Days later he found himself packed and heading to the small village he had been born in. It didn't seem to have changed in anyway other than the people. Looking around the small square he inhaled familiar scents and began to look around. His family home was not quite the same, someone had expanded on it but it was still home and apparently vacant. On further investigation he learned the family that had lived there most recently had died of illness and no one wanted to take up residence there due to the unknown virus. Buying the home and the land surrounding it Grismore moved in making sure it was almost like the home he had left so long ago. After establishing the home as his and packing a few provisions to make him appear human he once more began to travel throughout France. Binding books in cities and villages at a rather low price. Every book he bound a note was left behind be it within the pages or within the binding itself. Each note was a letter to Annika, a letter to tell her how he has been, of his travels and his past good and bad.

She had always accepted him and his faults. HE even told her of Marie, and the cave. Each note a continuance of the one previously. No one seemed to suspect until it was too late, if they suspected at all. The more he traveled the wider his surname grew. Grismore became a name of need for anyone who needed a book bound, the quality work he did outmatched his prices and no one wanted to pay more for a service than needed. Grismore gave the opportunity to everyone allowing papers to be bound into books for people who would have never been able to afford it any other time. When he began to double on places too soon rumors started spreading that Grismore wasn't aging, this forced him back to his home in the small village that bordered on Germany. This was only a safe haven for a couple of years before he made his escape into England where he was nothing more than a name with no face.

Turning his trade from that of a book binder to that of a tailor Grismore began to look for more work. Finding a small shop in need of help on the outskirts of London he was hired on to help. When word got out that the small shop had extra help more people began to show up, mostly from the upper class and even the castle. Orders upon orders from the royal family flooded into the shop leaving Grismore busy, the shopkeeper worried her newest employee was over worked tried to give him time off. However, Grismore assured her the work load was fine and that while he was in France he used to work longer harder hours while his "Brother" traveled around the country.

King Henry the VII decided he no longer wanted to order the clothing from the little shop, and wanted to make the man his personal tailor. Grismore agreed only if the castle continued to send the money for his services to the small shop. They agreed without a hesitation.

During his stay as the royal Tailor the King began to grow suspicious of rumor floating around France of a man who would not age, as well as Grismore not aging as he should have been. One night while he was making measurements for a new coat the King cornered him.

"Grismore, tell me. Is it a family trait that you are so young for so long or is it witchcraft?"

"Neither M'lord." He said simply. So far the king had never had a problem with his lack of aging and Grismore could usually brush him off during his hectic schedule, this time however was not one of those moments.

"Grismore. Do not lie to me, nor put me off again I am truly interested in knowing why you fail to grow old as we all do." He stated and stopped the man from doing his job. With a heavy sigh Grismore set the measuring tape down and looked at the King.

"What do you want to know? More importantly why do you want to know?" He asked crossing his arms over his chest. "I will not be used as a weapon and I cannot make you like me. So what is the point to your questions?" He asked a bit bitterly than intended.

"I want to know what you are. I have heard rumors and stories of beings around the world that are not... human. That are not like us and if you are one of them I simply want to know more."

"I am not human, no. What I am is complicated and not something that should be advertised. I am nothing more than a tailor with an unusually long life." He stated and grabbed the tape measure again to compete the measurements he needed.

"Where you always this way? Do you feel pain? Can you be killed? What do you eat to live? I have noticed you do not partake in meals as we do."

"Sir, what does any of this have to do with anything? I am nothing more than a tailor."

"Grismore, I have grown to enjoy our talks. You are a wise man and I consider you a friend. I just want to know more about who you are."

"I do feel pain, any creature with a heart can be killed it is a matter of knowing how to kill it. As for what I eat, I do not. I get my substance from he elements around me. The sun, earth even water and air." He explained keeping everything he said as vague as possible. He enjoyed his talks with the King as well, however, he was a King constantly looking for the upper hand and Grismore couldn't trust him with too much information on his kind.

"Are you the only one of your kind or is there more?"

"I do not know, I have met a handful of others similar to me and only one like me in almost every way. But I haven't seen him in quite sometime so I do not know if I am alone or not." He explained rubbing the back of his neck after making a note on the parchment.

"Do you have a family Grismore? Have you ever had a family?"

"I had a family once. Yes."

"Tell me about them, you are so good with the children and the queen. I want to learn of your family."

"My brother and my father were killed when I was a boy." He started slowly as if searching for the memories he hadn't thought of in centuries. "My sister, mother and I were left alone after my father died. My sister was the eldest and married a German man a few years after the their death. Mother never remarried. I was engaged once and she was taken from me mere weeks before the wedding." Looking back to the King he shook his head as the male seemed to sympathize. "Don't...It is long past and I have done what was needed to move past the pain." He stated and pulled out a few bolts of fabric for the king to inspect. "Mother died of fever about a year after Annika's death. When my family was gone and no one was left I moved on."

"Your sister, you said she married. Is she not still alive?" He inquired pulling the fabric he preferred out of the group and setting it on top of the others.

"She was caught in the plague long ago, along with her husband and son. There is no one left in my line save me." He admitted.

"But you claim you have a brother in France..." He murmured allowed as if trying to put pieces together but not quite getting there.

"I am my brother sir. I cannot have people learning I do not age. I would be killed, or worse. Others would try and replicate what I am and if that happens it would be disastrous." He explained looking the King in the eyes. "If anyone learned of my secret it could start a war so large it would encompass the world, it would grab the attention of other being that are not human and this could wipe out humanity. There are those who have power as I do, who can not age as I do not age. Those that I speak of think humans are nothing more than cattle, slaves to be used as they see fit. There are those more like me around that protect humans from the others who would harm them. We prefer to remain in the shadows away form the light of others seeing us as we truly are. I do hope this conversation remains between us. Henry, I also see you as a friend. But I will leave if I catch so much as a hint of betrayal. So much as a thought of it. I can not be used as a weapon, I must be seen as nothing more than a tailor, maybe even a bookbinder. Nothing more, with power-"

"Comes great responsibility. I understand Gregorie. I understand and I will... leave your secret here with you. I do have a question, can I call on you if I need advice? A man of your age and abilities must surely know more than a man of mine."

You are welcome in my workshop anytime you need advice sir, I do suggest you not call on me personally or publicly without a tailoring need at hand. Or things might get suspicious." Grismore stated before moving the unchosen bolts of fabric back to the shelves he kept them on. Once the king parted ways he would resume his work, still on edge and ready to leave at the moment there was trouble. However, there was never a moment that required him to leave and his secret remained within the family until the day Henry had passed away. For years the family accepted Grismore and only went to his study to interact with him, claiming the man behind the clothing was old and frail and didn't move around as well as he once had.