Imryne, Of House Melrae: The Shrine Where Sin Is A Prayer

[aithne]

(The Lady Of Pain Dramatis Personae)




Imryne, of House Melrae
Book Two: The Lady Of Pain

Chapter Two: The Shrine Where Sin Is A Prayer



I have passed from the outermost portal
     To the shrine where a sin is a prayer;
What care though the service be mortal?
     O our Lady of Torture, what care?
All thine the last wine that I pour is,
     The last in the chalice we drain,
O fierce and luxurious Dolores,
     Our Lady of Pain.

--Swinburne, Dolores




(Imryne, in House Melrae)

It was time for the first meal in house Melrae, but even the delicious smells coming from her mother's dining room were not enough to tempt Imryne to eat. She kept Jevan at her side and walked into the room, where Triel, a number of her husbands, and a few of the younger children ate. Triel glanced up as they walked in and immediately her face went grave. "Can I have a word with you in private?" Imryne asked.

"Of course." Triel rose and abandoned the table, leading Imryne and Jevan into her study. It was the first time that Jevan had been inside this space, and he looked around. "Trouble?" Triel asked.

Imryne nodded. "Rauva. Veldrin will be found dead sometime in the next few days, supposedly from combat. Rauva's to blame."

Triel shuddered. She had lost her first and second sons, both while on patrol. They had never even found Quave's body. "Rauva killed him? Or was somehow involved?" she asked, her voice steady.

Imryne gritted her teeth. "She tortured and killed him to prove to Greyanna that she has gone over to Lloth. Greyanna initiated her into the worship of Lloth."

"I feared that was a possibility." There was pain written on Triel's face. "But never did I think she would kill her own brother."

"Nor did I. She has Phaere under lock and key, as well. An accident may happen there soon. I need to engage Maerret sooner rather than later."

"I believe you, Imryne," Triel said. "But here is what I want you to do. Engage with Maerret now. When Veldrin's body gets back to us, we are going to question it. I want to hear it from his lips. I want to believe in my children until proof. But during that time, I want you to make a plan with Jevan. He has been in Shobalar. Get Phaere out." Her hands gripped the arms of the chair tightly. "It's my fault. I birthed Rauva, and ignored her for her sister. First daughters have more value in the eyes of Lloth, but not with Ellistraee. She assumed I didn't love her enough or as much. I did, but I was a young mother. I made mistakes." Triel's voice was ragged, old pain in it.

"In the end, Rauva became what she did not because of anything you did, Mother," Imryne said gently. "You might have made mistakes, but so do we all. Rauva has her eyes open. She knows what she's become."

"What about Z'ress?" Triel asked.

Imryne shook her head. "Z'ress is being Rauva's shadow, watching and learning."

"Judge her if you can. Bring her back if you think she will turn from her path; if not, let her die with Rauva," her mother said grimly. "Phaere is not like her mother. I raised her, her mother was too busy. I want her back. I don't care if Rauva finds out. If she opens her mouth about Ellistraee, I can borrow Jevan to shut it for her if we have to." There was a dangerous light in Triel's eyes. Imryne occasionally forgot that her mother held all of the power of House Melrae in her hand, and she could be hard when she needed to be. "Any amount Maerret wants, pay it."

"The rest of Shobalar will not fight for her, as well," Imryne added.

"Then we absorb them or Maerret will," Triel said. She was sitting stock still; she could have been a statue. "Find out where Maerret's loyalties lie as quickly as you can, and see if they are willing."

Imryne recognized an order when she heard one. There was a fierce wound in her that was happy to hear that she could do something to avenge the brother she loved and had not seen for years. "Soon, then. I promise."

"We may create another monster doing this, but we can deal with it later. A young house with a lot of ambition and the money may be a problem some day." Triel took a sharp breath. "Do your preliminaries to set things up, but hold until Veldrin is in our hands."

"I will. I hope to have everything ready when we get Veldrin's body."

"Good luck, daughter, in your negotiations and the planning."

Imryne got up, cautiously came around the desk her mother sat behind, and leaned down to give her a hug. Triel returned her embrace fiercely, and Imryne felt how her body vibrated with anger. After she released Imryne, she sat back, her eyes closed. Imryne retreated, Jevan at her back.

Her mood was foul and angry, and when she arrived back at the set Challay took one look at her and hastened to get her brother and sister out of sight. Imryne told Tar and Ilfryn what had happened, but she did not cry. Not yet. There was too much anger, and too much to do.


(Imryne, in House Maerret)

Dear goddess, what in stone was I thinking?

Currently, Imryne with the help of her staff was looking like a piece of wall, watching a door. House Maerret was built around a huge rock formation that had evidently been hollowed out and doors installed. There were few windows and many guards. It was impressive, and it meant that there was no good way inside other than the front door.

Jevan had dropped her off with a kiss, and Imryne had taken on the guise of a servant to look for the inner sanctum. She had found it, but what on earth was she going to do with it?

She leaned against the wall, kept mindful of her illusion, and waited. Her patience was rewarded a slow stream of noble daughters came in and out of the inner sanctum. Then Maerret Thraele herself came, shadowed by attendants, who she left at the door.

More daughters came in and out, and Imryne tensed. She was going to have to try it. One of the first daughters in had been Chenzira, who Imryne knew a bit socially. If she didn't have to speak, she could probably be her for a few minutes. She retreated, took Chenzira's form, and then took quick strides towards the door.

It worked, thankfully. The guards opened the door with no questions, admitting Imryne into the inner sanctum. The entire inside of the rock formation was lit with light spells and candles. Thraele was kneeling at the front of the huge room, in front of a picture of the surface world. Ellistraee symbols were present, though discreetly, and the picture had a black curtain that could be closed over it with the pull of a rope.

It was enough to confirm that Maerret was an Ellistraee house. Imryne went to the front and kneeled near Thraele, and said a brief but heartfelt prayer. The matron mother acknowledged her presence with a nod, but thankfully did not speak. She was too deep in prayer for conversation, evidently.

Imryne finished her prayer and retreated. She saw a glint of gold and detoured on her way to the door; in a niche in the wall was set a golden cup, plain but for the metal it was made out of. There was a sheen of magic on it.

