Marquis

  Year 70

  The Blackwood Estate has always harbored an abundance of land, with its chaotic stretches of soil and crooked trees that grow where they please and shift when they so very well desire. But between Alexios and his stubborn heart, the estate now also features an array of flowers spreading from the veranda, as careful as the brushstrokes against my very own canvas in studio. Where once there lay muted and unlively greens, now lay beds of colorful blooms that appear to be reaching for the sun.

  As if they have always wished to belong here with us.

  Standing beyond the reach of the morning sun that peeks through the windows, I watch from inside, wary of the boundary set before me that lies across the manor’s floorboards. Alexios kneels in the dirt as if he is nothing more than a gardener, though I have never known him to have a “green thumb”. His delicately braided hair falls long down his back while he buries his hands in the soil, working diligently with his sleeves rolled towards his elbows.

  Through his eyes, those same eyes which have unwilling witness death and cruelty, the flowers are given specific spots to match his very own vision as though each one must live in a certain way or they serve no real purpose.

  Wisely, the servants do not approach him during this carefully carved moment of peace. They have learned better than to do so, passing along the paths quietly as they carry baskets inside. Alexios tolerates the servants, of course. They seem to do the same, even in the aftermath of his fit of rage five years ago, thanks to a rather particularly clumsy servant and a shattered urn meant to protect Alexios’s beloved bard. Although I have kept my focus on the interior of the manor, the gardens belong to him.

  The flowers around Alexios gently sway with the subtle breeze, the brighter ones almost appearing as bursts of life against the fresh soil he has laid down. Nykolai had admired vibrant flowers, Alexios had revealed in passing. Even so much as admiring the occasional boldness of the Underdark’s bioluminescent flora. As such, the entire property blooms with them now.

  Alexios rises from the flowerbed, wearily brushing soil from his hands and leaving a streak of it across his cheek. Perhaps he wiped sweat from his brow earlier. He steps inside with an exhale, removing more of the soil with a spare cloth in the kitchen.

  “You wouldn’t happen to be admiring me again, would you?” he asks with a tired smile. “Or are you… ‘merely observing’ in your words?”

  “’Merely observing’,” I mockingly respond. “You are aware that the servants can handle that work?”

  This is not the first time I have reminded him of this and surely, it will not be the last.

  “I know,” Alexios says without even glancing my way. “I want to do it.”

  “There is no reason for you to spend your mornings digging in the dirt, Alexios. The servants are more than capable.”

  Alexios huffs out in frustration.

  “Yes,” he agrees. “But they don’t understand what I’m trying to do.”

  He steps towards me and gestures to the gardens outside.

  “The sunlight must hit them in a certain way,” he goes on. “I need to make sure the colors make sense together. Those things matter to me and so does knowing which ones grow best beside each other. They wouldn’t get it right, Marquis. They can’t even clean the sheets correctly.”

  “They could if you instructed them,” I tell him, deciding to disregard his additional attempt at pettiness.

  He shakes his head, lifting one hand to examine bits of loose soil packed beneath a nail.

  “No. I want to do it right. For him.”’

  After a pause, he abandons the cloth on a nearby table, assuming others will pick up for him now, and begins walking towards the stairs.

  “I’m going to bathe,” he says, glancing over his shoulder at me. “Come join when you get tired of ‘merely observing’ me.”

  I remain where I am, hesitantly watching the sunlight edge even closer to where I stand. A soft knock at the door stills Alexios and brings forward one of the servants who assumes to open it. Stepping back instinctively, I slip further into the shadows, remaining outside of the sunlight’s blade that is sure to seek me out.

  Alexios drops his shoulders in defeat.

  “I just wanted to relax,” he says with a heavy exhale. “How convenient of them.”

  The servant opens the door to reveal a gentleman. Human. Middle-aged. Utterly unremarkable, though well dressed in traveling clothes. With one hat tucked beneath his arm, he offers the two of us a polite bow. Clearly more accustomed to farmland rather than lavish halls.

  “Good morning!” he pleasantly greets, addressing Alexios as the servant steps aside. “Please accept my apology for arriving announced. I’ve been meaning to come by for quite some time now.”

  Alexios maintains silence, out of annoyance if I had to assume. The curiosity of the house pulls the man’s attention inwards, eyes focusing on the small carved details in the wooden frames.

