The grandfather clock in the main hall struck ten, each deep chime causing Duke Maximilian to wince slightly as he stood in his private study, reorganizing the same stack of notes for the third time. His cats had strategically positioned themselves throughout the room – Archimedes, the elderly bck cat, judging from atop a bookcase while Emmy, his newest kitten acquisition, waged war against his shoeces.

  "Your Grace," Morris announced from the doorway, causing Maximilian to startle so violently he knocked over an inkwell. "Lord Elias inquires if you might be avaible this evening for the artifact collection viewing you mentioned at dinner."

  Maximilian's eyes widened with horror behind his completely unnecessary gsses. "Tonight? Unprepared?" His hands fluttered in distress, sending papers cascading to the floor where Emmy immediately pounced. "The Egyptian collection requires proper sequencing! I haven't prepared any simplified expnations!"

  Morris maintained his perfect composure, though the corner of his mouth twitched suspiciously. "Lord Elias mentioned he would be satisfied with an... impromptu presentation. He seemed quite interested in your collection of ancient artifacts."

  "Impromptu?" Maximilian looked as though Morris had suggested he conduct the tour naked. "Without preparation? That's—" he swallowed hard, "—that's impossible! He's from Orlov's court! He won't understand any of the historical context!"

  "If I may, Your Grace," Morris interjected smoothly, "Lord Elias mentioned something rather interesting. According to him, Archduke Orlov's court considers most pre-evolution artifacts as 'human contamination best forgotten.'"

  Maximilian froze mid-panic, quill pen suspended in air. "Human contamination? Historical artifacts?" His schorly outrage visibly overrode his social anxiety as his voice rose. "That's barbaric! These artifacts are irrepceable windows into human development! Destroying them is—is intellectual VANDALISM!"

  Emmy, startled by this uncharacteristic volume, unched herself four feet vertically before nding on Maximilian's desk, sending his carefully arranged papers flying once more.

  "So shall I inform Lord Elias you'll meet him in thirty minutes?" Morris asked with the serenity of a man who had managed Maximilian's chaos for decades.

  "Twenty-six minutes," Maximilian corrected automatically, already frantically pulling books from shelves while simultaneously attempting to remove cat hair from his jacket and tragically failing at both.

  Twenty-nine minutes ter – three minutes behind schedule, a mathematical tragedy that would haunt him for weeks – Maximilian met Elias in the main hall. His consort was dressed in elegant midnight blue that somehow made his unusual violet eyes even more striking. Maximilian had changed into a formal jacket with subtle silver embroidery denoting his rank, though his hair remained disheveled, and at least three cat hairs clung defiantly to his sleeve.

  "Good evening, Your Grace," Elias said with a small bow and that practiced court smile that never quite reached his eyes. "I hope I'm not disrupting your evening pns."

  "Historical preservation is an educational priority," Maximilian replied, adjusting his gsses with such intensity he nearly poked himself in the eye. "The Egyptian collection is particurly significant. I can show you how their influence extended into Byzantine periods, and the Mesopotamian transitional—" He caught himself rambling and stopped abruptly.

  Elias blinked politely, clearly not understanding half the terms Maximilian had just used. "I... look forward to it."

  As they walked through the estate toward the vault, Maximilian maintained his carefully calcuted three-foot safety distance with the precision of a military formation. Every few steps, he would gnce sideways to verify the gap remained exactly as required, occasionally making tiny course corrections.

  Elias, for his part, seemed to find this behavior fascinating. After the third subtle course correction, a hint of mischief fshed across his face. He casually drifted two inches closer.

  Maximilian immediately adjusted.

  Elias moved three inches closer.

  Maximilian countered with a subtle sidestep, nearly colliding with a priceless vase.

  By the time they reached the vault entrance, they had performed an entire hallway's worth of this strange dance, with Elias hiding his amusement behind his court mask while Maximilian remained oblivious to the game.

  They descended a grand staircase to a corridor with subtle gothic elements befitting vampire nobility. The torches on the walls were actually electric lights designed to flicker like fmes – a concession to practicality disguised as traditional aesthetic that would have horrified Orlov's purists.

  At the corridor's end stood an imposing door of dark wood and iron, its ancient appearance concealing modern security mechanisms.

  "This is the vault entrance," Maximilian expined, producing an ornate key from his pocket. "The collection requires specific preservation conditions." He looked almost proud as he added, "I designed most of it myself."

