Post by Zola Rhomdaen on Aug 24, 2024 10:27:11 GMT
(After Family Ties and A Fond Farewell.)
When he comes to fetch Zola in the Gilded Mirror, Terbil Dilass is even more sheepish towards her than the last time they met. She can’t quite blame him for it and feels rather like apologising to him for the trouble; the events of last month are still fresh in everyone’s minds. Nevertheless, he has taken to addressing her as “Lady Rhomdaen” now and dutifully takes her luggage before teleporting both of them back to the family mansion.
He leaves her alone at the doors to the Great Hall. She dithers at the threshold, fighting down a clawing anxiety that overwhelms her for a moment, her inner song frayed from a constant crescendo.
Relax already. Larynda invited you here in good faith. Trust in her, if not in yourself.
Zola inhales and exhales, and then pushes the doors open.
The hall is immense, carved from dark stone with stalactite pillars supporting a mezzanine level around three sides of the room. The far wall is filled with towering stained glass windows emblazoned with the emblem of House Rhomdaen — the blade-edged starcross, white on a field of royal purple.
Under the windows is a raised platform upon which sits a single chair. Larynda is standing before it; to her left, Kekoph and Vorn lurk in the shadows by a pillar, and opposite from them up on the mezzanine, Molgar leans on a railing as he watches Zola enter.
Zola’s gaze roams around the Great Hall in awe as she walks down the aisle towards her waiting sister. “Larynda. Or…what shall I call you now — Lady Regent?”
“That would be correct of you to, but given the nature of things, I think we can dispense with some of the pleasantries for now. I have instructed…our cousins to join us. I think it’s only right given how much has been kept from us so far.”
Zola nods and looks at her cousins in turn. “Hello again, Molgar, Kekoph, Vorn. I know we got off on the wrong foot last time but I’m hoping to fix that now.”
Kekoph and Vorn both give her a dubious look but say nothing. Molgar, from the mezzanine, quietly says, “That’s an understatement,” before awkwardly throwing a grape into his mouth, the bruise from Zola’s boot still evident but fading. The largeness of the room seems to amplify his voice despite its softness, triggering a smirk from the twin brothers. Zola flashes him an apologetic smile.
Larynda seems stoic and tense still. “Well, if that’s the case, then perhaps we should start at the beginning. By all rights, for everything we have grown to know, you should be our enemy… But it is also clear that we have not been fully informed of a great many things. So Zola, sister… Where does this mess begin? Can you shed some light on how exactly we have found ourselves here?”
Zola’s face lights up at her use of the word. Somehow, this simple act washes all her worries away and her inner song flips into a ditty. “Of course. Where do you want to start?”
Larynda hesitates a moment. “The beginning. How is it we have gone all this time and not known of you?”
“Well, as I’ve told you: before we were born, Phaeva and Kelolg struck a deal with a devil, Zarzuul. He would give them power and influence in exchange for their firstborn child — a child who would be raised to be his personal bodyguard. I suppose it so happened that I came out of the womb seconds before you did, and…here we are. Zarzuul didn’t want to raise me himself, however, so he made a different deal with another party, my hag mothers. I still don’t know what their contract entails exactly, but as I understood it, they were supposed to raise me to adulthood and never let me know my true origins.”
“So when did you learn of all this? Is this something you have grown up knowing?”
“No, my mothers told me a lie, said I was an orphan. I stumbled upon the truth when I learnt how to make fey deals and saw how they’d been altering my memories slightly. Once that was out of the bag, there was no going back. They confessed the truth, and Zarzuul took them for breaching the terms. They’d been evading him for my whole life, exploiting a loophole in the contract in order to keep me.”
Larynda gives her an intense look. “Okay. So that matches up with what you said before on wanting to retrieve them back from this…Zarzuul. Who is he? What else do you know of this so-called arrangement with my— our Mother?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never met him. Our father didn’t say much on the matter when we met. What little I know about Zarzuul comes from…Tebrin.”
Larynda’s eyes narrow and her shoulders relax. “The devil at the party. Well, I suppose my next question should be: is anything Mother said true?”
Zola sighs. She begins slowly pacing around with arms akimbo. “Yes and no. Mother always knew he was a devil. He’s Zarzuul’s middleman, you see, enslaved by Zarzuul when he fumbled a power play long ago. He longs to be free, to gain power, and I sensed that and…well. Things happened between us.”
“What things?”
“Bedroom things,” she replies awkwardly.
Larynda scoffs. “In which case, why in the world should we trust anything you say?”
“Because I’ve been telling you the truth and I am now telling you the truth. Why would I lie to you at this point?”
“I don’t know. But that’s the whole problem here. I don’t know, we don’t know anything!”
Larynda stops ranting to recompose herself, leaving an echoing silence in the hall. Zola drops her arms and takes a few steps closer with a gentle, earnest look on her face. “That’s how I felt too when I first found myself in this mess. Look, why don’t you hear me out first? You gain nothing by dismissing me now.”
She takes a deep breath and turns to face Zola. “Fine…”
“So, what else would you like to know?”
Larynda remains quiet for a long moment as she thinks things over. “What are you expecting to gain here? What is your purpose?”
Zola turns her head to gaze at the empty throne.
“I wanted to be Matron. For revenge. For my dreams. You might be thinking that I had come to ruin your life, but the truth is, I barely thought about you before we met. It was hard to imagine that I had a twin sister this whole time. I never wanted to hurt you, but I was just…so obsessed with overthrowing Phaeva.”
Larynda takes a step to interpose herself between Zola and the chair. “Wanted?”
The sword dancer looks her in the eye. “I still want it,” she admits quietly. “This is an inheritance I do not wish to gainsay. But it is your inheritance, too, and I have no right to deprive you of it.”
“And yet there is still the question: what exactly do you plan to do?”
“First, rescue my mothers. And in this I think we share a common goal, sister — you want Phaeva and Kelolg back, don’t you?”
“We can circle back to what I want after. Once you have the hags back, what then?”
Zola takes a breath, thinking. “I would like to ask you a question of my own first. Do you think you’re ready to become Matron?”
There is an audible scoff from Molgar above. Larynda darts a venomous look at him before returning to Zola. “In the absence of Mother, I already am the Matron of the House.”
