid about her middle.. hands to opposite hips as she listened.. she was glad her back was to him because the moment he mentioned Sydels name her eyes closed.. and here it was.. those little warning voices early on.. the little red flags that she so desperately chose to ignore.. the way her heart tightened was the response to ignoring her intuition.. denying what she knew in her gut.. it was a pefect form of self betrayal..she felt the cold wash over her.. before she reeled herself back in.. she'd become a pro at this.. taking hard news on the chin.. letting it seemingly collide unaffected.. to deal with in private on her own.. he went into further detail about his meeting with Sydel.. going as far as to mention how different she was.. and in that moment she took a breath and nodded-.. I recall telling you that would be the case.. back at the pool.. -she rubbed her lips together.. turning then to face him.. -.. that we would all struggle if we werent truly whole.. do go on.. -her gaze.. that rich garnet lifted to settle upon his mismatched colouring.. this was getting harder to handle the deeper he went in.. talking about his Brother and the illness.. before it hit her like a cold hard hand to the face.. he'd slept with Sy.. and not just that.. he had actively tried to get her pregnant.. her shoulders sunk and she paused.. she wanted to tell him to just stop.. to just Stop talking.. How could she be so stupid.. especially now with all the eyes upon her..

another quiet breath was taken as she reached up to rub her hand across her forehead.. she knew in that spot of time.. that this was one of those moments that would leave a marker on her life.. a time when she'd realise nothing would ever be the same.. and that time would be divided into two parts.. Before this.. and After this.. Her dear Mothers voice entered her mind then.. on little more than a whisper.. to feel it.. Feel it Gia.. Feel that feeling, but dont become the emotion.. to witness it.. allow it.. and release it.. and thats just what she did.. that was the trick to her stoic nature.. her perfected poker face.. feel it.. but dont become it.. but in the same thought.. came hurt.. for the worst kind of hurt was always betrayal.. because it simply meant someone was willing to hurt you to make themselves feel better.. she remained silent as he continued to talk.. to tell her all about what she had taught him.. what she had done for him.. he took her hand and he'd find no resistance in it.. but her fingers did not curl around his.. she simply looked to him.. standing before her.. letting silence fall once more- Honestly.. Nautilous.. deep down I knew this was coming, I tried for the longest time to deny it.. that you were content.. with me.. with this.. all of this.. but no.. that was not the case.. You two were together for the better part of several decades.. I'd be a fool to think that was completley over..-and a fool she was.. right down to the very core of her being.. trust was a funny thing.. so easily handed over.. and swiftly shattered-.. I know you love her.. I know you love me.. -she nodded..- I see it.. I feel it.. -in those moments she gave in.. she heeded the pleading from Thaylan.. and now the heart felt confessions from Nautilous.. and she couldn't hold it up anymore.. it was going to break her.. she was no longer going to control either of them.. they could do as they pleased.. their actions would tell her how much respect they had.. if it brought down her House.. then she'd just go down with it.. this was exhausting.. but the beauty of it all was.. None of them would know this.. Neither of them knew her well enough to see what was going on.. - What is it you want from this?.. what is your.. end goal?.. -she questioned.. her fingers curling around his hands to hold them as he stood there before her.. she was being the adult.. the position she would always fall to.. - I am sorry to hear about your Brother., Thaylan had told me a little of what had happened.. if there is anything we can do there.. to help them through this.. it will of course be offered.. -she nodded.. did he want to bring Sydel here?.. did he want them all to reunite?.. -.. You have done a lot for us.. -she nodded-.. You have brought us home.. safely no less.. Its time to talk about what it is you want.. -her head inclined-.. Right here.. Right now.. No more secrets.. No more lies.. communicate with me..

[BadInfluence]

“As you Wish, Mistress.” His words were nothing if not perfectly respectful and well trained, he had been taking his courses very seriously, to the point that even if at times it gave him horrible flash backs of darker times in his life he stuck through it. He kept it up, took the whippings when he messed up, took the criticism and the commendation… And when he wasn’t in training for proper behavior or busting his ass learning drow fighting while keeping his army in tip top shape, he was learning the sword dance… And if he ever said the training was hard for the army? It was NOTHING compared to the blade dancing… He had been told by Thaylan that it resulted in death 9 out of 10 times, the level of fatigue that hits a body after performing it often made one sloppy and the blades were not costume props, they were lethally sharp and that was how they had to be. For now though he was practicing on blades with a somewhat softer edge, enough to hurt but not enough to kill, making him build up his stamina more and more as he struggled to fight for what he felt was important…

Following behind her he got likely one of the biggest surprises of his life, the whole room as it sprang to life put to shame every single war room he had ever devised and designed, this area was insanely evolved and refined… It was… It was a lost art. The Drow had a gift that no other species had and it was on full and glorious display here in this room. Forgetting his fatigue he couldn’t help the reaction he had, both verbal and physical, he would after all be a liar if the very detail of this room didn’t give him a huge boner. “I can see why Strahd fell so hard for her… Beauty, brains, brawn and yet all the softness of a woman… Reminds me of someone I’m crazy about… Makes it impossible to resist.” Gia held an allure unlike anything he had ever known. She didn’t need him to protect her, hell, she didn’t need anyone. That sort of fierceness was virtually impossible to maintain in women but Gia held it as easily as she might hold a feather or a glass of wine, her hand never shook or wavered, her stance within herself was absolute. The world around her might shake but the core of her? The very center of her entire being… That was faultless and would never break. The plans to take over Silverthorn though… Why not? It would spare Ace the trouble and he did value the man as a friend even if he did break his sons heart and he wasn’t even going to get into the shit with Rose and what she had to do to heal. Selective amnesia was no fucking joke and yet it was the place she had to go so she could heal enough to actually take it on and not break again…

“Tirithon was such a mess… Potential… So much potential but his father had too heavy a hand and ruined him, beat the crap out of him until he was just a replica of himself, and by that point? Hell the kid grew warped…” He knew that because he himself was one of those unfortunate idiots who had grown crooked and had no idea how to straighten himself out without breaking every part of himself and likely die in the pursuit. “I can flesh this out as I know every nook and cranny of that place… Tirithon just loved to brag about all his secret tunnels for his affairs and what not…” Of course… He didn’t say that Adeliade was just as guilty of those things… For while Adelaide might act as if she did nothing wrong that woman had her own sins and crimes to be held accountable for… “I’m glad I can fulfil a dream of hers, even if it is post humus…” This place though… It was there secret… For all she was trusting him in showing him this place, granting him access and revealing the secrets of her family, the pride of her name… He had his own secrets too… Secrets that he couldn’t share with anyone but her… “My father before he turned and was driven insane by it… He was a war lord. He cut down entire nations and ate them for breakfast, he lived for nothing less than the fight, everything else in life bored him and he would actually go insane for marks of time if he wasn’t fighting a war somewhere… A lot of those same flaws rest in me… I love war… I live for masterminding cous and the unexpected assaults, I live for the sound of blood hitting the floor and the unique pitch of steel as it crushes metal and shatters bone, the high pitched gurgle as someone tries to speak with a crimson ribbon cut across their neck… I hide my brutality under a suave nature…” And it was true…It was why he and Sydel got on so fucking smash all those years… They were both blood thirsty creatures, they lived for that chaos that only was found in war, where men fight men for reasons they don’t personally care about… The screams of the dead and dying while the triumphant yell their pride out across a blood washed landscape.

Having said that though she brought up the fact that he had been limiting their contact, choosing to fight constantly, to train constantly… Aside from a handful of hours of sleep he was nothing more than a blur of activity and had been for weeks… The reasons for it? Multiple but even so it didn’t excuse his behavior and when she asked him to tell her the truth he did… He was honest about it, he didn’t lie or try to paint it up, he just did his best to make it so that it was as gentle as it could have been… He knew it wasn’t easy… He knew it had to have hurt her and he didn’t want to hurt her… It was the last thing on earth he wanted to do… “I didn’t want to hurt either of you and that is the purest truth I can say. I thought I could leave her… I thought once I saw her again, that I apologized for what I had done, tried to explain why I had to leave… I thought I could be free of the ghost of her that was always on my mind. I wanted a pure start with you, to be with you, to chase down this beautiful dream you gave me… The home I never had…” And that was fact. He loved her for what she had told him, what she had given him, what she had promised him… He loved everything about her… But even with that… He feared she wouldn’t be able to understand… That even with all his best intents… His heartfelt earnestly… That there was no way to say any of this without hurting her.

“Why do you feel that this must be some sort of short coming with you? Gia, my love, you are perfect… I mean that from the bottom of my soul, in my eyes you are absolutely perfect, beautiful and wonderful as the sunrise…” He wasn’t blind to the fact that her fingers did not curl around his, he was perfectly well aware that while she wasn’t fighting him, she had also… Perhaps in some measure… Also closed a door on him… Shut him out of a part of her and he would be the biggest liar in the world if he didn’t say how much that killed him on the inside. “The flaw or fault is not with you but entirely with me Gia… I am a broken creature to my core, the way I love is as twisted as the way I grew up, I don’t understand how to love in a normal fashion any more than I know what it was like to grow up with someone loving me.” Could she see that? He feared… Even if she did? It was too late… Gia had lived so much of her life alone, unable and unwilling to lean on anyone, to trust anyone… If that was not bad enough the society in which she lived, existed, the fundamental make up of everything she was raised in… Demanded that she never allow herself to be weak or to struggle, she had to be absolute perfection at all times, fierce and as strong and solid as stone… A Matron keeps her people up only because it serves her to do so. A Matron marries only because the male gives her daughters which strengthen her house and are tools to further her own ambitions. Everything a Matron does is supposed to be for her own benefit and no one else’s… Did he blame her for closing him out?

“I don’t blame you my love… And I don’t ask for forgiveness because it can’t be forgiven. I can’t be forgiven… My life is yours, My Matron, my beloved Mistress… What you do with me… I accept whole heartedly because it is how it should be.” When all was said and done though, when she asked him what his end goal was, what he wanted to do… It was only then her fingers curled around his and at that moment he pulled her into his arms and held her close… His arms around her shoulders as he didn’t speak for several minutes, instead he just held her, tight and warm in his arms… He was real… He was solid… He was strong… And while he knew in her heart that she would never really trust him again… He hoped that… Maybe… One day… She might forgive him… “I want to see you happy Gianna… My heart breaks knowing that you have bent so far for us… For me most of all… I came to you a wild youth who was badly broken and bleeding and you brought me in and all I did was ruin your sanctuary with blood and chaos… I didn’t understand… There is still a lot I don’t understand and I wish it were otherwise… I hate that I have failed the woman who gave me so much…” He said gently, his heart was in his throat, the pain and regret, his sorrow flavoring his voice with the same saline taste of tears… He could not fix what he had broken… He could not undo what he had hurt… He was as trapped in his mistakes as surely as if he were in a pit of tar… It covered him, these mistakes, these horrible sins… And he was never going to wash them off…

“I want you to know you can lean on me… When things get so heavy you feel like you can’t possible take another step, I want you to know I can carry some of that load for you, that you aren’t alone… I will never, ever let you be alone Gia, even in my last breath my soul will take place in your shadow and watch over you always…” Trust, once broken, is like putting together a thousand shards of glass. You can do it but it is never the same after… Sometimes it’s stronger… Sometimes it’s weaker… Sometimes it can become a beautiful thing and others it’s just never going to work the same ever again. He could only pray for the former but he’d happily accept the later if it meant that he had worked hard enough to earn even the smallest shard of it back. He ran his fingers through those gorgeous scarlet curls, his lips pressing to the corner of her temple, a single tear falling down to land against her skin as he held her as close to her heart as he could. He’d hold her for several more minutes before he would gently take a step back. “I don’t know what might help honestly, the medicinal field is not my strong suit, that is my son’s gift… Still, I am humbled at your offer, thank you Gia… I am sure if there is something to be done they will find it…” But outside of that? A curse is a curse, you can’t shake the things that the Gods put on you, not without being one yourself and that was something his brother most assuredly was not… So like his father before him, and his father, and his father before that… They would all die of this cancer… Thank God for Khorn in many ways at least because in Jacobs rebirth came the removal of the curse for him. It would skip this generation but would it fall to his own son? That left much to be seen…

“I just want the chance to do the right thing Gia… To grow as a man because you gave me that chance… I still have so much to learn, things that I need to go through, to explore and discover… I know I could do them on my own true but I also know I am weak… I’d fall back into old habits for the sheer comfort of it and in the end I would just continue to rott in stagnant luxury… You… You give me a reason to grow and change… You showed me a way to be, to exist that I never knew was possible, in you I see so many things to aspire to… You are more than my lover, more than the woman who I will marry if you will still have me, you are my idol… My role model… In you I see the very foundations and strengths I wish to have in myself, things I want to emulate, to replicate in my own soul… You are the reason I grow… The reason I will keep growing… Gia… You ARE my reason… You are what I want. What I need…” And after what he said earlier she might think he was lying but if she looked with her heart she would see that he was nothing if not genuine down to his very soul. He meant every word with his very life and nothing less. Still, he knew she wanted it all and he knew as much as that what he had said was true, there was just one other thing he desired, something he was working towards… “Sydel… She will die when my brother does if she doesn’t have someone to make her want to live… She’s lost everything that used to drive her, pushed aside her past and therefor gave herself an unsure and shaky future…”

