The next day, the mood of the dining hall at breakfast was strangely subdued. Usually, people were quite loud and energetic the day after a holiday, filled with enthusiasm and making a lot of noise. Today, however, many sat quietly and spoke in low murmurs. Some of them sounded confused.

"Rian, are people sick or something?" Lori said as she checked her notes for her announcement, which were inscribed into a stone tablet. "The Dungeon doesn't sound right."

"That might have something to do with what happened yesterday," Rian said, voice flat.

Lori frowned. "What happened yesterday?" She didn't recall any other incident after she'd dealt with Shanalorre's… surrender? She really couldn't think of a good word to describe it. But after that, the rest of the day had been quiet and peaceful, with no one making noise or dancing, just sitting around gossiping and actually resting. "The rest of the day was quiet and peaceful."

Rian groaned for some reason. "That wasn't quiet and peaceful, that was everyone being shocked and horrified and not sure what had happened!"

"You still haven't said what that was."

Instead of replying, Rian turned and glanced past Umu at Lord something-something-ian and Shanalorre. "See this? This is what you have to look forward to for possibly the rest of your lives. You have only yourselves to blame. At least we knew what we were getting into from traveling with her."

"Noted, Lord Rian," Shanalorre said.

Rian sighed and turned towards Lori. "What happened was a little girl almost committed suicide, which doesn't usually happen and is intrinsically shocking and horrifying, especially to parents of children of a similar age, of which the demesne has many. However, not everyone saw it, and those that didn't don't believe those who did, because it's too disturbing for them to want it to be real. Some think it wasn't as bad as people are saying, because Shana is well now, so maybe she was just being dramatic."

Lori blinked. "Why are they perturbed, then? She's not their child. And she didn't even manage to succeed. Besides, that disturbance was over in a few moments, and it's not like many actually managed to see it."

"Point of order," Shanalorre said. "I was not committing suicide. Had my intention been to die, it would have been more expeditious to apply the blade to the arteries on my neck. I was showing Binder Lolilyuri my sincerity and giving her the option of how to approach the problem."

"See Rian? She wasn't trying to commit suicide, it was merely a bargaining technique."

Rian stared at them both, looking tired for some reason. Then he turned to Lord Ily-something-something. "Please tell me her aunt still yells at her for doing stupid, childish things. Lie to me if necessary."

"Vyshke still scolds her when she does something wrong," Lord some-three-part-name said.

Rian nodded. "Right, we can leave that part to her then. Back on topic though, just trust me, your Bindership. As your lord in charge of dealing with people, everyone in the demesne is torn between finding what happened yesterday disturbing, horrifying, off-putting, and something that will haunt their nightmares for weeks, possibly years. It completely ruined the holiday for everyone."

"Rian, if this is a pretext to declare another holiday—"

"It's not," Rian interrupted her, voice flat. "In fact, no one's probably going to want to hold holidays inside the Dungeon for a long time because of this." He sighed again. "Just… go into this with that in mind, all right? Either people are shocked and horrified, in denial about the thing that has others shocked and horrified, or worst of all, consider it all gossip fodder."

Lori blinked. "What is there to gossip about? The incident was perfectly simple and straightforward."

"People will find a way." Lori had not thought it was possible for Rian's voice to get any flatter, but apparently it was. "Look, I'll handle it, all right? That's what I'm for, after all."

Lori frowned. "Then why bring it up?"

"You asked at the start of this conversation, remember?"

Oh, right, she had, hadn't she? "Ah, yes. Well, could you draw everyone's attention now? I'm ready to make my announcement."

"Yes, your Bindership," Rian said, before standing up. "Excuse me? Everyone? May I have your attention please? Hey!"

Slowly, people stopped what they were doing and turned towards him. It seemed to take longer than usual to Lori. Didn't people usually respond faster when Rian was calling for them? Maybe they were disturbed, if they were less amiable to Rian's manipulations. Eventually, however, they settled down and focused on him.

"Thank you," Rian said, his voice still raised to carry. "Now, before we move on to breakfast, Binder Lori has a few announcements to make. I'm almost entirely certain none of it is about land, so don't ask." The resulting laughter was even weaker than usual. "As to yesterday's events, I think her Bindership will have something to say about that as well. Your Bindership?"

Rian nodded towards her, and Lori stood up, turning where she sat and swinging her legs over the bench since there really wasn't much room to stand between the bench and the table. "All right," she said through a binding of airwisps that raised the volume of her voice. "As we established yesterday, Binder Shanalorre has surrendered herself and her demesne to my authority. Normally, this is when I execute her so I can claim her core, but as the only Deadspeaker capable of healing, I have decided to spare her until she is no longer needed."

Across the table, Rian's hand slapped up into his face.

"However, until this happens, Binder Shanalorre is still a Dungeon Binder, and will be treated with the respect she deserves," Lori continued, ignoring her lord's theatrics. "She does not, however, have the authority to issue orders. She is also not to be given any sharp objects of any sort. That means knives, scissors, saws, razors, needles, beast teeth and claws, shards of bone, sharp sticks, and similar. If Binder Shanalorre needs something cut, I expect everyone to offer their assistance—ah, but she has no authority to order you to do it, so it's purely voluntary!"

For some reason, everyone looked confused. Idiots. She'd made everything perfectly clear!