“That’s not what I asked, Larynda.”
Her eyes narrow accusingly at Zola for a moment. “I… Yes, I think…I believe I am.”
Zola smiles at her sister and comes closer. “Then I propose that Phaeva never be returned to the position again, and that you and I take up the title in her stead.” She straightens up to her full height. “As co-Matrons.”
Larynda is visibly stunned. Molgar chokes on a grape and spits it out where it bounces across the stone floor behind Zola. Kekoph and Vorn can’t help themselves from exclaiming, “What!?” in unison, before dipping their heads in anticipation of another backlash from Larynda.
“Co-Matrons?”
The smile on Zola’s face does not waver. “You know this city better than I ever will, but I have many connections outside. I am acquainted with the Sovereign of the Court of Sorcery and the Dean of Daring Academy in the Dawnlands — connections House Rhomdaen can use to further its dominance in the field of academics. I am also in the good graces of the Olem-Murnelvar Trading Company, the same surfacer company which House Ithyr has a trade relationship with. And besides…” She glances at the boys at the edges of the hall. “You’ve seen my martial capabilities. I don’t think I’m being too presumptuous in saying that you’d want me in your army.”
Larynda hesitates, calculating quickly. “You’re right, I do know this city better than you… But a joint leadership would highlight us as weak to the other houses. We would be halving our influence between us and undermining any authority we have in front of everyone. That does not plan out well for us in the long run!” She stops, eyes darting as she processes what has been said, seeming to be weighing things up internally.
“No, sister, I would be adding my influence to yours — within and without Aeschira,” Zola refutes her, firm and gentle. “Our reach will be farther than it has ever been, than any house’s has ever been. We will not be two separate rulers, but two heads of the same body.”
“That’s not how the other houses will see that arrangement, Zola…” she says distractedly, still thinking.
“Then we shall endeavour to correct that. Together.”
Larynda’s eyes focus back on Zola. “And how would you suggest that is done?”
There is a confidence in the way she asks the question, like she already knows the answer but is testing Zola. That, in turn, transforms Zola’s smile into a confident grin. “We will act as a unified front, always. Nothing goes without our consensus. The other houses will learn that to deal with one of us, they must deal with both of us.”
“And what happens if we disagree?”
She shrugs. “We work it out, as sisters do.”
“I’ve never had a sister before.”
“Me neither. I guess we’re both going to have to learn.”
Larynda stays quiet for a long moment.
“So in this situation, what happens to Mother and Father? You said they were being held?”
There is some uneasy shuffling around the room.
Zola sits down on the edge of the dais, looking up at Larynda. “We’ll get them back, along with my adoptive mothers. And I have no wish to kill Phaeva and Kelolg anymore. But still, they must answer for their crimes.”
“Mother would not just allow you to do such a thing. If this were to be the case, she will only seek to end you.”
“I know. That’s why I need you at my side, Larynda. It is you she will go to first in a scheme to kill me.” Zola looks her up and down. “May I ask… How would you describe your relationship?”
Larynda takes a deep breath. “She is my mother. Our relationship is as it always has been… And yet, there is no denying that she may also seek to kill me for taking her place prematurely…”
Zola purses her lips. “She’s tried twice to assassinate me. She would do the same to you for going against her.”
“She tried three times to assassinate you, and one of them worked. She has poisoned your name in Aeschira by revealing your association to the devil Tebrin. Speaking of which, you have yet to tell me what the plan is for him.”
“Tebrin…” Zola utters the name with an annoyed sigh. “I made a deal with him. Verbal, not a contract. I promised him my hand in marriage if he helps me, and he has.”
“And? Do you plan on keeping that deal? Because any of these idiots”—Larynda gestures to the boys in the room—“could tell you that will not go down well with the other houses.”
The idiots remain silent.
Zola hesitates. “I…I can’t go through with it as it is now. I can’t marry a devil and plunge us into an unwinnable war.” She stands up and begins pacing again. “I don’t know how much power this deal has. He’s already implied he’d hurt my mothers if I renege on it, and I don’t think that was an empty threat. But if I can find a loophole… If I can make him not a devil…”
Larynda scoffs. “Not a devil? Zola, he already is a devil, and wishful thinking is not going to change that. The other houses, and I for that matter, will need something much firmer than a loophole. He is another problem, Like Mother, that will continue to rear its head.”
“Wishful thinking, no. But divine intervention…” Zola reaches under her breastplate to pull out her holy symbol, a silver amulet depicting a dancing drow woman. “I’ve seen this miracle happen before. I know someone who was once a devil but no longer is — Velania’s lover.” She looks at Molgar when she mentions the priestess’ name. “I’m going to try it. I know this sounds mad, and there’s no guarantee that it’ll succeed, but…I’ve got to try.”
Molgar shakes his head and smirks to himself at the revelation about Velania. Larynda looks doubtful. “That’s… Hmm. Okay. Tell us what you know of Tebrin.”
“What?!” says Kekoph.
“You can’t…” says Vorn.
She shoots the pair another baleful look that shuts them up.
“Not that much, to be perfectly honest,” replies Zola. “I think he was born here, judging by the way he speaks about Aeschira. I know he’s the captain of a mercenary company called the Swift Shadows. I know he’s been building a rapport with House Gorr — apropos of that, I think the Gorrs would be eager to make it seem that they had not been duped by a devil. Phaeva gave no evidence for her accusation… Yeah, I think I can sow a little doubt in the minds of Heart’s Head, if I try.”
“No evidence…besides him failing to deny it, spreading wings, and fleeing at the suggestion, you mean.”
“That certainly makes him look bad, but are we going to call everyone who has wings a devil or an angel? There’s reasonable doubt here.”
Larynda gives her a withering look. “I’m not trying to be politically correct here, Zola. The fact remains that the message has been sent and, whatever tale you spin, there will still be doubt in their minds. For all intents and purposes, he is a devil and not to be trusted.”
“Doubt is all I need until I can call down some divine help. Please, Larynda, I know it’s a big ask, but I want to try to spare him for the same reason you want Mother and Father spared.”
Zola pauses suddenly, looking surprised by the honesty that has tumbled out of her mouth. She had never really admitted it to herself before. This tenderness she still feels for Tebrin has only one name.
