Chapter Five Hundred and Eighteen — Post I-Dos
Chapter Five Hundred and Eighteen — Post I-Dos Awen's mom looked between Awen and me, then Booksie and Rhawr above her. Her little tongue slipped out between her lips, wetting them like a mouse poking its head out of a hole only to notice a lion waiting for it. "Perhaps we can have this conversation somewhere a little more private?"I was ready to jump in, but I saw the way Awen straightened her spine. She took a deep breath, and I could almost see the moment she decided that she had had enough. "No Mother.""Pardon?" her mom asked."I said no, Mother," Awen replied, her voice growing a little more confident, a little louder. "You're the one who decided to start and make this a spectacle. What are you even doing here?""We're here on behalf of Mattergrove, and to ask my brother about you," her father said."Oh? Well then, I imagine it'll be a great look for Mattergrove when word gets out that two nobles from such a ... such a backwater nearly ruined the wedding of the decade."I held back a giggle. It looked like Awen's Mom had just bitten into an entire lemon for a moment there. I don't think Awen actually believed Mattergrove to be a backwater. It was a lot more likely that she just wanted to say something to get under her parents' skin."Are these your parents, Awen?" Booksie asked. "Please, introduce us?""Of course," Awen said. She bowed slightly and shifted to the side with courtly decorum. "Mother, Father, this is Catherine Cabbage, owner of the finest reading establishment in all of Port Royal and a dear friend of mine."Booksie smiled. "Awen was there when Rhawr and I met. She takes some of the credit for bringing us together.""Indeed," Rhawr rumbled."And of course, our dear Booksie's husband, Rhawrexdee. He Who Smote the Clouds Themselves. The Thunder Hammer. The Scourge of the Northern Desert. Booksie's Beau." Booksie giggled at the last and Awen flashed her a smile. "Ah, and my fellow bridesmaids. This is Captain Broccoli Bunch, whom you've met of course. She's a member of the Exploration Guild, and... and a whole lot more. And this is Caprica."I glanced to the side to see Caprica heading over, obviously curious about what was going on. "Hello," she said with a slight inclination of her head. "I am, in fact, Caprica.""A sylph," Awen's mom said. I think she was trying hard to find something inoffensive to focus on."Indeed, cousin," Caprica said."Cousin?" Awen's dad asked. "Ah, you're nobility as well!" He put on a genial, bright smile. "I'm afraid I didn't catch your family name.""Sylph," Caprica said."Your family name is ... Sylph?" He frowned. "That's a strange name for ... wait ..." he trailed off, his face paling."It doesn't conform to the usual family name convention, does it?" Caprica noted, her smile perfectly level. "But then, my great-grandfather chose it specifically to exemplify our place in slyph society."Awen cleared her throat. "Caprica is the daughter of King Sylph of Slyphfree," she stated matter-of-factly."Ah," her father said faintly.Awen straightened her back, her hands clasping neatly in front of her. She was the picture of calm and poise. Her mom's lips pressed thin, her dad was still blinking at Caprica's royal status, and Awen's voice slipped into the space their silence left."Mother, Father," she began. "Since I left Mattergrove, I've had time to see just how big the world truly is. It's much larger, much more wondrous, than I ever imagined it could be. Uncle Abraham's stories hinted at it, of course, but being out here, seeing it for myself... it's something else entirely.""Awen-" her mother began.Awen continued, trampling over any objections. "I've found people who care for me as I am. Who respect me for what I can do. Not for the expectations placed on me, or the name I carry. I've found my place, and I'm happy.""That's... acceptable," her Mother said. "Many young nobles travel a little to discover the world, you can always return-"Awen's eyes narrowed. "Tell my brothers that I said 'hi.' I'll write to them soon. And if the day comes when I decide to marry, to settle down, you'll hear from me." Awen bowed very slightly in their direction, spun on a heel, then walked off.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.There was a long pause as her words hung in the air. Her parents looked at her back as if they expected her to turn around at any moment and run back. She didn't. Her mother opened her mouth, then closed it, clearly struggling to find something to say. Her father cleared his throat awkwardly and nodded, though his expression was tight."Well," her mother finally managed, her voice thin but polite. She bowed towards Booksie. "Beautiful wedding. I wish you a happy life." She turned and stomped off. Awen's dad said some things really quickly, the usual sort of platitudes, but he was quick to run off after his wife."Humans are such strange things," Rhawr rumbled. "So boney.""Sweetie, it's not fair to judge a person by the crunchiness of their body," Booksie said."I'm going to go talk to Awen," I said, only to discover a hand on my shoulder. Caprica's."I'll do it," Caprica said. "You're her best friend, I know, so you should be there for her later when she's worked out her anger and needs a good cry, but when it comes to matters of nobility such as this, I believe I am the more experienced and better-placed of us to handle it."I hesitated. A big part of me wanted to be the one to hug Awen better, but Awen didn't look too sad at the moment. Maybe she really did need to talk through it, and I wasn't always the best at that. My advice was probably not going to be too helpful. "Okay," I said.I had to trust my friends to take care of my other friends. And besides, it wasn't