Elmar couldn’t let Theanore send her ants somewhere else, so he teleported to the Apple Grotto next. Things were much the same as he remembered. The cave was still sealed off, but Crassus’ house had a green garden with all kinds of salads up front.

There were the houses of the children scattered into the forest. But the petting zoo looked half empty. The boy went searching for Theanore, ready to give her a stern talking to.

Why hadn’t Crassus, Esmer or even Claudia said anything to the toddler? For her to start wars, half the world away, was something that she shouldn’t have done. Did Esmer want her daughter to be more like her?

It was possible. She was quite the core and had a reputation that preceded her. No one has ever conquered her dungeon, although that Naga Theanore had bid him to find all those months ago could still be alive.

At any rate, Elmar, a man with a mission. He saw a familiar face, Timmy, a boy a couple of years his junior. He stopped him and spoke.

“Timmy, where is Theanore?” Elmar saw how the boy’s eyes lit up when they recognized him.

“Elm! She is by the greenhouses. Wait, you weren’t there when they were finished. The greenhouses are by the lake. She, Mary and Freddy are planning another celebration of Persephone and Sylen,” with that Timmy took Elmar’s hand and began leading him towards the lake.

Elmar saw that there were a lot more fish in the water once they reached it. There was a three-story house surrounded by elms. The boy didn’t remember elms growing in the forest of fireflies. Theanore must have grown them with mana.

They found Theanore watering the salads in a bright-green greenhouse. Elmar smiled at her diligence. Then he remembered why he had come, and his expression turned grim.

“Theanore, a word!” Elmar crossed his arms over his chest and leveled the little nymph with a stern look. She set down the bucket with which she was watering the plants and tilted her head to the side.

“Elm, why are you upset?” Theanore did not understand the harsh look Elmar was giving her.

“Theanore, when you avoided a war once by choosing a marriage, I thought you valued peace. But then, you send your tropes off to the Badlands. Did Gor the Troll ever provoke you?” Now, Theanore looked down at the ground.

“But, Elm, there were only corpses in there. That was free real estate,” tried to defend her actions, Theanore.

“Have they done anything to you, though? They kill, sure, but those who they do kill march into their home and try to pillage it. If you could only speak with Gor, you will see that she was only defending herself. You gave Luca a chance, but you attacked Gor. For shame, Theanore!” Snapped Elmar.

Theanore didn’t argue. Instead, she thought on Elmar’s words. There were people pressed to do bad things in the world because of circumstance. Did that mean that no one should step up and stop them?

Wasn’t it the duty of the good to teach the bad a lesson? Wasn’t it Theanore’s duty to make the world she was born in a brighter place? Places like the Badlands, which had so much potential but couldn’t be settled because of people like Gor, were like open wounds in the planet.

With her arguments collected, she spoke.

“But Elm, Gor was bad. People shouldn’t stand by the side and see murderers unpunished. I had the ants necessary to bring Gor to heel. So, I did. I don’t regret it!” Theanore was more sure of these words than she was certain of anything else. Elmar looked at her with disappointment.

“When you first met grandpa Thinker, what was your impression of him?” Elmar wanted the little nymph to work out the answer herself. He knew of grandpa Thinker’s earlier days when Theanore was just born. Gossip about the most famous person in the world spread fast.

“He was greedy and he was self-righteous. He wasn't concerned about his workers,” Theanore leaned in and put a hand to the side of her mouth. “He didn’t even have a worker syndicate.”

“Would you have asked that grandpa Thinker for help? Like you asked him for the Angel’s tear for Harry? Would he have helped, after denouncing you?” There was realization in Theanore’s eyes, but Elmar wanted her to voice her thoughts, so he waited.

“No. I did badly, didn’t I? I behaved towards Gor like grandpa Thinker behaved towards me in the beginning. Elm, I have to make amends!” Elmar smiled, glad that his words had an effect on the child. He placed a hand on her head and gave it a pat.

“You can make amends by calling your army home and letting Gor reclaim her dungeon grounds. Furthermore, you must pay reparations,” Theanore nodded. She hadn’t heard about damages done to the Badlands beside the half-destroyed dungeon, but she was certain there must be something else.

“And another thing,” added Elmar. “You are to never go to war unless attacked. If your mobs want to be violent, then, too bad. You are the Apple Grotto Nymph. You are known for being peaceful. Your mobs have to ask themselves if they want a good, warm, home. Or to be pawns to a murder core.”

“I will have countless deserters,” said Theanore, voice wavering and bottom lip trembling. “Many friends that I may never see again.”

“You have to learn to let go, Thea. And to wash the brains of your mobs. With lots of propaganda since the day of their birth and…”

“That is underhanded, Elm!” Yelled Theanore, fists clenched.

“I was just testing you, Thea,” there was a teasing lilt to Elmar’s voice now. Had Theanore agreed with him, he would have chewed her up some more.

“Remember, happiness is not just in unity, but in the ability to have a free choice. Be known as the fair and kind dungeon, and be warmed by the knowledge that those that stay will stay until death.”

They shared a smile and the Theanore began to introduce Elmar to the salads. Each plant having its name.