And that didn’t even go into the fact that her father still wanted her in his pocket, for all that she had forced him aside, pushed him out of her life? Nothing is ever truly permanent… Khorn would have her back at almost any cost, he knew for a fact right now that the God of War was simply biding his time, waiting for a chance to slip in when she was weak… Turn her into his perfect killing machine once more… And that was just her father, he himself didn’t even known the full extent of just how far down Caela went among her fathers men, the schemes within schemes… And then there was the usual fate that can befall any mortal… The freak accident or illness, truly the list was longer than he was tall… “I have loved her since I was only a kid myself and I don’t want her to suffer… I don’t want her to be a victim of people who have been pulling her strings around her since she was born… And out of ALL the people she knows? You… You Gia… Are the only one who has ever accepted her purely and completely for everything she has ever been and ever could be. You loved her simply because of who she was, all her jagged edges and sharp points, you knew how to love her and accept her exactly as she was… You loved her with a purity well beyond anything I could ever hope to do…” He knew one thing more than anything else in these few months of growth… He could not love…

His love was tainted, warped and gnarled about like a grape vine that had repeatedly been put through droughts and scorching heat of flames licking it’s sides, he had put around so many different layers of damaged husks that he could never truly know what loving someone meant until he broke through each of them… It would hurt him, he would suffer intense growing pains, he would likely come to hate himself more and more as he grew… Until he finally broke out of that final layer and could say… At the end of it all… He was exactly who he had always been meant to be… Then he could love honestly, truly, in a healthy way that required no sacrifices from anyone to make it work… He would, at that time, be able to commit wholly and completely to one person, he would become resolute and never waver… But until then? He was just this broken boy in the body of a man who was desperate to learn and grow before his life passed him by with his nature as barren and lifeless as the desert that had raised him. “I want you to please give her sanctuary down here… Even if it comes at the cost of me never touching her or being near her, never seeing her again then so be it, I will do anything and everything you say… I just want her to be safe… To be under the hand of someone who loved her better, love her purer, more genuine than any of us ever did…” And it was true… No one had loved her more than Gia did, no one had a right to her heart more than she did, and no one deserved Sydel and all she could be? More than Gia… He wasn’t asking out of greed… He was asking this because he was growing… Learning… Coming to understand that there are things in this world that he might never fully comprehend yet were still a part of him…

“I also… Very much want to still marry you Gia… To be your Shield Master and your partner…Your friend… Your confidant… I want to be everything you could ever hope I could become… I want to make you proud… But before you answer this, before you give me a yes or no as to if you will still marry someone as unworthy as me, I want to do something for you that no one else has ever done… I want to perform the Dance of Blades for you… If I die I was not worthy of you… It is a gamble I gladly take to bring you pleasure and satisfaction… But if I succeed I hope you will see that… While I am full of faults and entirely unworthy of you… That I will spend every day working on achieving that goal… Of being Worthy of You…”

[BadInfluence]

She really was so proud of him… She knew it was hard, it was a field of work that he had never really been in, Naggoth was perhaps more like a thimble full of what he was going through now but what ever it was? He seemed to be doing really well. Thriving of sorts because while he was sore, while he hurt and ached more than a little she knew, he seemed to have a greater sense of purpose… Like through the effort of physical activity, through the battles and proving himself more physically superior than those he had gone against it was as if he were proving TO himself how worth, that he was so much more than he had previously perhaps thought of himself. He was more than just a doctor or just a son, more than a lover and more than a friend, he was a power unto himself and honestly? This confidence booster in him was insanely hot. If he wasn’t too sore or burned out they often spent the better part of their nights making sure what ever bed they found themselves in got a VERY solid and rather strenuous work out. There was even some teasing among the Matron’s Priestess and daughters that her slave lover had to have been something else entirely because the whole place heard her screams of pleasure. More than once she had blushed incredibly hotly and had several offers to give him a try, after all none of them had ever had a Szarkai before, they were typically the favorite pets of a Matron and never before had they been seen outside of spies so that made Jacob incredibly rare and more than a little desirable. His place in the Army was incredibly high as well, the Right Hand of the Shield Master, undefeated in battle… He was a tasty morsel and if not for the fact that she had claimed him? There would have been many other Drowess who would have wanted to give him a spin!

Knowing that, now that they were finally home, it was time to celebrate a little. She had stocked up quite profusely when they were on the surface and so because of that she was able to make him what could only be seen as delicacies, some of his favorite tea and the lemon and lavender cakes, a rich hearty pumpkin soup and fresh rolls slathered in butter… It was just the sort of thing to set a man right, especially one as hard working and determined as hers. “Oh? And which are you talking about I wonder? Me or the food?” She teased him lovingly with laughter rich in her voice as she would set the tray down in an area where they could both access it, between a pair of chairs that would quickly become their favorite little niche she was sure, her own incredibly comfortable and a welcome respite after being on her feet all day at work. She was on lighter duty of course, the way her belly had started to change during the last almost two months was a pretty clear indicator that space was at it’s maximum and their little guy was now growing out instead of up, a sign that he was indeed getting pinched for room to grow and it wouldn’t be too much longer now. Even so she refused to sit like a bump on a log and continued to help out as she was needed, daily check ups with Gia right now because of her stress levels, making sure that the treatment and meal plan was suitable for a drow pregnancy of this many offspring. After all those little bundles carried their mothers hopes and dreams in them, if nothing else that demanded that she give herself 110% to the task at hand, and so far it seemed to be doing well. Gia had entered her second month of pregnancy without any issue so far, not even so much as a scare which she couldn’t tell someone how grateful she was for that. Just one more month and they’d be out of the danger zone for miscarriage and she could focus on other things such as proper growth and development.

For right now though? It was family time for her and the man she loved most, something that she knew more than ever in her heart, especially after talking things over with Thaylan and slowly… Gradually re-introducing memories in a way that allowed her to process them in a far more healthy, somewhat numb and removed way, giving her the chance to remember them without the emotional attachment being quite so sudden and intense. Because of that she was able to recall quite a few things that she had not remembered some weeks ago… She was proud of herself though in a lot of ways… While perhaps it might not have been the bravest way to handle something? It was the way that worked best for her because she could look back now on her life without feeling like if she dared to turn back she would be dragged down into it. Now she just… Understood it better… Not quite trapped in it now she processed it in a much healthier manner and instead of letting it control her life she simply took it as what it was. Something that had defined her, helped take a hand in molding her into the woman she was today but by no means was it all she was, it was not the whole of her and she was very much a person of her own versus the events that had happened to her.

Because of that she could look back on the time she had with Ace and see it for what it was… An event in her life to learn from. Her first heart break and everyone knows those are the absolute worst. She had also learned that not everyone can fall in love with someone else, sometimes you fall in love at the wrong time with the right person, but because it’s not lining up things will just fall apart. It’s no ones fault or anything of the sort rather just the times in your life where you were supposed to happen? Just didn’t… It was either too early or too late and that was how it happened with just about everyone who fell in and out of love… But then you have people like her Jacob who found her at just the right time and the right place for them to fall in love, their story was beautifully written and warmly illustrated, and while it wasn’t free of drama or sadness those moments did not make up their whole book… Just little dashes here and there… Seasoning to keep it all from being too sweet… She was planning on telling Jacob some time before the baby came that she knew and how much she appreciated that he hadn’t mentioned anything, just played along or didn’t comment on it, allowing her to process things at her own pace… Something that she really needed before the whole thing drowned her and at the time? She really had been feeling like that… “Mmm? Sorry love I was off gathering wool…” She said with a laugh as she caught up to what he was saying and she nodded her head with a smile on her lips as she ran her hand over her incredibly firm belly. “No kidding… I tried the recipe using the flour they make here from the dried mushrooms they grind down here. It came out black as ink and the smell was very… Umm… Earthy?” She said with a laugh which earned her a kick and a grumble from her lips as she poked the offending foot that was firmly lodged between her ribs almost constantly anymore. “Listen here Mister you keep that foot to yourself you hear me? It’s not my fault your papa’s tall.” She reached out to hold his hand and the kiss to the back of hers was pure romance, releasing a soft sigh as she let her eyes close for a moment, sleep had bene pretty hard lately with how hard she felt pressed internally. Everything was just… Unsettled… Like that static feeling in the air just before a storm only… You know…Inside her belly.

“I already put in my notice earlier today my love. I have been making sure everything is stocked up and I have bene teaching one of the other Matron’s daughter how to care for her aging mother so that when our son comes no one will be short handed. Now that we are here in Achkinnal it should be a little easier in a way, this place was a fortress before we arrived, now that we are here it’s just a matter of making sure a few people get trained up… And given you are the master Doctor behind the scenes you can step in if something goes wrong.” This place was something of a marvel and she hadn’t even scratched the tippy top of the iceberg yet. She felt that if she went into labor down here it would be safe, there was more than enough of just about anything they would need for it, really the only thing they were lacking was the actual necessities for a baby. They had been moving around far too much to even dare gathering up something like that, they traveled light and only the things that the Matron chose to keep actually came with them, otherwise the goods were made as gifts for the houses that sheltered them as tokens of good faith and thanks. Now that they were finally at their destination and everyone was settling in? It might be a good time to start looking into a few things… “Sleeping has been extremely hard lately, he’s pressing on virtually everything and it’s almost impossible to get comfortable for any real amount of time sadly, I’ve been wondering if it might be safe to make a sleeping draft to help but I really don’t know at this point…” The stretching and such however she did a good amount of, perhaps not on land but certainly in the water for if one thing the drow seemed to love? It was swimming. She always had first choice of the swimming holes that were popular and safe to go into, taking up swimming every day if not more than once a day just to try and get some relief, the last two weeks of sudden growth as their son packed on the pounds were making her utterly miserable and she could swear on a stack of medical books right here and now that there was no way in hell she was going to have another baby right away. FUCK THAT.

“A party?” She asked with a bit of a smile on her face, hearing him wanting to go out like that, when was the last time he had asked her? She had to stop and think about that one! It certainly had been a minute since their life had slowed down enough for them to even be able to settle into a routine so this was a beautiful little surprise. “Why, Mr. Dragonsbane, I thought you would never ask, you big burly stud you.” A twinkle of mischief in her eyes as she looked at him lovingly, her lips curled in a teasing smile as she sighed happily, honestly she was the luckiest woman alive… She had a partner who loved her and all her faults, through thick and thin, she didn’t just get to dream of a fairytale with him… She got to Live it… “Let’s see if Matron Gia will give us a pass to the surface for today before the party though. We won’t find much baby stuff down here before our son comes around, I thought it might be a great chance to go see our family and say hello, show off the baby bump and pick up some necessities?” She was sure she might get a few hours pass to the surface to check in on a few friends and pick up things for her impending bundle of chaos and enjoy a little sunlight on her skin. She didn’t mind the enchanted lights at all, suffice to say that they functioned as sunlight quite beautifully, allowed for the growing of crops and all those things needed for life in the dark… But there was just… Something different, something special about the real sun, the warmth as it hits your skin and makes your bones soften as you relax… “I also got a letter from a certain friend of mine that my dress is now done so I can take it back with me and hide it from you till our wedding date… And I am going to thoroughly enjoy teasing you about it too because watching you squirm in curiosity will make the time fly a whole lot faster…. For me.” She snickered outright and grinned at him with the most impish smile ever.

“Honestly it feels like so much has happened in almost no time at all… We went through so many changes so fast, so many ups and down, all these new discoveries… Some good moments and some really bad ones… We’ve come really far I think… And there’s times where it feels like we haven’t even started yet… With you so many things seem timeless because every day I am with you it’s like falling in love all over again…” And that was what made it so special… Because there was never a reason not to be happy… Even when things got tough there was so much good… So much beauty. She just had to pull back a bit to see the bigger picture. “Finish your lunch love, I’m going to take a little bit of a walk cause he’s apparently not having any of me sitting down right now, so I’m going to go and find Matron Gia and ask her about this little short day pass to the surface to get things ready for the baby. Just relax and take your time, there’s no rush on anything, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to go visit and still make it back in time for the party where we can dance the night away… I wonder if I might still accidentally step on your toes like I did that first night… And you, being so wonderful, totally acted like I didn’t… If I hadn’t already been in love with you by then I sure would have at that moment.” She said as she pushed herself up from that seat with no small bit of effort and stretched, coming over to where he sat to kiss the top of his head first then his forehead, followed by an eskimo kiss before she would head out to go and find Gia and ask for that day pass…

What she found…

Was anything but.

