The small building had a sign next to the entryway which read 'Readorium'. This was the place, Alexander was extremely vague about what to expect. 'She's a special lady, mother, trust me. Jo's so strong and nice and pretty. Just walk up to her and ask about her other service. It's the type of thing that would interest you. Just mention that Alex sent you if there's a problem.' The silly boy had gotten his heart all twisted up on some commoner. I wished I had been given more information but he insisted on not saying too much.

I entered the shabby place and glanced around, it appeared to be a sad attempt at a library. Truly I didn't understand where my boy's head was at. He loved these little rundown places, I was reminded of the time he raved about an awful baker and I believed this time to be no different. Behind the desk was a young woman of average height, her beauty was nothing special, 'pretty' as Alexander had put it was an apt term. She was clearly a descendant of our peoples, her terracotta skin was almost blemish-free and her hair was a dark brown with reddish undertones. Her eyes betrayed her mixed-breed status, the light grey contrasted heavily with the rest of her appearance. The dress she wore was a patchwork abomination with sleeves that were torn to shreds. Her only glaring physical imperfection was the nasty scar on her neck which disappeared into her dress.

I could see her making an alright concubine once she was cleaned up, maybe a fourth or fifth wife at most but she did not live up to his praise. I had to accept that he was just too pure, Alexander saw beauty in the strangest places and appreciated things that appeared invisible to all but him. My boy was delusional but he was still my boy and as such, I had a duty to properly investigate his prospective wife. His father chose me out of all of the better candidates, I could inform Alexander's decision but in the end, the choice fell to him.

I approached the woman and she recoiled slightly in my presence but kept her composure. At least she had good senses about her, some of the rabble didn't understand the bearing of a higher status individual but not her.

"Ah, good morning, fine lady. What brings you to my humble Readorium?"

She bowed her head a little, it wasn't low enough but I could forgive her ignorance. I didn't like leaving our home in the undercity much, so everyone knew my name but few could recognise me,

"I'm here to enquire about a service that you offer."

She started giving a spiel about her strange library, I didn't want to spend more time here than necessary so I cut her off,

"Alex. I believe he's a mutual acquaintance, he's mentioned that you offer another service."

She appeared conflicted but gathered her thoughts after noticing my gaze.

"Yes Alex is a frequent customer, anyone he knows is more than welcome here. Please follow me."

She lifted the slab that blocked access to the area behind the counter, she was certainly strong for her size. Those slabs were usually too heavy for an adult to lift without the aid of an enhancement blade. Once I was through, the slab was replaced and she opened up a door at the back. It all felt very clandestine, I hoped that Alexander hadn't fallen prey to some wicked vixen. There weren't many legitimate reasons to lead customers out of sight. At the very least I was sure of my strength, with my scimitar manifested I could easily dispatch her should she prove dangerous. I didn't notice her blade but it could have been hidden under her dress.

I entered the cramped room and took the only seat available, she slid the door in place and I was now alone with the woman. Much to my surprise, she started interrogating me, asking my name and what types of activities I enjoyed.

"And for what purpose do you need to know? What business is it of yours what my name is or how I choose to spend my days."

"Didn't Alex tell you about what I do?"

She appeared genuinely confused and quite frankly so was I.

"No, he didn't want to 'Spoil the surprise' as it were."

The woman let out an audible sigh, a low born show of disapproval or exasperation.

"Yeah, that sounds like Alex."

It was clear that she was familiar with Alexander's personality but she still chose to see him daily. As the matriarch, I disliked her open rudeness towards him but as a mother, there was something to be said about a woman that still engaged with you after finding your eccentricities bothersome. Alexander had met and turned away several young countesses, who appeared friendly while harbouring negative feelings. My boy had been visiting this place daily for more than a month and she hadn't barred him or told him to leave.

"I like to sing, I had hoped to gain the confidence to sing in front of crowds by starting small. You see, I used to offer a service where I created unique songs for visitors but honestly, it's become too much for me. I'm too shy to keep this up, I was pretty sure I told him I was done singing but you've come over here, it would be rude to turn you away."

She is a singer? Like a troubadour? I had heard their music before at Alexander's behest but it was far too brutish and unrefined for my tastes.

"I dislike those songs of whimsy and adventure. Sing something simple. Perhaps a ballad if you know one?"

The woman sat in silent contemplation for a moment before perking up and clearing her throat.

