Macha's Journey

"Captain Tyr Valois,

I am writing to express my deepest concerns regarding the "Konditorei Vitae" pie shop in your district. I would like to bring to your attention that this shop is lowering the respectable name of your guild. They are rude, violent, and have no concern for the public health standards which are in place.

While I was there I had the unfortunate experience of being physically a.s.saulted by the owner, Macha Swat. She threw me out of the shop forcefully after I brought it to her attention that a large rodent came out of the kitchen. This behavior is inexcusable and makes me worried that the good name of your guild is being ruined.

I hope to hear back from you regarding this matter and that the eyesore will be dealt with. I would not want the outstanding reputation that you have built to be marred by such a terrible establishment.

Thank you for your time,

Lady Olivia Gervais

Committee of Public Safety"

When he was finished reading the tedious letter, he glanced up at Macha, who was busy preparing for their afternoon break. She sat at her desk, choosing which chocolate she wanted to give him. After picking out what looked like a caramel filled one, she closed the lid and tucked the box away in her desk drawer.

While she warned him a letter of complaint was coming, he did not expect it to be from Jarnvid"s sister. He leaned back in his chair and slapped the note against the edge of his desk. He tried to recall Olivia"s face, but he couldn"t remember anything about the woman. Since finishing school he wiped his mind of all the facts that dealt with n.o.bility lineage.

He got up from behind his desk and strode over to the sofa in the sitting area. He leaned back into the plush cushions and waited for Macha to join him.

"I received the letter," he stated, tossing it onto the black cushion next to him.

Macha picked up the small gold leafed plate and made her way to the sofa. She grabbed the message and sat down beside him.

Scanning the contents, she stared at the woman"s last name. "Gervais? Is this the same Gervais as Jarnvid?" The question caused her to frown.

She hated Jarnvid for what he did to her. When he died, she could honestly say she was not sad. Now that she saw the same name on the paper, her body tensed. The memory of his attack flooded back into her mind, causing her breathing to become strained.

Tyr picked up his chocolate and popped it into his mouth. "Mmm," he nodded.

He realized he had been incorrect, and she gave him a cherry cordial today. The sweet syrup gushed against his cheeks and he indulged in its flavors.

Macha looked tense, which made enjoying his snack difficult. He put his arm behind her and played with a few locks of her hair. He ran his fingers through the dark strands, sometimes twirling them around.

His reply came out too ambiguous. She was unsure if he meant "yes" or if he was savoring the chocolate. She looked at the letter again.

Her hand slapped the paper, and she complained, "This, Olivia, is twisting her words! She pushed me first. I took her outside because she was violent and making the other customers upset." She whacked the paper again, "Also, the rodent in question is Unai. How racist can this woman be? I can"t stand people like that."

It was obvious that Macha was agitated. Tyr swallowed his chocolate and turned her around so he could ma.s.sage her shoulders. He reached over to the teapot that had been steeping. He always drank pa.s.sionflower tea because it was known for its calming properties and right now he felt she needed it more than he did.

Tyr poured them both a cup before continuing the ma.s.sage, "Calm down. Have a sip of the tea, it will help settle your nerves."

After she took a sip, he plucked the letter from her hand and crumpled it into a ball. He then threw the trash into the fireplace where the flames licked at it before devouring the offensive message.

"There. I took care of it. Don"t worry about that woman. As a business owner, you maintained your rules, and she disagreed with them."

He wanted to change the subject. While they talked about businesses, he wished to bring up the Swat family"s finances. "How"s Tai Shan doing? Financially that is. Do you know if the Swat family is doing well?"

Macha put her teacup down and turned around so she could face him. She leaned against his chest and raised her hand to touch his cheek.

"He said that they"ve been doing better recently. I"m a bit worried that his altercation with Magni will affect him though. You don"t think Ullr or Thor would do anything, do you?"

When he came back with his mother from his family estate, Macha told him about the Magni issue. He had met with Ullr and talked with him about it. The man apologized and swore he would punish his brother.

Tyr leaned into her hand, savoring how it caressed his cheek. "No. Ullr was ashamed of his brother"s actions. He apologized on behalf of his family."