[Deleted]

-once all was said and done the war room was a flourish of holographic activity.. the maps were pretty magnificent.. perfectly detailed if the land had been surveyed.. if not they were a little lacking.. but still time would hep fill those spaces.. this was something she was certain of.. -..Tirithon and Aeson are incredibly similar.. just children playing out a role they have no true understanding of.. They both have made numerous mistakes.. grave errors.. and yes a lot of it has to do with upbringing.. However.. there comes a point in your life when you have to look at yourself and realise You have the keys.. not your parents.. not your relatives or your prior carers.. You do.. and the mistakes you are making now are of your own doing no one elses.. Everything we do in our lives is a choice.. Everything.. how we end up..is up to us.. for it takes but a moments thought to remove ourselves from situations we are not comfortable in.. but sometimes we allow more than we should..My sister and I were brought up the same way.. if not identically and yet ..we couldn't be more different.. we take from our past what we need.. and we change the rest to suit us.. Long gone are the days when as children we could blame others for our decisions.. our choices.. -she glanced down to the maps.. watching the dots shifting and moving.. reminding herself to get her daughters passage back here now that they had settled.. - Im sure my Mother would be appreciative of her maps being corrected and filled out.. -she listened when he spoke about his Father.. and how he too lived for masterminding cons and unexpected assaults.. she moved back around to look to the maps on the wall.. her arms crossed about her chest.. -.. All very admirable traits for a weaponsmaster.. -the topic would change though when she decided to ask what was going on.. why he was keeping his distance.. what was he hiding from her.. and slowly.. bit by bit it was coming out.. and it stung.. like salt in a freshly opened wound.. she'd never really felt actual betrayal before.. and it hurt.. he explained himself further.. his words echoed around her mind before they stuck.. his wants before his choices decided his fate.. - I am not perfect Nautilous and I never have been, I am not going to stand here and pretend to be either.. I am the epitome of complication and for a lot of people too hard to deal with. -her fingers did not curl around his no.. in those moments she was feeling more than a little slighted.. and the fact he didn't understand that was really beginning to rub her the wrong way... she remained quiet when he spoke.. when he mentioned his flaws.. how much he was broken and twisted.. it was an echo of how he was.. in that pool room.. when things were..surprisingly enough Less complicated then they were now.. and she broke.. she gave in.. she had Thaylans voice in her head.. and his.. and she just couldn't fight anymore..

she had been alone for more years in her life than she had been with anyone.. her life was not where she thought it would be.. her training.. her deportment.. her many years of being whipped into the Matron that stood there before him.. she was letting it go.. they needed her to bend or this was not going to work.. she knew it.. she could see the circles that were going to form.. that they would continually go over.. and the constant.. was her.. they were liberated.. they were open.. she was closed.. and it was time to just give it up.. if it meant her death then so be it.. at this point she felt pretty damn crushed anyway.. nothing was as she thought it would be.. her fingers curled around his.. before he pulled her into his arms.. it took her a moment before she would react and her arms would circle him in much the same way.. her lids closed over and she took a quiet breath.. he was warm.. it felt nice.. just standing there in silence.. just the sounds of soft breaths.. the closeness.. the intimacy.. -.. Life always offers you a second chance Nautilous.. -softly spoken into his ear.. she could hear him breaking.. his pitch.. -.. Its called tomorrow.. -she felt the tear.. his fingers gliding back through her hair.. before he took that step back.. her eyes lifted.. finding his once more.. she made him the offer that the House would help his brother in any way it could-.. Its a small token of appreciation.. I am certain if the roles were reversed you would do the same.. No one wants to see their family suffering unjustly .. -she asked him what he wanted.. from what had happened.. what was his end game in this.. how did he see his future panning out before him.. taking another breath.. slowly exhaling when he spoke on Sydels death .. that when it was all said and done that the woman would not survive without having the drive to continue and she understood it.. she'd nearly ended her own life multiple times when Thaylan had gone.. Anya being the only reason she didnt.. she rubbed her lips together.. pausing a moment.. -.. Sydel will be looked after.. -she nodded-.. If she chooses it.. I will not hold her prisoner.. she is her own person.. and regardless of what anyone else thinks is best for her..she has to make the choice on her own.. -that was one thing she learned very quickly with Sydel.. you had to give her the freedom to choose.. or it would never.. Ever work.. when you started nailing the woman down.. forcing her.. she would rebel.. - She will be offered asylum , a place to stay.. -her head tilted a little to the side.. looking to him there-.. If you think for a moment that I believe you will stay away from her even if I requested it.. then you dont know me at all..

-she laughed a little and shook her head-.. I am far from naieve.. Im in fact too old for any of this.. -her hand rose as she rubbed it across her forehead-.. You love her.. and have done so for a very long time.. it's not something thats going to go away overnight.. and honestly.. I chide myself for even entertaining the thought that it had.. -she pursed her lips together-.. whatever you both have can continue as it is.. -she waved her hand a little-.. Its obviously a part of you and thats just how it has to be.. a year or so ago.. I might not have understood it.. but I guess.. in the current moment I do a little more now.. Your heart needs the both of us.. and who am I to suggest otherwise.. -her arms lifted once more to cross there about her chest.. listening when he mentioned still wanting to marry her.. to be the shield master.. her partner.. her friend.. but that he had a request first.. her brows furrowed at first .. he wanted to dance for her and not just Any dance.. the deadliest one.. the one that so many had never succeeded.. she dragged her tongue across her teeth-.. Thats quite a bit statement to make Nautilous.. and a huge task.. the amount of people that have succeeded such a dance in the history of our race can be counted on one hand.. and I have yet to see one in the flesh.. -she paused-.. I will allow you this if you think it is what you need.. its incredibly dangerous.. i certainly hope you realise that.. admirable though.. and quite impressive that you would even suggest it.. -she nodded her head slowly-.. I look forward to this.. and wish you luck.. -she lingered there a moment longer.. before she would make her way back across the well worn hard wood flood.. her palm to the door would have it beginning to open-.. Ill leave you to ..get your bearings.. Enjoy.. -she glanced over her shoulder.. lingering a moment before she would slip outside that door.. letting it close behind her.. there was some kind of party to organise.. or something.. she had people that would do it.. and a daughter to collect.. that and she just wanted to be alone for a while.. truly and honestly Alone-

[Deleted]

To say things had changed for them was quite an understatement.. it had been turned upside down.. inside out and then span around quite a few times until they didn't recognise where they were even standing.. their employment positions.. the clothing they wore.. the people they associated with.. None of which was the same as it was some months prior.. it was all very very new.. but he felt more content here and now than he had ever felt before.. he felt needed.. truly and honestly needed.. he felt useful.. sinking down on that chair in their shared suite was a blessing.. he just really wanted to settle for a while.. to do very little.. to just relax.. he had been on such a gruelling schedule that he barely had a moments time to think let alone anything else.. so catching sight of her beautiful smiling face made it all worth it.. she'd brought him a beautiful lunch.. some cakes and tea.. such delicacies he had not seen in a little while now.. and something he figured they would have had to give up.. what with there being no supplies for it.. -.. mm.. its certainly a challenge.. seeing what is available down here as opposed to what we had so easily on hand back on the surface.. still.. Ive not seen you back down from a challenge yet.. I have no doubt you will find a way to cook Anything and everything.. with what we have to work with.. you're so incredibly smart afterall.. -he offered her a smile as he took a drink from the freshly brewed tea.. a quiet chuckle sounding as she continued to talk to their child.. figuring the little bean was giving her a bit of grief with its movements.. -.. Probably for the best yes.. -he nodded when she spoke on putting in her notice-.. I am certain they will function just fine without you.. and yes you're right if needed I can step in whilst you are out of commission.. its no issue what so ever.. - the more educated of the staff would be trained up over several years.. just little bits here and there.. until they had quite a large group of multiskilled people.. that could step in at a moments notice.. this place would when finalised work like a true powerhouse.. he took a bite of the cake before placing the smaller piece back on the saucer-.. I dont think the sleep aide is a good idea.. I understand he is probably moving around more than you are used to.. but I dont think adding any kind of drug to your system will be terribly safe.. you just need to relax more.. settle and sit.. you will sleep when your body needs you to.. Its not really something you can fight.. exhaustion is normal at this stage.. just try and take it easy..

-he settled back in the seat once more.. letting his eyes half close .. finding it all so beautifully comfortable-.. mm.. a party.. like a house warming Im guessing you could call it.. where everyone gets to let their hair down.. do whatever makes them feel good without getting into trouble ..I think its also meant to be a kind of thankyou.. to the people.. for putting trust in the Matron that she would bring them to a place where they would be safe.. and comfortable.. a way for her to show her appreciation.. but yes.. If you would do me the honour of being my date for this.. sweet little dance.. its been a while since we spent a moment under the lights.. just the two of us.. and soon enough it wont be just two of us anymore.. so best we use this time whilst we can.. -he tilted his head when she spoke about getting a day pass-.. I imagine she would give it yes.. I dont see why not.. could collect a few things and have them brought down here.. I do need to catch up with Diovan.. -he nodded-.. he's back in the hospital.. I need to go over his charts and see whats happening there.. perhaps whilst Im doing that you could go see Garrafin and Vivian.. Im sure they will be super keen to catch up with you.. -he smiled.. curling his fingers around hers.. giving a light squeeze- You should make a list though.. of the things you need so we can make the most of the time we will be given.. I dont imagine it will be a great length is all.. safety reasons.. -he nodded.. taking another drink of the tea.. -.. Ahh.. the infamous dress.. I promise I wont peek.. -he shot her a playful wink.. laughing a little soon there after-.. Time will fly by.. you'l see..and before you know it the day will be right before you.. just waiting to be grasped with both hands..-he placed the plate back down and turned to look to her with a smile-.. it feels like we have barely started because we have Barely started..there is So much ahead of us.. so much we can do.. so many choices we can make.. and as long as we have each other thats all that matters in the end.. we can overcome anything.. of that I am certain.. -she told him to finish his lunch that she was going to go seek out the Matron-.. mm.. I think the last I saw her she was with Thaylan.. but that was a little while ago.. maybe ask one of the staff.. Im sure they will help otherwise you could be wandering the halls for the entirety of the day.. -he reached to squeeze her hand a little longer before releasing it.. the kiss to the top of his head made him smile before he blew her a kiss and he returned to his lunch.. just semi slouching in that chair.. he'd probably fall asleep within a matter of moments.. his body was just.. Done-

[BadInfluence]

“True but because of that… I genuinely have no place to judge them when the tally is completed. While they might make plenty of mistakes at least they do not run from them…” Which… Was a hell of a lot more than he could say for himself. He’d run from so many problems that now with him choosing to stay in one place? It was all catching up to him, vicious and brutal, complete with the interest of all those years. He was foundering and yet he still fought to keep his head above the water, even with these horrific sharks circling him, just waiting for him to weaken so they could strike…He still kept on swimming… But he was far from graceful and he was afraid in his thrashing about he was going to cause more harm than good… A possibility he had already seen played out more than once… Something she said though… It stuck with him and made him speak… “What if we can’t find the keys we supposedly have? What if instead of one or two, there are thousand of them, many of which are false and do nothing but add weight to the soul?” Because he felt like that in a lot of ways… A man, lost and alone in a dessert of keys, massive dunes of them where a single misstep would bury him under them… Was it better to just stand alone there? If he didn’t move he couldn’t hurt anyone anymore… But he also knew even if he didn’t move… Someone would come for him and they’d be risking themselves just trying to make him stir which was worse than remaining still… “Chaka envied you… You were more beautiful, more accomplished, more gifted than she was but she was the first born… She was deeply torn because she truly loved you Gia, but it is impossible to be alive and see someone seemingly effortless succeed at everything you’ve tried your hardest at and always failed and not bear some extreme resentment… In one hand you controlled everything, even when things had fallen through the bottom for you, even when she had tried so hard to drop you… You kept lifting your head like a snowdrop…” Chaka used to talk to him a lot when she wasn’t using him… He couldn’t classify it as pillow talk because he was no where near a bed and typically chained to a post as blood ran down his back. All the same though she talked and he heard, even if he had never met Gia, even if he had no idea who she was? Envy is a faceless monster and it had consumed Chaka nearly to the core of her being. Was it any wonder she dared Lloths test to try and have a daughter? To be able to say at least she had done SOMETHING right… And the funny thing was… When Gia’s kingdom fell because Chaka let them in the gate? She had fulfilled her contract, if she would have had the chance to find a suitable partner to breed she would have had her daughter, but sadly Lloth is a fickle bitch of the highest digree… Lloth saw that her womb had not been removed, simply scarred over, and it wasn’t long at all before Gia was already ruling again albeit on a much smaller scale than before…

Lloth took that as a failure for Chaka and stripped the daughter that would have been conceived and instead cursed her to become a Dryder and from that day on it was a constant downhill for her, slipping farther and farther into madness and paranoia, growing crueler until even her own sons wanted little to do with her despite their love for her…

“I don’t know if that is right though… I don’t mean to question or doubt your wisdom Mistress but parents are in essence everything to a child… They mold us no matter how we might wish to fight against it, they leave their mark upon us like a brand, even if they are absent for almost the whole of a child’s life. You might run from it, you might fight against it and in some small ways succeed but at the end of the day, you truly are the product of your parents…” [/i] Gia was the second child, a daughter born with someone who was not even a drow, and yet Gia was more a Matron than Chaka could have ever dreamed of being. If that wasn’t proof that a child is the direct result of their parentage then what was? Gia was everything her mother could have hoped to be even though she had little and less attention given her because she was a second daughter, a spare while the first born was groomed to be everything they were meant to be. The fact she struggled with him and Thaylan was evidence that she was every inch her mothers child because she lived by the same rules her mother had, and her grandmother, and her grandmothers mother… All the way to the Fall. Like her mother she would struggle with some of the firmest doctorates of Drow society because of how her heart works… Gia’s mother had become a Dryder because of her love for Gia’s father… A man who was extremely un-subservient, who indeed actually had her mother submitting to him, seeing him as her Master. Strahd was a power house within his own right and he didn’t blame Gia’s mother for bending one bit… But it was something that the Drow women were not allowed to do even if it was what their heart desired. Gia had a taste for strong men as well, himself and her brother while they could bend to her, they would never fully be a slave… Thaylans time on the surface and his own past had made it so that neither of them could fully lay low even if they wanted to with all their heart to make her happy…

It was why Thaylan had come to blows with him, the two of them entering a fist fight so bloody that teeth had been knocked loose and had to be replaced, bones had been broken and scars left… It had been one of the bloodiest fights he had ever had in hand to hand combat and the one fight he had almost lost… All because of that fact… Because he couldn’t bend… No more than he could decide the right path for him… “I hope to honor her wishes that she held close to her heart in this room… I have no doubt this was part of what your father fell so deeply in love with her to break his own curse…” Something that was up to their father to tell them at some point… When she asked him for the truth he knew it would come out at some time but even with how much he had avoided speaking to her, keeping under her radar, performing perfectly and keeping himself insanely busy with training… It was coming no matter what he did and yet he still felt so extremely unprepared. A child, a street urchin in rags bumbling about in high society, completely terrified of what was around him but unable to move… “Your life is complicated… Not you… Take you away from here, from the position you rule form, and you are not hard… Your soft and loving… Straight forward and the most beautiful soul I have ever seen… That I swear.” And that was perhaps the biggest issue… She wasn’t wrong… They were free… She wasn’t… But who’s choice was that, really? Her mothers for putting her in this lifestyle rather than letting her father take her and Thaylan with him when he had tried when the twins were just infants? Her fathers for not pushing harder to take them? Gia’s for returning over and over again to keep fighting so tenaciously to be what the history of her people demanded? She wielded so much wisdom… So much strength and tenacity of nature… Of soul… She was steel but steel could bend… Only perhaps… She didn’t know she could be flexible… Too used to the brittle iron of tradition she had been raised to believe she was? She was in a position where she could change things… She had mentioned it once to him she was sure… How she wanted to be more progressive for the betterment of her family and her people… Would she still do that now?

