Chapter 6

  The Wedding

  The morning of the wedding day dragged through time like tar. Yuu found herself counting the seconds during her morning classes, and she could have sworn that the second hand in every classroom at NRC had gone sticky. And made of lead. Possibly even disconnected from the timepieces completely, as the hour hands refused to move at all. After what felt like a week in the morning classes, she rushed back to Grim, dropped him off at Heartslabyul for games and enough sugary snacks to kill a herd of flamingos.

  Using the makeup forced on her by Vil the year previous, and the curling iron she’d purchased the night before, she was ready and off for Octavinelle a half hour early, anxious to get to mal, and curious at what she would find once she arrived.

  *

  It was thirty minutes before he had to be ready to leave with Yuu, and Azul had only just finished getting dressed for the wedding when an emergency in the lounge demanded his attention.

  “Why does it matter if the blenders have combusted?” he demanded of Jade, who, yet again, failed to be able to fix the appliances on his own. “If they are broken, they are simply broken. I’ll fix them when I return, the Mostro lounge is closed for the night!”

  “Unfortunately, we still have stragglers on the dining floor,” Jade said, in his ever-present calm.

  “They’re not the only ones. Got a new one in—hey, Shrimpy, is that YOU?” Floyd yelled way too loudly. “Come and look, y’all; Shrimpy is lookin’ FINE!”

  “Stop harassing the customers, Floyd!” Azul barked. “Yuu isn’t due here for another half hour.”

  Yuu stepped around the front counter, and scooped up a tray. Falling into step with Jade, she helped him bus some of the last few tables.

  “Thanks, Yuu,” Jade said sincerely. “It appears the Boss has been in a bit of a mood.”

  “What was that, Jade?” Azul huffed, stepping out of the kitchen. It was rare that Jade mocked him to the customers, but he certainly wasn’t going to let it stand.

  He wore a gray suit, and had chosen to go without a hat. Azul was always well-groomed, so for him, this was nothing out of the ordinary.

  “Your date has arrived,” Jade said, and Yuu thought she detected a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

  “Dishes coming through!” she announced pleasantly, squeezing past him.

  He almost didn’t let her through, not because he didn’t trust her, but simply because he didn’t recognize her. Yuu was well-groomed as well, but her grooming focused more on the practical, than the flashy, dramatic, or beautiful like those in Pomfiore. This evening, however, in a dark gown that reached the floor, she had managed all three.

  It was probably for the best that he didn’t say anything as she walked by, carrying a mountain of dishes in each arm. If he had, it might have come out wrong, like “who are you,” “what are you doing in my kitchen,” and “are you sure you’re my date for the evening?”

  Swallowing, Azul, Jade, and Floyd put the rest of the service floor to rights, dismissing themselves at last as the end shift gained control.

  When Yuu came out of the kitchens, she was flushed, but still put together.

  “Hi Azul!” she said cheerily, joining them in the foyer. “Jade! Floyd! Good to see you both.”

  “Hey, Shrimpy! You’re looking good enough to eat tonight! Wanna come somewhere with me?”

  Traitor, Azul nearly snarled. First the bread pan, and now threatening to take his escort. Floyd really was lucky he was irreplaceable. The man even had the gall to toss him a wink over Yuu’s head.

  “You look quite beautiful tonight, Miss Yuu,” Jade added smoothly.

  “Thank you both!” Yuu actually laughed. “I’m just hoping it lasts through the mirror travel. Speaking of which,” Yuu turned to address him now, forcing him to smooth his scowl, “Where is the mirror we’ll be taking? We just need the invitations, and then…we go?”

  Azul nodded, grateful for the change of subject.

  “The Octavinelle mirror is down the hall from the main building. We can go now and be there at five on the dot.”

  “Great!” she said, seemingly unaware of the faces Jade and Floyd were making behind her. “Let’s go!”

  *

  Yuu was entirely aware of the faces that Floyd and Jade were pulling at Azul just behind her line of sight.

  Boys, she groaned internally, welcoming wholeheartedly the arm that Azul offered her as an escape.