"At man's first dawn we were alone,

we lived as nought but prey.

Till one grand day the sky did crack,

salvation's on its way.

Her beacon sent, the earth was rent

and beasts were kept at bay.

Upon the shrine his hands did place,

And with hope, he did pray.

Blessed is he who felt her touch,

when darkness howled and brayed.

When man's last light was surely snuffed,

her love a Primus made.

Through mother's good grace and mercy,

Humans were here to stay.

And with our Primus at the helm,

Our kingdom has its day.

With souls of steel and hearts aflame,

Our light now burns so bright.

We now give thanks and press onwards,

guided by Gods' forge light."

This was the first thing that impressed me. Her notes were crisp and pure, each one had the tone of the finest harp. It was a clear sound that brought to mind masters of their craft, whether it was hard work or natural talent the singing was divine. Alexander was truly a dull boy to find beauty everywhere except where it truly existed, he only mentioned this service because he thought that I would like it. Such rare talent was surely going to be recognised eventually, it was only a matter of time before she was taken by another.

On top of that, she was a devout follower of the gods, she sang with such zeal and passion that you could feel the raw emotion. By the end of the short ballad, I had goosebumps. Her etiquette wasn't too far off, with a little direction she could easily give off the air of a house noble. The matter of her bloodline was still an issue, it was unfortunate that any of her offspring wouldn't be welcomed into the main family. She had shot up several levels in my estimation and now resembled a prime candidate for a second wife. If my little Alexander would choose an appropriate bride first then I had no issue giving this woman my blessing.

He was already seventeen years old and was far too late to find a fresh and young bride. There wouldn't be a great deal of choice for him until the rite and even then his age was an issue. The only option available was to wait until everyone had found a suitor and see if anyone was left. I didn't like the idea of my boy being forced to pick from the leftovers but he was the one who caused this. It might also be wise to search the other houses for widowed or unhappy older women, it wasn't ideal but they would be very open to marrying a younger man. With a wife to bear legitimate heirs it didn't matter who he took on as a concubine. This woman could serve as the proper motivation for Alexander to embrace his duties.

There was much to do, I couldn't afford to dally here any longer. Before I left it was prudent that I got her name, I was only told her nickname,

"Yes, that was quite the lovely song. I can see why Alex recommended you, tis a pity that you aren't interested in a career as a musician. Before I leave I will have your name."

"Jo."

I waited for a moment longer but nothing else came, I would have been irritated by the lack of respect but my mood was too good for something so small to register.

"I meant that I would like your full name, both given and family."

"I'm sorry my lady but I don't have a family name. I was orphaned at a young age, the only family I have is a kind woman that took me in."

Hearing that made me curse my luck, if Alexander had met her while she was still an orphan without a guardian this would have been an easy matter to resolve. Get her adopted by a lesser noble in exchange for a direct connection to our House through marriage. Still, her lack of a concrete lineage opened up a couple of less than scrupulous methods that I didn't want to employ. Unfortunately, a tool was a tool and all tools, even legally dubious ones, had a use.

"Adoption? That's a rare occurrence. Could I have the name of the kind soul that took you in?"

She grimaced in response, it didn't last long before she regained her composure but it was long enough that I was curious. Why did that question elicit such a reaction? After being praised for their talent many people would jump at the offer to introduce their family to a noble, it was only natural to want to build friendly relations with superior people.

I didn't need to ask who her guardian was, she was a business owner, and the information was readily available with Grandfather. I was just offering her a friendly way to open talks between our families but now I wanted to hear her response. She was good at hiding her emotions but the way she pulled back from my presence when we met and the slip up just then had me scrutinising the answer she gave.

"Sorry I don't know her name, she didn't let me have her family name and I just call her Mum."

It was possible. If 'Mum' saw the talent she had as a girl, maybe this adoptive guardian was using the young woman as an investment. If the guardian was motivated by greed then I could resolve this by the end of the week.

"Hello Jo, I am the Lady of house Smythe. You may refer to me as Lady Smythe."

Interestingly there was a look of abject horror on her face. She might have had poor experiences with nobles before. My boy wouldn't be too pleased if Jo turned against him because of her preconceived notions about us. In that case, I needed to handle this with tact and treat her with care. I had a lot to think about over the coming days so I excused myself and headed home. Alexander and I would have a nice little chat over dinner. If all went well I would no longer need to worry about our House's future.