Once we entered the building we were led upstairs. The lady showed us to a private room with a round table, large enough for six people. The furniture was made of wood and had some decorative carvings. The chairs had red cushions that were soft and comfortable.
The room had a marble floor and exposed wooden beams on the ceiling. The walls were decorated with several pictures of dragons. A large window offered plenty of natural light. I even spied some runes on the walls to keep conversations private.
Once we took our seats, right next to each other, the lady gained some confidence. “Welcome to the Smiling Dragon! My name is Miri and I will be your server today. The private dining rooms are a special service for our most esteemed customers. While there is one available most of the time I would still recommend making a reservation.”
“Nice to meet you, my name is Amaya and this Lucy.” I introduced ourselves. “This is our first time in Unitera and we are new to your establishment.”
“I see. Based on your… standing I could offer you our diamond membership! It is our highest tier and means you will have priority when booking. We also try to keep at least one private room free, to have it available for diamond guests on short notice. We currently have five locations within the Empire and are looking to expand. Soon you will even find us across the borders!” She paused and continued a bit uncertainly. “And uh we have a special deal with the dwarven banks. The membership card is connected to your account and used to pay…”
“I do have an account, that would be fine.”
“Splendid! I shall send our accountant to set it up. Meanwhile, can I offer you any refreshments?”
“What do you recommend?” I asked.
“Perhaps some sparkling wine from elven sun grapes?” Miri suggested.
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I looked at Lucy, she nodded. “Sounds good.”
Miri bowed and left. Soon afterwards a dwarf in a black suit showed up. “My ladies, I am Bjorn. I heard you are both joining our diamond membership?”
“Yes, can we have both cards connected to one account?” I asked. While I had given Lucy some money early on, it was nothing compared to my wealth. I was more than happy to share my account with her now.
“Certainly. What names do you want on your cards?”
“Amaya Delphinium.”
“Lucy Delphinium.”
I blushed a bit at that. It’s not like we were married. But when we first met I proclaimed her a part of my house. I was a bit proud though that she decided to use the name.
The dwarf produced a special pen that was clearly magical. I assumed it came from a storage device. Then he withdrew a metal card. It looked like it was made from mithril with a diamond dragon in the top right corner. He carefully inscribed my name. Afterwards he pulled out a big metal plate. He slotted the now inscribed card on the top right. Then he placed his hand below that. The entire plate lit up, then he offered it to me. “I will need a drop of your blood on the card and your hand on the plate. It will link the card to you and your account.” He also offered me a needle to prick my finger. Of course that would not pierce my skin, so instead I withdrew a much better knife from my storage. He did not look too surprised.
Once I completed the process it was Lucy’s turn. I had to touch the device as well, so her card could be connected to my account. Once the dwarf was done he bowed to us and left. It occurred to me that my restaurant membership was my only form of id in this world. I giggled.
“What made you laugh?” Lucy asked.
“I just realised that I never had a way to identify myself. Back in Iron Rock everyone just accepted our word, probably because night elves were rare. Now I finally have something. And it’s from a food place.”
“That fact alone proves your identity.” Lucy teased.
I stuck out my tongue at her. I briefly saw a mischievous glint in her eyes and then my tongue was in her mouth, as she kissed me. She looked really smug afterwards. Before I could formulate a response Miri returned.
She brought us our drinks and the menu. I grabbed the glass of sparkling wine and raised it. “To our future! Whatever it holds, we shall face it together!”
“To our future!” Lucy responded and our glasses clinked. Then I took a sip of our drink. It was surprisingly fruity and delicious. It created a tingling sensation in my mouth. Somehow the flavour was magically enhanced. I also felt the alcohol, slightly. Maybe we could even get drunk here.
Once I took a look at the menu I noticed the diamond section. There were a lot of labels next to the food. But instead of telling me which item might contain fish, peanuts, milk or such things it listed more dangerous substances. Like poisons or acids. Apparently this menu was meant for powerful people whose bodies could handle certain things. I was intrigued.