A troubled start

You felt suddenly panicked as new dawn's light peaked through the bed curtains and rose you from your slumber. The sights and faint fragrant scent was foreign to you. For a moment, you had forgotten where you were, and what a day you'd had. Despite all of that, your subconscious still expected you to be back on Hylsa, among your people. And yet here you were, in a strange but comfortable bed, that you'd shared with a strange but courteous elf man, hired by the government of the Empire who now oppresses you and the rest of the Absolved, to be your adjutant. You were even more confused in your first few seconds of consciousness, as the owner of the bed, Fineth, had already left it, and done so without your notice.

It must be said Fineth was not such a stranger anymore, now that you've known each other in such an passionate and intimate way. As you slowly lifted yourself from his large bed, you were surprised that you had been so compliant and willing a participant in all of the day’s activities, especially regarding your sexual encounter. You'd never been so open and promiscuous before. On the other hand, you'd never had an experience like this before, even from the moment you first stepped on land.

Despite the break in culture, philosophy, and faith that Matriarch Khilgana created and lead, that you’ve been told would be considered treasonous back in the motherland, The Absolved still carried many of the norms and traditions of home, namely that they had never been very open and expressive people, even with the words of Varissa and the prophecy of the Matriarch. Fineth meanwhile had welcomed you with open arms, probably one of the few of the Sylran to do so. Being of about the same age, by your guessing, he likely had no involvement with the Triumverate War that the Drow had waged against the world in alliance with the Orcish nations and the Dreadlords. Though he wouldn’t have had the direct influence of the war and it’s hateful influence, the culture itself would still have likely painted all Drow as enemies.

That he was immune to such negative influence, you were sure, was the blessing of the God’s, and in the quiet moments of the morning, you wondered whether this was known or not by those who assigned him to you. It would be all too easy for your goals to be sabotaged by some officious and ornery clerk who bound you in a bureaucratic nightmare or found some technical legal loophole to justify sending you back home, ruining your mission before it started.

From the few remarks you remember him making, you could at least be sure that he's sincerely happier to be assisting you with your mission than whatever he was doing prior, and not just because it lead to sex. Though mere have been a doubt or two in your mind of his true intentions at first, you were now reasonably sure that last night’s interlude was merely a fortunate byproduct, rather than the end goal. Feeling the tightness in your legs, not used to wrapping themselves around a young man’s torso, remembering the ecstatic feeling you had of him so deep inside you, you quietly admitted that it would be far from the worst thing in the world if you were able to continue working with Fineth for a good deal longer.

As you moved your feet on the cold floor, you could hear the beginnings of loud voices and angry tones. You treaded carefully, opening the door to pick out what's going on. You could make out Fineth's voice easily enough. The other voice was older, gruffer, and clearly incensed by something.

"I've had it with your disobedience Fineth! You tell me where that Drow is right now"

"I already told you, your friend is mistaken. Miss Brenvira isn't here."

"I have two accounts that say she came into this house with you last night"

"Yes, she did" Fineth acknowledged with a nod

"So you admit it! You're up to your ways again. You couldn't wait one night!" You felt a clutch in your breath, at the allegation. Whoever this person is seemed to think that Fineth had a pattern of behavior. Your heart waivered for a moment, thinking he may not to be as steadfast as you thought, rather the skilled charmer and seducer you were wary of at the onset.

"Not in the slightest. She came here to return her borrowed dress and went off to her rented apartment. Do you really think a Drow, a Priestess at that, would be so willing? It's me, after all."

You slowly slipped out of the doorway, looking to see what was going on. The other elf was unusually round in the belly for a Child of Varissa, vainly trying to hide his excessive gut in more excessive clothing.

"They never saw her leave" He replied gruffly “A Drow soldier walking through the streets of our capital, dressed for war, would be pretty for them to have noticed, and yet they saw nothing.”

"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence,” Fineth was quick to retort, and doing an impeccable job of bluffing and deceiving the fellow at the door “You taught me that, remember? Besides, we both know your friends are quick to drink and quicker to retire."

"Than where is she Fineth?” Despite his skilled acts of feigning ignorance and indifference, his seeming superior was still unconvinced, growing increasingly agitated by the moment “I've had enough of your belligerence. You were supposed to bring Brenvira to me first thing yesterday."

