The next few days passed in a blur as they packed up everything they would need for the three day journey. They didn't expect to stay more than a few days in Hillbranch as Alexis wasn't sure how long they could all keep up a calm facade when faced with the many atrocities the family committed on a daily basis. This was more the first foray into enemy territory to ascertain if there may be something worth saving or if the next time they visited it would be with an army.
The day of departure finally dawned and as the sun began to crest the horizon, Alexis stared out at the Cerulean Sea from his balcony. The sun rose behind him as his window faced west, but he liked watching the first rays hit the water once it rose over the rooftop. He loved the sea and found himself mourning the loss of it before he'd even left. He didn't remember much of his childhood prior to Michael finding him, but the song of the ocean was in his blood and he knew he could never live anywhere he couldn't easily reach the sea.
The door behind him creaked open and judging by the heavy footfalls it was Simon who had come to fetch him. "Gods be, if you brood any harder, every available maiden in the city will fall pregnant," his friend said with a chuckle.
Alexis turned, pushing away from the balcony as he shot his bodyguard a grin. "Well then, seems this whole trip would be for naught should that happen. Guess I better save it for my new bride."
"Kiver would have kittens if you bedded any ol' lass after all we spent to plan this mission. Seems we should probably see it through." Another thought struck him. "Not to mention Liara would castrate you if we don't help Hillbranch after all the work she put in."
Grimacing, Alexis walked over to his clothes that had been laid out the night before. "I certainly don't want to be on the receiving end of Liara's wrath, so I suppose we had better get this show on the road. I take it everything is loaded in the carriage?" He pulled on his casual traveling clothes, an outfit that was primarily black with red trim throughout as a subtle nod to Blackridge's colors.
"Been ready for nearly an hour now. I think the only thing left is you," Simon replied. "And maybe whatever Chef has been making us for breakfast. I know Liara was waiting in the kitchen to get first choice of whatever it is."
Alexis let out a derisive snort. "I never expected that girl to become such a food connoisseur. Chef may have ruined her as a spy at this rate." Simon held the door for his friend, closing it as he left before heading for the stairs. He stopped when he realized Alexis was no longer beside him and he looked back to see the young man staring at the portrait of his father that hung on the landing.
"I will do it, Father. What we always planned. I promise." They stood there in silence for a few moments as if giving the words time to reach into the beyond. Finally, he turned and the two made their way to where the carriage waited for them.
Their transportation wasn't the only thing out front, Alexis discovered, as he exited the building to a roar of applause from nearly a hundred people who had gathered to see him off. He couldn't help but grin as he waved to his citizens, touched that so many had wanted to wish him farewell. He wouldn't be able to give each one a heartfelt goodbye, but he did his best to meet as many eyes as possible.
Odessa and Kiver were standing next to the carriage, ready to see him off as they would be staying behind to run things in his absence. Should any correspondence be needed, they'd communicate via the same crow and talisman that Liara had used on her trip and Kiver would have a contingent of their troops always at the ready should anything go horribly wrong.
Liara was nowhere to be seen, but Alexis had no doubt she was nearby. She was his backup bodyguard in some respects, staying in the shadows to watch things from a more outside perspective. He was debating calling his spies 'shadows' in the future thanks to the work she and Kiver had put into keeping such low profiles in their jobs. He very much doubted anyone thought his aged butler was a master spy and that was exactly how they wanted it.
He and Simon moved down the path, Alexis shaking hands as quickly as he could, until they reached their destination. The door was already open and as Simon stepped inside, Alexis shook Kiver's hand and kissed Odessa on the forehead. When he returned he would have a wife in tow, though that may not be the joyful occasion one would usually hope it to be. He knew they would be planning some celebration for his return and he only hoped it would not be foiled by the irrational behavior of whatever bride he took.
He was just stepping up into the carriage when a boy popped out from under it, a rectangular package in hand. Alexis recognized him as Big Jimmy, the son of a dock worker who had been dubbed 'Little Jimmy' in his youth. When his son had started following him to work, it had been necessary to differentiate between them and to the young boy's delight he was ironically given the title 'Big'.
"Ho there, you're about to get run over lad. I'm glad you came to see me off but you should be a bit more careful," Alexis said, helping the boy to stand before patting him on the head.
Big Jimmy ducked out from under the count's hand and held out the package as he tried to pretend he wasn't breathing hard. He'd clearly ran full speed to get here but at eleven didn't want to lose face by looking winded. "Got a–package–for ya," he said between measured breaths.
