The formal welcome concluded without further spectacle.
Soon after, the King and Queen extended a private invitation for an afternoon luncheon.
Attendance was limited.
Deliberate.
Intimate.
Political.
The Table
The dining hall was grand but warm — long polished wood, high crystal windows, filtered afternoon light.
At the head sat the King.
At his right, Queen Lysara.
At his left, Llandra.
Beside Llandra sat Jax.
Then Nyxian, Zee, and Bunny.
Across from them, the royal siblings.
The eldest brother — poised, graceful, heir apparent.
His wife seated beside him.
Next, the second brother and his fiancée.
Then Llandra's older sister and her companion.
At the far end of the table sat Vaelrith Moonshadow, Dawn beside him.
Other advisors were seated as well making twenty total seated.
Servants moved silently.
Appetizers arrived.
Refined.
Elegant.
Perfect.
Small talk flowed as expected.
Safe topics.
Travel.
Infrastructure.
The weather in the southern forests.
Until—
The eldest brother shifted his attention to Jax.
He was tall, composed, immaculate.
Fifty years old by count.
Appearing no older than twenty-five.
"So," he began smoothly, "I hear you are an adventurer who dabbles in commerce."
Jax sipped lightly from his glass.
"I'd say I'm a merchant who occasionally dabbles in adventure."
Nyxian nodded approvingly.
"That's accurate."
A faint smile tugged at the Queen's lips.
The prince tilted his head slightly.
"And what is it you sell?"
Jax leaned back casually.
"I'm glad you asked."
The guards along the walls shifted subtly as Jax reached into his dimensional storage.
Several hands rested closer to hilts.
What emerged was…
A simple sack.
Then several smaller pouches.
Jax passed one across the table to the eldest brother.
"Premium herb blends," he explained. "Seasoning kits. Each comes with a recipe designed to guarantee optimal preparation."
The prince opened the pouch cautiously.
The aroma was immediate.
Rich.
Layered.
Refined.
Jax handed another pouch to the prince's wife.
"That one is for bath infusion," he said smoothly. "Enhances skin clarity and relaxation."
He paused, offering a practiced smile.
"Though I imagine it would only maintain what you already possess."
She blinked.
Then laughed lightly.
"Flattery and product placement?"
"Integrated business model," Jax replied.
The King chuckled under his breath.
The eldest brother did not.
The First Gift
Jax rose.
Guards tensed again.
From the same impossibly small space, he withdrew something far larger.
A refrigeration unit.
Polished.
Crystal-charged.
Nearly four hundred pounds of reinforced structure.
He set it down as if it weighed nothing.
"With a charged ice crystal," he explained calmly, "food preservation increases significantly. Spoilage decreases. Trade routes extend."
The Queen leaned forward slightly.
They had heard of such devices.
Through spies.
Through rumors.
They had not yet acquired one.
"This," Jax said simply, "is for the palace."
The room shifted.
That was no small gift.
The Dowry
Then Jax turned toward the King.
Silence settled.
He withdrew one final item.
An ornate case.
Crafted with dwarven precision.
He walked forward.
Dropped to one knee.
The entire table stilled.
He opened the case.
Inside lay two bows.
Each white with blue tint.
Elegant.
Immaculate.
Balanced.
The craftsmanship was undeniable.
Jax spoke clearly.
"I offer these bows as a token of consideration for your daughter's hand in marriage."
The Queen's eyes widened.
The King leaned forward slightly.
Inside the case rested a small engraved card.
The picked it up read it to himself:
"For the mother and father of the greatest creation in this world, I humbly offer these two bows to fellow hunters. May you never miss your targets."
A pause.
Then—
"Unless you aim them at me."
The King barked out a laugh.
The Queen's shoulders shook softly.
Some of the nobles stiffened at the audacity.
Others tried not to smile.
The middle brother did not try.
He scoffed openly.
"So the human brings trinkets to royalty who have long since left the hunt behind."
The words were sharp.
Disrespectful.
The King's jaw tightened briefly.
But he said nothing.
Instead—
He reached forward and lifted one of the bows.
The moment his fingers wrapped around the grip—
His posture changed.
The balance.
The weight.
The resonance through the wood.
It was not decorative.
It was a weapon.
And a masterfully crafted one.
Warmth pulsed faintly through the structure — subtle enchantment.
He exhaled slowly.
Memories surfaced.
Forests.
Targets.
Freedom before the crown.
"Have this appraised," the King ordered quietly.
An assistant hurried forward, taking the case with reverence.
Then—
The King stepped toward Jax.
Extended his arm.
Another warrior's clasp.
Firm.
Public.
Intentional.
The second time that day.
Murmurs rippled through the hall.
The Queen's gaze softened further.
The eldest brother's expression darkened.
The middle brother's jaw tightened.
Jax had just done something remarkable.
He had offered technology.
Commerce.
And nostalgia.
All in one afternoon.
And he had done so without groveling.
The King released his grip.
"Your gifts are received with gratitude."
The tension at the table had not disappeared.
It had evolved.
Some saw promise.
Some saw threat.
Jax returned to his seat calmly.
He had made allies.
And he had made enemies.
In equal measure.