Thank you very much for the reviews, they are a big help. Obviously I'm a terrible proofreader, haha. If you catch any mistakes, please share! Read and review if you can! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not know Alek, Deryn, Lilit, Volger, or Bovril. Scott Westerfeld does.

Dinner began in complete silence. Alek watched Dylan and Lilit eating next to each other, and then looked to his right to see his bride-to-be just watching the two. For some reason, there was an ache in his heart as he watched their skin brush as they moved their arms around. "Alek, honey," she said after a moment. "Could you please stop staring into space? I hear knocks on the door. We really should get a doorbell," Gabriele said rudely.

"Yes, I suppose we should," Alek said, getting out of his thinking trance. "It must be the three bridesmaids." Dylan and Lilit looked to the two hosts with confusion. "They are staying as well to help prepare," he informed them.

A butler walked into the room and made a gesture, telling someone to enter. "Andrea Engel is here, sir," he said as a girl walked into the room. Her hair was in a long brunette braid down her back and thick glasses placed upon her nose, enlarging her eyes.

"Oh, my darling Andrea!" exclaimed Gabriele as she leaped out of her chair at the dinner table. She embraced the girl in a long hug, and she responded with an uncomfortable expression. Once she let go of her friend, Gabriele looked at Andrea with confusion. "Where is Anja and Vanessa?" she asked.

"Uh, hello to you too, Gabriele," said the nervous girl. "I'm sorry to say they can't make it: they didn't tell me why," she informed the furious-looking bride. Before Gabriele had the chance to lash out, Andrea said chirpily, "Hello, Alek."

Alek smiled and walked up to Gabriele, wrapping an arm around her waste and pulling her close. "Hello, Andrea. I'm sure we will figure something out," he said, trying to lighten the mood for the devastated woman in his arm. Alek feared he would never get used to holding her like he was, it felt unnatural.

Frowning, Gabriele said, "I think I will go to our room and think of someone else. I simply cannot have only one bridesmaid, my family has only ever had three!" she growled, then tore herself from the willing prince and stormed out of the dining room. Alek sighed, wondering if she cared at all that two very close friends wouldn't be attending her wedding. He then realized there were two other confused guests in his presence.

"Dylan, Lilit, this is Andrea. She is a long-time friend with my family as well as Gabriele's, and is a bridesmaid," Alek announced, walking back to the table and gesturing the anxious girl to follow him. He pulled a chair out for her to sit, and they returned to their silence.

"So, Andrea, is it?" Lilit started out. "How long have you known Alek and Gabriele?" she asked simply, trying to ease the tension in the room.

"Oh, I've known Gabriele since we were young children. I've know Alek about ten years," she said sweetly as she pushed up the glasses on her face. "Although I don't know how long Alek has known Gabriele...," she hinted with a small smile.

Alek thought a moment, "I believe it was just after the war ended. Not very long," he said simply, not wanting to stay on the subject of Gabriele very long.

Andrea looked at him with a shocked expression, then looked towards Lilit, then back again at her old friend. "I see, you don't even remember." Alek couldn't read the look on the girl's face, but Dylan obviously could from the smug expression on his face. While he was curious as to what she was hinting at, Alek knew the stubborn girl would never tell him, and he simply didn't want to ask Dylan.

"Well, I'm finished," said Dylan with a yawn as he pushed out his chair and stood. "I'm going to our room," he announced.

"Dylan, would you mind taking Andrea to her room? It's right next to yours. I'm going to comfort Gabriele," asked Alek with a plead in his voice.

Dylan frowned, although Alek had no idea why, but said, "Sure." Alek sighed with relief and soon, all four people were leaving the dining room. He headed up the stairs and parted the others to walk to the end of the opposite hallway at the top of the stairs. Sighing, he walked into the room to see Gabriele with a face showing concentration on it.

"Oh, Alek. I simply cannot think of anyone who would make it here on time," said Gabriele with disappointment in her voice. Alek wasn't sure how to respond to this, he wasn't good at this whole marriage business and had left everything up to her bride-to-be. Now, both of them were stuck. "Although there are two possibilities...,"

"Who?" asked Alek curiously. Why had she said she couldn't think of anyone, but suddenly had an idea? He would never understand woman.

"Well, your friend Lilit isn't doing anything in the wedding, and she is quite beautiful. I think she would look very nice next to Andrea, don't you agree?" said Gabriele, to Alek's complete shock. She looked at him smugly, as if he couldn't refuse.

"I-I guess...," Alek said after a pause of thought, unsure as to whether this idea was good or not. "If she accepts, then we only have two bridesmaids," he continued, trying to get off the conversation of Lilit.

A content grin stretched across Gabriele's soft face and she said, "We simply cannot have just two. What's his name, your best man? Oh yes, Dylan. He has a girlish face and Volger could always take his place."

Alek had no idea how to respond to such an insane idea. More than insane, downright maddening! Lilit was really a pretty girl, and could easily be a bridesmaid, but Dylan? He was... a he. Weren't bridesmaids supposed to be girls? "No. I can't accept that," he said with slight frustration.

"But Alek, please? Can we just ask?" pressed the woman stubbornly with feign innocence.

The stressed out husband-to-be sighed and stood up. "Let me think about it." Before she could respond, Alek walked out of the room with exhaustion and headed toward the kitchen, the place he always went when he was stressed or uncomfortable. It wasn't because he was hungry, it was just the place that had always been warm when the chef's cooked, and he could always hide under the large pots and pans that could hide the tallest of men.

There was a light in the kitchen, a dim one. Who's there? Alek thought suspiciously. He slid in quietly, wishing he had a knife or weapon of some sort. The light then slowly disappeared and he heard footsteps.

Thud!

Alek felt something slam against him and gave a shout, "Ow!" Items poured over him as he fell to the ground.

"Barking spiders! Alek!" said the voice of Dylan Sharp, a little more high-pitched then usual. Alek stood up slowly and flicked on the light switch on the wall. In Dylan's hands were many packages and a blown-out candle. "I was... hungry," he said, flustered. Was that a blush on his face?

"You must be pretty hungry," muttered Alek as he looked to the ground, many fruits and other packages of foods were spread across the floor. "Why so much?" he asked.

"Because I don't like to eat without company," shrugged the blond boy, his facing growing more and more relaxed, almost happy.

What is there to be so happy about? Alek thought, then recalled he was sharing a room with Lilit... "R-Right. I'm going to go," Alek said, an embarrassed blush creeping onto his face. "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight!" Alek heard Dylan say as he walked away. He recalled Gabriele suggesting Dylan being one of the bridesmaids. He did have some girlish features, Alek had to admit. He could definitely imagine him dressing up as girl and looking perfect for the job, but Alek didn't want to see his friend dress as a girl. It made him uncomfortable to think about it, although he wasn't sure why. Sadly, he had to keep Gabriel happy and it wasn't like Dylan would accept the job anyway.