David

  I sat on the wide sofa with a book sprawled across my lap, though I’d read the same line three times without taking it in. Last night had gone late, too late. Amiles had ended up carrying his son out, refusing my offer of a guest room, while Aria had quietly accepted and stayed behind. Now, in the early morning, the tower was hushed. The only sounds were the soft scuff of maids tending to their duties and the muffled snoring drifting from the bedroom.

  For a moment, with my eyes closed, I could almost believe I was back home on Earth, lying on a porch somewhere, watching clouds drift over a quiet beach.

  A voice cut into the daydream. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

  I opened my eyes slightly. Aria stood in the doorway, wrapped in a bathrobe with her long black hair tied back. She walked across the room and sat down opposite me, folding her legs beneath her. When the robe shifted, her tattoos revealed bold spirals and glyphs flowing over her calves and across the tops of her feet.

  “I find non-mages usually recoil from them,” she said, tugging her sleeve up to reveal more of the ink curling down her arm.

  “As you see,” I said with a faint smile, “I’m not one of those.”

  She gave a small laugh, but her eyes were watchful. “Two of your wives are mages. That’s… different. Refreshing, even.”

  We sat in silence for a breath before I leaned forward. “Why are you here, Aria?”

  Her head tilted. “In Eldros? Or here, with you?”

  “Let’s start with Eldros.”

  She sighed. “I was obligated to. It was a quorum decision. Two against one, my vote didn’t matter. I thought you were just another ambitious noble to keep an eye on. They…” her lip curled. “…thought you were prey.”

  “And you?”

  Her eyes dropped. “I thought you were remarkable… resourceful, and… handsome. You spoke plainly, without guile. I wanted to believe the others were wrong. But Halden and Carthis… they were set on taking the Towers from you.”

  I barked a laugh, startling her. “That was their grand plan? To take an Engineer’s Tower?”

  Her brows furrowed. “Why is that funny?”

  “Because it would be suicide. No mage commands a Tower. Only Engineers. My towers alone house over a thousand golems, each bound to me. If they’d done their homework, they’d have realized walking into it was the same as walking into a dragon’s den.”

  Her face drained at my words, as though for the first time she glimpsed the scale of what she had nearly been a part of.

  Before I could say more, Allyson drifted in, gathering an empty teacup. Her voice was as calm as ever. “Master, probability now suggests an eighty-one percent chance you will marry Mage Devanthes within thirty days. Ninety-six percent within sixty.”

  “What?” Aria squeaked, cheeks coloring.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Allyson, the only probability rising right now is my headache.”

  “I was correct with your third wife, Marlena,” Allyson countered.

  “That was luck. Your formula was flawed. Remember, we spent an afternoon rewriting the integrals to include more attributes you were using.”

  “True, Master. We have since corrected the attribute weights. With the new scales, Miss Erica’s probabilities are near astronomical now.”

  Aria blinked between us, baffled. “You are talking about me, aren’t you?”

  “Afraid so,” I admitted. “Allyson thinks I don’t have enough wives.”

  “Yes, Master,” Allyson said evenly. “Melissa assessed that eight would be optimal.”

  “Eight?” Aria’s voice cracked.

  I spread my hands helplessly. “These two, Allyson and Melissa, gods that I love them both, they think that, besides protecting me, my wives anchor me. Keep me from losing myself in projects and other things… You saw last night, I can get carried away.”

  Her lips curved despite herself. “Airships.”

  “Exactly.” I chuckled. “But let’s set their matchmaking aside. Tell me, why haven’t you remarried?”

  Her expression darkened. “I did love once. My husband died several years ago. A duel that should never have been fought.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “You’re young, Aria. Beautiful. I would believe that suitors should be lined up at your door.”

  She shook her head. “Young? You’re sweet, but not anymore. Unless you’re of the nobility, there’s a cutoff in normal society. For women who have reached their thirties, their age becomes a black mark. I’m thirty-two, David. Too old.”

  “Too old?” I snorted. “Not to insult, but I’d have guessed younger.”

  Her laugh was soft, almost shy. “You’re being too nice to me. And you?”

