Chapter 424

424 Stress Relief

Peggy and Shasta bantered back and forth from the palace all the way to the markets. Most of the places that Skye wanted to take Shasta to were clustered in the same area. Once they had arrived at the first shop, the four could easily walk to the others, and have a bit of time to spare.

The shops were mostly owned by Fae, so Karena wouldn’t be able to tamper with their orders in any way. Thanks to her Shaman rounds, there were few people that would turn away a favor to Skye. The only way most would was if it endangered their livelihoods.

Karena had influence and power due to her future as Queen of Alcon, but it was also common knowledge that Skye was favored by Magnus. If complaints were brought against her, and Skye vouched for the validity of those claims: Magnus would side with Skye and the shop owners.

To make sure that the shop keepers couldn’t be threatened with their businesses or homes being taken, Skye had quickly made a contract stating that only the four present were allowed to authorize anything pertaining to the order. The shop keeper gave her papers to make extras for the other shops as Shasta, Peggy, and Maevis looked over the fabrics.

The first thing that Shasta wanted taken care of was her dress. She wanted to have the design be as close to her original one as possible, but the chrysanthemum patterned fabric that she had picked out before wasn’t there. There were two others, but the first pattern had been her favorite.

As Shasta internally cursed her terrible luck, Maevis grinned broadly; “I can alter the flower pattern for you to whatever you’d like. Just make sure that you like the texture, thickness, and sheen of the fabric before you choose.”

Shasta’s entire demeanor shifted, sending her tail into a happy sway. They discussed the choices at length, ultimately settling on a light-golden colored fabric that was lighter at the top, then darkened towards the bottom. The chrysanthemum fabric matched the dark-golden color along the bottom perfectly, and could be easily sewn for a beautiful flourish.

Peggy had found a sheer fabric that also had blooming chrysanthemums on it. They decided to put it over the top of the fading fabric from the waist down, but not long enough to obscure the flowers along the bottom. The small flowers that dotted the fabric in a uniform fashion would be highlighted by the gradual color progression, and complement the larger ones along the bottom hem.

Shasta was so happy that her tail nearly knocked over a display when she turned to talk about the rest of the wedding party’ clothes. Skye, Marie, and Karena were the bridesmaids, while Tidas, Victor, and Marco were acting as Lawrence’s groomsmen, and Anna was the flower girl. She wasn’t concerned for the men, but wanted the dresses that the bridesmaids were going to wear to be ...subdued.

.....

Karena’s taste in clothing tended to run on the gaudy side, which Shasta usually didn’t care about. But if she was going to be forced to invite the psycho to her wedding, then the least that Karena could do was use whatever fabric Shasta picked out for her. She didn’t care what style dress she made the fabric into, so long as she used it, and didn’t try to add anything ridiculous.

Since her dress was mostly darker shades of yellow except at the top, she wanted the bridesmaids in light yellow colors. Skye had never worn a yellow-colored dress before because her original hair color combined with the yellow made her skin tone look pink. Holding the fabric up to the side of her face, all three of the others agreed that it was no longer an issue.

“Your hair damn-near matches the bottom of my dress. Kinda funny how that turned out, considering that you’re my Maid of Honor. Your colors are almost the opposite of mine,” Shasta commented with a smile.

After a bit more back and forth, the women finished up choosing the rolls to be sent to the palace. They ordered an extra of each of the fabrics for Shasta’s dress; just in case. They knew that Karena wouldn’t be happy about the material for her dress, and weren’t sure about how she would react..

“Probably violently,” Shasta commented as she and the others exited the store while talking about it.

Skye had wrote out a receipt for the shop keeper to take to the palace treasurers. She told them to take it and the purchase contract as proof, and to make sure that the treasurers knew to take it out of Magnus’ personal fortune. She didn’t want taxpayer money to pay for Magnus’ own negligence.

Shasta tried to say that she and Lawrence could pay for everything easily, but Skye grinned mischievously as she spoke in a low voice; “Maggie made something that was supposed ta be special to ya a terrible experience cause he was dumb enough ta put Karena’s psychotic arse in charge..”

“He knew ye two didna get along, but he still made Her decisions the final ones. What if Lawrence woulda had time ta help wit the plannin’, and they would’ve clashed-ye know they definitely woulda clashed.. I canna imagine anythin’ good comin’ from the King of Ruscovic and the Future Queen of Alcon arguin’ over His wedding.”

Maevis fluttered in front of everyone with a contemplative expression; “Did he know Lawrence would be preoccupied this whole time? Or was that simply a coincidence? Why did he so easily dismiss complaints made by his own son about Karena? Was it him taking pity on her because of what’s happening with her brother? Or maybe it was someone’s influence keeping him from acknowledging the situation?”

