Forged Bonds (Binding Words Book 4) Read online

  “It all works. There are two small imperfections near the lid, but neither hinders it.”

  “Good, I can use it going forward, then,” Eva sighed. “Let me get you the kettle and saucer set for Lady Sharpeyes.”

  The door opened just as Eva got to her feet. “Miss, here are tea and snacks,” the maid said as she set them on the table. “Is there anything else?”

  “Not at the moment. Thank you,” Eva said, giving the woman a strained smile.

  The maid poured for them, then left. Eva went to get the gifts that she wanted Sean’s help with. Sean sipped at the rose hip tea while he waited, and Ryann sampled one of the scones.

  “There we are,” Eva said, laying out the set for Sean. “The kettle is what we had discussed before; the cups and saucers are new additions.”

  “I’m going to start offering the newest kettles on Tenday, but I would like to ask you hold off until a tenday after that to start selling them yourself.”

  “Of course. It should take a few days at least before I start getting orders for them.”

  Taking another sip of tea, Sean put the cup aside and picked up the kettle. Focusing on it, he repaired the minor flaw he found in the spout first. He chose one of the larger sapphires, Shaping it into flowers inlaid on the kettle.

  It was just over an hour later when Sean set the kettle down. He stretched and wiped his forehead. “There you go; one unique kettle.”

  Eva was shaking her head as she stared at it. “You shame my skill, Sean. It would have taken me at least two days to manage that.”

  Sean smiled and looked at the kettle, which had sapphire flowers entwined over it. A flower bud Shaped from a gem adorned the lid of the pot, serving as a handle. “I bet you can do more now than you could last cycle.”

  Eva looked shocked for a bare instant before she smoothed her face back to impassive. “Why do you say that?”

  “A feeling, and now I know it’s true,” Sean said. “It seems my friends flourish.”

  Eva stared at him for a long moment and licked her lips. “Sean… do you work for the truly powerful?”

  Sean chuckled at her circumspect way of approaching the question. “You’re asking if I work for the Queens or their close advisors?”

  Eva winced, “I’m sorry. I know it’s wrong to pry. You just seem to do so much.”

  “I can’t answer that beyond saying no. It’s too dangerous without Agreements that bind one tight to the answer.”

  Eva exhaled, “I understand. Please forgive me for asking.”

  “I’m not offended, Eva. Now, what did you want done with the saucers and cups?”

  “I was hoping you could do a matching pattern,” Eva said, glad for his change of topic. “The smaller sapphires are for that.”

  “Okay. We never did talk about payment for all of this,” Sean said as he picked up the first cup and saucer.

  “I will gladly pay you half of what Dame Mageeyes is paying me,” Eva offered immediately.

  “A quarter is fine. You still have to cover the materials, after all,” Sean said. “I just know that everything has a price and don’t want you to feel indebted to me.”

  “We all are already,” Eva murmured under her breath. “A quarter of the commission and some gems?”

  “Deal, Eva,” Sean accepted and felt the weight of Agreement press on him. “Only if the gift is a success, though. If it is, you can pay me on Tenday.”

  “Accepted.”

  ~*~*~

  An hour or two later, Eva, who was looking less exhausted, showed Sean out. “We’ll see you tonight?” Sean asked.

  “Yes. I feel better now. Thank you for your help, Sean. Can I ask you a question?”

  “You just did.”

  Eva blinked, then laughed lightly. “True. I was wondering if you know why Fredrick invited me to the party? He’s never invited me to an event before, and I know it’s been years since he went to one himself.”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I was just wondering if he had… other reasons for asking me.”

  “What if he did have another reason besides what he said? Would it matter?”

  Eva sighed, “No, I would still go.”

  “Then go and enjoy yourself,” Sean said. “Maybe that’s all Fredrick wants; to see you smile and having a good time.”

  “Maybe,” Eva murmured, brushing a bit of hair behind her ear. “Thank you, Sean.”

  “I didn’t do anything,” Sean said quickly.

  Ryann and Eva stopped short of the door and stared at him. Eva laughed, “Oh, did the two of you chat when you visited Lord Sharpeyes’ estate?”

  “I’ve really got to be going,” Sean coughed. “See you later, Eva.”

  “Told you,” Ryann whispered to Eva when she went past.

  Once they were on the street and walking to Fredrick’s, Sean asked Ryann, “What did you tell her?”

  “That isn’t important,” Ryann said. “It was during dinner and was lady talk.”

  “Got it,” Sean said.

  ~*~*~

  Sean was surprised to see the carriages parked on the street outside Fredrick’s shop. When they made it inside, he saw a handful of people relaxing in chairs while various Moonbound knelt beside them, taking notes.

  “That is what I require. Let Gertihs know I want them within the tenday,” one of the men told the Moonbound beside him. “The mithril inlay needs to grab the attention.”

