Chapter Seven
Vaia checked her phone and smiled. “One of my favourite clients needs a whole new wardrobe with shift capabilities. Oh, I am so happy for her. She’s just got a new northern clan. The Frostfires.”
Azreen looked up from his computer and smiled. “She is a good friend?”
“She came with me on my birthday. That was huge.”
“I am sorry I missed it.”
“Well, it was the end of the birthday that got me to send you the divorce papers.” She smiled brightly. “That was a waste of a lawyer’s intervention. Though the familiar contract is gone, so I will call it a win.”
Azreen smiled. “Mayor Matthias is going to meet us at the Grunwald mansion for a walkthrough with his assistant and the real estate agent.”
“When?”
He smiled and closed his laptop. “Now. Ready?”
She looked at him and pulled the dress on from before. “If I get cold, I am going to steal your jacket.” When she was fully dressed, she was about to run some cleaning flame over herself, but he smiled, pursed his lips, and his fire sparkled all over her.
She looked at her skin. “Why am I still sparkly?”
He grinned. “Because I was feeling whimsical. You look good all glittery.”
He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her with his hands on her lower back. “Shall we go see the mansion?”
“What will we do with all that space?”
“I am open to suggestions.” He grinned, and they were standing outside the structure of the mansion.
“It is certainly large enough that we can make our home in one quarter of it and open the rest of it to historical tours or something.” He shifted so his arm was around her, and they were side by side.
“So, what? You want to host weddings here?”
He paused and then said, “We might want to start with a vow renewal. You and me, you know, to test the logistics.”
“We didn’t actually say vows. It was just a signed contract.”
“So, we are due for a formal celebration. Fifteen is crystal, I believe. Do you know any wedding planners?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“I don’t want you making your own dress.”
“I am very good at sewing.”
“Fine, but I will pay for all materials, and there is no limit. Buy what you want to wear.”
She smiled. “Let’s see if we get the mansion.”
Two cars were pulling up the extensive drive, and they watched the first long sedan pull up at the long expanse of the steps. The driver came around and opened the door for the mayor, and from there, he held his hand out for his assistant.
The other vehicle was an XIA vehicle with three agents and Hannah, the real estate agent.
Vaia leaned against Azreen. “So, the gang’s all here.”
Hannah spoke quietly to the mayor and then nodded and came over. “Mr. Azreen, Miss Vaia, you are interested in this property?”
Azreen nodded. “It is first on my list. We have others, but this ticks most of the boxes.”
Hannah’s dark skin and waves of red hair were an odd mix with her blue eyes, but they looked perfectly right on her.
Azreen took a list out of his pocket and handed it to her.
Hannah went over it, glanced at the mansion and then back down at the list. “It does cover everything on the list better than other offerings in the area. Shall we go inside?”
“Are the agents here for any particular reason, Hannah?”
“To stop my nightmares. This place makes me feel a little screamy.”
They started walking toward the huge doors. Vaia said, “Well, if anything hops up here, Azreen will just burn it.”
Hannah blinked. “Oh, right.”
“Yeah. Even old wood gods don’t mess with dragons.”
Azreen snorted glitter, and Vaia laughed. They entered the house and got the tour, including the naked frolicking dark elf figures all over the fireplace surround and mantel.
Hannah smiled. “My brothers-in-law had a lot of fun with that particular item. They also did some of the staircase railings. It has counteracted the deaths and curses when it comes to property values.”
Matthias spoke, “Azreen, what do you intend to do with this place?”
Azreen chuckled. “Vaia suggested that we host weddings here as a city venue. We would begin with a vow renewal for us, as she never actually got her special day, and from there, it would be case by case for a fee to be returned to the city to rehabilitate neighbourhoods.”
Matthias smiled. “A wedding venue?”
“Certainly. We can ward our wing of the mansion for privacy and leave the other parts for weddings and photography. I am imagining that there are several photographers who want to get the details of the mantelpiece, as well as couples taking photos on the stairs.”
Vaia watched, and Azreen was excited by the idea. He was smiling, and his arm was around her waist. “Let’s keep looking around. As fun as watching Neekil and Hannah cavorting naked on the mantelpiece is, I am sure that this isn’t the only part of the building.”
Hannah groaned and covered her face. Neekil grinned and said, “There is a lovely back yard as well.”
They walked out onto the back flagstone deck, and Vaia sent her shadows out and turned on the lighting.
The soft lights came on, and Vaia smiled at Azreen.
