Mordecai had to choose his words very carefully here, he couldn't speak on her behalf without her request or g the right to do so by announg his position as her aor. "I ot say that I know of any formal arras involving the young heir. Shizoku, you are the only one present who speak of any informal arras, and you speak truly about your iions." It was satisfying to watch the girl's mind reengage and start w on the clues he'd given her, but he o buy time as well.

  Queen Sylphine's sharp look gave him all he needed for that task, and he respoo her unasked question. "While I am not in a position to speak on her behalf, I do have an obligation to support her as a mentor. Part of her purpose here is to help train Shizoku for her future role, as Matriarch Aia and I have discussed previously." That got a small nod of approval from Princess Orchid.

  "Iing. It seems you have a close retionship with the Azeria then," she replied.

  "Indeed. In addition to our initial arras, we are allied with Azeria through our formal alliah Kuic. I would rather stay on good terms with Aia, as well as not invoke any ire from her patron."

  Shizoku interjected before the queen had decided upon a reply, "As to the matter of my avaibility, I have met a man who is a perfect matd foil for my personality and who I am more than fond of. His family has met me and our retionship has their approval, and those of my family who have met him also approve. We have exged our first kiss, and I io make our retionship formal as soon as appropriate by both our culture's standards. I know the future is not set in stone, but there is no other person I pn to wed or bed."

  Kazue's voice whispered in his mind, "Iing choice of words there. If she turned up pregnant tomorrow, the 's only real would be her health, assuming the father was around her age. We have too few children to not be supportive. But here she's saying she's going to wait until they are old enough for humans to be okay with an e at least, and I am guessing more."

  It was clear to Mordecai that being so open and calm was difficult for the young kitsune, but she wasn't do. Her stateme more of her temper reveal itself as she said, "And I hereby swear eternal vengeance upon any person willfully involved in harming him, ever."

  Mordecai winced. She knew he riest of Ozuran and that was a rather over-dramatic oath for the situation. It should at least protect Derek from any stray 'veniences', though his impression of Sylphine didn't suggest that she'd go that far. The girl clearly felt very protective of her boy.

  The faerie didn't seem to eveer the oath. "Exged first kisses? That's very sweet, but that means you are both so inexperienced. Surely in a few years you'll want to find some teachers for the two of you at least?"

  "Never," Shizoku spat out and then covered her mouth in surprise. That single word echoed with the power of her retly made oath and came dangerously close to the feeling of prophecy.

  This left the room silent for a few moments as Shizoku stared down at her pte and the rest of them exged unfortable gnces. Sylphine spoke first, "Well, setting that topic aside, I should like to discuss the possible whereabouts of my daughter, Princess Era. You said that you do not know of anyone by that name, but how sure are you that she has not hidden herself amongst your visitors?"

  "While there is a limit to how sure one be of anything," Mordecai replied, "within that limit, I am certain that she is not amongst the dungeon's visitors or prisoners."

  That caught her attention. "You have prisoners from the invasion? I would have thought that a dungeon would simply eliminate invaders."

  "All of the more than two hundred invaders were taken prisoner, and are either alive in our dungeons or were delivered to Kuic's forces alive and well."

  "Impressive restraint and trol," she replied. "I see why you have so many visitors, an alliah such a dungeon would certainly provide an excellent opportunity to train one's people safely."

  Mordecai ined his head in aowledgment. "If you want to foster retions with us, we would be happy to receive delving groups, so long as they follow our rules. We have both a bat and non-bat path. The non-bat path requires wit, skill, and a certain amount of mental and physical fortitude. It be an excelle of character."

  "That could be very useful, and it might provide the opportunity to let some of my people seary daughter along the way. I noticed that there are several fairies amongst your people and thought that perhaps she has taken on the guise of one of your inhabitants." Sylphine seemed quite pleased with the thought.

  "While it is possible that she is numbered amongst our inhabitants, I am certain that she ot hide among them. If she is here as ohen she is an actual inhabitant, and thus is one of our people." Mordecai pushed the draic aspects of his power to the surface of his aura, causing his goldeo take on a molten glow. "I protect what is mine."

