Compared to his family's estate, the apartment was cramped. Enzo's pacing took only a few steps to cross the small study, window to door. But it afforded him the privacy to do the work that was slowly -maddeningly slowly- pulling his family back out of the rut his cousin had left them in. His staff here was small, just his valet Otho, a housekeeper, and a cook. All the better to keep his goings on quiet. His investment in the Blind Eye, while legitimate, would be distasteful to his father. Hadrian was a patron of the arts and the only business he bothered with was trade. That had suffered quite a lot when the barrier was up, but now, his focus was on restoring contracts and shipping lines when he wasn't in the senate. Vote or not, Hadrian would not see the Pavus seat empty.
But it was his other enterprise that Enzo wished to keep secret form his father the most. The Eyes were necessary, but not something his family approved of in the least. Being an informant for them had helped Enzo keep his family from complete ruin. The cost was to lie to his parents. That had pained him, for some time, but the sting had dulled of late. If it weren't for Mal, Enzo might not have bothered at all. But his friend's position within the Eyes was something of a reassurance.
Until today. Enzo had been happy to pass on the gossip he heard. Envy relished in the idea that those who publicly snubbed him would get a nighttime visit regarding their less than patriotic musings. They deserved what they got. But today, Enzo was to do more than passively observe. He was to act. He'd never been assigned such a job before. It wasn't that this was outside of his skill set, necessarily, just that he hadn't done anything of the like since his military days.
At the window, Enzo saw Tiberius' carriage pull up. Tiberius was dressed finely, as always. Enzo glanced down at his own clothing. Simple black trousers, dark green vest with yellow vines winding all about it. Shirtsleeves rolled to his elbows. His hair was likely a mess. Sighing, he watched his friend step from the carriage and touch the dragon at the steps. Enzo smiled, then quickly clenched his jaw. He shouldn't have asked Tiberius to come. He was putting his friend in danger. But Tiberius had knocked and Otho had let him in. In a moment, the study door had opened.
"Thank you Otho." Enzo said quickly, moving to close the door behind Tiberius.
"Tea, my Lord?" Otho asked, the surprise at being so quickly dismissed just evident on his face.
"No. But have Sua and Rei saddled and ready please." Closing the door, Enzo put a hand on Tiberius' shoulder, guiding him toward a chair by his desk.
"Thank you for coming. I do wish it were on better circumstances, but.. Well, I would have preferred to tell you sooner but that was impossible. I honestly shouldn't be telling you now, I just..." he growled in frustration for a moment then sighed and rubbed his jaw as he leaned against his desk.
"You have trusted me, Tiberius, and now I ask for that trust again. I work for the Eyes, on occasion. Mostly as an informant. I didn't tell you because everyone coming home after the barrier came down has been considered suspect. I had heard about the... visit... they paid you." Enzo paused, head lowered toward the ground. He felt wretched that he couldn't help Tiberius then, but he honestly hadn't know it was going to happen, let alone in the way it did. "I promise you that I have not informed on you, nor will I ever. I mean that. But..." Enzo lowered himself down into the chair beside Tiberius, reaching for his hand. "I need your help."
But it was his other enterprise that Enzo wished to keep secret form his father the most. The Eyes were necessary, but not something his family approved of in the least. Being an informant for them had helped Enzo keep his family from complete ruin. The cost was to lie to his parents. That had pained him, for some time, but the sting had dulled of late. If it weren't for Mal, Enzo might not have bothered at all. But his friend's position within the Eyes was something of a reassurance.
Until today. Enzo had been happy to pass on the gossip he heard. Envy relished in the idea that those who publicly snubbed him would get a nighttime visit regarding their less than patriotic musings. They deserved what they got. But today, Enzo was to do more than passively observe. He was to act. He'd never been assigned such a job before. It wasn't that this was outside of his skill set, necessarily, just that he hadn't done anything of the like since his military days.
At the window, Enzo saw Tiberius' carriage pull up. Tiberius was dressed finely, as always. Enzo glanced down at his own clothing. Simple black trousers, dark green vest with yellow vines winding all about it. Shirtsleeves rolled to his elbows. His hair was likely a mess. Sighing, he watched his friend step from the carriage and touch the dragon at the steps. Enzo smiled, then quickly clenched his jaw. He shouldn't have asked Tiberius to come. He was putting his friend in danger. But Tiberius had knocked and Otho had let him in. In a moment, the study door had opened.
"Thank you Otho." Enzo said quickly, moving to close the door behind Tiberius.
"Tea, my Lord?" Otho asked, the surprise at being so quickly dismissed just evident on his face.
"No. But have Sua and Rei saddled and ready please." Closing the door, Enzo put a hand on Tiberius' shoulder, guiding him toward a chair by his desk.
"Thank you for coming. I do wish it were on better circumstances, but.. Well, I would have preferred to tell you sooner but that was impossible. I honestly shouldn't be telling you now, I just..." he growled in frustration for a moment then sighed and rubbed his jaw as he leaned against his desk.
"You have trusted me, Tiberius, and now I ask for that trust again. I work for the Eyes, on occasion. Mostly as an informant. I didn't tell you because everyone coming home after the barrier came down has been considered suspect. I had heard about the... visit... they paid you." Enzo paused, head lowered toward the ground. He felt wretched that he couldn't help Tiberius then, but he honestly hadn't know it was going to happen, let alone in the way it did. "I promise you that I have not informed on you, nor will I ever. I mean that. But..." Enzo lowered himself down into the chair beside Tiberius, reaching for his hand. "I need your help."
07-05-2024, 11:05 AM
