Drow's Dilemma Ep. 140: Council

Caleldir looked surprised. So... if that was not the reason for her awkwardness... "Well, I look forward to meeting you more properly after the Council," he finally managed to say. "Naliira? Now that the Princess is here, are we just waiting on the Valkyrie delegation?"

Faraia put a hand gently on Ravayra's shoulder. -Relax, Princess,- she told her psionically. -Caleldir is not as intimidating as you think he is. In fact, right now he is wondering how he can earn your approval.-

Ravayra looked between Faraia and Caleldir uncertainly.

"I think the best use of our time right now would be to continue with the meeting," Naliira announced, seeing that the awkwardness was not going to resolve at the current rate.

"Yes!" Alycyrl said emphatically, standing up. "Before the valkyries arrive, I wanted us to vote on whether or not Princess Ravayra should be counted as one of us for this meeting and given a vote, or if she should simply watch the proceedings."

"She should be given a vote," Caleldir declared.

"Of course she should!" Althaia purred, leaning towards Ravayra again but not touching her this time.

"I have no objections with her," Fedwyn added. "My Divinations indicate that she is much more suited to be here than most of those already here."

The rest of the group declared that they were in favor of letting Ravayra vote. Or, at least, did not oppose the motion, in the case of Mirjana.

"Then it is decided," Alycyrl said in a pleased tone. "Princess Ravayra's engagement to Caleldir and position as a voting member of this council is accepted unanimously. She will be elevated to Queen once the formal marriage takes place. If anyone here has a very strong objection to her, they will have until the wedding to voice it."

"Wonderful," Dahlia said with a happy smile. "It seems that Gailwen still has several minutes before she gets here. Is there anything we want to talk about until then?"

"I have something," Althaia declared, sitting up very straight. "My proposal as Queen of the Nymphs is to suggest that Nirza be elevated to the position of Queen of the Dark Nymphs," "After all, we plan on making the Dark Nymphs a race as numerous as the Nymphs themselves, correct? Having them be under the same jurisdiction as the Dark Elves strikes me as inelegant. After all, the Light Elves and Light Nymphs are going to be grouped differently."

"That does seem reasonable," Caleldir said slowly. "After all, the point of the Royal Council is to determine power between the races here. So, each major race should have their own queen and internal politics that should be at least somewhat independent from the other races."

"But I am a Dark Nymph, and anointed Queen of the Dark Elves," Alycyrl protested. "If the Dark Nymphs were under a different political organization than the Dark Elves, where would I be? I made the rule about transformed Dark Elves not being allowed to hold the position of Matron for a reason."

"The Queens need to be immortal, though," Althaia stated. "And since Elves are mortal, though long-lived, we can make a necessary exception for them."

"There are many ways for an elf to achieve true immortality if she is given enough support," Ravayra said thoughtfully. "If it is possible, if you will have me, I think it might be prudent to seek nymph transformation," she concluded, speaking modestly yet confidently.

Althaia smiled, and once more tightly embraced the princess. "Then I will plead with Aelsuna that you will be given Immortal Beauty. Turned into a Holy Nymph, like the High Priestess here."

High Priestess Nerira laughed. "The truth that the higher-ranked clergy of Aelsuna are turned into Nymphs is supposed to be a secret, Champion."

"That was before Norahist," Althaia declared. "Anyway, Queen Alycyrl, we will have a Light Elven Aasimar daughter of an Archduchess turned Holy Nymph as ruler of the Light Elves. And a Nymph born as a Nymph ruling the Light Nymphs. We will have a Dark Elven heir of the Drow Empress turned Dark Nymph ruling the Dark Elves. And, Nirza may have been a Dark Elf in her last life, but she was Reincarnated as the first true Dark Nymph, so she may be considered as being the first one to be born as a Dark Nymph."

"I do consider myself as a new person from the Nirza who was Matron of Blackdawn," Nirza admitted. "This life is very different than my previous one."

Alycyrl pursed her lips, then shrugged. "I have no objections, then, though the Dark Nymph Queen will only have five subjects for a few years. Shall we vote, then?"

"Sounds like it's only fair," Ashyr said with a shrug.

"Dark Nymph Queen is fine. Do not get so excited that there is a human queen too," Mirjana said as if such a queen would be utterly ridiculous.

"So picky," Dahlia said with a click of her tongue. "I've met many worthwhile humans. Anyway, I do not object to a Queen Nirza."

