New Territory

-Alexis Lycan, 18 Years Old-

Alexis is sitting in a comfy chair behind a large desk. He is currently in a moderately sized office in a manor located in Nightlear. This is the same manor that previously housed the past Lord, whom he sentenced to death. It has been roughly one month since then. His days have become monotonous as he sorts through mountains of official documents and reports. There is a lot involved in taking over another noble's domain.

He has just finished all of the necessary paperwork and formalities yesterday. Needless to say, he is completely exhausted. As he slumps over his desk and lets out a weary sigh, a teacup clatters on the table before him. He shifts his head to eye the beauty who brought it for him.

"Thank you, Sabrina." Alexis says softly, completely worn out. He had sent for her almost immediately after he secured his new territory. She is a beacon of light in these boring, repetitive days.

"Of course, My Lord." Sabrina replies with a small smile on her face. As always, she loves serving her Lord.

Alexis slowly reaches his hand out and grabs the cup. He takes a deep drink, savoring the flavor and warmth of the tea. The drink is the perfect pick me up. He smiles as he glances at Sabrina.

"Wonderful as always." He says, still speaking softly. His words are for her alone.

Sabrina's eyes widen just a fraction, and a blush creeps itself onto her cheeks. The tone of his voice is slightly sensual. She bobs her head in recognition of his words. A small fire is burning away in her heart.

Alexis stares at her for a few moments longer before he breaks eye contact. He will call on her soon, but he has important matters to take care of first. So, begrudgingly, he pulls himself out of the comfortable chair and dons a recently purchased jacket.

"Sabrina." He prompts, dragging her head out of the clouds. "Call a meeting, all of the usual members."

Sabrina steps forward and gathers a few documents on the table before bowing to Alexis.

"At once, My Lord."

-

Alexis stands in the conference room of the manor. This building is truly a far cry from the dilapidated house he calls home. Baronet Anstrada had funneled a large amount of his ill gained wealth into said manor, so it is quite luxurious. Now it is Alexis'.

Inside the room is Sabrina, Ryan, A few officers under his command, the Mayor of Nightlear, and himself. The officers are learning administration duties from Alexis and Ryan. They will soon be in charge of various sections of Alexis' territory. This way, they can foster loyalty with the troops and intimately learn the lands they are protecting.

As soon as Alexis takes the seat at the head of the table, the others in the room sit down as well. When he is seated, Sabrina places a stack of papers and more delicious tea on the table for him. He smiles at her before rifling through the documents, looking for the pertinent ones.

"Here we are." Alexis finally says, grabbing a few pages. They are the copies he had prepared beforehand. He passes them to Sabrina, who then distributes them to the others. On the documents are maps of the recently acquired lands. Several locations are circled, clearly important.

"As you can see, I have taken the liberty of marking a few key areas." Alexis says after everyone has a paper before them. "Baronet Anstrada was sitting on top of a fairly large crystal mine. Though much of it was depleted in recent years, we can still extract a substantial amount from it."

Ryan and a few officers nod in appreciation. They are excited for the prospect of an additional influx of gold into the Lycan's coffers. They want to further strengthen the army as soon as possible. More attention would be focused on the Lycan domain after their recent victory and acquisition. Ryan wants to be ready for any threat that may come their way.

"That is excellent news, my Lord." Ryan excitedly says after a few moments. "And what of the other marked locations?"

Alexis smiles at the man. He is amused by his vassal's excitement.

"I consulted with local farmers on these other locations. Quite simply, it is fertile land we can use for crops. The past Lord bled his people dry while focusing only on mining. As a result, there is not enough food for the coming winter. If we leave the situation as is, a great many of my people will starve to death. And I refuse to allow that to happen."

The officers, and especially the mayor of the town, grow emotional at their lieges' words. Alexis' will to protect his people is evident to everyone present. Their respect and loyalty for the Duke only grow.

The mayor, a man by the name of Simon, leans forward.

"Oh, thank you for the attention you give to us common folk, my Lord! Gods bless you!" Simon says, speaking quite quickly. It is clear to every that the man is emotional.

Alexis shudders slightly at the mention of the Gods. He grows a little alarmed at this. He is aware that this was not the first time this had happened. Clearly there is something going on that he is not aware of. But, like all his concerns, he shakes them off and refocuses on the matter at hand.

"Of course, you are now my people. And I take care of all my subjects." Alexis says gently with a handsome smile on his face. This is enough to set Sabrina blushing again. She has only caught a glimpse of his face, but it is enough.

Alexis leans back in the chair and motions at the map again. "Given the amount of available farmland, we will have quite the surplus of crops at the end of the harvest. We can export the excess to the neighboring lands for quite the tidy profit. All of the Gold made off of the crops will go into infrastructure for revitalizing the land."

Alexis will now begin rebuilding the Lycan Dukedom. And it would all start with the village of Starfall and Nightlear.

-

Later that night, Alexis lays sprawled out across the bed in the master bedroom of the manor. It is an extravagant canopy bed with a heavenly soft mattress. Every time he lays down in it, it is extremely difficult for him to get up the next morning. It is simply too comfortable.

As he lays there, he hears a knock on his door. He knows who it is and summons them without checking.

"Enter." He says, not caring to look at the door.

He hears soft footsteps that draw close before stopping by his bed.

"I am doing my rounds before I close the manor for the night. Is there anything you need, my Lord?" Sabrina asks while standing by the foot of the bed.

Alexis slowly sits up in the bed and eyes her for a long moment before speaking in a low voice.

"Come here."

She blushes as a beautiful smile breaks out across her face. Her heart is pounding away in her chest, and she is certain that Alexis can hear it. As she steps forward with no hesitation and a hint of eagerness, she speaks.

"Yes, my Lord."