Intrigued but unable to investigate, Imryne left the sanctum and made her way to the place she had agreed to meet Jevan at, sending him a message. He was there a moment after she arrived, she dropped her illusion, and he scooped her up and took her back to Melrae. Imryne was fatigued from holding up the illusion, but not nearly as much as she would have been when she had first gotten the staff.

"Anything interesting?" he asked once they were back in the set.

"A lot, actually. The family is definitely Ellistraee-aligned, and they had something very interesting in one of their alcoves. A plan gold cup, elven made, probably magical."

He let out a breath. Much had hinged on Triel's intuition about House Maerret. "So confirmed that they worship the right goddess, what's your next move?"

"Make an unofficial official visit, I think. The staff should be enough to convince Thraele that we are what we say we are."

"I would think so. Now?" he asked.

Imryne nodded. "Just you and me, I think."

She paused to comb her hair and straighten Jevan's collar, and then they were off to House Maerret. The guards held them at the gates until Thraele was ready to see Imryne, and then brought her inside, into the Lloth reception room that Imryne had been meeting with Thraele in.

"So good to see you again, Imryne," Thraele said, utterly insincerely.

"Good to see you as well, Matron Mother Maerret Thraele," she said. "I come with a question, and an offer."

"Certainly. Anything for the new eleventh house." Thraele's expression was guarded.

Imryne smiled. "So the question is, do you recognize this?" From a bag she held at her side, she pulled the pieces of the staff. With a word, they assembled into the full staff, and she held it out to Thraele.

The other female looked a bit surprised. "It looks like an illegal magic item. Possibly from the symbology its the dark goddess Ellistraee or something like that. Certainly you did not find that here, no such item would be allowed here."

The charade ends here. I am tired of it. "It is an Ellistraee item, it is illegal, and it belongs to me. And, if you know anything about the nature of such items..." She made a symbol of Ellistraee hang in midair for a moment, then let it fade. "I can use it. Our house has long suspected that your house and ours have interests that align much more closely than either of us can say in public."

There was profound relief in Thraele's eyes. "We had thought the same, but it's hard to reveal to another in case you are wrong. I suppose in your case if you were wrong, my house would not be here soon."

Imryne inclined her head. "True enough, which is a risk I chose to run. We have a problem which your house is well-positioned to solve for us."

"How can a house so small help you?"

"My sister, Rauva, new matron mother of Shobalar, has turned to Lloth. We need to eliminate her and possibly one of her daughters without destroying the House as a whole. She will be looking for an attack from us, and us attacking her will make House Xalyth suspect even more than they do now that our interests and theirs do not mesh. Coming from you, an attack would look like an ambitious house trying to gain on its neighbors."

There was caution in Thraele's light eyes. "That is a big attack for us. We couldn't possibly take Shobalar very easily without help."

Imryne smiled, just a little. "Help you will have, and most of Shobalar is still loyal to Ellistraee. Rauva overestimates how afraid her people are of her. We may be able to arrange there to be little resistance to your attack. And, of course, we will pay you well for this."

Thraele waved her hand. "Pay is not the issue for us. An stronger alliance with so high a house would benefit us more, in case of Lloth houses behind us that are looking to be opportunistic."

"That can be arranged, though we would need to keep it somewhat quiet at first."

"I understand that. And in this city, it's best that nothing be repeated or written down. If one of us gets caught as an Ellistraee house, we both go down." She gave Imryne a canny look. "I assume you are having to play a very hard game inside the council."

She grimaced. "Always. A hard and high-stakes game. Trying to change things without getting annihilated."

Thraele's eyes were thoughtful, and her mouth was firm. "We will help where we can. Is your sister likely to expose you? I assume she knows?"

Rauva, ah, Rauva. "She does, unfortunately. She may expose me in the near future, though we believe that she hasn't quite yet--or try to use possible exposure as a threat against me. For the moment, exposing me would also expose her former loyalties, and I don't believe she thinks her position is solid enough for that quite yet."

"So speed would be best," Thraele said. "What are your timetables for us trying this?"

"Likely within the next strand or so. You'll need some time to assess what help you'll need, and I have something I need to do either before or along with your attack."

"Which is?" the matron mother asked.

Imryne made a slight face, thinking of Phaere. "She is keeping one of her daughters locked away. My mother wants her back, preferably before Rauva has a chance to make an accident happen to her. That's something I can handle, but I would prefer to have Rauva not have much time to take revenge afterwards."

"I understand," she said. "I will need a few more people but if most of Shobalar is going to lay down as we arrive, we won't need much. A few extra orcs for the first wave if you can spare some of yours, or wait until after the next auction--but the trouble is Xalyth buying every single one."

Imryne calculated Melrae's strength in her head. "We can spare some. I'll try to get the word into Shobalar that surrender will not lead to death. I should go, but thank you, Matron Mother Thraele. I will let you know when I know more about the timing."

"All respect to House Melrae, and hope for a long association," Thraele said with a smile. She escorted Imryne and Jevan out personally. Imryne relayed the news and the request to her mother, and Zyn arranged for the transfer of some of their orc slaves to Maerret over the next few days.

The evening passed in pleasant pursuits; Imryne had dinner with her mother and siblings. Omareth had recently been invited to share meals with his sisters, so he was in attendance as well as Zyn. It was a distraction gladly taken for Imryne.

The next morning, it was council again. Imryne met Akordia at the door of the council house and wet in with her, seeing how all eyes turned towards the newest representative. It hadn't been so long ago since she had been, like Akordia, the newest and the most distrusted. At least she had an ally.

Greyanna walked in last, her shoulders held stiffly and her mouth held in a snarl. She did not sit down. "Freth is destroyed. That is the last of that name we will speak. Reports can wait until regular council in seven days. Welcome to new House Naerth and Representative Akordia. House Naerth, you will supply a husband to House Xalyth. From what I understand, you have difficulty in that department, a wife will do. Though not as well. Meeting over." She turned on her heel and swept out, leaving shocked silence in her wake.

Nobody spoke, and the quiet quickly became uneasy. Finally, Imryne stood, and it was as if she had broken a spell. All around her, representatives rose and headed for the door, muttering to each other. It seemed to be the consensus that that had been odder than usual, even for Greyanna. Elerra looked especially disturbed, and Thalra was trailing in her wake, looking worried and making patting gestures as if she wanted badly to comfort the representative of House Kilsek but didn't dare touch her.

