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

Brutus, the bulkier of the two, scoffed. "Oh, shut it, you idiot. That necklace would\'ve fetched a pretty penny if you hadn\'t tripped over your own feet."

"My feet? It was your big behind that knocked over that fruit stand! Did your numb head bother to think why that monkey came for me lamb meat?!"

They continued bickering as they ambled down the street, their shabby clothes and unkempt appearance drawing wary glances from passersby.

"And now we\'re supposed to go thank some posh tosser for getting us out?" Ratface whined. "I haven\'t kissed anyone\'s backside since we left Drakoria and now we back and it\'s back to the same bloody old livin.."

Brutus nodded glumly. "Aye, those were the days. Ruling the streets, we were. Now look at us, haven\'t had a proper meal in days."

"All because of that Gustavo bloke," Ratface spat. "Sending us on a wild goose chase to find this Malachi fellow. What kind of name is that anyway? Malachi. Sounds like a bloody fruit."

As they neared the end of the street, Brutus suddenly grabbed Ratface\'s arm. "Oi, hold up. Aren\'t those two we saw with our target? The bird with the bounty on her head?"

Ratface squinted, following Brutus\'s gaze to where Zafron and Mara were climbing into a cart. "Yeah, that\'s them alright. But where\'s the other one? Matilda or whatever her name was?"

"Dunno," Brutus shrugged. "But look there, that fancy cart outside the shop. Bet that\'s Malachi\'s."

Just then, Malachi and Cordelia emerged from The Golden Thread. Ratface\'s eyes widened. "Blimey, is that who I think it is?"

The two thugs ducked into a nearby alley, peering around the corner.

"That\'s Lord Fairfax\'s missus, isn\'t it?" Brutus whispered. "What\'s she doing with this Malachi bloke?"

They watched as Malachi and Cordelia boarded the ornate cart and set off down the street.

Ratface scratched his chin thoughtfully. "You thinking what I\'m thinking, Brutus?"

"That we should follow those two we saw with the target and see where they lead us?" Brutus grinned.

"Nah, you numbskull. I was thinking we should nick that shiny thing on the back of Malachi\'s cart."

Brutus cuffed Ratface on the back of the head. "Focus, you daft git. If we find Matilda through whoever those two are, we get paid. Then you can nick all the shiny things you want."

Ratface rubbed his head, grumbling. "Fine, fine. But how are we gonna follow them? We aren\'t exactly inconspicuous, are we?"

Brutus looked around, his eyes landing on a pair of cloaks hanging from a nearby vendor\'s stall. "I\'ve got an idea. Follow me, and try not to look like you\'re about to nick something."

"But I am about to nick something," Ratface protested as Brutus dragged him towards the stall.

A few minutes later, poorly disguised in ill-fitting cloaks, the two set off after Zafron and Mara\'s cart.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Ratface asked, tripping over his too-long cloak. "What if it\'s a trap?"

Brutus sighed. "Look, you want to eat tonight or not? We find Matilda, we get paid. Simple as that."

"Yeah, but what if—"

"No more \'what ifs,\' you coward. We\'re doing this. Now shut your gob and keep running and pray we find a cart. I can\'t bloody keep up with that thing!"

********

The next day, in the afternoon, after Zafron had long left for work, a sharp knock echoed through the modest dwelling, startling Mara from her thoughts. She approached the door cautiously, her heart racing as she peered through the peephole. Her eyes widened in shock.

There, standing on their doorstep with an air of casual elegance, was Malachi Vex. Mara\'s mind raced. \'How did he find us? Wait... the invitation he sent Matilda. Of course, he\'d know where we live.\'

But it wasn\'t Malachi\'s presence alone that sent a chill down her spine. Behind him stood Lady Cordelia Fairfax, her face a mask of concern and curiosity.

Before Mara could decide how to react, Matilda\'s voice called out from inside. "Who is it, Mara?"

Cordelia\'s eyes lit up at the sound. "It\'s me, Matilda! Cordelia!"

Mara hesitated, her hand on the doorknob. \'After everything I told Matilda about my suspicions, she\'s still going to let them in?\'

But Matilda was already making her way to the door. "Let them in, Mara," she said, her voice calm but with an undercurrent of... something Mara couldn\'t quite place.

As the door swung open, Cordelia rushed forward, enveloping Matilda in a tight embrace. Matilda returned the hug, though Mara noticed a slight stiffness in her posture.

"Oh, Matilda! I\'ve been so worried!" Cordelia exclaimed, pulling back to look at her friend.

Malachi stepped in, his eyes roaming over the modest interior. "My, my, quite the... cozy little place you have here."

Matilda\'s smile tightened almost imperceptibly. "It suits us just fine, Mr. Vex."

Mara cleared her throat. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

Cordelia waved off the offer. "No, no, thank you. I\'m just so relieved to see you, Matilda."

As they settled into the small living area, Mara retreated to the kitchen, close enough to hear but giving them a semblance of privacy. The dynamics between her, Matilda and zafron had changed drastically since their days in Astoria, but Cordelia didn\'t need to know that.

"I ran into Mara and Zafron yesterday," Cordelia began, her words tumbling out in a rush. "I practically had to drag Malachi here to bring me. Matilda, we\'ve all been so worried. Your husband—"

At the mention of Lord Blackthorn, Matilda\'s posture stiffened slightly, but her face remained impassive.

Cordelia continued, oblivious to the tension. "He\'s been beside himself with worry. He\'s come to our house countless times, asking if we\'ve heard from you."

Matilda listened, a small smile playing on her lips that didn\'t quite reach her eyes. \'If only you knew, Cordelia,\' she thought. \'If only you knew.\'

Malachi, seeming bored with the emotional reunion, interjected. "I must say, Lady Matilda, a woman of your noble status shouldn\'t be residing in such... modest accommodations. Surely there are more suitable—"

"I assure you, Mr. Vex," Matilda cut him off, her voice laced with barely restrained anger, "I am quite content with my current living situation."

Malachi raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, leaning back in his chair with a smirk.

Cordelia, sensing the tension, quickly changed the subject. "Matilda, darling, won\'t you come back to Astoria? Everyone misses you terribly."

Matilda\'s smile remained fixed in place. "I appreciate your concern, Cordelia. Truly. But my place is here now."

From her vantage point in the kitchen, Mara watched the exchange with growing unease. \'Something\'s not right,\' she thought. \'Cordelia seems genuinely worried, but after what I saw...\'

The conversation continued, a strange dance of half-truths and veiled emotions. Matilda remained polite but reserved, revealing nothing of substance about her reasons for leaving or her life in Drakoria. Cordelia grew increasingly frustrated with her friend\'s evasiveness, while Malachi observed with an air of detached amusement.

Finally, Cordelia stood, smoothing down her dress. "Matilda, could we speak privately for a moment?"

Matilda nodded, leading Cordelia to the small kitchen area. Mara reluctantly moved further away, straining to hear their hushed conversation.

Cordelia\'s voice was low, urgent. "Matilda, there\'s something you need to know. The real reason I came to find you..."

Matilda\'s brow furrowed. "What is it, Cordelia?"

Cordelia took a deep breath, her eyes darting around as if checking for eavesdroppers. "It\'s your husband. He... he found out."

The color drained from Matilda\'s face. "Found out what?"