Alexis took the parcel and wagered it was a book underneath the wrappings. "Well thank you, but you didn't have to rush to get this to me before I left."
Big Jimmy shook his head. "The Cap'n said the lady mage paid to have this get to you before you left. Said it might be important."
Alexis was instantly intrigued. Said 'lady mage' could only have been his teacher who had gone south some years ago as she liked to travel and continue her own education as she instructed others. "Well then, I guess I should be thanking you for your troubles. They paying you down at the dock yet?"
"Not much," he said, "but I don't mind 'cause I can run off with my friends anytime I need too." Alexis reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver piece, handing it to the boy. Big Jimmy beamed and bowed after taking the coin.
"Go on, and if you see the Captain again, tell her thank you for me!" Alexis handed the book through the carriage window to Simon for safekeeping and climbed up to sit on top amongst the luggage. His people knew he liked to ride in the 'crow's nest' of the carriage and had left a spot open specifically for him to do so. Smiling, he settled himself in and gave the signal for the journey to begin.
He was quite curious as to what his teacher could have sent him, but he knew he had many hours ahead of him that he would need to fill. Here in town, as they went down the streets of Blackridge, he wanted to wave to his people and also keep a general eye out for anything that needed addressing. Michael had taught him that you didn't leave the people to take care of themselves in all endeavors. Day to day, of course, but as their leader he needed to watch over things with a critical eye and try to spot problems before they arose. Alexis didn't remember a lot of his childhood, but he remembered hungry, sleepless nights on the streets and he had vowed to never let anything like that happen to his people.
His convoy was small, fifteen men not counting Simon, Liara and himself. They were going to travel all day today and camp out tonight, but after that they planned to take shifts sleeping in the carriage so they could keep going through to Hillbranch. Alexis wanted to arrive a day early to initiate the first step in his plans to always keep Halstein guessing. It was a move that came with some risks, but if he wanted to push his own narrative during this trip he needed to keep Halstein from being able to plan things out. If the old man wanted him to take Helene and wouldn't even respond to other options then at least Alexis would have the pleasure of pissing him off.
Angering your foe and then trying to barter with him might seem counterproductive, but Alexis was also good at playing the fool who was overly apologetic. Showing up early and blaming himself, he would then offer a gift to seem generous. When it came time to try to convince Halstein to let him pick a bride rather than take the one offered, he hoped to insinuate that letting him choose might come with additional benefits in the long run. Halstein might hate House Lisaan, but he was greedy. He would always take an option that would get him more value. He may even be expecting such an argument and have his girls prepared to make Helene look like the best option as well. Alexis was certain he was smarter than Halstein by a long shot, but he didn't think the old man a complete fool either.
Once they were well outside the city, Alexis climbed down and entered the carriage, plopping down opposite his large friend. Simon looked even more impressive in size when crammed into a small enclosed space, even with his armor off. He was laying down on his seat, feet up on the ceiling as he attempted to doze, though his efforts were interrupted as Alexis slammed the door behind him.
"Oy, where's your manners? I thought you were a bandit," Simon complained.
"Why would a bandit break in here to get to you? One look at you through the window and they'd be running for the hills," Alexis said as he settled in and began unwrapping the book.
Simon grunted. "If they's smart, they'd try to kill me while I was sleepin'." He closed his eyes again, clearly done with the conversation.
Alexis said nothing, his attention now fully on the ancient book in his hands. He could feel magic emanating from it, even if it wasn't particularly strong. A spell to preserve it, most likely. Protect it from the general wear and tear of age. The outside binding was of a soft brown leather with no markings whatsoever. He carefully opened the cover and furrowed his brow at the title inside. It wasn't any language he was familiar with. A few of the letters looked like something he knew, but as many languages around the globe had related alphabets, that wasn't surprising. He reached up to his neck to find the talisman that would let Liara know he wanted to see her, but before he could pull it out she poked her head in through the window.
"You wanted to see me?"
Alexis was not easily startled, but Liara was one of the few people capable of doing it. He raised an eyebrow at her. "How did you know I was going to call you?"
Liara looked over at Simon and then back at him. "Cuz the only two people you have talismans for are me and him. He's already here so I figured you wanted me." She had clearly been watching him, but from where he couldn't fathom. He decided to let her have her secrets and he motioned for her to enter the carriage all the way.
"This language look familiar to you at all?' He may be more learned than Liara, but as she was from the south where it seemed likely his teacher had found it, she was likely the best person around to ask at the moment.
