Chapter 55 #2
Eli made an irritated noise in the back of her throat. “Tam. Despite this being a small wedding, we still have two sets of royalty attending, a former king, a man in his nineties who insists on taking all of his clothes off when he dances—”
“Lord Dick Fuks promised me he’d stay mostly clothed!”
“He can barely remember my name, so I don’t have high hopes for that promise.”
Tam pressed his lips shut.
“And all of this before we even mention the fact there is also going to be a dragon in attendance, and—”
“I thought it was a Daxarian custom for the groom not to see the bride before the wedding ceremony?”
Eli and Tam turned to find themselves staring at two familiar smiling faces.
“Bong! Jeong!” Tam exclaimed jubilantly. “I didn’t think you’d be able to make it!” He proceeded to pull Jeong then Bong into a hug, before they did the same for Eli and complimented their beautiful new family addition.
“And where is our dear Mr. Luca?” Jeong asked, his bright smile bringing a glow to his face.
“He’s with his cousins. They’ve become inseparable,” Tam explained. “Though that isn’t always a good thing. They are far too good at finding trouble when—”
A series of shouts echoed down to the group.
The adults and even Nova fell silent as they all turned toward the front entrance.
With a wordless shared look among them, they headed down the hall toward the noise until they all stepped into the wide entryway already crowded with guests and serving staff. They were still able to spot what was causing the commotion rather quickly.
There, in the middle of the room, stood Harold the donkey. He was fully decked out with a flower crown woven together with blue, ivory, and yellow ribbons, blooms tied to his tail with a yellow bow, and even flower circlets just above his hooves.
In a line in front of the ass, six children stood with their backs to Tam and the others, their postures indicating a sense of accomplishment.
On one end was the tall, lanky form of Aster Fuks; then the smaller willowy figure of Antony, with his short red hair; beside him, with his mop of dirty-blond curls, was Charlie.
Then there was Luca, tall, with his black hair already styled and slicked back, and beside him was Penelope, with her hair in an elegant braid layered with flowers, wearing an ivory lace dress with a light-blue ribbon about her waist. Lastly, there was Asher, with his longer red hair in a short braid.
The guests in the room continued to clamber away from Harold, who surveyed the surroundings with a beleaguered weariness.
Tam folded his arms and cleared his throat loudly.
Each child turned slowly. Tam stared at all of them with his eyebrows raised.
Luca gave a wince of a smile, and Penelope pursed her lips.
Tam opened his mouth to say something, but then a line of chickens, all wearing flower wreaths around their necks, bolted past.
“I see Henrietta arrived,” Eli noted idly.
“Bong! Jeong!” Luca burst out, his guilt instantly forgotten when he realized the presence of his friends. He bolted over first to Jeong, throwing his arms around the man’s soft middle.
“Mr. Luca! You’ve grown at least a foot since I saw you!” Jeong marveled, making Luca step back with a proud grin before putting his hands in his pockets in the exact same manner his father and grandfather did.
“Did we all not have a discussion about talking to a trusted adult about these kind of surprises last week?” Tam asked Antony and Luca sharply.
“Now, now, Lord Tam, all is well in hand!” Aster stepped forward, his recently lowered voice soothing. Then Tam shot him a flat look, making Aster’s awkward boyish self return and prompting him to fall silent.
“I said it was fine,” a new voice called over the commotion.
None other than Mr. Howard strode forward with a gleeful look on his face.
Tam crossed his arms. “Really, Kevin?”
The former king’s assistant cackled while patting Harold’s rump. “It isn’t like the old boy can even kick anymore with his arthritis.”
“You know who I’m going to have to tell?” Tam asked while rocking from the balls of his feet back to his heels.
“Oho, your father can’t do anything to me now, Tam! I don’t work with him anymore!” Mr. Howard looked like he could die from happiness.
A slow smile wound its way up Tam’s face. “I wasn’t talking about my father.”
“I think my son meant your wine supplier.” The sharp voice of Annika Ashowan sounded from the staircase where she stood with her arms folded over her deep-purple gown.
Her eyebrows rose as she stared at the former assistant, who gulped.
Especially when he realized none other than Hannah was at the duchess’s side, staring at him unimpressed.
The man looked dangerously close to falling onto his knees and begging forgiveness.
“Do you really not like it?” Asher asked sadly, drawing everyone’s attention downward to the young prince.
Tam let out a breath and slowly knelt down in front of his nephew, whose mouth twisted in disappointment.
“Harold is fantastic, and you all outdid yourselves with dressing him up. For now, though, how about we put him in the pasture and tell people to go take a look at him during the reception?”
Asher nodded slowly, still looking a mite dejected.
Tam rested a hand atop his nephew’s head. “Hey, monster. I’m not actually mad, alright? I just like tormenting Mr. Howard. Besides”—he lowered his voice—“if he realizes I love it, he might try to pull an even worse prank next time, don’t you think?”
Asher brightened instantly and giggled.
Rising back up to a stand, Tam was about to announce that he and Eli needed to finish putting Nova down for her nap when a new shout echoed over them.
“FIRE LIT!”
That was all Tam needed to hear to rush out the front doors with the rest of the entryway’s occupants on his heels.
He hadn’t known what he’d been expecting. But Harris with his wife Mackenzie, both positioned in front of two massive blazing piles of dried kindling and logs—which most definitely had not been there that morning—along with a pleased-looking Wixim, had not occurred to him as a possibility.
“My dear daughter!” Harris roared. “Happy wedding day!”
“I’m your niece,” Eli hollered back.
“I was officially named your guardian three months ago! Of course you’re my daughter!”
“I’m a grown woman! It was a moot point for you to become my guardian; I just had you add me to your family for the last name!”
“Now, now.” Mackenzie Harris approached Eli and Tam, who were side by side as their guests gaped at the spectacle behind them. “My dear, we adore you as our own, so why fight us on this happy day?”
Eli looked caught between a sigh and a laugh.
“Does she love it?” Harris shouted from his place—a bit too close to the fire—with his arms outstretched.
“She loves it!” Mackenzie called back over her shoulder to her husband.
Harris dropped his head back with a smile of unbridled joy.
Eli and Tam were spared from having to say anything more as Nova let out a sniffle and then an earsplitting cry.
No excuses were needed as they retreated back past the guests up to the second floor of the keep, which was significantly less chaotic.
Once the quiet enveloped them, Tam and Eli locked eyes, then let out long breaths.
“See… This is great. Neither of us has to create a diversion or bring up any awkward topics to leave early—we have a baby for that now!” Tam pointed out while winking at their infant daughter.
Eli gave her first real laugh of the morning. “You’re absolutely right. Good thing you said we can start trying for our next one after today. That way we’ll keep having an excuse for years.”
Tam sighed happily and wrapped his arm around Eli. “Sounds like a good plan to me.”