The next day came with no new surprises, though Artemy couldn’t help but be surprised that he lived to see it. He had fully expected - and accepted - that the killer would return and finish his quest, and yet he remained.

The feeling was of little comfort to him, especially when he found the guest bedroom to be empty, the bed Cassius once claimed tidied up as best as a noble’s son could do. He thought at first that Cassius must have gone to study without him, and though he had expected the two to talk more of the night before, he was at least happy that Cassius was unscathed.

With that, then, Artemy dressed for the day and rushed outside, having decided that he rather regretted sending the letter after all.

However, the post ran early as it often did at the end of the week, and the only thing in his mailbox was another letter from his mother, likely saying the same thing again - the very thing he didn’t want to hear. Dread settled in his heart as he pocketed the letter with clammy hands, knowing that there would be no third letter, that he either had to respond to her or face her wrath in person.

Artemy returned, momentarily forgetting about Cassius, or rather, trying to forget.

His mother’s first letter had been an inquiry about marriage, to which Artemy could not say he was shocked. He was approaching the age to marry - in fact, most of the men at the university were already engaged. His mother had been invested in setting up a good marriage for her only son until it bordered on an obsession, and he had tried to avoid the topic until the only way he could run was by enrolling in university.

Artemy did exactly that, and it seemed to make things even worse when he met Cassius.

Before they met, he only knew that the thought of having a wife unsettled him, but Artemy simply assumed that he was just meant to be a bachelor. It seemed that fate had other plans, or rather, other definitions for bachelorhood, for when he met Cassius, he often wondered which definition he called himself, whether Cassius was like him.

He sat down at the kitchen table with his tea, opening the letter with a sigh. After a few tense moments, it became clear that he had been correct - and that his mother was becoming frustrated with him.

‘You must understand that marriage ensures a business’s legacy continues,’ she wrote, her handwriting rushed with agitation. ‘I fail to see why you act like it’s a damnable thing. I would never make you marry someone you hated.’

But that was the problem, Artemy supposed with a breath. She would never find someone he loved, because Artemy simply wasn’t attracted to women.

Gripping his pen, he briefly considered just writing ‘I am a homosexual’ in bold letters, though she would just think him mad for it. Instead, he wrote her name and set out to write another half-thought excuse for rejecting the idea, though he found no words could come.

God, he was such a git.

After a few moments of stumbling and tossing out ruined parchment sheets, Artemy decided that writing wasn’t worth being late for his classes. It felt strange - walking alone to the university, though he knew he was being ridiculous. A thousand things could have occurred for Cassius to have left so suddenly, and not all of them necessarily ended in disaster.

He arrived earlier than usual, and briefly looked to the fountain to find that it had been covered up for the winter and shut off. The sunlight couldn’t penetrate the clouds enough to even touch where Cassius and he once sat, and the monument no longer looked familiar. It looked more like the ghost of what once was a fountain, and Artemy thought it to be a terribly dreary sight.

As such, Cassius was not sitting on his usual spot, and so Artemy trudged up the stairs to his class, trying not to cloud his mind with worries and ill-regarded intuition.

Artemy was surprised to find that the door to his class was locked and the candles unlit, though he couldn’t say he was disappointed. He lingered in the hall for only a moment before returning outside, deciding to return home until he saw Cassius fluttering through the courtyard, his expression troubled.

“Mr. Beckett, there you are!” He said, waving at him when he gathered Cassius’s attention.

Cassius’s face brightened, and though his eyes were still stormy, Artemy could tell that the two were still friends. “Artemy, my darling boy! I apologize for rushing off without so much as a goodbye. My mother overheard what had happened at your home, and so I left before class to assure her that I hadn’t been ripped to pieces, you understand.”

“And how did Ms. Beckett react when you returned?” Artemy asked, trying not to snicker. If Artemy’s mother was only ever overbearing about marriage, Cassius’s mother was a tyrant - though, presumably, a caring one. She had raised Cassius to be the shining image of a future noble, and had damned near disowned him when he called off his marriage.

Cassius collapsed on a bench dramatically, groaning in agony. “She’s convinced I was off sneaking into some girl’s knickers, but she seemed even more irate when I told her I was with you. Would she rather me be a rake or not?”

“I believe she’d rather you stay locked up in the great and noble house of Beckett,” Artemy remarked. “I presume you didn’t tell her of what else happened last night?”

