Chapter Five Hundred and Nine - Addressing Problems

I walked with an arm wrapped around Booksie's back because I was worried she might need a bit more comfort after her blow-up earlier. She seemed better, but her ears were drooping, as though they bore some kind of invisible weight. She was normally much better than me at keeping them properly straight up, so I was certain she needed a lot more affection than she let on.

I squeezed her tighter.

Awen, being a good friend too, was on Booksie's other side. She wasn't quite hugging our bun friend, but she was hovering real close while keeping an eye out on the street. It would have been much easier if Port Royal wasn't so busy.

Booksie's shop was on a side street that mostly played host to people on foot. Although the sidewalks were bust, it wasn't a problem until we got to the end of the road and encountered heavy carriage traffic. I guess it was kind of rush hour? It was pretty late in the afternoon.

"So, uh, I remember things being all taken care of already?" I asked.

"Urgh," Booksie said. "They should have been, but when I looked into it, the city's idea of a venue was the inside of the city hall. Do you know how many dragons can fit into city hall?"

"Not really?"

"It's between none and three. It really only depends on how willing the dragons are to remove the roof and the walls that are in their way."

"Oh, that seems like a pretty major miscalculation," I said. "What about all the rest?"

"The city has a few people they trust for catering. Honestly, they're not bad. A little expensive, but at this point I don't care about that as long as things are done well," Booksie said. She laughed mirthlessly. "A couple of months ago I would have been exceptionally worried about budgets. Ah, that was a simpler time."

"It, ah, sounds like you might have to invest in a butler," Awen said.

I leaned forwards a smidge, to look past Booksie and towards Awen. "A butler?" I asked before I had to shift back. It was hard to walk abreast of each other when sharing the sidewalk, but I really didn't want to end up in one of those awkward situations where two of us were together and the third was stuck trailing behind.

"Or a personal assistant," Awen said with a shrug. "Maybe a lady's maid? They're all classes with skills meant to help them organise things."

I hadn't thought about it, but yeah, it made sense that that kind of skill would exist, and it sounded like having them right now would save poor Booksie quite the headache.

There had to be some people like that in Port Royal. I scanned the crowds, as if expecting a willing butler to jump out at me, but nothing of the sort happened. There were a few hawkers on the roadside and some people manning stalls, but that didn't count.

"Did you want to talk about it more, or, uh, did you want to chat about other things?" I asked.

Booksie sighed. "Let's change the subject, please," she said. "Um... Oh, when we get back, remind me to let you try some of my cookies."

"Your cooking class!" I said. "I almost forgot about that. You've had a chance to use it?"

"For its intended purpose, you mean?" Booksie asked. "Yes, a little. Meal-prep for a dragon is a whole... thing, and I think the class has been helping me not tug my ears out when reading some of the contracts I've had to deal with."

I nodded along. I could imagine that being really tough to work through.

"Enough about me though, how are you doing?" Booksie asked. "How was your last mission?"

"It was alright," I said. "We had to walk lots, but at this point... I don't think my legs have ever been this used to walking! We didn't fight anything too weird either, so I'll chalk that up to a win. I did have a run-in with a... kinda monster guy who was maybe a bit nicer than he once was? He's still maybe a little dangerous, but that's not so bad."

"It was a nice, quick adventure," Awen agreed. "Not too good for levelling most skills, though."

"Oh no," I said. "Now that we're back, I have to get started on my Mana Regeneration and Thick Skin training again."

Booksie patted my arm. "That doesn't sound too bad."

"Amaryllis makes me use a bunch of mana-intensive skills while zapping me. It sucks."

Booksie shook her head. "I don't think I could handle being an adventurer like you guys. It sounds so romantic from afar, but on closer inspection it looks rather torturous. The books skip out on all of the gritty details."

"Yeah," I said. "I remember loving books about adventure and exploring things and seeing fantasy worlds, but none of them mentioned the horrors of having to set up camp every night or how exhausting training every day can be."

"Broccoli, we don't train that much," Awen said.

"Aww," I said.

Booksie found it funny though, so that's all that mattered.

It didn't take us too long to arrive at the dressmaker's shop. Seasoned Seamstress was a pretty little store right on Port Royal's main thoroughfare. It had large windows at the front displaying a number of very pretty dresses and gowns. Most were covering grenoil-shaped mannequins, but there were a few more generically humanoid ones mixed in as well.

