Drow's Dilemma Ep. 135: New Order

Author's Note:

A Drow's Dilemma began as a one-on-one roleplaying project and has been converted into a chapter-by-chapter format for weekly posting with the permission and assistance from my partner. It will contain a considerable amount of sexual themes such as femdom, lesbian, straight, 'reverse' rape, BDSM, group sex, romance, and other themes. The main goal of the story, however, is to tell an epic tale of adventures, gods and goddesses, fae, and nymphomaniacs. This episode and every episode to come will be available for free on Literotica for the foreseeable future. All characters that engage in sexual or suggestive situations are mentally and sexually mature: the human equivalent of 18 for their race.

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Episode 135: New Order

Ashyr felt happy when she returned to R.I.S.A. It had been almost two weeks since she had last seen Caleldir. She'd missed him more than she expected. They had only ever been separated before because one of them was in peril, so this time should have been easy in comparison. Perhaps it was still easy, but there was a sort of melancholy that settled over her in the end. Soon, Caleldir would be back with her and they could establish some manner of 'normal.'

"You excited to play with your father later?" Ashyr asked Uriel. She was answered by the deep, slightly shaky inhale of an infant sighing deep in his sleep. "You're right; we should go to bed first."

Bard leading the way, Ashyr retired to her very lonely bed - where had Selene gone? She must have already slept and was off reading or researching. Caleldir had mentioned some new idea he had; Selene could have been excited about that. Normally, Selene was good at touching bases with Ashyr after they had been separated for a while, but there were times before when it slipped her mind because of a big project.

The master bedroom was still empty aside from Ashyr and Bard when she awoke. It was still not enough to make Ashyr worry. She went on her morning run with Bard, woke her baby, and ate her breakfast.

"I guess we'd better go to work, eh Uriel?" Ashyr sighed heavily. Being the leader of the Duskhaven refugees was exhausting. She did not like it. But she was the best person for the job.

Ashyr situated her baby in the cloth carrier that she had wrapped around her torso and ventured back out of R.I.S.A. into the administration building just outside. She then began the ultra-exciting duty of sitting around all day doing paperwork...

The morning was quiet. Most of the dark elves preferred to be active at night, after all, and administration was clearing out as the sun grew stronger in the sky. The only ones remaining by the time that Ashyr left R.I.S.A. and entered the administration building were the three pseudo-Dark Nymphs Mizrae, Elerra, and Laele, who had no sun sensitivity after the ritual that had turned them part nymph. Due to the effects of said ritual, their consciences remained quite overactive so they tended to work extremely long hours. This morning, though, they mostly complained that Caleldir was not back yet, and asked Ashyr at least once each when she expected him to return.

Ashyr, of course, had no idea when he would be back. There were many, many people to monopolize his time. As usual. She expected him later that day, which is what she told each of them.

"Uriel needs me to go on a walk," Ashyr announced. He was starting to get fussy, but it was mostly because her own antsy impatience was rubbing off on him.

"Um. You are coming back, right? We've a lot of work to do and, er..." Elerra protested softly.

"And the reason it always takes me all day to do this paperwork is because I take a break every twenty minutes and then lose track of time. It would be better for everyone if I just concentrated and powered through it," Ashyr said in a tone very much like Selene's.

Ashyr could tell that the three of them were very carefully hiding their expressions. She grinned at them. "I can't concentrate with my poor baby whining all the time!"

Nevermind the fact that R.I.S.A. offered multiple times to babysit Uriel. He didn't have to come with his mother while she did paperwork.

Before they could complain more, Ashyr stepped out of the Duskhaven building and into the nymph-tended gardens. To keep up appearances, Selene commissioned quite elegantly arranged shrubberies and flowers. Ashyr preferred wild forests, but it was a nice enough place to walk around. There were always nymphs in the gardens, but few visitors ever saw them, as the nymphs could effortlessly disappear into the trees and streams.

The nymphs did not hide from Ashyr, though, and the naiad on duty today gave her a wave from the fountain. The blue-haired woman tensed up, however, and disappeared.

The reason for the naiad's melding with the water became obvious soon after, with a familiar face rounding the corner. Alycyrl, wearing an incredibly scanty outfit that was basically outdoor lingerie with long flowing bits, gave Ashyr a smile. "I was told you were out here!" the happily dispossessed princess greeted her old friend. "Your secretaries are the loveliest dark elves I have ever seen. Where did you find those three?"

