Author's note: Your review is particularly important to me, because English is not my first language, so if possible, please leave your opinion so I can improve my writing. I'm still learning how to use this site, so any advice you might have would be really helpful. As a lot of the story take place in drow society, you can put a content warning for most things drow related, because at some point it will be mentioned or happen.
There's no change of seasons or natural source of light in the cold world of darkness in which is located the large city of Torafinarchel, full of intricately carved castles that pulsed with a subtle glow of magic, its beauty reflecting the otherworldly and deadly grace so characteristic of its ruling inhabitants: the drow. Hidden behind such fascinating and stunning beauty, however, is the chaos and vileness that rules their society, where love is seen as a liability, fear is a constant companion and treachery a recurring way to rise to power.
Torafinarchel had about fifteen thousand drow elves, distributed among five strongest noble houses that formed the Main City Council and the following eight noble houses formed the General City Council – the others were lesser houses seeking to rise in the hierarchy in order to gain the status of nobility. House Auvryana'arn had recently risen from being the seventh noble house in the city to the sixth, thanks to a battle cleverly scheduled for when Matron Chessafae'stra was due to give birth to her fifth living child – the second living male child of the house, which was thriving despite previous losses thanks to the high priestess's cunning skills. It lacked noble priestesses, since some of the matron's older children either died in battle or under suspicious circumstances, but the ruthlessness and strength of the oldest daughter – Gaussaiara, a formidable and muscularly built high priestess of Lolth – made up for it. However, despite her powers and status, she was not the apple of her mother's eyes: such position was taken by her younger sister, Mayrina, who was born during a previous time of crisis.
When Chessafae'stra gave birth to her, the house desperately needed more priestesses born from the Matron, but raising a child would delay the studies of her now deceased daughters. In order to allow them to have more time to study for priesthood, but also out of curiosity, she decided to test a different way of raising children: instead of being raised only by her siblings, Mayrina would be raised by servants and even enslaved surface dwellers who possessed sets of skills her mother considered interesting, unburdening her sisters to teach her only about drow language, values, customs and religion.
After the child's thirteenth birthday, the Matron requested a young lesser priestess to assist in testing her youngest daughter skills, and to their amusement, she took note that the girl not only had way more skills and abilities than most children of her age, but also more proficiency with such skills, as well as the ability of coming up with different solutions and perspectives for a problem. After the test, both priestesses reunited alone.
– It seems like the risk of allowing slaves to take part in raising her was worth it. A lot of children of the same age, no matter how clever they are, do not have half of those skills. – Noticed the commoner, surprised by the outcome.
– Indeed. But it was a calculated risk. – Said the Matron Mother.
– But… pardon the question, Matron, but how could you calculate the risks of leaving a child alone with the barbaric surface dwellers? – Questioned the priestess.
– I studied them before. Knowing your enemies, as well as your subordinates, gives you tremendous advantages when dealing with them. – The woman calmly explained, smiling at the commoner's curiosity.
– Of course! – Replied the young priestess, feeling quite stupid for not thinking on such perspective before. – No wonder young lady Mayrina is so clever. I hope to become as wise as you someday.
Chessafae'stra smiled, noticing that all her researches on different people and cultures was indeed paying off not only to her house's ascension, but also to its members, its strength and to the productivity of the slaves and servants. How many benefits a little reward was able to return! Her youngest daughter soon grew up to be a beautiful woman, well versed in many different languages, fighting styles and spells, with even more lust for knowledge and ability improvement than her mother, who now conversed with her in her personal chambers.
– What do you think of your young brother? – Casually asked the Matron.
– He seems healthy and rather active. – Said the young woman, at the bloom of her fifth decade of life, fifty years away from being considered a psychologically mature drow.
– With Pellanistra and Irae gone, Gaussaiara is now your oldest living sister. Formally, she is supposed to succeed me as Matron of this house if I die. What do you think of this possibility? – Questioned the high priestess, staring in her daughter's wine colored eyes – the beautiful dark shade being the result of the combination of the deep black color of her father's eyes and the vibrant scarlet red color of her mother's.