"Nirza does have almost a thousand years of leadership experience," Caleldir noted. "She is extremely qualified. I vote yes."

"As do I," Fedwyn added.

No one else could think of objections, so the motion passed.

Nirza took her place at the table, smiling. "Well, Caleldir darling. It seems that in order for me to have any sort of Queendom, we are going to have to put you to work immediately."

Caleldir blushed and glanced at Ravayra to see how she was reacting to all this. "I did agree to cooperate, Queen Nirza."

Aster huffed a long, impatient sigh. "Would it be alright if I- eh, of course it will be alright."

Ashyr chuckled and shook her head, responding to the young succubus in a whisper. "You're going to embarrass Ravayra."

Mischief danced in Aster's eyes. "She'll have to get used to it, won't she?"

Ravayra couldn't hear the exchange, but she did see the pink-and-black succubus sway up behind Caleldir and then disappear under the table. She let out a startled cough and turned brilliant pink again. Her mouth opened - seemingly to ask a question - but shut it again and shifted in her seat.

"The valkyries are about to walk in," Dahlia noted. "Try not to let it distract you, darling."

"Er..." was all Ravarya managed to say.

The doors opened once again, and three very tall, noticeably muscled women with white feathered wings strode through. Gailwen, looking taller, more muscular, and more winged than before, led the two valkyries, who were as naked as everyone else, but still carried their spears. "Your Highnesses," she declared, her eyes fastening on Caleldir as she spoke. "Messengers from the Snow Winged Queen of the Endless Taiga: Hlara the Redspear and Friava Deathdancer."

"A beautiful hall in a lovely location, this is," Hlara said haughtily, her blood-colored eyes darting across the assembly. "We must admit, your insistence on nudity is strange to us, who prefer to take council armed and armored. But when Nymphkind, Succubi, and Bansheekind all agree to meet in this manner, far be it from the honor of the Valkyries to object."

"Welcome to the first Royal Council of Clachleom," Alycyrl stood. "I am Queen Alycyrl of the Dark Elves."

Each of the other queens stood in turn to introduce themselves. The Valkyries nodded to each of them with polite dignity. The one identified as Friava directed a penetrating stare at Ashyr. She spoke with a richly deep voice - definitely feminine, definitely powerful. "And who is the scarred dark elf there?"

Ashyr looked around at her table before she stood and nodded at the newcomers. "I am Ashyr, Matron of House Duskhaven. I am here as an adviser - I'm not a queen."

"Hmm..." Friava hummed. "After this, I would like to spar with you, Matron Ashyr."

Dahlia raised her eyebrows. Then she shot a quick thought at Caleldir, who looked slightly startled. -They want to recruit her. All they needed was one look.-

Caleldir looked from Ashyr to the Valkyrie and back. Ah. That... that made sense. Ashyr had always struck him as being valkyrie-like in temperament, though he had not thought of it in those exact terms before.

"There will be no sparring in Snowmoss Tower," Naliira said firmly. "Gailwen, as representative of the Valkyries, please sit with the rest of the queens. We can officially begin when you've joined us."

Gailwen sat down. She looked across the table at Caleldir and smiled awkwardly. "I came North, just as I said I would," she said wryly. "You probably did not expect to see me turned into an Erinyes, did you?"

"I probably should have," Caleldir replied. "Well, you seem to not mind it, all things considered."

"I like being an Erinyes," Gailwen agreed.

Alycyrl clapped her hands together. "Well! We are all here now. Welcome, exalted messengers of the Queen of the Endless Taiga! Queen Dahlia can tell these ladies why we had you call for them?"

"Certainly, Queen Alycyrl. I know that Gailwen filled you in at least partially. We have three of the nylameian races that plan on having a major role in the foundation of Norahist. We would like to have the full set, so to speak. So, we brought you here to ask if the Queen of the Taiga would be willing to send a few settlers down here. We have still many lands to tame, many battles to be fought, and a handsome soon-to-be incubus here for you to breed with."

"Yes... the brother of our goddess," Friava said, giving Caleldir a good look for the first time. "He is quite pretty. I would have to see how he does in the battlefield before I agree to take him as my champion. As will my sisters. However, when it comes to relocating, there are a few of us, I think, who could be wooed by the prospect of wild and dangerous lands. Not all of us enjoy the Taiga. I also think our Queen would be loath to let her sister races form a society that leaves the Valkyrie behind."

