Even the fucking mind flayer was called? If it was just ceremony certainly it's involvement wouldn't be necessary.  It couldn't be a secretive plot either such as trying to destabilize one of the other great houses to move up in the hierarchy.  They were in too open and obvious a place to discuss things like that. Even people's slaves were present.<br/><br/>"Yes, hello. It's Zyrxicorian isn't it?" Abduxuel said to the mind flayer, only about 90% sure he was pronouncing the foreign name correctly.<br/><br/>Despite being, perhaps, the most sadistic and domineering member of the family none of Abduxuel's attendants were not actually slaves. His witches were mostly lowborn free drow and Jerion was a voluntary servant. There was no true prestige in Jerion's position but it did give him more freedom than most non drow were allowed. He could move through most of the ghettos as it was going to be presumed that he was on business for The First Daughter.<br/><br/>Jerion heard Zyrixicorian's reassurance and answered the first boy's question after thinking for a moment. "Any movement through the first three dimensions is acceptable. The Mistress chooses that."<br/><br/>Erevan leaving the severed heads of Anduxuel's unseed opposition in his bed was shocking for a moment. Especially because a couple of those heads were their own siblings. After the initial moment of shock wore off Abduxuel laughed at the death before him and saw it as a most thoughtful of gifts. He liked it so much he wrote Erevan a perfumed letter of thanks sealed with Abduxuel's own poisonous kiss.<br/><br/>It was an open secret among the blood family but much less heard of outside that The First Daughter had a kiss that was at the very least poisonous and even worse could channel his foul magic. It would seem he could control it as he had previously let all his siblings, including the dead ones, use his body for physical gratification and most had kissed him as well.  Erevan in particular would have probably killed Abduxuel for weaponizing a kiss against him.<br/><br/>"You're as charming as ever brother. What is on mother's mind that is so important as to assemble the whole house?" Abduxuel said to Erevan. As for Erevan's question about servants Anduxuel responded  "Servants are possessions like any other. These ones made the most fashionable baubles."  It was part of the The First Daughter's reasoning at least. "Besides, you know  Avalae brought something of hers. I don't begrudge her of her toys.  If this was really meant to be secretive it wouldn't be here."<br/><br/>As if to punctuate his words the snakes from the whip in Anduxuel's hand circled sensuously around his hips and waist. Abduxuel's body shape gave him a very feminine silhouette. Illivarra and Avalae were more voluptuous but Abduxuel's very tiny waist made his hips and ass look quite full and rounded on his petite frame.<br/><br/>Avalae was the next to greet him, most debonair. "Avalae, yours is a face I'm glad to see. I learned a few things from your presence. Now it's clear you are wiser than many of my so called blood relatives. Matron Arissa chose very wisely when she took you in."<br/><br/>Abduxuel was being flattering to Avalae but with the culling done to the Matrons children he felt much closer to those that remained. Of course he meant two different things when he said they were both chosen to be Arissa's daughters. The offspring that remained were smarter and more loyal, and for that they were all the more dangerous. Praise Lolth for that.