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It had been six days since Lord Enver Gortash had become Archduke Enver Gortash.
It had also been six days since Kaidos Escaris - Bhaal’s scion - had returned to Baldur’s Gate.
It had been five days since all three nethersones had been reunited.
Four since Kaidos had received an invitation for only him.
And now, sitting in his new office within the High Hall, Archduke Enver Gortash waited for his ally and only equal to attend their latest scheduled meeting.
Gortash had barely scratched the surface of the history he shared with Kaidos when he had tried to get the Bhaalspawn up to speed upon learning that he truly had lost his memories. But alas, there was only so much that could be shared whilst an entire hall was waiting on him to be coronated.
With enough prompting, Gortash was certain there would be something personal that Kaidos would be able to remember. There must be . And that’s all he would need; a single thread to guide his darling partner back to him.
And with this meeting scheduled, he could spend all the time he needed sharing information with Kaidos. He even brought multiple mementos along with him, not only to act as physical proof that the history he spoke of was true, but also in the hopes that items which were once Kaidos’ would perhaps refresh his memory.
A book sat before the tyrant, open at a well-creased double spread. The words were all written in his precise hand and in a code that had been left unutilised for months. Letters that he had written to Kaidos whilst he was gone, in an act of mourning despite not allowing himself to call it that. Part of him yearned to share it with the only other who may still have a chance at understanding it, yet the rational, realistic part of him knew better. It would be too much too soon to share such sensitive material. But still, his fingers ghosted over such heartfelt words.
In his mind, Gortash could recall the moment Kaidos had entered the hall within Wyrm’s Rock Fortress, followed by three others that he did not recognise. He remembered the relief that had washed over him, bursting through the heavy shroud of grief which had been dragging him down into a depressive abyss for months prior. He remembered the excitement which zapped through his body and mind alike, glad that Orin had been telling the truth.
However, that tiefling was not the tiefling he had conspired and laughed and laid with all those months ago. He was different. Changed. This Kaidos was not his Kaidos.
His hair was shorter; buzzed and practical. His face was more gaunt; weathered from a trek that was Gods’ knows how arduous. The ruby ring on his pinky had remained, but it was in a very sorry state; the metal tarnished and the stone lightly scratched. He no doubt had forgotten the significance of it. But more jarring than any of that was the scar that had crept across his right cheek and onto his nose. Deep and barely healed, it was undeniably Orin’s work. Anger on the tiefling’s behalf had flashed over his body but he did not allow it to reach the surface. That was something that he knew Kaidos would - and now had - dealt with.
This Kaidos was not his Kaidos, but he could be. Gortash was certain that with enough prompting , they would get right back to where they were before.
Gortash had spoken as if there were no others in the hall, as if nobody else had been waiting on him. With the purposeful inclusion of several heavy handed compliments, he did his utmost to remind Kaidos of who he was – both to the Absolutist plot as well as to himself. His hands had gestured as he spoke; further emphasising the us and the we throughout his entire brief retelling of events.
And remarkably, Kaidos had been receptive. Although there was surprise on the Bhaalspawn’s face, it had never shifted into outrage or disgust for their previous actions. Kaidos had still been receptive, and therefore wonderfully open-minded about renewing not only their alliance, but also their pact to take Baldur’s Gate by storm.
Part of Gortash had been happier about having his old partner back rather than being ordained the title of Archduke that day.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He sat up straight, forcing the tension from his shoulders as he flipped the book shut, “Enter.”
A Banite guard opened the door and stepped in first, “Bhaal’s Chosen, Your Grace.”
“Bhaal’s true Chosen,” Gortash corrected as he rose to his feet, a smile he couldn’t suppress spreading across his face upon watching Kaidos silently step into the office after the guard. It would still take some time getting used to seeing him again.
“It is a delight to see you again, my dear.” He closed the gap between them, only just reminding himself to keep a respectable distance, “You’re looking much healthier than you did at our initial reunion. The wonders of basic utilities, hm?” His eyes barely left Kaidos’ face as he released the underling from her post with a dismissive wave. “Come, sit down. What are you drinking these days?”
“Whatever’s going. I’m not picky,” Kaidos stepped toward the armchairs facing the desk, never quite letting the Banite out of his peripheral vision.
“Then allow me to treat you to what used to be one of your favourites; Suzailian Sweet.” By comparison, Gortash seemed far more relaxed right now. He strode confidently across the office bar to a drinks cabinet that was minimally stocked. It did, however, have multiple unopened bottles of this particular dessert wine ready and waiting, only slightly chilled. He uncorked the wine, pouring a generous amount between two goblets before carrying them to the desk. Although unnecessary, he did lean down slightly next to Kaidos as he placed his cup down before taking his own seat.