  “Since it appears someone is living here again,” he proceeds to explain. “I thought it only polite to finally introduce myself. I must say, I admire what you’ve done with the place.”

  Almost absentmindedly, Alexios wipes one soil-covered hand against his shirt. It leaves a smear of dirt across the fabric, though he does not seem to mind it.

  “We’re still working on it as you can see,” Alexios tells the stranger.

  “That may be,” the man replies with ease. “But what’s already there is remarkable. I’ve lived in the Moving Waters region most of my life and I can’t recall the Blackwood property ever looking quite as colorful. No offense to them, of course.”

  Although I remain perfectly still in the shadows, pressed against the wall where the sunlight stops several feet from where I stand, the man’s eyes find me as his attention is pulled through the main hallway. Surely surprised to find that someone else is present, his eyebrows raise at my being there.

  “I didn’t realize there were two of you working on the property,” he speaks out quickly. “Forgive me for my snooping. Please… call me Thaddeus.”

  He presents his hand to Alexios and to my surprise, he takes it.

  “I’m Alexios,” he tells him before vaguely gesturing in my direction. “That’s Marquis.”

  Thaddeus bows politely.

  “A pleasure to meet you both.”

  “Likewise,” I reply with an incline of my own head now.

  Potentially unsure of whether or not he has overstayed his welcome, Thaddeus lingers at the doorway, hesitantly checking the property grounds.

  “Would you like to come in?” Alexios notices it as well it seems. “If it’s alright with Marquis, of course.

  “Well, I’d hate to intrude,” he hesitates, peering into our home and waiting for my approval.

  “You aren’t,” Alexios says.

  At my sign of approval, the gentleman slowly steps inside before the servant closes the door promptly as the trail of sunlight narrows into a far thinner line. Still, I remain outside its touch.

  “Are you… partners in this property’s venture?” he asks Alexios after a pause, tucking his hat under his other arm as he looks between him and myself.

  “Yes,” Alexios answers without delay.

  “Well, it’s certainly an impressive undertaking, I’ll say,” he says, turning towards me and offering his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Marquis.”

  My hands remain clasped behind my back as I respectfully bow once again.

  “I am rather unwell today,” I tell him. “It is splendid to meet you as well.”

  “That’s quite alright then. No trouble at all. I’d reckon you do look a bit pale.”

  Caught in between amusement and exasperation, Alexios huffs out a confined chuckle.

  “Don’t mind him,” Alexios steps in dryly. “He’s always been… rather pale.”

  “I see,” Thaddeus answers, politely accepting an explanation that does not explain anything at all before his eyes wander through the entranceway.

  What was once sparse with décor has slowly filled with furniture crafted with the finest woods imported from Timbertown and paintings to bring elegance to the walls themselves.

  “My goodness,” Thaddeus says under his breath as he pauses in front of a painting depicting the river capturing the last breath of the setting sun. “This is remarkable. Did you commission these from Edmund in Felcren City?”

  “No,” Alexios answers as Thaddeus leans in to study the brushwork. “I’m not even sure who that is. Marquis painted that one as well as a few others in the house.”

  Thaddeus steps over to the next painting, one filled with the willow trees swaying in the moonlight.

  “You painted these?” he exclaims with newly found excitement, turning sharply to meet my eyes. “These are excellent, Marquis.”

  “A rather… older hobby of mine,” I tell him curiously. “My artwork has shifted from divinity to landscapes. How could it not when the land around us appears just as divine?”

  Hands clasped loosely behind him now, Thaddeus continues studying my work before stepping away.

  “You know,” he begins softly. “I heard the family who owned this place before kept it somewhat drab.”

  Alexios crosses his arms and steps in line with the gentleman.

  “Is that so?”

  “Apparently,” Thaddeus adds. “The Blackwood family were practical people from what I heard. Kept everything very… plain. I reckon they had their reasons. I wonder if they ever imagined their house looking like this.”

  While he takes in the tapestries and artwork lining the walls, a servant appears beside him with a small tray, a tall glass of lemonade sitting upon it. Thaddeus brightens with a smile and accepts the glass with silent appreciation.

  “Well now, that’s what I call hospitality,” he proclaims before taking a lengthy taste. “Gracious, that’s excellent.”

  “Would you care to see the gardens?” Alexios asks with one hand held out towards the door.

  “I would very much like to see them up close if you don’t mind.”

