The Man Inside Black House

Some men enter a room and command attention. Others enter a room and expect it.

Lord Leopold Alexander Johannes Black belongs firmly in the second category.

He has the kind of presence that makes people reconsider what they were about to say. Tall, lean, impeccably dressed, and possessed of a particularly sharp British wit, Leopold doesn't need to raise his voice to make himself understood. He is perfectly capable of being charming. Whether he chooses to be is another matter entirely.

And he has never been particularly concerned with being liked.

A Fortress, Not an Ordinary Home

Black Fortress stands above the South African coast, its origins reaching back to the seventeenth century. Its history is intertwined with generations of wealth, trade, and influence, and the Black family has had centuries to make it extraordinary.

The fortress is not an exercise in medieval austerity. It is magnificent.

Ancient stonework surrounds contemporary luxury. Beautiful antiques share space with extraordinary collections of Lalique crystal. Black marble, fine furnishings, and spectacular views of the sea make the fortress a place of almost overwhelming beauty.

Black Fortress is Leopold's residence, but Black House extends far beyond its walls. Like the other Kalos Houses, it represents a family, a hierarchy, and a sphere of power and influence.

Leopold presides over both with an authority that requires very little explanation.

He appreciates beautiful things. He simply has no interest in making them appear modest.

Even his choice of jewelry is deliberate. Kalos are particular about their signature jewels, and Leopold favors Hawk's Eye, a dark, steel-blue stone that can appear almost black until the light catches it. He wears an oval cabochon set in a heavy silver signet ring, with a matching stud in his left ear.

Understated, perhaps, by the standards of a man who lives in a fortress.

But entirely appropriate.

Malice and Mayhem

Two black panthers named Malice and Mayhem are among the inhabitants of Black Fortress.

The names should tell you something about Leopold's sense of humor.

There is something rather extraordinary about seeing a magnificent black panther lounging beside a fireplace, entirely at ease among priceless furnishings and Lalique crystal.

Of course, one might assume the animals are intended to intimidate visitors.

But Leopold hardly needs their assistance.

He is perfectly capable of making someone uncomfortable all by himself.

A Different Kind of Elegance

I've spent a great deal of time thinking about the differences between Lord Grey and Lord Black.

Grey has an effortless quality about him, something distinctly American tempered by French casual elegance. He can make informality look expensive.

Leopold is another matter.

His clothes are precisely tailored, his manners unmistakably aristocratic, and his appearance reflects a man who has never felt the need to apologize for privilege.

But their differences go considerably deeper than clothing or furniture.

Both men possess extraordinary wealth and power. Both have lived long enough to understand human nature rather better than most humans understand themselves.

And both have their own ideas about how the world ought to work.

Unfortunately, those ideas don't always agree.

The Trouble with Lord Black

Leopold can be cruel. He is territorial, proud, and entirely capable of carrying a grievance for longer than most people live.

He also possesses intelligence, humor, taste, and a remarkable capacity for loyalty.

That combination interests me far more than a villain who is simply unpleasant.

When we encounter someone through the eyes of his enemy, how much do we really know about him?

Grey has his reasons for disliking Black.

Black has his reasons for disliking Grey.

And neither gentleman is particularly interested in presenting the other's side of the argument.

Which brings me back to the question I raised in my earlier article: When Does a Rival Become a Villain?

Perhaps it depends on who gets to tell the story.

Or perhaps the more interesting question is whether either man would recognize himself in the other's version of events.

One thing is certain.

Lord Black has never been particularly concerned with being liked.

Being underestimated, however, is quite another matter.

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Grey House: The Feeding is the first novel in The Kalos Chronicles, an adult dark urban fantasy series by Antonia Portage.

Discover the world of the Kalos at antoniaportage.com.