Selene sat upon her throne, watching as Lord Fenric slowly rose to his feet. His movements were stiff, unwilling, but not defiant. His pride still burned, she could see that much, but he had learned the truth the hard way—power was not about perception. Power was about control.
And Selene controlled everything in her domain.
The Fae Lord of Eternity stood at her right, silent as always, his presence a quiet reminder of inevitability. The battle had been over before it began, and Fenric had only now realized it.
Selene studied him. He was not the worst of the humans who had come to this world. He wasn’t a brute like the raiders she had destroyed, nor was he as dangerously arrogant as Duskwind had been in his attempt to manipulate her. No, Fenric had simply been ignorant—a man handed power who mistook it for authority.
That, at least, could be fixed.
“You will be given territory under my rule,” she said, her voice steady, absolute. “You will follow my commands without hesitation. In return, you will receive resources, protection, and the chance to grow stronger.”
Fenric hesitated. She could see the gears in his mind turning. He was already trying to find a way to regain control, to salvage something from this situation.
Selene leaned forward slightly, her gaze never leaving his.
“Do not mistake this for an alliance,” she said softly. “You are not my equal, Fenric. You are my vassal. You belong to me now.”
He flinched—just a little.
He hated it. Good.
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Eternity finally spoke, his voice a calm, steady weight upon the room. “You have seen what happens to those who resist her rule. Do you wish to test your limits further?”
Fenric’s hands curled into fists at his sides, but he bowed his head. “No. I understand.”
Selene did not smile. This was not a victory. This was simply correction.
She gestured, and one of her mist elementals materialized beside Fenric, its ghostly form flickering as it awaited instruction. “You will be escorted to your new territory,” she said. “You will begin integrating your forces into my network immediately. Do not delay.”
Fenric hesitated, then inclined his head in reluctant acceptance.
As the elemental led him away, Selene exhaled softly, her gaze drifting over the throne room. The Verdant Nexus pulsed with life, its walls shifting subtly as the magic within adjusted to the growing power of its queen.
Another piece had been added to her web.
But the game was far from over.
---
Selene walked the balcony overlooking her domain, her Fae Lords trailing behind her in silence. Below, the grove thrived—a fortress hidden within the Boundless Continent.
“You disapprove.”
The words were directed at Eternity, who stood beside her, watching the horizon. He tilted his head slightly. “Not disapproval,” he said. “Merely observation.”
Selene waited. Eternity rarely spoke unless his words held weight.
“You have taken another vassal,” he continued. “Another displaced soul who has lost their own kingdom. Each one bends beneath your rule—but for how long?”
Selene exhaled through her nose, her gaze steady. “As long as I allow them to.”
Eternity inclined his head slightly, acknowledging her response. “Then I will continue to watch.”
Selene was not naive. She knew that some of her vassals still harbored ambitions of their own. They had lived in a world where power could be played with, bargained for, stolen.
But this world belonged to her.
And power did not shift unless she allowed it to.
---
That night, Selene stood before the Fae Circle, the air humming with latent energy.
Her web was growing. The Boundless Continent had begun to notice her presence.
But she could feel it—something else was watching, waiting.
The whispers had been growing louder. Something ancient. Something unseen.
She had not yet found it.
But it had already found her.
And when the time came, she would not hesitate.
Balance was inevitable.
And Selene always dictated the terms.