  The massive door opened silently on well-oiled hinges, revealing a small antechamber with another door beyond. As they stepped inside, the outer door swung closed behind them with a dramatic THUD that sounded suspiciously like a prison cell locking.

  Elias spun around, eyes wide with genuine arm. "The door—it closed by itself!"

  "It's a counterweight mechanism. Ancient design," Maximilian expined, carefully avoiding mentioning the modern automatic sensors that actually controlled it. "Based on gravity principles."

  "In Orlov's court, doors are only opened and closed by servants," Elias said, eyeing the door suspiciously. "Anything that moves without human intervention is considered... unseemly. The servants here had to teach me how to use the strange water devices in the bathing chambers. I still don't understand why anyone would want water to appear at the twist of a metal knob when you could simply have a servant bring heated water in proper vessels."

  "It's an inefficient methodology," Maximilian replied, before adding with unexpected dryness, "And doors tend to have fewer opinions than servants."

  Elias's perfectly composed court mask slipped for a moment, a fsh of genuine surprise at the hint of humor from the normally serious duke.

  The inner door opened to reveal a circur chamber with a domed ceiling. Gss dispy cases and wooden cabinets arranged in concentric circles held artifacts that gleamed in the soft light of what appeared to be traditional oil mps but were actually carefully disguised electric fixtures – another concession to practicality that Maximilian wouldn't mention to his Orlov-trained guest.

  "The primary collection," Maximilian announced with uncharacteristic emotion in his voice. "Ancient Egyptian civilization. Nearly five thousand years old."

  Elias stepped inside, his eyes widening with genuine wonder. Golden funerary masks stared serenely from dispy cases. Eborate papyrus scrolls covered in strange markings stretched across the walls. Stone tablets carved with mysterious symbols rested on velvet cushions.

  "These are..." Elias seemed at a loss for words. "I've never seen anything like this." The awe in his voice was unmistakably genuine. "Orlov's court only keeps a few dusty human artifacts for ceremonies, usually damaged ones to show how inferior humans were."

  "Knowledge destruction is completely illogical," Maximilian replied with unexpected passion. "Historical context is essential to understanding our present. The past..." he searched for the right words before settling on, "Destroying history is like burning the map while still on the journey."

  Elias smiled, and this time it reached his eyes. "I couldn't agree more, Your Grace. Though I should warn you, I know almost nothing about human history. At Orlov's court, they barely bothered to teach me anything beyond the absolute basics. They thought I was too fwed to warrant proper education."

  "Fwed?" Maximilian asked, his brow furrowing.

  "My need for human food," Elias expined with practiced casualness that couldn't quite mask the old pain. "In Orlov's court, they consider it proof that I'm a lesser vampire, a defective specimen. They only kept me around because I'm..." he gestured to his face with a self-deprecating smile, "decorative enough to be ornamental at court functions."

  Maximilian's schorly indignation fred again. "That's not a scientifically valid assessment. Biological variation is normal in complex systems."

  "Try telling that to Orlov's court," Elias replied with a dry smile. "To them, I was just a pretty defect to be dispyed when convenient and ignored otherwise."

  "The basics can be expined," Maximilian assured him, momentarily forgetting his social discomfort in the face of potential schorly discussion. He gestured toward the outer ring of dispys.

  They began moving through the collection, Maximilian providing expnations he tried to simplify for someone with no historical education whatsoever.

  "This golden mask," he expined, indicating a serene face with pis zuli decorations, "belonged to minor nobility during the Middle Kingdom period. Not quite pharaonic quality, but still exceptional craftsmanship. They used these in mummification rituals."

  "Mummification?" Elias asked, clearly unfamiliar with the term.

  "It was part of their afterlife preparation," Maximilian nodded, adjusting his gsses. "They believed the soul required an intact vessel for its journey to the underworld, where it would undergo judgment rituals." He paused thoughtfully. "In some ways, it's conceptually simir to vampire transformation—a death transitioning to a new form of existence."

  "Fascinating," Elias murmured, studying the mask with new interest. "And these markings? Are they some kind of writing?"

  "It's hieroglyphic script—a pictorial writing system," Maximilian confirmed, moving to indicate a papyrus scroll in a nearby case, his excitement momentarily overriding his awkwardness. "There are over seven hundred distinct symbols! Some represent sounds, others represent entire concepts."

  "You can actually read this?" Elias asked, clearly impressed and slightly disbelieving.

