“Well…” Samson and I have been in the Cosmic Mines off and on for two and a half weeks. And I have foundone. “If we only had the technology, it’s not impossible to make a diamond, it just involves exposing chunks of carbon to the same conditions that form diamond organically—extreme heat and pressure—but—” I’m yammering again. My throat constricts, and I bear the unique sensation of being crunched into a diamond.
Ines hums, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. “I didn’t invite Slate to this party. Do we need to petition his assistance?” Her fingernail swirls to reference me. “That all sounds like a Slate contraption kinda thing.”
I laugh, awkwardly—AKA the only laughter I am capable of. “Uh. No. That’s okay.” There are already a ton of people here. Willing to help me. Marry Samson. I’m so embarrassed I could cry. “I’ll find one the normal way eventually. We have time. How long does it take to build a boat?”
“I dunno. I’ve never built a boat before.” Ines rocks onto the back legs of her chair and calls across the room. “Gabbro!”
“Yah?” the man grins over a mug of something warm. “How ken I help ye, Nes?”
“How long’s it gonna take to build Lau a boat?”
“I’m getting a boat?” Laumon blurts from another table, on his feet, hands plastered to the surface, eyes shining. “Really?”
“Yep. It’s part of the master plan,” Ines confirms. “We want an island wedding.”
“A boat large enough to transport the town?” Laumon’s usual, calm disposition just got a hit of drugs. He is vibrating.
“Tha’s a decent-size boat,” Gabbro murmurs. “I’ve never built a boat before.”
Laumon, very OOC for a secondary mineral in basalt, blurts, “I know how to build a boat. I’ve studied building boats. I can build a boat. I just need the materials and the help. It’s a lot of heavy lifting.”
Pyro laughs from the same table as Laumon. “I’ll help. Sounds like fun.”
Ines snaps her fingers. “I need a time estimate, people!”
“Two weeks!” Laumon says. “Three at the most.”
Ines nods, turning back to our table as new conversation—a boat! an island wedding? who cares? I get a boat!—takes over the rest of the room. Puffing a breath, Ines drops her chair back down onto all four legs. “Three weeks sets us in late Autumn at the soonest. Will you have a diamond by then? Do youwantan Autumn wedding? On an island? With thewind?”
I get the sensation that Ines does not want an Autumn wedding, on an island, with the wind. Problem is… I tangle my fingers in my jean skirt beneath the table and bite my lip. “I…want a Winter wedding. On an island. …in the snow.”
“In thesnow?” Ines snaps.
“Oh, that’s beautiful!” Aurelia exhales, floating. “A crystalline wedding.”
“We won’t have to worry about the cake sweating!” Chrysa chirps.
“We could have a bonfire reception and host the wedding in the evening!” Aurelia gasps.
They clasp hands. “Sunset wedding!”
A sunset wedding…surrounded by snow…with the crackle of a bonfire beginning to roar.
Sighing, Ines plops her chin into her palm. “Great, you’ve entranced her with the idea. No escaping the bitter cold now. I’ll get on adding a shawl to my design, but you’re lucky wedding dresses are warm to begin with. Lazul!”
I jump.
The lord himself jumps before gracefully rising from the table with Gabbro and gliding to ours. Clearly, he’s too decent and proper to shout across the room. “Yes?”
“Is this Winter too soon for the paperwork you need to submit to go through?”
His gaze drifts as he brushes a knuckle over his lips. “Well…I may have to submit it as soon as this week…but I can make it work.”
This…week?
I do not know if I’ll have a diamond in the next few days unless I convince Samson that, oh you know, I need to go to the mineseveryday. Dawn to dusk. I’ve tasted richities, and Ineedmore. Don’t give me that look. No, you can’t blame this on my astigmatism.
Wait. Even after Igetthe diamond, I’ll need to have it cut along with the other four gemstones I want to adorn Samson’s circlet with. All of that is going to take time.
