Hill pondered what "too many" meant... then remembered that as the Fairies' sole combat unit, the Fey skilled at commanding spider-scorpions and all manner of small creatures in battle, Oberon had always been able to survive in shadows.
The reason he held the divine portfolio of Lord of Beasts was that, compared to other Fey, he could even command large beasts in battle... Oberon not only absorbed other energies easily, but was rarely affected by them at a soul-deep level.
He was a natural lord of the Fey. If only princesses among the Fairies could sit upon the queen's throne, Oberon would have been the most powerful Fairy.
Otherwise, that Fairy queen would not have pretended to have no ambitions just to marry him... it had not merely been to deceive her foolish younger sister.
Thus, he had never feared shadows. When necessary, he could even dwell within them without falling directly into a Rage Fairy like other Fairies.
In some ways, this Lord of Beasts resembled Eilistraee.
Oberon sighed. "Ah, Vera... I didn't want to leave her back then because I felt something was wrong.
"But... under normal circumstances, who would make a Fairy do work?
"And a Fairy like Vera, one who was especially prone to causing trouble.
"She was the daughter I'd finally managed to find again!
"My heart was in knots. I didn't even dare let her brothers and sisters come see her!
"And yet, the unfortunate fool who dared make Vera work actually stumbled onto the Path of Fate.
"Mm... thank you so much for bringing the Undead to Vera, esteemed Lord Hill. You truly saved my little daughter!
"If she hadn't met you... I might have lost her forever."
Oberon glanced at the Fairies who had begun emerging from every corner nearby. "These children