Imryne wasn't sure what that meant, though she had some ideas. She went home, Jevan as usual behind her, and went directly into the set. "Short meeting," Tar said, looking up from the book she had been reading. Ilfryn closed his own book and scooted over on the couch, making a place for Imryne and Jevan to sit.

"Greyanna was crazier than normal. Announced that Freth is destroyed, announced Naerth's induction onto the council and told Akordia to supply Xalyth with a husband or wife, and then stomped out. Elerra looked like she was about to shake off her skin afterwards," Imryne said.

Tar chuckled. "Got them worried, do you?"

"Possibly." Imryne smiled. "If nothing else, this might be the beginnings of a rift in those three houses. Bodes well for us. I felt almost sorry for Thalra. She looked like she wanted to get Elerra calmed down, but didn't dare touch her."

"That's strange, some no contact rule between them?" Tar asked, eyebrow raised. "Or does Elerra have some magic on her that triggers something bad if you touch her?"

Imryne thought about the worried look on Thalra's face. "My guess is the first, though it could be that they're just ex-lovers, and Thalra doesn't want to do anything that might piss Ereldra off."

"That could be as well. And Ereldra can't be seen comforting her."

Imryne tried to imagine the skeletally thin Ereldra comforting anyone, and immediately regretted it. "Quite true. I don't know, but it's worth trying to find out one of these days." She sighed and dropped down onto the couch next to Tar. Jevan, across the room, was putting his swords on the rack hung on the wall. "Next is getting Phaere out. Maybe trying to make a contact within Shobalar at the same time."

"Looking for a spy on the inside?" Tar asked.

Imryne shook her head. "Not so much a spy as someone who can warn those still loyal to Ellistraee not to fight if an attack comes."

"His name is Nadal," Jevan said. "He was Dinin's second. He rightfully should be new weaponsmaster, but with Dinin's disappearance, he might not be. He was very loyal to Dinin and Shobalar. I doubt he likes Rauva at all."

"And he would see the wisdom in getting everyone still loyal to Ellistraee to lay down arms?" Imryne asked.

Jevan smiled wryly. "I think he would be more likely to lead the charge up the hall to kill Rauva, but they would listen to him, if he will listen to us."

"Does he trust you?" Imryne asked.

Jevan gave her a sharp look. "I am an elf. No one but the people in this room trusts me. He respected me because I beat him senseless."

"That's good enough, I hope," she said. "Between the two of us, we might convince him."

"He had a habit that Dinin controlled, but without Dinin, he may fall back into his old ways," Jevan said. "We will probably find him drinking and possibly other things in the seedy side of town. We will need something of a disguise, at least you. I think I can be seen down there as not so unusual. You are a different matter."

Imryne chose not to bring up the fact that she had been down to the darker districts any number of times, and knew how to handle herself down there. "That can be arranged. Different clothing, a bit of illusion to change my features. I have some clothes that should be appropriate for a trip to the seedy levels of town."

"Then shall we see if he is there?" Jevan asked.

Next to Imryne, Tar pouted. "You guys get all the fun and I get to be fat."

Chuckling, Imryne gathered her wife into her arms. "I wouldn't call this one too much fun, love. And you're not fat, you're pregnant. And beautiful."

In her arms, Tar gave a soft sigh, and made a frustrated noise. "Thank you. Pregnancy moods. I nearly forgot about them."

"I know," Imryne said, and kissed Tar gently. "I remember what they're like."

"It's your turn next in a few years. Sorry, I will try to control them better."

Imryne squeezed her gently, feeling a sudden wash of affection for her beloved wife. "Really, don't worry about it too much. We'll be home tonight, and we'll tell you all about it."

"Be careful," she said, and relaxed against Imryne.

"We will. I promise, Tar." She kissed Tar again and released her, getting up. "I need to go change my clothes."

Both she and Jevan changed, Jevan into a set of clothes that Imryne had had no idea he owned. The trousers and shirt were both stained and too tight for Jevan's muscular frame. Imryne's own dress was ill-fitting, and had also seen much better days. She convinced Ilfryn to change her face a bit, and pulled her hair back into a tail, a poor female's hairstyle.

"Ready?" Jevan asked, and then peered at Imryne. "Ilfryn, the wart on the nose is overkill."

Ilfryn looked shocked and began to sputter, and Jevan grinned. "Just kidding."

Imryne was laughing. "I'm glad. I didn't think Ilfryn would do that without warning me."

He was abruptly beside her. "However you look, I will always love you."

"And I you," she said, squeezing his hand. She kissed him, closing her eyes, wishing that the heat she was feeling in her belly were something she had time to pursue now. She released Jevan and went to kiss Tar and Ilfryn. "I think it's time to go."

And it was. Jevan flew her out the window and down to one of the lower markets. From there, they walked the Slave's Way to a district where the buildings seemed to lean against each other. They visited one bar after another, until Jevan spotted Nadal.

He was older, though Imryne wasn't sure if that was true age or if drink was simply making him look that way. His throat was bare, and his clothing shabby. He had three empty cups in front of him on the sticky bar and was nursing a fourth.

Jevan tapped him on the shoulder. "Nadal. How about we find a table and I buy you a fifth and sixth?"

Nadal blinked. "Jevan. Sure." He got up, leading them to a corner of the bar where a pair of walls pinched in, creating a bit of a screen between them and the rest of the bar. "Pretty girl. She yours, or just yours for the night?"

"Sort of the other way around," Jevan said. "I am more hers, but that is a longer story. This is Shimyra. In the mood to hear a proposition?"

The older male blinked. "Sure, nothing to lose but time."

"I will let Shimyra explain," Jevan said.

Imryne took a breath. "We know a few things about the inside of your house. One is that you've recently been saddled with a matron mother who is unpredictable and unpleasant on the best of days. We also know that there is little love lost between her and most of the rest of the household. We'd like to help fix that."

Nadal blinked again, a spark of interest entering his filmed eyes. He had been handsome once, before drink had ruined him. Drow should never drink, Imryne thought. It takes us badly. "Getting that bitch out would be really good," he said. "Should have seen what that thing did with the Xalyth pig to that guy. It was horrible."

She did her best not to flinch. "What we need from you is one of those small things that's very important. If an attack on the household comes--and I am not saying that it is coming, but it might be a possibility--we need all those inside who are trustworthy to lay down and not fight the attackers. Those who surrender will be spared."

