Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince

From the top floor of the interior, Lucius and Kalliope could easily observe the rest of the dining establishment with ease. The entire building was furnished in a 'rustic style' as the staff had described it.

On the menu, they served a plethora of dishes, which changed on a rotating basis with whatever was in season, in addition to rare delicacies that they kept on hand for wealthier patrons. Many of the dishes were hearty-sounding, which Lucius assumed was to go along with their theme.

Kalliope seemed both excited and overwhelmed at the food options presented and asked their waiter for a recommendation.

"Yes, my lady. This week's special is a seared Alpha Deer steak in a red wine reduction. Served alongside a seasonal salad and a bowl of creamed vegetables. We also recommend pairing it with our personal wine label: Mountainside Reserve. It is a century-aged red wine made from a special variety of grapes that grow along the cliffs of the mountain above the palace.

Only a handful of bottles are produced annually, and I have it on good authority that this particular wine is a favorite of the Lady of the Mountain."

Lucius felt his eyes slightly gloss over at the wealth of unnecessary information regarding a simple bottle of alcohol. However, the feeling of being overwhelmed was combated by the intense annoyance at the special meat of choice. Kalliope also seemed unsure of what to do and simply responded to the waiter with a shrug of agreement.

She looked mildly confused at why he had a look of annoyance on his face, but Lucius simply shook his head and requested some sort of fish-based dish without even glancing at the menu. Happy to finally be left alone, Lucius smiled at Kalliope.

"What?" She asked simply.

"Nothing, just… I never imagined I would be able to do this with you. I had set aside how I felt because of my feelings for Rena, but now I don't have to."

"So, what are your intentions tonight?" Kalliope asked plainly.

Her brazen question, which would make other people question her tact, brought Lucius a smile. She had been acting the part of the shy maiden so far on the date due to the freshness of the situation, but she was still Kalliope at heart. He thought for a moment under the woman's watchful gaze. There was no sign of concern or blame in her eyes.

Rather, they contained a careful curiosity, maybe even a dash of hope.

"I have a few ideas, but they can wait. For now, we should enjoy ourselves." He said.

The two clinked together their glasses and laughed at the situation. A short while later, dinner was served. Kalliope seemed to thoroughly enjoy her steak. The food brought a large smile to her face as she tried to balance her desire to shovel the food into her mouth with the desire to remain 'civilized' given their surroundings.

Lucius also found the fish he was served to be very tasty. It had orange-colored flesh and was incredibly moist and soft, with a crispy skin on the bottom. They served it with a thick yellow sauce and sprinkled strange, green vegetables with a strong tang.

Though Kalliope's meal was served with expensive red wine, Lucius was provided with a white wine that was slightly tinged yellow. Unlike any other beverage he had seen before, the alcohol also possessed strange bubbles that clung to the sides and bottoms of the glass. Each slight movement of the glass or table made the bubbles float to the top, where they popped with a hiss.

They both found their meals to be some of the best food they had ever eaten, though Lucius did not sample any of Kalliope's meal, purely on principle. They decided to skip the dessert course and only have the main meal. Though he had offered her, Kalliope was not a fan of sweets, so they simply paid for the bill and allowed themselves to be escorted out of a side entrance to the restaurant.

The main entrance was meant for minor nobility, merchants, and really any guest who had the funds to dine within the establishment. Neither of them knew this when they entered, but the secondary entrance off to the side of the building was meant for higher-status nobles. Since Yue had made the reservation using Corva's connections, Lucius and Kalliope should have technically used the other entrance.

The path to the restaurant on the higher society side of the building was lined with beautiful trees covered in pink petals. Unlike some cherry trees common in the Wisteria Concord, these flowered with pink blossoms year-round. With a smile, Lucius plucked one of the blossoms and placed it gently behind Kalliope's ear.

"Beautiful." He whispered.

Laughed at his antics, "You idiot. I appreciate all this sentiment, but you're laying it on a little thick, don't you think?"

Despite her complaints, she had a slight blush, leaving the flower in her hair. "Sure, but this is as much for you as for me. I don't get to have many moments like this with how life has been. Rena and I would occasionally go out to the markets and sample the cuisine… but it has been since we were children that we dedicated a day to something like this.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

So, allow me to indulge myself a little with you."

The beautiful woman lightly punched his chest with her fist before smiling and wrapping her arm around him once more. He told her they had another stop to make before the date was done and led the way through the garden and towards the shops nearby.

