The bathwater rippled gently around us, warmth sinking into muscle and bone. Seraphina leaned back against the smooth stone edge, her crimson hair spread out behind her like a silk banner. Steam lazily curled around her face as she tilted her head toward Allyson, her voice calm and curious.

  “So, Allyson,” she asked, eyes half-lidded, “can you tell us about the previous Tower Masters? Did they have families like this?”

  Allyson’s voice, calm and neutral, echoed off the tiled walls. “Yes, Lady Seraphina. Over the tower’s history, there have been thirty-six Masters. Their predecessor chose each as a student and successor. When the previous Master moved on, the student inherited the tower and its responsibilities. That has been the tradition for over ten thousand years.”

  Allira, draped beside me, perked up. “So this was Kreven’s home? The last Master?”

  “Correct,” Allyson confirmed. “Kreven was instrumental in designing the tower’s defensive protocols. He resided here with his four wives.”

  “Four?” I was shocked. “I thought I had my hands full already.”

  “Yes,” Allyson said without hesitation. “Your three is fewer than any previous Tower Master. On average, they had six wives. "

  “Three?” Mage Valen echoed, her voice rising.

  Allyson turned her gaze toward her. “Yes. My current projections estimate a seventy-two percent chance that you will marry the Master within six months.”

  Valen’s expression shifted from amused disbelief to overt panic. She started to stand up, splashing water as she moved. “No, no, no. That’s not…”

  I gently caught her hand. “Wait. Just breathe.”

  She froze in place, glaring at me. I turned to Allyson. “What are you basing that on?”

  “Trend analysis of past Masters and observed behaviors. However, I also noticed an anomaly worth mentioning.” Allyson replied.

  “What anomaly?” Seraphina asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched me hold Valen’s hand.

  “You, Master. Your choice of partners diverges from all previous patterns,” Allyson said, her voice calm and precise. “Past Masters selected spouses primarily from the Engineering sphere or individuals without formal classes. You, however, have two wives from the Magic sphere. This is statistically anomalous.”

  I tilted my head. “Why does that matter?”

  “Previous partners followed a predefined set of compatibility parameters,” Allyson continued. “Including class alignment, aptitude overlap, and physical characteristics.”

  “Such as?” I asked, already regretting it.

  “Eye color, height, and average breast size,” Allyson said without hesitation.

  Allira immediately sat up in the bath, sending ripples across the surface as she narrowed her eyes. “Excuse me, what exactly are you trying to say about our classes?”

  “They are considered lesser,” Allyson replied.

  “Excuse me?” Seraphina’s tone was sharp, dangerous now.

  Water splashed as the two women squared their shoulders. Even Valen, half-frozen, blinked at Allyson in shock.

  I raised a hand. “Hold on. Explain that.”

  “In the Tower hierarchy, classes are ranked by their potential usefulness to Engineering goals. Magic and Divine classes have traditionally been seen as less compatible and are therefore avoided for partnership bonds,” Allyson replied.

  I looked at Seraphina, Allira, and then Valen. “These women are not lesser. They’re my equals. My partners. Their strength is what got us here.”

  “Understood, Master. Policy has been noted and updated. The Tower’s protocols will reflect your revised criteria.”

  “So in ten thousand years,” Seraphina said, eyebrows high, “not one engineer looked at a mage and thought, ‘yes please?’”

  “Correct.”

  “That’s stupid,” she said flatly.

  “Narrow-minded,” I agreed.

  “These two,” I said, gesturing to Allira and Valen, “are strong, brilliant, and beautiful. I won’t let a damn protocol define my life.”

  “Understood. The Tower’s marriage policy has been revised.”

  I felt Valen slowly relax beside me, though her cheeks were still a deep crimson. Seraphina chuckled from across the bath. “Looks like you’re breaking more than just rifts, love.”

  I grinned. “First of many traditions to go.”

  After a long silence, broken only by the gentle ripples of the bathwater and the faint hum of distant tower mechanisms, I decided to move. “I’m going to take a look around the residence,” I said, standing slowly. “Allyson, care to give me the grand tour?”