  "With reference materials," Maximilian admitted, gesturing to his workstation with its stacks of books. "It's not like reading modern nguage. Each transtion requires careful study."

  "That's remarkable," Elias said with apparent sincerity. "In Orlov's court, most nobles can barely read modern vampire w, let alone ancient human nguages."

  Maximilian blinked, clearly unprepared for the compliment. "Thank you," he managed, before quickly refocusing on the artifacts.

  They continued through the collection, moving from Egyptian artifacts to Mesopotamian cy tablets. Maximilian simplified his expnations when he noticed Elias's confusion over terms like "anthropomorphic deities" and "cuneiform development."

  "These cy tablets," Elias asked, pointing to a collection with neat rows of wedge-shaped markings, "what do they say?"

  "Mostly administrative records," Maximilian replied. "Tax collection. Property ownership. Livestock inventory." He adjusted his gsses with a hint of amusement. "Bureaucracy predates vampire society by millennia."

  Elias ughed, the sound unexpectedly genuine. "So humans were just as boring as vampires."

  "Arguably more efficient," Maximilian replied with unexpected dryness. "Fewer ceremonial blood toasts before tax collection."

  Another ugh from Elias, this one catching him by surprise. "Your Grace, I believe you just made a joke."

  Maximilian adjusted his gsses, clearly flustered. "It was a factual observation. A historical comparison."

  "Of course," Elias agreed, though his eyes sparkled with amusement.

  Near the center of the chamber stood a small, out-of-pce dispy containing a single object that didn't match the historical pattern of the other artifacts. The case held a strange device that combined gold scarab-like elements with crystalline components, etched with symbols unlike any in the other dispys.

  "What's that one?" Elias asked, his head tilting with curiosity. "It doesn't look Egyptian or like those other artifacts."

  Maximilian hesitated, studying Elias as if calcuting risk factors. "It's an unusual artifact. Origin uncertain. I keep it separate because I haven't properly cssified it yet."

  "It looks almost... like witchcraft," Elias observed, moving closer to the case. "In Orlov's court, anything that seems to move or glow by itself would be destroyed immediately. Our nobles pride themselves on proper vampire traditions—servants for every need, blood served in silver goblets, proper ceremonies for every occasion. Archduke Lucius's territories seem so strange with all these unusual devices. When I first arrived, a servant had to show me how to make water come from the wall in my bathing chamber. I still don't understand why anyone would want that when proper servants could bring heated water in traditional vessels."

  "I wouldn't use the term witchcraft," Maximilian corrected, though without his usual certainty. "Advanced craftsmanship would be more accurate. Its purpose remains unclear."

  "Where did you find it?" Elias pressed.

  Maximilian hesitated again. "It was recovered from a research facility. Near where the evolution is believed to have originated."

  Elias's eyebrows rose. Information about the evolution's origins was rarely discussed in vampire society. "May I see it closer?"

  After another moment of calcution, Maximilian nodded, approaching the central dispy. He used his key to unlock the case, causing it to open with a soft hiss. With surprising delicacy for his usually precise movements, Maximilian lifted the device from its stand.

  It was smaller than it had appeared – approximately palm-sized – and seemed to shimmer with subtle iridescence. The golden scarab components framed a crystalline core etched with strange symbols. Maximilian carried it to the central workstation, pcing it on an examination ptform.

  "It requires careful handling. It has unusual properties," he expined, adjusting various schorly instruments around the device.

  "What does it do?" Elias asked, leaning closer to observe.

  "I'm not entirely certain. My examinations have been inconclusive," Maximilian replied, arranging magnifying devices. "It sometimes responds to... presence."

  "Presence?" Elias repeated, clearly not understanding.

  "It reacts to people nearby," Maximilian attempted to crify. "Like a scarab seeking warmth, but with more unusual effects."

  As they both leaned in to study the mysterious artifact, Elias's sleeve brushed against Maximilian's arm. The Duke startled as if electrocuted, his elbow knocking into the examination table. The device shifted position.

  "The position is disturbed!" Maximilian excimed with the arm of someone who had just knocked over a nuclear reactor. "We need to recalibrate it immediately!"

  But as his fingers touched the device, it suddenly began to glow with an intense blue-white light. The light expanded rapidly, engulfing both men before either could react.

  "It's activating!" Maximilian yelped, his eyes wide behind his gsses as the light enveloped them.