  Alexios guides him through the back entrance and out into the veranda, pushing open the door as sunlight presses into the home once again. Thaddeus follows eagerly, still sipping from the glass as beads of condensation slide down the sides. I am more than content to remain exactly where I am, entirely able to hear Thaddeus’s voice full of enthusiasm.

  “Well, would you look at that,” he says. “They look even better up close!”

  I keep hidden in the shadow of the hallway as I watch them descend the path Alexios has begun to lay through the gardens. He walks a step ahead of Thaddeus, proudly explaining the choice of soil and placement of the flower beds. Listening attentively, Thaddeus occasionally stops to admire a fresh set of flowers.

  The familiar feeling of curiosity finds me as it always has. A poor mortal weakness of mine that I have never been able to abandon. Not surprisingly, the gentleman’s thoughts are loud in the way a mortal’s mind often is. Loud and rather unfocused unlike the thoughts of my very own.

  Did he plant these by himself?

  Through our seventy years of orbiting one another, Alexios’s mind is quieter, trained by what he knows of my preternatural abilities. Though he answers Thaddeus’s questions politely enough, his thoughts remain guarded now. As they have for many years.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Strange man, Thaddeus says to himself as he observes Alexios. Odd to see a drow around these parts and the pale one inside looks like he hasn’t seen the sun in… well… ever.

  “It seems like you and your… partner might be doing something extraordinary with the land,” he says as they continue walking along the path again.

  Partners in… trade? Maybe land? Or are they lovers?

  “You and the Marquis fellow…” Thaddeus adds. “You both run the estate?”

  “More or less, I suppose.”

  Though his curiosity has not been satisfied, the gentleman nods anyway. Despite my need to stay in the shadows, he spots me through the window regardless of my attempt.

  “Marquis tends to stay indoors when the sun is out,” Alexios steps in to answer, noticing Thaddeus’s stare.

  “I gathered that,” he answers with a light chuckle. “Poor fellow must burn like paper in the sun, I reckon.”

  Strange pair indeed, he tells himself.

  Alexios steps through the twisting path, through the remaining flowerbeds and out towards a larger section of the property that resting untouched except for the tall grasses and wildflowers that caress it. They wander out of sight with only the occasional flip of Alexios’s silver-white hair drifting through the wind. Still, curiosity grips me, holding me in its clutches after all.

  Well now, Thaddeus ponders. That can’t be right. Does Alexios know what this is?

  If this grows naturally here… then I’ll be damned.

  Seeping further into his mind, I find his attention fixed on a plant. One I am not familiar with, frankly. In a surprising twist, Alexios’s thoughts are suddenly much louder.

  Is this plant really as valuable as he says it is? Perhaps I can make something here after all.

  After what I can only presume is the man’s further excitement and explanation about this… unknown plant found, Alexios steps back inside first as Thaddeus follows closely behind, slightly flushed from the heat. It is in these small moments where I am reminded how grateful I am to remain comfortably within the cool shadows of the hallway.

  “Quite the tour there, Alexios,” Thaddeus exclaims as a servant takes the empty glass from him.

  “I hope you enjoyed seeing the land,” I tell him plainly.

  “Enjoyed?” he says with a huff, wiping a trail of sweat with the back of his sleeve. “I’d say more like impressed. Where did you two say you were from again?”

  “Faer?n,” Alexios answers quickly on our behalf. “Well, Menzoberranzan, specifically. Marquis is from…”

  He gestures towards me.

  “From Arrabar,” I tell them both. “Of Chondath in Faer?n."

  Perhaps the country of Chondath means nothing to him. It was trivial of me to reveal, nonetheless.

  “Well, that explains it then. What I pointed out on your property is a Aadarna which I’m assuming doesn’t grow where either of you are from.”

  Mine and Alexios’s eyebrows raise with our curiosity peaked.

  “What exactly is it?” Alexios questions.

  “I suppose that name means nothing to you,” Thaddeus explains to the two of us. “But believe me, it should. That plant is extremely rare here. Powerful healing properties too.”

  “Is that so?” I say, wholly stepping into the conversation now.

  Thaddeus nods, enthusiasm practically pouring out of his eyes.

  “Apothecaries and alchemists will pay handsomely for it.”

  “Do you harvest it too?” Alexios asks, glancing through the window in the direction of the plant.