Liara looked at the title, frowning. "I don't know why I think this, but I feel like I've seen something like this recently. I don't know what it is though."
Alexis shrugged and flipped through a few pages. He noticed a few drawings and diagrams that made him think the book was about magic. Not surprising, really, since that would be the connection he and his former teacher had. By the time he'd reached the end he was certain this book must hold a great wealth of information, but as he couldn't read it, it was currently only worth a headache.
He spent the next couple of days going over his notes on Hillbranch, dozing erratically, playing cards with whoever was in the carriage and looking at the pictures in the book. When they finally reached the outskirts of Hillbranch he was both excited to finally be out of limbo and mentally exhausted from the anticipation. The exhaustion evaporated quickly, however, as he prepared to step into his next role.
They stopped at an inn so they could freshen up and change clothes. Alexis switched out his traveling gear for something a bit showier in nearly the opposite color scheme. He tied his hair up into a messy bun to keep it out of his face, but left a few strands still hanging down. He knew this made him look less wild than if his hair was fully down and more casual than his clothes to make him appear more approachable. The outfit said nobility, the hair said he was one of them.
They boarded the carriage and took it just inside the walls, but there they slowed and Alexis got out to walk the rest of the way. This would give Halstein a bit of time to adjust to their earlier arrival since he knew a messenger had been dispatched right after they spoke to the guards at the outer wall. More importantly this allowed Alexis to mingle with the people of Hillbranch, buying things to win over the men, kissing hands to win over the women and giving small gifts he'd brought to win over the children. He would be the talk of the town by the time he reached the manor. His soldiers had been hand picked as the most charming, patient and good-natured of his men. He wanted every citizen of Hillbranch that interacted with any one of his group to walk away with a good impression and by nightfall he expected his name to be uttered in each and every household.
They took their time, but eventually the road brought them to the Banselva estate where it sat nestled at the city's center. Halstein, like many nobles, protected themselves with their people. In Blackridge, the manor was on a hill to one side so if someone wanted to attack, they would go straight for the leader and his citizens could escape. Admittedly, a port town had to think about attacks more than one further inland, but Alexis still didn't like the concentric ring design.
A small group of guards met them as they arrived, seemingly there to greet them but with a slight air of distrust. Likely Halstein had seen to it that those in his house had heard only the worst rumors about Alexis, including the true one that he sought to take over Hillbranch. The older count's butler was the one there to welcome them, though the young man looked completely out of sorts and was practically quivering. His rigid stance showed he was doing his best to stay professional, but it was clear that something had him upset and Alexis would wager he'd gotten an earful of choice words upon telling his lord that their guest was early.
Smiling as gently as he could to try to put the young man at ease, Alexis submitted to the request to disarm himself before going inside. Simon was allowed to keep his sword, but Alexis made sure to remove all visible weapons as well as one hidden one as if to prove his good faith. It would be disrespectful for a lord to imply that one was unsafe in the home of another and traditionally the only weapon allowed would be a family heirloom, something more decorative than useful, but Alexis didn't bring one. He didn't disarm himself entirely, having six different blades hidden on him as well a couple of other useful items should he find himself in trouble. He didn't expect anything this early in the trip, but he made a point to always be prepared.
They proceeded inside, the nervous butler leading the way to the count's audience chamber where he entered first so he could announce their arrival. Alexis waited patiently, calming eyeing the decor and working hard to keep the easy-going smile on his face. He didn't want a single employee of House Banselva to think him anything other than a young fool here for fun more than business.
"Count Alexis of House Lisaan, My Lord," announced the butler, correctly pronouncing Lisaan with an 'S' sound. Alexis knew a few who either accidentally or on purpose gave it more of a 'Z' sound and he wondered if the young man had guessed or done his homework. Alexis strode confidently up to meet the count he would be matching wits with, Simon following a few steps behind. Simon stopped before Alexis did, putting a few paces between them as Alexis stopped closer to the large throne Halstein was seated upon. His wife Alissa sat beside him wearing an expensive blue dress, her hair down but with a few blue flowers in her hair.
"Count Halstein, please, forgive my lack of foresight and treading upon your hospitality so carelessly," apologized Alexis, directing his apology to the Count and then the Countess. "I had planned for a longer trip, but when I remembered the apparent beauty of your daughters, I must confess to having hurried my men as to not delay our meeting any further. Forgive my impudence," his words, well rehearsed, rolled off his tongue naturally, as if he meant his apology sincerely. Alexis had long mastered the art of believing the right part of one's own lies in order to make others believe in them too.