"One can scarcely imagine why I thought better of that plan." Hearing the dripping sarcasm in his voice was a new experience for you, to say nothing of his defiance. There was more of your behavior in him than you were aware of "As for where she has her feet this exact second, I don't know. You have the ear of the magistrate, why don't you go send the guards out for her, if you're so concerned?"

"It is not your place or your position to make such decisions, boy"

"No, see, that's where you're wrong, sir.” His open and sustained aggression against this other man, and the defense of you, was genuinely surprising. Whatever you may have thought of him and his desires for you, he was clearly putting his own sake at risk; loyalty you would not have anticipated or expected. “As her aide and adjutant, it is not only my power but my responsibility to do what I understand to be in Brenvira's best interest, even if it means ignoring you. You should know, you're the one who gave it to me, because you couldn't be bothered to deal with ‘that problem’.”

"If I didn't assign you this basic task, there would be no reason for your continued service to the Emperor. If you prove to be faithless in your endeavor, you will find you've run out of options"

"Don't worry. Everything I know about faithless behavior, I've learned from you."

The rotund elf's hand nearly rose to strike Fineth "You just watch yourself. You've already failed enough for one lifetime. Don't burden that thing with your own incompetence. She has it hard enough as it is, with that fool's errand she's on." He was just about to turn about and leave, thinking he had the last word as a cutting remark, only to be foiled

"She's a champion of Varissa" Fineth spoke quick and stern in defense "And the First Sister doesn't choose fools"

"She doesn't now?" He smiled grimly, amused at the sudden turn "and since when did you grow such faith? No matter. You find that shadow lurker, and you bring her to me. Now."

Fineth stayed frozen for a second as the heavy wooden door slammed shut. You quickly moved from your place of hiding, down the stairs to him; concerns of your lack of dress completely gone from your mind.

"Gods" You let out, your voice filling the empty chamber "who was that infernal man?"

Fineth jumped slightly as he turned to see you "Oh, Brenvira!" his face turned to clear frustration "I wish you hadn't seen or heard any of that."

"It seems like I had no choice" You began as you closed the remaining distance "whoever that was seems terribly important."

"Not nearly as much as he'd like to think. He is the Consulate's representative for the docks. Responsible for every known and unknown foreigner who enters into the Empire through this waterway."

"That does sound like an important job" You replied

"It would be if he was given any real power with the title. He's just a rice counter."

"You two seem to have a history together. Is he your boss or something?"

"Or something" Fineth responded "he's seen me at my worst. He helped me when I most needed it, and now holds it against me."

The comments began to add up in your mind. "You mean to say, that he's"

"My father" Fineth admitted, with a slow nod of the head "I tried to be the person that I wanted to be, against his wishes. I went out on my own, and came back disgraced. He fulfilled his obligations to take care of his family, and now I'm fulfilling mine to him, and to the Empire." You could hear the spirit drain from his body as he spoke, being pushed out from the shame and guilt. He tried, in vein, to cover it up with a positive spin "Maybe this is a good thing. Duty seems to come as naturally to you as breathing. Perhaps I can learn some of that from you."

You found yourself in an awkward situation. Comforting others is not a common behavior for your people, and you don't have a frame of reference to help him.

After a slight pause "I don't know how much help I can be Fineth. Hylsa is a small country, with fewer options. I followed the will of my family and my Matriarch because there was no other choice. I can only imagine how hard it must be, being a disappointment in your father's eyes. The only comfort that I can provide is to say that, by my eyes, you've a good heart and a strong backbone, and it must have taken no small amount of courage to defy him. You don't need his approval, or anyone's."

"Just his purse, it would seem" He smiled gently "Thank you Brena. There's not alot of people around here that want to listen to my little sob story." He looked briefly to a curtained window, judging the morning light "One which, we should probably cut short here. There is business to be had, and as much as I might like it, you can't go around the capital in that attire" He openly moved his head up and down to examine your nude figure

"Careful" you warned, with a mixture of tease and protest "last night isn't an open invitation."

"Of course" Fineth responded, his slight smirk fading "I'm just thankful for the night that we had. You'll forgive me for hoping that wasn't the only time."

You let out a slight sigh as your thoughts became more clear "I'd like that as well, but we'll see where things go. I may not be allowed here for much longer, if me and my demeanor is not to their liking."

"You, Brena?" He asked jokingly "What's not to like?"

You gave a slight eye roll as you retraced your steps upstairs, to dress yourself and prepare yourself for judgement.