It was as Ashara had said—there had been a parade to greet him, or rather the Dutchess and Old Duke. They were the ones with the power of a Transcendent. The Old Duke was even a war hero, said to have lived through seven Great Wars. Men and women, mostly nobles of lower houses, were no different than proper beggars, lacking the dignity of an actual nobleman.
Ashara had pointed out seven who had succumbed to her girls, no different than thralls. It went without saying that they would obey. They hadn't much choice when it came to mortal men, much less transcendents or even gods. The succubus art of subduction was unmatched. Only those of a palatine could hope of resisting.