Cassius paled, his hand rubbing over his face subconsciously, as if still trying to wipe off the killer’s breath. “No. She’d have half of London in a mob trying to find the bastard, and the other half would be burning down. I - I suppose I didn’t think it was important, nevertheless.”

The truth of what had occurred in the woods lingered on the tip of Artemy’s tongue like a sin waiting to be uttered, though he found that he had not the bravery to utter it. “It was downright strange, is what it was,” he finally said with an unconvincing shudder. The way Cassius’s brow raised told him that he knew that something was wrong. “I hope the bastard gets caught before I - before any of us gets killed!”

“Right,” Cassius said strangely, slowly. “Have you checked the post?”

“Why?” Artemy asked too quickly, his hand gripping the bench like a lifeline. “Is there - Should there be something for me?”

Cassius gave him a long, concerned look. “Well, I suppose the daily news is for you as much as it’s for anyone, if that’s what you mean. I’ve not gotten the opportunity to check myself, so I was hoping you had news. Supposedly there was another killing last night, but - are you quite all right?”

“Fine,” Artemy said, trying to not sound relieved and likely failing in doing so. “I’m just - on edge, I suppose.”

“You should sleep more, old chap,” Cassius said, patting his shoulder as he stood. “I can tell this whole thing is taking a toll on you, but I meant it when I said we should give it a rest. Some things are beyond even my own talents and magnificence.”

Artemy half-heartedly agreed and was ready for Cassius to follow him home when he hesitated on the street. He turned, only to see Cassius looking sheepish. “I know I said I preferred to stay with you until the killer is found, but I do believe my mother will have me slaughtered if I don’t follow her very particular orders. You understand, don’t you?”

He would read the letter, Artemy thought. He would read it as soon as he got home, and then they would never speak again. Never again would he have Cassius in his kitchen. Never again would they walk together to class, nor sit at their fountain.

Artemy blinked back tears and nodded. “Oh, truly. Mother’s orders, and all.”

Cassius made to leave, though Artemy couldn’t stop himself from speaking again, stopping his closest friend. “Cassius. Could I - Could I ask your opinion on a matter?”

Cassius cocked his head curiously, though his eyes were kind. “Of course, Artemy. Whatever has you troubled?”

“My mother wants to marry me off.” The words were poison on his tongue, but Artemy still uttered them, gauging Cassius’s reaction carefully. “I understand you once backed out of a marriage when it should have been far too late to do so, if you’ll forgive me for bringing it up. Might I ask - How can I do the same?”

The world was silent for only a moment until, against all his expectations, Cassius laughed. The sound was not cruel - it was warm, only emitting fondness. Artemy couldn’t understand it. “My dear Artemy,” he finally said after a moment, wrapping his arm around his shoulders much like a father would. “I only barely survived such a feat as a noble’s son. You shouldn’t damn yourself to the same fate - not if you can help it. Why are you getting cold feet all of a sudden? Surely, the woman can’t be so bad!”

Artemy swallowed hard, the lump in his throat only worsening from Cassius’s touch. He felt his face heat up humiliatingly, not having expected Cassius to side with his mother. “It’s just - I’ve not met her yet. Is it terrible of me if I don’t want to be married - ever?”

He looked up at Cassius who, for a moment, was staring back at him strangely, an oddly blank look on his face. After a moment, Cassius smiled, more gentle than usual. “It’s not a terrible thing, but do you not want to experience love if but once?”

“Do you?”

Cassius nearly flinched, blinking several times as if surprised. His cheeks reddened just slightly, and he laughed nervously. “I believe it’s not for me, my boy. It… was a fleeting, foolish thing, at best.”

Somehow, Artemy wished that Cassius had lied to him and simply said that he never fell in love, but the truth of knowing he had found someone - an entire truth Artemy had been locked out of - made his chest ache ever more. He couldn’t help but wonder who she was, what qualities she possessed that drew Cassius in so.

What she could have that Artemy did not.

Cassius withdrew his arm, letting the cold grasp Artemy once again, though not before saying, “Consider it, at least. It’s wise advice from an even wiser man.”

“Where’s the wise man at, then?” Artemy asked, looking past him in faux confusion and trying not to let his eyes blur with the exact love Cassius had spoken of.

Cassius laughed, though the sound faded into a brief cough. He looked unconcerned with the sound, though Artemy at once worried that the cold was affecting him. “I do believe my allergies are getting the best of me,” he said, wiping his nose with his handkerchief.

With that, they said their goodbyes - Cassius feeling lighter than ever, and Artemy feeling far, far worse.