The campaigning season was more or less over, And Zephyr had a lot of work ahead of him. The one he needed to put the most amount of work into was Gilded Bay. The moment his rule over the city became public knowledge, thirty-seven city-states that covered the deserts of Ruboria suddenly surrendered to his authority. The amount of paperwork he had to do to incorporate each vassal city into his dark domain was nightmarish. If it was not for Rose helping him, he was sure that he would have died. The next thing he had to manage was the newly acquired dwarven territories. He officially allowed clan Goldersone to dwell in them but also had a large garrison of minions working them as well. Converting a third of each city into a factory similar to the one in Spree, but much bigger. And when the time came, he marched into the new dwarven capital of Hammerstone, ready to crown the new king of the dwarves. While making his way to the castle, he had to admire the engineering of the dwarves. Of all the dwarven clans, clan Hammerstone was the most technologically advanced, proof that he needed to place the spying crown on their new king's head. The dwarves made a big ceremony about it. The whole city was there to watch as Zephyr stepped up the grand stairs of the mighty stronghold. When the newly appointed king kneeled before him, that was when he started.
"Gruddjul Hammerstone. Do you swear to serve not only me but the dwarven people to the best of your abilities?"
"Aye, me lord."
"Gruddjul Hammerstone. Do you swear to muster your armies if my realm, and that of the dwarves, comes under threat or in the name of expansion?"
"Aye, me lord."
"Gruddjul Hammerstone. Do you swear to give onto me, overlord Zephyr, master of all things, and avatar of darkness itself, fifteen percent of all your nations yearly earnings?" The dwarf king grumbled to himself for more than a minute before finally mustering up his answer.
"Aye, me lord."
"Then I, your master and true ruler, overlord Zephyr. Shale crown you king of the dwarves! Greatest of your people, but equal to all others who toil in my shadow." The dwarf at his feet grumbled and glared at Zephyr as he placed the crown on his head. In fact, Zephyr could feel the hate and disgust of practically every dwarf in the city. That alone made coming to the stinking dwarf city more than worth it. He made his way back to the dark tower, thoroughly exhausted by how much micromanagement his dark domain needed nowadays.
"Why the fuck didn't everyone tell me that ruling a big ass evil domain was going to be this much work!?"
"What the hell are you complaining about? I have been the one vomiting my guts out every morning, And picking up your slack while creating life in my tummy!" Rose said indignantly as she walked into the room, cradling her bulged belly. As usual, Gnarl's presence made everything worse somehow.
"Mistress, your beetle and slug past on banana bread is ready." Zephyr simply looked at the two of them while slowly getting back up.
"Well, I can see your all very much busy, so I think I will go kick Luna around for a bit, by." Zephyr then got up and left, not just to avoid watching Rose eat garbage, though. Taking a trip into Evernight, he noticed something rather odd when he entered the palace. Strange mirrors were set up lining the hall that shimmered with an ugly benevolent glow.
"Be wary, master. Those are elf gates. Only someone, or something, of great and terrible power, could have erected those!"
"Thanks for the warning Gnarl, have the succubi waiting on standby." Zephyr went deeper into the palace, and what he found was somewhat strange. Luna and her rangers were prostrating themselves before a glowing woman in a blue dress that matched her ridiculous blue hair.
"Your actions have greatly displeased me, Luna. Slaughtering civilians, including children!"
"Forgive me, queen Fey! I was unable to keep the darkness of the forest from infecting my own heart!"
"Oh, I think the darkness comes from within, not without." The glowing woman growled, sounding very much like a disappointed mother. Zephyr decided to handle this situation with all the gentleness it deserved.
"Who the fuck are you, and why are you menacing my vassle?" The blue woman turned around to face him, and Zephyr could not help but admit that she was beautiful.
"Are you the one who corrupted the elves of Evernight, dark one!?"
"My name is overlord Zephyr. Now answer my question before I decide to let my minions have their way with you." A disgusted look formed on the blue woman's face as one of his minions started to make humping motions at her.
"I am queen Fay, guardian of all that is good in this world. Choose your next words carefully, dark one. Or they might just be your last. Did you plant the seeds of darkness in the heart of poor Luna?"
"No, I imagine that seeing her homeland conquered, her people enslaved to near extinction, and the humiliation she suffered as Goldo's pet did that. I just gave her an outlet, someone to take it out on, someone to hurt like she was hurt. I just paved the road to darkness. She, as well as her rangers, chose to walk down it." Shock and horror could be seen on both Fay's and Luna's faces. Luna quickly looked away from the others, too full of shame to look any of them in the eyes.
"I... This couldn't be true... I would have known..."
"Have you not noticed the scares on these elves? Look at their necks and wrists, see the mark left by the dwarves." Fay looked over the cowering elves at her feed, and from the look on her face, she finally saw the marks left by dwarven shackles.
"Oh, my poor children! Had I known the horror that was inflicted upon you, I would have arrived sooner."
"But you didn't. The supposed guardian of all that is good, let two elven kingdoms fall into corruption and slavery under her watch. I was the one to liberate these lands. This land, and its people, are my vassals! If you wish to dwell here, that is for Luna to decide, but you gave up the right to call yourself their queen when you abandoned them to extinction! I am the overlord of this land, respect that, or be gone!" Both women again looked shocked and horrified by what Zephyr had said. A look of utter shame fell over queen Fay as she pondered what was said.
"I will... Respect that the elves of this land are your vassals. But I will make this right. And if you interfere with the purification of this land or its people, then there will be conflict!"
"As long as Luna accepts your presence in her domain, I really could not give a fuck. She is my vassal, but this is her land, and whatever happens here, she must consent to first." Both rulers looked to Luna, who was still bowing on all fours before Fay. Looking up at them with red eyes that just finished crying rivers.
"I-I-I welcome the company of queen Fay. Please, your pureness, help me find the path again." Fay then offered her hand to help the elf queen to her feet, and she accepted it gladly.
"Well, now that this little drama sean is over, I had a reason for showing up. To keep the work off of my shoulders specifically, I am giving you queen Luna total dominion over all of Greenvale. Except for castle Grumguard, which will have a minion garrison to respond to any emergency that might arise. But I want all of the halflings from your new domain."
"Thank you, my lord." Zephyr simply huffed at the elven women and stormed out.
"That was a very close call, master. That fairy queen was as strong as any overlord I've ever served. In the future, you should avoid that sparkly wench at all costs!"
"So you're saying I have an equal in this world, Gnarl? Where is her kingdom, just out of curiosity?"