“That was delicious,” Rey said with a happy, contented smile as she set down her fork. “You are a wonderful cook.” The stress of her horrible day was completely gone, thanks in a large part to the huge minotaur seated next to her.

Richard chuckled. “It’s the recipe, not me. I’m a very plain cook. If I haven’t cooked it before or it’s not from a recipe, I’m pretty awful. I have no sense of what goes together, and that includes all spices except salt and pepper.”

When the last thing was placed in the dishwasher, Rey turned to Richard and said “Wait right here. I have something I want to give you.”

She opened one of the lower cabinet doors and retrieved a velvet drawstring bag. After getting the envelope from where it had been placed on the counter, she offered both to him. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” Her eyes were alive with anticipation, hoping he’d like the gifts.

He faked surprised. “Valentine’s? It’s Valentine’s Day already?” But he broke into a grin and dug something out of his jeans pocket and gave it to Rey. It was a little black box, the kind that flipped open without a latch. Then he took a peek at what Rey presented him. Inside the envelope were a dozen tiny business-card sized cards, each one carefully decorated with a hand-drawn artwork. Each one was different – some had flowering vines, others brambles and thorns – and each was inscribed with the text of a coupon. “Good for one massage”, “breakfast in bed”, and “a long walk in the woods” were just a few of them, and there were a dozen of the cards in all.

He bent toward her and kissed her. “Thank you Rey. This is really sweet.”

Holding the velvet bag in his hand, Richard could tell there was something large and cylindrical inside, but it didn’t prepare him for what he saw when he withdrew the object. It was a large silver bracer, about four inches long, and it looked as if a length of Rey’s brambles had been wrapped around and fused into it.

He examined it and held it up, marveling at the workmanship from several angles. “This is amazing work, Rey,” he murmured. “And there is magic here. What does it do?”

“It will cover you with armor when you activate it,” Rey said. “From head to toe. Breastplate, greaves, the works, and the helmet will accommodate your horns. It looks like lacquered wood the same color of my thorns. It won’t protect you nearly as well as your armor, but I didn’t make it to replace that suit. It’s meant to help if you wind up in an unexpected dangerous situation.”

“Thank you, Rey.” He engulfed her in a hug for a moment. “This is truly amazing.”

Rey was surprised and pleased at receiving a gift from Richard. She hadn’t expected to receive one, but was nonetheless thrilled. She carefully opened the box, wondering what might be inside. It was a necklace with a fine silver chain. There was a hand-wrought device within which was a tear-shaped gem. Although smooth, it fractured light and sparkled unlike any earthly gem Rey had seen. It’s mounting was hand-wrought but artistic, extending from the gem heart like the spiral arms of a galaxy.

She couldn’t contain her gasp of delight and awe. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful before.” She examined it more closely in amazement.

“I’m a weaponsmith, lacking in skills to produce something as amazing and magical as you have given me, but when I saw that necklace, I could not help but think it a perfect accessory to highlight your natural beauty,” he told her.

Rey couldn’t keep herself from blushing. “Thank you, Richard. For everything.” She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. “I’m making a matching bracer for myself, but it’s not finished yet.” She pulled back slightly so she could look up at him. “I’ve always been good with my hands, an artsy type. I love making things for the people who matter to me. I made Less’ suit for him, and Mizuko’s dress, the one she wore to Twelfth Night. I wanted to make something very special for you, and when I saw that metal, I knew what I was going to make. It’s a piece of an armagant’s carapace. I’m told it’s a cross between an armadillo and an elephant with the disposition of an angry wild boar.”

“An angry boar, eh?” he said with raised eyebrow. “How did you find such an unusual piece? Or is that something I don’t want to know?” He grinned.

“I was going to my Hollow when I heard the sound of two animals fighting nearby.” Her grin matched his. “Given my love of adventure, I went to check it out in case it might be a threat to the Duchy. It was two armagants fighting, though over what I cannot say. They were too busy goring each other to shred to notice me. The winner ate his fill and then left. I grabbed several pieces of the carapace, some of its claws and one of the tusks and stashed them in my Hollow. I took two of the pieces to the 13th Street Market and bartered them for some other things I wanted.” Rey shook her head. “The tusks on those things are literally as big as your arm.”

