After a moment of hesitation, Maleki turned and followed Aleksandra into her room. He was not looking forward to this conversation, but he had promised her once they were inside and had some peace and quiet he would, and with basically half a length of hallway in the form of another room and bathroom between them and Tommen, it was time. Maleki moved over to the foot of the bed and sat down on the edge of it, sighing as he did so. His elbows rested on his knees as he leaned forward and began to figure out how to start the story. There was so many pieces and Maleki wasn’t sure which was most important. With an inhale, he began, unsure if it was the right call or not.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#0080ff">“The shortest version is that I didn’t know who worked for the Duke and the Duke’s puppet master that was left here or who was being controlled,”</span>Maleki said.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#0080ff">“And I had no evidence to prove that I wasn’t a part of it. A usurpation of the throne and the Duke being a lord regent. That was the story that was passed around down below. Apparently the Green-Gold had been planning for the attack for a while, because the people took to the lie a bit too easily. So, if our little resistance wanted a legitimate claim to lead, I needed to clear my name with paperwork from inside the mansion. So, the night of the rebellion, I snuck in with a common girl who’s mother used to work in the mansion.”</span><br/><br/>The exhale was finally released, and Maleki’s hands began to lock together.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#0080ff"> “The Duke was dead, his head popped like a cherry. And when I said puppet master, I mean… The servants I grew up with were gladly bringing blades against me or burning paperwork with smiles and tears. He was long gone, too,”</span>Maleki cleared his throat for a moment, before continuing.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#0080ff">“I watched the guy who grew up with me as his father worked as head butler cut open her spine. She couldn’t move anymore and if I took her outside, the mob we were trying to rally would blame me because I didn’t have the proof. And our inside gal…. That puppet master left her like a message on the fountain in the courtyard inside. There was no evidence and no witness to capture, and a dead Duke is a useless scapegoat.” </span>Maleki was quiet for a while.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#0080ff">“They needed a scapegoat and they needed someone to find the puppet master. Aside from the puppet master, I was the only one to leave that mansion that night. That way, it was a great cover. If the puppet master heard of it, he’d think I snapped when handling former friends and seeing a dear friend… like that. I left whoever survived -three out of six others- a note around back under this rock we used to use as kids, so they knew about the puppet master. And I left to find him.”</span><br/><br/>Maleki shivered slightly and continued.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#0080ff"> “Our lie overwrote their lie. Lady Kaya knows how to talk and Arslan can make something out of nothing if given enough paper and inspiration. So the rest is history. I am the Bloody Exarch, because I was ‘made’ a puppet and then tossed aside once the job was done.”</span>