  She took it, immediately disoriented by something about Azul that she’d never noticed.

  “You smell like…cedar? A tree? A land tree?” she gaped, open-mouthed.

  Azul actually rolled his eyes.

  “Is there any other kind of tree, Yuu?”

  Yuu glanced back at Floyd and Jade. “Is there?”

  In her grasp, Azul sighed. “I’m a merman. What did you expect me to smell like?” he asked, exasperated.

  She shrugged. “Butter and lemon?”

  Somewhere behind them, Floyd choked on his drink, and Jade suspiciously hid his face behind one of the photos he was busy taking down.

  “Marvelous,” Azul drawled. “Ramshackle has a resident comedian.”

  “I perform to a full house,” she deadpanned. “So, the mirror?”

  She watched Azul pull himself back into composure. “This way.”

  The travel mirror was the size of a wall, and more ornate than anything she’d expect to find in a palace. Its border was wrought silver, and covered in tentacle and scale designs set with pearls.

  Azul pulled his invitation away from his side at the same time as Yuu gripped hers.

  “Just in case…How soon after the ceremony is it socially acceptable to leave?” Azul asked tepidly.

  She nudged him playfully. “Why? Got somewhere to be?”

  “Not at all,” he said matter-of-factly. “Just weighing my options in case the crowd turns on me.”

  “You’re paranoid.”

  “I’m prepared,” he rebuffed.

  “You’re going with a guest specifically requested by the bride. I won’t let anything eat you,” she teased. “Besides, if you leave too early, I will tell people you got scared and ran away.”

  The corner of his mouth quirked in a smile. “…You are truly ruthless.”

  “Thank you. Shall we?” she offered.

  And they stepped through.

  Travel by mirror felt like getting sucked into a wall of jelly, and then spat out again, but at least it didn’t ruin her hair. Yuu and Azul stepped out into the Banejaw Lagoon, beneath the Pearl Arch, and suddenly, Yuu understood why Azul was surprised she hadn’t heard of it.

  The Pearl Arch was just that—an enormous pearl archway spanning the entryway over a circle of free-standing mirrors, from which guests were already arriving. The grotto itself stood as a mouthway to a gorgeous lagoon, where the sun had just begun to set, and a magically warm breeze heated a posh circle of tastefully decorated tables. In place of a ballroom, a giant pool separated the lower tables from the bridal head table, where Yuu spotted—

  “Mal!”

  Ignoring decorum, Yuu unhooked herself from Azul’s arm and hurried forward, hardly aware of Azul trailing behind, until she reached her friend.

  “Mallory, you owe me a story, and you look absolutely beautiful,” Yuu cried, throwing her arms around Mallory Jean, her former roommate, who was standing near the head table, a vision in white. Yuu couldn’t help laughing. “You picked a mermaid dress?”

  “It seemed like it fit the occasion,” Mallory laughed into Yuu’s hair. “It’s been too long. Hang on, is that Azul Ashengrotto you came with?”

  Mallory glanced behind Yuu’s shoulder, where Azul was still making his way to the table.

  “Yeah,” Yuu nodded. “Yeah, since I didn’t know how to decode the invitation, he helped, and it turned out he was going, too. How does it feel to have Azul as a cousin-in-law?”

  “He’s… he’s Varun’s cousin?” Mallory was genuinely surprised.

  “On his father’s side,” Yuu nodded. “Don’t worry about it. I bet the guest list ou’ve had to memorize is enormous.”

  Mallory sighed. “It is. And so’s Varun’s family, apparently.”

  “I’m excited to meet this Varun. What’s he like?”

  Mallory gave Yuu the smirkiest smirk since the expression was invented. “Well, he’s a tiger-fish, for starters.”

  Yuu snorted. “Right. Got time for details?”

  “I’m the bride. I can do whatever I want.”

  Mallory lapsed into an embellished and romantic tale of her ‘tiger-fish’ that had Yuu giggling behind a napkin for a full fifteen minutes.