What if that was the reason Lloth had pushed her to the place she was now?

What if Lloth for this turn of time decided to actually follow the very dictates she had sat down when they first fell down, that their people must be refined and the weakness purged in the name of genuine progress and evolution… Obviously since the start of it nothing along those lines had ever come to be. The infighting only got worse and her people were more than just stagnant, they were festering as their numbers continued to drop and the arts began to be lost because soldiers were more profitable than artists, even though the Drow loved beautiful things more than anything else. So much lore had been forgotten, brushed under rugs, wiped from the books as the Matrons at the time saw that it didn’t suit them and made sure that no one knew of it… At the end of the day no one really knew what it was Lloth planned but he did have a feeling in his gut that Lloth was putting Gia in this place to see if she actually would do that… Would Gia actually push for evolution and progress now that she had the power to do so? Would she follow the old laws of Lloth? Or would she continue on the same path of every other matron before her, stepping into cratered step left from all the women before her, the very path she would set her daughter on… Would she make Anya suffer as she did? Trapped in a role that while it fit, pinched at times, made you uncomfortable and hurt you because you needed more than what was provided? Would she dare even let him say such things to her? It was the new training he had which kicked in and made him hold his tongue on those thoughts because the last thing he wanted to do after knowing he had already betrayed her trust… If they were already married he would be dead and he’d accept it for that was the law…

What ever came from this moment on though he was stuck with, he had given her what she asked for, he had given her honesty. What hurt him though was the fact hat it was her very desires that seemed to hurt her the most… While he was not one to say Lies were great things in a relationship there were times when perhaps forgoing the facts was the kindest thing to do… He knew the moment she heard what he had to say that he had hurt her Deeply… The way her eyes seemed to dull a bit, her shoulders dropped like someone just dropped a huge weight on her, and he felt the sudden distance well up between them like a chasm opened by a quake… He tried to close it… To fill it as he moved in and held her in his arms, trying to find that closeness again, the way holding her in his arms had made him believe for the first time that he had a chance… A choice… But when he held her, for all she felt nice, she was closed to him… That warmth was gone. She was there in body only but everything else was now off limits to him… And he had no idea how to handle it as the pain welled up in him, hating himself because he could never seem to settle, like every time he had a chance to have a happy life he sabotaged it as violently as he could… Like he couldn’t stomach the idea that someone like him had any right to actually being loved… Of being happy… And he realized even as she whispered to him that tomorrow was a second chance… It wasn’t one for him… He’d hurt her… The trust between them? He had shattered… He had no more right to the beauty of her soul than a sinner had to the gates of heaven and he had to abide by that… Even though inside he felt as if he wanted nothing more than to die an emotional death so it wouldn’t hurt… To just be numb but he couldn’t… He had crushed a woman who did nothing but give him everything he had ever dreamed of… A woman who, even now, was still allowing him to try and chase that elusive form of himself that would come out fully fleshed if only he kept at it… The true him that had been smothered almost to the point of death that now flickered… Still weak… But the light? The light was hope… But what good was hope when the woman who had shown him such a thing was possible would never let him in so close again?

“If I could change this for you Gia I would… I don’t know how to fix myself, the parts of me that are so broken, the way I seem to seek out ways to destroy myself and use other people at the tools for it… I want to be anything but this…” And it was the truth… He hated this… His mother… The past… The women who had all taken a chunk out of him until he felt like he was perpetually starving, consuming the hearts of others in order to try and replace the one that had been killed so long ago, always searching for another heart to feast on until that too was gone… A woman left in his shadow who he had broken as he moved onto the hunt once more… And that was it… He wanted to fill the space inside himself but he didn’t know that in order to do it he had to put a stopper in the bottom he had to learn that the ache would never go away until he found a way to put a floor in the hole to build up on… “Diovan is a skilled craftsman, he can make bows and arrows unlike anything you could ever imagine, I will be sure that he trains one of our crafters so that they can create bows of their own with his skills to further strengthen our offensive and defensive capabilities…” Gia was offering to help where she didn’t need to, especially given what he had just said, what he had just done… The least he wanted to do was to give her something in return… And it was important that his brothers talents be passed on because that skill was not something that he had ever seen before or even read about… Not since the God of the Hunt himself crafted the first bow…

His request was simple and straight forward, her answer was fair and he agreed, after all it was all he was asking for. He didn’t want anyone to be a prisoner, no one to be somewhere they didn’t want to be, all he wanted? Was for Sydel to have a place where she would be safe, where no one would want to kill her or judge her, a place where she was loved… Which he knew she was here and not just by him… He knew that Gia loved Sydel which had probably made his betrayal hurt even more… First Gia had been hurt to know he was cheating on his wife with her, but then he had gone to try and make peace with the same wife, only to realize he could never truly say goodbye or give her up… He could share… But he could never surrender her. He did tell Gia a fact though and when she replied the way he did? He actually drew himself up to his full height rather than the somewhat submissive slouch he had taken on for training purposes… For a moment, a flash like a shooting star there was a vibrant life in his eyes, something to steal the breath and make the heart trip about in the chest… For that flash… There was the man he was supposed to be… “Do not doubt my abilities to do everything I seek to accomplish Gianna. I am unstoppable.” Sweet Gods his voice was deep and rich, it throbbed with power and confidence, free from pride of any sort and instead there was the simple knowledge that he spoke the truth. The facts. Before her stood the Dragon King, the man he had always been meant to be, the one who strode the world without a glimmer of fear or uncertainty, whos shoulders were strong and broad and could easily tote the world and all it’s problems, who’s back was proud and straight and held all the steel strong reserve to withstand anything and yet be able to bend if needed… In that moment… Those handful of precious seconds… It would have stolen her breath and made her knees weaken, her heart to race and her palms to sweat, to send deliciously pleasurable ice up her spine and heat spooling through her core…

How heartbreaking it was then to see that person quickly slip back under the hundred of broken and burnt layers, hiding much a diamond does, deep down low and out of sight… And if she was the type of person to doubt her senses? She could have easily believed that such a thing was impossible to occur… There would be no way the man before her and the one that had suddenly flashed out like the glory of a brilliant bursting sun could be the same man… When all had been said and done, when the facts had been laid out like cards on a table, truths given voice there was nothing left to do outside of what he had offered… The Dance of Blades.. He’d been working on it almost non stop for weeks, forcing himself to such extents that he had caused himself multiple injuries, but if he wanted to do this he knew there was no other way to do it… Between the notes Thaylan had given him earlier and the library he had found himself in again after so many centuries… The chain and collar still there on the floor where he had once been held… Seeing the smaller, more slender version of himself with long blond hair and sad blue eyes looking over the mountain of books around him, forcing himself to learn how to read the language if only to keep his mind busy and off of his situation… It had been in those same books he had learned about the dance, the detailed illustrations and the thousand and one warnings against ever performing it, even a Matron would not be able to achieve it and this meant even the best of their people would have failed… On a page listed those who had succeeded and there were only three… Each of them were surprisingly a Shield Master, the sort of strength and endurance needed for the dance were something that a Shield Master would strive to achieve for the sake of long running wars, the need to keep ones self going even when everything hurt…

With all those things in mind and in his memory he had begun his training and the expected injuries, pushing himself harder and farther every day, turning it into something that was both ancestrally drow… But something of his own too… With his own flare… His own style… “Three have succeeded in the history books and they were all Shield Masters… I know what it is I risk just as much as I know what it is I promise.” He said as she would prepare to leave the room with him in it. “It is the one thing that can bring a Matron to her knees willingly… It satisfies everything in her and brings her pleasure unlike anything else ever can… I am willing to put my life on the line to do this for you because it is the one thing you asked me to do for you… It is the only thing I know to do that will prove to you…” He let that hang there, not sure how to explain it, how to finish that sentence… He loved her… He did. He really did… But he didn’t know why he couldn’t give her his whole heart… Why he couldn’t give it to Sydel either… Why he was so afraid to hand over enough of himself to allow someone to make him die inside again… Why he couldn’t trust her when she had never once done anything but show that she was entirely beyond reproach with how firmly she stood by her words and her resolve… Instead he watched her leave before he turned to the table before him and for several hours he worked until he was pouring sweat, using the strange but marvelous enchantment of the room to give things such details and information that by the time he left that room, shaking and sick to his stomach… That war room would have held more information that it should have been possible for it to hold inside the space… Complete and detailed maps of Arvandor and all it’s weaknesses, the true resting place of Hanali herself, as well as the other gods he had come across… Silverthorn and all the enchantments, the secret passages, the people who were dangerous and those who were simply fodder… The places where he had buried weapons over the years so that when they got in under friendly terms he could dig up the army’s worth of weapons and armor and bring the castle to heel within minutes. There were also insanely lucrative locations on the surface he had mapped out for her, places where certain cities grew up over wellsprings of raw harvestable magic to replenish the pools in Menzoberranzan… Others who grew rich off of ore and gems… Important ports to take so that they could strangle trade down to such an extent that they could rule the entire surface with an iron fist and have to little more than flex their fingers to have it all brought to heel…

You see… The reason why Khorn was so keen on him despite the fact of his genetics? Was simply for what he knew and what he was capable of… He was beyond a genius when it came to strategy and warfare, he could have easily, laughably wiped Khorn out of his position with little effort if he had ever decided it and because of that? Khorn had sacrificed his daughter to him because at least with Sydel having his focus there was less chance that he would want to take over Naggoth itself and replace himself as the Chaos God of War…

Reaching the area where his rooms were located he was pretty much just throwing up from the sheer amount of stress he had put his body under, imparting all that information without any magic at his command was like putting a human through extreme and horrific torture. Once he was done puking his breakfast…Or was it lunch?... shit when did he last eat?... Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he heard a strangled gasp and he knew that voice very well, worried for a moment that the sound was Rose going into labor, she was literally going to pop any day and the last thing he wanted was his grandson being born in the damn hallway… He rounded the corner a bit shaken, pretty damned sweaty but solid on his feet and when he saw what she was looking at he himself paled considerably and wondered… How the FUCK had that thing escaped the patrol?! He came up behind Rose, one hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming, the other wrapping around her legs as he lifted her easily in his arms and backed away very… Very slowly… Rounding another corner before he dared let a breath out and he realized he was fucking shaking… A horrific flash back had him paler than a sheet and feeling like he was covered in ice… But he wasn’t alone… He wasn’t alone… He forced himself t breathe… To move… “Rose… Go back to your room right now and tell Jacob he needs to rouse the Blood Core and bring them in here right now… No magic users… We need ranged weapons and if possible we need that black fire the drow use… The sort that burns until what ever it hits is exhausted… Tell him to waste NO time and that this is a level one emergency… Go.” He said as he’d gently push her towards the way she had been coming before he turned and headed back the way he had come, peeking around the corner at the hell that had somehow managed to escape their notice…Perhaps because they were so common down here…Perhaps because they simply looked like an unfinished part of the castle… Perhaps because they resembled a partial cave in of stone… The castle was ancient and while I had born up well given the situation they had come across other areas of damage that were being repaired… This place was likely marked just the same since it was a bit out of the way and in an unoccupied section of the castle…

But… He had NO idea slingers could actually cluster together like that… They were solitary beasts and already incredibly dangerous, only coming together to mate and it seemed that this place was something of a hive for them, the reason they had yet to act might have been because of the huge cluster of eggs in the middle with growing, squirming Pincers… He pressed his hand to his face and seriously felt like he was going to drop… He was already running extremely low, he needed to rest before his muscles locked up on him, but he couldn’t… Not now… Those fucking things were forever hungry, they were gluttons and would eat anything that dared to come into range of their tentacles, and the biggest reason he was stressing out? The Drow considered them sacred because they looked like stalactites in the form of Spiders so therefor Sacred to Lloth, considered one of her Beasts and were meant to be revered… He had to get this handled before any other Drow saw them down here or he’d have one hell of a fucking fight on his hands with the Priestess who would demand they be given sacrifices and coddled because of their position… Where as in his mind the fact was that his son was here, his first grandson was about to be born any time now, his daughter and her mother lived within this palace… There were people he loved who he would not see sacrificed because the ugly fucking beasts decided that they liked this corner of the fucking castle… He knew it would be preferred that they relocate them and he might try that first… But he knew flat out this shit? Was going to be hard… He hoped Jacob would have an idea because he sure as fuck didn’t…

[BadInfluence]

“Your faith in me my love could move mountains and wind the hands of time backwards and I love you endlessly for that.” She said with an adoring smile and kissed his hand as they settled in for a bit of a rest, their son was definitely stretching out in every single direction he could possibly manage, looking for that one extra little bit of space where there virtually was none. “Some of the things they have are really delicious though, like even though the pasta here is black the flavor it has is just incredible, the mushrooms and ink from some of the deep crater lakes give it the most complex flavors. Honestly I am still trying to learn how they cook down here, the flavors they bring out in the food, the different meats and sauces and how it’s all blended together… It’s different from anything I know but that just makes it this new adventure in the kitchen… Besides, I need something to occupy my time with this little bean dancing inside like he is doing the samba…” She said with a warm laugh and a sigh, telling him that she had already pretty much put in her notice so to speak, having gone on light duty so that she really only did the most simple of tasks, no pressure was put on her to bend or turn any which way. She more oversaw others that she and Jacob had taken to training a little so that when they went to the surface on their vacations they wouldn’t be left without help.

