Chapter 2
1601 Words
Elias
“What are you doing today Elias?” Ian asked.
“Wedding planning,” I replied with a shrug and Ian scoffed. “What?”
“She’s making you sit in?” He asked.
“No, we’re planning the wedding together,” I said. “Didn’t you plan yours with Tasha?”
“Let’s just say,” Ian said quietly and leaned in closer. “That there really wasn’t much for me to help with.”
“I’m sitting right here, Ian,” Tasha remarked. “And yes I planned our wedding because if it was left to you it would have been a disaster.”
“Thankfully, Elias is nothing like Ian,” Ginny said giving Ian an obnoxious smirk before blowing me a kiss.
“Ugh grow up Gin,” Ian snarled sticking his tongue out.
“Real mature, Ian,” I chuckled and got a punch to the shoulder.
“Some things never change,” Patricia sighed. “Back to the planning, have you called your Gran about the blessings?”
“Blessings?” Ginny asked. “What blessings?”
“You need to bring Elias to meet your Gran,” Patricia said. “Men need the eldest matriarchs blessing.”
“But why?” Ginny asked. “He’s my mate and from my tribe.”
“It’s traditional,” she replied. “You will need to go visit for ten days; let her get to know Elias and then on the last day she will give her blessing.”
“Ten days?” Ginny cried. “But he’s my mate! The Goddess herself hand selected him for me, can’t we just video chat her or something?”
“It’s tradition!” Patricia snapped. “I know you tend to be unconventional, Ginerva Gladys, but there are some things that are done certain ways.”
“Everett and Elle didn’t need anyone’s blessing when they got married,” she grumbled.
“Because Elle’s eldest matriarch is in prison and not a dragon,” she replied firmly and Ginny looked chagrined. “They got Brenton’s blessing which considering he’d been living here for a year they weren’t required to do the ten days.”
“It’s not that big of a deal, Gin,” I spoke up. “We get to travel and spend time with your uncle and aunt.”
“And catch up with Tiny,” Ian snickered.
Ginny’s eyes flashed red and smoke puffed from her nose. Neve squealed excitedly at the show and clapped her hands. Ginny hated it when anyone reminded her about her flirtation with the Blood Fire warrior during their stay here. He had hoped that Ginny was his, but he found his mate in her cousin, Clementine so he moved to Blood Fire. Everett and Ian like to bring it up a few times a month.
“Ian, that’s enough,” Patrician said. “Ginny, I’ll call Gran and let her know you’ll be coming in a few days. You’ll need to pack and make sure you wear appropriate attire while there. You know they’re more traditional than we are. Yoga pants and hoodies aren’t the norm.”
“Then what am I supposed to wear?” she whined.
“Pants!” Patricia shouted. “You can wear jeans, but no shorts or mini skirts. Nothing that’s revealing.”
“What about me?” I asked Patricia. “Anything I need to avoid?”
“You should be fine dear,” she said with a smile. “You don’t wear obnoxious shirts like Ian used to wear on his visits with Gran.”
“Oh man, she hated the one with the dragon riding a vampire cow,” Ian laughed. “I swear I’d spend so much on finding the craziest shirts just to go visit.”
“Yes,” Patricia sighed. “And then I’d get the ‘Do you know what your son is wearing?’ phone calls. I send you there to learn and grow a bond with your matriarch tribe and you all but get booted out. The son of a chieftain!”
“Granda loved it,” Ian said. “He got the biggest kick out of the shirts. Gran just didn’t see the humor in it for what it was. I wore them for him mostly, but it tickled us both to see her get all worked up about it.”
“You and your grandfather were always as thick as thieves,” Patricia sighed sadly then looked at Ginny. “This is the last wedding your Gran will be able to give her blessings, Ginny. Don’t take that rite from her; she doesn’t have much time left since your Granda passed.”
“Okay,” Ginny said as it finally sunk in. “We’ll make sure to pack lots of pants and long-sleeved shirts.”
“I’ll call Argus tonight,” she said with a smile. “I know they’ve been waiting for you to come ever since your change.”
After we finished breakfast, a knock came to the door and a very tall, statuesque woman dressed elegantly in pastels came smiling into the living room. She had blonde hair and long fingernails that matched her outfit.
“Welcome, Ms. Oakley,” Patricia greeted. “I’m Patricia, the mother of the bride and this is Ginny and her fiancé Elias.”
“Well arent You so adorable together!” She gushed. “Congratulations, you two! Are you ready to start planning your wedding?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Ginny said with little enthusiasm. “But we’ve gotten some stuff done like the flowers. We just need help with venues and stuff. Elle was helping us plan stuff before she got called away on Peacespeaker duties.”
“Well don’t worry about a thing!” The woman said excitedly. “I’ve got lists and lists of caterers, venues, decorators, florists! You name it I’ll find it. Do you have an officiate?”
“Elder Fran,” Ginny said with a smile. “He’s our favorite council member.”
“Oh I know him,” Ms. Oakley said. “He’s super sweet.”
“Oh mom! We need to add Frank to the list!” Ginny said.
“It’s already done, I think Elle included him already,” she said. “The guest list is finalized, Ginny.”
“What about invitations?” Ms. Oakley said. “Have we set the date?”
“Five months,” Ginny said. “I just turned eighteen last month.”
“And you found your mate so soon?” she gasped.
“It didn’t take long,” I chuckled. “Maybe five minutes after you woke up?”
“More like two,” Ginny replied and kissing me lips. “We were marked and mated at about five minutes. Elias had known for long before I did that we were mates. But as soon as I opened my eyes after my dream, I couldn’t wait.”
“Aw, that’s so amazing,” she sighed. “I wish it was like that for me, I still haven’t found mine and I’m almost thirty!”
“Don’t worry, you’ll find him,” Patricia said and took her hand in hers. “You’re a real beauty. Are you dragon?”
“I’m half dragon,” she said. “I have the wings and the eyes, but no fire breath because my main form is a lion.”
“Wow,” I said. “That’s awesome, so you’re like a griffin?”
“Well, I don’t have an eagle head,” she chuckled. “But a lion with wings.”
“Cool!” I replied and Ginny poked me with her elbow. “Uh, sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she chuckled. “I grew up around dragons. My mom’s dragon, dad’s a lion.”
“How interesting,” Patricia said. “I never met a dragon hybrid before.”
“Do you have scales?” I asked earning another poke in the ribs. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”
“Just my wings have scales,” she chuckled. “It’s alright, I don’t mind answering questions. Its not every day you meet a flying lion. I know how awesome I am.”
Now that the ice was officially broken, we all sat down and started going over venues and the style and theme of the wedding. Patricia had a lot of traditional ideas that stuck closer to the old ways. Ginny wasn’t into the ‘old school’ as she put it and wanted something more modern, like dancing down the aisle to an upbeat song instead of walking slowly in a procession.
To say this was the longest afternoon of my life is a complete and total understatement.
- Writer