  “Yes, sir. I will make sure it is noted.”

  Getting up from the seat, the man looked at Sean and raised a single eyebrow at his plain clothing. “Some people clearly think above themselves,” the man muttered haughtily. He walked right past Sean and Ryann, the silks he wore making soft swishing noises as he went.

  The Moonbound turned to Sean and Ryann, about to say something, when recognition struck her. “He’s been waiting for you. If you’ll follow me, please?”

  That comment got the attention of the other finely-dressed people in the room, and they started sizing Sean up. Sean looked back as he followed the Moonbound through a door.

  “Who do you think the commoner is?”

  “The woman with him acts like a guardian. Maybe he just didn’t want to be noticed?”

  “Hmm, maybe.”

  The conversations were lost when the door shut behind them. Their guide led them down a few hallways, taking them to a room that Sean had been in before. The Moonbound knocked and waited a moment before opening it.

  “Sir, your guests have arrived.”

  Fredrick set aside what he had been working on and stood up. “Sean, Ryann, it’s good to see you both. Sorry. I would have been out front to greet you, but today has turned out to be busy.”

  “We noticed the carriages out front. Must be the rich and powerful,” Sean chuckled.

  “They are that,” Fredrick conceded. “Please, sit. Roberta, have the box brought here, please.”

  Roberta bowed from her spot next to the door, “I’ll bring it right away.”

  “Sit, sit,” Fredrick said, motioning them to the padded chairs. “I hope you’re okay with a small change. Instead of silver, I want to make the animals out of mithril.”

  Sean pulled out the copper figures he had made. “Should be fine. I have my templates ready to go.”

  “May I?” Fredrick asked, leaning forward.

  “Go ahead.”

  Fredrick picked up the figurine of Cuander and examined it with care. The door opened once more, admitting Roberta carrying a small chest as Fredrick set the figure back down. Roberta set the chest on the table next to the figurines and stepped back behind Fredrick.

  “If you can make the others as good as these, my gift might well be the most well-received item at the party,” Fredrick chuckled.

  “Not sure about that,” Sean said, opening the chest and taking out a small ingot of mithril. “Eva’s gift is more than just a kettle now, and it is very well made.”

  “It feels like cheating to have you do the work
for us,” Fredrick said. “But you don’t want their full attention, so it works out. I have faith you can make these to equal the kettle.”

  “Haven’t worked with mithril before,” Sean said. He focused on the ingot and felt it eager to absorb his energy. “Hmm, it’s like a damn sponge.”

  “Yes, that is one of the challenges of working with it. It wants to be changed, but you have to positively fill it with energy to do so.”

  “This might take me a bit, then,” Sean muttered, picking up Cuander’s figurine and holding it next to the small ingot. “Don’t mind me.”

  ~*~*~

  Sinking back into his chair, Sean sighed and held out the last figurine. “Does take a bit,” he sighed. “Working with that is difficult, but wow, it can hold a lot of energy. Must make for the best enchanting material.”

  “It is used for that more than decoration,” Fredrick agreed. “I still can’t believe you managed to do all of them, on top of helping Eva earlier. You defy everything I thought I knew about Shaping and limits. It makes one wonder.”

  “Funny, Eva said something similar,” Sean chuckled, feeling a little tired. “Oh, before I forget, hold off on selling the second kind of kettle until a tenday after I do, please. I’m going to reveal them on Tenday.”

  “I can do that,” Fredrick agreed. “Would you mind looking at my first kettle and telling me what you think?”

  “Sure.”

  “I also need to find a way to pay you for your work on the figurines.”

  “Hmm... how about a quarter of what the job would be worth if someone commissioned it from you? Paid on Tenday, if the gift is well received?”

  “Expensive, but considering the blow it will deal to Denmur, it will be well worth it. Agreed.”

  Sean nodded as the light weight settled on him. “Where’s the—? Thank you, Roberta.”

  Roberta smiled as she handed him a golden kettle. Sean found a handful of minor flaws and fixed the one that would have caused problems with the enchantment.

  “You had a minor flaw on the lid that would have stopped it from working. It’s fixed now, so you should be able to use it as a template going forward.”

  “Thank you very much,” Fredrick said. “Sean, I’ve held off asking this for some time, and please do pardon me for my bluntness. Are you here on behalf—”

  “No,” Sean said, cutting him off. “Eva asked me that same question. That’s all I can say without strict Agreements in place to protect me and mine.”

  Fredrick nodded, “Of course. Please excuse me. I’ve just noticed a few oddities and wondered if you were the cause.”

  “Able to do more now?”

  Fredrick’s lips pursed, “In a way. My Talents seem to have grown and my energy levels have deepened.”