Larynda falls quiet for another long moment, studying Zola. “Presume I assent — what is Tebrin after? And given the damage he has already caused, why should we allow him in? Moreover…what do you get from this?”
“He’s cunning. He has been working in this city for a very long time. He can be an asset, if I can secure his loyalty. Big if, I know. As for what I get from this…” She presses a finger to her lips, mulling the query over. “…Some peace of mind.”
“Your peace of mind would be coming at the cost of everyone else’s, Zola…”
“I will make sure that does not happen. If I fail, I will put him down before he can do any more damage — this, I swear to you. I just hope it doesn’t come to that.”
It hurts her to say it, but it needs to be said. She can’t let her selfish desires be the death of thousands. There is another long pause.
“So… Mother traded you away to this devil Zarzuul for power, which is why our house is in the position it is now. A reneged deal by the hags has brought you here, with the devil Tebrin. Father agreed to meet you and, as a result, was taken away. Mother then tried to deal with you and was taken away. Zola, so far it really does sound like you are more trouble than you are worth… But in light of that, you’re suggesting you and I join forces, deal with this devil, and take over leadership of the house as a pair, making allowances for the other devil to be spared. Have I got that right?”
“Yes,” Zola says cheerfully. “I may be trouble, but I’m also very good at ending trouble. As you already know. Right, boys?”
The comment is met with disdainful looks.
“What’s to stop you and the devil trying to usurp me if I agree?” Larynda says.
“You’re my little sister. It’s my job to look out for you.”
“That sentiment doesn’t hold much weight given we barely know each other, sisters or not…”
“Well, I mean it. And we’ve got all the time in the world to get to know each other.”
Larynda looks surprised. “Do we?”
“I’ve brought my bags. Terbil’s probably unpacking them as we speak!”
She grimaces. “Bold to assume I would agree. If our objectives do not intertwine, there may be no place for you here.”
“Well, I already told you that the houses want to speak to me too and I set the date for that meeting a tenday from now, so I've got to stay here until then, at least.”
“In actual fact: no, you don’t. There are countless other places you could stay.”
“Do you really want me that exposed, given who I am and everything I know?”
Larynda’s eyes narrow again, but she remains silent while thinking.
Zola presses further. “Larynda, I need your help to sort out what I’m going to tell the houses, to make sure House Rhomdaen comes out of this looking as good as possible. And we wouldn’t want anyone eavesdropping on us.”
“Fine. You can stay. But what you tell them is still going to be highly dependent on any arrangement we come to. You are asking for much, Zola. Arguably too much…”
Zola beams gratefully at her. “And I promise you, I will make the burden of my being worth your while.” She glances around at the cousins before leaning in to whisper, “Er, there’s something else I’d like to discuss, but in private?”
Larynda looks at the boys. They get the message and take their leave.
“…Are they listening at the door?”
“They know better than to dare,” is Larynda’s response.
Zola nods. “Okay. Well, I wanted to ask you about the dreams. Are you still seeing them?”
She appears a little angered by the question but holds herself back. “You brought up dreams last time. What makes you think I’m having dreams?”
“Mother Lillian told me that you were, when I snuck into the house to lay the traps. Oh, I should probably tell you where those are.”
“Yes, we’ve already had two injured thanks to that…” Larynda grumbles. Zola decides not to mention the wine at this point. “Lillian? The hag told you? When? I mean, how?”
“The day you had a consultation with her was the day we got into the mansion for the first time, laying the traps. She foresaw that and quietly arranged things so that we could have a chat.”
The look on Larynda’s face is a mix of anger and embarrassment. “Lillian is one of your hag mothers? I thought they were taken by Zarzuul?”
“Yeah, I told you, didn’t I? Zarzuul had them trapped in that ruby-demiplane thing in Phaeva’s room.”
Taken aback for a second, Larynda takes a deep breath. “Right… I had presumed they wouldn't be able to leave. Mother obviously never told me where she found the hag for me to speak to, and I had no reason to suspect it was within our own house.” She takes another deep, settling breath and relaxes her shoulders again. “I mentioned having strange dreams and Mother suggested speaking to a ‘specialist’ so we could ascertain their real meaning. I told Lillian about them, hoping it would be some sign of my path, maybe a message from Lolth I wasn’t able to discern myself, but she mocked me and told me I was just fantasising them.”
“What did you see in the dreams?”
“I don’t remember. It was mostly sensations… Colours and sounds. Screaming and laughter. Nothing concrete. Lillian was supposed to try and pull them from my mind and show me them, but she never did.”
Zola taps a finger against her chin. “Hmm. That’s tricky. But I do have a bit of power when it comes to memories. Would you like to try?”
Larynda considers it for a moment before firmly replying, “No. There is enough to deal with right now. I can worry about dreams later.”
“Alright, the offer is there if you ever change your mind. But I’d just like you to know — you’re under the protection of a powerful goddess, Larynda. I know it.” Zola curls her fingers around her amulet.
Larynda — the priestess of Lolth — gives her a very curious look. “Are dreams the only thing you wish to discuss in private?”
“Yes. Sorry, you’ve probably got Regent duties. Don’t let me keep you.”
“I’m afraid I can’t until I know what we are going to do about…all of this.” She still seems frustrated at this mess she’s found herself in. “You have come into our lives and caused untold disturbance and now everything is different, Zola. On top of that, you are asking for things which, by all rights, were I to listen to anything my mother has taught me, I should have you killed for.”
Larynda fixes her stare on Zola, studying her intently. “And you are sure you can bring those connections to the house, presuming we agree to join together?”
“Yes. Those are favours I can call in easily.”
“Then I propose the following: we shall co-rule the house — decisions will be with both of us. At no time should any house business be conducted without both of us being present or, at the very least, agreeing for the other to handle in their stead. I do not want you taking action without my input, as I’m sure you would question my own in the opposite arrangement. At least, until we are sure we are of a mind on certain matters. Together, we will work together to rid our house of this devil Zarzuul and aim to restore our name and bolster our place in Heart’s Head. However, I shall take the family key from Mother. A familiar face possessing the family key will help us to assuage any concerns the other houses may have. We can discuss altering that arrangement in time, assuming things settle as we hope they will. I shall focus on our relations and activities within Aeschira while you help train our protection and bolster our external activities as you claim to be able to.