Lately she was struggling to sleep, she could only catch batches of it here and there, otherwise she was up and just perfectly miserable and to the point of tears with how the pressure and pushing could get so extreme the pain was just… Undefinable… She knew she should be sleeping more too, for both her and their son, especially since once he arrived sleep was going to be a fond and fleeting memory and even rarer companion… His advice was sound, even if she was miserable to hear it, his points were solid and she knew he was right from her own medical standpoint… She had just been hoping he might give her advice opposite to what she herself was thinking but alas… The student emulates the teacher because they were on the same page regardless. “It’s partially the moving but mostly it’s just the pressure… Like everything is far too tight and I can’t catch my breath and its like…In those moments he decides he is going to stretch even more and it’s all I can do not to cry because this stuff… It just lasts and lasts for hours…” She knew her body would give in at some point, discomfort and pain or not her mind would shut everything down for the sake of sanity and self preservation, she’d clock out for hours likely but then it would start all over again later on… And she could only imagine that she had around a month of this left… She was doing her best to try and find a comfortable position as he eased himself into a well deserved break, the food resting well in his stomach as he let himself drift and for a moment she really envied his comfort, a wry smile on her lips before she too closed her own eyes…

The order of the day, or rather some day soon, was picking up things they would need for their son’s arrival. Medication was easy, so was food, but things like baby blankets or cots were no were to be found because this place had not seen a child in… Longer than she dared voice… The party coming up sounded like fun, a chance to just go out and mingle, see what these new people were like… After all everyone here was a transplant, taken from all over the place as they had traveled, all manner of drow skinned hues and abilities… Talents… She hadn’t talked to any of them though she had made medicine for many scores of them as they traveled, healing this or that while others tended to the wounds that came with such drow lifestyles, she’d like to see up close and personal this group of people who were all basically orphans suddenly united under a great mother. “It sounds like a wonderful date… I’ll make sure to wear something to knock your socks off…” She said with a smile in her voice as their chatter went on for a bit more, honestly it was so warm here, it made her heart feel happy… Settled… Much like him this place gave them a new perspective, a different way to live, to grow…And they were thriving in it.

“Good Goddess I just realized that by now Vivian herself must be about ready to pop… Multiple births were the order for the year but someone needs to tell Hanali to dial the knob back a bit…” She said with a bit of a laugh as she knew several ladies who were happy at the chance of being a mother but could have done without the multiple tenants in a tight space. As it was she knew for a fact she could NOT carry multiples, she was just not fit out for that, no way in hell and she was never going to let something like that even come close to happening. “I have to make a list anyways, just this morning I left our rooms with two different shoes on… I am definitely developing the mommy brain…” She grumbled a bit and…Despite her absolute best efforts there just wasn’t a comfortable spot to be hand in that chair, but on the brighter side she did share that the dress was done at last, just waiting for her to have their son and for that year of theirs to pass so she and he could be married at long last… “Mmm that makes one of us… I can’t wait for the day I get to try it on…It’s everything I have ever dreamed of…” She said with a wistful smile on her lips as she looked at this man she loved with her whole heart, their fingers curled about each other, smiles from them both through the loving chatter. “I know… But forgive me for the way I talk sometimes… Being with you… From the moment we first met and every day after has been like a dream, even the bad parts are still sweeter than any life I have known before, so I keep thinking I am going to wake up… And find you’re just my hearts greatest wish and I’ll never actually find you.” Age is what teaches patience and she was still the perfect baby of the group, the youngest of them all she was the one who was always running ahead of the pack, a puppy with little self control… Thankfully the rest thought it was cute enough to put up with and she was learning through example and through life in general how to live… But nothing would stop her from seeing him as her dream come true, the one time that wishing star came through, and she was holding onto it with a death grip in both hands.

Unable to settle she figured she might as well make herself useful, if she pattered around their wing of the castle she knew she would just keep Jacob from resting which he clearly needed, it was just better if she let him relax and walked around a bit. It was good for the baby and her anywas so might as well… “Hmm… I think it’s best to avoid that one then… That whole group is dancing on broken light bulbs. The tension when your near them is like burnt ozone…I don’t know what happened but what ever it was it was something that still hasn’t been resolved… I think instead I am going to go and cook some more… Make some casseroles and stuff we can just warm up after the baby comes so I won’t have to think about cooking or what to eat…” She said as she pushed herself to her feet and moved over to kiss the soft ravens wing colored top of his head before she would make her way out, trusting him to relax as much as he needed, she knew he was working harder than he ever had before… And while she knew he was tired… She was NOT complaining about the side effects… He had been fit before… Well shaped… But now? -DAYUMN-. Literally he was just… Fucking CHRIST… Literally if it weren’t for the fact that she knew sex could send her into labor lately? She would have been on his dick like a fat kid on a twinkie. This last month had been sheer hell for that, she was a walking ball of sexual nerves needing an outlet, a desperate need for a good long fucking but the risks outweighed the need… And when your lover looked as good as he did? It was like being invited to an all you can eat chocolate factory and you just got diagnosed with diabetes. Literally this shit? Could not have been more unfair…

It was with those thoughts and several others chancing each other around in her head when she turned up a hall, realizing in her absentmindedness she had totally gotten lost, in an area of the castle that had been left abandoned due to it needing repairs… “Tch…” She clicked her tongue as she took a few steps forward to try and find anything familiar, a landmark or something through the window, and the only thing that stopped her? Was this very odd… Chittering sound… Like a hundred crabs clicking their claws all at once… She paused, completely still as her hands fell to her stomach protectively, something about that sound was NOT safe… It sent off a hundred warning bells in her head and that was when she looked up and realized what the sound was, a strangled gasp falling from her lips as she carefully…Slowly backed up… She’d learned enough about the drow animals that you do NOT run…EVER. If you run your dead…Your best bet was to back away slowly or hope you were strong enough to kill the thing in front of you. She was moving slowly when she bumped into something as she nearly screamed, thanking God for the fact that it had covered her mouth and carried her out of there, looking up to see the man who would be her father in law and she seriously just sagged to her knees as the shock rolled over her… She knew what those things were, she had been reading as much as she could about the things down here in case they might serve a medical purpose and one of the most feared and oldest creatures of the drow were the Slingers and the Pincirs… She heard what Nautilous was saying and for a minute she just looked at him in confusion, the words he was speaking were just sort of floating over her head before they finally sunk in once he was trying to push her out of the way and down the hall, only then did she turn around and smack him upside the head before grabbing his ear and leading him down the same way he had been pushing her. “You dummy! You can’t attack a Slinger! They’re sacred and you’d have this whole damn place up in arms in a heartbeat! Everyones only now settled into this place, finding their homes and trying to accept the idea that they are safe when they’ve all only known war and suffering. I’m not going to let you screw the pooch because you jumped the gun bucko.”

She continued to drag him down the hall by the tip of his ear, hearing him hiss and grumble as he tried to pull her off, only to find that she pinched his ear even harder for his efforts. Yeah no… NO flex there! Once they were safely away she just shook her head and began to weave a magical barrier in the area, Jacob had been teaching her these lately and she felt proficient enough to do what she was aiming for, simply closing the area off so that it looked like the hall came to a dead end versus turning to the left and thus revealing the Slingers. Anyone who tried to push the ward would find it felt very much like a real wall and it would hold up just fine as she patched the energy into the wellspring of it here in abundance at Achkinnal. Freeing herself from having to maintain it herself. Once that was done she dusted her hands on her dress and crossed her arms a bit. “There… Now all you have to do is actually build a real wall in the area and that solves that. There’s nothing in that hall that would be worth the risk or the trouble, just give the new tenants something to do and let them feel like they’re contributing, we need people in here anyway to repair other areas as it is.” She said before she honestly just… Looked at him and what she saw? Worried her… “Jesus… When was the last time you slept?!” She asked before she raised her hand and shook her head. “You know what? I don’t want to know… The less I know the less I can be blamed for. Come on, I’m taking you to the medical wing and I’m knocking you out. You’re obviously not thinking with a clear head and your off your center big time… You need sleep and lots of it. Everything else can wait, you did your job, we’re all here safe and sound. It's time to rest.” And she was surprised that he followed along…That training was something else huh?

Once they arrived in the wing she escorted him to his own room and had him take his place on the bed, instructing the staff on hand that he was to get a sponge bath with the waters heavily laced with plenty of opiates, he was not allowed to be sober for more than an hour at a time and then only to eat. Otherwise? He was about to be put into a drug induced semi-comatic type of state, kept very very high and pretty much physically useless which would allow his body to heal… And she hoped with time that what ever weighed so heavily on his head could also be processed without the interruptions of daily life. She would of course fill Gia in on this herself later on, but for right now she set about managing what needed to be done, being a woman and Gia’s own personal doctor gave her enough power to set the ball rolling and by the night was out the wall would be under construction. From there? Well she had nothing more to do… She’d walked around a while, headed to the kitchen where she tossed together a couple of extremely filling, stick to your ribs type dinners that would hold well in the ice box so they had enough food to hold them over easily for the time after their son was born… And still… She had nothing to do… It made her restless…Edgy… Prickly… Which as the day wore on only managed to make her extremely moody and she was pretty much sulking as she made her way back to their wing of the castle… Closing the door silently behind her she simply stripped out of everything and made her way to the bedroom where Jacob was sleeping soundly and that just rankled her even more…

She hurt. She was horny. She was sleepy as hell.

Lifting the sheet she just took matters into her own hand at that point and slipped down lower… Lower still… Grateful that he decided to sleep naked tonight because if he had cloths on she’d likely scream. Of course… He was likely going to make some noises himself because she was pretty much done being miserable and moody at this point… So she took matters into her own hands, literally, and by matters she meant his cock. She started to suck him off while he was still soft, tormenting the fuck out of him with her talented mouth, one hand flicking and stroking his flat nipples while the other created a nice tight ring about the base of his cock so he was in exquisite agony by the time he came around… Then again by that point and given the fact she knew he was likely insanely deep asleep and would take some time to come around… Well there was no reason not to enjoy it a little more… Stradling his hips before she sunk down onto that spit slick throbbing shaft and the moment she felt him enter her… Oh… Rhapsody… She couldn’t help the angelic whimper as she leaned back, finding that perfect spot, the moment she did her sweet little whimpers became deep throaty moans of just pure rapture… She whimpered…She cried…She moaned… She gasped and writhed… She made sure to take it slow, keeping the thrusts shallow so that there was limited risk of her going into labor early, all while ensuring she was able to scratch an itch over a month in the making… Her hands far from idle as she palmed and squeezed her milk rich tits until that let down started, fueling and heightening her own pleasures while her other hand slipped between her thighs to ply her clit before she began to gasp, to make the sweetest little hiccup sounding moans of pleasure before she just came atop of him… Flooding him all before he even had a chance to fully wake up… The sheer wave of chemicals that flooded her body… That was exactly what she needed as she slid off of him and into the bed beside him where she hit a sleep so hard and deep the dead could rise to Gabriel’s trumpet and she wouldn’t bat a fucking lash.

[BadInfluence]

Gianna and Nautilous were gone to Arvandor to handle a few things that needed settled and during that interim Anya was home again, something that he hoped to see more of soon but just as much as he missed her he knew the things she was learning would stand her in good stead when she became a Matron in her own right, the ability to understand both Drow customs and Arvandor would give her a chance at peace many and more Drow would never be given with the surface dwellers. He was, and always would be, so very proud of his little girl. Of course her being home to basically castle sit while Gia was out gave him a chance to do something he had not yet had the opportunity to do so before, the opportunity to have a one on one date with his little button cap, something he planned on doing with as much love and thought as he could poor into it.