Per Corva's instruction, he targeted one shop in particular for the evening. It was a plain-looking building surrounded by ornate ones on all sides. Though it was not as fancy as the rest of the shops around it, the craftsman inside was someone Corva stated rivaled herself.

While Kalliope gawked at the buildings around them, they approached a simple building with only a single floor. It had a few chimneys in the back with a gentle plume of smoke from above. Even though mana emanated from the top of the chimneys, which seemed to be powering some sort of cleaning device, Lucius could still smell a hint of soot and metal.

The store itself was called 'Chained Promise', a nod to the elven tradition of gifting your paramour a decorative chain as a promise of marriage. Simply put, it was a jeweler.

Before she could say anything about the building, Lucius pulled her inside the small shop. They were greeted by an elf with silver-gray hair and a handsome face. He smiled warmly and gestured for them to look around at the wares.

Many of the pieces were kept under very thick glass, but a few were laid upon wooden hands, fingers, and heads to show how they would fit upon someone's body. One piece in particular seemed to catch Kalliope's eye.

Your journey continues with empire

Near the back corner of the store, at the end of the counter where the elf stood, there was a wooden head with beastman ears attached. Adorning the left ear was an intricate metal cuff that lined the outer edge of the entire ear and covered the entire back. The front wrapped around the tip of the ear, and there was a small hole where Lucius could see through it.

"It's beautiful…" Kalliope whispered.

"Ah! Yes, a fine eye, my lady," The proprietor beamed, "That is a traditional beastman marriage cuff. A rather unique piece in my collection. I picked it up from a merchant out of Eroa almost fifty years ago. Of course, there are very few beastmen in the capital and almost none of them ever come up this high… would you be interested in that piece?"

Kalliope went to answer and Lucius noticed she was beginning to mouth the word 'yes'. Before she could, he held up a hand and interjected, "No, thank you. We won't be needing that."

Kalliope had an aggrieved expression on her face for a moment that was quickly replaced with shock. "Actually, I should have something on reserve at the request of Princess Corva. My name is Lord Lucius Kane."

The elf's eyes went wide as he nodded quickly and left to the back of the building which was obscured by a doorway behind him with curtains drawn over it. A few moments later he returned with an ornate wooden box and reverently held it out for Lucius to grab.

Instead of taking it for himself, he gestured for Kalliope to open it. She did so gingerly and gasped at what was inside. Laying on a pillow of white silk was a similar item to what they just observed. This one, though, was made of a black metal. Instead of the gentle ornate designs and loops on the display cuff, this item had jagged and aggressive designs that looked more like bolts of electricity.

Running down the outside edge of the cuff was a series of small gemstones, each a yellow-orange color. The color seemed familiar, but she found herself unable to describe exactly how.

"Those stones are known as Desert Eyes." The shopkeeper explained. "They are usually found in Alorek and are often likened to the appearance of the sun behind a sandy haze. Not a common gemstone to request, but beautiful nonetheless. The metal itself is black silver. Unlike normal silver, it is a much harder metal resistant to damage and tarnishing."

"Desert Eye?"

"Yes," Lucius explained, "To represent where we first met. Rena has the cat charm on her choker to represent something important to our past. I wanted to do the same for you."

"You know what it means to give me this?" Kalliope said in a hushed tone.

Lucius noticed Kalliope's face becoming slightly flushed. For some reason something clicked in his brain that made his own face begin to heat up. The feeling was unique and both similar and dissimilar to how his body felt when with Rena in the physical sense.

Lucius coughed awkwardly, "I do. Shall I put it on for you? It may hurt for a moment."

Kalliope nodded furiously and leaned her head down slightly toward him. Her ears twitched slightly from the anticipation. With an ever-increasing heartbeat, Lucius gently placed the cuff around her left ear and clamped it closed. Thanks to her time as a warrior, the quick pain of the piercing point at the tip of the ear didn't even make Kalliope flinch.

Lucius pulled out a small healing potion and wiped away a tiny drop of blood before splashing a small amount on her ear, which quickly healed and prevented infection. Kalliope slowly looked up, her face almost completely red now. Lucius could hear her heart pounding against her chest, though he also couldn't tell if it was actually hers or his own.

Because Corva had measured nearly every part of Kalliope for the weapon she was making, she could sneakily grab a few extra measurements to ensure that this ear cuff was perfectly sized. The elf that ran this store was immediately contacted and was paid a very generous sum to perform a rush order.

"We need to go," Kalliope stated quickly before yanking Lucius out of the store and leaving the jeweler behind. Lucius silently thanked Yue for having the foresight of paying the jeweler in advance.