"Reka, are you still renting that car?" Brad asked. They'd dropped his mom off at the airport days ago.
Wait...this was a different car.
His fiancee pulled up in a forest green MWB, a really nice one. Brad couldn't recall the name of the model off the top of his head but the car looked brand new, all sleek lines and a plush interior that was visible through Reka's rolled down window.
"Hop in, husband!" she called out cheerily. Who was he to say no to that?
Brad sighed in exasperation, sliding into the passenger seat. "Honey, I told you, we aren't married yet."
"I know, I know," she said in a tone that could almost be interpreted as whiny. "But this will save us some trouble in the long run. This is your car by the way."
The ride was so smooth he didn't process that comment for a split second. "Reka, you bought me a car? Can we afford this right now?"
His love smiled teasingly. "Well, it's more like our car, you know; we only need one. It's just in your name. Everything is. I would prefer to have to change as little as possible when I adopt the Regis name, and I'm not a freeholder of this land, never forget."
"Right, you're not an American citizen." Brad didn't want to speculate on how he instantly knew what she meant. "I'm not even sure how buying a car would work for you, what with all President Blimp's shenanigans lately."
Reka nodded in understanding. "Indeed, Julie told me how your head magistrate was taking harsh measures against wayfarers and strangers in the land."
They spent a few minutes in companionable silence, watching the road go by, Brad not even questioning where they were going. The destination definitely wasn't their apartment. That was five exits ago.
"You said everything was in my name," he said suddenly, remembering. "What else did you buy?"
"Something more fitting for your station," she said cryptically. The giant rock on her finger caught the light as if it was agreeing with her. "Are you hungry, my love? We haven't had the cheeseburgers you like so much in a while, and it will be a bit of a drive yet."
"I don't want to make a mess in our brand new car," Brad said sheepishly.
"Nonsense," Reka dismissed his objection. "There are servants for that." She pulled in to Up-And-Down Burger, one of his favorites.
When they got their food his fiancee made conversation in between bites. It was jarring how willing she was to eat this greasy American slop with him, but that was just how she was. "I'm so pleased you're finished with school and I finally have you all to myself," she said, daintily popping a fry into her mouth. "We can play all day now." She sipped on her soda to wash it down.
"What about work?" he asked. Wasn't he working for her company now?
"Making crystals is not labor or time intensive," she explained, "an hour a day at most."
"Three in the morning, right?"
His fiancee hesitated. "Yes," she answered finally. "The process is most efficient at that time. I may be able to shave off a significant portion of the needed work with new tooling, but I haven't tested it."
"Can I help?" Brad asked.
Reka was silent, thoughtful.
"I want to help," Brad insisted.
She took his hand in hers, heedless of their greasy fingers. "You are helping, more than you know," Reka said emphatically. "It's just, you've seen me working with Galiban on your laptop. It could take years for you to understand the crystal stabilization process. You don't even understand the language I use."
Brad couldn't deny that. It looked like alien hieroglyphics. How was he ever supposed to understand? He knew he wasn't in Reka's league mentally. He'd accepted it. Still...
"But what can I do for you?" he asked softly.
"Oh, my love," Reka lamented, cupping his cheek, "you already do so much for me. Just be mine! That's all you have to do. That's all you will ever have to do. Let me handle the complicated matters and all will be well." She looked at him pleadingly.
He knew he trusted her. He knew Reka still respected him despite her being so much more intelligent. "Okay," he assented.
She kissed him. He tasted cherry soda on her lips.
Suddenly he became aware of a group of teenagers with their phones out, filming them. It wasn't like they were in private, just a couple eating in their car in an Up-And-Down parking lot. He couldn't bring himself to care.
"Never mind them, my love, just finish your food and we'll be on our way."
Once they were done, Brad got out and threw away their trash. Reka had them back on the highway after that.
"Where are we going, anyway?" Brad asked. "We just passed the exit to Stardust City. Not there?"
"We do need to be somewhat close to their crystal-cutting facilities, true," Reka explained, "but there is another city about an hour to the north that will be ideal, plenty of access, and plenty of space," she said meaningfully.
Brad realized they were going to San Guillermo, a largely suburban city at the southern tip of Silicon Valley. They chatted for a while until Reka drove them into a ridiculously wealthy-looking neighborhood, stopping in front of a huge McMansion.
"This is our house?" He could hardly believe it.
"A small palace," she told him, "not quite up to my standards, but it will serve for the present."
For the first time in a long time Brad looked at Reka, really looked, kicking himself for not noticing it before. "Honey, were you an aristocrat back in Hungary?" he questioned. It would explain so much: how she was somehow sheltered and cultured, her odd speech patterns, everything really. "Did you grow up in a castle or something?"
His fiancee looked stunned for a second, but then she smiled wide. "Something like that, my love," she said enigmatically.
That settled it in his mind. Reka was a princess or a duchess or similar. A wild thought occurred to him: did she have Habsburg blood? Was he marrying a descendant of royalty? His mind swam with the possibilities.
"This house is in my name?" he wondered aloud. "How can we afford this? Silicon Valley real estate is crazy expensive!"
"Sold our first crystal," Reka said easily. "Be at ease, my love. We have millions of your dollars to spare, and I'll have another crystal to sell with the new moon. Funds will never be an issue for such as us."
Brad gulped. Millions?
She took him by the arm and led him inside. "Five bedrooms," she informed him, "but I intend to turn one into an office and another into a workshop, or perhaps the garage."
It was huge, high ceilings, an open floor plan, and fully furnished. The house looked like some housewife's carefully curated pinterest board. "Julie helped you pick it out?" Brad almost didn't need to ask.
"None other," Reka confirmed. "She'll be staying here sometimes, and other employees when we get them. A physical office may become necessary in the future, but I intend lean staffing for the present."
