Pleasure to be meeting you; quite a pleasure!

Caedes felt a flicker of intrigue at Alastor’s theatrics, though he kept his expression neutral. Who would have thought Mariah’s father would be of the… animated sort? The Mendacium man was playing a game, testing his resolve and perhaps his intentions. Caedes was no stranger to standoffs, whether physical or mental. It was a familiar dance, one he had engaged in with many who sought to challenge or understand him, his most recent being the disagreement with his Sultan over Mariah. Being face to face with the man whose daughter was recovering from certain… unholy activities a few meters away was not the ideal first interaction. Beggars could not be choosers, though.

“I see,” Came the only reply from the obsidian brute, Alastor’s words taken easily enough as his reasoning for seeking answers. Perhaps if he was a father he would understand all the more.

As Alastor reclined, Caedes sensed a shift in the dynamic. This was not an immediate threat but a conversation. For all intents and purposes, this was the best-case scenario he could have hoped for at the moment. How comfortable could this uncomfortable talk become? He followed suit, lowering himself onto his haunches, his eyes never leaving Alastor’s. The older wolf’s words were heavy with meaning, and Caedes listened intently, absorbing every nuance. Alastor wanted brute-to-brute honesty, and he would have it. Not a word slipped from his maw until the other man was done speaking. He spoke of his affection for Mariah and his hopes for her health and happiness. Then he leaned into the Mendacium practices, questioning Caedes about what he knew.

“Mariah is precious to me as well,” Caedes began, his voice steady and sincere through the gruff timbre. “I understand the weight of her happiness and health, and I would give everything to ensure both.” He paused, considering how much to reveal. Honesty seemed the best path forward, though he would tread carefully. It was all Mariah had ever asked of him, after all. But what did everything really mean? His life, sure. That was easy. Nothing else about this situation was easy, though.

“I know she carries burdens, afflictions that no one should have to bear. She has shared some of your family’s traditions and spiritual practices with me, enough to know that they are deeply ingrained and significant.” He met Alastor’s gaze, the emerald intensity of his eyes like steel. “I am not here to be a fleeting lover hiding in the shadows. I want to be with Mariah as long as I breathe, but I am faced with betraying my blood or betraying her... She does not want me to choose. Both choices will condemn me. Be it my soul or my life – I will pay a price.”

And yet, a choice had to be made, one he could live with – but Mariah hadn’t forced him to choose, and she wouldn’t. That was his only salvation from making a call. With the current politics, though, he wasn’t sure if his choice could spark a war. He knew his cousin wouldn’t take kindly to Caedes abandoning the Syndicate for the enemy, as Sephiran so endearingly called them. But to live without Mariah? How long could they maintain these fleeting meetings? How long could he tolerate the distance? And what if war came anyway, and Caedes was forced to fight against her blood?