“Maybe we can get a mage here to put lights in the trees. My friend who works with weddings would be a great choice for that. Her decorative spell work is spectacular.”
Hannah looked at her shyly. “Who is your friend? Neekil and I are engaged. If you do what I think you will do, we might be up to be married here.”
Vaia looked to Matthias and Leo. “So, will you authorize the sale?”
Leo nodded. “Tentatively. You have one year to host a minimum of three weddings or events. So, until you do that, you will have a two-year lease in place. If the three events make the news, it will be considered authorization for purchase.”
Vaia nodded. “I can live with that. Azreen?”
He looked up from his phone. “I have six couples waiting to wed. Neekil and Hannah will have their choice of dates, but if Vaia’s friend can get things underway, I am hoping to have our ceremony in a week.”
Vaia blinked. “A week!”
He grinned. “We didn’t get to celebrate each other, and you are definitely worthy of celebration. Invitations will have to be sent out via email or mage mail, but yes, this will go quickly.”
Vaia picked up her phone and made a call.
“Krys? Do you have time to come to the Grunwald mansion this evening? Yeah? Bring planning crap. We are going to hit the ground running on a project. Setting the Grunwald mansion for weddings, with the first wedding taking place next weekend.” She looked at the smiling faces around her. “Help? Okay, cool.”
She hung up and smiled weakly. “She’s on her way. Expect a super bright gateway in the next two minutes.”
Azreen smiled. “Where do you know her from?”
“We took dance classes together with Hura.”
She looked around, and then a star-bright flash struck the main doors, and a woman who looked remarkably unremarkable came in with a backpack and a tablet tucked under her arm. She looked around the space and nodded. “Yup. I can spend somebody’s money in here.”
Krys saw Vaia and grinned. “Have you selected your private quarters yet?”
“No.”
“What kind of theme do you want? Light or dark?”
“Um, both?”
“Dancers?”
Vaia grinned. “Yes, please.”
“Favourite colour?”
“Crimson and bright blue.”
Krys looked to Azreen. “Hello. I am Krys, and I will be rearranging the décor for you. Just send me a list, your favourite foods and colours, and I will get everything ready for... Saturday?”
He nodded. “You can really do all this?”
“Yup, and I will charge you through the nose.”
“Just send me a quote.”
“Okay.”
“Do you have a card?”
Vaia pressed her lips together as Krys walked over to give him a card.
“Krys-Alys Bright?”
“Yes, Azreen, the patient.”
Vaia snorted. “Yeah, you would know.”
“Of course I would. Now, you two go and find your personal spaces. Here.” She pulled her backpack around. “Put a sticky on any door you want to keep private, and I will ward them for you. No one who isn’t you can even see them. Very handy if there are books in libraries.”
She smiled, and Vaia and Azreen each picked a stack of the sticky notes and headed upstairs.
It was so nice to have someone else take charge again.
* * * *
Krys looked at the mayor, his assistant, Agent Neekil, and Hannah Lee, the real estate agent. She had seen this moment before, but having it here now was bizarre.
She looked at the dark elf and the estate agent. “Were you interested in using this place for your wedding?”
Hannah said, “You would have to communicate with my parents and his elders.”
Krys smiled. “Not a problem. I can manage most elders, and parents don’t have an issue working with me. What kind of timeline were you working with?”
Hannah looked at him. “How many condoms do you have left?”
He paused. “Enough for two weeks.”
Hannah smiled. “Can you do it in two weeks?”
“Sure. Just start listing your preferences, and I will do my damndest to source everything.”
Neekil looked at the other agents near the door. “They might be interested in a consult as well. One will be child-friendly.”
The Dullahan laughed. “Maybe a bouncy castle.”
“I can get one sized for adults as well.” Krys smiled. She saw him pause and think for a moment.
The other cocked his head. “Can you do formal northern weddings?”
She smiled. “Thinking of taking Amy down the aisle?”
He blinked. “You know her?”
“I work part-time for the XIA public relations department.” She smiled. “I am used to working with you tools and making everything look normal.”
Hannah laughed and covered her mouth with her hand. She put her hand down and grinned. “Hired.”
Neekil grabbed her around her waist and hauled her around the corner. Krys continued making notes on several pages.
She asked Kairek, “Does your family do folk dancing?”
He blinked. “How did you know?”
“Just a guess. I know Iris’s does.”
He winced. “You know Iris, too?”
“Of course. I hang out with Amy, Iris, and Emily now and then. Amy and I became friends when I bailed her department out of a handling issue.”
“Are you dating a member of the XIA as well?”