Zeroi found him back inside that tavern where he met Alatricia. Once again, its environment unsettled him – but he had agreed to talk with Alatricia once more after she had strangely sent a note to him out of the blue.
After a while, Zeroi saw Alatricia approach him. She was blunt with her request.
“I want to help again.”
"That’s strange," Zeroi replied skeptically, slumped against the wall with his arms crossed. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with us."
The Acadian princess looked up, her dark eyes flashing with anger and determination.
"Well, things have changed," she replied tersely. "I need your help to see Reydal again."
"Are you kidding?" He arched an eyebrow, taken aback by her request. "Did you happen to forget that this friend of yours sent us down into a pit to fight a group of ravenous monsters?"
"Please, Zeroi," Alatricia continued, her gaze never wavering from his. "You have connections within the Royal Society that I don't. If you can get me to Reydal, I promise I'll use my Acadian privileges to help where I can."
Zeroi hesitated, weighing the decision in his mind. Eventually he came to his conclusion.
"Alatricia," Zeroi said slowly, considering her offer. "I can't promise anything. But I'll do what I can."
"Thank you," she breathed, relief washing over her face as she rose to her feet.
"However," Zeroi continued, holding up a hand to stop her from embracing him. "You have to tell me why you want to see him again."
"Fine," Alatricia snapped, her momentary gratitude dissipating. She glanced around nervously before leaning in closer. "I’ve known Reydal a long time. I know to you he’s just a conniving bandit, but… there’s something about that incident that’s been making me think. He threw us in that pit to set up an ambush, yet provided us a means of escape he knew we could use. There was more to that charade than what meets the eye… and I’d like to get to the bottom of it. "
Zeroi searched her face for any hint of deception, but found only urgency and determination. He nodded solemnly. "Very well. I'll arrange a guarded caravan into the Red Woods. But remember, you owe your allegiance to the High Society in return."
"Deal," Alatricia agreed, extending her hand to seal their pact.