  There was a brief, disorienting moment when the vault seemed to ripple around them, followed by a soft pop as air dispced. The light solidified into a transparent, faintly blue-tinged bubble surrounding them in a perfect sphere approximately six feet in diameter.

  "What just happened?" Elias asked, staring at the shimmering barrier now separating them from the rest of the vault, his court composure completely abandoned in genuine arm. "Is this... some form of forbidden art? I've never seen anything like this before. At Orlov's court, anything unusual is bmed on forbidden human practices and destroyed immediately."

  "It appears to have generated some kind of containment field," Maximilian stated, studying the transparent barrier with schorly interest that completely belied the fact they were trapped inside an inexplicable energy bubble. "It's never done this before in my previous examinations. And it's not forbidden arts—it's simply advanced craftsmanship we don't fully understand yet."

  Elias tentatively reached toward the barrier, stopping just short of touching it. "Is this... dangerous?"

  "I don't believe so. My previous examinations suggested it's not harmful," Maximilian replied, his analytical mind apparently unaffected by their predicament. "Though I'm uncertain how long this effect might st."

  "You don't know how long?" Elias repeated, turning to face Maximilian with remarkable composure given the circumstances. "So we don't know how long we'll be trapped in here."

  "That's correct," Maximilian confirmed, adjusting his gsses. "Though 'trapped' implies danger. 'Contained' might be more accurate."

  "Semantics aside, Your Grace," Elias said with a hint of dry humor, "we appear to be stuck inside a six-foot bubble together. Which, I can't help but notice, is significantly smaller than your preferred three-foot safety distance."

  Maximilian froze mid-adjustment of his gsses, suddenly realizing the mathematical impossibility of maintaining his carefully calcuted personal space within their spherical prison. His eyes darted around the confined space with the panicked calcution of someone trying to divide by zero.

  "There's a spatial limitation here... the proximity is unavoidable," he muttered, more to himself than to Elias, his hands fidgeting with his gsses. "It's a temporary condition. We'll need external assistance to resolve it."

  "So we need someone to come help us," Elias transted, remarkably calm for someone trapped in a mysterious energy field. "How long before someone checks on us?"

  "The staff has strict instructions not to interrupt vault sessions," he expined, his brow furrowing. "It's for privacy and research concentration." He paused, mentally calcuting. "Morris will investigate if we fail to appear for the scheduled dawn security lockdown. That's approximately..." he gnced at his watch, "five hours and twenty-seven minutes from now."

  "Five and a half hours," Elias echoed, looking around their confined space with resignation. "Well, at least we're not in any immediate danger. What properties have you observed about this barrier?"

  "Based on my observations, it appears permeable to certain elements but prevents rger objects from passing through," Maximilian expined. "It's primarily a containment field rather than a destructive one."

  "How convenient," Elias observed with remarkable dryness for someone in their situation.

  An awkward silence fell as Maximilian visibly struggled with their forced proximity. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to maintain maximum distance, but the mathematical reality of a six-foot sphere made his three-foot requirement impossible. He looked like a cat trying to avoid water droplets in a shower.

  Elias, taking pity on his discomfort, carefully sat cross-legged on the floor, reducing his height and giving Maximilian at least the illusion of more space. After a moment's hesitation that involved what appeared to be complex geometrical calcutions, the Duke followed suit, arranging himself on the opposite side with the strange device glowing softly between them.

  "Is there any way to deactivate it from inside?" Elias asked, nodding toward the object.

  "I don't know. It's never activated like this before," Maximilian replied, studying the device as if they were in a scheduled research session rather than trapped in an inexplicable energy bubble. "There could be multiple variables affecting it."

  "Such as?"

  "The handling conditions. The environment. Perhaps even the presence of two people instead of one."

  "You mean it responds to having people nearby?" Elias asked, raising an eyebrow. "Like it wanted to trap us together?" He immediately looked embarrassed at his own suggestion. "Forgive me, that sounds ridiculous."

  "Assigning intentions to objects is generally inaccurate," Maximilian corrected, though less harshly than usual. "But it does seem to react to proximity in unpredictable ways."

  Another silence fell, less awkward than the first but still charged with their unusual situation. Maximilian kept gncing at the barrier and back to Elias, his eyes narrowing in what appeared to be complex calcutions.

  "You won't be able to maintain three feet of distance no matter how you calcute it," Elias observed after watching this process for several minutes. "Not even vampire nobility can command geometry to change its rules."

