BXBX NOVEL Chapter 185: A Gift
On the other side was her dear mother-in-law, who had been enjoying them staying at the embassy with her. She wanted to ensure that her husband had a lot of quality time with his mother after all these years before they left for the work-study today.
It had been hard to keep secret, but she had actually been working with Rubellia on a special surprise. Together, they found they had some interesting connections within the city and wanted to put together a nice gift for Lucius after all he had done for them.
Though she was excited to see her mother-in-law, Rena realized that she was not exactly dressed for the occasion. The moment that realization hit her, she froze and nearly lost grip on the sheet that protected the remainder of her modesty.
"Miss Rubellia, I am so very sorry you had to see me in this state. You see, we just… well it… I… and… you know…"
Lucius sat up, letting his blanket fall off his body and cover his nether regions. "Rena. We are husband and wife. I am sure mother is aware of what two people in a situation like ours do." He said, stifling a yawn. "What can we do for you, mother?"
"Oh, I just wanted to remind Rena that the… thing… is ready." She answered with a wink.
Rena\'s eyes went wide with excitement. "Truly?! Oh, yes! Lucius, come, we must get dressed!"
"You know, I was pretty sure I already…"
"Do not make me slap you." Rena snipped, throwing a paperweight at him while he laughed.
Rubellia excused herself long enough for the two to get dressed. Since the gift was ready, they were going to retrieve it with him together. It would be one final day out on the town before they had to leave for a few weeks to go on work study.
They would return in short order, and Rubellia had permanent residence inside the embassy. Lyrah and Kalliope were also staying with her. Lucius had made sure to request such an arrangement because it was easier to keep track of both of them if they were in the same place.
After finally getting dressed, Rena and Lucius met Rubellia at the exit to the embassy. Lucius took both women in hand, and they set off to the marketplace.
The air was crisp and refreshing. Baked goods were being set out, sending their aroma through the air. Many people hurried about to get their stores or stalls set up for the day\'s business. With all the hustle and bustle, one might assume that the city was having an event, but this was just how the capital was on a normal day.
All of the crowds that had gathered for the events a few weeks ago had all left, so the world was the same once more. Slowly working their way through the morning crowds, the group made their way to the day\'s destination.
Lucius was visibly confused about what was going on, however he looked even more confused when he saw that they had taken him to a blacksmith shop. It was no ordinary blacksmith shop. In fact, it was one of the best shops in the city known as the Hammer\'s Strike.
Many members of nobility would commit heinous crimes to be put on the waiting list to commission a piece from the famous brothers, Mason and Carter Hammer, who ran the store. Hammer\'s Strike did not sell weapons off the shelf, they exclusively dealt in commissioned pieces. Rena giggled as she saw the look of consternation on her lover\'s face.
"Well, my love. Have you figured out why we are here?"
"Did you two somehow get the Hammer brothers to make me a weapon or piece of armor?" He asked dubiously.
Rubellia decided to answer this time, "Not so much make as… well let\'s just go in and look."
The two women led the man by the hand inside the store where they were greeted with a rather cozy waiting area. It was small, but lavishly furnished. The building itself was large, but most of it was dedicated to the workshop that made the weapons.
The shop also had very thick walls that were enchanted with special crystals from Aedrider that kept the sound from coming into the waiting area or outside.
At the desk there was a woman dressed in fine silks who put on a warm smile. "Hello, how may we assist you today?"
"Yes, we are here to retrieve a commission. My name is Lady Rena Kane." She answered.
"Ah! Lady Kane! Yes I remember the order, please wait, I will have the item brought out to you at once."
The woman\'s calm and kind demeanor became almost an excited panic as she rushed to through a door behind her counter. She did not seem to care about her appearance as she darted away in a way that would be unbecoming of a lady in the noble district.
When she returned, she had a weapon with an unusually long handle for a blade of its length. It was wrapped in a gorgeous black silk and was laying in an intricately carved box atop a red velvet cushion. Given the type of weapons Lucius used, it was clear he was thrown off by the delicacy and presentation of the weapon.
"What is this you two?" He asked quietly, approaching the weapon with care as the clerk set it on the counter. Explore more adventures at мѵʟ
Rena smiled. "Remember the day you finally awoke to your Thunder Magic? That very same day, you pushed yourself to force your Thunderclap spell into your machete and it snapped in half.
"That same machete was the one that awakened your Forsaken Arts on the day we met. It had been by your side for many years and I have kept it safe all this time. I decided that I wanted to have someone reforge it so we might return it to you.
"As it turns out, your mother and I both know people close to the Hammer brothers, and when they heard the story and who the weapon was for… well they took the job on a rush order."