  Allira and Seraphina were half-submerged, their eyes heavy-lidded with comfort, while Valen stared resolutely at the far wall, clearly trying not to look my way. I stepped out of the bath with a quiet splash and reached for a towel, drying off slowly and deliberately. I noticed Valen flush slightly and become even more stiff. I couldn’t help but smile a little. She’d faced demons without flinching, but apparently, my bare body was more unsettling.

  Wrapping the towel around my waist, I nodded to Allyson, who stood ready at the threshold like a perfect sentinel.

  “I’m guessing this is the master bath,” I said, stepping onto the warm stone of the floor beyond. “So what else did the great masters leave behind?”

  “Yes, master,” Allyson replied, gliding ahead of me with her usual poised grace. “The residence consists of ten main sections. I will first highlight the primary living areas.”

  She moved as if she had memorized the floor plan in a thousand dimensions. First was a sprawling master bedroom, luxurious without being showy. High ceilings, a massive bed, deep bookshelves filled with volumes bound in metal and leather. Then, two guest bedrooms, a sunroom with tinted crystal windows letting in golden daylight, and a cozy reading chamber with a hearth made of polished black stone.

  The kitchen was next, sleek metal surfaces, a top-tier alchemy-grade prep counter, and enchanted cold storage that hummed softly in the background. A bowl of preserved fruit sat on the counter, untouched and still fresh after who knows how many decades. The place didn’t feel abandoned; it felt dormant, waiting.

  Then I saw it. A door, half-hidden in shadow against one wall of the main living space. Grey, metallic, and seamless with no visible knob. Just a square pad set beside it.

  “What’s that door over there?” I asked, pointing.

  Allyson paused. “That is the master’s workshop. So, it’s your workshop now,” she said.

  I tilted my head, curiosity rising like a flare. “The workshop.”

  “Yes, master. Only tower engineers have had access. It contains the original tools, prototypes, arcane equipment, and mechanisms left behind by the previous masters.” She paused, then added, “Some of the contents have been locked under restricted access. Your authorization is required to enable entry.”

  My heart beat faster. I slowly approached the door, feeling something shift beneath my skin, the engineer’s sense of possibility. The door seemed to hold its breath.

  “I’d like to see it,” I said.

  Allyson nodded. “Place your hand on the pad and say your name, please.”

  I stepped forward, wiped my palm dry, and pressed it to the panel. “David Robertson.”

  There was a soft, harmonic chime. A pulse of blue light traced along the edges of the door. Then, with a deep hiss of air and the groan of ancient seals breaking, the workshop door slid open.

  A breath of cool, mineral-scented air washed over me. The space inside was dark, waiting, waiting for me.

  “Shall we?” I said, glancing back at Allyson.

  She lowered her head. “After you, Master.”

  Seraphina stretched her leg along the warm stone lip of the bath, the water lazily lapping at her calf. Steam curled in slow spirals toward the vaulted ceiling, blurring the lanternlight. Her voice was calm, almost amused, when she finally spoke.

  “I can see David’s about to get overwhelmed,” she said, the corners of her lips tilting in a faint smile. “You ever wonder why we were the ones chosen to be his wives?”

  Allira shifted in the water, droplets sliding down the curve of her shoulder. “I did at first,” she admitted. “Why was I chosen, and what did I really bring to this group?”

  Seraphina trailed her fingers across the surface of the bath, watching the ripples fan outward. “I’ve thought about that too. This kind of marriage doesn’t happen by chance. It only lasts if it benefits the whole. That’s my guess, anyway. What I did realize is that we must all share something in common, or else the gods wouldn’t have blessed it.” Her gaze slid to Allira with quiet curiosity. “What do you think you bring?”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  Allira scoffed, sitting a little higher in the water. “Well, I’ve got no family worth naming, I’m broke half the time, but I do have a strong sword arm. That’s about it.”

  Seraphina let out a soft breath. “I’m not much different. You know about my sister already. I never told you about her dumbass husband. Other than that, I’ve only got my father and brother… and they’ve both met David. I don’t really have any skills that stand out.”

  “That’s not true,” Allira said, her voice firm. “You handled that visit with the General better than I expected. I saw him stop and really take notice when you spoke. That’s something. You have a way of making people listen.”

