Chapter One #2
“Same thing parents want for their kids, plus vaccinations and minus the neutering.”
Sable laughed and said, “Where can I charge this?”
“There is a charging station in the kitchen, and we are working to rig one in the back yard so you can just set it down, and it will charge. I am also looking into a charm that will do it, but charms and electricity are tricky and need focus, so I will need a weekend without a wedding.”
Sable smiled. “I don’t know. The folks around here are pretty excited. What you are doing here is new, and for now, folks will love to be part of it. I know it is thrilling for me.”
Krys grinned. “The novelty will wear off, and Vaia and Azreen will sell this place and move somewhere quieter.”
“Will you buy this place?”
“Oh, hell no. I can’t afford even to replace the mantlepiece.”
Sable smiled. “Benko would replace it for free.”
“No, he would replace it for you. I don’t ask people to cover for me.”
Sable nodded. “Okay, but if you want to buy this place, I can help.”
Krys looked at her. “Really?”
“Sure. If Azreen and Vaia ever get tired of being here, they can sell it to you, and he will make statues for sale. There aren’t a lot of black elf creations out in the world, so they can go for quite a lot.”
“Wait. You have already made a plan?” Krys was surprised.
Sable smiled. “I like you. You are helping me live again. I never really got a chance to live the first time. Benko is learning about the modern world, and he is having fun doing it with me. That might fade, but I can’t be more than a companion to him unless we engage in some modifications.
” Sable chuckled. “That is an interaction that I would have to work myself up to.”
“Why... oh.”
“Yeah, it involves a bit of fingers and his tongue. I am still stone, so I don’t know how much time he will want to devote to me. The dark elves can pretty much have their pick of women.”
“It’s the pheromones. They smell great, and it comes out through their skin. You want to touch them. It makes the female population sitting ducks. In your case, you two have a genuine connection. It glows between you.”
Sable smiled and ducked her head slightly. “It does?”
“It does. If I had been born with more obvious magic, I would have been a compatibility seer. But I wasn’t, and none of the existing seers in that discipline will take on an adult apprentice, so another skill I can do but not brag about.”
“So, stuck with magic you can’t really perfect.”
“Yup. Don’t get me wrong. I am really good at it, but I can’t actually tell anyone what I see. I don’t have the license for it, and I don’t have enough time to work my way through the college programs to get a degree. I need to make a living.”
“Ah. Got it.” Sable paused for a moment, and Benko walked out of the shadows toward them. They had made it to the rear of the property.
Sable turned and said, “Krys, will you copy everything that there is to eat at the wedding?”
“Oh, honey, I won’t be able to eat much. I am going to be running around like crazy, making things go smoothly, but I will keep a charm in my pocket.”
Sable hugged her carefully. “Don’t forget to have fun. Weddings are supposed to be fun.”
The manor lights backlighted the happy couple, and Krys smiled. “It will be fun. Promise.”
Krys went back to the happy couple with her final lists and went over anything that they thought they might want at their party.
Krys smiled. “Anything missing from this vow renewal can be added to the next one in five, ten, or fifteen years. This isn’t a one-shot. This is a celebration that both of you were too young to insist on.”
Vaia smiled. “You hit the nail on the head with that one. Is everything really ready?”
“Whatever isn’t ready, I will fake on the day. Just keep me on speed dial, I will be there in under a minute, no matter how small. This is your day. Both of you. No one is going to get in your face or wreck your day.”
Vaia hugged her. “I have a special dress for you.”
Azreen chuckled. “I can’t believe that you got so many folks to RSVP.”
“Oh, there is a decision compulsion in both the email and the paper copy. They need to commit right away.”
Vaia blinked. “I haven’t heard of that spell.”
“It isn’t a spell. It’s a cantrip. It’s a spell you can use without a license as long as it does no harm.”
“I didn’t know they were legal.”
“They can be carried out by humans without magic if necessary, so they are legal. That’s the loophole I use for most of my stuff. My illusions are licensed, but most of my trickery isn’t. But a cantrip by a magical being can pack a helluva punch.”
Azreen’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah, they would. Well, I confess to excitement. Only two sleeps.”
Vaia laughed. “Yeah. So, did you contact the dancers that I mentioned?”
“Yup. We have three out of five. I will grab Hura on the day. Don’t worry. She’s been warned.”
Vaia clapped. “Okay, now I am super excited. Two more sleeps.”
