Hero (The Legend of Drizzt) by R.A. Salvatore

Author:R.A. Salvatore [Salvatore, R.A.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780786966059
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Publishing
Published: 2016-10-25T00:00:00+00:00

YVONNEL WASN’T REALLY surprised, but was still shaken a bit when Quenthel showed up at the door of her private quarters with a handmaiden of Lolth, in drow form, right beside her.

“Leave us, Quenthel Baenre,” Yiccardaria said as soon as Yvonnel greeted them.

Yvonnel didn’t miss the fact that the handmaiden hadn’t used the title of matron mother when addressing Quenthel, and that was no minor thing.

“It is true, then?” Yiccardaria asked when they were alone.

“It?”

“Do you believe that you have garnered the favor of Lady Lolth?”

Yvonnel shrugged. “I can only do that which I think the best course, and hope that such a course pleases her. Unless you would have me summoning you or one of your sisters to my side for every decision I make.”

The handmaiden scowled at the impertinence. “Do you think this a game, daughter of Gromph? Would you like to be taught that it is not?”

“The Spider Queen wished Demogorgon stopped,” Yvonnel replied, somewhat hesitantly—as much for effect as because she was momentarily unsure in the face of the threat. “I arranged for Demogorgon to be stopped. Cleverly, I thought.”

“By using the rogue apostate.”

“A fitting touch,” Yvonnel protested. “For now the aura of stench around House Do’Urden is lifted enough for Matron Mother Zeerith to occupy the physical house and the seat at the Ruling Council, which again strengthens the hand of the matron mother and firms the alliance of House Baenre.”

“A matron mother who is not Yvonnel,” Yiccardaria reminded her. “Even though the word of Lady Lolth was that Yvonnel would become matron mother. Would you make of Lolth a liar?”

Yvonnel’s impulse was to argue that Lolth, the Queen of Chaos, should enjoy such a title, but she wisely held her thoughts private. “In the moment of crisis, I was viewed as matron mother, and all in the city understand the truth of that,” she replied instead. “I led the response to Demogorgon and took no orders from Quenthel nor any other matron mother.”

“Not formally.”

“And perhaps I will again assume the title of matron mother, but in the future,” Yvonnel quickly added. “There is much I must learn.”

“You act as if it is your choice. It is not.”

Yvonnel held up her hands, for what might she say?

“And you have failed the Spider Queen,” the handmaiden added, and Yvonnel’s expression changed abruptly, her eyes going wide both with confusion and a moment of fear. Failing the Spider Queen was not to be taken lightly.

“You were to destroy the apostate after exploiting him,” Yiccardaria explained. “You could have turned him into a drider, as Matron Mother Quenthel advised. You could simply have tortured him until the pain became meaningless, and then dragged him to his death through the streets of Menzoberranzan, allowing every House, every drow, to spit upon him or kick him. But you did not. Nay, you chose to be clever, always clever.”

“You cannot deny that my plan to have him murder the one he most loves would have broken the rogue more than anything physical might have ever—”

“I deny that your plan worked,” the handmaiden interrupted.

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