First was when she arrived he made sure she was shown to a lovely little side nook that was part library part hidden retreat. Inside it he had set up on pink and gold spiderweb china a plate of sugar cookies he had made himself, thank you very much, each one dusted with brightly colored sugars and artistic candy floss patterns over them. There were also tea cakes made with crisp colorful mixed greens and shredded rockfowel, thin sliced mushrooms that were lightly sauted in flavored oils and herbs, topped with some incredibly creamy cheese. There was a pot of fresh made tea that tinted the water the color of blood and smelled like roses and honey, lightly laced with some of the alcohol made from the local spores and fungus, just enough to give her that feel of home… And of course a little gift just for his daughter there on the table. He didn’t wrap it, instead he let it sit there in all its beauty, the mother of pearl and abalone backing with the incredibly fine golden scrollwork in the shape of a spiders web within a flowering vine… Little hints of roses and ivy leaves here and there that added that perfect touch of femininity…



Once the lid was opened a true spider would pop up upon a pin, died of natural causes of course he had lovingly lacquered and shellacked it until it glowed like gemstones, every little detail preserved… The music that played was innocent sounding to anyone who didn’t know the melody but for a drow? This was a common lullaby with dark lyrics but a pretty tune. Something her mother would have sang to her as a child without a doubt and something to help her feel closer to home while she was away. There was also a set of gold and emerald earrings in the shape of a spider and it’s web. “Mind if I kidnap my favorite little girl and spoil her while she’s home?” He’d ask from behind the door before he’d close it behind her and open his arms for a hug, taking her in his own and giving her a long, tight squeeze… The sort of hug every little girl craves from her father and he was giving it to her in spades. “Look at you… You look as refined as your grandmother and as beautiful as your mother, honestly, how did I get so lucky to have such a wonder of a daughter…” He said warmly before he would sit back and invite her to enjoy the utmost best of light comfort foods that were perfect in the still warm weather of the season. Everything was just perfect… Except for perhaps the cookies which held just a touch of too much brown on the edges, his timing had not been quite perfect but they were still incredibly delicious, touches of spices here and there that she would recall from candy in her childhood.



Once she was settled he’d sit more or less just a bit to her side, close enough so that he could take her hand and hold it, just happy for the chance to be around her… With her… For lately her future seemed more and more clouded, like someone had spilled ink in the waters, the more he tried to look the more confusing and convoluted it became. He tried not to worry but at the same time he was her father… It was his job to worry… “Are they treating you well there my little tadpole? I know the Kingdom is quite fine, the people are very kind and everyone seems to be made of sunshine and sugar, even the breezes are playful…” Silverthorn was a beautiful place without a doubt…But so are whores and they can strike a man down with syphilis in less time than it takes for her to gather up her next client. He did not trust Silverthorn and after the fiasco with Ace and Rose he had not returned… He refused to pick a side in that debacle and blamed both parties for being naive and foolhardy. Because of that though he also had no eyes or ears within the walls to inform him and lately the bits of whispers he did hear were far from peaceful, if anything it seemed as though a storm was brewing on the horizon, something dark and deadly just coming on at a steady death march…



“Rose is here too as I’m sure you know. It’s a shame you won’t be here for the babies birth, she’s going to be going into labor any day now, we’re all just sort of waiting for the green light. I know Rose would love to have you help her through that time and get to hold the baby.” And it was perhaps his way to try and nudge his daughter to stay home for a while… Surely Adeliade didn’t need her THAT much?! She’d done just fine for decades without anyone other than Ace and Ryker. Why now? But he kept those things to himself lest he stir a pot he would much rather stay quite calm. From there on they would chatter about everything she wished, catching up on all the news and the things she was learning, the styles of dress and how different everything was between the two worlds… He just sat there with her until all the cookies, sandwitches and tea were long gone and even then he just listened with his heart on his sleeve for his little girl, soaking up every precious moment he had with her. Pretty soon a man would catch her eye and she’d start to think of nothing but him and he’d lose his little girl as she became a woman and settled down somewhere and started her own family. He was by no means ready for that but at the same time like any other father he wanted nothing but the best for his daughter, a strong mate with the preference to fathering girls, one who loved her more than life itself…



Noticing his legs were a bit stiff he would stand up and offer his arm to her with a warm smile before they would leave the room together and go for a walk, recounting stories of her mothers youth in these halls, the places they used to run and hide from Chaka or the staff… He was telling her the stories that Gia might never have told her because it hurt too much to recount them… Letting her hear from her father the youth that her mother and father had shared together, thicker than tar and as in love with each other as any two souls could be, a childhood spend hiding that love until they couldn’t anymore… It was up in the attic area that he paused before an old day bed that was pressed up against the wall, well worn grooves in the floor around it, lacking a majority of the dust that seemed to cover everything else. “This was our place… Far from prying eyes and people who might search for us. We spent every night we could here, curled up together, madly in love and terrified of being found out… It was in this very bed that your mother told me that we had created you in our passions and I was so proud… So humbled… I wanted to shout my joy into every cave I could, I wanted to be there for you, for her every step of the way but… Even my gifts can’t waylay every future… Some are set in stone that no amount of careful eroding can destroy.” Subtle… Light… A hint that he was not all he appeared to be… Perhaps an insight into why at times he might seem a little eccentric… “Your Grandfather is a man unlike any other and he hold more gifts and talents than anyone could imagine… Your mother likely has some she has yet to discover… Mine is… Challenging… A blessing in so many ways yes but a curse too… And a terribly heavy burden.” He said as he stepped forward and touched the wooden beam of the bed that had held up to so many sessions of passionate fucking that it was a wonder it still stood…



“As soon as your mother told me she was expecting you I saw a vision of Valkyrn smothering you in the cradle… Jealousy and hatred in his eyes against such a tiny, innocent creature, who bore not the crimes of her parents… It killed me inside and I knew I had to leave… I had to go before he realized the truth and would have killed you as an infant… So I ran… I ran to save the people I love most… And I’ve been doing the same thing my whole life…” Gia always managed to come out alive, did she not? Even when the odds were stacked so high against her it should have never have worked, somehow she landed on top with room to spare, comfortable and confident as if there was never any doubt she would succeed. A good portion of this was due to her own skill without a doubt, but the rest was his own influences, moving things a little this way or that so the odds were stacked in her favor instead of against. He might not have been able to be with her physically but never once did he not have her and his daughter in his heart. “I’ve been trying to align things in such a way that no one suffers unduly as we all settle into our paths but there are some things I can’t see… Something is clouding my vision and lately it is getting worse, like dye in a clear pool the more I look the more agitated the waters become, so much so that if I keep pushing the faint images I can see will vanish entirely… This… This has me worried beyond what I can say and I wanted to tell you, my precious little fungus, that I love you and your mother more than life itself… And if I sudden vanish from you both without a letter or a whispered word… Know it was not because I abandoned you… It was because I had to leave to keep you from a worse fate… And most of all? That I will Always, Always come back to you my precious Anya… My little Princess… Oh, I have loved you so, my daughter… And I hope I can stay here, watching over you until I am so old and grey you hear me climbing the stairs…” Which was TERIFFICALLY old for a Drow given they were always silent as death well into their mid 500s…





Music Box     Earrings     Song

[Deleted]

She didn't expect to be called home for this.. figuring that her Mother was going to be still settling in.. but when it was explained a little more to her in private conversation she understood.. bidding a fond farewell with wishes to make sure Mother remained safe she took over the general workings of the House.. nothing too much really just little things.. more like a care taker since she was not near of age to take over as a Matron.. she was shown however to this little nook.. part of the library.. hidden away.. curious she was indeed as it was just set up so beautifully.. a light supper of tea and cake.. of mushrooms and fowl.. someone had outdone themselves.. the gift though caught her eye.. the stunningly made box.. one of a kind she was sure of it.. drawing it over.. closer to where she was seated as she slowly popped open the lid.. a soft gasp sounded as the music played.. and her hand rose to press over her heart.. yes she remembered it.. easily it was.. a soothing soft memory.. something she would never easily forget.. the gifts of the earrings were perfect and they only made her smile all the more.. her attention lifted to the sound of his voice as he approached.. -. You are More than welcome to anytime Father.. -she moved to stand when he opened his arms.. and without hesitation she fell into that embrace.. her eyes closing over as her chin found his shoulder.. this was so nice and something she didn't even know she needed.. but it filled a void.. in the way only a Father ever could.. he flattered her with the words about his Grandmother and Mother.. -.. Forever sweet with your words Father.. I thankyou for your kindness.. Two very strong role models I had in my life.. and one I am lucky to still have with me to this very day.. -she didn't know a lot about her grandmother.. but enough to know she was such a remarkable woman.. and her Mother.. well she looked up to her every day.. and would do so for the rest of her life.. she motioned for him to sit with her.. to share in the delicacies that were on offer-

.. Im going to go out on a limb here and guess this.. -she motioned to the table-.. was your doing? -she smiled-.. Its perfect.. Thankyou really.. what a beautiful present to come home too.. and.. to Come here none the less.. You all have done such remarkable work .. Im still utterly astounded at the speed to which it has all come around..-she took a drink of the tea before placing the cup down upon the saucer-.. They are treating me very well yes Father, no issues what so ever.. I am spoiled if nothing less.. I want for nothing..-she laughed a little and nodded at the everyone being kind with sunshine and sugar-.. it seems that way sometimes.. its all so sweet and drama free.. -she took a bite of one of the crumbly cookies. it was beautifully sweet in its flavouring.. not perfect.. but she knew it was made with love-.. I am mainly around Adelaide and Ryker.. not so much Aeson.. I dont think he is in the castle proper.. -she gave a little shrug of her shoulders-.. aww.. I miss Rose too.. -she smiled-.. and I wish I could be here.. if she goes into labor before I head back maybe I will.. I guess thats the beauty of pregnancy though.. its very random.. we can only really guess when baby will come about .. I will be here to help her after the fact.. I dont think I will be needed much longer in Silverthorn.. -she rubbed her lips together.. falling quiet a moment.. a trademark from Mother.. thinking time-.. I think Adelaide likes to have me around since she doesn't have a daughter.. I mean even the staff in the castle are primarily male.. and then she has her sons.. I feel a bit sorry for her at times.. -she nodded-.. it must get lonely.. but I assure you.. Ill be back here soon.. ready and waiting to get back into my studies and training..

-she reached across to hold her hand atop his and she gave a light squeeze.. soon it was time to move on.. he guided her along the corridors.. the hallways..he spoke childhood tales.. stuff from their youth.. things that her Mother never told her for many reasons she could figure.. before she was brought up into the attic.. hands clasped at her sides.. glancing toward this quaint little daybed.. the stories it held.. if the walls could talk would be scandalous.. she smiled.. -.. I never really knew Mother to be quite so ..surreptitious.. so sneaky.. I understand to a point why she never told me these stories.. she was hurting.. and she didn't want to fall under suspicion.. but its all so .. far from what we are taught.. like.. the woman I know.. the one I grew up with.. was so rigid.. so focused on her studies and making sure I was too.. dont get me wrong she loved beautifully and I wanted for nothing even when everything fell down around us.. but to hear.. that you two used to sneak around.. Wow.. -her smile broadened into a bit of a cheeky grin as she laughed-.. Its just so naughty.. I love knowing this.. it just makes her all the more perfect in my eyes.. -her hand came to his shoulder to give a little squeeze as she glanced around the attic room a little.. trying to imagine what it would have been like to have to hide away up here.. the talk of gifts though had her brow rising a little.. and then of her grandfather and even her mother having them? - Im not sure I understand.. gifts?.. -she'd question before he spoke about the visions of Valkryn smothering her and she blinked.. visibly a little shocked by that as her hand rose to cover her mouth-.. Like.. a future thought?.. -she blinked-.. Valkryn was.. -she shook her head-.. he was.. horrible..easily the worst elf I had ever come across.. she was so miserable with him around.. but.. -her brows furrowed once more-.. are you telling me you're like.. some kind of seer Father?.. -she tilted her head.. curiosity burning in his eyes before he admitted that his visions were clouding and that there may come a time that he might have to vanish again and her gaze widened considerably-.. No.. -she spoke suddenly and with her Mothers own authority-.. No.. No you cant.. not again.. please.. -she stepped in closer as she took his hands in hers-.. I dont think she will survive it.. I really dont.. You cant go.. im not going to pretend to understand whats happening in your mind.. with your visions.. and what you can or cant see.. but if you ever get the urge or the need to run you have to come tell me.. dont.. dont I beg of you Dont just be gone.. -she was serious.. deadly so and it read on her face.. it was almost a fear in her eyes that spoke so much more than her words ever would-.. We will figure something out.. but not at the expense of you leaving us..

[BadInfluence]

“And glad I am of it for I have many years to catch up with my stunning little spider, all grown up and as radiant as a crystal cave in the moonlight.” He said with a smile as the two of them hugged and he couldn’t help but praise her beauty, this sweet woman full of strength and yet such a gentle spirit, somehow this radiant creature had sprung from his loins and he would always be in awe of what he had been able to help Gia to create. “Hardly sweet my little tadpole, my words to you are exactly how a father aught speak of his daughter and when you go and find your own husband, don’t settle for anything less than perfection with a smooth tongue and poetry in his soul.” The man she chose better be at LEAST ten times better than he was or he’d not approve of the match. Anya deserved only the best than a man could possibly be, he didn’t care if she found him here in Menzoberranzan, on the surface or even in Arvandor. So long as this man knew what a treasure he had and was devoted to proving it every day? That was all he wanted… A love for his daughter like he felt for her mother… Undying loyalty and a love so hard it would outlast time. “Your grandmother was a stunning creature in every way. Firm and resolute for her people but for Gia and I, she loved us and wanted us to be the best we possibly could be, she loved all her children and while at times she could seem hard… In the end she wanted to make sure we would be strong enough to handle the world outside these very castle walls… Soon enough you will get to meet her husband, your Grandfather, and perhaps with luck you might get to see the sort of man you should fall for.” Strahd might be a monster to the rest of the world but to his family? He was a guardian, a protector, a man who would stop at nothing to make sure his children were cared for. Even if he had to do it from a thousand miles away, he was never really gone, he was always there keeping track… Watching… Guiding… Sheltering…

“Oh I know all about Arvandor food, it’s a touch on the sweet side for just about everything, I thought the tastes of home might help revive you.” After all, having a meal that you knew from home was a surefire way to help ease the pangs of home sickness and give the soul a bit of a boost, like water to a dry flowerbed it just perked everything up. “Your mother chose well in her Shield Master. He was honestly wasted on the surface and in Arvandor, he needs a place like this to thrive and grow in, like setting a falcon free from it’s cage to become a mighty raptor.” Seriously Nautilous was born in the damned wrong place, but then again if he had been down here, he wouldn’t be half the man he was today because all that fierceness… That violent dominant nature that made him an utter abject horror on the battlefield would have been beaten out of him before he was even out of diapers. “It is good to hear. I was skeptic at first to be honest, after what happened between Rose and Ace, the promised trade fell through the bottom so to speak… I fully expected Adelaide to hold a grudge against us, especially after your Grandmother was the reason the trade was cut off in the first place, so honestly I feel a little relieved that they’ve been gracious as is deserving of your birth and position.” But he didn’t fully trust it… Like Nautilous he did not believe for a second that all of this was above board but at the time it served a purpose… Adelaide offered to teach Anya and they could ensure she was in a safe place while they fought their way to the ancestral home. It was the perfect solution but now? Now there was no reason for Anya to go back, not really, they were well provided and had more than enough food to last them all until crops and livestock were fully established.

