Chương 534: 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? Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"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?"