Chương 532: Chapter Five Hundred and Seventeen - Congratulations are in Order

I looked up, then 'ooohed' as a second firework went off. It was a rather sad looking firework, to be honest. Just a little streak of light that flew up and popped, sending sparks out every which way. And then the dragons at the back shifted their necks back and the sky filled with draconic roars. You have heard the proud call of a dragon. Your soul is shaken!

The air filled with lines of fire, flurries of ice crystals, twisty gales of wind, and when Rhawr's mom raised her head up, the sky filled with a forking tree of actinic light that froze there, the ends of its lightning branches reaching out to the very edge of space in a display that was probably visible across the entire country. I blinked back tears at the display, then I noticed a bunch of people in the crowd raise their hands up into the sky.

A thousand fireballs, lightbolts, cleaning spells, and various other colourful bits of magic zipped up and into the sky. They were nothing compared to the mighty magic of the dragons, but there were so many that it didn't matter if each one was individually weaker. It brightened the air above Port Royal so much that even the sun was being outshone. I shot off some cleaning balls of my own. It didn't add much to the show, but it felt nice to be participating! The air was buzzing with mana.

So much of it that it almost felt like I'd rubbed myself all over with staticky balloons. My hair and fur was starting to stand on end. I glanced over to Booksie, worried that her big poofy dress might be caught in the same static... Booksie and Rhawr were looking at each other, and I wasn't sure if they'd even noticed the fireworks and all of the magic going on around them. Their eyes were only for each other right now. I smiled. I couldn't help it.

The moment was too warm and soft not to allow myself to feel all fuzzy for it.

"Awa, this is the awkward part," Awen said next to me.

"Huh?" I asked.

"The part we haven't rehearsed," Caprica said.

"The post-wedding part. This is where we're going to have to mingle with the politicians and nobles to try to keep them off of Booksie and Rhawrexdee. They can fawn over the pair a little, and give whatever gifts they want, but we need to keep them moving."

"Oh, okay," I said.

"Don't worry, I'm good at people! I'm sure I can manage this!"

"Usually this would be the recessional, where the bride and groom walk back down the aisle," Awen said.

"But, ah, Rawr won't fit."

"So, what do we do instead?" I asked.

"Nothing," Caprica said. She smiled, turned towards the crowd, and started to clap. I jumped to clapping too, because it felt like the right thing. It barely took a second for others to join in, and then the entire crowd was clapping and cheering. Booksie and Rhawr finally broke eye contact, and her face went spectacularly red as she finally noticed the crowd. There was a flash as a grenoil behind a big boxy camera took a picture, then Caprica tugged Awen and I forwards.

We formed a bulwark against the incoming tide of well-wishing nobles.

"Hello!" I said to a rather corpulent grenoil. He had a sash around his middle, and I suspected that he was the mayor.

"Did you want to say hello to the bride and groom?" I asked.

"Indeed!" he said with a jovial smile.

"This has been a day that Port Royal is not soon to forget! And as mayor I ought to congratulate the lucky couple myself, hmm hmm!"

"That's kind of you! Follow me then!" Caprica and Awen were discreetly holding off some others from reaching Booksie and Rhawr, so the mayor had plenty of time to step up on the first step of the platform where Booksie was standing. He gave her hand a firm shake and bowed in Rhawr's direction, then he went on to congratulate them in a voice that carried. I had to wonder if he had a mayor class, and if it was anything like a bard, because he had quite the voice and was very quick to lay on the compliments.

Booksie took over in thanking him back. She looked very poised and regal next to her new husband, and Rhawr looked impossibly proud next to her. The mayor gave a--fortunately--short and passionate speech while standing just ahead of Booksie, then I thanked him profusely while bustling him off towards the gathering of important-looking people.

The larger crowd beyond the guards was still there, though it seemed like they were being distracted by the opening of the food carts and vendors, as well as a few entertainers. I wasn't sure who had arranged for that, but it was a good idea, it kept the festive spirits up. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The dragons were chatting between themselves in... relatively low voices.

