Chapter Five Hundred and Eleven - Proactively Circling Back to See if We Moved the Needle

"Hi!" I said as I bounced over to my friends. Then I crashed into Caprica and gave her a big squeeze. "Caprica!"

"Hello, Broccoli," Caprica said with a laugh. Her wings beat a little to keep her standing, but she returned the hug. "Nice to see you too."

"Yup!" I agreed. "You weren't too bored without us around?"

"It was significantly quieter and more peaceful, but I must say... I believe I might be getting used to a certain level of madness," Caprica said.

"Alright, enough hugging," Amaryllis said. "Broccoli, Booksie, it's good to see both of you, but it's well into the evening and I haven't had anything to eat in hours, and that's after a day spent walking around. I'm famished."

I laughed, but broke out of the hug with Caprica all the same. "Dinner, then?" I asked. My tummy was pretty rumbly too. A glance at the sky showed that the sun was well on its way to setting. There were so many street lights in Port Royal that it didn't really feel like night yet, though.

"Dinner would be nice, yes," Amaryllis said.

"I'm starving, and this bird here." Calamity pointed to Amaryllis with a thumb. "Wouldn't let me stop and grab any of the food these street vendors are selling." He pouted and crossed his arms, entirely ignoring the unimpressed look Amaryllis shot his way.

"I know a few good places," Booksie said. "Port Royal has a few upper-end establishments, but I'm a lot more fond of the homier places. But that really depends on what you feel like eating."

"Anything goes for me," I said. "Well, maybe not anything with too much meat."

"I can't not have meat," Calamity said.

"Do you know any places that serve something sweet? All the grenoil food I've seen has leaned towards the bitter side of things," Caprica said.

"I'd love to try new foods," Desiree said. "Even the bitter ones."

Awen just shrugged, and Amaryllis pinched her nose.

Booksie blinked a few times, then giggled. "I can think of a place, no worries. It's not too expensive either. Though we are... ah." She counted all of us real quick. "Seven. They might have to move a couple of tables together, but it should be fine."

"Yeah! Let's go!" I cheered.

Booksie took the lead, and I couldn't help but notice that her shoulders weren't as slumped and her ears were back to being straight and perky. Whatever stress was plaguing her, she'd forgotten about it, at least for the moment.

Stress shared was stress halved... or something like that.

She brought us off the main road, then up a little to an old, old building nestled into the side of the mountain. Its walls were all bare rock and I wasn't even sure if it was a restaurant or if it was just someone's home--at least, until Booksie knocked on the door and we were introduced to a matronly old grenoil who bustled us over to a few tables in what had to be her back patio.

There was a small garden, and enough seats for maybe a dozen people. A window opened into a surprisingly large kitchen where the old grenoil lady and her old grenoil husband were fussing over a few ovens and a large cast iron stove.

There wasn't really a menu. Today's dinner was a veggie stew that the grenoils had started last night, with some fresh bread from a local baker and a big roast of some sort of meat. I was pretty sure it was bug meat, which made me doubly happy that I wasn't much of a carnivore anymore.

Before the main course, though, there was a big bowl of mashed potatoes and carrots and yams that was brought out, all seasoned with crushed rock salt and black pepper. Next to that was something that smelled a lot like coleslaw, but it looked a lot creamier. I wasn't sure what it was, but it did taste yummy.

"Alright, before the main course arrives, shall we go around and see what we got done?" Amaryllis asked.

I nodded. "Sounds good to me! Does that mean we can expense this as a working meal?"

"What even are you talking about, Broccoli?" Amaryllis asked.

"Ah, nevermind. So! Who wants to go first?"

Amaryllis sat up a little straighter. "I'll begin," she said. "As you know, Calamity and I were supposed to secure a venue for the big day."

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"Oh, yes," Booksie said. "Has anything been secured?"

"Yes," Amaryllis said. "But it's pending your opinion."

"Oh?" Booksie asked, perking up.

"The first option, and the one I wouldn't suggest, is the embassy. It's a nice location, very classy, pretty private, and the security is good all things considered," Amaryllis said.

"But the place feels very official," Calamity said.

"It would also put a lot of pressure on you from the city and the Deepmarsh government to do things their way. And, perhaps more damning, a dragon wouldn't fit in the embassy," Amaryllis said.

"I see," Booksie siad. "I'd considered it too, but yes, there are issues with it. It is a nice place. I believe a few nobles have had their marriages there, when they don't have a suitable house for it. What's the other option?"

"The other option is far less secure, but it's open, there's plenty of room, and it's genuinely beautiful," Amaryllis said.

"And it is..." Booksie asked leadingly.

"The city square," Amaryllis said. "The entire thing. Traffic would be re-routed around it, and the area will be cordoned off. It's open-air, and if we secure a few meteo-wizards the day will be quite gorgeous. Lots of room for spectators, vendors, and onlookers."

"Which is a security nightmare," Calamity said.

Amaryllis nodded, acknowledging the point. "True. But the entire Exploration Guild would be securing the venue, and... well, there will be room enough for Rhawrexdee, his sister, and his mother."

"You'd have to be a bit silly to interrupt a wedding with Rhawr's mom there," I said.

"Awa, people can be... silly... anyway," Awen said.

That was... a fair point. People did act silly sometimes, even if a dragon or three were around.

"Rhawr did mention there might be some more distant family of his showing up," Booksie said. "And the city square is quite pretty. There are some nice buildings around there and the statues and fountains are nice."

"The square sounds perfect," Amaryllis said. "Awen, I'll be stealing you for the next couple of days. We'll have to put together a pavilion and a few other necessities."

"I... am not an architect?" Awen tried.

"No, but you'll know enough to tell if the ones I hire are being honest," Amaryllis said. "Now, our other task was finding the ring. We didn't quite have time to touch base with Cholondee, but we did spread word that we were on the lookout for it."

"That might help," Booksie said.

Amaryllis nodded. "So, how did things go with the Company B?"

"Are we company B?" I asked.

"Yes, it's B for Broccoli and Booksie... Sorry Awen, it doesn't quite work with your name. Definitely nothing to do with you being lower ranked," Amaryllis said with a straight face.

"Ah, well, things went okay," I said. "We got the dresses fitted, except for Caprica's. She'll have to run over and see about hers soon. Then Booksie and I checked on the vendors. We'll need to tell them where the big venue is, but the Vendor's Union seemed amenable to help!"

"That's good news. Two more things to cross off the list," Amaryllis said. "Awen said she split off."

"Ah, yes," Awen said. "I met up with Desiree, and we have a meeting to see some people in the city who have sound magic and enchanted equipment for stage shows and big events. There are even camera operators in this city, you know."

"Like a film cameras?" I asked.

"Huh? No? I mean, maybe? I don't know how they work, exactly. I believe they take an image on a chemical plate using a bright flash timed with a shutter, but I'm not entirely certain," Awen said. "I know how the lenses work, but not the chemical process."

Oh, she meant old-old cameras, with the big explosion and the drape over the cameraman's head and the tripods. Actually, that was kinda neat too!

"Alas, I am struck with the sense that my productivity has failed to measure up to the rest of you fine souls," Desiree said as she patted one of her tails across her lap. "But worry not! A new day dawns tomorrow, and I shall redouble my efforts to impress you all with my vulpine work ethic!"

"Yeah!" I cheered.

We only had a few days until the big day, but I trusted in all of my friends. By working together, we'd turn Booksie's big day into something magical!

***