I, the slave boy, awaken with the most potent seed!!

The tinkling of the shop's bell was drowned out by a single word that cut through the air like a knife.

"Zafron?"

Mara and Zafron froze, their hearts pounding in their chests. Slowly, they turned to face the source of the voice. Lady Cordelia Fairfax stood there, her eyes wide with surprise and recognition.

She was walking towards Lydia to ask about a clothing item when she recognized that gait.

Wasn't this Matilda's slaveboy, Zafron? The one said to be missing?

Hang on, wasn't that Mara, Matilda's maid as well? Also said to be missing?!

"It is you!" Cordelia exclaimed, rushing towards them. "And Mara too! What in the world are you both doing here in Drakoria?"

Zafron's mind raced. 'Of all the rotten luck,' he thought, desperately searching for a plausible explanation.

"Lady Fairfax," he managed, forcing a smile. "What a... surprise to see you here."

Mara, her face a mask of politeness, was seething internally. 'You treacherous snake,' she thought, eyeing Cordelia. 'How dare you act so friendly after what you've done?'

Cordelia, oblivious to their inner turmoil, pressed on. "I can't believe it! You both disappeared so suddenly from Astoria. What happened? We were all so worried!"

Zafron and Mara exchanged a quick glance. Was she truly unaware of the events that had transpired, or was this an elaborate act?

"We could ask you the same, Lady Fairfax," Mara said, deflecting. "What brings you to Drakoria?"

Cordelia smiled, seemingly pleased to share. "Oh, there's a trade fest this week. I'm here representing the High August Council women, making purchases on their behalf. You know how it is since..." She paused, her smile faltering slightly. "Well, since Matilda disappeared."

At the mention of Matilda, both Zafron and Mara tensed visibly. Cordelia noticed, her brow furrowing in confusion. 'Why do they look like they've seen a ghost?' she wondered.

"Speaking of which," Cordelia continued, her voice taking on a concerned tone, "how is your mistress? Is she here with you?"

Zafron felt sweat beading on his forehead. 'Damn it all,' he thought. 'If we say yes, we risk Lord Blackthorn finding out. If we say no...'

After a moment of hesitation, Zafron replied, "No... she isn't here."

A frown appeared on Cordelia's face. "Oh? But where is she then? Matilda was... is my closest friend. We've all been so worried about her disappearance."

Before either Zafron or Mara could formulate a response, a new voice joined the conversation.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Malachi Vex sauntered up to the group, a sly smile playing on his lips. He slipped an arm around Cordelia's waist, pulling her close. "Do you know these people, my dear?" he whispered, loud enough for all to hear.

Cordelia flushed, gently but firmly removing Malachi's arm. She seemed slightly flustered by his little gesture. The act however did not go unnoticed by either Mara or Zafron. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," she replied, her voice tight.

Malachi's smile widened. "Is that so? What a delightful coincidence. I believe I've seen them before as well, in the company of Lord Blackthorn's wife from Astoria. Matilda, wasn't it?"

Zafron felt the blood drain from his face. 'Bloody hell,' he thought. 'This pompous, womanizing bastard is going to ruin everything.'

Mara, sensing the growing tension, attempted to salvage the situation. "Mr. Vex, it's... pleasant to see you again. Yes, we did meet briefly at that festival some time ago."

Malachi's eyes glittered with interest. "Indeed we did. Yet, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you just say that your mistress wasn't here? Curious, isn't it?"

Cordelia looked between Malachi and the pair, confusion evident on her face. "I don't understand. Why would you lie about Matilda's whereabouts?"

Zafron cleared his throat. "It's... complicated, Lady Fairfax. We didn't mean to mislead you. It's just that... well, given the circumstances of our departure from Astoria..."

He trailed off, unsure how to continue without revealing too much. Mara jumped in, her voice steady despite her inner turmoil.

"What? Did we say she wasn't here?!" Mara said, facepalming herself with a forced laugh. "I think what Zafron and I meant to say is that she's here and well, my lady,"

Cordelia's frown deepened. "I'm quite sure I heard you both right. But either ways, you two look out of breath. Is everything okay? Is she in some kind of danger?"

'You should know,' Mara thought bitterly. 'You're the one who conspired against her with Lord Blackthorn.'

Aloud, she said, "It's not our place to say, Lady Fairfax. But surely you can understand our caution, given our position... the delicate nature of the situation."

Malachi, who had been watching the exchange with keen interest, spoke up. "Delicate indeed. It seems there's quite a tale here. Perhaps we should all sit down somewhere more private and discuss this further?"

Zafron tensed. 'Not a chance, you smug bastard,' he thought. 'I'd sooner jump into a pit of vipers.'

"That's very kind of you, Mr. Vex," he said aloud, "but I'm afraid we have pressing engagements we simply can't miss."

Cordelia reached out, placing a hand on Mara's arm. "Please, if Matilda is in trouble, I want to help. She's my dearest friend. Whatever's happened, whatever's going on, you can trust me."

Mara fought the urge to recoil from Cordelia's touch. 'Trust you?' she thought. 'After what I saw? Never.'

The air was thick with tension, unspoken accusations, and hidden agendas. Zafron and Mara found themselves caught in a web of lies and half-truths, unsure how to extricate themselves without risking exposure.

Malachi's calculating gaze swept over them, clearly sensing there was more to the story. Cordelia's face was a mask of concern and confusion, her eyes pleading for answers.

Zafron took a deep breath, his mind racing to find a way out of this predicament. "Lady Fairfax, Mr. Vex, we appreciate your concern, truly. But as I said, we have commitments we must attend to,"

Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how might I contact when I want to you know...meet up for this... future meeting?"

'Damn you and your persistence,' Zafron thought. Aloud, he said, "We'll... we'll be in touch. Through the proper channels, of course."

Cordelia opened her mouth to protest, but Mara cut in smoothly. "We really must be going now. It was... unexpected to see you both. Good day."

With that, Zafron and Mara turned, walking as quickly as they could without appearing to flee. As they exited the shop, the cool air hit their faces, quite contrary to the stifling atmosphere they'd just left behind.

Once outside, Mara whispered urgently, "We need to warn Matilda. If Cordelia's here, who knows who else might show up?"

Zafron nodded grimly. "Agreed. And we need to figure out what game Cordelia's playing. Is she truly ignorant of what happened, or is this all an elaborate act?"

Back in the shop, Cordelia turned to Malachi, her face a mixture of worry and frustration. "Something's not right. Those two are Matilda's aide. Zafron acting strange to me is understandable but Mara...her behavior quite honestly bothers me. I may be wrong but it feels like they are hiding Matilda from me. Yes, they're hiding something about Matilda."

Malachi's lips curled into a small smile. "Indeed, my dear. It seems we've stumbled upon quite the mystery. One that I intend to unravel, piece by intriguing piece."

"But how, sugar? Now we've lost them. You should have let me go after them at least," she said.

Malachi took her hands, squeezing it and this time, she didn't react as she did when Zafron and Mara were in front of her, "I'm Malachi Vex. Is there anyone that enters and leaves my city without my knowing?"