  “No,” Thaddeus says with disappointment. “Unfortunately, I’m not an herbalist. I only recognize it, but someone who owns land where this grows naturally?”

  He whistles, eyes going wide as he shakes his head back and forth.

  “I reckon you could make a fortune.”

  Though Alexios stays silent, his mind sharpens as if a spark has suddenly caught or a small bell has finally begun to ring after patiently waiting after all this time.

  “I guarantee you could cultivate it and expand the patches too,” Thaddeus adds. “Seems as though the soil suits it. It’s only one plant, but I’d care to wager that there are dozens of things growing that no one has bothered to harvest in years.”

  “It’d be a shame for the resource to sit unused then,” Alexios mentions with a quick glance in my direction.

  “It sure would,” Thaddeus chuckles. “If I owned land like this, I’d be looking a bit more closely if I were you.”

  Before Thaddeus can adjust his hat, preparing to depart from this visit, Alexios holds up a hand.

  “You should join us for dinner,” he speaks. “You mentioned earlier you’ve lived in this region for a long time. We’re still quite new so you likely know far more about what grows out there.”

  Thaddeus gives a hearty smile.

  “That’s rather generous of you. I do know a fair bit, yes.”

  “Perhaps you could tell us more about it then?” Alexios requests without a single line of hesitation.

  “I’d be more than happy to,” he nods. “Tonight, then?”

  “Tonight,” Alexios repeats with a bow of his head.

  With a polite tip of his hat, a servant guides him to the entrance, seeing him out before the door closes again. Within a matter of seconds, Alexios is pacing through the kitchen.

  “You seem lost in thought,” I observe quietly.

  Swiftly, he places both hands on the table as he thinks.

  “I may have an idea about what this place could be.”

  Gods help us all. An idea stemming from Alexios rarely leads anywhere peaceful.

  “You heard what he said, right?” he continues. “Rare strains of medicinal herbs. We could harvest them and sell for profit.”

  “For what purpose, Alexios?” I ask of him as he gestures towards the fields. “We do not need the money. I have made sure of that.”

  “You don’t need the money,” he corrects abruptly. “I do.”

  “My money is your money, Alexios. You understand that, correct?”

  He shakes his head out of irritation.

  “That’s not the same and you know it.”

  I let out a deep exhale to reveal my own irritation.

  “Do you know anything about cultivating medicinal plants?” I ask, hands coming together promptly behind my back.

  “No.”

  Well, that settles it then. At least he is honest.

  “But I can learn, Marquis!”

  “How?”

  “Maybe we can find others who know about the land,” he says. “We can even hire field workers too.”

  “I suppose that sounds reasonable.”

  “The queen will help me too.”

  In a single sentence, Alexios has managed to capture my complete attention.

  “Alexios, I would advice against involving her in…”

  “I already asked her on my way back to the house,” Alexios cuts in, tapping against his temple with a fingertip. “She approves.”

  “The more you rely on her, the more influence she will have over you,” I warn him carefully. “It is not the same as how I serve her. You must understand that.”

  Alexios merely shrugs against my caution.

  “As I see it, she already has influence over me.”

  “That should not be an invitation to invite more,” I tell him. “She would approve of anything that further binds you to her. You would do well to remember this bit of information, Alexios.”

  “But this land could become something better than just… an old farm,” he mutters as he watches the flowers sway just beyond the veranda.

  “How do you believe the Mother can help you accomplish such a feat?”

  He pauses, his interest still fixed on the flowerbeds, already imagining what Blackwood could become. Eventually, his trance is broken and he turns to meet my eyes.

  “In exchange for the kills I give her, she will give me the ability to succeed.”

  “You wish to bargain with her?” I question, my tone carrying far calmer than I feel.

  “I’ve done it before, remember?”

  “With lavish clothing and jewels,” I remind him. “Even lust-filled lovers wrapped around your arms… among other things. Not this. Not for power.”

  “She has an incredible amount of power and knowledge,” he steps in. “Why in the gods would I not use it if I’m going to build something here? Isn’t that what you wanted for me?”

  “I do not want you to give her more of yourself than needed.”

  With an irritated scoff, Alexios turns from me.

  “You’re always so fucking dramatic, Marquis. I already work for her anyway.”

  Dismissing his words, I shake my head in disapproval.

  “Working for her is not the same as tying the future of this land to her. Let the success belong to you, Alexios.”