Skye had instantly thought of Marco when Maevis finished. He had manipulated Magnus before, but it still seemed off somehow.. ‘What would be his motive? Why would he send his wife ta terrorize Shasta? What purpose would it serve, aside from makin’ Magnus angrier wit Karena...Oh shit...Is he Tryin’ ta get rid of his wife?! Na, no, no.. Why would he?! She’s given him sons, and the nobles...Not many like her much anymore..’

“Oh shit,” Skye stated out loud, but had meant to.

Shasta perked her ears up as Peggy asked; “What ‘oh shit’? Why’d ye say that?”

Skye smiled nervously; “Twas a silly thought....about Tidas. Dinna worry yer self, Peg-”

Shasta grimaced as she cut Skye off; “That’s not your ‘Tidas’ face. I know that look. What you’ve got now is your ‘I just realized something bad and complicated’ face.”

Skye eyes shot open is shock; “How could you Possibly know that?!”

Shasta smirked; “It’s the same face you made when I’d brought you to the Palace Medical Ward after our first serious fight. Exactly what part of what Maevis had said has you so worried?”

Skye was cornered as they moved off to the side, and out of the street. They had been talking low, but one never knew who was listening. Klaus, Kari, and Ronnie were around them somewhere, and Skye didn’t want to pull them into anything.. Or her friends standing around her.

Not sure of what to say, Skye half-lied; “Ima just worried that Karena is on her last nerve wit Magnus.. I think he’s serious about sendin’ her back to her brother, and dissolvin’ their marriage..”

Maevis quirked an eyebrow; “What about his children? Would they still be in line for the crown?”

Shasta sighed; “Only if he doesn’t re-marry. If he did, then any children he had with his new wife and Queen would be the heirs, unless he declared his previous children so, which I seriously doubt that he would. Honestly, I don’t even think that Marco would allow his children to stay in Alcon. I think he would ship them out with Karena.”

Peggy sighed; “Poor bairns.. Their parents should be ashamed of stickin’em in the middle of all this nonsense. They be innocent.”

“Would Magnus really Let Marco disinherit his children?” Maevis asked with genuine surprise.

“I doubt Marco would do it before Magnus passed. He wouldna risk his father passin’ him over for Tidas, even wit his ability ta manipulate,” Skye replied with an utterly serious tone.

As Maevis and Shasta started to discuss the subject further, Peggy cut in; “This topic does nothin’ for us now but work ya fools up into a tizzy. We’re supposed to be helpin’ Miss Fluffy here destress, not add to it. And if ye wanna make yer lunch plans, then I suggest that we move our arses.”

Skye, Shasta, and Maevis exchanged looks, then nodded to Peggy. She huffed and turned on her heel, headed out into the street, then headed towards the next shop without so much as a glance back. As the three followed after her with confused looks, Peggy went inside a quaint wee flower shop.

When the three followed, they hadn’t expected the shop to have such a vast choice. It took Shasta all of two seconds to fall in love with a bouquet made of golden chrysanthemums. The centers were almost orange in color, and matched the large flowers that would run along the bottom hem of her wedding dress.

As they discussed the bridal bouquet, the groom and groomsmen’s boutonnieres, and the bridesmaids corsages; Shasta felt like a weight had been lifted. The circus that Karena was trying to pass her wedding off as had literally kept her up at night. She was about to become a Queen, but couldn’t even have a say in her own wedding..

‘If it weren’t for Skye, Karena would’ve forced a horrendous wedding on me.. I owe her a lot.. I need to do something for her..’

As Shasta half-listened, half-daydreamed about her perfect wedding, Skye negotiated a price with the Fae owner. It turned out that a Forest Nymph and a wolfman ran the flower shop, and had been in business for fifteen years. The nymph usually stayed hidden, even with the new laws in place to protect all Fae.

They had bad experiences with humans in the past, and preferred to be left to themselves. They nymph’s name was Eve, and her Earth trait was amazing. All nymphs were born with magic, but the type depended upon their environment. Water nymphs usually had Water magic, but the rare case of outside traits occurred on occasion.

Eve was especially gifted with her magic because she had formally been a student of Maevis decades ago. It was a wonderful surprise for the elder to see her pupil doing so well, and had her in high spirits for the rest of their shopping trip. Between her good mood and Shasta’s: even Peggy was laughing and smiling every few minutes.

Next, they went into a bakery that Shasta frequently stopped at to buy sweets for the orphanage children. They had some of the best cupcakes that Shasta had ever tasted, and made a special barbecue chicken-flavored one for her. It was more on the savory side than sweet from what Skye had tasted, and ‘needed to come with dipping sauce’, according to her.

Aside from the few specialty ones for Shasta, the rest of the cupcakes were either chocolate strawberry, or orange cream flavored. Shasta had also requested a small tray of tarts for Tidas. They were basically mini-pies, so she thought that it would make him happy.

After a few samples were consumed, and a sizable order made, the four headed back to the palace. They had maybe an hour to work on the dress by the time they had returned, but it was delayed right after Shasta’s measurements were taken. Karena had stomped in as Klaus tried to announce her..