Chapter Four Hundred and Thirty-Three - Uncertainty Principle

“So, was there anything you wanted to do?” Booksie asked.

I tilted my head to the side. “What we want to do? I think we should be concerned about what you want to do,” I said.

Booksie shook her head, and I was very envious of how stable her ears were. How did she stop them from flopping around? “No. You don’t understand how much time I have on my hands. Most of the wedding planning is done. All I need to do is show up every so often to veto whatever ideas are going too far. Other than that, I just need to show up on the day of the wedding looking pretty.”

“That shouldn’t be hard,” I said. “You’re very pretty already, and I’m sure you’ll be even prettier in your dress.”

Booksie smiled. “Thanks. I’d like to think that I’m not vain, but I suppose I am a little bit?” She giggled. “Ah, but yes, what are you up to? Did you really come all the way here just to foil assassins?”

“And to see you,” I said. “Two of my friends are getting married! I don’t want to miss their big day.”

“I’ll make sure your crew have front-row seats, then,” Booksie said. “Besides, you’re all a good deal braver than all of the politicians and such that want to show up. You can set the example by not screaming and fainting at the first sight of a dragon.”

“I think we can manage that!” I said. “If you want, I think we were planning on doing a bit of shopping? Awen wanted to look at parts for the Beaver, and I don’t think any of us have clothes for the wedding.”

“We have our formalwear from that ball back in Sylphfree,” Awen said.

“Oh, yeah! But I kinda still want to go shopping,” I admitted. It would be nice to hang out with Booksie too. I had the impression that she’d been spending a lot of time in her bookshop, which was entirely fair, but it was probably not too healthy to spend so much time cooped up. Going out and having a bit of fun would be good for her.

“I can show you the shop where I got my dress,” Booksie said. “In fact, the dress is still there now. I don’t have a place to put it in here that won’t get it covered in book dust.”

“Did you need help with the dusting?” I asked. Back in Pecorina's bookshop, she had requested that I avoid throwing around Cleaning magic, since she was worried her old or enchanted books might not take kindly to it. However, I was pretty sure I could still clean Booksie's store if I avoided any vulnerable books. My Cleaning skill helped with my aim, so at S-rank it was easy to guide the magic around things I wanted to avoid, provided I knew they were there.

“I should be fine,” Booksie said. She bounced to her feet, then adjusted her skirts. “Shall we?”

I laughed and stood up, then there was a bit of bustle as we gathered up the tea cups and kettle and put them away in the back. There was a teeny-tiny apartment stuffed in a corner of the shop behind a closed-off section. It was made smaller by the stacks of unsold books crowded inside--just enough room for a little kitchen and a bed next to a washroom.

“It’s not exactly nice,” Booksie said. “But it’s this or I cut into my floorspace. Well, I suppose I could rent more space, but my budget is tight enough as it is, and I like not having to walk to work every morning.”

“It’s fine,” I said. I plucked the kettle from her hand then used a few points of magic to wipe it clean. Now that we were alone--Awen and Amaryllis were at the front of the shop, checking out some books--I thought that maybe I could ask Booksie how she felt a little more privately. “Are you really okay?” I asked.

Booksie smiled. It was a small, reserved smile. “Yes, I think I’m okay. It’s a lot though. A lot of stress, a lot of wondering how things will work out. Just... a lot. And I’m trying really hard not to be taken in by anything... extraneous.”

“Extraneous?” I asked.

Booksie leaned a hip against the counter next to her skin and crossed her arms. “It’s... urgh. I like Rhawrexdee. I think I love him, even. He’s kind, and likes a lot of the same things I do. We have different opinions on things, but that only leads to great discussions, and... and it’s nice when I’m with him.”

I nodded. That was good. I didn’t know much about romance, but that seemed like a good foundation for a relationship.

“But...” she began.

“But?”

Booksie sighed. “I’ve spoken to some people who implied that the only reason I’m with him at all is because of all the advantages it brings.”

“Advantages?” I asked.

“Broccoli, he’s a dragon. And while that does bring its own heap of complications, there’s no doubting that it also brings some good. If I marry him, I won’t ever have to worry about money, or petty thieves. He offered to help me level-up so I'd be safer and invited me to go hunting with him some day. Do you have any idea how quickly you can level when you’re literally being carried by a dragon?”

“Uh, I hadn’t thought of that. Do dragons care about levels and such?”

“Not as much as others,” Booksie said. “Even a level one dragon is still a dragon. But that’s besides the point. I’m worried. I don’t want to love Rhawr for what he has and what he can give me, I want to love him because he’s him.”

I wrapped Booksie in a hug, because that seemed like the right thing to do. “Do you love him because he’s him? It sounds like it to me?”

“I do,” she muttered into my shoulder. “But I’m still worried anyway. He’s offering so much, and all I have is a mouldy old bookshop.”

“You have more than a 'mouldy old bookshop,' Booksie. You have your intellect, your love for life, your zest for discovery and your passion for books,” I said, as I continued to hold her in the hug.

Booksie let out a soft chuckle, “You always have a way with words, Broccoli.”

