"A year has not passed yet" Maalech remarked, looking down at his hands. "I have no intention of backing down from this path, just because it gets more challenging. It has led me here, and here I intend to stay. If I am to learn anything, I cannot choose my own challenges."

He gave the other man a thin smile. "Thank you for the offer though. It is appreciated."

The younger man arched an eyebrow at that before shrugging. "Well alright then," he chuckled, smiling at the man. "You're the boss."

He chuckled and had another sip from his bottle before looking back at the man, "Aly says both 'hello' and 'I'm not going to kill you'."

"That is appreciated. I am fairly certain I will not be killed here either. Not yet. The Countess takes a little time to work herself up to doing deeds like that. No matter how much she might wish to."

Maalech looked a little grim as he spoke, but the truth of the matter was that he was here. Full circle.

"It was a long time since I was held captive last" he remarked, looking almost amused at the thought.

"Yeah. Sad to say, there's a world of difference between knowing what a person deserves and giving it to them." He smirked a little at that and sighed. "Shame, though. But, then, I guess you weren't counting on the pair of you becoming friends or anything like that." Of course, neither had Morgan, so...

"Well, get used to it. If they put you here in the first place, they'll probably be happy to keep you here for the rest of your sentence. And I don't think it would profit you too much to do that."

"At the moment I need time to think. I do not need comforts to be able to do that, the sparsity of this place suits me. No distractions." That was true, there was little in here to remind someone that there was a world outside.

"I do not intend to stay in here forever. Nor do I expect her to keep me this way for too long." He seemed certain that was the case.

"Well, I wouldn't count on it too much one way or the other, myself," mused Morgan with a smile. "Faeries are weird people and you did try and fob off a mess of madness on her. Saying nothing of knowing Seth and probably knowing Jochy at least a little." He shook his head some.

"Watch yourself while you're thinking, s'all I'm saying. Royals don't get to stay royal without an iron spine."

"She fears me. It is not her spine I doubt, but her ability to do what needs to be done. She might threaten, but in the end I do not think she would have the courage to go through with it. Not because she is merciful, but because she might attempt to kill me and fail. That would leave her worse off than having me alive." He sounded confident, but truth be told he was not.

"Are you worried?" he asked the other man, forehead wrinkled in concern.

"I worry 'bout anything that involve people I know and like that I can't control. And for all I try and keep half an eye on you, I wouldn't want to look away at the wrong moment. Not that I think she's particularly murderous or anything, but..."

He shrugged and let out a sigh.

"Mal, you're smarter than me. I'll trust you on it."

"Women is not my strong suit" he confessed, rubbing the back of his hand. "I will be careful. If you promise to contact me if you hear anything more from Them. I want Alynealin and the children safe, she deserves to have a chance at freedom finally."

Morgan chuckled a bit and looked sidelong at Maalech. "Truth to tell? Me, either. I'm great after a battle when it's all adrenaline and rushing blood and heroics and all that. But in peacetime? When you have to talk? Fuck." He snorted a little.

"And, yeah. I'll let you know if they say anything."

Morgan was quiet for a moment before standing up and smiling down at Maalech. "And I'll tell her you said that."