“Remember this, my little fungus, what is normal to the spider is chaos to the fly… Nothing is ever what it seems, there is always two sides to everything, the gritty truth and the pretty lie.” That was something every harlequin learned the moment they joined. Nothing was ever real, everything was dubious, never trust first impressions. He wanted Anya to keep herself safe always, not just in Arvandor but anywhere her feet took her, and to be safe meant that you had to live knowing that there is light and darkness in everything… Even the brightest burning candle casts a dark shadow. They snacked and chatted and when she said that she hadn’t seen Ace? He actually rolled his eyes and shook his head, sitting back a moment as he rubbed his jaw, realizing at that moment he needed a good shave. “That means he is in Splinter, hiding out like a dog with his tail between his legs, I swear I have never known a man who flipped sides like that… He’s worse than a jumping fungal spore…” One moment he was mad about Rose and Jacob, ready to be getting married, to make Rose his queen and raise their son together… The next? It was like as soon as they were at the party and he saw something that made him jealous or what have you, he cut ties literally that night, ditching everyone in the dark with little more than a post it note of goodbye. Next thing anyone knows? Guess who has the Rose Rash again! It was like the man couldn’t bloody decide… Or maybe it was just the fact that he didn’t like the parts of himself that surfaced around her. Maybe she brought out parts of him that he wanted to remain hidden forever. What ever the case? That boy had some fucking issues he needed to work out cause if Ace thought they’d let him down here to muck about with their lovers? Yeah that is NEVER gonna happen.

“I’m honestly betting any day. I think she would have dropped by now if Jacob wasn’t so busy with the military force as our Shield Masters right hand.” Anya was a virgin though so he wasn’t about to go and explain that one, just left it nice and open to let her come to the results that suited her best… What ever those might have been. “That may be the case… She did have a daughter a long time ago but something happened to the child, no one really knows what though, the one person who did went to his grave hiding that secret.” It was the family tragedy as it went about, a little girl child stolen away, hidden from everyone and presumed dead… Murdered or not? No one knew. “Though… That is different… When we were there for the Run the staff was a rather even mix… Currious… Perhaps Adeliade banished the females to keep Ace from seducing them and forcing him to take a bride…” Or was it something far more devious? He truly hated his clouded Sight right now, there were pathways he could only just make out, things spinning out of his vision and causing him no small amount of anxiety… “Your mother and I miss you terribly, your mother most of all, you are more than her daughter my sweet little lizard. You are her soul, her companion, her shadow… Without you she feels quite lost at times… Do please hurry back, your friends miss you and your mother and I can’t wait to be a family all over again… Especially before your sisters drop into the world like the shooting stars they will be.” He said warmly. He was hoping for a chance to enjoy family time together before the chaos of newborns stirred up the castle like only babies can.

When the food was all gone and hours had passed chatting so enjoyably he wanted to let her in on a few secrets of her past, things about himself and her mother that she never knew, perhaps insights to some of her own behavior that she had yet to realize had come from others in the family. It was hard not to laugh when she said she had never expected such a thing from her mother, honestly looking at Gia without knowing her you would never imagine she so much as clipped a nail out of proper tradition, everything about her screamed decorum and propriety. Under that façade though? There was a flesh and blood woman who loved surprise adventures and sneaking into places she aught not be, who adored to break the rules and get away with it, to dance naked under the moonlight like Ellistrade and fuck herself into sweet oblivion like the most luscious of whores. There was no one in the world like her mother, Gia was a force entirely unto herself, a woman to love and idolize as easy as one drew breath. To know Gia? Was to love her. Pure and simple. It was a very well times, careful drop of a fact of the family a moment later, a truth into something that Anya herself might become aware of in the near future… Such things did not come upon them until their first sexual experience, the loss of ones virginity was like opening the door to what ever waited on the other side, and while he knew not what his sisters was? He knew his own all too well. “I am one of the Ten… A group of us who work for Chegorache and help guide the strings of fate to their proper course, there is one of us for each species with magical talent and a humanoid form…”

Valkryn was more than just a horrible drow, he was viciously insecure and jealous, he lived for the spotlight even though his only attention was from his horrific failures that brought shame upon the house name. Was it any wonder they had to fight so hard to re-establish their name? After months of work, finally the Navere household rang out like a mighty boom across the land, sending the others to skurry away in fear of the mighty spider reared it’s head and bared its fangs once again. “He watched your mother and I far too closely when Gia fell pregnant. He couldn’t pleasure her in bed to save his own sorry skin, the only reason your mother didn’t kill him in his sleep like tradition dictated was because his holdings were vital to the health and happiness of her people… She tolerated him for everyone else, despite what it cost her, what it cost Us… In the end I had no choice… I couldn’t be around your mother and not love her. Not want to hold her when she cries, or tickle her to see her smile, things of which simply because of who I am that I am not permitted to do in those places… Leaving her was like cutting out my own heart and leaving it behind with her… With you in her womb… I can not express how many years of guilt and sorrow I carried or how heavy it was until I got to see you both again… You two… You are my reason for existing…” He said with nothing but pure truth in his voice, warmth and love in every word as he looked at her before he told her the worst news he had, that his vision was being clouded by outside sources… Things making it near impossible to properly navigate his family through treacherous waters from this point on. “But Anya-“ He sated to say before she took his hands and pretty much put her foot down. He wanted to argue, he really did but this was his baby girl, his little princess… The daughter he had missed out on raising… How could he deny her that? How could he tell her it was for the safety of everyone?

Especially when she looked at him with those eyes… So much like her mothers…

Sinking shoulders would tell her that he was giving in, he was not going to fight or go against her, his heart couldn’t take it… “Alright… Alright I promise I won’t go… But in return you have to promise me to come home… To stay at our side so we can keep you safe. Losing me? Would wound your mother. Losing you? Would kill her… You understand what I am saying Anya? You have to come home and stay with us until this inky cloud vanishes and I know what comes next once more.” Surely he wasn’t asking too much of his daughter? For her to come home where she aught to be. “That means you are staying the night too. It is the first party since we arrived, a grand celebration of food and dancing, a toast to how far your mother has carried us and now we are finally Home. Who knows? You might find yourself an exceedingly handsome young man and dance the night away?” He said with a brow raised and a wink as he nudged her lightly, chasing away the heaviness of the moments earlier, after all a father’s greatest wish is to see his daughter marry and have children. It was virtually the pride of a Father to see such a thing happen, then to groom the husband so that he knows exactly how his daughter likes things, to make sure that he can provide a perfect household for the daughter he is stealing away from the family.

Once that was all said and done they would head back down to main area once again and they’d settle into the living area, large and yet somehow cozy, a fire burning in the hearth with small fairy lights set in beautiful globes that hung from the ceiling. While in that room he’d tell her of the thousands of adventures he and her mother had gone on as children and as they got older, the way Gia snuck out to teach him to read and write, something a male was not often afforded. He told her about the times that they used to sneak off to be together, about when he knew he was in love with his sister, the way he struggled with what was right by society and what was right in his heart… The day he caved in and kissed her instead of waiting for her to kiss him first… The sneaky touches and intimate caresses before dinner and under the table, the thrill of it, the danger making it all the more exciting. Then the moment Gia took his virginity, the same night she had to lose hers to her first husband for the sake of Family and financial security… How they were together every single time after her old useless husband bedded her because she deserved so much more… And then the moment Gia told him she was pregnant and how his world both exploded in joy and ended all at once… There was nothing he did not tell her if she asked, all the tales he could remember, things about her grandmother and grandfather, her aunt as a little girl… The family Aunts and Uncles who were quite the colorful cast and known to get into some very thick trouble themselves to the vexation of their mother.

All this and more before Gia would finally return and with guests in tow, his dearest friend Sydel and her new husband Diovan, Nautilous’s elder brother no less! And then little Aysil who looked like she had been muzzled the way she pouted at being taken away from home… Someone who desperately needed Anya’s solid influence on her and who, if taken out tonight to party it up, might become an insanely great friend and terribly useful ally in the coming months and following years… He himself? After speaking to Gia he explained he had a vicious need to fuck and hard, that he was going to seek out his pet and that he would be back as soon as that itch was scratched, a wicked grin on his lips as he whispered that he knew she must have had a good time because he could smell a strangers cum deep inside her and looked like she was floating on a cloud of bliss. He’d kiss her lovingly, tenderly before he’d step away but not before giving her ass a squeeze as he went to seek out a certain extremely horny witch elf who was desperate to be fucked…

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How did he know? Because he could literally smell it on her when ever they crossed paths, Jacob had been so busy training and fighting that once he came to her bed he literally fell asleep moments later, sex might happen now and then but not as frequently as the insanely horny mother to be needed. He’d even teased her about it, caught her in the hallway a time or two at various houses, lifting her skirts to finger her to bliss while suckling a sweet, heavy, milk rich tit till she made him cum with her hand… They couldn’t fuck in the other houses, they were guests and had to behave as decorum stated, if he got caught fucking Rose they’d cause a virtual riot. But now? They were in their own home, they made their own rules, and right now the only rule he cared about was the throbbing one in his pants that was in desperate need of a hot wet vice…

Luckily for him it seemed she was on the same path himself, she was virtually naked under nothing more than a simple mop shirt, her breasts almost pouring out of the deep slit as she paced the upstairs in what he could only call a sexual frustration. He knew what it looked like, he’d seen it before on her a hundred times already, and once their eyes caught? It was on.

Hard.

They didn’t even make it to the bedroom for the first one, he literally closed the distance in a matter of steps before he slammed her against the wall by her throat, relishing the high pitched cry before it was strangled off… The way she looked at him was the way a dog looks at a bone, drooling as he reached his hand in that gaping gown and began to palm and twist her nipple until that milk was virtually pouring down and she came violently, nails digging into his skin as he pressed her harder against the wall and planted his lips on her tits and began to suckle her like a man dying of thirst in the desert. It was a sweet treat, not something he wanted all the time but delicious none the less, delving deep as he kept flicking and bitting her nipple to make more and more of her creamy substance drop onto his tongue… Hearing her gasps, her whimpers, her pleads as she ground her hips against his waist as he bent over her… Keeping her high and tight against the cold plaster as he bit at that nipple over and over again until she shattered once more, his name a cry on her lips before he let her drop to her knees, lifing his shirt up and dropping his pants… An approving growl as she instantly opened her mouth and took his thick throbbing cock between her lips like a well seasoned whore. He showed her no mercy even in her delicate state as he piston fucked her face, keeping her against that wall as she clawed at him, desperately gasping for breath each time his cock left her throat… Drool falling off her lip and chin to wet her tits… Her breasts already leaking like small rivers from her arousal, soaking her shirt as she moaned and cried out like a slut, gagging herself on him over and over again until he pinched her nose and shoved his cock all the way down her throat… Watching her panic, her face flushing as he force fed her his entire load, watching her desperately struggle to swallow it all as she choked and gagged… Pulling out to hear her gasp and cough, cum spilling down her chin even as she licked her lips, fingers eagerly gathering up every little bit before she’d suck it off of her fingers like the finest ambrosia…

It was nothing for him to pick her up in his arms and enter the nearest room, not caring that it had yet to be aired out and was covered in nothing but cloths to keep off the dust and damp, she didn’t seem to care either as she planted her cum flavored lips over his and their kiss was a drug… Getting them both high as she panted in his arms- [/i] “Fuck me, fuck me right now Thaylan, fuck me-“[/i] She was like a dog in heat, wriggling and writhing in his arms before he dropped her onto the bed and quickly tied one of the curtain restraints around her throat, around her wrists and then to the bed so that she was immobile. “Oh I’m going to fuck you Rose like the filthy little elvish whore you are.” He growled back into her ear as he pushed her onto her knees, thighs spread wide before he lifted that shirt up and revealed the glorious plump ass he was so fucking addicted to… Round and perfectly shaped, high and firm, he loved burring himself in her ultra tight cunt and bouncing off that sublime rump like a junkie… Reaching out he fisted his hand in her hair and yanked back hard enough hat several strands came loose in his hands, making her scream ass he arched back hard, the ropes digging into her skin… “Want this cock you slut?” He asked. This was a part of their role play, their little fantasy, an itch they scratched for each other… He loved to demean her, to call her every derogatory name he knew and she loved to hear it, to be called what her beloved husband could never say… Things he himself could for instance never say to Gia… It was a perfect balance of give and take as she cried out brokenly against the sharp gagging of the rope. “Yes! Please! Fuck this filthy little elfish slut with your big black drow cock! Fuck me! Fuck me hard! Make me scream your name, oh Lloth please, please make me fucking hurt-“