  “Mal, you’re making my eyeliner run!” Yuu gasped, when Mal finally came up for breath from the tale. “He asked you out by bringing you a bunch of urchins? The one thing in the whole wide ocean you’re allergic to, and he picks those?”

  “He nearly killed me,” Mal whispered conspiratorially.

  “Bet you got him back tenfold.”

  “I’m about to…” Mal whispered behind her own napkin. “I’ve been designing something new. Gonna try it tonight, actually. Hey, how’s MY eyeliner.”

  “I’ve got you,” Yuu said, setting about fixing it. “You’ve been designing something?”

  “Yeah,” Malory said around the napkin. “Ever heard of the red string of fate? It’s… a more proactive version.”

  Yuu was about to ask more, but as she’d nearly finished with the makeup, Azul cleared his throat behind them.

  “May I join you?” he asked politely.

  “Sure thing, cousin!” Mal winked at him. “Nice choice of date, I have to say.”

  “Yes, extremely serendipitous,” Azul agreed, taking the seat next to Yuu’s.

  “Did you make her sign a contract for it?” Mal asked cheekily.

  Yuu burst out laughing.

  “Of course no—” Azul tried to correct quickly.

  “He nearly did,” Yuu interjected.

  Azul sighed, shaking his head at them both. “I do have some class, Yuu… I should also congratulate you, soon-to-be cousin. You make a beautiful bride.”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Relax, Azul.” Mallory smiled at him. “I’m happy to have two friends at my table. It’s not like I have any family to call on from my side. I guess you get to represent both. You absolutely belong here.”

  “I—thank you, Mallory. I can call you that, yes?” Azul said, looking oddly touched.

  “Mal, please,” she corrected quickly. “Oh, I have to get going. The ceremony’s about to start. No worries, though. I told Varun that if it lasts longer than ten minutes, I’m jumping ship.”

  “You are the coolest bride in the world,” Yuu said in awe. “Teach me your ways.”

  “Do I NEED to?” Mal snarked back at her.

  Yuu held up her hands. “I take it all back. Teach me nothing. I’m an empty shell.”

  “I missed you,” Mal said, giggling as she left.

  “She seems happy…” Yuu said, watching her leave. “I just wish I’d have gotten to live with her longer.”

  “Life has a way of throwing you surprises,” Azul said, placatingly.

  She glanced at him.

  “This for example,” he said, gesturing to the place set before him. “Me sitting at the bridal table of a Banejaw wedding…and not even on a serving plate.”

  Yuu laughed, elbowing him in the side. “You’re not THAT unlikeable, Azul. Speaking of which, don’t you have people to mingle with? Those look like Jade and Floyd’s parents down there!”

  Yuu smiled, sending them a shy wave.

  “I haven’t seen them since parent-teacher conferences. I doubt they remember me,” she said quietly.

  “I’ll greet them later,” Azul promised. “For now, I do believe Mallory was being serious about her ceremony. Look there.”

  But what Yuu saw, was brewing trouble.

  “Hang on. I’ll be right back.”

  It took Yuu all of three minutes to determine the situation, and she was back to Azul before he could get up from the table.

  “Well?” he asked smoothly.

  “One of the guests arrived tipsy and spilled something on Mal’s dress, the groom is missing a shoe and is insisting that they aren’t actually necessary, and someone forgot to bring the rings because apparently…those also aren’t necessary under the sea?”

  Azul stared at her as though she had just otld him the moon was falling.

  “…Are you certain this is a wedding and not a tragedy in three acts?”

  “I thought something like this would happen.”

  “You’re here with me. What exactly do you expect me to do about it?” he asked, cutting to the chase.

  “You always have a plan.”

  “Flattering. But I do believe this falls outside my usual domain.”

  “Azul.”

  She could tell that he didn’t want to get involved. Getting involved meant risk. Exposure. People. However, after a short breath, he agreed.

  “Fine. I may have an emergency stain-removal method. As for the rings… well, you’ll just have to owe me for that one.”

  “Me?” she gasped, as he left the table, and headed for the pavilion where Mallory and Varun stood, in heated conversation with a large ample-waisted sea witch.

