And then I heard her.
That calm, precise, feminine voice I’d heard before was neither mechanical nor human, but something perfectly in between.
[Engineer Class Unlocked]
Select Path:
? Chemical
? Space/Time
? Structural
? Mechanical
? Electrical
The words weren’t just on the screen, they were spoken into my mind, each one carrying a subtle resonance, as if the sound itself was part of the system. I blinked. Five? I hadn’t even taken the first breath of a new life, and already I had choices people in this world might never see. I stared at the options; my brain was still foggy.
“What… do these even mean?” I asked aloud, though no voice escaped my lips. It didn’t matter. Something, whatever governed this system, heard me.
[Path Descriptions Available]
The list shifted, expanding, words forming crisp and clear in front of me while the same calm, familiar feminine voice echoed each line into my mind, as if reading directly to me.
- Chemical: Master of reactions, catalysts, and enhancements. Manipulates properties of materials at the elemental level. Enables the creation of potent salves, explosives, and alchemical tools.
- Space/Time: A rare and unstable path. Enables manipulation of localized space and temporal energy. Provides the ability to bend distance, slow perception, or accelerate creation at a cost.
- Structural: Emphasizes buildings, defenses, and reinforcement. Improves the creation of permanent or large-scale structures. Perfect for fortresses, siege engines, and durable installations.
- Mechanical: Precision. Movement. Control. Facilitates the creation and repair of machines, automata, and complex tools. Supports the integration of magical systems into mechanical frameworks.
- Electrical: Mastery of current and energy. Unlock lightning-based tech, powered tools, field generators, and energy storage. Has the potential to develop ranged weapons, shielding tech, or long-range communication.
The words glowed in my vision, steady and sure. But hearing them spoken in that voice, the same one that had guided me before, gave them weight. Each wasn’t just a skill. It was a path. A future. I took a slow breath and reread them.
Chemical.
Reactions, compounds, battlefield control. Acids, smoke, and explosives are helpful, but volatile. Gunpowder. One wrong mix, and you blow off your hand. I was interested in chemistry, but I never specialized in it. Not my edge.
Space/Time.
I froze at that one. The applications were staggering phase pockets, time delay fields, and displacement gates, but it was unstable. Dangerous. A part of me thought of the Doctor. Wibbly-wobbly timelines and sonic screwdrivers. Sounded fun until someone blinked and lost three years.
Structural.
More familiar. Bridges. Fortifications. Static defenses. A clear, solid discipline. If I wanted to be an architect of cities, this would be my path. But I wasn’t here to build castles. I was here to build things that moved. That acted.
Mechanical.
Now this was home. Precision. Leverage. Efficiency. Motors, gears, kinetics, robotics. Real-world application turned into an invention. I’d earned my first doctorate solving mechanical systems in a world without magic. What could I build here, with it?
Electrical.
Tempting. This was my other specialty: circuitry, current, and energy management. High potential for infrastructure: power grids, shields, and directed energy weapons. It would push this world centuries into the future. I earned my master's degree before pushing my mechanical degree to its limit. But it needed a foundation, a framework to operate on.
I closed my eyes. It came down to what I could build now, not just in theory. Power needed machines. Systems needed structure. And all of it required motion.
[Selected: Mechanical]
The panel pulsed once, accepting the choice. Energy surged through me—not a blast, not a burst. Just a slow ignition, like gears turning in my blood.
[Path Selected: Mechanical]
[Race Upgrade: Human → Human 2]
[Engineer - Level 12]
New Passive Trait Unlocked: Precision Forge
Items you craft now have a 25% chance to gain enhanced attributes or a secondary effect. Tools, weapons, and armor benefit from subtle improvements that set them apart from standard creations.
New Passive Trait Unlocked: Autonomous Calibration
Mechanical constructs and tools you create become self-optimizing, adjusting themselves over time to correct flaws, enhance performance, and better match their user.
I didn’t glow. I didn’t float. But I felt different. Grounded, charged, awake.
My muscles didn’t twitch, but they felt like they could. My mind was already rearranging blueprints, recalculating weight ratios, imagining hinge designs I’d never learned but now somehow knew.
[Attribute Points Gained: 60]
Twelve levels. From nothing. How? I didn’t know. I laughed to myself in the dark. A major cheat.
I started distributing points:
- Strength: +12
- Wisdom: +20
- Agility: +8
- Charisma: +20
The moment I finished the last point, the display disappeared. My body shifted not painfully, but as if something inside me had been realigned. Sharper vision. Clearer breath. Muscles awakening.
