The last twenty four hours had been something of an eye-opener for Wolfram in the sense that he knew exactly where he stood better than he had before. For one thing, saying that Dianne was displeased with him was a vast understatement, and the older, though much weaker, werecrow did not support his claim at all. She knew why he was doing this, and yet she stood by Siegfried's side. The rest of the Morrígna had been stunned but had officially witnessed his issuing the challenge. Murasaki and Killian had retired immediately, already discussing what they would have Wolfram and Siegfried do.
Most of the Ridire were still digesting what Wolfram had said––no more tributes and a struggle for the position of Ard Ri that had seemingly come out of the blue. It was obvious where all the crows that had ever been punished by Siegfried stood in this matter. As it was, the murder was in an uproar. Siegfried had disappeared after Wolfram's declaration––unheard of, really, because some considered that running away.
It was outside, when Wolfram was leaving that Siegfried had confronted him. He'd descended on him, all claws and dark feathers, and then he took off again, ever running away. Wolfram went to work the next day with a bandaged right arm. The Otherworld, unlike the murder, was as calm as it had ever been, and it was only after a good couple of hours of seeking the former Anann of the murder that he came back to himself and called Tao.
He knew what the vampire had said the night before, but he hadn't honestly expected the vampire to set things up right away. It was a mild surprise, but for the first time in the past day, it was a welcome one. So, he packed an extra change of clothes just in case something happened to the loose jeans and shirt he was wearing, and after a long drive, arrived at the designated spot. The house looked utterly normal, lived in, which was something that made a corner of his lips quirk.
It was only at the door that he questioned his decision. As if to mock him, his phone vibrated, but he didn't take the call. It figured that Giselle would call when he had to see to the other part of his life. As much as he wanted something more between them, now wasn't the time. The murder came first––that was something Wolfram had reconciled himself to ever since he had risen to Badh.
He was turning his phone off with some reluctance when the door opened. The vampire looked different, more comfortable. He wondered if the vampire was having any second thoughts about binding them together. Wolfram had left his in his home. "No, thank you." He stepped into the vampire's home, but his gaze remained on the vampire himself, "I'm ready if you are."