Nadine Book 3

17. Finalize

I open my eyes because people are talking. Everyone is around the conference table. "I'm awake." I lean into Dipak's chest and try to wake up.

"Good morning. Your seat is at that end. You are not going to sit there and stare at me."

"BUT I'M SITTING RIGHT THIS TIME."

Dracul stands up and points to my end of the table. I go and slam myself into my seat.

Dipak stands up. "She's not awake enough. I'm going to start. Tye is joining the table under the queen's name."

I jump up. Dipak smiles. "Go ahead."

"I want new colors. I want my throne to be black and red. This village can stay the same."

Tre lifts up his pen. "Who would wear what colors? It's hard to distinguish who is advising for your throne or the village throne, and you have both."

"You're all on both. Well you're all advisors to my throne.... DIPAK I'M CONFUSED."

"Yea, I said you weren't awake enough. We'll come back to that." I sit down.

I think Thora is still sleeping too. "I like black and red together."

We nod at each other.

Dipak takes over again. "We are approving the bonding potion between Mary and Kane. The magicians are already on the way. They will be here at the end of this meeting." Mary starts sobbing again and grabs onto Kane. He wraps his arms around her and holds her.

"Thank you both."

"Of course, Kane."

"Yea, glad I thought of it." Omar and Tye crack up laughing. "You're welcome."

Dipak smiles. "We are building a pirate ship. Plans have already been started. We're not all going to go. This is for when we need a break or want to go treasure hunting. It'll give the kids a break too. A chance to play pirates."

"You sir, are the one who already claimed the captain's spot. It's not only the kids who want to go play pirates."

"Well, there's treasure to be found out there woman." Everyone laughs. "Fine. Maybe I want to play pirates too."

I give him a big smile.

"Miculai do you have anything?"

Daddy stands up. "2 things. The arena is now 2 months ahead of schedule. And there is a ball in 3 days. Tye is going under his father's colors. He is their prince. His father wants him over there." I do the stop signal. "Yes my princess."

"Daddy, how many villages are there going to be at this ball?"

"6."

"That's a lot of dragons daddy. Ylle is going to be there. And hopefully, I won't go to jail this time. Sorry about the war Dracul."

"Who are you going with my princess?"

It is Dipak's turn. Thora goes to lean into me, but she's still half asleep, and she falls on me. I fall right off the chair, and she lands on me. "Sorry princess queen. I'm not awake."

"I noticed." We get in our seats. "Sorry I needed advised under the table for a minute. I do believe Dipak. Unless you would rather go with Dorseti or a door knob?"

Tre winks at me. "Send me with Dorseti please. I don't want to go with another door knob."

Dipak shakes his head. "What the hell does doorknob mean?"

Tre answers, "All those boring ass girls who can't have a conversation about anything other than pretty shoes. Or whose hair is curlier. And they never take off the f*****g veil. And they are no fun at all. f**k IT. I'd have more fun with a real doorknob than I would with one of them again."

Tye nods. "They sit there and stare at you with a fake damn smile. They have nothing in their heads. It's horrible. And yes, their shoes are very pretty. You have to tell them that 200 times for 1 damn event. God forbid they change shoes. Because then the counter resets."

I wink Dipak. "Would you like to try a door knob sir? Tre is apparently taking a real door knob."

Tre rubs his eyes. "You'd be better off with a real doorknob."

"No sweetheart, I'm taking you. Tre can go have fun with the door knob."

"At least I won't have to tell it its damn shoes are pretty 200 times."

I rub my eyes for a second. "Tre, you can take Elkie or Dorseti if you want. I don't think Elkie has been to one yet. But it's your choice if you would rather go with the door knob."

"I'll take Elkie. At least she'll threaten to cut my man parts off all night. Dodging her sword will give me something to do."

Daddy rubs his eyes. "They do want the table count as soon as possible. Who is all going? I am going as king. My princess, you are going as the princess with Dipak. Who else is going?"

"I can bring Ylle again. She's going to be there anyway. Might as well just invite her, so we know where she is. She'll be close to Nadine that way too."

Daddy looks at Omar. "Good thinking.Tye is not going through us. So that leaves. Omar, Princess, Thora, Bud, Me, Dracul, Tre" He points at Gunner. He nods. "Gunner. So, I have 8. Are we all good there?"