“I have no investment in the hags, but I shall agree to help you bring them back from Zarzuul on the basis they return to their home. I have no issue with them visiting you here, but having them live here would hurt our image. I will also send you to the other houses prepared to avoid coming under too much scrutiny, to further our agenda, and teach you what I can of how things work here in the meantime. But…” Larynda hesitates. “If this is going to work, we cannot afford to spread ourselves thin on the ground. Your arrival has sparked a host of problems for us, both within Aeschira and the house. They will need ironing out and we cannot afford to do all of this with other threats looming over us. I need your word that you will do what needs to be done to ensure this.
“Phaeva will never release her grip on the house and handing her over to the other houses will show our weakness. We must make an example of her. Kelolg, likewise, cannot be trusted and must be eliminated if we are to show face in Heart’s Head. Zarzuul must be scrubbed from the plans and his influence removed from Aeschira; any hint of his involvement will kill any real long-term plans we may have for the house.” She gives Zola a stern but concerned look. “That means Tebrin, too, is not a loose end we can afford.”
Now it is Zola’s turn to be taken aback. “You wish to kill our parents? Are you sure?”
“No… But I don’t see another way we can have any of this work. They have tainted themselves with their schemes. The only consolation we have so far is that myself and the others have been kept apart from that. Dealing with your image is enough of a headache to get over. Anything else tips the scales too far against us.”
“I’m more concerned about what effect this will have on you, Larynda. This is not a decision one can ever unmake.”
“And neither can the decision to do anything they have already done. My life is changed, Zola, whether I like it or not. My history and future are thrown to the winds. I have no choice now but to force my own path, or continue to be bullied by the ghosts of theirs.”
“I understand that, and I feel much the same way, but…” Zola gazes tenderly at her. “I took those same risks by sparing your life, Larynda. As Tebrin said, it would have been easier for me to get you out of the way permanently. But I chose not to, because you’re my sister and I have faith in working things out with you. I promise to do what needs to be done to secure our future. But I ask one more thing of you in return: if we find another way, a better way, that you hear me out. Not follow whatever I say blindly, just…listen.”
Larynda returns this with a stern look. “Zola, Tebrin may have said that, but that will only be true from his perspective. And he is right, were you to align yourself with him, killing me would be vastly easier for you. I will listen, but let me be clear: there is no way I see our arrangement in Aeschira working if he is allowed to live. I will listen, but you need to be ready to deal with him when the time comes. If you won’t…then I will. Though I worry about the future of our coalition if we cannot agree on such a fundamental problem…” She pauses to consider a new thought. “It’s harsh to ask that of you without practising what I preach. I will ensure Phaeva and Kelolg are eliminated. I will listen, Zola, but if and when the time comes, I expect you to deal with Tebrin.”
Zola purses her lips together. She feels a strong urge arising in her — the urge to protect her little sister from the horrors of slaying one’s own parents. But this is not the time; there’s so much that needs to be done before that bridge is to be crossed.
“Very well, sister,” she says. “I agree to all your terms.”
She unlatches the sheathed swords on her belt and offers Pollux to Larynda.
Larynda hesitates at first, having seen how expertly Zola wielded this sword against her mother. But she reaches out and takes it, weighing it in her hand appreciatively. As Zola’s near-mirror, it is striking how natural it looks on her to hold the weapon Zola has made so much use of. Her amber eyes lift from the sword to meet Zola’s own remaining amber eye.
Zola pulls Castor out from its scabbard and cuts its blade into her left palm. She holds out the bleeding hand to Larynda. “Let our blood mingle as it once did in the womb, and seal this pact of ours.”
Larynda smiles, unsheathing Pollux and drawing the blade across her own palm before clasping Zola’s hand.
“Good. We have a lot to sort out, you and I, least of all reigning over the house. I’ll have Tebril take your belongings to one of the rooms and begin making a permanent place here for you. We can catch our cousins up on our agreement at dinner.”
She gives Zola an appraising look, then a sly smile creeps onto her lips.
“Welcome home, sister.”
Dinner with the cousins goes well. Molgar gets on board with the plan far quicker than Zola had expected him to, dropping his animosity towards her as soon as she’s finished speaking and even offering to show her around. He seems to see and appreciate the pragmatism in this arrangement.
Kekoph and Vorn assent to the plan, though it’s obvious they still have reservations about Zola. She catches them whispering questions to Larynda when they think she’s not paying attention, asking if Larynda is sure about all this, which is quickly shut down by the younger twin. And just like that, they fall in line.
Next, the five of them discuss what could be done to locate Zarzuul. Zola suggests looking into where the ruby was crafted, but the three wizards come up with a better idea: since they already know that the ruby is a gate to a demiplane belonging to Zarzuul, they could try brute-forcing the demiplane open long enough for her to go in and kick some arse. She likes the sound of that.
It’s been an encouraging day. Zola goes to bed that night feeling uplifted, despite finding sleep elusive with the Heart Bell’s non-stop ringing outside.
Perhaps it’s the exhaustion that she wakes up with the next morning that makes the troubling aspects of this plan loom larger in her mind. So she asks Larynda if she could visit the Temple of Eilistraee. Larynda insists that she not go alone and has Molgar escort her.
The temple is a modest church house compared to the imposing cathedrals in the city dedicated to Lolth, Shar, and others, and yet it’s still the largest cultic centre of Eilistraee that Zola has ever seen. There is only a thin scattering of worshippers around, solemn and silent.
Zola has donned a full-face mask and a veil over her head to cover the crown of crystals. She comes not as the new Co-Regent of House Rhomdaen but as an anonymous pilgrim.
Shadows and candlelight dance on the kind-faced idol in the sanctuary. Kneeling before the altar, she lights three candles.
“Eilistraee, the Dark Dancer, protector of all drow. Hanali Celanil, goddess of love. Sehanine Moonbow, goddess of mysteries.”
Phaeva Rhomdaen. Kelolg Rhomdaen. Tebrin Zoland.
She pulls out the black feather that Tebrin had shed, cradling it in her hands. “I pray that you show me the path of mercy.”
There is a presence watching over her, listening to her prayer. Over the following days, she spots out of the corner of her eye the faintest hints of a glow around Larynda and her cousins again.