"Lay down and live or die defending her? Not a choice there, I will gladly give up my weapons. Do we have a house to go to?"

Imryne nodded. "You will. Understand that I cannot name the house yet, but I do not believe those who are loyal will be displeased."

Nadal smiled briefly. "Good. How do you want to do this? A time would be nice if you have it, or a symbol or a sign that I know its you. I would hate to be attacked by a house that wasn't the one I was expecting."

"The first few attackers will be outlined in green faery fire for the first few minutes of the attack," she said.

He nodded. "Got it. Anything else?"

"Two things. One, you may be asked to tell the story of what your matron mother did to the man she tortured. Try to live long enough to tell the story. Two, do you know if the daughter she locked away still lives?"

Nadal took a long drink from his cup. "Still alive. Lives at the top most point of the house, far away from her mother as she can get. Wild little thing."

Imryne frowned. That didn't sound like Phaere at all. "Wild, how?"

"Crazy, spits at you. Tears her hair out. Pees on the floor." Nadal's mouth twisted. "Her mother said she was born wrong and keeps her locked away. So the second daughter is really the first daughter. She keeps her alive out of pity."

Goddess. Poor Phaere. "I see. I assume she's guarded, for her own safety?" She heard her voice go ice cold.

"Yes, locked away but with only two guards. You want her killed or left alive?"

"Alive," Imryne said. "What about the other daughter? Does she follow the mother's orders?"

Nadal's lip curled. "Just like her mother, without question."

"Then she should probably meet the same fate as her mother," she said.

"Shouldn't be a problem." There was almost an eagerness in voice now. "This could happen soon?"

"It very well might. How much time do you need to prepare those inside?" Imryne asked.

Nadal thought for a moment. "Two days to get to all of them and convince them, shouldn't be hard." He exhaled, and Imryne tried not to make a face as his breath wafted across her face.

"Good. If there is an attack, it will happen sometime after that," she said. "Thank you, Nadal. Wait to see us."

"I will be ready," he said. Jevan bought him another drink and then he and Imryne left, going back to Melrae.

Imryne had been angry with Rauva before. Now, her anger was settling into an icy hatred, for what her sister had done to her daughter, what she was in the process of doing to Shobalar. That hatred curled up in her gut.

It uncurled a bit when the message came that Veldrin's body had been found. The next day, the body was returned to them, and laid out in the Ellistraee sanctuary near the center of the house. Imryne met her mother there, sitting by the body that was shrouded in red cloth. "You may not wish to look. I am not sure I did," Triel said, when she looked up at her daughter.

"It's bad, I take it?" Imryne's voice echoed in the wide room.

Triel nodded. "It's not pretty by any means. He has large gashes everywhere, most of his teeth were taken out forcefully. He is missing an ear and an eye and his penis is gone, not the rest."

"Did Rauva really not think we would look at his body and not think he'd been tortured?" Imryne asked in exasperation.

Her mother's shoulders bowed, just slightly. "I don't think she cared, or Greyanna didn't. Rauva thinks we can do nothing to her, or she will reveal what she knows about us."

The hatred in Imryne's gut stirred and clenched. "Was the body checked for magic before it was brought in?"

"It was, there was nothing on it that we could find. I waited in case you wanted to ask him some questions from beyond."

"I do, but I'm sure you have a question or three to ask, as well. Mostly, I want to know what he saw and heard of Rauva and Greyanna before he died."

Triel nodded. "My questions are probably similar to yours." She bent to the body, lifted the shroud away from Veldrin's face as if he had merely fallen asleep with his head under the covers. Imryne forced herself to look at her brother's face.

His mouth was sunken because his teeth had been removed, and the missing eye was a bloody mess. Just so much meat, Imryne tried to tell herself. Veldrin is somewhere that there is no pain now. But to see him so ill-used...Imryne fought to keep her gorge from rising.

Triel laid a light hand on Veldrin's hair, where the black blood had clotted and dried at his hairline. It had been years since Imryne had seen her cast, but she did so with grace and ease. "Go ahead daughter, he should answer," she said at last.

Imryne took a breath. "Veldrin, would you tell me of the events leading up to your death?"

Veldrin's ruined mouth did not move, fortunately. The voice that came to them rang in the air from no noticeable source. "I was given a message at my command to return home, notifying me of a death. It was not specific as to whose. I left my post with my commander's approval, and was captured by Shobalar. There I was take to their house and tortured without questioning by Greyanna of Xalyth and by my sister Rauva. My sister took the killing blow."

She had known as much, but it still made her teeth grit to hear it. "Did Rauva and Greyanna speak of anything to each other either before or during the torture?"

The emotion in Veldrin's voice had been removed by death, fortunately. "They spoke like lovers and of their affair conducted under the noses of Mother Triel for decades. They spoke of Phaere and plans to change her into another Imryne, but with permanent craziness. Greyanna spoke of stuffing my penis and using it on Sorn. Rauva spoke of trying to put me out of my misery as soon as possible, but she had to prove to Greyanna that she could torture me without remorse. She did cry several times over me, and tried to heal certain serious wounds, but gave up hoping I would die."

Imryne's rage blocked her voice for a few moments, until she finally swallowed it down. "Did they say what precisely they were doing to Phaere?"

"They had a mage, Chakos, the one that placed the block on Imryne's mind from Nurbonnis. He was under Xalyth control. They used him to place her in a state similar to Sister Imryne when Ryld was taken. Tortured by memories, they said."

"Did Rauva seem sincere in her affection for Greyanna, and her devotion to Lloth?" she asked.

"She is receiving spells from somewhere. Her devotion to Lloth didn't seem all that sincere. The affection between her and Greyanna was genuine enough, but more fear-based than love for Rauva."

Imryne breathed out, emptying aching lungs. "Why did they want to change Phaere to be like me?"

"I don't know."

She raised her gaze, looking now at Triel. "I think that's all I had."

Triel nodded and let the spell go, bowing her head. Her face was briefly hidden by the froth of her white curls, but then Imryne realized that her shoulders were shaking, and a sob seemed to force its way out of her mother's throat.