"Aly! Yeah, I like them fairly well. They found us," Ashyr explained. "They were from Old Duskhaven and were feeling vulnerable. One completely life-altering deal with nymphs later, they have made themselves into irreplaceable members of Duskhaven. Did you just come in from down south?"

"Yes." Alycyrl nodded. "I had been serving Queen Rubella because I like succubi and sympathize with her goals of giving her people a homeland that is not as terrible as the Hells or the Abyss. But now that the Ellistraean Dark Elves are doing the same thing, I felt moved to come and be with my people. The succubi are great and all, but I am a Dark Elf, not a succubus." She pursed her lips. "Though... I have considered becoming a succubus." She grinned. "But I decided to stay a Dark Elf. So, here I am, at your service. I think that it is finally time for me to grow up and stop just running around having sex with every attractive person that strikes my fancy. Settle down. Have some children."

Ashyr's grin looked rather smug. "I would recommend finding yourself a good mate, then. Sorry, mine is taken. Unless you would like to become an official Duskhaven?"

"I admit, I had considered joining Duskhaven," Alycyrl said sheepishly. "It is not like my House wants me anymore. And I am not sure about running around claiming the royal name for myself. My cousin would see that as a threat. And even as skilled as I am, constantly fighting off Spidersilk Assassins sounds exhausting."

"You think they would try something all the way over here? Not that I'm asking you to rule, as much as I'd love to pass the job over to someone else. I don't think I'm suited to this sort of thing." Ashyr sighed.

"'Think'?" Alycyrl scoffed. "I know that the Priesthood of Lolth - or Aralolth as the traditionalists say - has spies in New Duskhaven. One Spidersilk Assassin that you would recognize is currently masquerading as a secretary for House Teken'ath. I am pretty sure that she is sleeping with the Patron, Ryld'nar. We had many threesomes with her back in the day: you would remember her as Xurini Shreldac. I knew her true profession at the time as a junior Spidersilk, but never told you."

"One of the most dangerous of the Spidersilks is working undercover in House Maevalzynge as a spider-keeper. I recognized her as an extremely high-ranking Priestess of Aralolth and Sacred Assassin that my mother met with a few times back during her time as Queen. The woman is notable for always going hooded and masked, but underneath her concealment, she looks a lot like your Dark Nymph secretaries when it comes to Nylameian standards of painfully perfect beauty. Except she gives off an aura of death-cold Evil. I never was intimate with her despite my best efforts back then, but I know that she knows I recognized her."

Alycyrl let out a long breath. "Which is all to say that my cousin, whose name I will not say, is keeping a close eye on events here. I think that some of the Duskhaven Adoptees were working for her, but might have left her faction once adopted. I have only been back in New Duskhaven for three days, and there is only so much I can observe in that time, even coordinating with Rubella's spies." Alycyrl laughed. "Oh, uh, I should probably add that Queen Rubella has twenty-one succubi, seven female cambions, two male cambions, two noble succubus candidates, one female warlock and her two succubus familiars, and two male warlocks with five succubus familiars between them infiltrating the Ellistraean and Aelsunite forces in a variety of positions. And those are just the ones I was cleared to know about with Rubella knowing that I would probably tell you."

"Damn," Ashyr swore, though without much feeling. Of course there would be spies from all factions everywhere. There was no way to vet everyone who was pouring into the country. "Thank you for letting me know, Aly. I'm sure Selene will use that information to her advantage. Probably something about feeding them what we want other countries to know or something."

"Queen Rubella's informants can probably be considered friendly," Alycyrl replied. "We might be able to seduce Xurini again - or have Caleldir do it. Women become easily obsessed with him, and I think you could weaponize that. The Deathly Beautiful Priestess will just have to be watched, I am not sure how to deal with her. Her threat cannot be underestimated."

Ashyr shrugged. She had no idea either. She wasn't good at dealing with politics. That was why she liked the wilderness.

"Let's go back to the topic of children and mates. I like that topic better. Have you met Uriel?" Ashyr asked as she pulled the bright-eyed infant from his carrier and offered him to her friend. "There's nothing like holding a baby. Especially when he's yours."