"The scouts also told me that they are in contact with some Rusalka that Lily and Violetta do not know," Gailwen said. "I think there are a few in the far north that would be much happier here."

"Rusalka that far north?" Mirjana said. "Are they the eddies I am used to?"

"I do not know the eddies that you are used to. I do know that most of your sisters in the 'far north' are cohesive clans that reproduce by acquiring their men from nearby tribes of mortals," Friava explained.

"Then they are not what I am used to. Recruiting was not done by birthing last I knew," Mirjana concluded, sounding pleased.

"Were you not born as a rusalka, Mirjana?" Caleldir asked.

"Yes," Mirjana confirmed. Caleldir waited for her to elaborate, but she did not.

"Having some Rusalka who are already used to living in civilizations instead of as monsters hiding in caves will be very useful in civilizing the rest," Althaia said with a smile. "This is good to hear."

And the conversation went on. There was a lot of talk about how Norahist would be organized once all of Old Deusterra was cleared out of all the monsters, ghosts, and malfunctioning machines that were still remaining. The valkyries were obviously excited about the fighting that still had to be done, and declared that they would return with an entire company of their sisters.

"For if the Valkyries do not carry their weight in taming Norahist, then the name of Freyja the Goddess of War will be shamed in the eyes of Her sisters and brothers!" Hlara declared. She gave Caleldir a strange look when she mentioned brothers as if she was not sure what to make of him.

In the end, the main thing that the council decided was that the Nylameia and the Mortals who shared Norahist had to be allowed each their own spaces and internal governments, as well as shared regions.

"We wish to spar with the Matron, now," Hlara announced once everything was officially concluded.

"Alright," Ashyr agreed, seeming to look forward to getting started. "How do we do this? Clothes? Weapons?"

"As I said, take this elsewhere. The gardens are wild; they will not mind seeing a fight," Naliira said before they could get carried away.

"Understood, Honored Dryad," Friava said respectfully. "We use both weapons and armor while we spar. Whichever you favor."

"Great," Ashyr said with a grin. She activated a ring - different from the one she had gotten from Althaia all that time ago - and stylized leather armor covered her body. It was of the completely practical variety, though it emphasized every line and curve of her lithe muscles without restricting her movements in the slightest.

The Valkyries similarly donned their own armor. The armor, however, was of the completely impractical sort. The shining silver metal with a winged motif hugged and covered their breasts while a very short matching skirt flowed from their hips. This left a lot of skin showing.

"Nice," Ashyr said, recognizing the many enchantments applied to the Valkyrie armor. Their outfits might have looked like something false warriors would wear in a brothel, but the suits functioned as if they were covered head to toe in impenetrable metal. The two women certainly carried themselves like they were wearing the finest, most dignified of outfits.

"Do you need help flying down?" The two Valkyries stepped back far enough to allow their brilliant white wings to spread magnificently.

"We can fly down?" Ashyr asked, eyes wide and teeth bared in a manic grin.

Friava grinned back in a mirror of Ashyr's expression. She burst forth with impressive speed and agility, grabbed the drow, and flew up and out of the dome. Hlara followed close behind. The people inside could hear Ashyr's battle cry of excitement as they shot down towards the gardens below.

"There she goes. We lost her to the battle birds..." Selene said with an amused shake of her head.

"Well, Caleldir. Would you like to follow them? I'm sure this will be an impressive battle!" Dahlia asked in amused mischief.

"That would require me to move..." Caleldir said reluctantly.

Aster popped out from under the table. She wiped her mouth with her thumb before sucking on it sensuously. "I would like to watch! I've never seen Valkyries fight!"

Ravayra made a choking noise and was suddenly very interested in the table directly in front of her. "Um. Ah. Dare I ask why..." She couldn't finish the question. "Did I hear correctly: Master Caleldir will be an incubus?"

"You heard correctly!" Althaia said as she slid herself up next to Ravayra. "It will allow us all to create a pseudo-familiar bond among each other. But to properly turn him, we need to keep the erotic energy flowing. So that is why we had several ladies stimulating him under the table all meeting long!"

"Althaia!" Caleldir said in an embarrassed tone. "You did not have to tell her that!"

"If Ravayra is to join our little cult of Sex and Beauty," Althaia replied, carefully emphasizing the words that described one half of Aelsuna's portfolio, "then she will have to get used to the sex. Besides! She cannot see your manhood if it is inside another woman. You can use your familiar as clothes to head down there!"