Thank you, I thought, directing it toward the presence I’d come to associate with that calm, familiar voice. I have a feeling you’re… real. Maybe calling you a person is a stretch, but you’re someone. Will I ever meet you?
Silence stretched long enough that I wondered if the connection had already faded. Then soft, certain, and without hesitation came the single word:
Yes.
I take a slow breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, and for the first time since it started, I open my eyes to see the world around me. The room is dim, and Seraphina lies next to me with her head against my chest. Her hand rests over my ribs. Near the door, Captain Dennes sits in a chair, half-asleep but alert enough to notice movement.
I lifted a hand and gently brushed Seraphina’s hair. She stirred, then bolted upright. “David!”
Tears flooded my eyes instantly. She hugged me tightly as I struggled to sit up. She supported my weight gently. Seraphina reached for a glass of water and handed it to me, and I drank, throat dry as ash.
“How long?” I rasped.
Dennes responded from the corner, “Three days. The Guildmaster and a few smiths brought you here. Several healers checked you and determined that you were fine and have been coming every so often to check on you.”
Seraphina stayed close, gently rubbing my cheek. “What happened?”
I looked at them both, exhaled. “I awakened.”
Dennes frowned. “You’re too old. That should have happened years ago.”
Seraphina just smiled. “Finally.”
Dennes narrowed her eyes between us. “What are you two hiding?”
I looked at Seraphina, who nodded gently.
“Dennes,” I said, “what I’m about to share can’t leave this room. And if there isn’t something between us, then you need to walk out now.” She stood, picked up her chair, but instead of turning away, she moved closer.
She sat next to the bed. “I’m going to trust both of you. I’ve been hurt before. I don’t want to go through that again.”
Seraphina reached out and took her hand. “I won’t let him.” They both chuckled softly, and I leaned back, realizing my life had truly changed.
“Alright,” I began. “Dennes, Seraphina already knows some of this. How can I put this? Well, I’m not from Brackenreach. I’m not even from around here. My home is in Boston, a city by the ocean. One day, I left work and woke up here, defending this beautiful woman from a goblin.” Seraphina’s cheeks reddened at that, her lips forming a faint smile as she lowered her gaze for just a moment before looking back at me.
Dennes stared. “You’re from another world.”
“Wow, you reached that conclusion really quickly. Yes. A world with no magic, just what we call technology and science. And when I arrived here, I had no class.”
“But your blacksmithing?” asked Captain Dennes.
“Real. I learned it from my father and grandfather. Swordsmanship too. My mother made sure I learned how to fight. I trained outside of school.”
“School?” Seraphina asked.
“In my world, nearly everyone finishes twelve years of school. I kept going and earned my Ph.D. Then I taught at the university.”
Dennes blinked. “No one gets twelve years here. Maybe a few if they’re rich. How many years did you go?”
“Twenty-six,” I said. “Total.”
Dennes stared. “David… how old are you?”
I smiled. “Do you like older men?”
She smacked my arm. “How old?”
“Seventy-five. That’s how old I was when I got here. My status shows twenty. This,” I pulled down the blanket, exposing my chest and stomach, “was me at twenty. However, I didn’t have these abs back then.
Seraphina nodded sincerely. “Definitely more yummy now.”
Dennes blushed. I chuckled, then reached for Seraphina again, holding her hand. “Alright. Now I need your help. Both of you.” I opened my status panel, and they both went silent. Utterly stunned.
David Robertson
Race: Human
Status: Married (Seraphina Robertson, Allira Dennes)
Title: Earl of Brakenreach
Age: 20
Class: Engineer
Strength: 36
Intelligence: 30
Wisdom: 37
Agility: 30
Charisma: 38
HP: 820/820
MP: 500/500
SP: 210/210
Skills:
- Blacksmithing Lv. 30
- Analyze Lv. 5
- Perception Lv. 3
- Fire Resistance Lv. 4
- Structural Insight Lv. 3
- Unarmed Combat Acquired Lv. 15 (Aikido)
- Sword Fighting Lv. 25
Passive Traits
- Precision Forge
- Autonomous Calibration
Dennes leaned forward, eyes wide. Her voice came out low, almost reverent. “These numbers, are they real? These can’t be real.”
