The maid finished cleaning and her face was streaked with tears as she finally resumed her assigned post at my side.

“Mr. Drake, rest assured that she will no longer be working here by the end of the day.” Grand Mage Henrietta said, his voice stern. The maid jerked slightly and I was glad that she had already taken the breakables away, because I was sure she would have dropped them again.

“Why? She did her job well.” I said.

“Someone had to prepare the food.” He responded.

“If you are going to fire her for doing her job, then I'll hire her for my household.” I said.

Grand Mage Henrietta's face twitched slightly, I assumed because I was countering his authority in his own house. The maid let out a particularly loud hiccup and her hand briefly touched my back, out of sight of everyone.

“Also, wouldn't it be one of the cooks that prepared the food to give to the maid?” I asked.

Grand Mage Henrietta stared at me and his eyes squinted slightly. If I had to guess, I was sure that the cooks were long-time family retainers and he didn't like having the blame shared with someone that wasn't so easily disposed of.

“In any case, this is your home and I apologize for causing a disruption in the flow of the evening.” I said and sat back in my chair as I clasped my hands on my lap.

Mona's hand touched her husband's hand and the Grand Mage let out a barely audible sigh. Almost as one, everyone held a hand over their plates and the plates glowed. The smell of warmed food filled the room and the glow faded as they started eating.

I sat there, completely quiet, and didn't glance around or looked at the others at the table while they ate. Time passed by in a second and Grand Mage Henrietta sat back and waved his hand. The other maids took their plates and went into the kitchen. The maid assigned to me sighed and followed them, then they came back out with an elaborately decorated and probably delicious dessert for everyone else.

On my plate was a partially charred and mangled something that was covered in rancid whipped cream. It made Helena, her mother Mona, and her sister Selena gasp when they saw it.

“That's enough.” Grand Mage Henrietta said in a tone of voice without inflection and his son Marcus looked embarrassed.

“Is something wrong?” I asked and picked up the proper dessert spoon, then dug into the intentionally ruined dessert. I made sure to get some of the rancid cream on it and ate a spoonful.

“UGH!” Selena said loudly from beside me and covered her mouth. “I'm going to be sick!” She said and shot to her feet, then she ran from the room.

“You don't have to do this.” The maid beside me whispered so low that only I could hear her.

I ignored both Selena's outburst and the maid's words, and kept eating. She stayed beside me and Grand Mage Henrietta's maid stayed beside him, and every other maid had to leave the room. Neither Helena nor her mother could look at me and they also had a hand over their mouths. They took shallow breaths, probably because the rancid cream smelled so strongly.

I finished the dessert and moved the empty plate two inches to the side for the maid to take. The maid put her hand on my shoulder as she leaned down to take the empty plate.

“Thank you. Once again, it was delicious.” I said and her hand gripped my shoulder tightly.

“My lord, I humbly accept your offer.” The maid whispered before she took the plate and spoon into the kitchen. About ten seconds later, she and the other maids came back and resumed their positions, except for Selena's maid who was still absent.

“Should we wait for Selena?” Mona asked when her husband picked up his spoon to start eating.

“She might not be back, my lady.” Her assigned maid said. “Her maid is attending her.”

Mona sighed and picked up her spoon as well, then Marcus and Helena did as well. I sat there with my hands clasped on my lap and waited for them to finish eating dessert. It didn't look like they enjoyed it very much, even though it looked quite tasty.

After a few minutes, the plates were cleared and glasses of red wine were served to the others. My glass was distinctly green and not red.

“Remove that from my sight!” Grand Mage Henrietta said loudly, raising his voice for the very first time, and pointed at the glass in front of me. “My family has been embarrassed enough tonight!”

“Of course, Grand Mage.” I said and grabbed the glass before the maid could take it. I stood up and raised my glass to offer a toast. “To the Henrietta family. May their untarnished name live on forever.”

Everyone's mouth dropped open in shock at the intentionally formal insult, considering their name was just tarnished, and I upended the glass and drank the entire thing instead of sipping it like I was supposed to. They couldn't fault me, however. The Grand Mage had said to get it out of his sight. Since it was a toast, they had to sip their wine in response. They all had unhappy and sour faces as they did.

I sat down and put the empty glass off to the side by two inches and the maid took it. She held it tenderly, as if it was the most precious thing in the world. I covertly took out the healing potion I had and dabbed some of it onto my napkin and then dabbed my lips with the napkin.

After sitting in silence for another minute, the Grand Mage spoke. “I'm going to skip my toast this evening.” He said, pointedly looking at the empty glass that my new maid had in her hands, and I could see that he was afraid of having to watch me drink even more of whatever it was. By the taste alone, I was sure it was mostly bog water with some pond scum.

“Thank goodness.” His wife Mona whispered. “I can't take much more of this. Please end it, dearest.”

The Grand Mage took his wife's hand and gave it a light squeeze as he nodded. “Thank you all for attending this meal.”

At the exact second his words ended, the maids all stepped back from our sides. Helena jumped to her feet, her chair clattered to the floor, and her hand glowed as she slammed it into the side of her brother's head. He flew out of his chair, did a cartwheel as he barely missed both his maid and his father's maid, and he hit the wall. He must have had a defensive spell ready, because when he hit the wall, it glowed slightly and he bounced off as he fell to the floor.

“HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO MY DAVID!!!” Helena yelled.

“It wasn't me! I swear!” Marcus said as he stood up.

“Open your mouth again to lie about it, and I'll do what David suggested and remove your tongue!” Helena spat as she stalked over to him.