  Not one to stand around, Yuu followed.

  “I have officially been designated "person-who-fixes-everyone's-problems,” she panted, not five minutes later, when, together with Azul, everything had been put to rights.

  “A less prestigious title than Maid-of-honor,” Azul remarked, flicking imaginary dust from the cuff of his jacket sleeve. She was exhausted. He looked like he’d just dealt with a particularly customer at the lounge and come out on top. “Do you at least get paid?”

  Yuu nodded, leaning on him briefly as she adjusted a shoe.

  “In stress and gray hairs.”

  “Tempting offer, but I think I’ll pass,” he said, lending her a hand for support. His fingers lingered on hers a moment longer than was necessary, bringing her attention back up to his face.

  “Of course you’ll pass. Your hair is already gray.”

  “It is not gray—” he started indignantly, before the ceremonial music started, and all rose as Mallory walked down the shortest wedding aisle that Yuu had ever been privileged to witness.

  “Amazing,” she whispered.

  “She took three steps,” muttered Azul.

  “Exactly.”

  The happy couple stepped up to each other. Varun was handsome, in a traditional sense, and his suit was nothing but the best. His cheeks had actual tiger-stripes on them, which Yuu could only imagine Mallory finding forever amusing. Her friend really was happy, smiling and tearing up at all the right moments. The wedding ceremony really was over and blessed by the sea witch in ten minutes, but with what was said, it was perfectly ‘Mal.’

  “Wow, those vows were really something,” Yuu wondered as the ceremony closed.

  “I suppose. A bit… dramatic, don’t you think?”

  Yuu shot him a sideways glance. “I would’ve thought you liked grand declarations.”

  “I prefer promises that aren’t made in front of a hundred people crying into handkerchiefs.”

  “It was lovely.” Yuu smiled. “Very her.”

  “LADIES AND GENTLEFISH! If you would take your places on the ballroom floor for the sealing song!!!” the seawitch announced from the altar.

  Azul sighed. “It appears there’s a mandatory dance.”

  Yuu hummed. “How tragic.”

  Azul was already standing with the rest of the guests, ready to file forward.

  “Truly. The question is, who is going to rescue me from this predicament?”

  Was he…teasing her? In person?

  She took his hand. “It’s almost as though there’s a purpose to bringing a date to these things.”

  “Indeed. You spare me from an overeager partner, and I ensure you don’t end up with a questionable one.”

  “You make it sound so… transactional,” she sighed, letting him guide her to one of the only dry-land dancing areas. The rest seemed quite eager to head down into the pool, where, formal gowns and all, the music began.

  “Fine,” Azul corrected, once they were facing each other. “Yuu, would you do me the great honor of allowing me this dance?”

  She nodded. “That was a little more sarcastic than it needed to be, but I’ll take it.”

  The ceremony was certainly efficient. The couple was already dancing to the song under the pearl archway, the lyrics spilling over the crowd like a spell.

  “What are they saying?” Yuu asked, swaying in Azul’s arms to the tune. There wasn’t much room for dancing, and Yuu was just find with that. Even so, she was hardly surprised that Azul was a skilled leader.

  “A proper wedding is sealed with an ancient siren’s song, ensuring harmony in the couple’s union,” Azul explained.

  “That sounds beautiful.”

  “It is.”

  “And I assume the lyrics are meaningful and poetic?” she said, prompting a translation.

  Azul was oddly reticent to share, not meeting her eyes as they swayed. But of course he was. Azul was always…at odds when it came to physical contact.

  “Deeply so,” he informed her vaguely.

  “You won’t translate it for me?”

  “No,” he said blandly. “Absolutely not.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the translation doesn’t come across directly, and therefore has to be sung.”

  “You don’t sing?”

  He looked at her then, smirking. “I refuse to sing for free.”

  Shaking her head, Yuu put her hand on his chest in shock, glaring at his tie.

  He was as surprised as he was exasperated, but he didn’t stop her.

  “What are you doing, Yuu?”

  “Checking to make sure you’re not having a coronary. Was that an actual joke?”