He watched as the Bhaalspawn lifted the goblet up, angling it slightly to smell the wine. He was checking for poison. Within their line of work, he supposed he couldn’t blame him for erring on the side of caution, even if the two were sworn into not harming one another. Once he had deemed it safe to drink, Gortash watched as Kaidos brought the goblet up to his lips. He closely studied his ally’s face as he swallowed a decent amount in one mouthful. A slight twitch to the brow, a forked tongue darting out to quickly run across the bottom lip to catch a stray droplet of wine.
“It’s good,” Kaidos set his drink down.
“Still a favourite?”
“Maybe. I haven’t really focused on the notes of everything else I’ve been drinking to compare it with for the past few months. If it kept me alive, it was good enough.”
“Those days are certainly behind you now you, my dear. Within the secure walls of Baldur’s Gate, you won’t have to settle for the bare minimum anymore.”
Kaidos gave a nod, not entirely comfortable with how Gortash kept gazing at him. “Right. So you said in your invitation that you had more personal information to share?”
“Right, of course.” Gortash sat up straight. He set his still full goblet down, leaning to open the bottom-most drawer of his desk. After a few moments of rustling around, he pulled out two small boxes and a small stack of envelopes, “These are all things that your past self – or perhaps the current you – enjoyed. Gifts from yours truly.”
Kaidos reached across the desk, pulling the two boxes toward himself. He glanced up briefly at Gortash before looking back down. The boxes themselves were relatively plain; for storage only. He opted for the smaller one first, opening with a simple click. It revealed a golden pocket watch, the lid heavily engraved with filigree. Kaidos picked it up and turned it over in his hand, a tiger outstretched in a full sprint surrounded by similar engravings as the other side.
Silently, Kaidos acknowledged that he liked how it looked. He opened it with a simple button press, revealing the transparent watch face, allowing a look into the mechanisms underneath tick away. It sounded healthy; well maintained in his absence.
On the underside of the lid read an inscription;
‘ To my most trusted; my most treasured.’
The Bhaalspawn’s face was difficult to read, even for Gortash. His brows were knitted together, face pensive. However, was he sad? Touched? Was this all happening too fast for him to make sense of it all?
Gortash reached across the desk, nudging the second box toward his ally to hopefully break him out of whatever thoughtful trance he was currently in. And it worked with Kaidos blinking a couple times as he placed the pocket watch back in its box on the desk before picking the second one up. It felt much lighter in his hands, and upon popping the lid off, a confused look spread across his face. A metal rectangle with ‘K. Escaris’ engraved on the top, surrounded by the same filigree that was on the other gift.
“What is it?”
“It’s a boot powderer, dear.” Gortash waited until Kaidos had lifted it out of the box before gesturing for him to turn it over, revealing many small holes, “It’s to aid you taking your boots on and off – ones very similar to those that you still wear.”
“Can I keep these gifts?”
“Of course. They are yours, after all.”
He gave a small nod rather than properly thanking Gortash. He set the boot powderer back down on the desk, “You know, it’s been frustrating to not remember anything about myself, but it’s felt even worse since reaching the city. I can feel how involved I was with it, but just can’t remember it.” Kaidos was starting to sound frustrated.
“Then let’s not focus on that. What can you remember?”
Kaidos sighed, looking down at the gifts in front of him. His brows knitted together in thought, “I remember that I did like you. Do , maybe, I don’t know,” he shook his head lightly, snatching his goblet back up to down the rest of it.
Gortash’s face shifted slightly, suppressing a smile. “So you remember feelings more than specific moments?”
“I think so. When we went to Moonrise, I had this feeling as we walked into the throne room. I could remember arguing and the tension, but I couldn’t remember who it was with or what it was about.”
“That would have been with the very General you found there,” Gortash chuckled fondly as he finally lifted his goblet up to take a sip of wine, “How did you feel when you went home? To your Father’s temple, I mean.”
“Loved. Hated. Like I belonged but that others didn’t want me there.”
It had only been the one who had made him feel unwelcome, yet the hate which had freely flowed from Orin had been more than enough to account for the entire temple.
“And how about here? With me?” Gortash leaned forward slightly, both elbows resting on his desk.
Kaidos stared at his ally’s face intensely, trying to figure something - anything - out from how he stared back. His eyes were soft, doting, hopeful; a stark contrast to the rest of his face where fine lines and wrinkles gave the illusion of a near permanent grimace.
“It’s confusing. I feel a lot, but none of it makes any real sense to me. Were we… intense? ”
“Oh, most certainly. We were simply allies and then friends for a long time, but then once the dynamic between us became more, a lot of things happened very fast.”
Kaidos didn’t need him to elaborate on that, even if Gortash looked like he would be more than happy to share all of the details. He gave a small nod in acknowledgement, “And when we were like this, it was well known?”
