.^^ the Diamond Tower ^^

— Teagan —

I examined the map, again and again, memorizing every single detail, then rememorizing just to be sure. I couldn't afford to be lost in this land, so far from my new home.

Caroline smirked and kissed my neck mischievously. "Don't be so worried. Everything's been handled, our job is just to get this building underway. All you have to do is smile and shake some hands, Alright?"

I sighed, rubbing my face. "According to mother, High Elves don't touch each other unless they're intimate or very good friends, so a bow would be more welcome, I think."

"Good to know. So relax!" She laughed softly, and leaned back in the hammock that had been our bed for the past month, on the ride north to Evermeet. The seating in the interior had been replaced with a small cabin, which Caroline and I shared comfortably. The crew slept below, in the massive cargo space, amongst the cargo we'd brought with us.

I smiled, and put away the map, pulling out the blueprints for my second Tower, even more extravagant and amazing than the first. Apparently, a recent tsunami had devastated many, many homes and businesses in the city, and while the people had mostly recovered, their homes and businesses were still gone. I had planned to fix that, and also provide them with the opportunity to make money again, to live comfortably.

This tower would have all the works, just like the other tower, but I needed to be smart about it. It needed to be Tsunami-proof, which was impossible, unless it was enchanted to absorb the energy of incoming collisions of all kinds, and also immune to flooding. That would make any tsunami that hit it shatter apart, and hopefully, (as the property was located directly at the furthest edge of the bay facing the harbor,) it would also make the tsunami useless to do anything but flood the rest of the city. Flooding was still bad, but it was better than a full Tsunami.

What I had done with the Clock Tower, with the collection of businesses, that had been a prototype, but it wasn't as good as I could make it. The tower would be a triple helix, centered around a center column. That column would hold the businesses and also the interior park. At 98 stories tall, plus the massive 50ft diamond that would act as the power source and also the battery for the entire building, it would have measured somewhere close to 2,500ft tall, dwarfing my Clock Tower.

After Caroline pointed out that my britches may have been getting too big too soon, and that there was obvious issues with that size, I made some changes. Now, the interior was expanded by 2.5 in basic interior height, almost like the Clock Tower, and it was instead only 1,000ft tall. The buildings didn't change size, however, allowing me to turn each arm of the helix, containing three large buildings each that would each hold four apartments, into double that, with the extra half space made into interior room for a common area or maybe a play area for the children, where they could be kept under a careful eye, but also be allowed to roam free a little.

The entire interior was built around nature themes, with grass, trees, wood, and natural stone being the main aesthetic focus, though the interior of each would be open to the manipulation of the residents. These people built their buildings from either trees or single boulders or mosaic collections of gemstones, and I wanted them to feel at home.

The center column, for that reason, was built to look like a massive Dormant volcanic tube, full of lush green life, and trees growing out of the sides, which would house thousands of local bird species', and the gargantuan Park would also House all the businesses, tucked into caves in the side so that the center could remain open for the people to visit in. There were only twenty levels of businesses, down at the wider bottom portion below the residential area, while the rest was quite simply a bird's paradise, full of all the different foods they would like, and none of the predators.

In a moment of inspiration, I had also added something special to the column, a massive island-class flight crystal, which would allow everyone within the limited power of flight, so they could visit the birds in their nests. The freight elevators and personal elevators were off hidden in the sides, with one-way glass, allowing a glorious view of the interior of the column, and the different layers of Canopy that formed from the trees.

The bottom levels of the column, amongst the businesses on the bottom 20 floors, were arranged as a massive garden, with walking paths traveling through to see the different flowers, which would be gathered from every continent, and hopefully one day I would have a collection to rival the achievement Tommy had made, with her massive zoo-city, which I was very proud of, vicariously.

I realized as I drew up that part, that the plants would also need bees, and the birds would need food, so I closed the paths off with glass, and made several airlocked exits, so that the insects and lizards that the birds ate wouldn't be able to get out.

Caroline hummed, laying her chin on my shoulder. "You staring at these plans seems more masturbatory than product-testing." She said suddenly.

I snorted. "Rude."

"But I'm not wrong." She shrugged.

'I hate to interrupt an adorable marital squabble, but we are entering the waters around Evermeet. The Leviathan is rising to intercept us.' The pilot, an Aarakocran Warrior, contacted us mentally.

"The WHAT?!?" Caroline frowned.

"The sea-beast that protects the harbor of the capital. It will let us pass, our visit is sanctioned by the Council, who he gives credence to." I explained calmly, and stood out of the hammock, dressing carefully in my cloak and armor.

"When did you become Vain, I wonder?" Caroline hummed, and I jumped when she squeezed my butt, making her laugh. "Relax, I said. And help me with my clothes." She stood and stretched, while I watched appreciatively. Her clothes didn't really require my help to put on, but we both liked it when I helped her.