She gathered Triel in her arms, and found that she was crying, as well. Mother and daughter clung to each other and cried for a long time, for Veldrin who had been taken so cruelly, for Rauva's betrayal, for Phaere who was living a nightmare Imryne knew all too well.

Finally, when they had both cried themselves out for the moment, Triel straightened. "We need to bring her back here. We need to know if we can undo what she did to her daughter." Her voice was quiet and clear. "Or you need to question her there before she dies."

"I may be able to question her," Imryne said. "Capturing her would be far more dangerous than killing her outright, but I think it can be done."

Triel nodded. "How soon are you going to be ready?"

Imryne took a breath. "I need to speak with Maerret, but almost everything is in place. I need to give my contact in Shobalar until tonight to complete his work, and tell Maerret that we're ready. Tonight, I think the attack can take place, and we can rescue Phaere. I do not think, right now, that Z'ress will be salvageable."

"As soon as possible. And Z'ress if it's possible. but I think she may be too far gone."

"I will need to talk to her to make that decision." Imryne rubbed her eyes. "I need to go make a quiet visit to Maerret."

"I will let you get to it," Triel said. "Good luck, daughter. I am sorry it falls to you again. Is Maerret taking over Shobalar people, or us, or something else?"

"That's part of what I want to talk to them about," Imryne said. "They can only absorb so many people--I'd like to give them a portion of the Shobalar people and we can take the excess. They can have the contents of Shobalar house, though."

Triel was looking thoughtful. "I have another idea, if they agree."

"What is it?"

"We give the house to Jaelryn. Rauva cracked under the strain and killed herself and her second daughter, the first daughter her heir witnessed it and is having emotional complications. Jaelryn would be next in line."

Imryne looked at her mother, astonished. But-- "She would be. But, ah...that would make me the heir to Melrae."

"It would," her mother said calmly. "Is that a problem that you don't want to take on, or would you like to?"

Her head was spinning. "I just never thought I would be in any danger of being the heir."

Triel's smile was small and soft. "You are always in danger of being a matron mother."

"I suppose so, but as representative, I'm far more likely to die before I get to that point. If you're all right with me being heir, I will take it on," Imryne said. Her voice was calm enough, but panic bubbled in her chest.

"I am more than fine with it. Tell Maerret our intentions and that we will pay well and honor an alliance in private."

Why do I feel as if a trap has just closed on my hand? "I will," she said. "Hopefully, I'll be back tonight with news."

Triel reached for Imryne and hugged her, and Imryne returned the embrace. "Good. I will tell Jaelryn tomorrow. She will be excited, but I don't want to get her hopes up just yet."

"I think she'll make a good matron mother. And I trust her far more than I do Rauva."

"So do I. Let's get this over with. I am not looking forward to burying three of House Melrae, but it must be done."

"Everything paid for in blood," Imryne said quietly, then rose and left.

As she turned away, she caught a glimpse of her mother out of the corner of her eye that nearly made her turn back. But she steeled herself and kept going.

For a moment, what she had seen in her mother's face was loneliness and longing, a terrible emptiness.


(Imryne, in House Maerret)

"Matron Mother Thraele. I have the word from my mother. We are cleared for an attack on Shobalar. Tonight, if we can. Matters have become somewhat urgent. Fortunately, I think there will be little resistance until we reach Rauva herself, which is what I wanted to talk to you about."

"So much the better," Thraele said. They were in the same reception room as before, seated across from one another. "You need her alive?"

Imryne nodded. "Her and her daughters, both Z'ress and Phaere. Phaere seems to have suffered a breakdown of some sort, and she's unlikely to come quietly. I need to question Rauva and Z'ress.
I have a cleric who can make Rauva and Z'ress look dead, to bring them out, or we can question them inside the house if the attack can be kept quiet enough."

Thraele was looking at Imryne steadily. "Then what?"

"Rauva will die. So will Z'ress, very likely. After that, well, my mother has an idea. If we can keep the bloodshed to a minimum, my mother would like to install my older sister Jaelryn as matron mother of Shobalar. For your part in tonight's exercise, you will be paid well, and we will honor an alliance in private."

The matron mother nodded, looking satisfied. "I think, personally, that is best anyway. If we overextend that high, other houses may ask questions."

Imryne was trying not to fidget, the hatred and panic in her gut making her want to be in motion. "True enough. The story will be that Rauva had a breakdown and killed herself and her second daughter."

"Close to the truth." Thraele gave Imryne a canny look. "That leaves you as the heir to Melrae, doesn't it?"

She bowed her head slightly. "Only one heartbeat away instead of two or three, yes. I wish a very long life for my mother."

"I understand that," the matron mother said with a sympathetic look. "Well, we will be ready on the last bell of the second period. Here's to a long alliance between us."

"I will be here with my people, and we will mark them so our person inside knows who we are. To alliance," she said, and smiled. She paused, remembering the cup. "Forgive me my curiosity, but...do you have something akin to my staff in your possession?"

Thraele looked surprised. "I do. You must have a contact here, or very good spies. Are you interested in seeing it?"

Imryne smiled. "I would, yes."

The matron mother rose and led her to the sanctuary inside the rock formation. They both made homage to Ellistraee, and then Thraele took her to see the cup in its niche. "It's plain by its looks, though valuable. Its magic is useful. Allowing us in and out to ritual more easily."

"What does it do?" she asked.

"Changes you to other races." There was a pitcher nearby, made from glass. Thraele poured water carefully into the cup, then lifted the cup in one hand. "Elven," she said, and drank.

Though her features did not change much, her coloring did. Her skin went pale, and her hair darkened to a golden blonde, her eyes changing from light red to deep blue. "Permanent until drank from again. Drow." She drank again, and changed back. "We can sneak out as human, orc, elven, dwarf, whatever you want. Change for ritual and return the same way."

"I can see how that would make getting to the surface quite a bit easier. How did you come by this?" Imryne smiled. "Though that may not be any of my business."

"One of Arabani's daughters brought it to us," she said.

Imryne blinked, surprised. "Arabani. Really."

"She brings things back from raids on the surface," Thraele said. "She has an eye on my son for a husband. She also has an eye on House Arabani, but we will see if she can pull that off."

"She is Ellistraee-aligned, then?" Imryne asked.

"The daughter most definitely. The house, very much not."

Imryne pressed her lips together. "Interesting. I may have to find and help her. Which daughter is it, can you say?"