  “You’ve spent centuries protecting her and yet… you expect me to pretend she’s this forbidden thing I shouldn’t speak to or ask for things?”

  “I do not expect that of you.”

  He snarls through his teeth and tosses a spare cloth onto the floor.

  “What in the hells do you want from me then?!”

  “I want you to understand the cost of what you are asking for,” I explain simply.

  With his arms coming to fold across his chest, Alexios leans back against the table.

  “She isn’t asking for anything unreasonable. I already kill for her so why shouldn’t I get something in return it?”

  “I have already explained why, Alexios.”

  He steps into the shadows of the hallway, grasping at my hand.

  “She’ll make sure whatever I build here thrives,” he says, holding my hand to his own chest. “Whatever we build here will thrive too.”

  I remove my hand. It drops languidly back down to my side.

  “She will feed on your ambition,” I warn.

  Alexios huffs in frustration.

  “So do you!”

  Alexios backs away, stepping once more into the sunlight bleeding into the kitchen.

  “It doesn’t matter anyway,” he continues. “This isn’t me asking for permission.”

  “I am begging you,” I tell him regardless. “Build this place organically. Let it grow as it should.”

  His attention returns to the swaying flowers outside, bright bursts of color catching the morning sun in its glory.

  “Fine, whatever.”

  Silence follows him as he hastily makes his way upstairs to bathe. I do not follow this time, knowing better than to attempt to reason with him any further this morning. He has made his plan known and I am disappointed by where it could lead.

  --

  To my gratitude, Alexios’s attitude has improved by the time Thaddeus returns in the evening. Arranging the dishes with precision, the servants have taken proper steps to prepare the dining room accordingly. Roasted duck, cooked vegetables and sourdough rests on the table, awaiting our newly met company. Thaddeus arrives properly, stepping inside and respectfully removing his hat.

  “Good evening,” he greets us both with a warm smile. “I’m not too late, am I?”

  “No, not at all,” Alexios replies on my behalf, gesturing him into the dining room as I remain near the far end.

  “This is quite the welcome,” Thaddeus approaches the table, clearly impressed with the feast resting before him. “Marquis, will you be joining us?”

  Alexios takes the seat across from him and drapes a clean cloth over his lap.

  “It seems I am still feeling unwell,” I reply without a hint of reluctance. “Please excuse my rudeness.”

  “That’s a shame. This meal already looks better than most of the meals I prepare for myself.”

  “I take it you live alone?” Alexios casually asks as a servant begins slicing sections of meat.

  “That’s correct,” Thaddeus answers, respectfully bowing as the servant places a serving of duck on his plate. “Have for some time now. My wife passed several years ago.”

  Alexios nods, understanding the circumstances far more than one should.

  “Taken by illness,” he adds gently. “I reckon those sorts of things happen.”

  “Please accept our condolences,” I tell him, moving to stand near one of the windows instead as the sun sets.

  “I appreciate that,” Thaddeus mutters with his head down. “Never had children either. Just a few distant cousins somewhere up north near Iseris, but they are too caught up in petty municipal politics.”

  “It’s just you?”

  Thaddeus smiles, though it cannot conceal the sadness he holds in his heart.

  “Just me.”

  He takes a quiet sip of wine and returns to his meal, but Alexios is what truly holds my attention now. He listens more than he speaks as each answer Thaddeus gives seems to bury itself into Alexios’s mind. Thaddeus simply enjoys his dinner, oblivious to the truth that Alexios is learning far more about him than a trivial conversation might suggest.

  The wine and food help Thaddeus relax more with every second. He leans back in his chair between bites, enjoying the meal and the company as the second course is placed before him. Watching with full attention, Alexios eats slowly.

  “Seems as though I’ve been talking most of the evening,” he starts and gestures towards me. “Tell me more about yourself, Marquis. I hope your illness isn’t anything serious.”

  “It is nothing that should trouble you,” I assure him.

  “Well, you do still seem rather pale.”

  “So it seems,” I dryly respond, hearing Alexios muffle a laugh with his glass of wine.

  Resting his elbows on the table, he lets out a full-bellied laugh.

  “What exactly do you do here if Alexios is the one tending to the gardens?”

  Alexios shifts his head to the side, pausing for my answer.

  “I paint,” I tell him. It is not a complete falsification.

  “I remember you mentioning that earlier. Those paintings in the hall are really yours?”