– She is a strong priestess. – Replied the youngster, uncertain of what to say, as her sister was in a higher station than her.
– She is strong, indeed. But she lacks the necessary cleverness and intelligence, and is far too impulsive to think on the honor and glory of the house in the long term. – The Matron stated, holding her daughter's beautiful face between her hands. – You, on the other hand, paid off all the risks and costs I put into letting you be raised the way you were. I'm proud to have you as daughter.
– Thank you Matron! – Replied Mayrina, flattered by such comment coming from the fierce and intimidating high priestess.
– Do not thank me. This means I'll be placing upon your shoulders one of the heaviest burdens a daughter of nobility may have. – Chessafae'stra stated, in a serious tone. – The burden of carrying on her mother's legacy and continue to lead the house towards power and glory.
– I'd gladly do so, my mother! – The young woman said, her eyes glowing with the joy of what she considered an honor.
– In some years, I'm sure you'll. But for now, you too lack some of the skills you'll need. However, unlike your sister, you're young and clever enough to easily learn them. – Stated the matron. – Which is why you'll begin to learn by conciliating your religious and arcane studies with raising your brother.
– But wasn't I supposed to enroll in the priestess academy this year? – Questioned Mayrina, slightly confused.
– You were. You no longer are. – Replied her mother, dismissing her child's confusion. – Judging by your performance in the training hunts and your actual skills, you'll probably be able to skip the learnings of the first years, what will probably aid you in raising your brother. You don't have to raise him alone either. I'll place some slaves and servants at your disposal.
"I can't wait to see how well are you going to do in figuring their abilities and weaknesses, in appointing them tasks and rewarding or punishing them." Though the woman, holding back her smile.
– I'll test the skills he learned each semester. Do not disappoint me. – Said Chessafae'stra, walking towards the door. – Now come. I'll introduce you the servants and slaves that will be following your orders.
Mayrina did not dare to voice her concerns of disagreement, and instead obediently followed her mother – she was introduced to eight slaves and servants, four of whom seemed to actually have no unique abilities to teach a drow child or any ability that would come in hand for raising the boy, and out of such four, two were way too young to know anything to teach him. The Matron left to the daughter the task of figuring out which their abilities were, and what tasks she would assign to each one, but did not stay in the chamber illuminated by candles to watch, leaving her alone with the eight.
– Very well. – She said, carefully analyzing their appearances, and noticing that most of them were unfamiliar and feared her. – I'm Mayrina Auvryana'arn, second daughter of Matron Chessafae'stra Auvryana'arn. You'll be assisting me in the very important task of raising my little brother, Rhyldaer, future Secondboy of House Auvryana'arn. I want to know the names, ages and abilities of which one of you, no matter how silly or disposable you might think such skills are. I'll be the one judging if they are useful or not. I also want to know where do you come from and for how long have you been working for this household.
– My name is Wendy. – Said a human girl, one of the two slaves who seemed too young to know anything useful, excitedly stepping forward, to the horror and fear of the woman who seemed to be her mother. – I'm six years old. I'm a very very good runner, and I never lost a game of hide and seek to my friends. I –
– Game of hide and seek? – Interrupted Mayrina.
– Yes! You never played it? – The girl energetically inquired, making all the other subordinates stare at each other in fear of how the drow would react. Contrary to their expectative however, Mayrina just listened. – One person is the seeker, and counts to sixty. The other players have to hide–
– Please milady pardon – Wendy's mother tried to interrupt and reach for her daughter, but the drow calmly raised her hand in a shushing motion.
– Please let her explain the rules. Sounds like an interesting game. – She said, listening attentively to the child after motioning for her to carry on the explanation.
– The other players have to hide. There are two ways the hiders can win: if they sneak to the counting place after the seeker finish counting without getting caught, or if they outrun the seeker in getting there after being found. – Said the girl, a big smile on her radiant childish face.
– It's indeed an interesting game. – Stated Mayrina, thinking it could become even more useful and interesting if some of the rules were adapted. – Tell me Wendy, do you know other games similar to it?
