Gawain looked at him for a few more seconds. Then he gave a sideways smile.

  “Of course I’ll fight at your side.”

  Max blinked.

  “That easily?”

  “It’s the perfect excuse to punch that pointy-eared Taniel.”

  He calmly adjusted the robe over his shoulders.

  “Besides, I already knew the princess wasn’t going to choose me.”

  Max raised an eyebrow.

  “Then why did you come?”

  Gawain smiled, not a trace of shame on his face.

  “It’s always nice to spend a few days as a guest in the castle. Comfortable bed. Good wine. And beautiful Bertha in the kitchens.”

  Max stared at him in silence.

  He thought about the four women in the room.

  He thought about Bertha.

  He thought about everything.

  “You’re not disgusted by anything, are you?”

  Gawain burst out ughing.

  “Life’s short, boy.”

  They walked a few more steps down the corridor.

  Max hesitated for a second.

  “The girls in your room… are they your lovers?”

  “Yes,” he replied bluntly.

  Max nearly tripped.

  “And how…?”

  Gawain raised a hand and pointed to the neckce hanging from his neck. A dark metal piece, with a gray gem set inside it.

  “It opens portals to pces I can see.”

  Max studied it carefully.

  “What?”

  “I asked them to stand on a hill where my window was visible. Opened the portal. They walked in. Simple.”

  Max stared at him in disbelief.

  “That’s not exactly discreet.”

  “We are being discreet,” Gawain replied calmly.

  Max looked at him ftly.

  “I could hear everything from the other side of the door.”

  There was a second of silence.

  Then Gawain exploded into ughter.

  “Then the problem isn’t that I’m not cautious… it’s that you don’t know how to have fun.”

  Max sighed.

  “That’s not it…”

  “Of course it is,” Gawain cut him off. “When all this is over, I’ll teach you.”

  “I’d rather survive first.”

  Gawain smiled approvingly.

  “I like that better.”

  They stopped beside one of the long windows in the hallway.

  “Do you have any pn against Taniel?” Gawain asked, now more serious. “And who are the three of us?”

  Max took a deep breath.

  “You and me.”

  Gawain nodded.

  “Correct.”

  “And the third is Moonlight.”

  Gawain looked at him.

  Blinked once.

  “The little dragon?”

  “That’s right. She’s training magic with Enor right now.”

  Gawain studied him more carefully this time.

  “Interesting.”

  “She’s strong. And she learns fast.”

  “I know,” he replied. “I’ve seen her.”

  Max gnced at the neckce again.

  “That item… it could help us in combat.”

  Gawain instinctively pced a hand over the amulet.

  “I can’t lend it to you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because if something goes wrong, I need them to be able to leave the castle unseen.”

  Max crossed his arms.

  “I could tell the king.”

  Gawain looked at him—then ughed again.

  “You wouldn’t.”

  “You that sure?”

  “Yes. Because you know we need the neckce to make the duel interesting.”

  Max held his gaze for a few seconds.

  Gawain tilted his head.

  “You know how to py your cards. That’s why I like you.”

  Max sighed.

  “Thanks for accepting.”

  “I’m not doing it for you,” Gawain replied with a half-smile. “I’m doing it for the spectacle.”

  Max rolled his eyes.

  “I need you to come with me to see Frida. I want her to check the neckce, maybe adjust it a bit. She might be able to reinforce it.”

  Gawain stopped.

  “Take care of it.”

  His tone was serious.

  “Very.”

  Max raised an eyebrow.

  “Sure. Don’t worry.”

  He paused briefly.

  “With how ‘cautious’ you’ve been, I wouldn’t take responsibility if it breaks.”

  Gawain let out another deep ugh.

  “I like your attitude.”

  They started walking down the corridor toward the forge wing.

  ***

  The metallic sound of hammers striking steel echoed through the halls, mixing with the dense heat escaping from the furnaces.

  Frida was leaning over a table covered with blueprints and dismantled parts when she saw them approach.

  Without looking up, she spoke.

  “You again. I told you not to come around this area, bird-man.”

  Frida lifted her head. Her eyes fixed first on Gawain. Then on the neckce. Then on Max.

  “Oh, sorry. So—what did you break this time?”

  Max stepped forward.

  “Nothing. Yet.”

  That made her narrow her eyes.

  “Talk.”

  Max pointed at the neckce.

  “I want to turn that into a ring.”

  Silence.

  Gawain slowly turned his head toward him.

  “Excuse me?”

  Frida extended her hand.

  “Let me see it.”

  Gawain hesitated for a second.

  “Don’t even think about losing the gem.”

  “Give it to me,” she insisted.

  With visible reluctance, he removed it and pced it in the dwarf’s hand.

  Frida examined it with professional focus.

  “Interesting… very interesting.”

  Max spoke while she rotated it under the light.

  “He can only equip one neckce at a time. And for the duel, I need to wear another one.”

  Gawain frowned.

  “A ring is more practical. More discreet. And it wouldn’t lose its effect,” Max crified.

  Frida raised an eyebrow.

  “Technically… I can remake the setting. The gem is the core. As long as I don’t fracture it, the effect remains.”

  Gawain crossed his arms.

  “He’s crazy. It’s an ancient neckce.”

  “It’s common metal with good craftsmanship,” Frida corrected. “The magic is in the stone.”

  Max gave a faint smile.

  “So you can do it.”

  Frida set the neckce down on the table.

  “Two days.”

  “I need it tomorrow.”

  She looked at him as if he had uttered bsphemy.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “I have orders from the king, repairs, three swords pending, and an unfinished suit of armor. I’m fond of you, but I’m not a household spirit.”

  Max reached into his magic backpack.

  And dropped a heavy pouch onto the table.

  The sound of gold hitting wood was unmistakable.

  Frida lowered her gaze.

  Her eyes widened slightly.

  “Where did you get that?”

  “Mission reward. It’s all yours if you promise the ring will be ready tomorrow,” Max replied calmly.

  Frida opened the pouch just a little.

  Golden light reflected on her face.

  She quickly closed it again.

  “I’ll try.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  “It’s an ‘I’ll work the damn night through and if something explodes it’s your fault.’”

  Max nodded.

  “That works.”

  Gawain pointed a finger.

  “I accept turning it into a ring.”

  Frida was already grabbing tools.

  “But if anything happens to the gem—”

  Max gave a mischievous smile.

  “Don’t lose it,” Gawain said, serious for the first time since they arrived.

  Frida looked at him with a defiant half-smile.

  “If it breaks, it’ll be because it wasn’t worthy of my hands.”

  Max took half a step back.

  “I need it functional. Not perfect.”

  “You’ll get functional,” she replied.

  Max inclined his head.

  “Thank you.”

  Frida was already focused.

  “Come back tomorrow before noon.”

  Gawain gnced at the neckce one st time before she carried it toward the forge.

  Max crossed his arms.

  “Don’t worry. If something goes wrong, I’ll tell the king who sneaks guests in through the windows.”

  Gawain let out a deep ugh.

  “I really do like you.”

  They left the forge wing as the furnace heat intensified behind them.