  “They are, yes. To my astonishment, I have found plenty of inspiration here in this region.”

  He nods and tears off a fragment of sourdough bread.

  “Well, this is certainly the place for it,” he says. “You both seem very comfortable running a place like this together. Excuse my curiosity but… how long have the two of you known each other?”

  “Quite a while,” Alexios steps in, answering for the two of us. “I like it think we make it work between the two of us.”

  “And… you prefer to stay inside most of the time?” Thaddeus directs his questions to me, apparently still trying to understand the dynamic between the two of us.

  “That is correct.”

  His eyebrows raise as he takes a small sip of wine.

  “I reckon someone has to keep an eye on the house while Alexios turns the landscape into its very own painting.”

  Clearly pleased with the meal and perhaps our answers, he continues eating.

  “You two sure do make an interesting pair though,” he adds in, silently asking a passing servant for a refill with Alexios’s encouragement.

  Rather casually, Alexios inquires about the region, pondering about nearby towns that house apothecaries and what sort of travelers might pass through. Undoubtedly enjoying the opportunity to boast his knowledge, Thaddeus answers happily and even talks about the previous owners.

  “From what I know, they mostly kept livestock and grain,” he reveals. “Nothing ambitious though. I wonder if they even knew about the Aadarna growing. You really won’t join us, Marquis?”

  “I am quite alright here.”

  “Why don’t you sit down?” Alexios asks with a sly smirk. “You’ve been watching me all day… as usual.”

  “My attention is not always directed towards you, Alexios.”

  Though I find that it is most of the time.

  “You and I both know that isn’t the truth,” he teases with a laugh.

  Thaddeus pauses briefly, eyeing us with a different kind of curiosity now. Perhaps we have finally revealed what he assumed all along.

  Ah, just two men playing house together out here, he tells himself. That’s all this is. I suppose people do all sorts of… odd and unusual things when they have too much money.

  The thought reaches me with full clarity. I let out an amused scoff. Mortals carry such strange prejudices without rarely even understanding the true weight of them. Though Thaddeus watches me with less of a curious mind now, Alexios does not appear to notice anything at all. Perhaps it is not worth the trouble of addressing anyway.

  “Believe me, this entire property would be covered in paintings if Marquis had it his way,” Alexios tells him with a smirk.

  “Not the worst fate for a place like this, I’d say.”

  I let his remaining thoughts pass in peace, too small to waste further attention on. Alexios continues eating, though I wonder which part of the conversation will say with him tonight, already wagering it will be about the man sitting comfortably across from him. No family, no children…

  And no one waiting for him at home.

  With a final satisfied sigh, Thaddeus finishes his glass of wine just before the servants quietly clear the table. Other servants have taken the initiative to light the lanterns along the veranda. Through the endless chorus of insects, the lanterns glow softly into the night.

  “That was one of the finest meals I’ve had in… years,” he bellows with one hand resting on his stomach.

  “We’re glad to hear you enjoyed it,” Alexios replies, smiling against the rim of his wine glass. “I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier this morning. About the land producing remarkable things if someone were to truly commit to it.”

  “If you do choose to pursue it,” Thaddeus says. “I just know you’ll find no shortage of buyers. Apothecaries in larger cities would pay top gold for reliable supply, especially Felcren City.”

  “Would you like to help?”

  Stunned, Thaddeus and I both raise our eyebrows at the casualty of Alexios’s question.

  “You… want my help?”

  “You know the region far better than we do,” Alexios notes, gesturing between the two of us. “We could use your help identifying other plants and growth patterns.”

  “Well, I certainly wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I suppose I could point a few things out here and there.”

  Wouldn’t be a terrible arrangement, he reflects privately. Especially if his ambition is anything to go by.

  “I would appreciate that more than I could ever say,” Alexios says while I remain silent from across the room.

  As the servants clear the remaining dishes from the table, Thaddeus rises from his chair.

  “I should let you get some rest,” he considers as another servant brings his cloak. “But I’d be more than happy to help however I can. Consider me available for whatever you need, Alexios.”

  Alexios courteously bows his head.

  “Good night to you both, gentlemen,” Thaddeus says with a wave as he is guided to the entrance.

  Rather than question Alexios any further tonight, I meet him with silence. He remains seated at the dining table, swirling the remaining wine in his glass as he works through the next steps of his puzzle.

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