Co-written with the magnificent Anthony
When he comes to fetch Zola in the Gilded Mirror, Terbil Dilass is even more sheepish towards her than the last time they met. She can’t quite blame him for it and feels rather like apologising to him for the trouble; the events of last month are still fresh in everyone’s minds. Nevertheless, he has taken to addressing her as “Lady Rhomdaen” now and dutifully takes her luggage before teleporting both of them back to the family mansion.
He leaves her alone at the doors to the Great Hall. She dithers at the threshold, fighting down a clawing anxiety that overwhelms her for a moment, her inner song frayed from a constant crescendo.
Relax already. Larynda invited you here in good faith. Trust in her, if not in yourself.
Zola inhales and exhales, and then pushes the doors open.
The hall is immense, carved from dark stone with stalactite pillars supporting a mezzanine level around three sides of the room. The far wall is filled with towering stained glass windows emblazoned with the emblem of House Rhomdaen — the blade-edged starcross, white on a field of royal purple.
Under the windows is a raised platform upon which sits a single chair. Larynda is standing before it; to her left, Kekoph and Vorn lurk in the shadows by a pillar, and opposite from them up on the mezzanine, Molgar leans on a railing as he watches Zola enter.
Zola’s gaze roams around the Great Hall in awe as she walks down the aisle towards her waiting sister. “Larynda. Or…what shall I call you now — Lady Regent?”
“That would be correct of you to, but given the nature of things, I think we can dispense with some of the pleasantries for now. I have instructed…our cousins to join us. I think it’s only right given how much has been kept from us so far.”
Zola nods and looks at her cousins in turn. “Hello again, Molgar, Kekoph, Vorn. I know we got off on the wrong foot last time but I’m hoping to fix that now.”
Kekoph and Vorn both give her a dubious look but say nothing. Molgar, from the mezzanine, quietly says, “That’s an understatement,” before awkwardly throwing a grape into his mouth, the bruise from Zola’s boot still evident but fading. The largeness of the room seems to amplify his voice despite its softness, triggering a smirk from the twin brothers. Zola flashes him an apologetic smile.
Larynda seems stoic and tense still. “Well, if that’s the case, then perhaps we should start at the beginning. By all rights, for everything we have grown to know, you should be our enemy… But it is also clear that we have not been fully informed of a great many things. So Zola, sister… Where does this mess begin? Can you shed some light on how exactly we have found ourselves here?”
Zola’s face lights up at her use of the word. Somehow, this simple act washes all her worries away and her inner song flips into a ditty. “Of course. Where do you want to start?”
Larynda hesitates a moment. “The beginning. How is it we have gone all this time and not known of you?”
“Well, as I’ve told you: before we were born, Phaeva and Kelolg struck a deal with a devil, Zarzuul. He would give them power and influence in exchange for their firstborn child — a child who would be raised to be his personal bodyguard. I suppose it so happened that I came out of the womb seconds before you did, and…here we are. Zarzuul didn’t want to raise me himself, however, so he made a different deal with another party, my hag mothers. I still don’t know what their contract entails exactly, but as I understood it, they were supposed to raise me to adulthood and never let me know my true origins.”
“So when did you learn of all this? Is this something you have grown up knowing?”
“No, my mothers told me a lie, said I was an orphan. I stumbled upon the truth when I learnt how to make fey deals and saw how they’d been altering my memories slightly. Once that was out of the bag, there was no going back. They confessed the truth, and Zarzuul took them for breaching the terms. They’d been evading him for my whole life, exploiting a loophole in the contract in order to keep me.”
Larynda gives her an intense look. “Okay. So that matches up with what you said before on wanting to retrieve them back from this…Zarzuul. Who is he? What else do you know of this so-called arrangement with my— our Mother?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never met him. Our father didn’t say much on the matter when we met. What little I know about Zarzuul comes from…Tebrin.”
Larynda’s eyes narrow and her shoulders relax. “The devil at the party. Well, I suppose my next question should be: is anything Mother said true?”
Zola sighs. She begins slowly pacing around with arms akimbo. “Yes and no. Mother always knew he was a devil. He’s Zarzuul’s middleman, you see, enslaved by Zarzuul when he fumbled a power play long ago. He longs to be free, to gain power, and I sensed that and…well. Things happened between us.”
“What things?”
“Bedroom things,” she replies awkwardly.
Larynda scoffs. “In which case, why in the world should we trust anything you say?”
“Because I’ve been telling you the truth and I am now telling you the truth. Why would I lie to you at this point?”
“I don’t know. But that’s the whole problem here. I don’t know, we don’t know anything!”
Larynda stops ranting to recompose herself, leaving an echoing silence in the hall. Zola drops her arms and takes a few steps closer with a gentle, earnest look on her face. “That’s how I felt too when I first found myself in this mess. Look, why don’t you hear me out first? You gain nothing by dismissing me now.”
She takes a deep breath and turns to face Zola. “Fine…”
“So, what else would you like to know?”
Larynda remains quiet for a long moment as she thinks things over. “What are you expecting to gain here? What is your purpose?”
Zola turns her head to gaze at the empty throne.
“I wanted to be Matron. For revenge. For my dreams. You might be thinking that I had come to ruin your life, but the truth is, I barely thought about you before we met. It was hard to imagine that I had a twin sister this whole time. I never wanted to hurt you, but I was just…so obsessed with overthrowing Phaeva.”
Larynda takes a step to interpose herself between Zola and the chair. “Wanted?”
The sword dancer looks her in the eye. “I still want it,” she admits quietly. “This is an inheritance I do not wish to gainsay. But it is your inheritance, too, and I have no right to deprive you of it.”
“And yet there is still the question: what exactly do you plan to do?”
“First, rescue my mothers. And in this I think we share a common goal, sister — you want Phaeva and Kelolg back, don’t you?”
“We can circle back to what I want after. Once you have the hags back, what then?”
Zola takes a breath, thinking. “I would like to ask you a question of my own first. Do you think you’re ready to become Matron?”
There is an audible scoff from Molgar above. Larynda darts a venomous look at him before returning to Zola. “In the absence of Mother, I already am the Matron of the House.”
“That’s not what I asked, Larynda.”