  “All I can say is that my friends reap unexpected benefits by being near me,” Sean said slowly.

  Fredrick laughed a deep belly laugh. “An amazing understatement. If people knew that, they would flock to be your friend. Oh, how I was right to not listen to the others... Eva had the right of it all along.”

  “I should be getting home. Things to do still,” Sean said, getting to his feet.

  “We’ll see you tonight?” Fredrick asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll be there,” Sean said, shaking hands with Fredrick. “Eva asked me if you had other reasons for inviting her to the party. I told her you wanted to see her happy.”

  Fredrick’s face went blank and he looked at Ryann, who smiled at him knowingly. “Well, who wouldn’t want their friends to be happy?” he said a little stiffly.

  “Who indeed?” Ryann replied.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Sean spent the rest of the day working on enchantments and sparring before dinner and going for drinks at the Oaken Glen. Walking home with Ryann and Ida, Sean chuckled as he recalled Fredrick and Eva. The two of them had clearly been a little on edge, unsure of just how to deal with each other. The others at the table did not bring it up, but most, if not all of them, had seen it.

  “Think they’ll be like that all the way to the party?” Sean asked Ryann.

  “Neither of them seems willing to be the one to admit they like the other.”

  “I’ve never seen that before,” Ida said with a snicker, looking at Sean and Ryann.

  “Fair enough,” Sean chuckled and kissed the top of Ida’s head.

  “We had our reasons,” Ryann grumbled.

  “I’m sure they do, too,” Sean said, kissing her cheek.

  “Maybe they won’t take as long to move forward,” Ida said. “All of us at the apprentice table could see it, too. Derrin and Hans both said they’re staying out of it; neither of them wants to cause trouble.”

  “Can’t blame them,” Sean said. “None of us is rushing forward to explain it.”

  “You’re doing the dream tonight with Felora?” Ida asked, even though she knew the answer.

  “Yeah, with all of you there to make sure nothing untoward happens.”

  “Good,” Ryann muttered. “I don’t trust her.”

  “You shouldn’t,” Sean agreed. “She’ll hold to the Agreement, though.”

  “We’ll keep him safe,” Ida told her.

  “Of course,” Ryann nodded.

  When they got home, Felora was there already, having tea with Myna and Fiona in the front room. The three women looked relaxed, like old friends meeting again after years apart.

  “Welcome home, Sean,” Fiona smiled.

  “Keep you waiting long?”

  “No, Master. We just started this pot,” Myna replied. “Would you like to join us?”

  “A cup of tea before bed sounds nice,” Sean said, taking the seat between Myna and Fiona. He reached out mentally and touched the Bonds between him and his wives and began to push energy into them, slowly but steadily. “Felora, thank you again for your help.”

  “It was my pleasure, Sean. I do apologize for my demeanor when you saw me last.”

  “It’s fine,” Sean told her.

  Ida and Ryann took chairs, neither wanting to sit beside Felora. Felora gave them both smiles, “A pleasure to see you again, Ryann. It is a pleasure to meet you, Ida. Now, I have met all of Sean’s wives. I can call you Sean, right? Fiona said it would be okay, but it feels so informal.”

  “Sean is fine.”

  “It is nice to meet you as well, Felora,” Ida said politely. “You don’t mind us all being there tonight?”

  “I don’t mind at all,” Felora’s smile widened. “Sadly, it’ll just be a dream, since Sean objected to my original idea.”

  “He is a private man,” Fiona said.

  “We support all of his wishes,” Myna added.

  “I’m glad he declined,” Ryann said, staring daggers at Felora.

  “Ah, it seems someone is upset with me,” Felora sighed.

  “She doesn’t like other women trying to get close to Master,” Myna said.

  “It’s not just me, then?” Felora asked.

  “I don’t like you,” Ryann said pointedly. “I haven’t forgotten your attempts to sway me.”

  Felora giggled, “Oh, come now, you didn’t mind at the time. I can only influence those that are amenable to the idea, which is probably why Sean resisted me. It’s unusual for a man to not be even slightly interested in me.”

  “I have all I need,” Sean replied, though his cheeks were heating up.

  “Yes, I can see that. I would be happy with them, as well,” Felora said, giving each of his wives a sultry look. “Even the angry one.”

  Ryann glowered at Felora, her hands gripping the arms of the chair tightly. “I can show you angry…”

  “Ry...” Sean sighed.

  “She’s the one doing it,” Ryann said.

  Felora’s smile was not hidden by the teacup that she sipped out of. “I apologize if I have caused you offense, Ryann. I would truly like to be friends.”

  “Okay, I think I’m going to go to bed,” Sean said as he got to his feet. “Give me a little whi
le to get settled, and then you can bring her in.”

  “We’ll take care of it, husband,” Fiona said.