Epilogue
“I think I’ve got it this time,” Malea said, coming out of her workroom holding a cut stone that she was carefully wiping off.
Her precision gem-cutting machine required her to mount the rough stone on a small metal rod with wax and taking it off always required a bit of cleaning.
She rubbed the surface of one of the larger diamonds with a soft cloth, removing the last of the sticky wax and giving it a little buff, though such a sparkly gem didn’t really require much work to make it shine.
She walked right up to Kurt where he stood at one of the tables, laying out a stained-glass window design.
He’d been showing one of the younger apprentices how to solder the joints together that held the glass pieces.
Another apprentice was cutting the colored glass to size for each of the little panes.
“Oh, that’s a really nice design,” Kurt said, duly admiring his wife’s latest work of art.
She was really making a name for herself among the other gem cutters for her original diagrams of how to cut unique shapes and bring the most out of the raw gems.
He held the cut and polished diamond up to the light streaming in from the back window of his main workshop, and everyone looked up as little flickers of light danced around the room.
“That’s more than any of the others,” young Bertrand gasped as he marveled at the display, momentarily forgetting his own task of cutting colored glass for the window.
The teenager smiled at Malea, and she felt an answering grin light her features.
She wasn’t like Isolde. She wasn’t old enough, or experienced enough, to mother any of the orphans that had come to live with herself and Kurt.
Not really. But she could be an indulgent older sister, and Bertrand had taken a place in her heart for the joy he found in so many things.
She loved his pure heart and knew he would grow to be a good man with astounding skill in his chosen art.
“So, you think this is the pattern you’re going to use on the tear?” Kurt asked her, handing the diamond back to her.
“Yes. I just want to show it to Master Goldman first and see what he thinks,” Malea replied.
“You want to go over to his hall now? I need to visit Isolde’s shop today anyway. I’ll walk with you to Goldman’s, if you like. We could meet for lunch at the Silver Stallion after you talk to him,” he suggested, referring to a tavern they both liked that served hearty food.
Malea beamed at him. “I was hoping you’d say something like that. I’m going to leave this diamond with Master Goldman. He already has a buyer. But I would appreciate the escort to his hall, even though it’s the middle of the day.”
Unfortunately, as her skill with gemstones grew, so did her notoriety, and the building they now owned wasn’t in the best part of the city.
It wasn’t the worst part, either, but Malea preferred to have Kurt’s company regardless.
The apprentices could look after the shop.
That was one of the main reasons to take on apprentices, so they could help out with whatever needed doing.
When they met at the Silver Stallion for lunch a few hours later, Malea was all smiles.
Kurt looked happy too, his discussion with his mentor having gone well.
Malea knew he was seeking Isolde’s advice on how to train the apprentices she’d given him in their unique talents.
For now, until Kurt gained a bit more experience, Isolde would continue to mentor him in all that it took to be a true Master of the glass arts.
In the meantime, Malea had been given the go ahead by Master Goldman to attempt to cut the dragon’s tear in the new pattern she had tested on the big diamond.
He’d been beyond pleased with the way the large diamond had turned out.
Malea was still buzzing from that conversation as their luncheon was served.
“He came right out and said that if the dragon’s tear reacts well to my new pattern, it could very well be my Master piece,” she said, trying not to gush as her excitement level remained high. She couldn’t wait to start cutting the magnificent blue diamond Meerandalath had created just for her.
“I hope so. Then, we’ll both be Masters, and you can take on some gem-cutting apprentices, and we can expand the shop,” Kurt said as they began eating.
“Wait. What?” Malea hadn’t realized that he’d been planning for such an eventuality.
“Why do you think I chose such a large building? We’re swimming in space for the small number of apprentices I can handle on my own.
Especially considering I’m still learning how to handle them.
Once you’re a Master, you can have half the space for your own apprentices and whatever additional space you’ll need in the shop.
Your wares take up less space than our glass products, so I don’t anticipate splitting it fifty-fifty, but if you want to partition the shop and build a separate entrance for your part, we could do that too.