  He sighed, pulling them away from a tall, half-transformed couple swaying beside them, gills still clamped behind their ears.

  “I do have a sense of humor, Yuu.”

  “I was just checking—hang on.” She gasped. “Do you have…two heartbeats?”

  “Three, actually. But only in my true form. Frankly, I don’t know how you humans make do with just two—”

  She leaned back to properly see his face. He was being serious.

  “THREE?”

  “You’re surprised.”

  “It’s just… it’s not the sort of thing you just…find out,” she spluttered.

  He gave a posh sort of shrug. “You never asked.”

  “Ah, yes. How could I forget to quiz my date about his number of vital organs. The naivete is killing me. Next time, I’ll go into the date making sure he has both kidneys too, just in case.”

  “If you do, you have an excellent chance of making your date feel like a black market target.”

  “To think, I left my coolers of ice at home,” she shot back.

  “Funny,” he remarked, cocking a brow. “Are you sure you’re not Floyd disguised as Yuu?”

  “Ha. If I were Floyd, I wouldn’t have been surprised, I think. Is that a common thing for merfolk?” she asked, genuinely curious.

  “Quite uncommon,” he said. “Having two or more rows of teeth, however—very common.”

  “You have twice the teeth, too?”

  “Yuu,” he scolded. “Have you ever even looked at me? What do you think?”

  So, she really looked. From his white hair, to the matching light glint on his glasses, and his eyes in the color parrot-fish blue. She took in his amused scowl, wondering at how a scowl could ever look amused, and decided that it was probably one of the more genuine expressions he’d given her. Letting the silvery music slide over them, she just…looked, until he said:

  “Of course, if you you were FLoyd, you’d probably be threatening to eat me by now, too, if I bored you.”

  The comment caught her so off guard, she laughed, too loudly, right in his face.

  “I have a policy against eating friends,” she said too quickly. “I mean, I’d never eat you. I mean—”

  She realized what it sounded like too late, and a hard blush caught up to her face before her brain could connect with her mouth and give it the command to stop talking.

  “—It’s not that I’m trying to insult the way you taste. I’m sure you taste fine. You’re probably—”

  It was his turn to go a little pink.

  “Oh man… can we please pretend I didn’t say any of that? Let’s go back to the song lyrics.”

  “Ironically, those are about…um…tasting, as well.”

  She groaned, letting her head fall into his chest where she didn’t have to look at him, until, she realized, that was another of the worser options. She straightened comically fast, nearly knocking into his glasses as she did so.

  “So!” she said, falsely bright. “How does a pearl arch that big happen, anyway? Is it alchemically designed? I don’t see any pearls like that happening naturally.”

  “I believe the Banejaw family trained a pack of oysters to have a ‘taste’ for a particular type of rock, and then just let them loose,” Azul said, watching her amusedly.

  “Wow. He does have a sense of humor,” Yuu muttered, glaring. “And it’s vicious.”

  “I thought the joke was more than tasteful,” he said, heaving a dramatic sigh.

  “Please…please make it stop,” she begged.

  “I’d be willing to negotiate terms,” he responded, smirking wider.

  “Wonderful,” she said dryly. “You stop, and I won’t break any of your toes during this dance.”

  “And she says I’m the vicious one,” he said quietly. “Unfortunately, you shouldn’t make any threats you can’t keep.”

  “Hm?”

  “It’s time to rejoin the bridal party at the high table,” Azul said, a little quieter.

  Yuu looked around. The song was already over, and the rest of the couples were shuffling off to their seats. There was no reason for her to be standing as close to Azul as she was, and yet, she’d hardly notice the time passing.

  He cleared his throat politely.

  “Right,” she agreed, pulling away from him to stand at an equally polite distance.

  The conversation they’d been having had brought them nearly nose to nose, and he was still holding her hand, as though leading, though there was nowhere to lead. Quickly, she slipped away from him, and let him lead the way back to their positions next to Mal.

  The sea witch stepped up to the podium, jowels wobbling, an announced in his blubbery tone, “LADIES AND GENTLEFISH! Presenting the new couple, Varun and Mallory BANEJAW!”

