A Marriage
Deryn was embarrassed beyond belief. First, she was getting married at sixteen! A scandal! "Barking hasty princes," she muttered angrily.
Her barking prince appeared behind her, placing his hands on her slim shoulders. "What's wrong Dylan?" he teased. "Nervous?"
"Never!" Deryn replied, with more conviction than she felt. She tugged at the midnight blue gown. "Alek, why did I have to be stuffed into skirts?" she grumped.
Her swirled her around in a sort of waltz. "I think you look beautiful. I may not be an emperor, but I know a fine lady when I see one."
Deryn grinned a bit, but didn't look convinced. For the thousandth time, she griped, "why'd we have to get married so early?"
He swirled her again. "Because love, it's what I felt like."
She rolled her eyes. "You and your whims," she teased back.
The audience was surprisingly small, considering the daft prince's royal heritage. It consisted of close friends and family. Lilit, Jaspert, Deryn's aunties and mother, Klopp, Bauer, (Hoffman had been killed in a fire just three moths prior), Dr. Barlow, and Count Volger. The lorises were there too, mumbling nonsense and laughing madly.
As the young couple made their way nervously down the isle, there was a loud, "tut tut! Her dress is all together to sensual, and look at her hair! She didn't even bother with a wig!"
Deryn rolled her eyes at her aunties, wondering why her dear mother had insisted they come. It seemed as if the ceremony lasted forever. The only part she really heard was, "you may kiss the bride."
The two lovers smiled and waved at their friends. Bovril leapt out of nowhere and landed on Alek's shoulder. "Just right, eh love?" Alek asked. "The three of us, ready for our next adventure."