Krys laughed. “Right. Well, all of the chopping and arrangements start tomorrow, so I have to go to make sure that our green grocers have delivered everything so I can patch any missing bits tomorrow.”
Vaia looked concerned. “Do you sleep?”
“Yup. Sunday. I will sleep Sunday.” Krys chuckled. “Now, do you have any other concerns?”
Vaia sighed. “My family. I didn’t invite them, and I don’t want to see them. Azreen’s lawyer has started the legal proceedings. They are upset. I got a crash course in blocking this week.”
Azreen hugged her. “We will weather it, but it is over a million dollars, and that is a good start for a trust fund, or Vaia can continue her education if she wishes to.”
Vaia shrugged. “I would rather buy some more commercial properties and start a small business association for women who are starting a new business. Help organize and find proper properties to get them in the right space for their business.”
Krys smiled. “Nice. And impressive.”
Azreen said he would walk her out, and when they were on the steps, he said, “All invoices to me, please.”
“I have already paid the first wave of them.”
He said, “Then forward them, and I will reimburse you.”
She was resigned to not being paid for this job. “Okay.” She was too tired to explain.
She lifted her phone and sent him the food bill, the flowers, and table and chair rental. “The rest will be confirmed on the day. Some have gotten deposits and will be paid in full when they arrive on the day.”
“Excellent. I will pay you there as well?”
“No. My fees are a percentage of the vendor pricing. If you are paying everything directly, that takes me out of the equation. So, based on our current contract, I am not going to be paid.”
Azreen looked at her. “You suck at business.”
She looked at him and laughed. “I actually do. I am great at getting the great machines of the event moving, but I hate the financial bit.”
He patted her head. “Don’t fuss, cousin. I will have my financial planner call you and set you up with someone to run billing through.”
“But if this works, I am going to be working for you. For the mansion.”
He paused. “Then, we shall contact Matthias. For the next two years, he retains ownership of the mansion.”
“Right, in that case, I know of a rental company that can fill out the empty spaces.”
Azreen nodded. “Do they have an online catalogue?”
“They definitely do.”
She sent him the link and smiled. “They can have everything here in a matter of hours and are a branch of the company that the tables and chairs come from.”
“Hm. This is some appropriate stuff.”
“There is some stuff here, but it’s in the carriage house, and I didn’t have enough time to go through it.”
Azreen smiled. “Dragon fire cleans quickly. Vaia and I will take a tour of the building when you leave.”
“Okay, but get plenty of rest. The wedding day will be a long one.”
“Yes, well, as we have decided to go traditional in regards to physical entanglement, we could use the distraction, and I can lift a lot.”
“Excellent. Well, you will see me a bit tomorrow as the tables and grills are set out, and then it’s the big day.”
Azreen smiled. “Thank you for doing this. Vaia is enjoying herself, and I feel tremendous relief at the details being taken care of and reported to us with actual trackable information.”
“I have arranged some gargoyle events. They are big on documentation.”
His phone pinged. “The mayor wants to see you when you are done here.”
“Oh. Delightful.”
“His assistant will be there, and she genuinely likes you, so that’s something.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Well, I have done all the damage I can do for today. Enjoy the furniture hunt.”
“I think I will. What Vaia thinks about it remains to be seen.”
She smiled and took a final look around before heading to the mayor’s mansion.
Krys had one more day before everything hit the fan.
She looked at the butler and smiled. “Hello. I am Krys Bright.”
“Yes, miss. I remember. Come this way.”
She followed him and saw a few delegations in large rooms. Different races were standing there and chatting, and as she looked, she realized that Azreen’s parents were in town, probably for the wedding. Aw.
She was walked into the office and was directed to sit on the couch. “Sit.”
“Woof.”
He gave her a narrow-eyed glance, but he smiled. “Tea?”
“Yes, please.”
She sat and pulled her tablet out, going over and over the plans in her head until she had the necessary stuff taken care of. This was going to be a fun day, a day for the dragon and his bride to remember for centuries.
She got her tea and sat there, thinking about how her small hobby of helping different extranaturals hold events had turned into the serious situation looming ahead of her.
When Matthias and Leo returned, they were both in work mode. Leo smiled. “Krys, how’s the tea.”
“The earl himself would be proud. So, what am I here for?”
Matthias looked at her and nodded to Leo. Leo picked up her phone and punched it with her thumb.