Seraphina let out a small squeak, eyes narrowing. “Two?” she gasped, pointing at the “Married” line. Her finger jittered slightly as her gaze flicked from the glowing panel to Dennes, then to me.
Dennes blinked, her expression unreadable for a heartbeat. Then her mouth parted. “You added me to your status.”
I raised both hands, defensive and baffled. “I didn’t do it. It just happened.”
My eyes went back to the glowing panel. “Wait, can you even manually add things to your status? Is that something you can do?”
They both looked at me, then each other, clearly unsure.
Seraphina slowly shook her head. “I was told that only the Gods can do that.”
Dennes’ face was flushed, but she didn’t pull her hand away from Seraphina’s. She kept staring at the panel as if it were a confession written in fire.
Life just got a lot more complicated, and I hadn’t even gotten out of bed yet.
I looked at the two women. Allira was still blushing hard, her posture rigid like she couldn’t quite believe any of this. Seraphina sat slack-jawed, lips parted like she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.
“So,” I said slowly, “besides the fact that I seem to be married to both of you now, let’s talk about this Class thing. Engineer?”
Allira let out a breath that almost sounded like a laugh, but there was too much tension in it. “This is happening too fast.”
“What is?” I asked. I kept my voice calm, but the edge was there.
She turned her wide, wary eyes on me. “This whole thing. Thirty minutes ago, I was guarding you. That was my job. I wasn’t prepared for this. Being in your bed. Waking up to your status saying I’m your wife. Married to someone from another world?”
I softened my tone. “Allira, I’m dealing with this the only way I know how: sarcasm, tea, and a bit of existential confusion.”
She didn’t laugh. Her voice cracked, just slightly. “How can you take this so calmly, David?”
I looked at her for a second, then shrugged. “Honestly? A few weeks ago, I was walking home after my last day at work. I was supposed to relax, maybe watch the Sox game, and fall asleep on the couch. And now? Now I’m in a world where I’m fighting zealots, forging magic weapons, and apparently… collecting wives.”
Allira blinked.
I went on, “So yeah, I can take the marriage part. Because let’s be real, it’s the least weird thing happening right now.”
Seraphina finally let out a small chuckle, tension breaking just a bit.
I looked down at the faintly glowing status panel still hovering in front of me. “‘Engineer,’ huh. I think someone mentioned that word earlier. Back in Boston, I had degrees in mechanical, electrical, and other engineering fields. But this can’t be the same, right?” I glanced up at them, searching their faces. “Here, it means something else, doesn’t it?”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Allira took a long breath. When she spoke, her voice was steadier. “Engineers are legends in this world. Not just smiths or builders, they made things the rest of us still can’t explain. Automatons. Cities that moved. Fortresses that repaired themselves. They’re the ones that High Mage Vael spoke of using the third sphere.”
Seraphina added, softer, “And golems. They created golems. Real ones.”
I blinked. “Okay. Maybe it is that kind of engineering after all. Where are they?” I asked, still staring at the glowing panel. “Can I talk to one? Ask what the hell this whole ‘Engineer’ thing is?”
Allira shook her head slowly. “No. The last known Engineer vanished from the world a couple of centuries ago.”
I frowned. “Vanished like they died?”
“No,” she said. “They left. No one knows how. One day they were here, and then they weren’t. No bodies. No legacy. Just ruins and whispers.”
I leaned back against the pillow, exhaling. “Great. I get handed a mythical class and no instruction manual.” Both women chuckled at my complaint.
Seraphina gave me a soft look. “The Mage Tower might have records. Their library’s older than most kingdoms.”
“That’s something,” I muttered, rubbing my face. Then I reached over and took Seraphina’s hand, gently lifting it to examine the ring on her finger. It shimmered softly, the same quiet glow I’d grown used to.
“What time is it?”
“Morning,” she said. “Breakfast should be starting soon downstairs.”
“Perfect.” I let go of her hand and swung my legs off the bed, then froze in place. Both Seraphina and Allira were watching me. Close.
I glanced down. “Right. Clothes.” I cleared my throat. “One second.”
Seraphina grinned behind her hand, eyes clearly not at eye level. Allira blushed a shade that could rival forge fire and immediately looked away.
I stood there, unapologetically exposed and very erect. “I’m starving. Also, looks like I need to visit the forge later, gotta fashion another ring.”
Seraphina smirked. “Might want to fashion a pair of pants first.”
Allira raised an eyebrow. “You’re seriously thinking about forging right now?”