  Seraphina’s smile softened, her eyes briefly distant. “I was thinking only of our lovely husband when I spoke. What was best for him was all that mattered. And you…” she gave Allira a teasing look, “you in that dress. That was best for him, too.”

  Allira chuckled, shaking her head. “What do you think about that ‘lesser class’ garbage?” she asked at last, her tone edged with irritation.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Seraphina said confidently. “It’s not how David views the world. He judges people by their worth, not their titles.”

  “Still to even say something like that out loud.” Allira crossed her arms, ripples gently lapping against her pushed-up breasts. “I’ve seen mage families, cleric dynasties. This old hierarchy stuff doesn’t fit anymore.”

  “It might’ve fit centuries ago,” Valen said softly, trailing a hand through the water. “But not now.”

  Seraphina turned toward her, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah, but what’s your first name? I hate calling you ‘Mage Valen’ all the time.”

  “Oh.” The mage blinked, then offered a small, sheepish smile. “Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. It’s Marlena. Or just Mar.”

  “Well then, Marlena,” Allira said with a warm grin, “welcome to the family.”

  Marlena stiffened. “I’m not part of your family. I’m only here because Arch Mage Vael asked me to learn from Lord David and report back.”

  Allira burst into laughter. “Same here! Except I’m reporting back to the Crown.”

  Seraphina chuckled beside her. “That makes me the only one here for my reasons. You two just showed up with ulterior motives for our husband.”

  “He’s not my husband,” Marlena protested quickly, though her voice held more panic than certainty.

  Allira raised an eyebrow and smirked. “If he’s not, why were you naked in the bath with us?”

  Marlena flushed. “It just looked too good to pass up.”

  “You might want to check your current status,” Seraphina said teasingly. “Allira was in the same situation. Before anyone realized, the gods had already blessed the marriage.”

  Marlena hesitated. Then, with a slight frown, she raised her hand. A pale blue glow reflected off the bathwater as her status panel appeared in front of her. She stared at it. Blinked. Her expression shifted from confusion to disbelief and finally to outright fury.

  She muttered a curse under her breath and stood suddenly, water sliding off her golden skin and tattoos. Without saying a word, she stomped across the tiles and stormed out of the room.

  “Well,” Seraphina said, still lounging, “I guess we have another sister-wife.”

  Allira sighed and stood, wringing water out of her braid. “Yeah. We’d better go after her before she hurts someone.”

  The two women stepped out, grabbing towels. Seraphina picked up a spare on her way out. “She’s going to need this,” she said, shaking her head and smiling faintly.

  I stood in the dining room, rolling my shoulders to work out the stiffness after hours hunched in the private workshop. Muscles ached in places I forgot I had. Across the room, Allyson waited silently near the table, hands folded, patient as ever.

  “The tools in there,” I said, brushing a hand through my damp hair, “they’re better than anything I’ve used since well, ever.”

  She gave a small nod, already anticipating the next step.

  “Let’s move the components in,” I added. “Once we’re set up, things get serious.”

  The door to the hallway slammed open with a bang.

  Marlena stormed into the room like a lightning bolt wrapped in steam, completely exposed, furious, and moving like she meant to burn the place down just by walking through it. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her voice cracked like a whip. “This is all your fault!” she shrieked, jabbing a trembling finger straight at me. “I demand you fix it!”

  I froze mid-sentence, words dying in my throat. “Fix what?” I managed, blinking in disbelief. I turned slowly to Allyson, who stood there with her head tilted, clearly as lost as I was.

  A second later, Seraphina and Allira burst in behind Marlena, both barely wrapped in towels. “Marlena, wait,” Seraphina started.

  But the young mage’s voice cracked as tears streamed down her cheeks. “My life is ruined!” she wailed. “I can’t go back! I can’t take the exam, my family will have to disown me!”

  She dropped to her knees on the cold marble, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her skin still shimmered with water, droplets catching the light, and those tattoos of hers pulsed faintly in the glow of the room. I moved around the dining table without a word and crouched down beside her. Gently, I reached out and pulled her into my arms.

  She didn’t resist.

  Marlena just collapsed against me, sobbing into my bare shoulder like the weight of the world had finally broken through.