Both Changelings heard the sound of a flap opening and closing behind them, and when they looked they saw a tiny grey cat. “Oh, there you are, Hamilton,” she said from her place in Richard’s arms. ” Hamilton, I’d like you to meet Richard, Paladin of Shadows of the Desert Duchy. Richard, I’d like you to meet Hamilton, a very good friend. One of my best friends, actually. He braved the Hedge to find me the night I was Taken.”

“A true survivor, then.” Richard rubbed him under the jaw.

“Ah,” said Hamilton comfortably. “So you do have at least one friend with basic knowledge of etiquette.” He purred comfortably.

Richard stared at the cat, who’d closed his eyes, and at Rey. He wasn’t sure it was safe to stop rubbing the strange cat’s lower jaw.

Rey chuckled. “Hamilton, if you’re hungry, I’ve got some steak for you in the fridge, and I think I spotted your catnip mouse under the bed.”

“Food? Food is good,” he replied. He hopped down and pawed at the fridge, then waited for Rey to get it for him. “I think I will be going out tonight,” he said in a whimsical tone. “I’d like to go on a prowl, get the lay of the land around here.”

“There’s a beautiful queen a few doors down,” she said as she placed the plate of already cut-up steak on the floor before returning to Richard’s side and slipped an arm around his waist.

“A queen, Miss?” Hamilton looked up from his steak. “What do you mean?”

“Well, toms are boy cats and queens are girl cats,” Rey said with a smile. “She’s very friendly, though not much of a conversationalist.” She didn’t know if Hamilton would be interested in sex, or even be subject to mating urges, but she wanted to give him the heads up anyway. The changeling knew that female cat wasn’t spayed. Or he just might give her a disgusted look and go back to eating.

He sniffed. “Well, if she can’t participate in conversation, she’s about as interesting as a half naked nymph.” With that somewhat cryptic remark, he returned his attention to his steak.

Rey choked back a laugh and looked up at Richard. “Before I forget, after you use the bracer, you’ll feel kind of stiff and itchy all over for a little while. More annoying than dangerous or damaging. And the armor’s really lightweight and flexible, so it shouldn’t impede you when you’re moving around.”

Richard wanted to scratch his head at Hamilton’s remark but shook it off and told Rey, “I’m sure it will be fine. I’ll test it out tomorrow morning.”

“I think I may hold off wearing the necklace until after the ball.” Her smile was slow and sexy. “So we have time for me to model it for you properly, before I wear it out in public.”

“As you like, my darling,” he said with a return smile.

“So I’ve been promoted to darling, have I?” Rey’s grin had a cheeky edge to it. “Or should I say Darkling. I was thinking about going as one tonight. What about you? Have you decided yet?”

“I’m stuck between a fairest dragon, if I can pull of the snob bit, or an ogre gristlegrinder.”

Rey gave him a look of mock dismay. “Are you saying I’m a snob because I’m a Fairest?” She laughed, and then continued. “I think perhaps an ogre gristlegrinder. You may have less of a concern about your size being out of sync with your seeming. Unless those tokens will change your size as well. I didn’t think to ask.”

“I don’t know, I hadn’t really thought about that. If they do resize me, then that’s not good either since my suit might fall off.”

“You know how I feel about your birthday suit.” Rey caressed his chest with her right hand, loving the feel of him under her hand. “And I like you this size. Your hugs are the best I’ve ever gotten.”

Richard eyed her then folded his arms. “Do you have any idea how mushy we’ve been already tonight? I hope they don’t strip us of our scary Autumness,” he said, but smiled.

“I won’t tell if you won’t,” Rey replied immediately and glanced at the clock. “We’d better get ready. Think we can hold off the mushies if we both get changed in the bedroom?” She grinned.

“I’m pretty sure we won’t.” He nodded toward the stove clock. It was already hours past the start time of the ball. “Unless you’d rather skip tonight?”

“No, I want to go,” Rey said with a shake of her head. “I missed Less’ really big night, the night he first took his place on the throne. I don’t want to bail on this.”

Rey changed into her evening dress, putting on her lingerie and thigh high stockings with silent efficiency. It was a new floor length gown, one purchased specifically for that night. It was a deep coal black, but shot with red metallic threads. When she moved, and the light was right, the dress would have little glints like sparks of ruby fire. A few minutes in the bathroom to do her hair and she was ready to go. She was met by Richard who had used his time well and then they left for the ball.