I looked away from her boot, resting on my thigh as I tied it, and froze at the view of a monstrous eye staring at the plane, easily twice the size of the entire craft.

"Jeeeeeesus I underestimated how big he was." I breathed.

Caroline hummed. "Meh. I think we could handle him." She smirked when I stared at her incredulously, and then finished tying the boot quickly, grabbing her sword and shield, while I buckled her gun belt on.

"Don't piss him off." I warned her, and buckled my own belt on.

The eye blinked slowly, then the beast submerged again, making nearly 50ft waves crash into the cliffs of the barrier island outside the harbor.

My staff flew to my hand, as the craft swooped towards the docks, and landed gently on the end of the pier. "How do I look?" I asked, pulling my hood up.

Caroline chuckled. "You look adorable, as always."

"Sigh... you're lucky you're pretty and you like to spank me." I threatened her playfully.

She smiled, then sheathed her sword on her back, and hung the shield there as well, finally nodding to the pilot's and gunners. "Circle above us, 500feet up, and keep an eye out. Anything comes towards us looking suspicious, pop a flare, don't attack. They don't know your military might yet. Stow the cannons, and the turrets, only watch unless you see us in danger, and then you will use the claws, wings, and the new beak's lightning cannon only. If you are boarded, enter the vault and shrink the ship, and we will recover it. Begin Overwatch." She commanded simply.

They saluted crisply, and I chuckled, stepping out of the craft with Caroline, under the cover of the wing. "Soon enough you'll have them calling you 'Master Chief'!" I laughed after the bird had leapt into the air.

She grinned. "Ooh, someday. But no, not yet. And here's the welcoming party..."

I looked down the pier at the group of beautiful high elves and light genaasi, or sun elves, walking toward us primly. 'I already see how we won't get along. Great.' I muttered mentally to Caroline.

The leader, a small elven woman with white hair and black eyes, frowned at us, or more accurately Caroline. She didn't even look at me. "You there! You come to a place you are unwelcome, and you do so insultingly! Call your Roc and leave at once, or-"

My spear tapped her throat before I thought better of it. "Threaten my wife at your peril, Rude One." I said softly, as the spearhead gently pulsed with magic.

The others hissed softly, drawing weapons, and Caroline sighed. "Honestly, darling, why did you do that? Let the tiny elf insult me, I am not bothered. One must care about someone's opinions before their insults harm you, and I don't even know this rude little brats name! And honestly, making me the diplomatic one?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

I pulled the spear back, letting the blade disappear into the staff. "You're right, that was rash of me. Either way, in answer to your rude welcome, the Council has given us leave to be here. I am Duke Teagan Skøll, son of Hildegard, and this is my wife, Duchess and lady-knight of the same house, Caroline Skøll. If you aren't anyone important, I ask you to step aside, we have matters to attend to quickly." I looked down at the short woman calmly.

She blinked, and looked between us, a look of utter disgust on her face, and seemingly unable to speak yet.

"The look on her face is beginning to vex me." I frowned.

"Same, but let's move on." Caroline sighed, and stepped through the crowd, clearing the way for us.

The swords pointed at her scraped loudly, and the sound grated my ears, but Caroline paid them no mind, until a different group appeared. These looked even more prim and proper, if that was possible, so I stepped to the front, and bowed smoothly.

"Greetings, I am Duke Teagan Skøll of the Golden Coast and more recently Silver Ridge, and this is my wife, Duchess-Knight Caroline Skøll. We are the forward envoy sent by my mother, Marquess Hildegard Skøll, with the permission of the council, to begin the construction of the newest branch of the Golden Circle, here in Leuthilspar." I smiled politely.

One of the four nodded calmly. "The Council accepts your greeting, and welcomes you to Evermeet... though we were under the impression that your wife was a Sun Elf, as your mother said your twin daughters are Sun Elves."

I nodded. "An assumption I am sure was caused by faulty communication. Is there a problem, or shall we begin? The Bank will do great things for your economy, after such a devastating tragedy, and I am eager to get started."

He blinked slowly. "Few Non-Elves have ever traveled this island."

"More's the pity, it's quite beautiful. If that's all, ladies, gentlemen, I'll be getting to work." I shrugged, and then bowed again, walking past them towards the city, then pausing. "Actually, where is the plot of land that I was told we were to build upon? I don't see the Flag that was supposedly planted there on the beach."

The councilman hummed, and pointed at the far end of the harbor, at the mouth of the bay. "Beacon Point. That is the Territory the Council was prepared to give to you. Your Embassy and Bank will go there. And because she is here with you, Duchess Skøll will be allowed to stay in Evermeet as long as you do."

