They don’t spend their time making things so perfect forme.
“How…much will this cost?”
Ines tilts her head parallel with her shoulder. “How much does a dress I started making all by myself without any indication you wanted it cost?”
“Um.” I swallow. “Yes?”
She laughs. “Wouldn’t that be an incredible scheme? I could break into houses, update closets all on my own, then put my bill in the mail. You don’t suppose Lazul would send Pyro after me for that behavior, do you?” Waving a hand, she chortles. “Silly Citrus. Obviously I’m not charging you for a passion project.”
“But…” My mouth is going dry because I can’t seem to keep it closed. Yesterday, Autumn 1st, I sent Ines a note, imploring her for a moment of her time in order to discuss something of utmost secrecy and importance concerning Samson. She leapt on it overnight, replied within a day, and is now revealing she’s been on my team for longer than I knew. We aren’t even friends. We’ve not done anything together. She decided we were at six friendship hearts all on her own. She must’ve thought I was ignoring girls’ days just like Aurelia did—before I sent letters apologizing for my incompetence.
I mean.
Haha.
Hello.
I’m incompetent!
Why wouldanyonedo so much for anincompetent stranger?
“’Fraid there’s no buts about it, lovely.” She tuts. “Now, you said you need my help to get you a marriage circlet so you can propose? Do you know what kind you want? How many mounting slots? What you’ll adorn it with? Who will cut the gems for you?”
My back straightens. “Y-yes. I know which one I want. Samson and I looked at some in the city when we were there. There was one…” I look around at the chaos for a sheet of paper and something to write with. I have no idea what isn’t in active use. “…it was sharp, golden, with a diamond-shaped center.”
“Here.” She rips something that lookedvery importantin half and hands me a pencil. “Can you sketch it?”
I squeak, “Uh. Yes.” I draw the design to the best of my memory. It looks like a scribble next to the ripped half of the dress sketch in the top corner of the page.
Ines whistles. “Oh, that suits him so well. Very kingly, yet also modest.”
I flush, breathing, “Yeah. He’s so…yeah.”
“Granite, girl, you are so far gone.”
My shoulders bunch. “I really am.” I manage a weak smile. “I’m terrified I’ll lose what we have if I ask for more, but I need him to know that I adore him more every single day. He is so…so deserving of being wanted, offeelingwanted. I don’t know how I’ll phrase anything yet. I’m not exactly the most eloquent speaker, but I want to believe that if he doesn’t want more, I can communicate that it’s okay, and I’m overjoyed just to be his friend and continue as we have been. Is that stupid? Am I stupid? Is this going to catch on fire, leaving me surrounded by ashes in a pit of lifelong rejection?Oh, granite.”
“Whoa, there…” Ines soothes. “Please don’t have a panic attack in my scheming room. Do you need to sit down? Have a cupcake? Chrysa always has day-olds lying around.” She tosses a thumb over her shoulder. “I can be back with one in three minutes.”
My head shakes. “I’m…fine.”
“You are not looking fine, per se.”
I take a deep breath. “No? That’s super weird. You must be confusing the symptoms of a panic attack with my astigmatism.”
Ines smiles and nods. “Right. Yes. I can see that now. How silly of me.” Humming, she plants her hand at her chin. “You know what? I think for this to work the way you want it to, we’re gonna need to involve a few more people.”
“Huh?” My eyes go massive, which makes sense, because they’re what have the astigmatism, and I’mreallyfeeling it now. In my chest. As my heart launches itself repeatedly into my ribs. “Like who?”
“Well, Laumon needs to know about the boat plans. Gabbro needs to build the boat. Lazul needs to prep the proper marriage paperwork and his wedding speech, since he’s the only onequalified to marry you two out here. Neptun and Chrysa will need time to plan the food.”
My flesh goes ice cold. “That’s…a lot of people.”
Ines says, “Well, what do you expect? We’re planning a wedding here. That’s a big project. It’ll take, like, the entire town to get it done.”
I swallow the sheer, ice-cold fear sticking in my throat. “I feel somewhat compelled to remind you that Samson has not yet accepted my proposal?”
“Oh, so you’re calling him an idiot?”