like I wasn't going to give Awen as many hugs as she could handle later. She'd been so cool! I bet her parents barely recognized her from the way she used to be, in a good way."Broccoli, would you mind checking on the other guests?" Booksie asked. "I think we have to mingle around for a bit more.""Okay," I said with a grin. "Should I go see the dragons?"Rhawr hummed. "I've been avoiding seeing my mother, you may as well go and distract her.""You've been avoiding your mom?" I asked with a gasp."She is crying! It is unbecoming." Rhawr turned his head away, as if he was refusing to look in his mom's direction at all.Booksie leaned in close and whispered. "When he sees his mom crying, he starts crying too. And he doesn't want to in front of all his cousins.""Ah," I said with a nod. Rhawr was a softy.I gave her a quick, careful hug, then moved towards the dragons. Cholondee and Rhawr's mom were off to one side, the younger of the two rubbing her mom's back as the huge dragoness wiped the tears away.I decided not to interfere with that for a moment. It was a happy sort of crying, but it was still a lot.Of the gathered dragons, most were chatting between themselves while cowed grenoil brought wheelbarrows filled with snacks over for them to pick at. One dragon stood apart a little, though. While most of them were metallic golds and bronzes, one was a stark, gleaming white, like freshly fallen snow.I bounced up, a bright smile plastered on my face, and waved as I approached. "Hello! Are you all enjoying the wedding?""You are small," the white dragon said. Their voice was light and airy, almost like a whisper carried by the wind. "And not a dragon, but you are..." They sniffed at me, and I had to hold back a giggle at the sensation. They weren't much bigger than some of the wyverns I'd ridden in Sylphfree. "A riftwalker and a bridegroom. Strange, strange.""It's a pleasure to meet you," I said with a curtsy. "I'm Broccoli Bunch!""Char Ret Undahscor Charet," the white dragon said with a dip of... her head? I think it was a she. Girl dragons had a bit of a thinner face and were more plump around the middle. I was getting better at telling dragons apart!"That's quite the name," I said. "Are you enjoying the wedding so far?"The white dragon scanned the crowds and then Rhawr and Booksie. "It is strange. I have not spent very many years so close to... non-dragons. Except for my food, I keep away from most.""I see," I saidA nearby dragon leaned over. "You'll regret encouraging them. Char Ret hasn't flown off their mountaintop in centuries. They don't understand how the world works anymore.""That's okay," I said. "I have a friend that was in a similar situation, and I think that they've overcome a lot of their problems by stepping outside a little and seeing the world."
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Chapter Five Hundred and Nineteen — Something Wicked
Chapter Five Hundred and Nineteen — Something Wicked I kept moving around the reception while keeping an eye on Booksie and Rhawr. There were a few awkward moments where people with more guts than common sense overstayed their welcome around the couple. And of course, Booksie and Rhawr eventually approached his mom.There was a lot of wailing and the huge dragoness started to pamper her 'little baby,' which had Booksie giggling and Rhawr flushing so much his scales went purple. The other dragons laughing at him in the background didn't improve things for him, but it was mostly just cute and his mom was very proud of him.I kind of got it. It was embarrassing for a boy to get their mom all gushy like that, but there was no reason to be humiliated about it!Hanging around the dragons somehow became my job. I went around introducing myself, and I think being both the bridesmaid and smelling like a Riftwalker to dragons earned me some level of respect. More than the poor guards trying to keep the dragons contained in one area were getting.The dragons mostly viewed people who weren't dragons as potential snacks. I had to step in and explain that no, the grenoil with the large cheese platters weren't part of the after-wedding snack buffet, just the platter. No, not the actual metal platters, the cheese on them.A few plates were sacrificed in the name of keeping the dragons appeased, and I think that I saw Amaryllis shouting at someone in the back, telling them to raid the nearest butcher's shop or else they'd be on the next platter.I might have misunderstood that one. At least, I hoped so. I thought that maybe Amaryllis was becoming a little less mean with time, but maybe stress had a way to pull that back up? I'd give her plenty of extra attention once the wedding was done and over with.Speaking of which, after the post I-do's reception, it was time for some lunch. That was probably for the best, because watching the dragons eat the cheese platters and also the cheese was making me hungry, and I was feeling a little faint after standing out all day.The crowds dispersed and Booksie made her way over to the pedestal to one side where she used the slight elevation to climb up onto Rhawr's back. The crowd 'ooohed' as she waved from atop his neck, then Rhawr gave them all a deep roar and took off.I don't think the crowd heard Booksie's happy laugh as they took to the skies.A moment later, the other dragons took off after them, and I felt my shoulders slumping."Ah, are you okay?" Awen asked as she walked over to stand by my side.I smiled. "I am! I should be asking you that, no?"Awen smiled herself. "I'm okay, Broccoli.""Are you sure?" I asked. I didn't want to be pushy... well, I wanted to be a little pushy, but just to make sure that Awen was feeling good. "I wasn't expecting to see your parents today."Awen