  “Seventy-five. Had my birthday three months ago.”

  Her jaw dropped. “But you look…”

  “Yeah, I know. Complicated story. One I can’t share with anyone outside the family. Though if Allyson is to be believed, you’ll be family in… what, ten minutes?”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Aria actually laughed, the sound light and unguarded.

  “How many children do you have?” I asked.

  Her breath caught. “How did you know?”

  “To me, you’re not too old. That means the only thing holding you back is protecting someone else or a family member outside of you and your late husband. Looking at you here and how guarded you are, I would probably guess you have a child or two.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “Two boys. Richard is eight. Ben just turned seven. I couldn’t be there for his birthday. We’re not wealthy, David. My seat as Royal Mage is only mine because it passed from my husband when he died. His family still controls everything. My mother-in-law holds the power.”

  “You’re a high mage. Those markings on your skin prove it. The seat is yours, no matter what strings they pull.”

  She met my eyes, and for the first time, I saw the steel in her. “Maybe. But I won’t let my boys become pawns.”

  “Then you’re stronger than they’ll ever know,” I said. Then, leaning back, I added with a smile, “For now, breakfast.”

  She arched a brow. “Don’t you want to wait for your wives?”

  “They’re awake. Listening in from the bedroom.” I smirked.

  “You can hear them?”

  “No, I just know them.”

  She shook her head, bemused.

  I rose. “We’ve got lunch with the King and Princess today. Tonight, though… I want a closer look at those tattoos of yours. Ask Allira what that means.”

  Aria glanced down at the swirling ink on her skin, then back at me. “Closer look?”

  “Reading them,” I said. “Not what you’re thinking. Those markings of yours… they’re different from what I expected to see so far… I want to understand why.”

  Before she could reply, I called, “Seraphina.”

  “Yes, dear?” came the amused voice from the bedroom.

  “Could you arrange a dress for Aria? She’ll need one for today.”

  King Theran leaned back on the sofa, one hand over his stomach. “Oh, David, that was a delightful lunch.”

  “Father!” Princess Theresa huffed beside him, swatting his arm. “Don’t be so rude.”

  The King only laughed, patting his belly.

  “We still have cake and tea for dessert,” Seraphina called from the kitchen.

  “King Theran,” I said, settling across the low table, “this is fairly typical for us. We overdo it more often than we should.”

  Allira and Marlena sat gracefully at my side, skirts fanned around them. I knew Allira hated dresses, but she was trying, and that meant more to me than words.

  Queen Aleryn appeared from the dining room with her tea and took a place beside the princess.

  The King shifted forward, fixing me with a measuring look. “So, David. Tell me, what’s this new interest you have in airships?”

  The question hit me like a brick. I hadn’t expected that tonight. I bought a moment by accepting a teacup from Seraphina.

  “Well,” I said carefully, “what I saw at the mage cathedral disturbed me. That vessel was a deathtrap. And I realized that with the resources I have now, I could rebuild the system entirely. Make airship travel safe again. Reliable.”

  Queen Aleryn sipped her tea. “What resources do you mean, exactly?”

  “Two towers,” I said. “The one in Vaelthorn can repair and refit vessels back to their proper standards.”

  “Karethuun isn’t even on the current airship routes,” the Queen added. “Would you consider adding us?”

  “That’s my eventual goal,” I admitted. “But first, I need the three cathedral vessels made safe. Beyond that, I already have two airships of my own, plus whatever I can put together out of the remains of the ones that can’t fly.”

  “So six in total,” King Theran said slowly.

  “If the proposal is approved, yes. Six initially. But over time, we could resurrect and restore something out of the six scraped ones.”

  “And funds?” he pressed.

  I gestured behind him. “On the table, there is a box with the gold that I have already set aside.”

  His brows rose. “Projects of this scope pass through me, David. I’ll need to see the proposal, how this all comes together.”

  “Of course. The Valen family is preparing the details.”

  I rose and brought some small boxes forward. “But in the meantime, Princess, this is what I promised you.”

