Mephisto came to meet him, a woman with curly blonde hair in a colorful dress by his side. Peculiarly, they were the same height. She was maybe even a little taller.

  Mephisto bowed sarcastically as Aurelius stepped out of the carriage. "Welcome to my humble abode."

  "I don't think humble is the word for it," Aurelius remarked, getting a chuckle in response. "By the way, do you mind speaking in common? She's still learning Zalfarian." He pointed to Cade, who came from the carriage.

  She held her long robes so as not to step on them. There was a black and gold sash draped over her shoulder, wrapping around her waist. She had thin black cloth you could see through around her arms. Though she scowled at all the finery, she was a beauty to look at.

  Mephisto chuckled at her not even trying to hide her frustration with her clothes. "No problem," he answered Aurelius' request, speaking in common. Then he looked Aurelius up and down. "You're both dressed awfully fine."

  Aurelius wore the same kind of sash coupled with something the Zalfarians called a toga. It was made of white silk that the servants draped over him in some incomprehensible way.

  "I made a request from the servants for the occasion," Aurelius explained. "Good that I did. Otherwise, you'd outshine me." He nodded to Mephisto's diamond chains. He was in relatively plain clothes but made up for it with accessories.

  The woman beside Mephisto giggled at Aurelius' comment. "Mephy didn't tell me that you were good with your tongue as well as your hands," she said.

  Aurelius nodded his thanks for the compliment while Cade choked a little.

  "Oh, I'm Zaneth." The woman extended her hand. "But you can call me Zanny."

  "Nice to meet you, I'm Aurelius." Aurelius took her hand and shook it awkwardly, only realizing afterward that she'd held it palm down for him to kiss it.

  Mephisto reached out to Cade, "I've yet to catch your name."

  "Cade," Cade said, reaching her hand out. "If you try to kiss my hand, you'll regret it," she added.

  Mephisto chuckled as they shook hands. Seeing how she remained serious, though, Mephisto asked Aurelius, "Could she? Make me regret it, that is."

  Aurelius grinned. "She's the one who trained me."

  Mephisto looked jarred, then backed off a little, raising his hands. "Alright, no kissing anyone's hands." He shook his head. "Gods, you people make me feel weak." He turned and waved a hand. "Enough standing around. Come on in."

  Zaneth giggled a little. "He's so dramatic," she whispered, leading Cade and Aurelius inside. They made some small talk as they went through the castle. It turned out Mephisto's mother, the senator, owned the place but was away on business like Alexander's wife.

  Surprisingly, Mephisto and Zaneth led them to the roof of the castle, where there was a table for four. It was illuminated by candles that swayed in the gentle warm winds. It was so clear up there. You could see all of Alexandria and the barren land outside of it where paved carriage paths stood out.

  The sun was setting, and the first stars were revealed. Even Cade was impressed. Aurelius watched ships, large and small, moving slowly across the Zog River. Then he closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose.

  When he opened them, everybody was already sitting at the table, watching him. He could've sworn that not a second had passed.

  He came to take a seat as the others made jokes.

  "It was just so beautiful," Aurelius explained, but they just laughed.

  "Is he always like this?" Mephisto asked Cade.

  "Always," Cade replied, a smile having spread on his lips. "That's why I love him." She had that twinkle in her eyes that she usually kept out. Aurelius knew it was going to be a good night.

  "Aww, she likes him when he's like a little fairy," Mephisto said.

  "Stop being so mean, Mephy," Zaneth said and turned to Cade and Aurelius. "I think that's wonderful."

  "I wasn't being mean," Mephisto said, as though insulted. "I was being humorous."

  "You're always being humorous," Zaneth commented.

  "Humor is the chief virtue," Mephisto said.

  "So you're always being chiefly virtuous, Mephy?" Aurelius asked, leaning his cheek on his palm and putting emphasis on the nickname.

  "Right you are. That's why I deserve the best of things." Mephisto suddenly went to pinch Zaneth's waist. "Like her." She squealed before laughing. Aurelius and Cade exchanged looks.

  That's when the servants brought them plates and lifted some kind of steel domes off of them to reveal something sprinkled with something else and something that looked like meat, maybe. Or fish?

  Aurelius had no idea what it was, but it tasted weird in all the right, frankly delicious, ways.

  "I could get used to eating like this," Aurelius said, mouth full of food.

  Zaneth chuckled and wiped her mouth. "Right. I can't even remember what normal bread tasted like anymore."

  "Anymore?" Cade asked.

  "Oh, right!" Mephisto suddenly got a burst of energy. "You may not be able to tell, but Zanny here is no ordinary pampered lady. She rose up from the outer city all by herself... and a little bit of me." Mephisto winked.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Zaneth smiled awkwardly, whispering to Mephisto that he was embarrassing her.