shrugged. "You know, I was actually surprised to see them? I actually thought they might show up, if they could, then I guess I decided that it wasn't likely and put it out of my mind.""Really?" I asked.She nodded. "Yeah. This kind of event is the kind of thing that my parents love. My mom especially.""Weddings?" I asked. Was it the romance of it... or the free cake?Awen shrugged. "Weddings, funerals, coronations, any large event where lots of politically important people gather. My mom is very... keen about nobility. She's the third daughter of a baron. I think that makes her... barely a noble at all. I think it took being away from her for a while for me to realize that what she really wanted of me was someone who'd help her climb higher up. The mother of the queen would be the kind of title she'd die for.""Ah," I said. "So this wedding?""A good way for her to meet nobility from beyond the borders of Mattergrove, and being here means she'll have a fantastic story to share with all of her noble lady friends." Awen sighed and leaned to the side so that her shoulder bumped into mine. I leaned my head down onto hers. "My mom probably insisted that they come here. It's not so far from home, I guess. A few days by airship. Dad probably came so that he could poke at Uncle Abraham. Maybe even about where I was.""Do you think they'll cause any trouble?" I asked. They were Awen's parents. Maybe they could go to the Port Royal guard and say that she was kidnapped or something?Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on."No, I don't think so. I've made friends in high places, which is something that my mom actually respects."I laughed. "Am I a friend in high places?" I asked."You're a friend, regardless of what kind of place you're in," Awen said. Well, if that didn't deserve a hug, nothing did! "Broc! You'll muss up my dress!""The wedding's over!" I said. "Well, mostly. We've got that dinner thing, but I think that's mostly us sitting around and keeping Booksie company while the dragons eat heaps." I grimaced. "I'm not sure I have enough mana to keep up the cleaning."Dragons didn't have good table manners.I noticed Caprica heading over, as well as a slightly-dishevelled Amaryllis. "Whatever Booksie is paying us for this, I want double," she said."She's not paying us, though," I said.Amaryllis' eyes narrowed. "I've gotten too soft spending time with you lot. A year ago I'd have her broke for the services I rendered today. That couple would owe me their firstborn."There was a snort as Calamity came over, trailed by Desiree. "That's sounding a lil' villainous there," he said."I know what my work is worth. Have you ever tried to corral a group of dragons? I don't know which were worse. Those that have about as much brains between their scaly ears as Broccoli here, or the old wise sorts that think that just because they're a thousand years old they know everything.""I think it went well," I said."I had to threaten a lot of people," Amaryllis said. "But yes, overall it went well. I think that the city will remember this event for a few years, at least. And it'll be a historical footnote for longer still."I giggled. "I hope people remember fun events like this better than as just a footnote.""Then your hope is, once again, misplaced," Amaryllis said."Ah, forgive me for becoming the bearer of ill tidings," Desiree said. "But I do come with some bad news."We all turned her way. Had one of the guests gotten ill? Or was there a problem with the city? Traffic accident at the entrance to the square. Housefires. Sewage main burst just up the road. Antidragon riot. Surprise royal audit. Airship crashed into Cholondee's mansion. Avalanche buried the mage's guild. Coup attempt... but no, Desiree had been helping behind the scenes. I think she was in helping the guards and the Exploration Guild and the Mages guild work together. The three groups sometimes butted heads, so we needed a few friends to act as middlepeople."Just moments ago, one of our sharp-eyed mages alerted my august personage to an issue with one of the gifts," she said."People left gifts?" I asked."It's a wedding, of course they did," Amaryllis snapped. "We have two areas for them, one for the nobles as they arrived, and another off over there, where people could deposit gifts for the bride and groom.""Indeed," Desiree said with a nod. "Our watchful guards are posted 'round the gifts, taking great pains to ensure that no one suffers from a lapse of sanity and attempts to rob a dragon.""We wouldn't want any thieves to get eaten," I agreed."Thankfully, none of the gifts bear any maledictions. However, one of them does claim to have been sent by that scoundrel, that black-hearted villain, that dastardly mastermind of my own imprisonment, Sir Rainnewt."I tensed, and so did all of my friends.We'd been expecting an attack of some sort, but for Rainnewt to send a gift... was honestly just kind of weird. First, because he didn't seem like the gift-giving sort, but second because if he did send something, then there was sure to be some ulterior motive to it."What did he send?" I asked. I was almost afraid to find out. "Is it a bomb?"Desiree though, only shrugged, then she gestured as if holding a small-ish box, maybe larger than a shoebox. "The mysterious package is of small stature, and has no magical signature. It weighs relatively little as well.""So, nothing enchanted," Amaryllis said. "Or else, something very well-enchanted.""It could still be a bomb," Awen said. "He's used those before, and you can make them without magic."I swallowed. "Whatever it is, I think we're going to need to go check it. Maybe with a bit of help though. It's better to be safe, right?"
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