The welcoming party

I let Melissa lead the way through the portal, and she sauntered through with the cool grace and confidence I was coming to expect from her.

I stepped through just behind her, and as the portal closed behind me, I found a blade at my throat.

An imposing figure in a full suit of steel plate armor stood to my right, their body turned and sword extended to my throat, poised in mid-strike. As I realized my predicament and came to rest, their stance shifted subtly to keep their blade perfectly positioned to slice my throat at any moment, their whole body moving as lightly as a tree branch shifting in a light breeze.

An identical armored man stood to my left, the tip of their own longsword resting against my side, just in front of my upper arm. With a little pressure, they could drive that blade between my ribs and into my lung. Through the soldier's visored helm, I saw their yellow eyes caught the light of the lanterns hanging on the stone walls, reflecting it like a cat's eyes.

A pair of figures waited ahead of us, stepping forward to meet Melissa. The first was armored much like the others, but also wore a cape of rich red fabric that had seen some wear, and carried her helm with one hand while the other rested on the grip of her sword. Her hair was nearly as white as Melissa's, and tied mostly up out of her way. Her skin was far paler than Melissa's, and her eyes were the same unnaturally bright yellow as the two guards. When she spoke, I caught a glimpse of sharp teeth, possibly fangs. "Mistress?"

Ahead of me, Melissa had continued walking without looking back, but she held one hand out in an absent-minded way, signaling the swordsman to wait. "He is of use to me," she said casually.

The second figure stepped closer to Melissa, an expression of concern on her dark-skinned face turning to suspicion as she looked me over. "But your instructions-"

"-Were given," Melissa cut her off smoothly with a hint of steel in her voice, which quickly faded back to silk as the woman's protective posture shifted to subservient, "before I encountered such a promising student."

Melissa turned to grace me with a mischievous smile, undoubtedly savoring the situation.

I had been lucky this time, but I wasn't taking any chances. While the brief exchange had gone on, I'd been claiming the minds of the guards, watching the subtle changes in their eyes as my control took hold. I then had each of them focus on one of the women, and allowed myself to return Melissa's smile as I watched the eyes of her closest advisors change. Everyone in the room was mine in seconds, and information poured into the hive mind.

Ser Alaysha Caldaerys was the Commander of the Crimson Knights, a knightly order that had served Melissa for centuries, and which was made up entirely of vampires. The two knights on either side of me were sired by Alaysha, which meant (among other things) she could give them commands with a thought. I immediately set her to reaching out to each of her childer mentally and attempting to claim them for me, and was delighted when I felt them join the hive mind.

Schedara Elprazza was Melissa's royal magician, which meant she was nearly as skilled as Melissa herself, and she commanded a coven of mages that could be called upon for larger works and cooperative magic.

All of them were devoted to Melissa, cared deeply for her well-being, and would willingly sacrifice their lives for her if she asked. My control meant they would follow my commands (while somehow believing they were choosing to), but if it meant going against Melissa's wishes it would be an emotionally traumatic experience. They knew about Melissa's ability to sway people to her will (they helped coordinate monthly events where hundreds of people not yet under Melissa's control were gathered in one spot for her to hypnotize), but considered it a freeing experience that gave them a purpose in life.

I learned that Melissa had foreseen something like her current situation, and instituted a protocol to follow if she was ever abducted (by Golthuem or otherwise). Thankfully her servants had followed her current instructions rather than hold strictly to the protocol, their devotion to her not allowing them to believe she could be compromised. If I had walked in appearing to be in control, that might have been different.

I thought quickly, and sent a command to Melissa, shaping her next words carefully.

"Let it be known," Melissa proclaimed, "that he is my apprentice. His commands are to be obeyed as if they were my own. Serving him is serving me."

Alaysha and Schedara visibly relaxed, accepting me immediately as someone who was meant to be there. The aura they sensed from me was still dark, but if their mistress said I was hers, that was all they needed to know. The knights on either side of me withdrew their weapons, sheathing them and stepping back in a synchronized movement, then bowed at the waist.

"Your absence was noticed, Mistress." Alaysha looked again to Melissa, all business. "The Sisterhood have raided several watchtowers along the Abeth River, and they've been arming the clans of the Orcfen Jungle, who are now refusing to tithe."

The Sisterhood of the Last Lantern was a religious order who'd devoted themselves to fighting back against Melissa's reign, and were particularly effective against her more monstrous servants. It seemed Melissa's original pact with Golthuem had included the Deus Vult drawback, the same as mine.

"In the moments I've been gone?" Melissa asked, then tilted her head as if listening to something. "Wait, the moons are..."

Alaysha looked almost pained as she added quietly, "You've been gone for weeks, Mistress."