Thraele set the cup back in its alcove. "It's a secret I will entrust to you with the utmost caution. One word and her mother will have her killed outright, just for the rumor."

She thought about it for a moment. "As long as it is not Drada, I don't need to know right now."

The matron mother chuckled throatily. "First daughter Drada it is. She can play it very well, I have heard the Lloth ritual, but she is not. I can't tell you how many times she has worshipped at this altar."

How lonely a life she must lead, Imryne thought. "I take it you met her in ritual?"

"She met my son after a ritual." Thrale smiled. "She adopted us and we see her as often as she can get away. If her family were to fall she would reside here, I am sure."

Imryne chuckled. "I met one of my husbands about the same way. Good to know there's at least one kindred spirit on the council, even if she is something of a renegade. I should go. I will be back here at last bell."

"We will be ready," Thraele said. And it was arranged, and Imryne and Jevan went home once more.


(Imryne, in House Shobalar)

"I hate this," Imryne muttered.

It had gone well so far. Nadal had met the Maerret people at the door, and surrendered to them. Phaere had been retrieved while the main force had gone towards the inner chambers and Rauva. There was only a token guard on Phaere, though the girl herself was screaming, striking out with teeth and fingernails, her eyes bloodshot and her voice hoarse.

A number of Maerret people had died on their way in to fetch Rauva, and Rauva herself had proven to be no small threat. But though she killed many, there were more behind them, and now she was being brought to the matron mother's receiving room in the inner part of House Shobalar, where she would meet Imryne and her fate. Z'ress, too, was being brought.

Imryne was pacing, her hands fisted, and Tar caught her arm. "They're coming, baby. I can hear them."

She took a breath, gritted her teeth, and forced herself to stand still. A few moments later, the door opened, and Rauva was dragged in.

The Maerret guards dropped her on her face in front of Imryne and retreated, closing the door after them. A few heartbeats later, another pair of guards brought Z'ress in, more gently. The girl, a little older than Challay, scrambled into the corner where she huddled, her eyes wide. Imryne spared her a single glance and then ignored her.

Instead, she turned her attention to Rauva. "Rauva. I wish things hadn't come to this."

Her sister raised her head. Despite the blood, she was still beautiful, taking after the clean-limbed first husband of Triel who had fathered her. Her hair was intricately arranged, pinned so securely that it was barely mussed by the fighting she had been doing, and the look in her eyes was sheer hatred. "Sister," she spat. "Why have you taken my house?"

"You tortured and killed Veldrin," Imryne said gently. "You've driven your own daughter mad. There are things that we cannot tolerate, and those are among them."

"I did what I had to get into Greyanna's good graces. You do want to take them down, don't you?"

Imryne's voice was very dry indeed. "It sounds like you've been in Greyanna's good graces for some years now."

"It's been a long game indeed, but it will come to fruition soon." Rauva's breath was shallow and rapid. "I can come and go from Xalyth as I see fit. The guards know me."

"And? You're going to single-handedly bring down Xalyth?"

"No, that is where Melrae comes in," Rauva offered. She was beginning to brighten a little bit.

Her sister had either a high opinion of herself or a low one of Imryne. Perhaps both. "You let our warriors in, when it comes time."

"Certainly," she said, looking hopeful.

Behind Imryne, Tar snorted. "Give up love, she has been lying from the beginning. She is just begging to save her life."

"I was actually about to tell her that that's about the stupidest plan I've ever heard of," Imryne said. "We know what you've been doing, Rauva. I need to know if there's anything that can be done to undo what's been done to Phaere. I would prefer not to hurt you to get that information, but if I must, I must."

Jevan said, lazy and dangerous, "Can I? It would be so much fun to do what to her what she did to Veldrin."

Imryne raised an eyebrow. "I'm half minded to let you. Though she doesn't possess some of the anatomy that they cut off of Veldrin."

"I can find other bits," Jevan said.

Rauva's eyes were wide, and Z'ress cried out and hid her face in her arms. "Phaere can be fixed by Chakos," Rauva said.

"First truthful thing she has said," Tar said. She was standing next to Imryne now, looking down at Rauva with disdain.

"Anyone else?" Imryne asked. "Since Chakos has evidently gone unexpectedly missing."

Rauva sat up, pulling her knees to her chest. "No one else that I know of."

"Why did you do this to her?"

"She was first daughter. Z'ress has more my mindset. I needed to be rid of Phaere, but I didn't want to kill her. I would have turned her over to Melrae in time to fix her, but only after it was established that she couldn't serve as a mother," Rauva said. She glanced over at Z'ress, then away, her eyes bright with tears.

Tar made a surprised noise. "Strangely, true. I'll tell you if she lies from now on."

Imryne nodded gratefully to Tar, and then addressed herself to her sister once more. "And how long has your affair with Greyanna been going on?"

"Decades."

"Tell me. Did you hand Ryld over to her?"

Rauva bowed her head. Imryne could almost believe that she was sorry for what she had done. "I did. Greyanna wanted him."

Imryne pressed her lips together, old pain surfacing in her. "Why would she have wanted a boy who looked like he was going to die anyway?"

"He wasn't going to die. I poisoned him to look like he was dying." She was staring at Imryne now. "Then faked his death and took him to Greyanna."

She took a deep breath, and the icy hate within her stretched. "I...see. How much does Greyanna know about House Melrae? And about me?"

"Nothing. She still thinks we are Lloth worshippers. At least one of us is, anyway. She does know that Ryld was your child, and she thinks that child is Ilfryn's."

"You know, you never did tell me why Greyanna wanted him in the first place," Imryne pointed out.

Rauva's voice shook. "He is a seer. He is forced to tell her the future. I don't know how she knew he was, but she did. She wanted him, and he was a cause of so much heartache in the house. It seemed like a way to set two things straight. But you went off the deep end and mother used Chakos and things spiraled out of hand. I would have thought you would have been relieved by his death, but you weren't."

Imryne almost choked on the rage that rose in her. Rauva had been trying, in her stupid and self-centered way, to help. "No. I was not," she said quietly. "Now, Z'ress. She is your better daughter, yes? More like you than your first?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Imryne saw Z'ress curl up more tightly, beginning to shake. "Yes," Rauva said curtly. "Phaere is her grandmother reborn."