  "Really?" Aurelius asked, awe in his voice.

  Zaneth nodded. "That's right. There was a group of us orphans there who nobody would take in." She swirled her wine glass as she talked. "Back then, food was everything, but stealing wasn't an option if you wanted to keep your hands. But there was this one bakery that let us use a little dough to make our own bread. We used to mash whatever we got our hands on and stuff it in there to get some more to eat."

  Aurelius leaned back in his chair. He put down his utensils, eyeing the food while remembering all those who starved.

  "How'd you end up married to this guy?" Cade asked, pointing her fork at the sheepishly smiling wolfish Mephisto.

  "I was recruited into the army a few years after the Elite Troop was formed and fought for a few years. I rose the ranks and met Mephy. Now I work for Alexander, helping the poor and creating orphanages. Oh, he's wonderful," she said, seeming to have been struck by Alexander's charms.

  "Right. The Elite Troop was mostly made up of orphans," Cade said, remembering what Aurelius had told him.

  "Mhm, but I was too young for it," Zanny said.

  "Otherwise she would've made the cut," Mephisto commented while chewing. "She's not mine just for looks."

  Zaneth hit him on the arm and turned to Aurelius. "I really would've liked to fight for your father, though."

  Aurelius smiled a little. Operation Ultimus came to mind. Zaneth seemed to sense that she'd said something inappropriate and looked apologetic.

  "So you're just polar opposites then?" Cade asked Mephisto quickly as a quick distraction. "Son of a senator, entitlement through the roof," he poked fun at Mephisto, who, to his credit, sat back and smiled his way through the barrage.

  Zaneth gasped. "You haven't even apologized to Aurelius for the tournament match."

  Mephisto raised his hands. "Nothing to apologize for. I won fair and square."

  Cade snorted. "Aurelius stopped just short of ripping through you, and you capitalized on that, you wretched worm. Don't try to say you couldn't have stopped."

  "Physically, yes. Mentally, no." Mephisto laughed. "That's just the kind of man I am. And hey, I'm making up for it with this dinner, aren't I?"

  "It's not like you offered. Aurelius was the one who suggested it," Cade said.

  "What?!" Zaneth hit Mephisto on the arm again. "You lied to me."

  Mephisto retained his act of innocence. "I stretched the truth."

  "Ah, you're the worst," Zaneth bemoaned.

  "I'm the worst," Mephisto snickered.

  Aurelius chuckled, and Cade gave him a meaningful look.

  Then Zaneth asked, "Why did you suggest it?"

  Aurelius was about to give his prepared excuse, but Cade interrupted him.

  "He told me he wanted us to have friends in Zalfari," she said. "Now I think it's more because Mephy here reminds him of someone."

  Aurelius blinked, seeing it for the first time himself. He found himself asking if that had been the real reason. His vision was one thing, but looking at Mephisto...

  "Huh? I don't remind anyone of anyone. I'm one of a kind," Mephisto said in comical outrage.

  Aurelius sank into his seat. Cade frowned a little. He knew it wasn't her intention, but everything good Aurelius had in his life now was everything he could've experienced with Balgair by his side. They were friends for barely a year, so how could it still hurt so much?

  "Ah, it's nothing. Forget about it." Cade glossed over the topic and provided another distraction. "I have to say, though, Mephisto, there was one impressive thing in the tournament."

  "One?" Mephisto asked, flashing his canines.

  "Yeah," Cade said, matching his energy. "You didn't shrink under Alexander's influence."

  Mephisto burst into laughter. "Of course I didn't shrink. I'm short enough as is."

  Aurelius had recovered from his sullen mood enough to laugh at the joke. Cade laughed as well, and soon Zaneth joined the chorus.

  After that, they ended up discussing further about Alexander. When Aurelius shared his mixed opinion on him, Zaneth inquired into it. That's how they ended up on the topic of Kendrick.

  "What are you going to do?" Zaneth asked.

  Cade glanced at him fast. Mephisto leaned forward as well. Aurelius sighed.

  "What choice do I have?" Aurelius shrugged. "I'm going to kill him."

  "You'll need an assassination squad for that," Mephisto pointed out.

  Aurelius didn't want to think about it much. "I guess."

  Mephisto pumped his chest. "Then sign me in, son of Ares."

  Cade shook her head in amusement. They were talking about it as if it was some joke. Aurelius didn't hate that but wondered if he was serious. It didn't seem like Mephisto was one to put his life on the line for something other than himself and his family. As Alexander said, he wasn't a soldier. But maybe there was more to him than met the eye.

  Zaneth went with it, too. "I'm going if Mephy is."

  Aurelius looked to Cade. She pinched his cheek. "Don't even think you're going alone. Not as long as I live."