“Priorities,” I said, already grabbing a clean shirt. “Nothing says commitment like hammering hot metal until it says forever.”
Seraphina grinned. Allira looked like she wanted to argue, then didn’t. Instead, she just sighed and said, “You’re insane.”
I smiled at her. “Yeah. But I’m your insane now. Besides,” I tilted my head with mock seriousness, “I have to get your measurements.”
Allira gave me a look. “For what?”
“The armor upgrade I promised,” I said, standing and stretching with a groan. “Mithril doesn’t shape itself. I need precision. And you? You’ve got a few more curves than that standard-issue plate accounts for. All of your measurements would be a nice start.”
Seraphina smirked behind her cup of water. “You just want an excuse to touch her again.”
I held up both hands in mock innocence. “Professional curiosity, structural accuracy, and marital bliss.”
Allira flushed again, muttering under her breath, “Gods save me.” But she didn’t say no.
I walked over to the basin to splash some cold water on my face. The shock grounded me, a reminder that this wasn’t a dream. Not the magic. Not the awakening. Not the two incredible women watching me as if I were some kind of mad storm rushing through their lives.
And I still had a forge to return to.
“Breakfast first,” I said, grabbing a towel. “Then we visit the guild. I’ve got a ring to make and a wife to outfit.”
Seraphina raised her brows. “You’re leaning into this whole ‘husband of two’ thing.”
I glanced back at them and gave a crooked smile. “What can I say? I’m an overachiever.”
I sat down with my two wives now, and the waitstaff wasted no time. Platters of steaming bread, roasted vegetables, smoked meats, and fresh fruit quickly filled the table. Breakfasts still don’t make sense without pancakes. I still have to take care of that. Do I remember the recipe? My stomach growled loudly, earning a chuckle from Seraphina.
“Still human after all,” she teased.
I didn’t even try to deny it. “Starving.”
We were halfway through our plates when a familiar figure slid into the seat beside me.
“My lord,” Vaktar said with his usual gravelly, steel tone. “Good to see you up and about.”
“Yeah,” I said between bites. “Guess I slept in a little longer than usual.”
He let out a dry laugh and started filling his plate. “You look better than most men would after a three-day nap.”
“Thanks. I guess hibernation is good for you after all.”
He leaned in a little, lowering his voice. “And thank you for the sword.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “You earned that blade. I just had the pleasure of forging it.”
Before he could say more, Mark burst onto the scene, weaving through the chairs and nearly knocking over a pitcher along the way.
“David!” he said, all loud voice and energy. “You’re up?”
I chuckled. “Apparently.”
Mark dropped into the last open chair as if it owed him money. “So what’s on the agenda today? More life-threatening swordplay or just casually changing the world one hammer strike at a time?”
I tilted my head toward Allira, then back to him. “Some armor design. A couple of small projects.”
Mark looked between us. “Armor? For whom?”
“Captain Dennes,” I said, pointing with my fork. “Her current set’s outdated. Time to upgrade. I can’t have a talented protector use that armor.”
“This set has seen better days,” Allira said, straightening slightly. “The lord offered to craft a new one.”
Vaktar raised an eyebrow. “‘Offered’?”
I smirked and replied, “Long story. I’ll explain it later.”
With my plate finally empty, I pushed it aside and turned toward Vaktar.
“Quick question,” I said. “How much does anyone here know about our status panels?”
Mark paused mid-chew and swallowed before answering. “Not much. Just what mine shows. Skills, attributes, titles, the usual. Why?”
I nodded slowly. “How would someone go about changing or adding things to it?”
That earned me a confused stare from Vaktar. “You mean editing your panel?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Exactly that.”
Vaktar leaned back slightly, scratching his chin. “Well, you can hide parts of it. Some classes even learn to mask or fake details, but as for actually adding something?” He shook his head. “That’s divine territory. Only the gods can make changes like that. Why do you ask?”
I nodded again, eyes flicking to Allira, who was still focused on her food, trying not to react, but I could see the tension in her shoulders.
“Right,” I said quietly. “That’s what I figured. Seraphina and I got into a discussion about what would happen if someone could give themselves some skills, and what you would give yourself.”
“An alchemy skill,” Mark said without much thought. “I know that it’s a myth, but I would be rich beyond rich.”
Now, with our group, Seraphina, Allira, Vaktar, Mark, and me, we made our way through the guild’s wide entrance and onto the forge floor.