Her eyes narrow accusingly at Zola for a moment. “I… Yes, I think…I believe I am.”
Zola smiles at her sister and comes closer. “Then I propose that Phaeva never be returned to the position again, and that you and I take up the title in her stead.” She straightens up to her full height. “As co-Matrons.”
Larynda is visibly stunned. Molgar chokes on a grape and spits it out where it bounces across the stone floor behind Zola. Kekoph and Vorn can’t help themselves from exclaiming, “What!?” in unison, before dipping their heads in anticipation of another backlash from Larynda.
“Co-Matrons?”
The smile on Zola’s face does not waver. “You know this city better than I ever will, but I have many connections outside. I am acquainted with the Sovereign of the Court of Sorcery and the Dean of Daring Academy in the Dawnlands — connections House Rhomdaen can use to further its dominance in the field of academics. I am also in the good graces of the Olem-Murnelvar Trading Company, the same surfacer company which House Ithyr has a trade relationship with. And besides…” She glances at the boys at the edges of the hall. “You’ve seen my martial capabilities. I don’t think I’m being too presumptuous in saying that you’d want me in your army.”
Larynda hesitates, calculating quickly. “You’re right, I do know this city better than you… But a joint leadership would highlight us as weak to the other houses. We would be halving our influence between us and undermining any authority we have in front of everyone. That does not plan out well for us in the long run!” She stops, eyes darting as she processes what has been said, seeming to be weighing things up internally.
“No, sister, I would be adding my influence to yours — within and without Aeschira,” Zola refutes her, firm and gentle. “Our reach will be farther than it has ever been, than any house’s has ever been. We will not be two separate rulers, but two heads of the same body.”
“That’s not how the other houses will see that arrangement, Zola…” she says distractedly, still thinking.
“Then we shall endeavour to correct that. Together.”
Larynda’s eyes focus back on Zola. “And how would you suggest that is done?”
There is a confidence in the way she asks the question, like she already knows the answer but is testing Zola. That, in turn, transforms Zola’s smile into a confident grin. “We will act as a unified front, always. Nothing goes without our consensus. The other houses will learn that to deal with one of us, they must deal with both of us.”
“And what happens if we disagree?”
She shrugs. “We work it out, as sisters do.”
“I’ve never had a sister before.”
“Me neither. I guess we’re both going to have to learn.”
Larynda stays quiet for a long moment.
“So in this situation, what happens to Mother and Father? You said they were being held?”
There is some uneasy shuffling around the room.
Zola sits down on the edge of the dais, looking up at Larynda. “We’ll get them back, along with my adoptive mothers. And I have no wish to kill Phaeva and Kelolg anymore. But still, they must answer for their crimes.”
“Mother would not just allow you to do such a thing. If this were to be the case, she will only seek to end you.”
“I know. That’s why I need you at my side, Larynda. It is you she will go to first in a scheme to kill me.” Zola looks her up and down. “May I ask… How would you describe your relationship?”
Larynda takes a deep breath. “She is my mother. Our relationship is as it always has been… And yet, there is no denying that she may also seek to kill me for taking her place prematurely…”
Zola purses her lips. “She’s tried twice to assassinate me. She would do the same to you for going against her.”
“She tried three times to assassinate you, and one of them worked. She has poisoned your name in Aeschira by revealing your association to the devil Tebrin. Speaking of which, you have yet to tell me what the plan is for him.”
“Tebrin…” Zola utters the name with an annoyed sigh. “I made a deal with him. Verbal, not a contract. I promised him my hand in marriage if he helps me, and he has.”
“And? Do you plan on keeping that deal? Because any of these idiots”—Larynda gestures to the boys in the room—“could tell you that will not go down well with the other houses.”
The idiots remain silent.
Zola hesitates. “I…I can’t go through with it as it is now. I can’t marry a devil and plunge us into an unwinnable war.” She stands up and begins pacing again. “I don’t know how much power this deal has. He’s already implied he’d hurt my mothers if I renege on it, and I don’t think that was an empty threat. But if I can find a loophole… If I can make him not a devil…”
Larynda scoffs. “Not a devil? Zola, he already is a devil, and wishful thinking is not going to change that. The other houses, and I for that matter, will need something much firmer than a loophole. He is another problem, Like Mother, that will continue to rear its head.”
“Wishful thinking, no. But divine intervention…” Zola reaches under her breastplate to pull out her holy symbol, a silver amulet depicting a dancing drow woman. “I’ve seen this miracle happen before. I know someone who was once a devil but no longer is — Velania’s lover.” She looks at Molgar when she mentions the priestess’ name. “I’m going to try it. I know this sounds mad, and there’s no guarantee that it’ll succeed, but…I’ve got to try.”
Molgar shakes his head and smirks to himself at the revelation about Velania. Larynda looks doubtful. “That’s… Hmm. Okay. Tell us what you know of Tebrin.”
“What?!” says Kekoph.
“You can’t…” says Vorn.
She shoots the pair another baleful look that shuts them up.
“Not that much, to be perfectly honest,” replies Zola. “I think he was born here, judging by the way he speaks about Aeschira. I know he’s the captain of a mercenary company called the Swift Shadows. I know he’s been building a rapport with House Gorr — apropos of that, I think the Gorrs would be eager to make it seem that they had not been duped by a devil. Phaeva gave no evidence for her accusation… Yeah, I think I can sow a little doubt in the minds of Heart’s Head, if I try.”
“No evidence…besides him failing to deny it, spreading wings, and fleeing at the suggestion, you mean.”
“That certainly makes him look bad, but are we going to call everyone who has wings a devil or an angel? There’s reasonable doubt here.”
Larynda gives her a withering look. “I’m not trying to be politically correct here, Zola. The fact remains that the message has been sent and, whatever tale you spin, there will still be doubt in their minds. For all intents and purposes, he is a devil and not to be trusted.”
“Doubt is all I need until I can call down some divine help. Please, Larynda, I know it’s a big ask, but I want to try to spare him for the same reason you want Mother and Father spared.”
Zola pauses suddenly, looking surprised by the honesty that has tumbled out of her mouth. She had never really admitted it to herself before. This tenderness she still feels for Tebrin has only one name.