"I will gladly preserve my master's modesty," Aster said solemnly.

"Thank you, darling," Dahlia said. "I would love to watch Ashyr, but I have so much work to do now that we've made some official decisions - don't worry, Selene, I'm not going to do anything the Wivesmoot won't approve of. I've learned my lesson." She walked off, muttering to herself, "A few times over; I've created far too much work for myself..."

Aster sat on Caleldir's lap (with his cock firmly inside her) and embraced him. "Alright; you can stand up now!"

"I think... I have some matters to attend to. Um. Faraia? Should we plan the ceremony now, or...?" Ravayra said.

"The ceremony?" Faraia questioned.

"The... uh... the wedding ceremony," Ravayra replied, blushing.

"You are still fine with the engagement knowing that... well, this?" Caleldir said somewhat disbelievingly as he stood up with Aster on his cock.

Ravayra covered her face, though the blush-pink tips of her ears poked through her pastel blue hair. Her voice was muffled as she answered the question. "Queen Althaia is right; I have to get used to this. My people rely on me and... well, we do follow a goddess of Sex and Beauty. I think... I think I will feel better once I can, you know... participate."

"You can participate right now if you want to..." Althaia purred as she ran her soft, insistent, teasing hands across Ravayra's body, from her thighs to her shoulders and everything in between.

"In the Light Elven Lands, Aelsuna is also considered to be the Goddess of Marriage," Faraia said pleasantly. "The princess wants to wait to have sex with Caleldir until she is married to him. Properly." She looked towards Caleldir, and smiled, shaking her head. "There was a time when I was like that."

"In that case, we should get you married as soon as possible!" Althaia said with conviction. "It would be downright unholy to leave such a lovely young lady as yourself out of the fun."

"I am pretty sure the princess is eighteen years older than you," Faraia said dryly. "Nearly twice your age, in fact."

"Sure, but at nineteen I have been an adult for ten years," Althaia replied. "While at thirty-seven she has been an adult for one year. So, I am older than her."

"I am not sure the logic follows," Caleldir said with a sigh. As he started walking away, Ishtar and Phivucai emerged from under the table and gave Ravayra naughty smiles.

"How many were- never mind," Ravayra exclaimed before shutting her mouth again and focusing back on the conversation.

"Nylameia reach adulthood in one half the time humans do, and one-quarter the time elves do," Althaia declared. "A nine-year-old nymph is fully adult, while an eighteen-year-old elf has not even hit puberty."

"We are all aware," Faraia said, shaking her head. "Nirza and I were several years older than Caleldir when we became his apprentices, after all."

"Let's arrange a marriage, then," Selene said. "We can all be married in an Aelsunite wedding, correct? I think it would be very strange for Ravayra to be Caleldir's first wife - not counting the succubi, of course."

"It would be nice to have an official ceremony," Naliira agreed.

"If you are getting married, I want to get married," Mirjana said firmly.

"If it is an Aelsunite wedding, obviously I will want to be part of it," Althaia declared.

"I can officiate," the High Priestess added.

"Faraia, Nirza, and I have already agreed to have a proper wedding with Caleldir," Fedwyn sniffed.

"So, how many people I am going to be married to at this wedding?" Caleldir asked. "And what does Ravayra think about having her special day shared with another twelve women?"

"Obviously we would leave her to have a sweet night with just you and Aster," Faraia said reassuringly as she lightly pried Althaia off of Ravayra. "We will even let you have a nice, romantic, one-on-one wedding night. It will add a day to the incubization process, but whatever."

"I don't mind sharing the ceremony," Ravayra said shyly. "But I would like to be alone with King Caleldir for at least a little while afterward.

"I'll fight everyone off for you!" Aster volunteered. She hugged Caleldir tighter for a moment. "It could be like when we first met. The first part of it, anyway." She sighed. "It was very romantic even if it was just two of us. Anyway, Dahlia and I are already married to him - even if you don't think that counts, Selene."

"So, what? Twelve of us? I'm certain Ashyr would marry you," Selene concluded. "What about you, Alycyrl? Marigold? Risa?"

"Marigold left with Dahlia," Caleldir observed. "I am sure she would be ecstatic, though. She literally worships me to a rather distressing extent."

"For symbolic, cultural, diplomatic, and administrative purposes, all of the Queens should be formally married to Caleldir," Alycyrl said. "That includes me. And Dahlia, for that matter."

"I would be honored," Risa said simply.