Drow's Dilemma Ep. 135: New Order

Alycyrl Duskhaven let out a long breath, leaning back in her chair. "So, 'Caleldir'. I heard from the nascent Dark Nymphs, whose number I have been instructed to join soon, that 'you' have been working on a way to organize Dark Elven society to better fit with the New Order. I already started proposing some of the ideas the secretaries told me about, but I think that as the architect, 'you' should be the one to lay out the plan, that the council may consider it."

Ashyr blinked. Why in the Abyss was the new queen talking to Caleldir so strangely?

Caleldir rubbed his hands together, excitement in his shining blue eyes. "I have indeed thought about this in length! As you said: we organize society into Matron Houses and Client Houses. Matron Houses are the existing noble families, plus any other Houses that qualify as noble, and Client Houses are made up of commoners banding together. Now, in order to be a recognized Client House, you must fulfill three conditions: you have a list of members and rules for your House, you have a Matron House willing to sponsor you, and you must have enough of your members transformed into either succubi or valkyries to form a Temptation or a Triumph, respectively." Alycyrl raised an eyebrow, but Caleldir held up his hands. "I do have a reason for that!" he continued. "This will not only improve relations with many powerful neighbors, but it will also replace the survival of the fittest aspect that the drow were subject to in the Underdark. We need not worry about inferior genetics of degrading Nobles or 'inferior' commoners. In a couple of generations, Dark Elves will be like those of Blackdawn. Furthermore, these little units of succubi and valkyries drawn directly from the House membership and fully subject to the House will provide enormous power to their Houses. Duskhaven has already done this with the Bouquet Seduction, and you all know how effective that partnership has been."

Most of those at the table seemed very leery of the idea. But not the Matron of Maevalzynge. She leaned forward, which called attention to the fact that she seemed to have lost her clothing and was now wearing roughly as much as the Queen and the Priestess. "I can see why noble houses having attached Seductions would be enormously helpful," she said. "Ellistraea knows my daughter Hael'yss is, frankly, a more endurable person now that she has been succubized. I would be happy to send a few more daughters to you for your Familiar to ripen, Lord Caleldir. So, setting up Temptations and Seductions in all the Houses here appears to me to be an absolutely delectable idea. But why would we want our Client Houses having such a powerful tool?"

"Two reasons," Caleldir began. "First of all, Seductions and Temptations organize themselves in a hierarchy that makes up a Domination. One of the Seductions has the High Mistress of the Domination. That High Mistress would be required to be a member of the Noble House's Seduction. So, the Noble House would control all of the Client Houses through their attached Seductions. Valkyries organize the same way, and the two racial units are completely compatible with each other in every variation. Secondly, there are the Nymphs. House Duskhaven has already made deals with various Nymph Edens to assist us, as you have seen in our gardens. We can extend the rights to make deals with Nymph Edens as a privilege of nobility, so you can use the resources your Edens provide to entice your Client Houses to stay. Kept loyal through gifts and enforcers."

"That is an elegant model, there," Alycyrl said in an amused tone. "How long did it take Dahlia to talk you into it, 'Caleldir'? While I love it, it does not sound like something you would ever come up with. Too much sex is baked into the premise."

"Dahlia getting into your head, Consort?" Ashyr said in a loving tone. Usually, she would call him 'love' but that didn't seem appropriate, here. The phrase made her think for a moment, but she passed the thought away. She could talk to 'him' later.

"I think it's a practical idea even if it's a bit nylameia-influenced," Jhul'une said. "I had considered the succubization avenue towards the end of my life and this would make it much easier. But then how would succession work? A succubus - or valkyrie - Matron could keep her job indefinitely. That is fine for a good Matron. A nightmare for a terrible one."

"We have a decree for that," Queen Alycyrl declared, falling into a more royal manner of speaking. "First of all, we will draw up some rules for how poorly performing Matrons can be replaced. Each House will be required to have its own rules, but we can also form a more formal Parliament of Nobles as we grow in number who can force member Houses to replace poorly acting Matrons. Also, we will separate Noble Titles and Matronship. Titles, such as Queen, Duchess, Baroness, etc, will be given to a House and the House can organize those titles as it sees fit. But the head of the House will be a Matron, who might not have a Noble Title herself, but in internal affairs will be superior to the ones with Noble Titles even if she, herself does not have one. However: though Noble Titles can be held by Nylameian Dark Elves, such as Hael'yss and ourself once we are turned into a Dark Nymph, the position of Matron can only be held by a female Dark Elf - or Cambion or Half-Nymph - of at least one hundred years who has good character and understanding. Matrons must be biologically mortal. Anything that makes them immortal disqualifies them. As we will soon become immortal, we will ask that Ashyr remain Matron of Duskhaven and head of the House, though we shall still be Queen Duskhaven of all the Dark Elves. If Ashyr becomes a succubus or valkyrie, she will have to find another to replace her. If a Matron of the proper blood is not old enough for the position, as is true for the pure-blooded Duskhavens of the old stock, then a Nylameian Dark Elf may take the position only as long as it takes the true heir to grow into her position."