Larynda falls quiet for another long moment, studying Zola. “Presume I assent — what is Tebrin after? And given the damage he has already caused, why should we allow him in? Moreover…what do you get from this?”
“He’s cunning. He has been working in this city for a very long time. He can be an asset, if I can secure his loyalty. Big if, I know. As for what I get from this…” She presses a finger to her lips, mulling the query over. “…Some peace of mind.”
“Your peace of mind would be coming at the cost of everyone else’s, Zola…”
“I will make sure that does not happen. If I fail, I will put him down before he can do any more damage — this, I swear to you. I just hope it doesn’t come to that.”
It hurts her to say it, but it needs to be said. She can’t let her selfish desires be the death of thousands. There is another long pause.
“So… Mother traded you away to this devil Zarzuul for power, which is why our house is in the position it is now. A reneged deal by the hags has brought you here, with the devil Tebrin. Father agreed to meet you and, as a result, was taken away. Mother then tried to deal with you and was taken away. Zola, so far it really does sound like you are more trouble than you are worth… But in light of that, you’re suggesting you and I join forces, deal with this devil, and take over leadership of the house as a pair, making allowances for the other devil to be spared. Have I got that right?”
“Yes,” Zola says cheerfully. “I may be trouble, but I’m also very good at ending trouble. As you already know. Right, boys?”
The comment is met with disdainful looks.
“What’s to stop you and the devil trying to usurp me if I agree?” Larynda says.
“You’re my little sister. It’s my job to look out for you.”
“That sentiment doesn’t hold much weight given we barely know each other, sisters or not…”
“Well, I mean it. And we’ve got all the time in the world to get to know each other.”
Larynda looks surprised. “Do we?”
“I’ve brought my bags. Terbil’s probably unpacking them as we speak!”
She grimaces. “Bold to assume I would agree. If our objectives do not intertwine, there may be no place for you here.”
“Well, I already told you that the houses want to speak to me too and I set the date for that meeting a tenday from now, so I've got to stay here until then, at least.”
“In actual fact: no, you don’t. There are countless other places you could stay.”
“Do you really want me that exposed, given who I am and everything I know?”
Larynda’s eyes narrow again, but she remains silent while thinking.
Zola presses further. “Larynda, I need your help to sort out what I’m going to tell the houses, to make sure House Rhomdaen comes out of this looking as good as possible. And we wouldn’t want anyone eavesdropping on us.”
“Fine. You can stay. But what you tell them is still going to be highly dependent on any arrangement we come to. You are asking for much, Zola. Arguably too much…”
Zola beams gratefully at her. “And I promise you, I will make the burden of my being worth your while.” She glances around at the cousins before leaning in to whisper, “Er, there’s something else I’d like to discuss, but in private?”
Larynda looks at the boys. They get the message and take their leave.
“…Are they listening at the door?”
“They know better than to dare,” is Larynda’s response.
Zola nods. “Okay. Well, I wanted to ask you about the dreams. Are you still seeing them?”
She appears a little angered by the question but holds herself back. “You brought up dreams last time. What makes you think I’m having dreams?”
“Mother Lillian told me that you were, when I snuck into the house to lay the traps. Oh, I should probably tell you where those are.”
“Yes, we’ve already had two injured thanks to that…” Larynda grumbles. Zola decides not to mention the wine at this point. “Lillian? The hag told you? When? I mean, how?”
“The day you had a consultation with her was the day we got into the mansion for the first time, laying the traps. She foresaw that and quietly arranged things so that we could have a chat.”
The look on Larynda’s face is a mix of anger and embarrassment. “Lillian is one of your hag mothers? I thought they were taken by Zarzuul?”
“Yeah, I told you, didn’t I? Zarzuul had them trapped in that ruby-demiplane thing in Phaeva’s room.”
Taken aback for a second, Larynda takes a deep breath. “Right… I had presumed they wouldn't be able to leave. Mother obviously never told me where she found the hag for me to speak to, and I had no reason to suspect it was within our own house.” She takes another deep, settling breath and relaxes her shoulders again. “I mentioned having strange dreams and Mother suggested speaking to a ‘specialist’ so we could ascertain their real meaning. I told Lillian about them, hoping it would be some sign of my path, maybe a message from Lolth I wasn’t able to discern myself, but she mocked me and told me I was just fantasising them.”
“What did you see in the dreams?”
“I don’t remember. It was mostly sensations… Colours and sounds. Screaming and laughter. Nothing concrete. Lillian was supposed to try and pull them from my mind and show me them, but she never did.”
Zola taps a finger against her chin. “Hmm. That’s tricky. But I do have a bit of power when it comes to memories. Would you like to try?”
Larynda considers it for a moment before firmly replying, “No. There is enough to deal with right now. I can worry about dreams later.”
“Alright, the offer is there if you ever change your mind. But I’d just like you to know — you’re under the protection of a powerful goddess, Larynda. I know it.” Zola curls her fingers around her amulet.
Larynda — the priestess of Lolth — gives her a very curious look. “Are dreams the only thing you wish to discuss in private?”
“Yes. Sorry, you’ve probably got Regent duties. Don’t let me keep you.”
“I’m afraid I can’t until I know what we are going to do about…all of this.” She still seems frustrated at this mess she’s found herself in. “You have come into our lives and caused untold disturbance and now everything is different, Zola. On top of that, you are asking for things which, by all rights, were I to listen to anything my mother has taught me, I should have you killed for.”
Larynda fixes her stare on Zola, studying her intently. “And you are sure you can bring those connections to the house, presuming we agree to join together?”
“Yes. Those are favours I can call in easily.”
“Then I propose the following: we shall co-rule the house — decisions will be with both of us. At no time should any house business be conducted without both of us being present or, at the very least, agreeing for the other to handle in their stead. I do not want you taking action without my input, as I’m sure you would question my own in the opposite arrangement. At least, until we are sure we are of a mind on certain matters. Together, we will work together to rid our house of this devil Zarzuul and aim to restore our name and bolster our place in Heart’s Head. However, I shall take the family key from Mother. A familiar face possessing the family key will help us to assuage any concerns the other houses may have. We can discuss altering that arrangement in time, assuming things settle as we hope they will. I shall focus on our relations and activities within Aeschira while you help train our protection and bolster our external activities as you claim to be able to.