  Maximilian blinked in surprise. "You understand geometry?"

  "I understand the basics," Elias crified with a small shrug. "Being a 'defective ornament' doesn't mean I have no mind at all. I've picked up bits of knowledge when I could, though Orlov's court discouraged it. What use does a fwed vampire have for education, after all?" The bitterness in his voice was barely perceptible but unmistakably there.

  "Self-taught?"

  "When possible," Elias confirmed. "Books were rare in Orlov's court, and I wasn't supposed to touch them. The nobles said it was a waste to educate someone who would never be a proper vampire. But night staff sometimes left documents unattended." He smiled slightly. "Nothing as fascinating as your collection, though."

  Maximilian studied him with new interest. "You sought knowledge despite active discouragement? That shows remarkable determination."

  "Is that so surprising?"

  "In Orlov's court? Yes," Maximilian replied with unusual directness. "They clearly miscssified you entirely. Your mind has significant capacity that they've wasted through improper categorization."

  Elias ughed softly, the sound warming their confined space. "That might be the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me, even if it was phrased as a resource assessment."

  Maximilian adjusted his gsses, his fingers nearly poking himself in the eye. Another silence fell, but this one felt different – contemptive rather than awkward.

  "May I ask you something, Your Grace?" Elias said after several minutes had passed.

  "Of course," Maximilian replied, the formal stiffness in his voice slightly reduced.

  "Why do you maintain exactly three feet of distance from me at all times?" The question was asked without judgment, simple curiosity in his tone. "Is it some aristocratic protocol I've failed to learn?"

  Maximilian blinked, clearly taken aback by the directness of the question. "No, it's not standard protocol," he admitted after a pause. "It's a personal parameter I set."

  "A personal parameter," Elias repeated. "A rule you've set for yourself?"

  "Yes." Maximilian adjusted his gsses again, buying time. "I calcuted what seemed optimal for social interaction."

  "You calcuted the optimal distance for social interaction?" Elias asked, unable to keep a hint of amusement from his voice.

  "I considered multiple factors," Maximilian expined with complete seriousness. "Personal space requirements, conversation acoustics, optimal visibility for reading body nguage, sustainable eye contact duration..." He paused, looking slightly embarrassed. "Three feet seems to be the optimal distance—close enough for clear communication, but far enough to maintain my... comfort."

  "Whose comfort?" Elias asked perceptively. "Yours or mine?"

  Maximilian hesitated, caught by the precision of the question. "Mine," he admitted finally. "I find social interaction... challenging. Distance helps."

  "I see," Elias said softly, and remarkably, there was no mockery in his tone, only understanding. "Thank you for expining."

  Maximilian looked up, clearly surprised by this response. "You're not... amused? Most find my social parameters strange."

  "I spent decades being forced to stand in precisely the correct decorative position for hours while being ignored," Elias replied with a small shrug. "When you're treated as a defective ornament, you learn to appreciate why others might need their own protective measures. I'm hardly going to judge someone else's coping methods."

  Something shifted in Maximilian's expression – a subtle rexation, as if a defensive tension he carried constantly had momentarily eased. "That's a very logical perspective," he said with genuine appreciation.

  Another silence fell, but this one was almost comfortable – two people reassessing their understanding of each other in the unusual intimacy forced upon them by the containment field.

  "May I ask you something in return?" Maximilian asked after several minutes.

  "Of course, Your Grace."

  "Why do you need food?" The question came with schorly curiosity rather than disgust. "I've noticed the staff brings you meals. Most vampires subsist entirely on blood."

  Elias's expression shifted subtly, decades of practiced self-deprecation visible before his court mask reasserted itself. "No one knows for certain. Orlov's physicians examined me for years before giving up. Some theorized my transformation was incomplete, others suggested a mutation." He shrugged slightly. "They eventually stopped trying to understand it and simply cssified it as a defect. A shameful reminder that I'm not a real vampire."

  "It's not a defect. It's a variation," Maximilian corrected firmly. "A physiological distinction requiring adaptation."

  "That's a remarkably kind way to view it," Elias said, genuine surprise in his voice.

  "It's a scientific perspective. An accurate cssification," Maximilian insisted. "Biological variations occur naturally in complex systems. It's simply a characteristic requiring accommodation, not a fw deserving ostracism."

  Elias stared at him for a moment, then ughed softly. "You realize you're quite possibly the first person who's ever seen it that way? At Orlov's court, they made it very clear that needing human food made me less than a true vampire. They only tolerated me because..." he gestured vaguely at his face, "I was pretty enough to be useful as a decoration during important functions."