  "Oh, I think my precious girl has found a fierce protector." Her voice had dropped into a purr. "I would like to at least not be ed for her safety. Perhaps I should get some personal experieo find out how skilled you really are." Sylphine's gaze met and held his as her eyes lit with a touch of alluring gmour.

  Thrice be-damned Faeries. They weren't any rahan humans or kitsu they were generally oblivious to boundaries. "I am not ied." The queen recoiled slightly from the ft ess of his tone. "I am a high priest of Ozuran, and I have married both a priestess of Sakiya and a kitsune shrine maiden of Mericume. I have no needs, desires, or wants left unanswered and I am more than happy to fulfill all my duties and obligations."

  "Tsch. You mortals are far too hung up about simple sport." She paused thoughtfully. "Did you say high priest? That doesn't seem right, you should be far too young, yet there was no lie in your words." The queen's aura washed out from her as she iigated her surroundings in more detail. "So much potential power locked in that avatar of yours. What is this? Why is there an ey power on the far side of your territory?" Sylphine rose from her seat without waiting for an answer and headed for the source of that echo.

  Mordecai was the only perso who could keep up with her. Lord Silvander followed them, but he could not maintain a matg pace. She stopped only when she reached the two statues, then spun toward Mordecai with a glower. "Why have you erected these statues and paihem with faint replicas of our auras?"

  "I don't take risks that I don't have to," Mordecai replied with a small smile. "I did mention that we are allied with Kuic, yes? It's veo share a border with her. Oh, but I should crify something else. When I stated that my wives could not join us for dinner, I meant that my wife Kazue's avatar is traveling with our wife Moriko, so despite her general presence, she is uo eat with us. Kazue makes such fiwork, does she not?"

  Sylphiared in fusion for a moment. "You were calling for backup? What sort of help could you possibly expect from..." Her eyes widened. "You said that you shared a border with her. You know Kuic. No, it's not just that. I remember where I heard your name before. You are Norumi's father!"

  The way that she sounded so delighted killed leasure Mordecai had gained from his small victories, and his mood tio sink as she talked. "Oh, I've heard so much about you! No wonder you handled my visit so well. She must have been so happy to see you again. And there she is, e on out dear."

  Norumi's dryad form separated from a tree just oher side of the border, and she bowed to Sylphine. "Greetings Your Majesty. It's a pleasure to see you again."

  "A family reunion, how wonderful." The queen beamed at them. "Oh, but it's not plete yet, is it? Norumi, have you told your mother yet?" The kitsune dryad winced, which gave away her answer. Mordecai felt a stress headache f. "No? Naughty girl, your father has spoiled you. I should go find her and give her the news. It was so wonderful to meet her the st time she visited. I wonder where she's gone off to?"

  With a great flourish, Queen Sylphine curtsied deeply to Mordecai. "Thank you for being su eaining host this evening, and tell my daughter that I expect her to fulfill her role spectacurly, whatever that role may be. My seneschal had caught up with us, so we shall take our leave now." And with that, the pair were whisked away by a mote-filled guest of wind and were gone.

  Victory of a sort, but at what cost?

  Norumi sighed as she walked across the border of their territory. "I'm sorry about that, Father. Her domain is in the local Other Side, and my current nature makes it easier to talk with fae than with most people. She's usually wonderful pany, but, well, she and Met along far too well. I think that says a lot."

  Mordecai ed her in a tight hug. "It's alright sweetie, it's not your fault. Sylphine was bound to hear about us and e visiting sooner or ter anyway, this just accelerated that meeting." They held on to each other a little while before separating. "I look forward to visiting you as soon as I fully inate my avatar."

  She kissed his cheek with a smile before stepping back across the border. "I love you father, and I look forward to that day as well."

  "I love you too." He watched for a short while before turning his attention to the two minds waiting with sharp curiosity. "Loves, I will fill you in ter. I o go deal with Carmil first. Kazue, could you please take those statues back down?"

  He shifted his avatar down to the witch's domicile, where a very pleased-looking Carmil awaited. "I see that my lord has fended off my mother," she purred, "I could not hope for a better lord to serve. How I ever show my appreciation?" The fairy princess stepped forward, moving to rest her hand on his chest.

  "Stop." Mordecai's voice froze her ih her hand only inches away. "You will not py such games with me. Your mother tried that already and failed, and while using gmour I might add. Now sit down and tell me what I o know of your story." He didn't ahrough their dungeon bond, but he did push his will and a touch of his aura into his words.