“And you always have a way with dragons. And, most importantly, with people. I've never seen Rhawrexdee as happy as he is when he's with you. I don’t think that love is a transaction, you know? It's not about what he can offer you materially or what you can offer him. It's about two people who resonate with each other in a very special way.”

Booksie pulled out of the hug, and I was happy to see that she was smiling. “Thank you,” she said.

“No problem! I’m happy when my friends are happy, so I want you to be the happiest Booksie you can be!”

Booksie laughed, then gave my cheek a quick peck. “You’re sweet. I’m happy you’re a bun now too. You’re giving the entire species a good name. Now... shall we go shopping and look at pretty dresses and... airship parts? Oh, I know this place that you’ll love. They even have a section dedicated to enchanted fabrics!”

“That sounds perfect,” I said, eager to immerse myself in a little retail therapy and more eager to see Booksie genuinely happy.

We joined Awen and Amaryllis at the front of the store. Booksie started telling Amaryllis about the fabric place while she locked up the shop. With a final flip of the Closed/Open sign, we bundled out of the store.

“I never asked,” Booksie said. “But do you know Port Royal well? I recall when we met you were new to the city.”

“I’ve been here and there, but I only spent a couple of days here,” I said. “Amaryllis might have been here longer, and Awen... did we only stop by once?”

Awen nodded. “We came with Rhawrexdee,” she said. “We didn’t spend all that much time here.”

“So yeah, I guess we really don’t know the city that well,” I said.

“Well, that’s unfortunate. I can’t say that I’m exactly well-travelled, but I’ve been around, and of all the cities I have visited, Port Royal remains my favourite.” Booksie led us back towards the main street, then she turned in a direction I was pretty sure would lead us toward the nicer parts of the city, if I remembered right.

“Is it the bookshops?” I asked, grinning.

Booksie laughed. “No! There’s a couple of nice ones around, but there aren’t that many here. Otherwise I wouldn't’ have tried to open my own. It’s the atmosphere. The energy. Port Royal has room for all sorts, including lost little buns with big dreams. There’s a lot of stuff going on under the surface too, of course. Politics and magic and so much drama.”

“Port Royal is a popular destination for harpies leaving home for the first time,” Amaryllis said. “The weather’s not too warm since we’re relatively high up, but the air is thicker than up in our mountains. It’s good to get acclimatised to something other than the Harpy Mountains. And the locals aren’t disagreeable.”

“The food is great too,” Booksie said. “Oh! I have about seven places to show you for food. There’s a few great grenoil places, of course, but there’s an authentic Pyrowalkian place too, and a shop run by this retired fisherman from Mattergrove that imports fish over and it’s delicious.”

“Can buns eat fish?” I asked.

“We really shouldn’t, but it’s worth the stomach ache!” Booksie said.

I laughed. I could imagine someone eating something that their tummy didn’t like just because it tasted too good to pass up.

“There’s this dessert place I’ll have to take you all to after shopping. It’s heaven, especially if you’re a fan of sweets.”

“Count me in,” I said, my ears twitching in delight. “If it’s sugary, I’m there. Oh! We need to invite Caprica too! She loves sweets!”

“Caprica?” Booksie asked.

I clapped my hands together in excitement, then realized how embarrassing that was and stopped, then realized that I didn’t care and clapped some more. “She’s one of the newer members of the crew! Well, technically she’s a stowaway that was kinda unofficially promoted to crewmate, I guess.”

“A stowaway! That’s exciting. How did she get onboard?”

“It’s a whole story, with pirates and princesses and a big battle,” I said. “Caprica’s the princess in the story.”

“She’s a princess? Like, not of some island with turtles on it?” Booksie asked.

I laughed. “No, she’s a princess of Sylphfree. They really like sweet foods.”

Booksie’s eyebrows shot up and her ears flicked in surprise. “A princess?”

“They need the sugar, their metabolism runs hotter than most others,” Amaryllis explained. “And Broccoli, do keep it down. Caprica is supposed to be keeping a low profile. Even if she constantly ignores that fact herself.”

“Oh, right. Got a little too excited there,” I said, lowering my voice. “Sorry, Amaryllis. But, yes, Caprica's from Sylphfree, and I think she'd love the dessert place.”

Booksie chuckled. “Well, I’d be thrilled to meet her. But why is she stowing away? A princess doesn’t seem like the type to run from home without good reason.”

“That’s part of the whole big story part! I think she just wanted to go on a big adventure. And she’s also, uh... maybe trying to have the boy she loves come and rescue her?”

Booksie blinked. “Well, that’s something. I suspect this Caprica friend of yours has the same problem as Rhawrexdee.”

“Huh?” I asked.

“He sometimes has a hard time telling what’s true or not from the romance novels he has read.” Booksie shook her head. “It can be funny, though. Or embarrassing!”

My gossip senses tingled, but I resisted asking about that. “Caprica’s nice. I think you might like her! And if we’re hanging out, then you’ll definitely meet. Oh, and Calamity too. He’s nice. And the rest of the crew. They’re also all nice!”

Booksie nodded, eyes twinkling. “It sounds like a nice crew.”

“It is!” I agreed. “Now, where’s that shop you were talking about?”

***