his expression immediately froze. ‘But what could he possibly want?’ he asked himself quietly.
‘What should I say in reply to his request?’ The heavily armoured man shifted uneasily, as if he felt far more at ease in the training arena than in the crowded halls of the Palace of Light.
‘Yes, yes…’ Bleist turned to his subordinate. ‘Let them show him in.’
The Guard nodded and disappeared through the door. Earl, weary from constantly mulling over everything that had been happening around him of late, decided not to dwell on a matter that would sort itself out. Darius used the moment it took the historian to reach the study to prepare something to offer his guest, however modestly. By the time the door opened again, a delicate scent of tea and dried fruit was already wafting through the room.
‘Thank you for deciding to spare your valuable time for this old man.’ The count bowed, placing both hands upon his chest. There was but one change in his appearance: resting on his shoulders was a silver chain, resembling an order’s chain, ending in a coat of arms featuring three towers. For this reason, he now looked more like an official than a historian immersed in his own research.
‘I could not refuse a meeting with such a distinguished person.’ Darius smiled as he saw the corner of As’s mouth twitch. ‘Please take a seat.’
They sat down on opposite sides of the table, and Bleist silently poured the infusion he’d prepared earlier.
‘I hope you’ll find it to your taste.’
‘Certainly.’ The man reached for the cup but did not lift it. ‘You’re wondering why I’ve turned up today.’
‘I won’t hide the fact that I’m not interested.’ Earl would have been delighted if this had been a social visit, but he’d held his post long enough to know that such visits were extremely rare, or to be more precise, they never happened. And certainly not in the Palace of Light.
‘Since our last meeting, I’ve been thinking constantly about Nikos of Itea. I’d thought that my old obsession
