"A piece of the moon?" Aegeon repeated, the word's leaving his mouth felt wrong. He looked back at the piece of rock, his ears stinging slightly as the rock hummed an intelligible whisper. "Worship me" It seemed to repeat like it was the only thing it knew to say.

  He opened and closed his mouth, a rock speaking? Aegeon was now quite sure he was losing his mind.

  What the hell was this man thinking? Keeping the remains of an old god so close.

  "It helps me think, when I lose sight of my goals" He spoke calmly, as if he didn't have a piece of a literal god on display. The words doing very little to soothe Aegeon's growing unease.

  "If Boreas the first fought the very night itself, what can't I his descendant do?" His eyes gleamed with pride, "This was the piece of the Moon he carved with his sword." He looked up, reminiscing about a story he had probably heard countless of times.

  "But enough about that." The Grand Duke's lips parted into a wide smile, that revealed his pearly white teeth.

  "Let's talk about you" His eyes looking him up and down as if he was evaluating him.

  "You aren't a barbarian"

  "Now now, don't look so pale, lad. I don't care what you are... mostly." He flashed him a grin before reeling back in his chair.

  Isabella rolled her eyes. "Dad, look at what he's wearing, of course he's a barbarian." Her blue eyes softened as they turned to Aegeon.

  He looked at his daughter with raised eyebrows.

  "Regardless" His tone much like the situation shifted into a serious one, "What do you know of my daughters kidnapping" He sat up, moving forward in his chair.

  He asked the question as if he was demanding a response whether he had one or now, was this a Duke's charisma?

  Aegeon unconsciously straightened up.

  "And I hope you keep your discretion." The words leaving his mouth, made Aegeon understand, that he was no longer talking to a doting father but a Duke.

  And by Revera, Duke Boreas exuded the aura of regality.

  It wasn't like Aegeon was someone who enjoyed speaking secrets, besides he knew how bad it would look if the duke's heir was kidnapped.

  He did a universally accepted sign and zipped his mouth with his finger.

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  Aegeon opened his mouth to speak. "Your gra-"

  "Boreas" The duke raised his hand to interrupt him. "Call me Boreas, you did save my daughter after all."

  Aegeon cleared his throat, "Boreas" He started off, the corners of the Dukes lips tugged.

  "You are aware of Theodore Hemera?" It was more of a statement then a question, he had to assume that the Duke knew of one of his many enemies.

  The Duke nodded "Ian's kid?" He stroked his chin, "The paladin that went missing?" He put his hands on his desk, "That stays with us" Duke Boreas looked at him, with an icy glance. "If my vassals find out, with the rising tensions..." He paused looking outside the window towards where the twin suns were. "Well, you get it right?"

  He looked at his daughter before turning to glance at Aegeon "I don't want to be the powder keg that resulted in the death of the Kingdom." The Duke spoke as if it would be them winning instead of the south.

  Aegeon didn't even want to think about what actually happened in the story, did Isabella end up dying, was that what pushed the North into an all war with the Sun god faction? Not that it mattered, there are no what ifs in life. Yet in every version of the game there had been one constant, the North lost. It was something you couldn't even intervene in.

  The hesitant look in the Dukes gaze, told him everything he had to know about him.

  He didn't want war, and if saving his daughter prevented such a thing then good but if not...

  "You don't think we can win" His face broke into a wide grin, as he started to laugh in a way that seemed exaggerated, the laughing fit turned into a coughing fit, he looked at Aegeon in the eye, his mirth leaving replaced by a seriousness he had never experienced before.

  "The north will never perish" The duke declared, his voice radiating confidence.

  Aegeon sure hoped so, he'd come to enjoy the company of Isabella no matter how rude she is. He spared a glance at her.

  She stuck out her tongue at him.

  Aegeon shook his head, turning back to her father.

  "Did you deal with this Theodore? Or should I 'Take' care of it?" His arms folded on the desk, as he leaned forward.

  "We dealt with it" Isabella interjected, her blue eyes glowed in the dimly lit room.

  "Good," He touched his chin, stroking his beard. "Who else is involved?" The Duke was sharp, it was obvious that Theodore wasn't working alone. "Have you ever seen black flames?" Aegeon asked, not really knowing who they belonged to.

  His only guess was the reapers, a cult that was prevalent in Deminos One, who worshiped the old god of destruction and darkness.

  His eyes narrowed as his eyebrows furrowed, his nose scrunched up in anger and disgust, the corners of his lips pulling downwards into a sneer.

  "Those damned cultists have gone too far" He spoke with gritted teeth, his words filled with rage.

  Isabellas eyes widened as if she just had an epiphany.

  His eyes glowed blue, the air around them lowering in temperature.

  "Father" Isabella spoke, knocking him out of his rage.

  It looked like Isabella had that effect on people

  His cold breath filled the room as he let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead.

  "Pardon me, that was unsightly"

  Isabella tugged his arm and whispered into Aegeon's ear, her cold breath hitting his ear as she whispered, "My mother, died to cultist" He turned to look at her, her lips trembled, her eyes lacking the usual warmth in them.

  He was half tempted to just hug her, but with her father in the room it proved awkward.

  "I'm sorry"

  "Don't be, it wasn't your fault." Her words soft, as she turned to her father.

  Duke Boreas waved him off "I'll Have the mages from the tower work on it" he turned to face his daughter "inform Targon that his services will be needed, and get the High priestess here," He clenched his fists.

  "Tell Sir Matthew to summon the inner council, it's been a while since House Boreas has gone to war"