With a violent thrust he slammed himself into her with a familiarity they both knew, the same as he knew her husbands ass better than the back of his own hand, after all there was a reason her husband wasn’t hard up as she was… They fucked almost nightly in the barracks or where ever they could sneak away to and he had to admit he loved that young doctors ass, the boy took it like a primed professional, loved and lived for the violence of it… Just like his wife did… “Filthy little cunt… Look at you… Disgusting… I only just shoved it into you and your already cumming on my cock…” He growled before he slapped his hand down on that perfect ass hard enough to make her scream, a perfect imprint of his hand left behind as she came that much harder, jerking forward only to shoot a thick sweet jet of her cum all over his abs and thighs. “Yes! Yes Im a filthy cunt- I came all over your big cock- Please Fuck me! Fuck! Fuck me Thaylan!” She begged and he did just that, laying into her harder and faster than rain hitting a roof, the stucco of his thighs slapping her ass were almost one solid sound as her cum started to crate thick sticky lines of webbing between them… His cock turning a creamy white from all her juices as she came for him over and over again, choking herself on that rope to rock back onto his cock in a need to feel it all, to take it all… And all she would receive as he gave her those last three inches, watching as she suddenly dropped her head, a high pitched keening wail as he felt it start… That perfect climax of hers… The one that started deep and spread out, that locked up around his cock and trapped him inside before her walls would start to milk the fuck out of his cock, making him groan and cry out her name as he fucked her through it in shallow but violent strokes… Oh he could smell it… Her cunt was virtually a faucet of cum against him as she flooded him with each clench of her pussy around his throbbing shaft…

“Do it… Do it you disgusting little slut… Tell me… Tell me what you want… Tell your big black dicked lover what his pathetic little slut wants…” Again, this was all fetish play, hand in hand their kinks went in this and it was what made it all so beautiful…. “Nnngh! God- Yes! Yes! Put your baby in me Thaylan! Fuck your whores womb full of cum-! Make me have your baby! Do it! Please! PLEASE put your baby in me!” Something neither of them would EVER do. EVER. This was word play at it’s finest as he slapped her other cheek and flipped her over so she was on her back, full tits bouncing as he threw her legs over his shoulders, grabbing those golden rings and tugging the ever loving fuck out of them as milk spilled forth as she screamed for him. “DO IT! PLEASE! PLEASE! Get me pregnant baby! Put your cum so deep in my little elvish pussy! Make me have your bastard like the whore I am!” And god did he ever love to hear those things fall from her lips as he pounded her harder… Deeper… Faster… Pushing her on such an angle that her shoulders and head were the only thing touching the bed, on his toes as he made gravity work for them as he fucked her harder and deeper than he ever had before, lips catching a deep rose pink hued nipple with it’s larger than normal nipples… Suckling in another mouthful of that rich cream before he bit that spongy little nub, their eyes catching as she jerked and cried out, spasming around him without warning as she suddenly sucked his cock in and he felt it… His eyes widened in surprise as she wrapped her thighs around him in sheer abandon as she came with an unexpected violence and forced him to do the same along beside her, her name on his lips in a drugged shout as his eyes rolled up in the back of his head, pouring more cum into her than he could ever remember…

They’d go like this for well over an hour as her beloved husband slept, turning her this way and that as her sweetly flexible body bent to every position he craved, taking his cock deeper than ever before and her climaxes were… Heavenly… Intense even for him… He lost count of how many times she managed to make him cum even as he did his best to hold out against it, her pink peachy cunt thoroughly covered by his drow crème, packed in so tight he felt the pressure with each thrust he made inside her. Only at the end did he release her bonds and sat her on his cock, laying on that tarp, covered in sweat with his hands on her hips as she bounced on him like his personal spring bunny… Cum sliding out of her with each move she made as she raked her nails over him and he slapped her ass, the sounds were wet and sticky, the room flooded with pheromones that drove him to the beastly state he was…. Insatiable… Unable to get enough as she continued to ride and cum atop of him, her hands upon her tits as she milked herself into his waiting mouth before he’d cum again, echoed by hers… Another hour… Two… They were at it like teenagers! He was drenched in sweat and claw marks from her, covered in cum and breast milk, their lips and tongue dancing together as he fucked her with a fevered desperation…

It was with one final cry that he plunged into her womb one more time, feeling it flutter and clamp around the head of his cock as he came inside her once more, his eyes rolling up into his head as he gave it his all… That last he had… Just enough for her to be satisfied as well as she cried his name over and over again like his personal little whore, trembling and shaking, sobbing brokenly as she fell against him and they held each other tight… This? Had been months of build up… And they were both fucking drained by the end of it… She’d slide off of him to the side with a broken laugh and a whimper, her hands stroking her tits before he’d roll onto his side and suckle her all over, only to feel her cum again… His finger sliding down to cup her cunt, to slip his fingers inside her and bang her while he suckled, dragging her through several other smaller orgasms as his cum gushed out around his fingers. “Fucking hell Rose, how much milk do these things have? I swear I drank a pitcher already but they’re so damned tight it’s like I did nothing at all!” He muttered only to hear her laugh huskily before that laugh turned into another cry as she arched up and came once again. “I was going to have twins originally so my body made sure I could suckle them, if you think mine are Bad? Wait till Gia’s milk comes in… You’ll have to suckle her, poor thing, or she’s going to be in pure agony.” She reminded him as she stroked her fingers through his hair as he helped ease the pressure in her breasts and made it oh so enjoyable as he ensured she climaxed over and over again as he did so. “Are you ready for it Thaylan? Seven more months and you’ll be the happy holder of twin girls… That’s virtually no time at all…” She said with warth in her voice. She utterly adored and loved Gia like a mother figure, it was her honor, her pride to be a whore for Thaylan who needed an outlet for the dominant tendencies that had surfaced during his time among the humans. “Ready? No… Excited? Beyond words… I want time to fly by but slow down all at once and trust me… I can’t wait to suckle my sweet sister… I want to make her cum like you do.” He said with a laugh as he moved to her other breast as he continued to coax her body to give up more and more of that cum until there was a substantial puddle of it under her ass…

Getting out of that bed he left her there to do what she needed, heading off himself to go and take a bath and get ready for the party, waving goodbye and telling her he’d see her there.

Little did anyone know that once Rose herself stepped into their own wing with Jacob still blissfully unaware that he had been fucked in his sleep? That his dear wife’s water would break in the shower… What he had been feeling when she climaxed was the fact she was dilated very far… That baby? Was coming and faster than anyone predicted…

[Deleted]

He had done a great deal for her.. organised a nice home cooked meal.. treats and everything.. all to remind her .. to recharge her.. and it worked perfectly.. the gifts were just beautiful.. she even went as far as to slide the earrings into her ears..clasping the golden jewellery into place.. they spoke a little on and off about her trip.. about how things were going in Silverthorn.. and his concerns that she wasn't being treated appropriately.. she assured him of the opposite.. Adelaide and her large staff treated her just fine, she needed for nothing.. and she felt she was learning quite a bit.. -..Well hopefully that trade will be a lot smoother in the future. -she nodded.. she knew a little of the story with her Grandmother.. but not all the details.. it was one of those need to know things.. her head tilted when he mentioned Ace was flippant.. she placed her tea cup down-.. Most males are .. -she rubbed her lips together-.. from what I have seen.. what I have witnessed over the years.. most men dont know what they want.. are easily distracted and lead.. and of course incredibly flippant.. Aeson was a fool yes, this much is true.. -she dabbed the corners of her lips with a folded napkin-.. but I recall a certain weapons master rattling Mothers chains in a similar fashion.. I love you Father.. I do.. but I even know that you too stumble when it comes to women.. Mother spoke to me before she left about what happened in Egypt.. -she nodded a little.. plucking up one of those sugar cookies as she took a small bite.. her free hand coming round quickly to capture the crumbs that fell - These are really good.. -spoken with an approving smile..-.

. I havent had a moment to catch up with Rose no.. Im sure I will soon.. she would be due around now I think.. so anythings possible.. -she listened as you spoke about Adelaides daughter.. and the mysteries that followed that story.. and how much they missed her whilst she was away-.. I dont expect to be gone for much longer at all really.. I had spoken with Adelaide about heading back home here on a more permanent basis now that you have settled in.. she didn't have an issue with it.. spoke about having a small family dinner.. so I will head back there once Mother has returned.. but I wont be gone long.. just to close off a few things.. and pack my belongings.. -the two of them had moved on.. stepping out of that little library nook .. he lead her to the attic where he spun stories of him and Gia being together in their youth.. and how sweet and a little naughty it sounded..how much Valkryn caused them troubles and him being the reason he had to leave in the end else it would all come out and ruin them.. the subjects turned though and he mentioned the possibility of leaving once more and she more or less put her foot down.. she would not allow it.. her fingers curled around his hands.. her eyes.. that strong garnet like her Mothers pleaded with him.. - I promise I will.. You have my word.. I will head down there and get my things and come home.. now that we are all settled I can get back to my studies.. I can take my place and we can be a family once more.. -her brows furrowed when he said she had to stay the night.. that they were having a party.. before the words of meeting a handsome man to dance with caused her to roll her eyes dramatically-.. Ive no interest in that.. thankyou.. I will stay here tonight.. but Ill be in the library.. Ill head out tomorrow.. and be home before the next morning rises.. Do enjoy your party Father.. -she too slipped out of the attic.. allowing him to go and do whatever he suddenly had to race off to do.. she returned to her quiet..semi private place.. her books.. a little music and silence-

[BadInfluence]

“I wish I could honestly deny that and say that’s not true but I’m not a liar by any means…” But it hurt no small amount to know that his daughter was aware of his short comings, not only aware of them, but knew them enough to drag them out on the rug like that. It was insanely embarrassing and he did his best to hide the flush of shame on his cheeks… “Honestly… Love is like our cave systems… Lots of ups and downs, twists where you feel like you are doubling back or getting lost, pot holes where you get hurt… You can chose to leave it, to stay in one place and remain constant, to stay calm and stable… But you don’t grow if you do… Life is painful, sometimes it’s a good pain, sometimes it’s the pain of broken bones, but pain tells us we’re alive… Love is just the same…” He nodded his head with a smile at her compliment in regards to the cookie as the two of them caught on up other things, gratefully things not involving himself and her mother, or the obvious blips he had been making as he tried to settle into a role he had once known better than his own skin but had become a strange fit after so many years gone.

“Pretty much… Jacob has been shadowing her as best he can with us being home now, she’d on very light duty as well, everyone’s pretty much just waiting to hear the cries of the first baby born here since your mother and I.” The first… But far from the last… They had triplets healthy and thriving just waiting their turn and he knew as soon as those beautiful little spiderlings came into the world this place would never be quiet again… And then to imagine… They’d just add to the wonderful chaos every year after… He could barely believe the dream his life was. Though even with them on the way he did miss the daughter he never got to raise, his words were gentle and perhaps a little sneaky but he wanted her home, among her people where she belonged… Her studies and her Goddess… The people needed to see their Priestess… “Really? That’s interesting.” Adelaide? Family dinner? Since when? She always dined alone in her room since he had been coming to the castle… Something stank but he couldn’t pin what and it only just frustrated him more to have his vision so clouded… Leading her on a little bit of a story treck he shared with her the bits about his and her mothers past, the things they saw and did, how very different they were then to how they were now… How much life had changed them… Grown them…Though he did try in that time to warn her that he might be forced to leave, that vanishing into he night might be a possible outcome to keep them safe, promising that he would come back but indeed she most certainly had put her foot down with him… What choice did he have? She was his baby girl, his sweet little miracle, his blessing… How could he leave, even if it was to save them, when she looked at him as if his leaving would be the death of herself and her mother.

At least she promised to be coming home within a day or two, that at least settled his soul somewhat, an encouraging step in the right direction… Though when he mentioned nice young men and a party it was like he was asking her to gather up Dryder dung or some such thing, the sheer reaction alone had him chuckling, watching as she chose to skip out entirely and stay in the comfortable little nook. “You know your grandfather told me your grandmother was the exact same way at your age… Had no interest what so ever, hated her first husband like the plague, she never wanted to marry… But then she met him and that changed… I won’t push you my little spider, I want you home for as long as I can, I didn’t get to be a father to you and I am no rush to send you off to live with another man… I want to be the king in your heart for as long as possible.” He said as he would move over to her side and pull her in close for a hug, kissing the top of her head before smoothing her hair back, catching her cheek in his hand. “When you come home I’ll show you all the hidden places your mother and I found and tell you all the stories… I’ll ask your Grandfather to come down and you can meet him in person too… There’s going to be weeks and weeks of partying, there’s a lot to celebrate, so would you please promise your poor father that you will dance a few with me?” He teased softly to see her smile before he would make his way apart from her. It was better to take his leave before he said something foolish but just before he went… He paused for a moment longer at the door, looking back at her with a grin as she decided which nook to stay in, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes… “And I am NOT telling you that if you look behind a certain book shelf up here that there is a secret passage that leads to others all over the castle… And there is DEFINITELY not a large room in the center with eyes that open up in paintings in various parts of the castle for you to spy on people… TOTALLY none of those around here…”