Halstein did his best to maintain a calm facade, years of practice making it feel easy to slip into his refined public persona. What he didn't realize was that his mask of benevolence was far from perfect, especially to one so skilled in observation as Alexis.
"No worries, dear boy, House Banselva welcomes you with open arms. We are more than capable of handling this minor inconvenience." He ran his gaze over the younger man, barely holding back a sneer. "I'll have my butler show you and your entourage to the rooms we've readied. As for dinner this evening, would you prefer to eat in your chambers? A rushed travel must have your men weary."
"I would not characterize my men as weary but I would very much appreciate having them taken care of; they did make the journey here with me quite uneventful," he thanked him, ignoring his other comments for the moment, letting others hear about his worry for his men first. "I won't intrude upon your hospitality any more than needed. I will, as you suggest, eat in my chambers, although if I may trouble you for one small favor," he said with a smile, looking around openly now as if taking in his surroundings. "I request someone of your family join me for my meal, as to help acquaint me with this lovely city, your esteemed family, and any customs you may have that I do not wish to offend through my ignorance," asked Alexis, that calm and confident smile still on his face, this time directing a small look at the Countess.
Alexis knew all the customs, knew everything there was to know about the town and about his family. This was more so he could get a better read on the Count, how keen his mind was, how deep his pride was. He didn't really care who the count sent, but expected it to be Helene, especially if they were planning to offer her up as his prospective bride. If for some reason they sent someone else, he had more than a few plans in mind of how to handle it, all of which furthered his goals.
Halstein looked genuinely surprised for a moment, his eyes flicking to his wife who happened to be smiling warmly at Alexis. Upon seeing his glare, she quickly bowed her head. Halstein returned his gaze to the young Count.
"Your wish is granted. I shall have one of my daughters accompany your dinner to your room. I hope you will find the food and the company to your liking." Alexis thanked him and turned to leave, following the butler out of the room.
They were shown to a beautiful suite with a view overlooking the front gardens, a room he almost thought might have been the one Liara mentioned she had snuck into. They had discussed that there was a good chance this room was used for higher ranking nobles, and it would seem those thoughts were correct. Alexis began walking around the room, noting that his luggage had been brought in already and he sat in one of the chairs near the fireplace in the sitting area while he waited for Simon to return from being shown to his quarters. As Alexis' bodyguard he should be in a nearby room so he could be to his master's side quickly in the event of an emergency. More paranoid nobles might insist their bodyguard sleep in their room with them, but Alexis was neither paranoid nor worried as he was more than capable of defending himself.
Simon finally rejoined him and once the door was closed and they were alone again, Alexis cast a spell to look for any magic in the room. He found none, though this didn't surprise him. He was more worried about non-magical ways they might listen into conversations being had in the room, but that was more what Liara was there for. She was tasked with checking all the surrounding rooms, even those above and below, to see if there were any possible ways someone could eavesdrop on them. Until they had her report on that he didn't want to talk about anything more than the most mundane of things.
Liara finally appeared at the window, letting herself into the room and announced that she didn't see anything they were currently using to listen in, but that it could be they hadn't set something up yet. Arriving a day early had added benefits when it came to things like this, although Alexis assumed that if they did have some method that they could use to listen through, it could probably be set up quickly and hidden just as fast.
"This may be one of our only chances to talk openly," Alexis said to the other two. "Tonight I'll dine with one of the daughters and see what information I can learn from her. Liara," he paused, not sure the best way to voice this. "Basically do whatever you want. I don't think I'll be in any danger and I doubt you want to listen in." Alexis had every intention of bedding whomever came to his room if she seemed open to the idea. Some of his less conventional training, that his father didn't even know about, had been at the hands of a prostitute. She had shown a curious teen that it was far more interesting to pleasure the woman than himself. She had put forth a very convincing argument that if you worshiped a woman's body, she would much more easily worship you in return. Alexis had spent his last few years perfecting his craft through his promiscuity and now he hoped to put it to good use. "Liara, if you want you can stop by afterwards, but otherwise I'll talk to you in the morning."
Liara stood, sniffing loudly. "Be sure to wash yourself afterwards, wouldn't want to pick up something from the dirty cunt." She moved to the window and disappeared, Simon chuckling at her parting words.
"Ya gotta admit," the big man said. "Little lass has a way with words."