"I have not met your son," Alycyrl took Uriel with a strange expression on her face, holding the infant gently. "But I am still... lost on what I should do. Should I just join Duskhaven? I think that would be the best option. But your House is a bit overfull these days. Granted, it is overfull with girls I would love to seduce. But I... am having difficulty with the idea of giving up my own House, even if it has given me up. I have always thought of myself as a Princess rebelling against Evil. I am ready to give up being a rebel. I am not sure I am ready to give up being a Princess."

"It seems we are both questioning our positions in life," Ashyr observed thoughtfully.

"I certainly do not envy yours," Alycyrl laughed. "I want to be a princess, not a queen. And I mean that in the sense of being royalty without having to rule."

"Well, member or not, you are welcome to visit and seduce our women," [give ashyr reaction] "Do you have a place to stay? We have rooms set up inside the Duskhaven building." She gestured to the grand estate partially carved out of the back wall of the crater.

"I would not mind staying here," Alycyrl licked her lips. "I think I can convince your part-nymphen secretaries to 'take a break' occasionally. I am also interested in your dryad and naiad gardeners who are hiding and watching us, not realizing that I am quite attuned to Nylameian presences." A gasp and a giggle were heard from the fountain. "Is there any dress code for this place? I am used to living in places enlightened enough to mandate nudity, and that does not seem to be the case here."

"Enlightened enough," Ashyr scoffed. "Caleldir would not see it that way! And Selene would hate to not be able to wear all her finery! I certainly don't care as long as everyone is attractive. What you're wearing works in the common areas. In the living quarters... well, you might scandalize Sornamal. He works for Duskhaven again, officially. Just not as Consort anymore. Obviously."

"I think that what I am wearing matches what your secretaries wear," Alycyrl replied with a grin. "But I will wear anything that I can remove quickly."

"A head-to-toe robe could accomplish that much. Anyway, what I meant to say is that you could go naked in the living quarters if you wanted to. Sornamal will just give you one of his Looks. Selene's Looks pale in comparison!" Ashyr smirked. "It's a lot of fun."

"That makes more sense," Alycyrl chuckled. "Anyway, I probably will not go naked where Sornamal can disapprove. Probably." She slumped a bit, looking very tired. "It is good to be back," she smiled weakly. "But all merriment aside, I need some time to think about what I want to do. Staying here will give me that time."

She looked towards the outer building carved into the crater. "It looks like it will take a few decades for most of our people to get used to the sun. Only you, me, and the enhanced ones are stirring outdoors. Not much is likely to happen until nightfall." She looked back towards Ashyr. "You just got back from somewhere, and I do not see Caleldir around. Is there anything interesting going on? Has Caleldir got himself kidnapped by insistent lovers again? I do seriously think that you should weaponize that."

"He was with your former mistress last I saw her. I do hope he comes back soon, or I really will worry that he has been kidnapped again," Ashyr responded. She looked slightly worried about it. "I would rather not try to weaponize Caleldir like that. I would prefer to hide him away and put a stop to that sort of thing for a while. When he and Selene come back, maybe we'll have an official family discussion about it."

"Caleldir is with Rubella?" Alycyrl said in mild surprise. "Well, that is... interesting. I am sympathetic towards most of the Succubus Queen's goals, of course, but she is very, very dangerous. She rarely shows it, but she is a fanatical follower of the Ur-Nymph, the Undead Archfey Astellodia, and her daughter Lilith. And Caleldir is the Son of Astellodia, Goddess of the Forgotten, and her husband the Cloaked Titan, the God of Searching. Your House Consort is a full brother to Aelsuna the Goddess of Beauty and Nymphs, Lilith the Goddess of Sensuality and Succubi, Aralolth the Goddess of Secrets and Drow, Corelath the God of Order and Light Elves, and Freyja the Goddess of War and Valkyries. For whatever reason, though, your demigod refuses to be a god of any type, demi or otherwise, and just lets himself get batted around by the infinite number of women drawn to his divine essence. He is a demigod with two gods as parents, but the most mild and frankly pathetic one I have ever seen."