"And where will we be sleeping?" Brad asked innocently, but Reka knew better.
"My love, I believe it is time to introduce you to the California King," she said urgently, leading him upstairs.
*******************
Reka's Point of View
Reka pressed herself against Brad's body in repose, savoring the pleasant ache in her womanhood, the ultimate result of a long drawn-out session of lovemaking. The wet warmth of his essence pooled inside her, filling her with nervous energy, as if the life force in her love's seed already desired to serve her.
The great jewel on her finger tugged insistently at the magic within, an artifact of Brad's love recognizing like energy in her core and craving union. The test would be soon.
At the hour of uttermost darkness she arose and withdrew to the washroom adjacent to their new chambers. Within was her magic box, carefully maintained these last several years. Reka would charge it periodically, first with the blood of rats, and lately with her boyfriend's, or rather, her fiance's seed directly. Once sufficient energy was stored within Reka could perform a ritual to apply permanent magical stabilization to one of the crystals grown and cut at Stardust City. This night she would try something different.
When the clock struck three Reka plunged her left hand into the box and her ring came alive, radiating light and heat that she could feel. The magic circles within reacted and became visible, glowing dimly purple and drinking from her engagement ring like a babe at the breast.
She felt a pull in her core, continuing up through her heart and finally out to her finger, the golden band warming up to an almost unpleasant degree and leaving a tingly, numb feeling behind.
It worked! she exalted.
The labor of an hour was now the labor of a minute, but she could tell it was inefficient. The diamond on her finger would likewise need to be magically stabilized so it wouldn't leak energy uselessly into the open air. There would be no fusion crystal this month. The ring took priority.
The world can wait, she decided. I can speedily return to Brad!
Her love stirred, but did not wake, Reka realized in triumph as she slipped back into bed. She could probably keep her magic box on the nightstand, roll over to charge it, then roll right back into Brad's arms. He would sleep well from then on.
Still, this would do nothing to increase production. After some years with the mathematics of this world Reka had become skilled at "eyeballing" things, as Brad liked to say. Once her ring was sealed and stabilized as a magical conduit her limit of one fusion crystal a month would remain, perhaps down to twenty eight days in the best case. She needed more energy or more efficiency in its collection and transmission, she knew, but was at a loss on how to achieve those ends. Relaxing against her dearest one, Reka resolved to bring the matter before Galiban come the morn.
A few hours later, natural light trickled through the window and gently coaxed Brad out of a sweet dream. They were face to face and the warmth and happiness she sensed from him thrilled Reka more than she could say.
"So, how about breakfast?" he asked.
"Do you want to go out or order something?" Delivery could be had at this hour, Julie assured her.
"How about you get dressed and I'll see what's in the fridge?" Brad suggested.
Refusing him was unthinkable, though when they were alone, "getting dressed" didn't mean much. Reka preferred revealing outfits that pleased her love's eye if propriety wasn't a concern.
Clad in a convenient garment known as a "sports bra" that held her breasts in comfort, she descended the stairs to the sound of something sizzling.
"Just eggs and toast I'm afraid," Brad told her, placing her plate on the table. "Maybe Julie didn't think you liked bacon. At least the coffee machine works."
Julie did so much for them, Reka mused. It was past time she was rewarded for her loyalty.
Once the coffee was ready Brad sat down with her and they enjoyed a peaceful meal. After being informed of the nature of "marriage" this quiet moment together was just as she anticipated her married life would proceed. Somehow, Reka found as much delight here as in the passion of their lovemaking.
"Any plans for today?" her love asked.
"Oh indeed," she answered over her coffee mug. "There is a matter of a focusing crystal design that I need to put before Galiban."
Brad chuckled. "You talk to Galiban a lot. Does he ever talk back?"
Her brow narrowed in thought. "Not yet," she said, ruminating on the idea. "But it might be possible to connect him to one of our phones and create some manner of speech integration."
Yes, yes, it could be done...
"You could participate!" Reka said excitedly. "You wouldn't need to know the particulars of Galiban's calculations. He could simply serve you as he serves me. What a fine idea, my love!"
After breakfast, she took his hand and led her fiance to her office, well, their office. Brad's laptop was on the desk, no cord or charger necessary.
Though he would never admit it, her love was proud of his past as a Sailor. She decorated the room with a picture of him in his old uniform, a frame with all of his awards from his time in the Navy, and the model of his old ship. She didn't need their bond to sense his gratitude as they sat down. His hand drifted to her hip and squeezed possessively. She leaned into his touch.
The laptop roared to life and Reka summoned faithful Galiban. With just a little prompting he brought up a model of her engagement ring.
"Is that what I think it is?" Brad asked.
"Quite right, my love," she confirmed. "I have a definite idea on how a similar shape could be sealed and stabilized. You chose my ring well," Reka praised.
"Julie helped," Brad said modestly.
Even so, my love, the final decision was yours. I can feel it.
"Now for the mag...I mean focusing arrays," Reka worked. She enjoyed the faint sounds of the warlock's agony as Galiban made the calculations.
"So small," she muttered.
Reka wanted to create a new magic box out of the one her engagement ring came in, but drawing the circles within by hand was simply not feasible. The efficiency gains would be considerable, if only she could manage it. What to do?
"What's wrong, honey?" Brad asked worriedly.
"A bit of an impasse," Reka explained. "I need to do some very fine etching work in a tiny enclosed space. I'm at a loss on how to accomplish it."
"Reka, my love," he said with reproach in his voice. "Are you an engineer or not? Get a machine to do it."
That would...that would work! Galiban could even control the whole process. If she could somehow connect her thinking machine to a physical interface he'd be capable of previously unimaginable precision.
Brad was wiser than he knew; Reka threw her arms around his neck and covered him in kisses. This was progress!