"In part because Mother raised her, not you."

There was no plea for understanding in Rauva's eyes. "Yes, she did. My mistake, maybe."

"Phaere will survive this," Imryne said, and there was an endless cold in her voice.

Rauva's bloodshot eyes met her sisters. "She will but we will not," she said quietly. "I know. Just do it. I have nothing more to tell you." Imryne glanced at Tar, who nodded. Rauva's voice was rising. "Greyanna tells me nothing. She guards everything well. Yes, I killed Veldrin, but it was mercy after what Greyanna did to him!" Rauva was nearly shrieking, now. "Just do it!"

Imryne remembered what Veldrin had looked like, and realized that Rauva was trying to get her to kill her and her daughter quickly and cleanly, unlike what she had done to Veldrin. While you undoubtedly deserve what you did you him back, a thousand times--

No.

Imryne's staff was in her hand, and with a word the top unfolded to reveal the blade hidden inside. There was a moment, just a moment, when Rauva met Imryne's eyes, and then Rauva opened her arms in a horrible imitation of her mother asking for a hug.

The blade came down and pierced Rauva, who stiffened and gurgled and died. Z'ress was screaming, and Imryne pulled the blade free of Rauva's body and turned on her heel. Jevan had Z'ress by the shoulders, and as Imryne readied the staff for another strike, he released one shoulder and covered her eyes with his hand.

Then the staff was moving through the air and hit home.

There was no sound other than the slight body of Z'ress crumpling to the ground, and Imryne's harsh breathing. "We have some cleanup work to do."

"I'll arrange things here," Jevan said. "You go arrange things with Nadal."

Imryne stepped out of the room. Nadal was nearby. "Mistress," he said. "It's done?"

"Rauva could not stand the pressure of being a matron mother, and killed herself and her second daughter. The first daughter was a witness, and is having mental troubles as a result," Imryne said.

Nadal smiled. He no longer smelled like alcohol and stale sweat. "I understand," he said. "I will report it in the morning."

"Melrae Jaelryn will become your matron mother," Imryne told him. "She is much, much better than Rauva ever was. Thank you for your help."

There was a hand on Imryne's shoulder. "Let's go, Imryne," Tar said quietly. Imryne nodded to Nadal and followed Tar to where Jevan and Ilfryn waited for them.

Imryne's hands were shaking, and she was so cold.



(Imryne, in House Melrae)

It was the middle of the third period, but Triel was awake and waiting for Imryne when she came to the door of the matron's apartments. "Mother. I have news," Imryne said.

"Come, Imryne, sit." Triel's hands were on Imryne's shoulders, and she was steering her towards a chaise in the central room of the apartments. Imryne sat, and her mother sat beside her, taking her hands to still their shaking.

Imryne tightened her hands on her mother's. "Rauva and Z'ress are dead. Rauva spent some time talking to me before she died. Phaere, in her opinion, could only be healed by Chakos. She did hand Ryld over to Greyanna. And poisoned him beforehand to make me think he was dying."

"She had a lot to answer for," Triel said gently. "It's over now."

"I know. There will be official word from Shobalar in the morning."

"And all is set in place." Triel released one of Imryne's hands to smooth down an errant lock of her daughter's hair. The small kindness brought tears to Imryne's eyes. "Do you think Greyanna will suspect?"

"If I were her, I would. The timing was necessary, but far too close."

Triel nodded thoughtfully. "Any way we can divert her from thinking too hard on it would be best."

Imryne pressed her lips together. "The best thing would be to convince someone to attack. That would keep her occupied. If her spies in Abburth started disappearing, that would be a reason for concern. We could have Urlryn contact her people and let them know that they have spies among them, and the rest of what we know about those spies."

"If Xalyth and Mylyl spies start disappearing, it will draw her attention away. Sounds like a good job for Urlryn." Triel's smile held no happiness. "We could start a war this way."

"A war that's very likely coming anyway," Imryne pointed out.

"It is, this would be a jumpstart. But it could help decimate Jenn numbers." She squeezed Imryne's hands gently. "Xalyth spies disappearing is always a good thing. With what you know coming from the council to Urlryn, we can help Abburth. But we have to be careful about that as well, choosing the biggest points that we can help and not all of them."

"We need to make sure that everything we give the Abburth people is conceivably something that they could have figured out on their own. A game of picking and choosing, like everything else we do." Imryne swallowed, closed her eyes. The dark water was rising, and swiftly. "I will speak to Urlryn. I wonder if she's still awake?"

Triel said gently, "Tonight, I think we are all awake."

Imryne nodded. "I'll go speak with her, then. One more thing before...well, before."

"Before what?"

She shivered a little. "I hurt, and at the moment I'm keeping the darkness away by force of will. The hard side of me did a lot of work tonight."

There was a look of concern on her mother's face that Imryne remembered well from the days when Ryld was so ill. "I am sorry, daughter. Anything I can do?"

"I just need time," she said, shaking her head.

"And sleep," Triel added. "Urlryn can wait until tomorrow."

"I just worry that I won't be in any shape to speak to anyone tomorrow," Imryne admitted.

Triel released her daughter's hands, taking her face in her soft hands. "You are strong, daughter, and you have a family that loves you. You do what you must, but take care of yourself."

"I will," she said. She leaned in to kiss her mother's cheek, then rose. "I'll talk to Urlryn."

Her mother stayed seated, looking up. "Daughter, you did what you had to. What I told you to do. It's my fault, not yours."

"It was needed. I place the blame on Rauva's head. Her actions led to her death." Her hands were shaking again. "She had been betraying this family for decades. And I had my own reasons to want her dead."

Triel nodded. "You more than most. She took something precious from you, and she fooled us all."

"Even if she hadn't been betraying us, I would have wanted her dead for what she did to Ryld."

"I wonder still why Greyanna wanted him," her mother said speculatively.

Fortunately, Imryne had at least part of that answer. "She knew he was a seer, somehow. Rauva didn't know how she knew, but she thought that giving Greyanna Ryld would make Greyanna happy and me relieved."

Her mother's eyes narrowed. "Maybe it made Greyanna happy, but the rest wasn't accomplished."

"No, it wasn't. I can see Rauva's reasoning, and I can also see the blind spots that made her reasoning so wrong."