  "Then others have made an error in perspective. It's not a deficiency in you," Maximilian replied with unexpected firmness. "Their cssification methodology is fundamentally fwed."

  For a brief moment, something in Elias's carefully maintained expression cracked – a glimpse of genuine emotion beneath the practiced court mask – before he composed himself again. "Thank you, Your Grace," he said simply.

  Maximilian nodded, clearly unsure how to respond to the emotion beneath the words. After a moment, he shifted topics with characteristic abruptness. "Your observations yesterday about Baron Cassian and Nara were quite perceptive. You noticed details most others missed."

  "Standing in corners being ignored has advantages," Elias replied, accepting the conversational shift. "When you're treated as decorative furniture, you learn to watch people when they don't think anyone important is looking."

  "You saw that Cassian treats Nara differently than typical 'pet' arrangements."

  "It was obvious they're partners, not owner and pet," Elias confirmed. "The way he listened when she spoke, how they communicated with gnces." He paused, then added perceptively, "The way they maintained exactly the right distance in public while clearly preferring to be closer."

  Maximilian looked up sharply at this observation. "You notice physical proximity patterns?"

  "I notice everything about how people interact," Elias said with a small smile. "It's a survival mechanism when you're treated as an ornament. Body nguage often reveals what words conceal."

  "That's a remarkable observational skill," Maximilian noted with genuine respect.

  "It has its uses," Elias agreed. "Though most in Orlov's court assumed I was too pretty and fwed to have a functioning brain."

  "Their error. Your advantage," Maximilian observed, studying Elias with unusual directness. "Strategic intelligence. Observational acuity. Adaptability. Those are essential survival traits."

  "You make me sound like a successful experimental subject," Elias said with a hint of amusement.

  "That's an inaccurate comparison," Maximilian replied seriously. "Experimental subjects are passive. You've actively adapted. You've developed skills despite a restrictive environment. That's an impressive achievement."

  "Thank you, Your Grace," Elias said with genuine warmth. "Coming from someone with your intellectual capabilities, that's quite a compliment."

  Maximilian adjusted his gsses, a faint color rising to his pale cheeks. A moment ter, he changed the subject again. "The artifact," he said, nodding toward the object still glowing between them. "It seems to be responding to our presence in an unexpected way."

  "Our presence?" Elias repeated with a hint of mischief. "You think it's trying to force a connection between us?"

  "Attributing romantic intentions to objects is highly inaccurate," Maximilian protested, though his usual confidence seemed slightly diminished as a faint pink tinge appeared on his cheeks. "My previous observations merely suggest it responds to individuals in proximity. Some sort of... connection establishment might be possible."

  "So it might deactivate once it decides we've connected sufficiently," Elias summarized with a slight smile. "How convenient for two people trapped together."

  "That's a corretion observation, not confirmation of causation," Maximilian crified, though he didn't actually dispute the conclusion.

  "Well then," Elias said, settling more comfortably on the floor of their containment bubble, "what shall we talk about for the next few hours, Your Grace? I'm quite certain you have more interesting conversation topics than anyone in Orlov's court—though that's admittedly a very low standard to exceed."

  And remarkably, Maximilian found himself responding to the genuine interest in Elias's eyes. "I could expin Egyptian religious beliefs? Or perhaps the basics of hieroglyphic transtion? There are fascinating connections between ancient customs and modern vampire tradition."

  "Any of those sound fascinating," Elias replied with what appeared to be genuine enthusiasm. "I particurly enjoyed your expnation of the funerary masks earlier. I had no idea humans had such complex afterlife beliefs."

  Maximilian's eyes lit up with enthusiasm, his social discomfort momentarily forgotten. "Their theology was remarkably sophisticated! They had multiple afterlife concepts and eborate judgment rituals!"

  As he unched into a detailed expnation of ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, the tension in his posture gradually eased. The containment field continued to shimmer around them, but neither was paying it much attention anymore – both focused on the unexpected connection forming between them instead.

  Hours ter, when Morris finally arrived to investigate their absence, he found them deep in animated conversation – Maximilian gesturing energetically as he expined hieroglyphic symbols, Elias asking questions that revealed surprising insight despite his limited education, both seemingly unconcerned by their forced proximity. The containment field had vanished, though neither had noticed precisely when it had deactivated.