“I have no investment in the hags, but I shall agree to help you bring them back from Zarzuul on the basis they return to their home. I have no issue with them visiting you here, but having them live here would hurt our image. I will also send you to the other houses prepared to avoid coming under too much scrutiny, to further our agenda, and teach you what I can of how things work here in the meantime. But…” Larynda hesitates. “If this is going to work, we cannot afford to spread ourselves thin on the ground. Your arrival has sparked a host of problems for us, both within Aeschira and the house. They will need ironing out and we cannot afford to do all of this with other threats looming over us. I need your word that you will do what needs to be done to ensure this.
“Phaeva will never release her grip on the house and handing her over to the other houses will show our weakness. We must make an example of her. Kelolg, likewise, cannot be trusted and must be eliminated if we are to show face in Heart’s Head. Zarzuul must be scrubbed from the plans and his influence removed from Aeschira; any hint of his involvement will kill any real long-term plans we may have for the house.” She gives Zola a stern but concerned look. “That means Tebrin, too, is not a loose end we can afford.”
Now it is Zola’s turn to be taken aback. “You wish to kill our parents? Are you sure?”
“No… But I don’t see another way we can have any of this work. They have tainted themselves with their schemes. The only consolation we have so far is that myself and the others have been kept apart from that. Dealing with your image is enough of a headache to get over. Anything else tips the scales too far against us.”
“I’m more concerned about what effect this will have on you, Larynda. This is not a decision one can ever unmake.”
“And neither can the decision to do anything they have already done. My life is changed, Zola, whether I like it or not. My history and future are thrown to the winds. I have no choice now but to force my own path, or continue to be bullied by the ghosts of theirs.”
“I understand that, and I feel much the same way, but…” Zola gazes tenderly at her. “I took those same risks by sparing your life, Larynda. As Tebrin said, it would have been easier for me to get you out of the way permanently. But I chose not to, because you’re my sister and I have faith in working things out with you. I promise to do what needs to be done to secure our future. But I ask one more thing of you in return: if we find another way, a better way, that you hear me out. Not follow whatever I say blindly, just…listen.”
Larynda returns this with a stern look. “Zola, Tebrin may have said that, but that will only be true from his perspective. And he is right, were you to align yourself with him, killing me would be vastly easier for you. I will listen, but let me be clear: there is no way I see our arrangement in Aeschira working if he is allowed to live. I will listen, but you need to be ready to deal with him when the time comes. If you won’t…then I will. Though I worry about the future of our coalition if we cannot agree on such a fundamental problem…” She pauses to consider a new thought. “It’s harsh to ask that of you without practising what I preach. I will ensure Phaeva and Kelolg are eliminated. I will listen, Zola, but if and when the time comes, I expect you to deal with Tebrin.”
Zola purses her lips together. She feels a strong urge arising in her — the urge to protect her little sister from the horrors of slaying one’s own parents. But this is not the time; there’s so much that needs to be done before that bridge is to be crossed.
“Very well, sister,” she says. “I agree to all your terms.”
She unlatches the sheathed swords on her belt and offers Pollux to Larynda.
Larynda hesitates at first, having seen how expertly Zola wielded this sword against her mother. But she reaches out and takes it, weighing it in her hand appreciatively. As Zola’s near-mirror, it is striking how natural it looks on her to hold the weapon Zola has made so much use of. Her amber eyes lift from the sword to meet Zola’s own remaining amber eye.
Zola pulls Castor out from its scabbard and cuts its blade into her left palm. She holds out the bleeding hand to Larynda. “Let our blood mingle as it once did in the womb, and seal this pact of ours.”
Larynda smiles, unsheathing Pollux and drawing the blade across her own palm before clasping Zola’s hand.
“Good. We have a lot to sort out, you and I, least of all reigning over the house. I’ll have Tebril take your belongings to one of the rooms and begin making a permanent place here for you. We can catch our cousins up on our agreement at dinner.”
She gives Zola an appraising look, then a sly smile creeps onto her lips.
“Welcome home, sister.”
Dinner with the cousins goes well. Molgar gets on board with the plan far quicker than Zola had expected him to, dropping his animosity towards her as soon as she’s finished speaking and even offering to show her around. He seems to see and appreciate the pragmatism in this arrangement.
Kekoph and Vorn assent to the plan, though it’s obvious they still have reservations about Zola. She catches them whispering questions to Larynda when they think she’s not paying attention, asking if Larynda is sure about all this, which is quickly shut down by the younger twin. And just like that, they fall in line.
Next, the five of them discuss what could be done to locate Zarzuul. Zola suggests looking into where the ruby was crafted, but the three wizards come up with a better idea: since they already know that the ruby is a gate to a demiplane belonging to Zarzuul, they could try brute-forcing the demiplane open long enough for her to go in and kick some arse. She likes the sound of that.
It’s been an encouraging day. Zola goes to bed that night feeling uplifted, despite finding sleep elusive with the Heart Bell’s non-stop ringing outside.
Perhaps it’s the exhaustion that she wakes up with the next morning that makes the troubling aspects of this plan loom larger in her mind. So she asks Larynda if she could visit the Temple of Eilistraee. Larynda insists that she not go alone and has Molgar escort her.
The temple is a modest church house compared to the imposing cathedrals in the city dedicated to Lolth, Shar, and others, and yet it’s still the largest cultic centre of Eilistraee that Zola has ever seen. There is only a thin scattering of worshippers around, solemn and silent.
Zola has donned a full-face mask and a veil over her head to cover the crown of crystals. She comes not as the new Co-Regent of House Rhomdaen but as an anonymous pilgrim.
Shadows and candlelight dance on the kind-faced idol in the sanctuary. Kneeling before the altar, she lights three candles.
“Eilistraee, the Dark Dancer, protector of all drow. Hanali Celanil, goddess of love. Sehanine Moonbow, goddess of mysteries.”
Phaeva Rhomdaen. Kelolg Rhomdaen. Tebrin Zoland.
She pulls out the black feather that Tebrin had shed, cradling it in her hands. “I pray that you show me the path of mercy.”
There is a presence watching over her, listening to her prayer. Over the following days, she spots out of the corner of her eye the faintest hints of a glow around Larynda and her cousins again.
Co-written with the magnificent Anthony
