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The remaining two days of the walk are much more affectionate, and also much more free of wizards and snakes than the first two days were. Somehow, all three travelers manage to not realize that Bella has not yet produced her name, even though on at least one occasion it would have been convenient for Tony to have.
And there is the castle, and there is the -
"Skyvault," sighs Bella, diving into her hat for her specs.
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"It's very sudden," says Charlie after a long silence.
"The wedding's not until the fifteenth of Umber," says Bella.
"It's still - sudden."
"Does it help that she rescued me from a giant river-snake?" asks Bella, frowning.
"...Not as much as you might think."
"The wedding's not until the fifteenth of Umber," says Bella.
"It's still - sudden."
"Does it help that she rescued me from a giant river-snake?" asks Bella, frowning.
"...Not as much as you might think."
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"Well, Dad," says Bella, "I'll... call you another time and hope to catch you in a better mood, I guess."
"Bells, it's nothing against you or Her Highness, but such a short time..."
Bella shakes her head and waves the mirror image away. Charlie disappears and it reflects only herself and Sherlock.
Bella wraps her arms around her fiancée. "I was expecting both of them to have reactions about halfway between those," she mutters. "Worried-but-happy. Not one just happy and one just worried."
"Bells, it's nothing against you or Her Highness, but such a short time..."
Bella shakes her head and waves the mirror image away. Charlie disappears and it reflects only herself and Sherlock.
Bella wraps her arms around her fiancée. "I was expecting both of them to have reactions about halfway between those," she mutters. "Worried-but-happy. Not one just happy and one just worried."
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"He'll get over it. Especially if Ranata visits and then talks to him. She'll like you. And Tony too. I'm debating whether to announce that part of the plan ahead of time."
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"Yeah, that's my thinking. Stagger the revelations, that way, too. Marrying princess! Expecting baby! Marrying other princess!"
Snuggles? "Are you okay?"
Snuggles? "Are you okay?"
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Nuzzle. "Umber is a ways away. It's only Brown now. He'll have plenty of time to get used to the idea, and we'll have plenty of time to confirm that it's a good idea."
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"Now," says Bella, "fun as it is being carried everywhere, I'm going to atrophy if it goes on much longer and I'm going to crack my head open one of these days if I try doing without, so I need to go find one of the servants you mentioned and see about moccasin material."
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Bella goes off - carefully - to look for someone to solicit fake leather from, then goes back to her room.
Sherlock's not there to ask about timing, so Bella wanders into the castle, exploring the layout and keeping her eyes peeled for Her Majesty to ask about politics lessons and sword-looking-at permissions.
Sherlock's not there to ask about timing, so Bella wanders into the castle, exploring the layout and keeping her eyes peeled for Her Majesty to ask about politics lessons and sword-looking-at permissions.
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"Your Majesty?" inquires Bella, quite ready to be sent away if the queen is busy with important queening.
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"Sherlock first," Bella says. "In the event - I think it's an unlikely one, but not an impossible one - that I can't help out with producing you a royal grandchild, they think Tony will have an easier time finding a more traditional sort of spouse."
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"But since I probably can work out a spell for it - it may already have been invented, although I'd need to do a bit of a research project to find it - and since I'm going to marry Sherlock anyway, I was wondering if it would be a good idea for me to take some sort of politics lessons? The topic interests me but I haven't done a lot of investigation into it as I never expected to have a chance to apply it."
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"Is there something like that available already, or that can be easily set up, or should I just investigate your library and talk to key staff members...?"
"I think the most instructive method would be if I taught you myself," she says. "Although you're free to browse the library as much as you want."