The moment we stepped inside, the sound of hammers and bellows stopped, then broke out into applause. The blacksmiths, covered in soot and grinning, turned to face me, clapping and cheering.
Their master blacksmith had returned.
I raised a hand, feeling both embarrassed and grateful, trying to wave off the attention. “Alright, alright,” I said with a chuckle. “You’d think I was gone a month.”
Seraphina smiled beside me before slipping into the forge office to grab the new stack of project orders. She quickly sorted them into neat piles on the desk. I followed her inside and began flipping through the simpler requests, setting aside a few.
“Mark,” I called over my shoulder, “these should be quick. Can you handle them today?”
Mark walked over, grabbed the sheets, and reviewed them. “Yeah, this is doable.” He grinned at Allira before heading to his station.
Inside the office, Seraphina was already at her seat, focused. Allira stepped in behind me, lingering, arms crossed but relaxed. Vaktar stayed near the doorway, scanning the forge floor like he was casing the place, always alert.
Then he looked at me. “So what’s going on?” he asked, his voice low but pointed. “The question about your status panel. And now you’re forging armor?”
Before I could answer, Allira spoke up, her tone steady but with a hint of weight. “When David woke up, he showed us his status panel, and he’s married.”
Vaktar nodded. “Your whole status panel, my lord?” I nodded.
Vaktar continued after a brief pause. “Okay. It shows him married. Everyone knows about Seraphina.”
“Yes,” Allira said. “But it also showed me as his second wife.”
Vaktar blinked, then looked around at each of us before letting out a short laugh. “Oh,” he said. “Congratulations, I suppose.” He grinned at me. “Explains a few things. So now the real question is,” He turned to Allira. “Captain Dennes, what does your status panel show?”
Allira exhaled slowly, almost hesitantly. “I wasn’t sure if I should show anyone besides David and Seraphia, but since we’re already this deep into the rabbit hole.”
She took off her glove and extended her hand. A translucent panel shimmered into view in the air between us, glowing faintly with soft blue light.
Allira Robertson (Dennes)
Race: Human
Status: Married (David Robertson)
Title: Captain
Age: 23
Class: Magic Swordsman
Strength: 21
Intelligence: 22
Wisdom: 19
Agility: 25
Charisma: 30
HP: 620/620
MP: 800/800
SP: 420/420
Skills:
- Pain Tolerance – Lv. 5
- Unarmed Combat Acquired – Lv. 5
- Sword Fighting – Lv. 22
- Stick Combat – Lv. 10
Vaktar whistled softly. “Well, that confirms it. You’re not imagining things.”
Seraphina’s eyes scanned the numbers, then narrowed at the Status line. “You didn’t enter that manually?” she asked.
Allira shook her head. “Not a chance. I didn’t even know it had changed until this morning. I was checking my recovery stats and saw that.”
“Which means it wasn’t something you or David did,” Vaktar muttered, thinking aloud. “It was automatic. The Gods interpreted your relationship, and there you go.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “Can they do that? Just decide we’re married?”
Seraphina gave me a sly look. “Maybe they have good instincts.”
Allira, still flushed, tried to find words. “It doesn’t make sense. I didn’t take any vows. There was no ritual. I have no family.”
“You do now. Also, did you spend three days by my side?” I said gently. Allira fell silent, her eyes lowered to the floor, a faint smile barely touching her lips.
Vaktar gave a half-smile of his own. “Well. I don’t think the gods deal in ceremony. Just bonds.”
I nodded slowly. “Then I guess we figure this out together. Starting with how and why these Gods recognize that bond.”
Allira looked up again, feeling steadier now. “And what does it mean going forward? ”
“Agreed,” I said. “But first,” I slapped the table lightly, breaking the tension. “We’ve got a ring to forge, and a lady’s armor to upgrade.”
I kissed Seraphina and moved to my forge, letting the rhythm take over the familiar motions, grounding me. I added chunks of mithril into the coals, the heat eagerly licking upward. The bellows hissed and groaned beneath my hands, coaxing the flames until they burned a fierce white-blue. The roar and crackle wrapped around me like armor, shutting out everything else.
Allira stepped out of the office and leaned casually against the nearest workbench, arms crossed, but her gaze was soft. Not the stern captain’s stare, something else. Something quieter.
Vaktar approached, brushing ash off his sleeve. “While you were out cold,” he began in a low voice, “I took the opportunity to follow that lead. The old woman, the one that the group visited before the attack.”