"Thank you. I appreciate the hospitality... at least from you." I frowned at the group still pointing swords at my wife, tightening my grip on my spear.

He bowed, and then cut his eyes at the crowd that had first greeted us. "Of course, they will be dealt with. We do not tolerate rudeness, here. You lot will never insult a guest of our country ever again, or you will find yourselves Outcast!" He snapped briskly in sylvan, (an older elvish tongue than the common elvish we'd all been speaking until now,) and turned with a flourish as they knelt in response.

I hummed, and looked at the furthest point. "I don't suppose we'll be allowed to make a road?"

The Council stopped, and the leader nodded. "A road would not be amiss, no. We will have one of our masons begin immediately."

"Wonderful, I'm sure it will be beautiful, considering these roads here... I've heard tale that they are paved with actual gemstones and crystals?" I chuckled.

"Indeed. A bit extravagant, but we like the way it makes even the streets shine." He smiled, the first time he'd done so, and they continued walking away.

"He never introduced himself. Nor the others." Caroline hummed as we began walking towards the point.

"Elven custom. The Council is supposed to be a balance of pride and humility, and so when they are on council business, they are prohibited from introducing themselves personally, or interacting personally with others. It's supposed to stop them from having favoritism for people they're related to or friends with." I explained, and hugged her as we walked.

She smiled and kissed my cheek. "I see... and you need to get that temper of yours under control, Lover. You're supposed to be a diplomat. Diplomats don't shove spears down people's throats."

I grumbled, but didn't respond. She knew why I had reacted that way, and I didn't plan on changing it.

I realized the walk was much further than I expected, from the lighthouse in the distance, and hummed. "Is it just me, or..."

"Nope." Caroline raised a hand, waving, and the Sparrow swooped down, landing beside us and expanding to its full size.

'You called a ride?' The younger Aarakocran chuckled mentally.

"Fly us to the lighthouse, please, and then begin circling again. That's the site of our territory." Caroline nodded, and we held onto one of the feet, instead of getting in. No need for everyone to know that it wasn't a real Roc just yet.

The craft took off gently, and we reached the lighthouse about thirty minutes later, meaning it was an eight hour walk from the point to the city. That would not do.

I took out my plans, humming, then grinned at the immediate solution that made itself known to me. I drew up changes to have built a very simple mag-rail under the path, with the new 'road' being designed to be transferred to the new tunnel. Now three metallic lines on each surface would allow the shuttle to be very swiftly transported from one end to the other.

It would be a small shuttle, perhaps capable of holding fifty people comfortably, with a flight Crystal in either end to keep the interior momentum at zero, so they wouldn't feel the trip, without the added zero-gravity effect of the Roc. (Which did wonder's for Caroline's shoulder's and back, sleeping in low gravity for a month.)

The flight crew had opened the Door as I was working, and the building crew gathered in front of me. "We're all present, Sir." The leader of the Clock Warden Masons, (the group of mages whose main purpose was building things for my mother, and now me and my daughters,) bowed.

I nodded and then looked at the lighthouse. "This lighthouse is a historical building, and it likely has a spirit of its own. We will not demolish it, nor will we do anything to harm it. We will build around it, and it will exist inside the Park, with several views of the Ocean from there. Understood?" I explained simply.

They bowed, and I handed them the completed plans. "Get to work, then. I expect progress quickly, seeing as we must build this in the Sylvan way, and their way apparently goes much faster than ours. They also think they're better than anyone else, so I really wouldn't be surprised if that was entirely braggadocio." I added dryly, looking at the group of sylvan mages that Evermeet had given us for the project.

The builders laughed softly, while the new high elves glared at me, but then got to work with the rest.

Caroline hummed, looking through the plans. "Lover? Have I found a discrepancy here? You plan on placing a palace on top of the building?" She asked, pointing to a certain portion of the plans.

I grinned. "Not exactly. It's a surprise, so don't try to figure it out, your intellect is too high not to understand it. Don't ruin my surprise." I pulled the plans away from her, handing them back to the builders, and sat down with her on a nearby stone bench.

She laughed. "Alright, Fine, I won't think too hard about it... so, you'll have to distract me." She grinned slowly.

I smiled, and kissed her sweetly. "Well I am told I can be very distracting, so that shouldn't be an issue."

She picked me up and began walking towards our bedroom in the Roc. "Oh? Is that so? That's wonderful news... but I think that that was phrased as a challenge, and you know what I do when you challenge me, my lovely little rabbit..." she purred suggestively.

"Oh dear, oh no, I've been caught by a tiger. My life is over. I will most assuredly die here in her clutches." I faked fear monotonously, and then grinned mischievously.

She grinned wolfishly. "Oh you're asking for the rough treatment, huh? Don't worry, my love, I can oblige you quite well."