"Starting today, Binder Shanalorre will be stationed at the hospital, where she will be available to consult for healing. If you have any ailments, consult with her there. Because of the integration of River's Fork Demesne into my possession, we will need to increase the expansion of the agricultural land as far as reasonably feasible, as we will need to provide more food for more people." That caused a reaction as people began to mutter. It was understandable, really. They would essentially need to begin supplying food to another demesne.

"Also, if there is anyone here seeking to move to River's Fork Demesne, as its new Dungeon Binder, I hereby accept your transfer," Lori said blandly.

For some reason, Rian started laughing.

––––––––––––––––––

"Rian. Shanalorre." Lori checked her notes. "Yllian. Stay. I need to speak with you all." Breakfast had finished, and while the tables around them were slowly emptying as people left to go do whatever tasks they had ahead of them, Lori had stayed in place.

Shanalorre promptly stood up and walked around the table to sit opposite her, Rian moving out of the way and getting up to go around the table as well.

"No Rian, you stay there," Lori said, pointing to the spot next to Shanalorre.

Rian blinked, and looked at the indicated spot. "Did… I do something to make you mad?"

Lori rolled her eyes. "The situation has changed. Go sit there."

"All right… oh. Oh, I get it. This is the subordinates side of the table now, huh? I guess this means you can finally sit down, Yllian."

"Yes, yes, hurry up, we have much to discuss," Lori said impatiently. Once they were seated, she fixed her gaze upon Shanalorre, who stared back evenly. "I am very annoyed with you. Your antics have pressed me into a position I was not yet prepared to take, at a time where we could ill afford to divide our efforts."

"I would apologize, Binder Lolilyuri, but I do not regret my actions," Shanalorre said evenly. "Had I approached you later, or had circumstances resulted in my death at a later date, my…" She paused, visibly remembering and amending her statement. "River's Fork Demesne's food crisis would have been far more advanced, and there would have been far less supplies at hand to act as a buffer while a solution was sought."

Lori was unamused by her reasoning. "I am unamused by your reasoning," she said. "If you had not made saving the population of your demesne from such a crisis a condition of your submission, I am inclined to just leave them all to die." After all, they would not have been her subjects unless they submitted to her, and many of them were idiots that had chosen to leave to avoid exactly that.

"So I presumed, which is why I could not leave your conquest of River's Fork demesne to the chance of my death," Shanalorre said. "While I am a poor Dungeon Binder, lacking as I am in skill and ability, I am not so poor as to shirk my duty to keep those under my care alive by any means possible."

"How commendable," Lori said flatly. "However, do not think that this stratagem of yours has spared you from future work. As my subordinate, you have merely added the people of my demesne in addition to your own in your responsibilities."

Shanalorre inclined her head in acknowledgement. "I understand, Binder Lolilyuri. In that case, may I make a proposal?"

"We are currently in the middle of dealing with the repercussions of your last proposal. If this aggravates me, you're losing hot water bathing privileges."

Her subordinate Dungeon Binder titled her head, clearly considering. "Very well. I propose that instead of being stationed at the hospital, I should instead accompany those sent to fell trees. That group has a higher likelihood of dangerous injury requiring immediate healing lest death by blood loss occur. Should I accompany them, I can react immediately to any such injuries."

It… was actually a reasonably good idea. "I will consider your request," Lori said. "Either way, you will remain in the hospital until the doctors there all agree you have sufficiently recovered from your little misadventure. For now, we will discuss your demesne's organization so I can consider if and how to integrate structures you've already established." Lori read her notes again. "Yllian. I have decided to allow you to retain your position as Shanalorre's lord in addition to the duties I have already assigned you. In addition to Shanalorre and of course myself, you will also answer to Rian as his subordinate."

"Oh, finally! Thank you!" Rian sighed.

"Given that the last person from your demesne that I made a lord tried to kill a Dungeon Binder, know that any similar insubordination will result in your immediate death by asphyxiation," Lori continued. "For the moment, you are on probation. Rian will assign you work in addition to the duties I have already assigned you. You will not have authority over anyone without Rian's authorization, and should it come to light that you falsely claim such authorization, I will consider that grounds for your death. Should you refuse these terms, then you will be stripped of your position."

"Say yes. Please, say yes!" Rian pleaded, staring at the other man imploringly over Shanalorre's head. "You'll be fine, this is just her Bindership being herself. Please, I need help, and she still hasn't appointed any other lords or ladies. Even if I have to arrange things ahead of time and account for you needing to stay close to Shanalorre, every job I don't have to do myself will be a big help! Please accept, I'm begging you!"

Yllian gave Rian a look that seemed both disdainful and vaguely sympathetic. Then he glanced down at Shanalorre. She seemed to sense his gaze, because she turned and nodded. He turned towards Lori and bowed his head. "Very well, Great Binder. I accept your terms."

Rian sighed in relief, looking theatrically happy.

Lori ignored him, instead nodding at—she checked her note again—Yllian. Ugh, she was going to have to spend weeks learning his name and face… "I will ratify and retain the rest of your demesne's organizational structure on a case by case basis," she said, turning back to face Shanalorre, "provided they are necessary. Rian, go get your plank so you can take notes."

"I suppose this means I'm telling the coal burners the inspection is postponed again… " Rian muttered as he got up to do just that.