CHAPTER 224: FALL OF VALTAIR [20]

The Riverwalk Gardens spread before Alaric like something out of a painting.

Stone pathways wound between carefully manicured beds of late-season blooms, deep purples and oranges that caught the afternoon light.

Ornamental trees provided scattered shade, their leaves just beginning to turn.

In the distance, a fountain sent arcs of water into the air, the spray catching sunlight and throwing tiny rainbows.

And just near that, his eyes found Vivienne near a marble bench beneath a willow tree, its trailing branches creating a natural curtain around her.

She wasn’t sitting, just standing there, one hand resting on the bench’s curved arm, her gaze fixed on the fountain in the distance.

She looked... softer somehow. The emerald gown shifted gently in the breeze, and that rebellious strand of hair had escaped again, curling against her neck.

Alaric paused at the garden’s entrance, studying her.

Fascinating.

It still amazed him, how thoroughly the chains had altered her. Not just her actions, but something deeper. The way she carried herself around him.

He snapped his thoughts away and started walking.

Her head turned at the sound of his footsteps.

He closed the distance between them with unhurried steps, his hands still in his coat pockets.

"Are your guards watching?"

Vivienne shook her head.

"I stationed them near the main entrance. They can’t see us from here. I told them I wanted to walk alone, that I needed air."

"Smart." Alaric smiled and extended his hand toward her.

"Then we have some privacy."

She looked at his hand for a moment, then placed hers in it. Her fingers were cool, delicate, but her grip was firm.

He tugged gently, drawing her away from the bench and onto the pathway.

"You know," he said, his tone shifting to something lighter, almost playful, "I heard there’s a section with night-blooming jasmine near the eastern wall. Supposed to be incredible this time of year, opens just before sunset."

Vivienne’s lips curved upward slightly.

"I’ve heard that too," she admitted. "Though I’ve never actually seen it."

"Then we’ll have to fix that, won’t we?"

Her smile widened.

They walked.

Not quickly. Just... strolling. Two people enjoying an autumn afternoon in a public garden.

Alaric pointed out a cluster of chrysanthemums that were particularly vibrant. Vivienne mentioned that her estate had similar ones, but the soil wasn’t quite right for them to thrive properly.

They paused at the fountain. Watched the water arc and fall, the constant rhythm soothing. A few other visitors dotted the gardens, an elderly couple on a bench, a woman sketching near a flowerbed, a merchant and his daughter feeding birds.

Alaric’s hand never left hers. He kept his grip light, but constant.

They continued walking, following the path as it curved away from the main gardens toward a quieter section. The crowds thinned. The carefully maintained beds gave way to something more natural, wild roses climbing stone walls, ivy creeping across weathered statues.

The sound of the fountain faded to a distant murmur.

Here, the air felt different, bit cooler.

Alaric guided her toward a secluded alcove where a stone bench sat beneath an archway covered in wisteria.

The purple blooms had long since faded, but the vines created a natural shelter, hidden from the main path, surrounded by overgrown greenery.

There they stopped.

He turned to face her, his expression shifting. The playfulness bled away, replaced by something sharper, focused.

"Can you tell me about the debts your husband has?"

Vivienne’s smile faltered. Her hand tensed slightly in his.

"And from whom he borrowed?"

She looked at him for a long moment, searching his face.

Her jaw tightened.

"He’s... overextended." She spoke, her tone low, careful. "Badly."

Alaric’s lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile.

His hand came up, fingers catching her chin and tilted her face until her eyes met his again.

"Tell me about those he’s taken debt from."

His thumb brushed along her jawline.

"The large ones. The ones who are threatening him. The creditors who aren’t willing to wait anymore."

Vivienne’s breath hitched slightly, but she held his gaze.

"Lord Rothgar." The name came first, quiet but steady. "Fifty thousand gold. Three months overdue. He’s been... insistent. Sent collectors twice already."

Alaric nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"Merchant Lord Vess." She swallowed. "Thirty-eight thousand. Commercial debt, a shipping venture that failed spectacularly. Vess is threatening legal action. Public seizure of assets."

"Go on."

"Lord Marwen. Twenty-two thousand. Personal loan. He’s been... polite about it. But he’s made it clear that patience has limits." Her voice dropped lower. "And there are smaller ones. A dozen creditors owed between five and ten thousand each. They’re circling. Waiting to see who moves first."

She paused, her eyes searching his face for... something. Approval? Understanding?

"He owes nearly two hundred thousand in total. Maybe more. He hides the full extent of it from me."

Alaric’s smile widened.

"Good."

He released her chin, his hand falling away, but his eyes remained locked on hers.

"And his relationship with Carl? How is that these days?"

Vivienne’s expression darkened immediately.

"Bad." She muttered. "Very bad. Carl humiliated him at the gathering, you saw it. The kiss." Her cheeks colored again at the memory. "My husband blames him for everything. Says Carl’s been sabotaging his business deals, spreading rumors, turning allies against him."

"Perfect."

Alaric stepped back, creating space between them again. His hands settled into his coat pockets.

"I need you to monitor his movements."

Vivienne blinked.

"Watch him closely. Note who he meets with. What he does. Where he goes." His tone remained conversational, but there was steel beneath it. "And report to me if anything unusual happens. Anything out of his normal routine."

She nodded slowly, processing.

"I can do that."

"Good." He paused, then added almost as an afterthought, "Oh, and one more thing."

Her head tilted slightly, waiting.

"I’ll be giving him access to the mines."

Vivienne’s eyes went wide.

"What?"

"The mining contracts." Alaric’s smile turned sharp, predatory. "I’m surrendering them to him. Selling them outright."

"But..." She started to protest, confusion and concern warring in her expression. "Those mines are worth a fortune. Why would you—"

"There might be a small problem in the process," he continued, speaking over her objection. "Other interested parties, complications. Bureaucratic nonsense."

He fixed her with his gaze, and his voice dropped to something more commanding.

"Make sure he gets them. Do whatever you need to do, but I want him to get them." His smile softened just slightly. "I’m trusting you with this, Vivienne. Don’t disappoint me."

She stared at him for a long moment, her mind clearly racing, trying to piece together the logic behind the command.

But finally, she nodded.

"I... I’ll make sure he gets them, my lord."

"That’s my girl."

Alaric stepped forward again, his hand came up, cupping the side of her face, thumb brushing across her cheekbone in a gesture that was almost tender.

"You’ve been invaluable, you know that?" His voice dropped to that intimate whisper again. "Everything you’ve done for me... I don’t forget loyalty like that."

Her breath caught, eyes searched his.

He leaned in slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wanted.

But she didn’t.

Then his lips found her forehead in a soft kiss, lingering there for just a moment.

When he pulled back, her eyes had closed, expression softened into something almost peaceful.

"Be careful," he murmured. "And stay safe."

He released her and stepped back.

Then turned and walked away, he didn’t look back. Didn’t need to.

Behind him, Vivienne stood in the alcove beneath the wisteria arch.

The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, painting everything in shades of gold and amber.

And Alaric walked on, his mind already moving to the next piece on the board.

Almost there.

Just a few more moves.