  "Your Grace," Morris announced from the vault entrance, his expression impressively neutral despite the unusual scene before him. "Dawn approaches. Security protocols require your attention."

  Maximilian looked up, blinking as if emerging from a trance. "Morris. Yes. Dawn protocols." He adjusted his gsses, suddenly aware that he and Elias had been sitting cross-legged on the vault floor for hours, talking like... well, not friends exactly, but certainly not like a Duke and his defective ornament. "I seem to have lost track of time," he admitted, looking slightly bewildered. "The conversation was... unexpectedly efficient."

  "Indeed, Your Grace," Morris replied, his tone revealing nothing of his thoughts on finding his master sitting on the floor in animated discussion with his consort. "Lord Elias, sunrise is approaching. Your secure chambers have been prepared."

  "Thank you, Morris," Elias said, rising gracefully to his feet and offering a hand to Maximilian without thinking.

  There was a moment of hesitation before Maximilian actually accepted the offered assistance, allowing Elias to help him up – a momentary physical contact that would have been unthinkable hours earlier. If Morris noticed this unprecedented development, his perfectly maintained professional expression revealed nothing, though his eyebrow might have risen a microscopic fraction.

  As they left the vault, Maximilian carefully secured the doors, the strange device now back in its dispy case with no sign of its earlier activation. The walk back through the estate was conducted mostly in silence, but it was a comfortable quiet rather than an awkward one.

  At the junction where they would separate for their respective chambers, Maximilian paused, adjusting his gsses with uncharacteristic uncertainty. "I found the vault tour quite... educational," he said hesitantly. "A productive exchange, I believe."

  "I enjoyed it immensely, Your Grace," Elias replied with a smile that seemed more genuine than his usual court expression. "Perhaps we could continue our discussion tomorrow evening? I found your expnation of hieroglyphic development fascinating."

  "Continuation would be... yes, I think that would be advisable," Maximilian agreed, nodding several times. "There are many topics we've only touched upon. Further educational opportunities abound."

  "Good night then, Your Grace," Elias said with a small bow. "Or good day, rather, since sunrise approaches."

  "Good day, Lord Elias," Maximilian replied formally.

  As they parted ways, Maximilian realized with a start that he was standing less than two feet from Elias – well within his carefully calcuted safety zone – and remarkably, he hadn't even noticed until that moment. The realization should have triggered immediate discomfort, but somehow, it didn't seem to activate his usual anxieties.

  A most unexpected development. One that would require careful analysis during his daytime rest. Though perhaps not too careful – some things, he was beginning to suspect, might defy his precise categorization.

  The artifact in the vault continued to glow softly in its case, its purpose still rgely unknown but its effect on the Duke and his consort unmistakable. Whatever had happened during those hours of containment, something had fundamentally shifted between them – a connection established that neither had anticipated but both were beginning to welcome.

  As Elias settled into his daytime chamber, he smiled to himself in the darkness. The stuffy, awkward Duke was proving far more interesting than Orlov's court had led him to believe. Behind that precise exterior was a brilliant mind and, more surprisingly, a fundamental kindness that was entirely unexpected.

  For the first time since his arrival, Elias found himself questioning whether reporting everything he had seen would truly serve his own interests. The vault's treasures were more than just intelligence to be gathered - they represented knowledge he had been denied his entire life. And Maximilian seemed genuinely willing to share that knowledge, to treat him as an intellectual equal rather than defective ornamental furniture.

  He wasn't even sure what he was supposed to be looking for in this "progressive" territory. Orlov's representatives had mentioned "preserved technology" with disgust, but Elias had no clear idea what technology even looked like beyond the basic mechanical devices allowed in the most traditional vampire courts. The Egyptian artifacts were fascinating, but hardly seemed threatening to vampire society.

  The mysterious artifact that had trapped them, however... that might be worth mentioning. Or perhaps not. He still didn't understand what it was or why it mattered.

  As dawn approached, Elias made a calcuted decision: he would be selective in what he reported back to Orlov. The confirmation of preserved human artifacts was unavoidable - that was his primary mission, after all. But the specific contents of the vault, particurly the mysterious artifact, might be better kept to himself for now.

  After all, knowledge was power - and for the first time in his life, Elias had access to both. A political pawn was only valuable as long as they remained on the board, he reasoned. And his position on Duke Maximilian's side of the board was quickly becoming more interesting than he could have anticipated.