  "Yes, Your Majesty," she replied stiffly as she moved to obey, taking a seat by a small table. Carmil didn't fully process what she'd said until after she had sat down. She stared at him in shock. "You, you felt like a Faerie King for a moment. How?"

  Mordecai snorted. "I experimented with a lot of avatars in my previous life. I incorporated everything useful, and only show what I want or o. Inside my territory, I have the powers of sn faerie king." And not trusting faeries is part of why he did not select faerie wings for any of his alternative forms. "Your story. Keep it brief."

  "Right. Um," she fidgeted nervously as she collected her thoughts, a sharp trast to the would-be seductress she'd been moments ago. "Well, the short version is I felt that my mother was overly demanding and her court was stifling. A while ago, I noticed that some of the sparks that were on the edge of waking up were drifting off across the world border, not something that they could normally do on their own. But they were attracted by their own instinct; a brief augury firmed that it was no fairy trap that called to them. So I decided that was my path to freedom, but it wouldn't work if I just looked like a sprite spark, I had to really be one. So I couldn't know who I was. And, well, here we are, so clearly it worked. I just didn't realize that the lesser version of myself was going to choose to bond to your dungeon."

  He sighed and shook his head. "So, we now have the faerie princess equivalent of a rebellious teenager. Great."

  Carmil glowered at him. "I'm over a hundred years old."

  "My point stands."

  She didn't have a respoo that, and so waited in unfortable silence as Mordecai talked with his wives.

  "Alright," he said, "we've decided on a pn. First, you have to make a choice. Rededicate yourself to the dungeon with your full faculties restored, or resd your status as an inhabitant and bee a guest. To not rededicate yourself is to choose to resd, there is no option to not make a choice."

  "I see," she replied, and he waited patiently while she thought about her options. Finally, she said, "First, I must apologize. I know enough about your nature that I should have realized my offer was inappropriate by your standards, and I will nain. But I was n to manipute you; the three of you are my chosen Lord and Ladies. I 't help but want to serve ead all of you in such a capacity."

  The faerie princess rose from her seat only to sink back down to her knees in front of him. "That said, I am capable of knowing what my boundaries are, and shall remain ihem. I have found more freedom here than I ever did in my mother's court, while I get to enjoy being truly useful instead of having some meaningless, trivial duties thrust upon me. If you will have me with all my fws, I, Princess Era of the Silver Grove Court, do hereby dedicate and swear myself, under both my true name and the name of Carmil, to serve to my fullest capacity the lord and dies of the Azeria Mountain Dungeon; Lord Mordecai, Lady Kazue, and Lady Moriko."

  That was the sed dramatic oath spoke in front of him this evening, and this one held far more power. A faerie's words could bind them through normal speech, for nobility to give an oath to a priest of Ozuran was, to his knowledge, unpreted. And it had immediate sequences. Carmil groaned and clutched her arms around her sides before colpsing to her side, her body vulsing with the power and bindings she'd just willfully inflicted upon herself.

  "Foolish girl," Mordecai muttered as he k beside her and cradled her head. She'd given no limitations to her oath, she'd bound herself for life and there was no easy way for them to resd it. There were other repercussions as well, an itg sensation that squirmed its way around the wetnds se of his dungeon. It took him several mio analyze it while Carmil tio shudder uhe burden of her oath.

  When he realized what it was, he swore repeatedly in every nguage he khen he checked with Kazue and Moriko before ying their cim. "I, King Mordecai, on behalf of myself, Queen Kazue, and Queen Moriko, cim this domain as ours and the Azeria Court."

  The itch went away as the faerie domain asserted itself throughout the wetnds. Only there was no way it was going to stay that limited, he could already feel it seeping outward. On the upside, this meant that the malleable geography of the Other Side was being ged to aodate the growth of a new domain, and they didn't have to worry about what was on the local Other Side, because they now were what was oher Side.

  On the dowhis meant that their territory was going to straddle the two realms. Every point iheir domain ed in both pces simultaneously. This was going to screw with their borders when the domain reached them, but he had no idea what exactly it was going to do. And the repercussions did here.

  Zagaroth