I looked up, nodded, and signaled Allira to come over. She pushed off the bench and stepped closer. “So,” I asked, “you found her?”
Vaktar’s expression darkened. “Only the parts I could. She was killed that same day. The body was dumped in a sewer cistern. No witnesses. Clean.”
Allira frowned. “So someone else is still covering for them. There are more of them out there.”
Vaktar nodded. “That’s what I think. And there’s more. Remember those thugs who attacked you and Seraphina on the street? I found out they were paid.”
I paused my hammer mid-swing. “Paid?”
“Yeah,” Vaktar confirmed. “A contract. No names, just coin. Traced it back to someone who only goes by ‘Pinchole.’”
I resumed hammering, now slower, lost in thought. “So they weren’t random. They were placed there. Told to hit us no matter what.”
“Exactly.” Vaktar responded
I reached out to Allira and gently took her left hand. She blinked, surprised, then looked more confused as I pulled a piece of string from the bench and looped it around her finger.
“What are you?” Allira asked.
“Measuring,” I said without looking up. “For your ring.”
Allira flushed, pink crawling up her cheeks. Vaktar grinned as he watched from the side.
“One day,” Vaktar said with a chuckle, “maybe I’ll find someone, too. And when I do, I’m bringing her here. You’ll be making us a ring.”
I laughed, brushing ash off his hands. “Anytime.”
Allira smiled softly, still watching David’s hands as he gently unwound the string from her finger. “I’ll make sure he does it right.”
With the measurement fresh in my mind, I pulled the glowing mithril from the forge and began shaping it. The metal yielded beneath the hammer, smooth and obedient under my hands. Each strike rang with purpose. Precise. Intentional.
I didn’t look up as I asked, “So what’s the next move? Keep hunting them? Or let them get bold enough to try again?”
Vaktar crossed his arms, watching the shaping of the ring. “I’d rather stay on the hunt,” he said, voice low. “But the trail’s gone cold. Whoever’s behind this, they’ve covered their tracks well.”
“I say we wait,” Allira added, stepping beside Vaktar and watching the mithril catch the light with each turn. “Let them think we’re off-balance. Let them come to us.”
I nodded slowly, still focused. “That’s a risk,” I muttered. “But maybe the right one.”
The ring quickly took shape in his skilled hands. Once it was formed, I leaned back against the forge, grabbed a cloth, and began to polish the warm metal with practiced ease. The smooth silver-blue shimmer of mithril started to glow softly in the light. “I just want to find them before they get another shot,” I said quietly. “I’ve got Seraphina to protect and now you, Allira.”
Allira scoffed, instinctively. “I’m a captain. I can take care of myself.”
I paused, then looked up at her, eyes steady. “You are,” I added, “and you can. But you’re also my wife now. And a noble’s wife, at that. That means your risks affect more than just you. We have to think differently now. Both of us.”
Allira blinked, caught off guard by the blunt truth of it. She opened her mouth to reply, but the words didn’t come. Not right away.
I didn’t press her, but kept polishing the ring until it gleamed like starlight. I brought the new ring to the bench and began engraving the inside. “Una via, duo corda”
Wiping my hands clean, I reached down and gently took Allira’s hand. She blinked in surprise, confused, unsure of what was about to happen.
“Vaktar,” I asked, glancing up, “care to witness something important?”
Vaktar raised an eyebrow but nodded, a knowing smile already creeping onto his face. “Of course.”
I led them into the forge office, where Seraphina sat behind the desk, sorting through project requests. She looked up when the door opened, her expression softening as she saw Allira’s flushed cheeks and me holding her hand.
I turned to face her directly, holding the freshly made ring between my fingers. The mithril sparkled in the light, smooth and flawless.
“Allira,” I said, voice steady, “I know we haven’t known each other long. And aside from my three-day nap, we’ve barely begun this strange thing between us, but I still want to ask.” I smiled softly. “Will you be my wife?”
From the desk, Seraphina’s voice chimed in, teasing and bright, “Second wife,” she said, then giggled. “Just keeping the records straight.”
Allira exhaled shakily, her lips parting as if to speak, but no sound came. “Gods, David,” Her voice cracked. Her hands trembled as she stared at him, then at Seraphina. “You’re serious?”
“I am,” I said softly, and without waiting for another word, I gently slid the ring onto her finger.
She froze, as if afraid to move. Her eyes fixed on the silver band, her mouth trembling as she whispered, “What did you engrave into my ring?”