  With a gentle nod, I supported her to her feet and led her to the plush sofas in the nearby sitting room. I sat down while still holding Marlena. Seraphina and Allira sat on either side, wrapping towels more securely around themselves.

  I held one of Marlena’s hands in both of mine, brushing my thumb gently over her knuckles. “You have me completely at a loss,” I said softly. “What exactly did I ruin?”

  Through hiccups and a dripping nose, she choked out, “The High Mage Trials. I was just a week away. However, my status panel now indicates that I’m married. My family will never accept it. My place in the Circle is gone.”

  I looked over at Seraphina and Allira, hoping for clarity. Seraphina just smiled sweetly, calm as ever. “Say hello to your third wife, sweetheart.”

  I blinked. “Wait. What?”

  Allira shrugged, a towel tucked under one arm. “Yeah, we thought it would take her longer. I mean, I had plans. Training. It was supposed to take at least a few weeks.”

  “Same here,” Seraphina added. “We fell for you over time. Marlena must’ve fallen harder, faster.”

  I turned back to Marlena, still curled against me. “I’m not upset,” I said slowly. “Just surprised. But don’t worry. I. We will take care of you.”

  She looked up at me with those watery eyes, tangled in guilt and confusion. “But I didn’t mean to…”

  “You didn’t have to mean to,” Allira said gently, cutting in. “The gods did. Blame them for being so quick.”

  Seraphina grinned. “Welcome to the madness, Mar.”

  I gave a quiet laugh, still holding her close. “Well,” I said, glancing around the room, “we’d better start making space at the dinner table.”

  “Alyson?” I called, still seated beside Marlena as she dried her cheeks with the towel Seraphina had given her.

  The golem stepped out from the workshop, smooth and silent as ever. “Yes, Master?”

  I looked around the residence, the scattered clothes, the empty tea tray on the table, the folded armor near the door, and exhaled softly. “How many other units like you are in the tower?”

  Alyson tilted her head slightly. “Like me? None. I am the only fully autonomous informational unit assigned to this tower. However, there are forty-three lesser support units still active throughout the facility.”

  “And of those,” I asked, “how many are designated for household staffing?”

  “As many as you desire, Master. The default staffing level is three.”

  Seraphina looked up from where she was braiding her damp hair. “Let’s bring those three online. This place is beautiful, but it could use a little help keeping it that way.”

  I nodded. “Alyson, let’s reassign three of the support units to handle domestic duties, laundry, meal prep, and cleaning.”

  “Yes, Master. Reassigning now.”

  There was a subtle chime, and a flicker of blue light passed briefly across her eyes.

  “And what about the others?” I asked. “What’s the full complement of units in this tower?”

  “Our current staffing level is at full operational strength,” Alyson replied. “Five thousand combat golems, three hundred general-purpose golems, and one hundred construction-class units are currently housed and maintained in lower sublevels.”

  The room went silent.

  Allira blinked. “Five thousand combat golems?”

  “Correct.”

  “Why so many?” she asked, exchanging a glance with Seraphina.

  “This tower,” Alyson said evenly, “was the central distribution node for mechanized ground support among the Six Towers. Usually, about one thousand golems would be kept in reserve, while the remaining four thousand would be deployed across the continents to support the other five towers. However, with the severing of inter-tower communication networks and transportation links roughly four hundred twenty-three years ago, all deployed assets were recalled. The full complement has stayed in storage since.”

  I leaned back slowly, letting the weight of that number settle in. “So this tower was the supplier.”

  “Yes, Master. It is the heart of the Engineer military infrastructure.”

  Marlena, still covered in her towel, gave a low whistle. “And here I thought the lightning storm was the end of it.”

  “No,” Seraphina said with a dry smile. “We’re just getting started.”

  Allira stood and paced to the window, looking out over the city. “If we have that kind of firepower, we might win this war.”

  I nodded slowly. “Yes. But if we use them, the whole world will know the Tower is awake. And that an Engineer lives.”

  Marlena looked toward me, her expression more serious now. “They’ll come for you.”

  “Let them,” I said. “We’ve got five thousand reasons not to be afraid.”

