The Drow Matriarchs Decision

I looked upon my underground city. I was in an open carriage, pulled by six female human slaves, chosen for their beauty, grace, and shining red hair, allowed to grow out and put into ponytails for the irony. They were naked, save for the leather straps that bound their arms behind their backs and their bodies to the carriage. Each had a bit in her mouth to prevent her from talking. I loved my human slave carriage. I love how beautiful they looked, running through the City of Eternal Twilight. Their shadows were cast on the walls by the dim lights of the city street. They moaned gorgeously when the carriage driver whipped their backs to speed them up.

We came to our destination: Barrindar Estate. I loved that building. A lot of long, straight lines and simple colours. Almost but not quite symmetrical. Long and square and boxy, with an extra room on the side. Naked slaves decorated it, alternating between human and drow. Their arms and legs held out in a starfish pose that filled me with joy. The looks of defeated humiliation on their faces shined through even the ball-gags in their mouths. The humans had an extra look of horror on their faces; they had never conceived of this kind of terrible slavery.

I watched my servant step off the side of the carriage and knock on the front door. It opened, revealing my sister's servant. After they spoke, my servant returned and opened the carriage door; I took his hand gently and stepped out. I walked past the slaves, enjoying the way they looked at me, enjoying the sense of power I exuded as I could cheerfully ignore them.

----

"Sister, please listen instead of making jokes." My sister, Matriarch Dristana Barrindar, gently dropped her used napkin onto her plate. I was scandalised by such a blatant disrespect to the table, but I knew this meant she was being very serious. She was wearing a dark purple human-style suit with long, flat tails and no tie. She always was a bit of a rebel; she was beautiful enough to get away with her outrageous outfits.

"I'm sorry," I said. I began cutting my meat. "Please explain."

"The Frost Gates have finally begun to fail, after all these years. We won't be able to transport our cargo or slaves as easily, and certainly won't be able to bring them to Eternal Twilight as easily. We face our worst economic crisis since the Elendor Plague."

That

was

troubling. "I see your point, sister." My eyes drifted over to the slaves standing by the table. The room itself was large, though not ridiculously so; the table seated six on each side, and my sister and I sat opposite each other. There were statues of powerful drow warriors in the corner that my sister admired, including Captain Kent'tar, an infamous drow pirate who roamed the surface, taking slaves from human, elven, and dwarf colonies. I had heard that humans and elves still cursed her name. It was very much my sister's character to admire an effective pirate who ran away from home.

There was also a small line of slaves. All drow, of course; humans were used as beasts of burden, particularly for ploughing fields, carting heavy mining work, and of course transportation. Having a human in your home would be embarrassing. Drow were much more suited to in-home slavery, where they could even be allowed some social mobility eventually. My sister's drow slaves were beautiful, of course; interestingly, she had them wear red armbands around the house, because she liked how they looked (they were otherwise naked, as is custom).

I looked to my sister. "Take me to the gardens after dinner."

----

My sister and I sat in our thrones, carried through the gardens by six of her slaves. She had deliberately chosen three humans with jet-black hair and three drow. The sound of them groaning as they picked up the throne block - two thrones, each on one block with four sticks on the side - had been delicious. I enjoyed the strain we were putting on them, and it made our view of the moss and underground trees more satisfying. Water dripped from the ceiling down onto the trees. Since the ice had melted on the surface, more water had been coming down, and it had led to a growth in the trees.

I looked about the garden, contended. I saw many drow walking their slaves on leashes, entertaining them. The younger generation indulge their slaves too much, I think. But I can't deny it was beautiful watching humans, humiliated by the degradation, chasing balls around to fetch them. Sometimes the young drow made them crawl on all fours, and that was something I definitely approved of.

I leaned over to my sister. "You keep the estate well, my love."

"Thank you, sister."

I leaned right over and whispered in her ear. "I have very expensive Dultaforn fuel stored in my most secret warehouse."

Her eyes widened. "Where did you manage to procure

that?!"

"Please, keep your voice down! It was found by my raiding parties on the surface. I have been keeping it stored for just such a situation as this. We will be able to sell it for a considerable sum, to keep us going. Or perhaps even use it as fuel, if we find the right vehicle for it."

She smiled her predator smile at me. "Sister, you are devious. I love you very dearly."

"I love you too."