"We all have blind spots," Triel said. She looked down at the floor briefly. "I knew she was bad, but I didn't want to believe it."

Imryne sat down again. "I loved her, despite the fact we didn't get along well. I wouldn't have suspected her of being capable of what she did."

"I knew her from a baby. I did know in the back of my mind. I suspected, but..." She trailed off, and shook her head.

"She was your daughter, and you loved her," Imryne said quietly.

"I did. A bit of her still lives in Phaere, the good part, I know. If we can bring her back."

"If we can get Chakos back." Imryne gave her mother a small smile. "Rauva said Phaere was you reborn."

There was only the barest flicker of a smile in her mother's eyes. "Maybe she is. I did raise her, Rauva was far too busy. Now we know what she was doing, unfortunately."

Imryne remembered the fights, Rauva coming into the matron's apartments to drop her baby daughter off with her mother. Take her, I don't want her today, Rauva would say. She cries. And Triel would take Phaere, cradle her in her arms, watch Rauva's retreating back. "Greyanna, and betraying her house," Imryne said.

"I am afraid so. Do what you think you need to, daughter, and then go home." She paused, and drew a breath inward. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, and hugged her mother once more. Then she went to find Urlryn's room, as in the back of her mind a part of her started to scream. All she wanted was to set Urlryn on her path and go to bed, and hopefully find surcease in sleep.

Jevan was with her now, a silent shadow. She did not speak, only found Urlryn's room and knocked on the door. It was opened with all haste by the former Millithor first daughter, the slight and intense young female. "I have something for you to do, if you're willing," Imryne said.

"Anything to take my mind off my house dying," Urlryn said, her voice low. Her hair was undressed, her dress plain, still wearing mourning.

"This might help," she said. "Houses Xalyth and Mylyl have spies in Abburth. We need some of those to disappear. Not so many that Greyanna thinks she's been betrayed, but enough to worry her. You have contacts in Abburth."

"I do. I can do this but I will need a guard or two, and a bit of a free hand."

"How much of a free hand?" Imryne asked.

Urlryn tilted her head a bit, looked at Imryne like she wasn't sure how she was going to take what she said next. "That you will trust me to leave and travel to Abburth on occasion."

"I assumed you would need to. That's fine," she said. "And you can speak to Zyn about a guard or two. Tell him you have my approval. My mother will back you up, if you need."

"I will do that. I will relay information to you and you can tell me who you want dead and when," Urlryn said. "I have contacts still that are uncompromised."

"Good. I have some places for you to start." Imryne sat down and began to go through her knowledge of the movements of the spies that she knew of in depth. It took some time to recount everything she knew, and Urlryn was paying rapt attention, committing everything she said to memory. When she was done, she asked, "Do you need anything else?"

"I am good, I think," Urlryn said. "It will take some time to get it up and running and get the first spies ready."

"The sooner the better, I think, but don't rush it."

"I won't," she said, and there was the first real smile Imryne had ever seen on Urlryn's face, appearing and disappearing in a flash like a cave fish surfacing in an underground lake. "Thank you for the opportunity."

"Thank you, for being willing to do this for us," Imryne said. She left then, choking as the door closed behind her, the dark water swirling in her and the ice that her hatred had left behind a stabbing pain in her belly.

She stumbled, and felt Jevan scoop her up. He carried her as easily as she might have carried Lesrak, and she turned her face into his shoulder, the tears rising. He held her, and kept holding her, even after they were back in the set and she was lying on the bed, surrounded by her lovers.

It was not as bad as it had sometimes been, but it was still bad. She cried and screamed, fisting her hands and beating the covers endlessly, held by all of her lovers in turn. She did sleep, in quick snatches, and by the time the second period of the next ilit began, she was being bathed by all of them, the spatters of Rauva and Z'ress's blood washed from her body and hair.

They did not have to give her another dose of the Star Dance potion, but it was a near thing. As the strands went by, she began to put the events of that ilit behind her.

Veldrin, Rauva, and Z'ress were taken to the halls of the dead after House Shobalar disclosed Rauva's mental troubles and the conclusion of them. Rauva and Z'ress, as official daughters of Shobalar, were buried in their crypt, while Veldrin was interred with all honor in the Melrae crypt. Imryne was declared first daughter of Melrae, and Jaelryn moved her brood into Shobalar, taking over as matron mother.

The first few council meetings after Rauva died, Greyanna was less inclined to anger than she had been, but she stared at Imryne like she had betrayed her. Her look was almost wounded, almost grieving. But then Urlryn began to strike, and the problem of disappearing spies began to occupy all of the council's time. Jenn'Yxir patrols were disappearing, as well, and more of them were patrolling than ever before. House Arabani suffered a few disastrous surface runs, but they still attempted to keep up with the demand for slaves. House Xalyth cut back on their slave buying, and Arabani stepped theirs up.

Imryne tried to build a friendlier relationship with Arabani Drada, meeting with only small success. At least they were not snarling at each other any more. It was a tiny victory.

Money still came in from Abburth, and information from Noquar, none of it particularly interesting. Imryne avoided discussing it in front of Jevan when she could; even the mention of Dro could send him into a dark mood.

Tar got bigger and bigger, and finally, nearly one surface year to the day after she had first made love with Jevan, she gave birth to a girl baby that she named Maya. Maya was darker than Imryne but lighter than Tar, had white hair and Jevan's bright blue eyes. She was healthy and perfect, a quiet child, crying only when she was hungry or needed to be changed.

She did, however, want to be held all the time, and early on developed a preference for Imryne over everyone else, much to Tar and Jevan's annoyance. Every time Imryne was in the room, Maya would fuss until whoever had been holding her handed her to Imryne. She was fascinated by Imryne's earrings, and would reach for them whenever she could.

A skein after Maya was born, Imryne and the whole family went to the surface, to let Jevan's parents meet their newest granddaughter. It was a good thing that Nendra and Dantrag's house was large, because with four adults and four children added to the three people already living there, the place was full to the rafters.

The children were delighted to be on the surface, and it was late summer so the weather was perfect. Dantrag had warmed up to them at least enough to help teach the older children how to swim in the lake next to the house, and Lesrak and Zesstra became fast friends.

Their days on the surface were a lovely idyll, but they did have to go back down all too soon. And two nights before they were scheduled to depart, something happened to set everything on its ear...