"Anything for us, Frode?"

Frode stands up. "Yes, we need to finalize everything for the last 3 months for the Yanin mission. I'm assuming it's over finally?"

Tye's eyebrows shoot up, and he stares at me.

I rub my eyes. "It's over everyone. That mission is complete. Lives were saved. Good job to us. We all learned that future work is tricky and confusing. We were searching for the Nox people well before the Yanin king even knew them. Which really gave us some problems. So please remember that when we do this again. Things we are searching for may not have happened yet. Also, did we remove the swords from the Yanin castle? I could use those."

"Yes me and Mary got the swords out."

"Good. What exactly do you need to close it?"

"I need the ending. Did the children have to be evacuated at all?"

"No. Although we did kidnap a princess out the front door. But she was returned."

Dipak shakes his head. "Leave that part out. No children were evacuated."

"Did the 2 sets of troops fight at all?"

"Well yes, but not against each other. There was a 3rd group that showed up to kill everyone that was left and take the castle. By then, Dipak had all the troops. He used them to take out the 3rd side."

"Did you talk to them at all?"

"Yes, they were not at all interested in submission. They tried to hit me with a sword. Kane took over the fighting, and I was removed, and I believe sat on." Everyone laughs.

Dipak smiles at Tye. "Nice technique." Then he motions for Frode. "They had 2 dragons. Me and Tre took them out quickly. Then we let our new troops kill the enemy troops. Ylle complained a lot about not being able to use birds. We let her, in the end, because she would not stop complaining."

Frode writes more. "And what happened to the Nox troops? I'm assuming you didn't leave them there, commander."

"I sent them to their new castle when the fighting was over. The king can deal with it all after that."

Frode writes it down. "I will file this and come back with any return questions."

Dipak motions at me. "Anything?"

I stand up. "Yes, I want us to go to these villages and attend their advisor meetings. I want to know what is going on in the villages. Once a month or a week, whatever you decide. I want one of our advisors popping in on them. When it comes to the Nox, I do not want Tye there. We need to let that war cool down first. I imagine there are still some hard feelings around that. I don't want him or them getting hurt. Dracul, I would like you to attend the first few with the Nox. You can take or send whoever you like. As for the Yanin castle. I think any of us are clear to go. We need a schedule. Don't be assholes over there though. Wear our colors and make sure they know what you are doing. I'm putting Thora on the Unicorn place. I don't know when or if they have meetings. You can figure that part out. Go randomly and make sure it's still standing. We're not checking on the mermaids. We're going to assume they are fine. Also the werewolves. Make sure they are alive every now and then. That should be good."

I sit down and Thora stands up. "COLORS."

I jump back up. "NOT DONE."

"Let me help with this." Dipak stands up. "I have no idea how to help with this." He stares at the table for a second. "Sweetheart we have both thrones. They are advisors to us. They are all advising for both thrones."

"My throne colors are going to be black and red. Me and Thora will design it. I guess we will figure the rest out later." I glance at Thora and she nods at me. "Now I'm done." I sit back down.

Dipak blinks at me a few times. "I'm not positive, but I think we all have 2 uniforms now."

"Ylle approaching."

"ENTER"

Ylle walks in. She does a head count of dragons. "Is he staying?" She points at Tye. I nod. "I didn't know we were there yet."

"Where?"

"Future work is so tricky. I get lost sometimes."

"Yes Ylle. He's an advisor for us now."

"That war is done. I got to use birds there."

"I heard. Nice job."

She smiles. I kick Omar.

"Ylle, would you like to attend a ball in 3 days with me?"

"I would love to. I love getting dressed up. And apparently I love balls." Me, Tye, Mary, and Kane all crack up laughing.

"I did not mean to say it like that. It just came out." Then Thora starts laughing too.

"2 magicians approaching."

Ylle looks at me.

"Mary and Kane are taking a bonding potion."

Ylle sits by Tye. "Oh lovely. I want to watch."

Dipak stands up. "The meeting is over. Everyone come back in the morning. Tre, can you make sure Tye knows where the dining room is for dinner please?"

"Yea no problem."