I just thought it would be easier to have the glass and the gems together for ease of running the store. ”
“You’ve given this a lot of thought,” she observed, overwhelmingly pleased that he cared so much for her comfort.
“I’ve planned for our future since the moment you said yes to my proposal,” he replied, reaching across the small table to take her hand.
She loved it when he did that. He was always reaching out to touch her hand, or her cheek, or her hair. Little signs of affection that always touched her deeply.
“I’m so glad I married you,” she told him softly, feeling the love she felt for him in every word.
“I’m glad you did too,” he replied, making her grin. “Otherwise, I’d be camped out in front of Master Goldman’s hall, pining away until you said yes.”
She laughed outright at the ridiculous picture he painted with his words. She loved it when he teased her. Just as much as she loved it when he was serious and planning for their future.
Malea started cutting the dragon’s tear that very afternoon.
She made herself go slow and was sure to double-check every angle and every facet.
This had to be her very best work. Not only would she never have an opportunity to cut such a rare and magnificent gem again, but if she did this right, her whole career path would change.
To be granted the title of Master within the gem cutters’ guild, the stone she produced would be checked and measured, each facet examined under high magnification for perfection and the stone for clarity and brilliance.
The material she was cutting was like nothing else, so that last part was already covered, but it would be up to her to bring the most she possibly could out of the stone.
By nightfall, she had cut the pavilion, or pointy end of the stone, and polished it to a high brilliance.
She couldn’t really get the full effect of what it would look like when she was finished with the rest of it because it was stuck onto a metal rod with dark, sticky wax, which interfered with light transmission through the clear stone.
She took the half-finished stone with her when she went upstairs to bed, showing it to Kurt.
She didn’t want to let it out of her sight until it was complete, and she went to bed already dreaming of the next day, when she would transfer the stone onto another metal rod so she could cut the crown, or top of the stone. She could hardly wait.
Kurt held her through the night, the light of the dragon’s tear bathing their bedroom in a soft blue glow that was comforting rather than distracting.
He woke her early to make love, helping to calm her a bit before she took on the task of cutting the top of the stone.
She was so excited to start, she nearly went without breaking her fast, but Kurt made her some toast with cheese and made sure she ate it before she started work.
That done, he left her to her work, going off to work with his own apprentices. Malea got right to it, successfully transferring the stone onto a new metal rod and lining up the angles just right before starting work on what would be the top of the stone.
Before she knew it, Kurt was knocking gently on her door, a tray with food in his hands. He’d made her lunch and brought it to her, the dear man. He even stopped to share the meal with her, picnicking in her work room because he probably knew she wouldn’t have stopped otherwise.
“How is it coming?” he asked once she’d swallowed a bite of the sandwich he’d made for her.
“I don’t want to jinx anything, but it’s coming along nicely.”
“I’m amazed at how much you’ve done already. I thought for sure it would take a lot longer,” Kurt mused.
“I can’t help it. When I get this enthusiastic about a project, I just can’t stop or slow myself down.
The material is a dream to cut. It’s like it’s cutting itself, and I can’t seem to make a mistake.
Of course, now that I’ve said that, I’ll be sure to mess something up and have to start over.
” She rolled her eyes at herself, finishing the sandwich, already eager to get back to work.
“Do you think it’ll be done today?” Kurt asked as he gathered the empty plates and put them back on the tray. He’d brought tea as well, but that was already finished, and the empty cups were on the tray.
“It might be. If things keep going as they are now.” She looked over at her faceting machine and squinted. She might just finish it today. She could hardly contain her excitement.
“Then I suppose you’ll be visiting Master Goldman’s hall tomorrow,” Kurt said as he rose. “I’ll make time to go with you. The apprentices can handle things here for however long it takes.”
She stood and walked over to him, stepping into his arms and hugging him tight.
“I love you, Kurt.”
“I love you too, my Malea,” he replied immediately, his tone soft as he bent to nuzzle the top of her head.