It did not seem like she knew the status of the family businesses. He would need to talk with Tai Shan about possibly expanding the man"s personal business. Raising the Swat family"s prestige would take years and if he decided to marry Macha, he needed to start on that now.

Thinking of his mother"s concerns when it came to Macha, made Tyr remember the late birthday present.

"I forgot to mention. Hrod said you may have the airship as a late birthday gift," he announced this without enthusiasm. He still had mixed feelings on this gift. Something still felt off about it.

Macha was busy chewing the nut-covered chocolate she chose for herself. Her voice was m.u.f.fled when she exclaimed, "An airship? That is too expensive!"

Only the richest people could maintain airships. The crew and maintenance would almost consume her whole paycheck.

Macha swallowed her snack and explained, "I can"t afford that right now. It would cost too much to keep. I"m trying to save and invest right now. You take it."

This had not been something Tyr considered, and he forgot that she did not share his finances. Although she was his girlfriend, he did not give her a monthly stipend. Many n.o.bles often gave the people they were with money to maintain appearances. He never offered her it, because this behavior was something he knew she would outright reject.

In an effort to see if the easy solution would work, he tossed out, "What if I give you a raise?"

That would be equitable with giving her a monthly allowance.

Her loving touch withdrew from his cheek. "No, there isn"t a reason for you to give me a raise. It"s fine, I don"t need an airship. It was quite thoughtful of Hrod to offer it to me though."

The sweet caresses stopping and put Tyr in a sour mood. He took Macha"s hand and interlaced his fingers with hers.

"I"ll pay for the crew, docking, and maintenance. Just enjoy it."

Macha frowned and eyed him. "That is too expensive. I can"t force you to pay for it..."

Now he found himself in a difficult position. Hrod gave Macha a present that was too extravagant for her to maintain. His mother giving a gift was a tremendous step in their relationship, so he wanted Macha to keep it.

Tyr rested his elbow on the seat back and tapped his lower lip. "Why don"t we do a joint ownership of it then?" he suggested.

He understood Macha would be too proud to allow him to pay for all the expenses, but if he owned it there should not be a problem.

The suggestion sounded good, but it was a big step to jointly own a piece of property. "You"re all right with that? An airship is almost like owning property. They"re both huge expenses. What if we break up?"

Hearing her mention breaking up caused his lips to flatten out. The temperature in the room dropped and his mood became cold. "Do you plan on breaking up with me?" His frosty gaze looked down at her round face.

Once she mentioned ending their relationship, Macha realized she made a mistake. Tyr"s voice held no warmth in it and she could feel the tension in his body.

Her eyes shot up to meet his, "No, no, no. I didn"t mean it like that." She rubbed his arm to try and calm him down. Macha ran to her desk and withdrew the box of chocolates. She quickly pulled out another chocolate for him.

"I"m sorry. I didn"t mean it like that. I just meant that it is a big step in a relationship to own something jointly…"

Tyr eyed her and opened his mouth warily. She placed the chocolate between his lips and he began to chew it. The mention of breaking up hurt and although she was speaking hypothetically, he still did not like that it was even a thought in her mind.

After swallowing the treat, he looked at the fireplace. The flames seemed to melt away the coldness that had consumed him, "I don"t mind owning something with you." He studied her from the corner of his eyes, wanting to watch her reaction.

Marriage had been something Macha always wanted to ask about, but she did not know how to bring it up. Their relationship seemed very serious, but they never talked about a family or things like that. Ever since Krystof and Luna got engaged, she was curious about their future. Now seemed like an appropriate time to mention the topic.

In a soft voice, she said, "I don"t mind owning something with you too. I just," she paused, gathering up her courage, "feel like it"s something people do if they"re going to get married."

Hearing her mention marriage for the first time made Tyr smile. To hide it, he got up off the couch and strolled to his desk. By the time he walked across the room, he was able to mask the emotions from his face.

The thought of their names being together on a piece of paper made his heart want to burst with joy. It was not a marriage certificate, but it meant she viewed their relationship with a similar amount of seriousness. He had been worried that he was the only one thinking about marriage.

Tyr shuffled some papers around, straightening his desk. "I"ll have the paperwork drawn up by the end of the week," he said in a business-like voice.