“It’s an ancient language from my home,” I said quietly. “It says one path, two hearts.”
Allira blinked once. Then again, more forcefully. Her lips pressed together, and she gave a single, trembling nod. “I didn’t think, I mean, I never thought.” Her voice failed her.
Tears spilled, silently streaming down her cheeks. She looked back at the ring as if it might disappear if she looked away. Then she laughed a wet, broken sound and threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around me with such force that it nearly knocked the air out of my lungs.
“I thought I was just,” she whispered into my neck, her voice barely more than a breath, “meant to help. To guard. I never thought I’d be seen like this.” Allira didn’t let go.
Seraphina crossed the room, wrapping her arms around Allira from the side. “We’re sisters now,” she whispered, voice thick with emotion.
Vaktar, leaning on the doorframe, chuckled. “At this rate,” he said, gesturing toward the group with a wave, “you’re going to need a much bigger place to stay, my lord.”
I let out a laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah,” I said, “you’re probably right.” I wrapped my arms around Allira and Seraphina and leaned in, softly pressing my lips to Allira. She responded with a gentle tenderness that made the rest of the forge fade away, leaving just her and me. When I pulled back, her breath hitched slightly, and her eyes fluttered open, dazed but glowing.
I stepped back and let my gaze drift down to her armor. The moment had passed, but the warmth remained between us. I scrutinized the fit, my craftsman’s instincts fully active now. From how the chestplate sat on her shoulders to the seam lines near her ribs, I could tell it wasn’t made with her in mind. She straightened slightly, probably sensing the scrutiny.
Once Seraphina let go of her, I stepped in closer, maybe too close, because Allira stiffened slightly. I lifted a hand in reassurance.
“No worries. Just stand still,” I said softly.
Still a bit shy, Allira bit her lower lip and, without being asked, slowly raised her arms. That alone spoke volumes. She wasn’t used to this kind of attention, not from someone measuring and assessing her as if she were about to be recast in better steel.
“I’ll catch you all at dinner,” Vaktar said from the doorway, clearly trying not to grin.
I waved absentmindedly as I kneeled to examine the fit around Allira’s waist, fingers tracing the curve where metal met fabric. My mind was focused on the mechanics of how the plates overlapped, where the gaps limited movement. Across the room, Seraphina leaned on the desk with a teasing grin.
“So soon, and he’s already on his knees for you, Allira.”
Allira blushed instantly, her cheeks warming as she glanced at Seraphina, then looked back down at the man kneeling before her. I didn’t reply; I was already scrutinizing the lower edge of the chest plate, brow furrowed, entirely focused. This metalwork is good, but she deserves better.
“May I unstrap this?” I asked, fingers hovering at the clips along her ribs.
“Yes,” she murmured. Her voice was gentle, hesitant. “I have on undergarments.”
She sounded like she was saying it more for herself than for me.
I nodded and slowly unclasped the plate. As I lifted it away, I felt her breath hitch—a faint, quiet sound, like she wasn’t sure whether to flinch or lean in. I gently set the armor down on the desk and turned to face her.
The linen underlayer clung to her body like a second skin. It was damp in places, molded to the curve of her breasts, the line of her waist, and the strength of her shoulders. It was built for practicality, sure, but on her, it looked stunning. The fabric barely hid the gentle rise and fall of her chest, and the way her skin prickled from the cooler edge of the forge. She stood still, arms slightly raised, giving me a full view of her, tense, vulnerable, and beautiful. I traced the lines of her tattoos on her right shoulder and down her arm. The red lines swirled with lazy arcs around her muscles. Inside each arc, I see text and glyphs, though I don’t understand what they mean. I’ll ask her more about them when she’s less nervous.
She was a soldier, my captain. But now, she looked like a goddess in linen and sweat, and I was a blacksmith pretending I didn’t notice how her body drew every one of my instincts to do more than stare.
My gaze lingered a moment longer than I intended. She noticed it. Her lips parted, but she said nothing, only gently bit her bottom lip.
I stepped closer, eyes focused again on the lines of the armor. Mostly.
“Breathe in,” I said, voice softer than I intended.
She did. Her chest rose, slightly straining against the linen. I watched, captivated, then quickly looked up to meet her eyes again. She didn’t look away. She didn’t have to. The heat between us wasn’t about the forge anymore.
Still, I cleared my throat, trying to pull myself back to the job. “See? Too tight across here,” I said, drawing a line with my finger just above her bust, touching with the lightest of pressure but close enough that her breath caught again. I examined her closely, tracing the red line that marked her skin.