  The crowd, including Yuu and Azul, erupted in applause, polite at first, and dissolving into whoops and hollers when Varun swept Mallory in for a kiss.

  It was in that moment, watching Varrun with Mallory that gave Yuu a window into their relationship, far more than the dramatic vows and bowing. Varrun very obviously loved her friend. He didn’t give into the more crude suggestions from the wedding crowd for attention. Instead, he presented Mallory like his treasure. Like his prize. Like someone he truly, and genuinely admired and planned on keeping. Yuu’s eyes misted at that kiss, wondering, oh-so briefly, what it would be like to find the thing that she and Mallory had lost when they’d come to this world—a family.

  “Are you alright?” Azul’s voice rumbled low in her ear, muffled somewhat by the cheerful din.

  Yuu nodded, unsure of what to say. She wasn’t crying. She wasn’t even tearing up—yet. She’d also been facing away from him. Even so, he’d noticed her shift in mood, and had already produced a silvery handkerchief from a suit pocket.

  She almost laughed, but was afraid it would turn into a sob.

  Of course he has handkerchiefs, she thought.

  Accepting it without looking at him, she cheered as loudly as the rest when Mallory and Varrun sat next to them, and beckoned for the wedding feast to be served.

  Under the table, Mallory reached for Yuu’s hand, and squeezed it. She glanced over, very briefly, and Yuu managed a smile before Mal looked back to her guests, and to the mountain of steamed salmon and tuna headed their way.

  Yuu wanted to say something.

  You were beautiful up there. I’m so happy for you. This is everything I wanted for you.

  But all that came out was:

  “That was great, Mal,” in her softest, smallest voice.

  Then, before there was any room for commentary, the speeches began—all from the Banejaw family. Luckily for Yuu, Mal hadn’t decided to put her on the spot. Instead they sat together, the fingers of her right hand in Mal’s, and Azul’s handkerchief in the other. Memories of their second year at NRC flashing through Yuu’s head, wondering how things had gone so very differently for them both.

  As one of the more comedic speeches from one of Varrun’s schoolmates waxed on, Mal leaned over to whisper.

  “I have something for you,” Mal hissed cheekily.

  If they’d been anywhere else but under the scrutiny of hundreds of guests, Yuu would have snorted.

  “You’re the bride. I’m supposed to give things to you,” Yuu hissed back. “And you….will probably like what I brought. Just don’t open it until I’m far, far away.”

  “That good huh,” Mal snickered under her hand, disguising it as a reaction to the speech.

  “Oh, it’s good,” Yuu promised. “Varrun’s gonna love it.”

  “I’m taking it with me, then,” whispered Mal.

  “What, you’re not just gonna yeet yourself into the waves? No luggage? Let the ocean take you?”

  “Varrun wanted to.”

  “Show off,” Yuu whispered half-heartedly.

  “You dunno the half of it,” Mal agreed vehemently. “And you’re distracting me. I have something for you. Just…. Careful when you open yours, too, kay?”

  “Is it explosive?” Yuu asked.

  It was a fair question. Mal had nearly blown up Ramshackle just doing potions homework.

  “Well that would have been a good idea,” Mal teased. “Remember when I said I’ve been working on something? With the red string?”

  “You turned destiny into a potions ingredient? Did you bottle a love potion, too?”

  “Those aren’t real.”

  “Yet.”

  “Yet,” Mal agreed.

  “I was kidding. What does it do?”

  “It just helps you…. Find things,” said Mal, smiling wider than she should. “You might see it work tonight. And then you’ll know how to use it later.”

  “No instructions?”

  “No fun.” Mal cut off as the speech ended, though not before putting a small, wadded-up handkerchief into her hand, and withdrawing with Varrun to go and mingle.

  Not before she left, a corner of the handkerchief opened, and spilled bright crimson dust onto Yuu’s and Malory’s hands.

  “Careful, you’re gonna get this stuff on your dress!” Yuu gasped, but Mal was already gone.

  “What a mess.”