– Yes! – Replied the little girl, but soon the excitement vanished from her face. – But most of them require at least three children... and now I only have my younger brother to play with… – She said, looking at the boy that held tightly to their mother's skirt.
– I assume the two of you would like to have another playmate? – Asked the drow, seemingly pleased, much to the relief of the mother of the children.
– It would be great! – She said, her big blue eyes shining with joy.
– Well then… that will be your task. You'll be his playmates when he reaches around your age, and you better put your skills of hide and seek to use. – Stated Mayrina, winking at the girl, and then turning to her mother. – Am I right to guess you're their mother?
– Yes milady. My name is Eirian. Please – The drow motioned for Eirian to stop.
– She seems to be a good child. Speaking of which, I don't know much about raising one, so your experience will be very helpful. Are you literate? – Inquired the noble, receiving an affirmative nod as answer.
– I can read and write in the common language, milady. – Was the anxious answer.
– That's very good. What about your knowledge on etiquette and culture? – Questioned Mayrina.
– I know only the basics, milady. I learned how to read and write because my parents earned money as merchants and were able to pay a tutor. – Replied Eirian, worried about her fate, as well as the fate of her children.
– Excellent. Besides helping me with the experience you have, you'll teach him the basic about human customs and etiquette norms, as well as basic calculus and how to read and write in common. – Instructed the young drow. – Since I know a couple of things about surface families and cultures, I'll allow you to keep your children by your side all the time during work, as well as to fully dedicate the time you're not helping me with my brother to care for them.
– Thank you milady! I… I don't know how to express how grateful I am! – Exclaimed the woman, who the noble easily noticed to have been bought on that very day from the last batch of slaves brought from the surface after a while.
– Simple. – Said Mayrina, at the time not fully understanding why the human seemed both extremely relieved and afraid. – Take good care of my little brother.
– Wasn't she supposed to be evil and cruel? – The little boy whispered to his sister, as that was all he ever heard about her race. Mayrina heard it, but considered she would get more information if she pretended she didn't. The girl hit the boy, Ron, with her elbow before he kept on speaking, while the drow inquired another slave, who probably was just a couple of years younger than herself, about her abilities.
At the end of the day, the favorite daughter of Matron Chessafae'stra managed not only to assign a helpful task to every single one of the people placed under her orders, even to the ones her mother expected her to consider useless, but also to provide them with enchanted artifacts that would allow them to see in the dark. The question made by Wendy's brother, however, kept bothering her – the surface people thought drow were evil, but she was always taught by her sisters that the surface dwellers were the evil ones – she shook her head, pushing aside the idea of questioning the teachings of Lolth.
"These humans are good." She thought, ironically and unconsciously projecting on them her own situation. "But they were indoctrinated by lies spread by the evil ones, who rule their vile society."
Aware of the difference in their lifespans, Mayrina did try to not get attached to Eirian and her children, but her attempts were no match for the woman's kindness and her children's friendliness, and by the time Vierafay was born two years later, she caught herself questioning some of her society beliefs – although such doubts were a secret she concealed with maximum care, aware of what the price of demonstrating or publicly acting on them could be. She acted colder and even harsher towards them in public, but completely different when they were alone, and kept herself in line with Lolth's rules, although she started to rely more on arcane arts and melee abilities than in the powers related to priesthood.
It did not take long for her chambers, as well as the minor chambers she asked her mother to allocate the eight people under her command, to become real bubbles of tranquility and care in a world of treachery, violence and deceit – entering such chambers was like entering a different social space, in which people could be themselves as long as they did not explicitly angered Lolth. Eirian treated the two siblings as if they were their own, singing lullabies for them when it was time to rest and even helping her mistress to teach them how to walk. By the time Vierafay reached the age of six, the four children were very close to each other – something Chessafae'stra mistakenly overlooked, for considering that the difference in aging and eventual death of the humans would be an excellent lesson to her children about how attachment, and especially friendship, towards people of inferior races was a weakness that would only cause them pain.