Alycyrl sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Frankly, you need to get your husband some balls. Get him to seduce the women already predisposed to be obsessed with him, and use that to solidify power. If for no other reason than as Caleldir's true nature becomes known outside of us and Rubella's inner circle he will become the target of every god and goddess active on and around this world. If you and he do not have the ability to deal with some amorous succubi wanting to incubize the larval form of a god then you will never see the end of trouble. You need power, and lots of it. And forgive my bluntness, but right now your best bet to solidify that power is through his cock. Use him to bang your enemies into submission. Women who rape him end up being subservient to him more often than not, for some strange reason. But not because he does anything, but because you, Selene, and Althaia do. Especially Selene."

The rebel princess gave an apologetic grin. "Yes, we have been spying on you."

Ashyr looked as if she had just bitten into something unpleasant. "I know you've been spying - you just said you were. But how the fuck am I suppose to manage that without Caleldir becoming extremely unhappy? And Selene, too for that matter! Abyss, even I'm getting uncomfortable with how many women Caleldir has drawn to himself! Damn it, I didn't want all this! I wanted to fuck around in the wilderness and fight orcs and other random uglies! I can't handle all this!"

By the end of her speech, Ashyr was looking rather wild. As if she was on her verge of just sprinting off. Bard leapt to her side in a slight panic, though he couldn't figure out what they were supposed to be fighting.

"I am sorry," Alycyrl sighed. "I hate it, I really do. But you are Matron of Duskhaven now. And Duskhaven is now not just one of the most powerful Houses in the Drow Empire, but a Dark Elven rival to the Drow, the focus point of a millenia old struggle between Gods and Titans, and in de-facto control of the weapon arsenal of the only country in the history of this planet to put a credible threat against the gods of this world. You all do not seem to be aware of what position you are in, the fact that there is no way to leave it safely, and what must be done to maintain it. Maybe using Caleldir as a bargaining chip is not the right answer, but you will need to do something. I spent two hundred years as the expected heir to the Drow Throne. I saw all the games. I had to play a lot of them. And the storm that is coming your way is one that not even gods can stand against. You will have to fundamentally change the way you view the world if you want to survive as yourself, and not a mere pawn."

The woman slumped, her carefree facade slipping as the weight of centuries overcame her. She always looked very young, but right now her eyes showed her true age. "Caleldir has been a mere pawn for his entire life, and does not know how to act, only how to react. But Ashyr, you are not much different. You rarely act on your own, we only react to the situation we find ourselves in. We are not as bad as Caleldir, granted, but it is time for us to learn how to act instead of just reacting. We need to grow up." Alycyrl gave Uriel a tender touch. "Or our children will be swept away by the same storm that comes for us."

Having finished her tirade, the princess let out a miserable sigh and sat down on the side of the fountain, looking at the mossy stones beneath her feet. She was silent.

"You're just making it clear to me that I am the last person for this job," Ashyr grumbled as she sat down next to her friend. "I haven't had any experience. I can't even focus on simple paperwork for ten minutes. Selene, you, Caleldir, Sornamal, Tsabdrin - you're all smarter than me. I'm a ranger. I can manage simple creatures. Not drow or dark elves. And you're asking me to try to handle gods? And why? Because I'm the first woman to win Caleldir's heart? That's not exactly a difficult feat. Or is it because I was off fucking around in the wilderness instead of being assassinated?"

"Who else is there for the job?" Alycyrl sighed. "Caleldir may be smarter than you, but he is unable to stop himself from getting ravished every five minutes. Is Selene willing to be Matron? Tsabdrin is a good man, but he is not a leader. Sornamal is old and tired. Who else can lead Duskhaven besides you?"

"Selene isn't willing, no. I think she wouldn't mind doing most of the work if it was just out house issues that we had to deal with. But the main reason she's content with not being the official heir is because she doesn't want to deal with the whole city - she wants free time to research and stuff. And yeah, there are less drow now but there are so many other issues because we don't even know what the status quo is supposed to be. I'm the only one for the job, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not qualified! I'm trying, but as soon as Caleldir and Selene take a week off, everything piles up and falls apart."

Ashyr put her head in her hands, her elbow rested on her knees. "Putting me in this job is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Sure, it might be the only piece available, but it still doesn't fit."

"Well," Alycyrl began slowly. "If the peg will not fit into the hole but must do so, you must either carve the peg, the hole, or both to be the right size and shape. So, you cannot do your job. But you must do your job. So, you either have to change yourself, change your job, or both. The answer is always both. Or you can find someone more qualified whom you trust absolutely, and try to get them to do the job instead. So, with that in mind, how can we make this work?"