Gortash reached across the desk to rest his hand over Kaidos’ gently. However, the Bhaalspawn was quick to pull away, his face a combination of confusion and surprise.
Too soon, you fool.
The Banite tapped his fingers on the desk a couple times to attempt recovery before retreating back to his side, “Yes, multiple people knew. Both within the ranks of the Dead Three and outside of it. I’m sure if you continue your exploration of this city then you will find the odd report here and there. But rest assured, if they knew about us, then we certainly knew about them too.”
Kaidos only nodded. He was clearly still processing not only the information he had just been told, but also the physical advance the Archduke of Baldur’s Gate had just made on him seemingly out of nowhere. The silence between them was near unbearable for Gortash. It forced him to sit in the wake of his embarrassing misstep; his poor, desperate judgement. Gortash despised sitting still.
He reached for the envelopes between them. With golden claws, Gortash slid them open easily before pulling the contents out. “Here, these were some of the last few letters we exchanged before you disappeared – and a cipher for the code we talked in, too.” He pushed the parchment toward his ally.
Kaidos moved the boxes and goblet aside to make room for the paper as it slid before him. A part of his brain twinged with remembrance upon looking over these letters. This code that they would talk in, it was foreign yet familiar to him. His lips twitched, ghosting the true meaning of the words as his flaming eyes flickered from page to page, deciphering their messages.
The letters were extraordinarily casual for two individuals supposedly spearheading the most outrageous religious hoax in recent history. They discussed meeting spots, who to expect guarding the doors, and what there would be to drink. Almost all of the letters from Bane’s Chosen were addressed to a pet name rather than a proper one.
The two of them must have become very comfortable.
“I remember we both agreed that we couldn’t wait to get out of Moonrise and return home to the city together. We wrote these specific letters while we were there. We were too busy to have any proper conversations outside of the meetings which included Ketheric, and he made too much of a fuss for us discussing anything ‘non-Absolute’ related for it to be worth it.” Gortash reminisced with a slight smile to his face. The softness in his eyes had not left, even as Kaidos looked up with such a heartbreakingly neutral expression.
“A part of me remembers this. Not the words, but the use of a code. There’s…a feeling of anger surrounding it.”
“Orin did seem quite irked upon learning that it wouldn’t be so easy to keep tabs on us. Perhaps that is what you are remembering?”
Another small nod as flaming eyes looked back down over the parchment.
The gaze of Bane’s Chosen did not waver. Smiling behind his goblet, he studied the Bhaalspawn’s handsome face as he read.
Gortash longed to kiss him. To wrap his arms around him tightly, prove once and for all he really was there again. If he could, he would take his darling home and feed him the food he deserved rather than whatever slop he had been scraping by on during his adventure. He would lead him up to bed and hold him; revel in the comforting warmth that two bodies provided whilst under heavy covers.
If he could have him right now, he would have the best sleep since he first disappeared. He would finally be able to piece parts of his heart back together.
But he couldn’t.
The tiefling before him had changed. Kaidos considered him a stranger; strict allies and nothing more. But this wasn’t the first time they had been in this predicament together. This time, Gortash had the advantage.
He knew what made Kaidos tick.
He knew which foods he enjoyed, which wines he would bother to savour, how he preferred his clothes to fit him. He knew to tread lightly when discussing Bhaal, and he was certain that not even a blade to the brain would have changed how resolute he was in his faith.
Yes, their relationship was restarting from square one, but it shouldn’t be too hard to get it back to at least something similar to what it was before. Gortash might as well have the cheat sheet for how to snag a particular Bhaalspawn.
If he wasn’t so busy and so close to such a momentous step within their plans, he may have even enjoyed being faced with such a task. The two had been together for so long they had become used to it. Gortash was somebody who had revelled in the chase of courting an individual so theoretically unattainable. The will-they-won’t-they each time they had been in a room alone together, plotting and planning their visions for the future and how to turn it into reality. Gortash fondly remembered the times he would make hints; a brush of the hand as they poured over the same blueprints, an accidental bump of their bodies as Gortash had squeezed past him in a tight space. The way Kaidos had reacted then had been difficult to read, but he knew what to look for this time.
“On the topic of Orin, I never thanked you for your tip on her infiltrating my camp. You were correct about that,” Kaidos looked up from the letters, their eyes meeting once more, “thank you.”
“Of course.” Gortash took a sip of his wine, setting the goblet down on one of the few empty spaces of his desk. “I hope it helped to prove to you how serious I am about our alliance, and about how much I personally wish to see you succeed.” Without realising it, he was starting to lean forward in his seat.
Kaidos noticed it though, with how his eyes briefly glanced down toward the Archduke’s chest before swiftly snapping back up to his face, “It has. Though, it feels like this may be where you ask me for something in return.”
Oh, Gortash seriously had missed having somebody competent in his company.