It was a good thing that the crowd was so loud, otherwise we would have heard every whisper from all the way over where we were. A few merchants were next, then a baron, and then a duke and then some ambassadors. One from Sylphfree, who was very quick to pass up on any sort of speech-making when Caprica gave him a look, and another from the Ostri, who gave Booksie a unnervingly large sheathed knife as a present. That wasn't the only gift, of course.

We started to pile them up off to the side where the heap of gifts started to look quite pretty. I was just starting to think that this was going very well when I noticed Awen jolt up straight, almost as if she'd just gotten zapped. Turning, I looked over and noticed that she'd been approached by two humans, in properly fancy clothes. They seemed familiar, though. The woman especially. Blonde hair and blue eyes, just like Awen. Also, the same cheekbones, and she was almost as short as Awen... oh.

"M-mother," Awen mumbled. Her face flushed, and she stood frozen for a moment. I saw all of the confidence that Awen had been building up over months draining away like water down a drain.

"M-mother," she stammered again, her hands clenching the edge of her skirt.

"Awen," Awen's mom said smoothly, her voice carrying just enough warmth to be polite but not enough to feel familiar.

"It has been some time. I'm happy to see you in good health, even though you haven't written to let us know as much for so long." Awen winced at the words, and I saw her hands tighten further on the fabric of her skirt.

"I-I've been busy," she said, her voice small. Her mother tilted her head, a thin smile curling her lips.

"Busy, yes. Clearly." Her eyes swept over the crowd, the dragons, and the festive decorations, and I got the distinct impression that she was looking for imperfections.

"Though I can't say I expected you to be involved in something like this. My, to think that our little runaway daughter would make friends in such high places." The man beside her—Awen's father, I guessed, he did look a little like Abraham, but taller and reedier—gave a low hum, his sharp gaze flicking between Awen and her mother.

"We had wondered, Awen, whether you'd gone so far astray as to forget where you came from." His tone was calm, even pleasant, but the words landed like icy little daggers. Awen flinched again, her shoulders drawing up slightly.

"I-I haven't forgotten," she said quickly, though the words sounded more like a defence than a statement. I felt my ears twitch with irritation, and before I could stop myself, I stepped toward them.

"She's been busy making a difference," I said, my voice bright but firm.

"Awen's been amazing. Honestly, this wedding wouldn't have come together without her. She's organised so much and helped everyone stay on track—even the dragons! Hi! I'm Broccoli! We've met!" Awen's mom narrowed her eyes.

"You're the one who kidnapped our daughter."

"Only technically!" I defended myself. I wrapped an arm around Awen's shoulder, because she looked like she needed a hug, but I wasn't sure if she wanted it to be too obvious. Her narrowed eyes didn't soften. If anything, they became sharper.

"And yet, she left without a word. Ran away from her responsibilities, her family, her future." Not her future, I didn't say. Your future. Awen's shoulders sagged, and I could see her shrinking under her mother's gaze. Her father stood quietly, his expression unreadable, like he was observing rather than participating. My hackles rose. This wasn't fair—not to Awen, and definitely not to everything she'd accomplished since leaving.

"Awen didn't run away," I said, stepping in front of her protectively. My ears flicked with determination.

"She set out to find her own path. And she's done an incredible job of it. She's brave, resourceful, and kind. Honestly, she's probably accomplished more than most people twice her age."

"Broccoli," Awen said quietly. I wasn't sure if she wanted me to stop, or if she was happy that I'd stepped up to defend her. Maybe it was both? There was a clearing of a throat, and all of us froze for a moment before turning to discover Booksie walking over with Caprica by her side, and Rhawr's head hovering above.

"May I help you?" she asked. I had to wonder if marrying a dragon lent some of their intimidation abilities, because I felt like shivering in my shoes a little.