Allira turned bright red. I didn’t move; I just smirked to myself.
Allira bit her lower lip, standing still like a statue, caught between embarrassment and fascination. She had never had anyone look at her that way, not with hunger or admiration, but with care. As if she were someone worth protecting, Allira crossed her arms instinctively, then dropped them, determined not to flinch under my gaze. Her breath came in slow, measured breaths, but the faint shiver running down her back betrayed the chill and maybe her nerves.
“How does it feel now, without the plate?” I asked.
Allira let out a slow breath. “Honestly? Relaxing. But also exposed. I’d be dead in a fight.”
I nodded, lifting the chest plate and turning it in the forge light. “That’s what I thought,” I muttered, studying it. “No internal padding. No bracing. Just a flat slab of steel strapped to your chest.”
I turned back to her and, without really thinking, reached out. My fingers brushed the linen beneath her ribs, tracing the line where her armor had sat. I ran my fingers over the red mark left on her skin, created by the armor rubbing. The fabric was so thin I could feel her shape through it, the curve of her waist, and the warmth of her skin beneath. I caught myself counting the freckles along her side. She flinched at the contact just slightly but didn’t pull away.
“You okay?” I asked, voice softening.
“Yes,” she said, almost a whisper. “Just this is different.”
I didn’t press. I just nodded, keeping my touch light, steady. It was different for both of us.
Right then, Mark barged into the office. He froze mid-step.
I looked up from the chestplate, then glanced at Mark, and then back at Allira, standing there facing away from him with her upper armor off, wrapped in that thin linen, trying not to look self-conscious. Then I looked at Mark again.
“Looking at her armor,” I said flatly. “You do remember the conversation at breakfast, right?”
His eyes flicked between Seraphina and Allira, then back to me. “Oh. Right. The armor. Yeah.”
I stepped closer and held up the chestplate between us. “See this curve? It’s too shallow. And here, way too thin. That wouldn’t deflect a butter knife. This seam here is cutting into her side.”
Mark squinted at it. “Huh. Yeah, that’s not great.”
“Exactly.” I gave him a light nudge with my elbow. “Also, she’s married.”
That snapped him out of whatever daze he was in. “Ah. Got it. Job only. Respect.”
“What brings you by, anyway?”
Mark held up a job sheet. “Having trouble with this commission. Mind taking a look?”
I nodded, already mentally shifting gears. “Give me a minute.” Mark shot Allira one last glance, more careful this time than turned and slipped back through the doorway, heading to his station on the forge floor.
I turned back to Allira, the chestplate in hand, and gently guided it into place, carefully tightening each buckle. As I latched the last one, I noticed the faint red line on her side, right where two plates met at the seam.
I frowned, gently brushing my thumb along the edge of the mark. “It’s leaving a line here,” I muttered. “You’ve probably gotten used to it, but that’s not how armor’s supposed to sit.”
She looked down, surprised. “It’s always done that.”
“Well, it won’t anymore,” I said. My voice came out lower than I expected. “You deserve better. This thing’s cutting into you like you’re a shape to fit into steel, not someone worth protecting, right?”
I gave her a once-over, not as a soldier, not even just as a smith, but as a man who saw someone beautiful, strong, and poorly served by old metal. “You’re going to be the best-outfitted guard in the kingdom,” I added, managing a grin. “Mithril or better. Custom-cut. Real support. No more ‘just functional.’”
Her eyes briefly met mine. That hesitation was there again, but softer now. Allira gave me a look that balanced exasperation with something much more tender. “You’re relentless.”
I winked. “Blame the blacksmith in me. Or the husband.”
She stepped forward, rising on her toes to kiss me softly. “Thank you.”
Then, with a smile, she turned and pressed a kiss to Seraphina’s cheek. “I need to go report this status change to my general.”
Seraphina tilted her head. “Would you like company?”
“I would,” Allira said, nodding. “That would help.”
The two women gathered their things and left the forge side by side, leaving David watching them go with a half-smile and a shake of his head.
I watched my wives walk toward the guild’s exit. I could see Allira moving in her armor, still not quite right. Not yet. But she did sway nicely either way.
Turning toward the forge floor, I easily spotted Mark and headed over that way.
“Alright,” I muttered to myself, wiping my hands on a cloth, “let’s see what kind of trouble you’ve gotten into this time.”