“That's enough.” Grand Mage Henrietta said as he stood up to interrupt his daughter's justified tirade.

“Father, he insulted my fiance, this family, and smeared our good name!” Helena said, quite angry. “He's always been so petty, so full of himself, and now he's done this... this... unspeakable...”

“I will deal with him.” Grand Mage Henrietta said.

“No, you won't! You always let him get away with everything because he's your only son!” Helena spat and her mother Mona took in a sharp breath. “What are you going to do? Talk to him? Tell him he did a bad thing? HE ALREADY KNOWS THAT! WHY ELSE WOULD HE DO IT IF HE DIDN'T THINK HE WOULD GET AWAY WITH IT?!?”

“Calm down.” The Grand Mage said and magic flowed out from him. “I told you I'll take care of it.”

“Really? Are you REALLY going to do that this time?” Helena asked as she didn't fight against whatever spell her father cast. “Tell me father. Tell me what you're going to do to punish him.”

The Grand Mage stood there for several moments, then he sighed. “The Longshore Estate.”

“Father! No!” Marcus said loudly.

“Quiet.” Grand Mage Henrietta said firmly and Marcus clamped his mouth shut. “I have always tried to keep you protected. You are my son, my first born, and you will inherit the family when I die.” He said. “Unfortunately, you have let that knowledge go to your head. Forgetting everything else you've done up until this point in your life and only considering what you've done tonight... you have been irresponsible, taken unnecessary risks, and put yourself and this whole family in imminent danger from an inconceivable threat.”

“Father, it wasn't supposed to...”

Grand Mage Henrietta's hand shot out and the back of it slapped his son's face. There was no power behind it and Marcus's head didn't jerk from the impact. That didn't matter, because Marcus still looked horrified and put his hand on the spot, as if it did hurt, and his eyes were wide and started to fill with tears.

“I've warned you several times not to antagonize him. I've even broken the law and shown you the military reports of his exploits.” The Grand Mage said and that made his wife gasp. “He killed an owlbear by himself.”

“F-father, the report said that there was a full squad of...”

“The owlbear was already dying and they distracted it by giving it something to kill before it died.” The Grand Mage said. “All they did was become food to give it a chance to try and regenerate.”

“Father, I...”

“It doesn't matter what you say now. I've made my decision.” Grand Mage Henrietta said. “I'm giving the Longshore Estate to Helena and David as an apology for your treatment of him... and as an engagement present.”

Helena let out a squeal of delight and then slapped a hand over her mouth. “Father! You... you mean...”

The Grand Mage nodded and turned to look at me. “As head of the Henrietta Family, I apologize for your inhumane treatment at the hands of my son. Please accept my blessing of your marriage to my daughter... on one condition.”

I stood up and walked around the table to stand next to Helena. “What's your condition?”

“We've never had a non-mage marry into the family and we are not going to start now.” The Grand Mage said. “You will attend the mage academy for three years and pass the basic courses.”

“Father! I never agreed to that! You know he's not prepared for...”

“I don't care what he's prepared for. If he doesn't agree, he can leave. He already has his freedom.”

_______________

You have a critical choice to make. Will it be the right one?

Warning: This will change the course of the story, no matter what you choose.

A) Break your word and leave. B) Kill him. C) Keep your promise. D) Kill Marcus. E) Choose two.

Okay, that's a nice set of choices there. I thought. Like the Grand Mage said, I could wipe out the family by killing the both of them. However, that would hurt Helena, even though she really hates her brother right now. I read the options again. She's always supported me, so as a good husband, I need to support her. If being a mage is required to complete my end of our deal, then so be it. I choose C.

_______________

“It's my job to fully support my future wife in all things.” I said, to the surprise of everyone. “I'll attend the mage academy for three years, pass the basic courses, and we will be married the very next day.” I turned to Mona, still seated at the table. “I trust that three years is enough time for you to prepare a proper wedding?”

Mona stood up and walked around the table as her face grew a very pleased smile. “That's plenty of time, David.” She said and held a hand out to me. I took it and bent over it to kiss the back of it, then she stepped close and took me into a hug.

“Mother?” Helena asked, a little confused. “What are you doing?”

“I'm welcoming him to the family, of course.” Mona said and looked into my eyes. “You know it requires my permission as well, don't you?”

“Yours before your husband's.” I said and her pleased smile became a sly one, because she knew what was coming. “Pardon the intrusion.” I put my arms around her and pressed my lips to hers for several seconds, then pulled back slightly to look into her eyes. “I greet you, my future mother in law, the bearer of my wife and grandmother of my future children.”

Mona looked surprised as she put a fingertip to her lips. “I didn't taste that rancid cream.”

“I would never sully you in such a manner.” I said and let her go. “Such things should never cross a lady's lips, let alone her sight.”

“Or her nose.” Mona said with another sly smile and let me go as well.

Marcus didn't speak at my slight verbal jab. He still held a hand to his face where his father had slapped him.

“I believe we have an agreement.” Grand Mage Henrietta said and held a hand out to me.

I shook it for barely a moment and then offered my arm to Helena. “Please excuse us. For some reason, I'm not feeling quite myself and should return to the guest room.”

“Of course.” Mona said and pat my arm. “We will see you at breakfast.”

I nodded and turned to lead Helena from the room, then paused and looked at the maid. “Come along.”

“Yes, my lord!” The maid said and walked around the table to follow us out of the dining room. She couldn't hide the very happy smile on her face as the doors closed behind us.