  After the housekeeping golems had efficiently collected our discarded towels and tidied the bath, we dressed and left the tower, stepping into the fading warmth of early evening. The cobbled streets were quiet, a rare peace settling over the city after days of chaos. The smell of cooking fires drifted from windows, and the golden glow of lanterns flickered to life as we walked toward the Copper Candle.

  Marlena walked beside me, her steps soft. I looked over, noticing her brows were slightly knit. “You mentioned earlier,” I said, “that you can’t go back to your family. Why?”

  She sighed, the kind of sigh that carried more weight than words. “I don’t think you know how the magic community works here in the kingdom and the other kingdoms,” she said softly. “Here, there are three families that sit at the top of our order: the Sinthurks, Virelles, and the Devanthes. My family is not one of them. We’re one of the lesser nine. We’ve always been loyal, but we don’t have their influence.”

  She paused, then continued. “There was an arranged marriage that was set up between me and the heir of the Sinthurk family. The deal was I’d marry him once I became a High Mage. That would have elevated my family and secured our future. We’ve been struggling this past year; my older brother was badly wounded during the northern campaign, and the money stopped flowing. That marriage was everything.”

  “But now?” I asked gently.

  Marlena bit her lower lip. “Now I can’t take the High Mage’s test. Not without the required study material, and certainly not after this.” She gestured vaguely at herself, her cheeks flushing. “The bond. The system won’t let me lie to them or him. I’m already bound to you, whether I like it or not.”

  “Okay, let’s look at it from my side,” I said, stopping her with a hand on her arm. “You’re married to an Earl. Not just any Earl, me.” I pointed to myself. “Tower Master. First Engineer in centuries. And you’re under my protection now. Whatever status your family hoped to gain from the Sinthurks, I can offer ten, maybe a hundred times that. What study material do you need?”

  “The Sinar Principles of Advanced Water Magic,” she said, almost whispering. “It’s a three-volume set. It’s a scarce set of books. Only the Sinthurks and the royal archives have decent copies. Only a select few get to review those tomes. Most only get copies of pages from the books themselves. From them, I need to master three of the twenty spell motions before I can even qualify for the High Mage trial. The spells are not always ones that would be beneficial to your test.”

  “Done,” I said without hesitation. “Vael owes me a favor or two. Hell, at this point, so does the king. Allyson?”

  “Yes, Master?” came her voice, calm and unbothered.

  “Have you heard of this Sinar Principles set?” I asked.

  “Yes, Master. You own two complete sets of all Sinar-published works.”

  I blinked. “I do?”

  “Yes, they are original volumes. One set is in your private library within your workshop. Section C. The other is in the archives.”

  I turned back to Marlena with a smirk. “Apparently, I already have the real deal. Guess that saves us a trip. You’ll have your books tonight.”

  Marlena stared at me, mouth slightly open. “Just like that?”

  “See?” Seraphina said, bumping her shoulder playfully. “Told you, he takes care of us.”

  Marlena gave a weak smile. “The Sinthurks will be furious when they find out the engagement’s off.”

  “They’ll get over it,” I said, putting an arm around her shoulder. “And if they don’t, they can take it up with my other wives.”

  I let out a mockingly wicked laugh that echoed down the street. Allira groaned, shaking her head with a grin. “And there he goes. Once David gets going, he’s impossible to stop.”

  But I slowed, then came to a full stop. The women halted with me, curious.

  “Until we’ve closed this rift threat,” I said, turning to Marlena, “you’re just Mage Valen. No one outside this circle needs to know anything else. No headaches. No politics. We’ll deal with the fallout when we’re ready. Don’t show your status to anyone without at least one of us three being with you for support, if needed. We can do this.”

  Marlena nodded gratefully. “Thank you.”

  I looked at the others. “Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” Seraphina and Allira said in unison.

  “And Allyson,” I added, glancing over my shoulder, “the same goes for you. No revealing her status publicly until I say so.”

  “Yes, Master,” she said. “Also, for full transparency: you have not yet slapped Marlena’s ass.”

  There was a beat of silence before Seraphina and Allira both burst into laughter.

  Marlena turned beet red. “W-what?!”

  I sighed, grinning. “Only in private, Allyson. For now.”