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"Pretty!" I said as I stared up at a lace-covered wedding dress.

"I think so too," Booksie said. "Come! My dress has already been decided upon. I'm hoping the seamstress can toss something together that'll fit everyone."

"If she can make a dress for a pretty bun like you, I'm sure she can manage something for Awen and I," I said. "Ah, and Caprica as well... Cholondee, uh..." I worked my jaw and tried to imagine the dragon in a multi-tiered dress with lots of lace and frills. "Maybe we should look for something simple for the bridesmaids? So that we don't stand out too much?"

I wouldn't want to crash the city's lace economy.

A bell tinkled as we pushed the door open, and I smiled. I don't know why, but shop doors with little tinkly bells made me happy inside.

"Welcome, welcome!" someone said from behind a counter at the far end of the room. They came around it, revealing that they were a tall-ish grenoil lady wearing an apron covered in little pouches filled with needles and thread and a few measuring tapes. "Ah! The woman of the hour! Hello, hello, come in!"

Booksie smiled and greeted the woman. Her name was Sophia Belleaiguille, a veteran seamstress who swept us over to some displays off to the side where she could show off her best work while Booksie explained what was needed.

"Four bridesmaid dresses in half as many days? I can do that. A human, a bun, and a syplh... hmm, I'll need to measure the sylph in person, their proportions are somewhat unusual, but I should be able to manage without too much difficulty," she said. "The wings will be interesting to work around."

"And Cholondee?" Booksie asked.

"Now, a dragon... I must admit I've never made a dress for a dragon before," Sophia admitted.

"Is it too much?" I asked.

She scoffed. "Don't you dare underestimate me. Besides, this could be exactly the kind of thing I need to push my craft to the next level. I've made a thousand dresses for the common grenoil, and a few hundred for other races. A new body type just means a new challenge, and a new challenge means new rewards!"

I liked this woman's energy. "I'm sure you'll make the prettiest dragon dress ever," I said.

She tut-tutted me though. "Can't have her showing up the bride, can we?"

"We really can," Booksie said.

Sophia laughed. "Don't be nervous now. Now, for the maids here, I'm thinking something comfortable and elegant? Maybe... a little daring?"

"Daring?" Booksie squeaked.

"Why, I once had a commission for a wedding dress meant to double as a riding dress as well. If you intend to end the wedding with a romantic flight..."

"Ah," Booksie said even as her cheeks warmed. "That, uh, that does sound, uh. Maybe a bit much?"

Sophia gave her a firm nod, as though accepting a sacred mission. "I'll send word when I need the sylph to come by for her fitting, but as for the rest of you..." She gestured towards some nearby stools. "Let's get you all measured."

Awen stepped up first, looking a little nervous but cooperative. While Sophia took her measurements, I noticed Booksie finally starting to relax. Her shoulders slumped as the weight of her worries was slowly being lifted.

"You know," I said softly. "You've got this. We're going to help, and it's going to be an amazing wedding. No matter what happens."

Then it was my turn to stand before Sophia while her measuring tapes flew around me, carried by faint whisps of mana. She had me T-pose, then stand with my arms flat by my sides. I had to crouch, bow, and then spin a bit, all while the tapes wrapped themselves around me and Sophia took detailed notes in a little book.

"Mhm, I can have these two fitted and ready within the hour," the seamstress said. "Now, follow me! Your dress just needs that final fitting. Not that I'd miss my mark, of course!"

Booksie blinked, a little startled. "That's... amazing. I didn't think we'd be done so fast."

Sophia winked at her. "I pride myself on speed and precision. Now, let's see about that final fitting for you." She motioned for Booksie to follow her toward a backroom where a wedding dress was displayed on a mannequin. It even had wooden ears sticking out the top.

I couldn't help but gasp when I saw it. The dress was perfect. The light, pure white fabric was like the bridesmaids' dresses. There was a soft shimmer to it, with intricate lacework along the bodice and trailing down the sleeves. The skirt flowed gently, like a waterfall, pooling just slightly at the bottom in delicate folds.

Booksie hesitated at the door, staring at it with wide eyes. "It's... it's beautiful."

Sophia grinned. "I knew you'd like it. Now, hup hup, get in the dress. I need to make sure the fit is flawless!"

***