The Queen looked over the council. "Well? What say you all?"

Triel cleared her throat. "Your majesty, you have made this model work well for the Noble class, but what about the tradeswomen, the commons, the slaves, and the non-dark elves under your rule?"

"And what about the males?" Ryld'nar bristled. "It was my understanding that Houses could have Patrons in the new order."

Alycyrl sighed. "Triel, with some slight work, we can exalt you to the position of Noble. For we will need more noble houses than the small number that survived old Duskhaven."

"Me? A noble?" Triel's rust-colored eyes almost popped. "But, I am not beautiful enough, nor do I have the proper magics in my blood."

"We have Blessings within our power to ensure that you can gain the beauty and the magic to justify your new position as Matron of House Silvermoon," Alycyrl said imperiously. "But your worries for the other classes must also be taken seriously. The old Guilds will themselves become Client Houses. The Commons will be organized into Client Houses and, and in this organization, they can lobby for their interests, for if the Matron House abuses them they are free to seek another Matron House instead, within the proper rules. As for slaves, a lot of noise has been made about the full emancipation of them. We feel that this is ill-advised. Instead, slaves will be given certain rights to life, wages, and to petition those above their mistresses to move them if they are truly mistreated, as well as a soft veto over them or their family members being sold away from the House of their owner. The ownership of slaves within this frame will be extended to those in Client Houses as well."

The Queen turned to Ryld'nar. "As for males, though they cannot be Matrons, a House is free to distribute the Noble Titles it holds in the way it sees fit, male or female. Also, males will be granted vastly increased rights to what they had before. Males who truly want power are free to become succubi, however. Incubi usually have little agency in comparison."

"Succubi can keep male forms, right?" Ryld'nar asked dubiously, though it was apparent he was considering it.

"They can," Alycyrl declared. "Though most do not want to. But the proper place of the man is in the home with the children, and we should try to keep him there."

"I agree with her majesty!" T'rissdril declared. "Men will be happiest if they are treated well in their natural place where they are best suited. And the women, who under this model will soon come to vastly outnumber the men, will be happiest if the men's main job is to support them. If a man does not like his role, he can always become a woman by means of the succubi, without giving up her cock if she still wants it. What say you, Lord Caleldir?"

"It... is not a path I would take. But for other men, there could be benefits to going that route. Assuming there are succubi around who want to turn him," Caleldir said carefully.

"I am sure that in Dahlia's plan you are proposing, there will always be succubi around willing to work with the sufficiently motivated," Alycyrl said in an amused tone. "Speaking of which, where is your familiar? I have heard she is rarely away from your side for long."

"She is with my new familiar, Aster - formerly Aileen. As young as she is, she needed more time to get settled into the seduction. She's never moved before, after all," Caleldir said regretfully, as if he was wishing that he could be several places at once.

"Aileen is Caleldir's new familiar?" Alycyrl said in surprise. "Well then, we are pleased to declare to this council that, as of now, we are allied to Clachleom by means similar to marriage between Lord Caleldir and one of the daughters of the Succubus Queen Rubella Silverwisp." The council looked surprised and started asking questions, but Alycyrl cut them off. "That is enough for today. We will begin the formation of our government and the formal announcement of our Queenship after we go tomorrow night to meet with the Daughter of the Sun to be transformed into a proto-Dark Nymph for the glory of the Lady of the Moon. You, Thalna, as one of Ellistraea's dearest servants, have already been chosen to accompany me to be one of the Seven Mothers of the Dark Nymphs." Thalna gasped, her silver eyes wide with religious ecstasy.

The Queen stood up. "The council is dismissed. Matron Ashyr? If you do not mind, I need to pull our House's Consort aside for a moment."

With the queen's words, the council filtered out of the room. Ashyr approached Aly to respond to her question. "Thank you for doing this - I know you didn't want to. We can talk more later, but for now, I have to get Uriel. I suppose I can spare you for a little while longer."

The last part was said to Caleldir, who nodded before looking to the new queen with a curious expression.

"Bye then," Ashyr said with her familiar mischievous grin. "Don't have too much fun!"