“All I request is that amongst your exploration around the city that you keep me in the loop about anything you may find. You were always good at spotting the little things that I may have otherwise missed. Together, the entirety of this city will be under our thumb.”
“I’ll have you for as long as you have me.” Kaidos made sure to look away as he spoke. He didn’t want Gortash to take anything more than a professional meaning from his words.
But alas, the tyrant did chuckle and sit upright, hoping to catch his eye.
Instead, Kaidos turned his body away, distracted by the bold chiming of a grandfather clock from the corner of the office. He cursed under his breath, not realising just how late it was getting.
Was losing track of time common for them?
“I should probably go now. As you mentioned, I do need to resume my exploration of the city early tomorrow morning.”
Both rose from their seats simultaneously.
Kaidos extended his right hand out toward the Archduke, cold and professional, just how allies should be.
Gortash controlled himself, taking hold and shaking the hand at a much slower, more appropriate speed than what he actually wanted to.
“I truly am pleased that you are home again, my dear. This really is where you belong,” Gortash smiled. He squeezed the hand slightly, perhaps holding on for a touch longer than was normally socially acceptable. As he pulled away, his fingers ghosted along the large palm and up the middle digit, maintaining eye contact the entire time.
Gortash had caught it; the slightest twitch of tension within the tiefling’s spine. Kaidos nodded, his hands falling down by his sides as he reached down to retrieve his gifts.
“Good. Well, I will see you soon, Gortash. Whether at the Morphic Pool or at another appointment of… this , I’m sure you will let me know.”
So he was already interested in learning more?
Gortash kept his smile from turning triumphant. He remained amicable, “I would be more than happy to host your company again. Although, I’m sure we would both prefer somewhere less…stale, shall we say?” He busied himself with tidying the papers on his desk, “I have an estate by the Citadel Gate — how about dinner there, say, on Twosday? The invitation will be extended to only you again, I’m sure you can understand.”
“My companions would be upset if I got treated to a feast and they didn’t.”
You don’t need them, darling. You only need to focus on me — on us.
Gortash swallowed down his pit of jealousy and gave what would look like an understanding nod, “Perhaps I could request extra to be made. An entire platter to be delivered to your current residence; allow them to eat some proper food while we catch up.”
“I will think on it.” Kaidos stepped back to put some distance between their bodies. He was gradually making his way back over to the door, even with Gortash following him the whole way.
“That is all I can ask for, my dear. I will figure out the fine details and send the invitation out to you posthaste. Perhaps I will use our code too; help you get in some good practice for the more complex letters we will surely need to exchange now that we are allies once more.”
The slightest of smiles twitched onto Kaidos’ face, “I will make sure I practise for you then.”
It was quick to become infectious with both a chuckle and smile emanating from the Banite too. He stepped close once more, but only to reach past and open the door for Kaidos.
Something that the Archduke would only do for the one individual he deemed to be his equal.
“Goodnight, Gortash.”
“Goodnight, Kaidos. I hope you rest well.”
Bhaal’s Chosen stepped out of the office, entirely ignoring the two guards just outside of the door as he turned back around to look at Bane’s Chosen. He gave another small nod, a wordless exchange between the two briefly before he broke eye contact and strode down the corridor to return to his residence for the night.
Gortash lingered at the doorway, watching Kaidos leave and listening to his already quiet footsteps until they grew silent.
He stepped back into his office, clicking the door shut behind him before letting out a relieved sigh. Despite how platonic they seemed, Gortash was certain they would return back to where they were before Orin’s insubordination. He collected both goblets up, finishing the rest of his drink off before setting them on the edge of the desk for another to collect and tidy away.
He felt hopeful that during their next meeting, he would be able to break even more ground with him. That there would be even more opportunities to share stories and produce even more evidence of how they used to – and still could – be.
He knew that Kaidos leaving with two trinkets was good. They would help to feed his curiosity; make him come back with even more questions for Gortash to happily answer. Gortash sat down at his desk, flipping open the lid to his inkwell and placing a fresh sheet of parchment before himself. He lifted his quill up in his left hand, dipping and lightly tapping it onto the side of the inkwell before starting to write.
The invitation would be written now, but would not be sent for two more days.
Gortash knew Kaidos would need time to come to his own conclusions; time to marinate in the reality that the Archduke truly was the only one in the city who could give him the answers he was searching for. He would be patient enough for that to happen, but they only had so much time to play such a coy game with.
At some point, Gortash would have to take much bolder steps to get them back to what they used to be, just as he had been the one to take the bold steps to get them there in the first place.
Gortash knew that if he wanted his plans to go exactly the way he wanted them to, then he would not be able to stop.
Because if there was one truth about him, it was that Archduke Enver Gortash never stopped trying until he got exactly what he wanted.