  Her eyes lit as I opened the first box and held up a small card. “These are called flash cards. There is a math problem on one side, and the answer on the other. A way to practice until the equations become second nature. You said you struggled with division…” I opened another box. “…so I made you a set of division cards also.”

  Her smile could have lit the room. “Father, I’ve decided.”

  The King arched a brow. “You have?”

  “Yes. I choose Earl Robertson.”

  I choked on my tea, spraying into my cup. “What?”

  The silence was instant and total. Even my wives stiffened beside me. Marlena blinked, wide-eyed; Allira’s jaw dropped.

  My mind raced. Was this a joke? A test? An arranged match I’d overlooked in a footnote? Royal engagements weren’t dinner invitations; you didn’t just decide them over cake. A dozen implications hit me all at once: diplomatic fallout, noble gossip, magical politics, inheritance laws, my wives’ reactions, the northern campaign… gods, the Princess’s age. What is the Princess’s age anyway?

  I swallowed hard. “Did either of you know about this?” I asked, turning desperately toward my wives. Twin shakes of the head.

  The King beamed. “No objections, then. Good.”

  “Master,” Allyson’s voice chimed in from the corner, “this outcome was not in my calculations.”

  “Nor mine,” Melissa agreed primly.

  King Theran clapped his hands together. “Excellent. We’ll plan for a summer wedding. Lovely timing, don’t you think, Elsie?”

  “Theodore,” Queen Aleryn said dryly, “perhaps give the boy a moment to breathe.”

  I set down my cup with shaking fingers. “Does this… sort of thing happen often?”

  “Yes,” the King said without hesitation. “David, my son. My parents chose my wife for me and didn’t tell me until the wedding. That was normal then."

  "Ahh. Those days," Aleryn sighs. "My husband, the Gods rest his soul, brought me lunch every day for a week, before he got the nerve to ask my father." She sat back, staring at the cookie in her hand. "I was surprised when my father said yes..."

  "Times have changed since then. Now, let’s do this properly." Theran said. "I’ll give you until after your trip north. If you have questions, ask them then. If not, we’ll consider it settled.”

  "Are you sure of this, Theresa?" Queen Aleryn asked.

  “Yes, I am. I feel inside, he is my future. After my awakening, I visited the Oracle, who spoke of a man from beyond our borders… a Builder… one who would stand alone against many. I dismissed it. I thought it was poetic nonsense. Like many that I read about,” She looked up at me. “Then you walked into the cathedral and spoke as if you belonged there. Then the old mechanisms woke at your touch. Then you faced men who meant you harm and did not step back.” A faint smile. “I realized I was no longer listening to poetry,” Theresa said as she held Aleryn's hand.

  My head was spinning. “Three questions right now. First, is this usual for couples at her age?” I held up three fingers.

  Princess Theresa spoke up, “I’m eighteen.”

  The King’s expression didn’t change. “You were there at her magical awakening not long ago, which means she’s now eligible. In royal courts, betrothals often begin as early as fourteen, but marriage doesn’t occur until their awakenings or when they reach eighteen. Theresa chose to delay any courtship until after her awakening. And yes, David, before you ask, multiple marriages are common.”

  I nodded slowly, trying to process that as I lowered both fingers in sequence. “Second, her schooling. And lastly, Baron Winsket.”

  Theran’s expression tightened, just slightly. “No objections to anything else, just these three questions. David, you are an interesting person. Okay, schooling will wait until after the wedding. I understand that Vaelthorn has the best facilities, especially for her class. You’ll need to handle all the logistics, but we should discuss the funding later. As for Winsket…” His eyes darkened. “We’ll speak on that tomorrow.”

  He stood, and the rest of us rose. When he clasped my hand, his grip was iron. “Thank you, David.” And then he was gone, Queen Aleryn gliding after him, smile like a cat who knew a secret. Marlena and Allira followed to see them out.

  That left me blinking in place when Theresa slipped close and hugged me tightly. “Thank you,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to my cheek before following her father.

  Seraphina peeked out of the kitchen, a plate of cake in her hand. “Did I miss something?”

  Erica’s voice was flat. “David got engaged.”