Chapter Text
“This one won’t work either, it’s too… Knight, why won’t this one work?” Wildberry watched as Princess shook around various invite ideas she had been obsessing over designs all morning. The tired cookie beside her raised his head from the table, his helmet shifted as he glanced over the paper within her hand, before grabbing a few others and holding them up. A frown grew upon the Young Royal’s face.
“Well, I think you’re being too harsh on these invites. I mean, I hardly see a difference between these five!” Knight threw his head back while shoving the scrapped designs into the Young Royal’s face. A small scoff left Princess as the taller cookie closed his eyes. He didn’t know why he’d stuck around so long to watch the scene unfold, but it truly was loop after loop of indecisiveness.
The Stoic Bodyguard readjusted the overshirt he wore on top of a tank top while smiling to himself. To think that his niece would go to such lengths to ensure that his wedding would be stellar was something he didn’t expect. She had always had a keen eye and a quick mouth about things, especially jewelry. Maybe it was his own fault for not having hidden the ring, having chosen to wear it on his finger while returning to his homeland.
Nobody else had noticed it until she gasped loudly, continuing about how the ring was absolutely gorgeous and she had to know where he had gotten such a fine thing. Hollyberry’s sharp eyes and delighted smile made his embarrassment skyrocket as she saw which hand and finger the ring rested on. Princess wasn’t as quick to realize, but she got to it shortly after her parents did.
It wasn’t long before the planning began. Only a dozen letters had gone out between him and Crunchy Chip before the shorter had shown up by surprise in the Hollyberry Kingdom. The teasing and prodding for information from the Queen Mother nearly drove the Wolf Captain mad. Nearly, but not quite, for he had the love of his life with him, who also was suffering from the banter of the one he served.
“Uncle Wildberry!” He startled as Princess shouted at him while slamming various papers down. “Good, you’ve screwed your head back on right. Was it the garden-esc invites you wanted, or a more statue-esc one, to represent the fountain the ceremony would be held at?” As the Young Royal spoke quickly, he took a second to collect himself from the surprise. The taller cookie cleared his throat, approaching awkwardly.
“Ah, it was a mix of the two, something with a marble pillar and vines to decorate it, but it doesn’t have to be fancy.” A huff left the Royal as her own guard elbowed her while pursing his lips. “It’s going to be a small wedding, as I’ve said before countless times.”
Groaning loudly, the younger cookie put her arms into the air before grabbing onto the Stoic Bodyguard’s collar and shaking him around. “It’s a big day for you, though! I mean, you practically are royal, and you’re getting married, it’s got to be absolutely perfect!” Wildberry planted a hand on her head. He sighed while removing her fingers from their tight hold upon the fabric of his overshirt.
“A big day for me, yes, but not for the whole kingdom to see. It’s a small ceremony with friends and family. I have a list, and it exceeds no more than 28 people.” He gave the younger cookie a smile before clearing his throat. “I do hope this task is not too hard for my,” he paused for a moment to draw out suspense. “Flower girl and invite manager.”
“No, no task is ever too hard! It’s just so tedious not to make it extravagant, that’s all!” The Stoic Bodyguard pats his niece on the back before taking a glance over at Knight. Earning a shrug from the younger guard, he turned to leave, but a few syllables stumbling out behind him drew his steps to a halt.
“Sir Wildberry, if I may, I... you see…It’s–The uhm…” The Royal’s Guard fidgeted with his helmet for a second as he fought with his words. “Your ceremony’s in the garden with a limited selection. I found it, uhm– You just seemed…The King is… Y’know what, never mind.” The guard sheepishly lowered his voice and hit himself upside the head while muttering.
Wildberry let a few beats pass before he gave an awkward hum. This small gesture seemed to finally get Knight his confidence. “I thought you’d maybe want to find a planner for this. I mean no offense to you or Princess,” The Royal beside him slowly turned towards him with a pinched expression. “I do think you need another cookie, someone maybe with a bit more experience.”
Princess punched Knight in the arm, then grabbed a handful of scrapped invite designs and hit him upside the head. The frazzled guard began to apologize while shielding himself from the onslaught of the Young Royal’s swats. A firm hand caught hold of the letter as Wildberry pried it from Princess’s hand. “Easy now, he makes a good point. I’ll talk to Chip about it. For now, try to make a sketch design that seems to work for you. I’m indifferent towards the outcome.”
He held out a clean sheet of paper to the younger cookie before turning once more to leave without waiting to see the chaos that would unfold. The Stoic Bodyguard rushed towards the doors that opened to the hallway. They had been in the ballroom because it was a pretty secluded spot from any prying eyes. Who would go to a ballroom when no party was happening, or so Princess had argued.
His footsteps echoed down the empty hall as he passed through it. The walls seemed to move slowly as he walked, a pain in his back reminding him of his poor posture. All of this planning stress was getting to him and dragging him down. Knight had the right idea in the sense that they might need someone more experienced with creating a wedding arrangement. Jungleberry and Royal Berry had already given them a list of planners, but none of them were good fits for what the pair wanted. They were all either too ambitious or too analytical about how the wedding should be.
As the paintings on the wall passed, Wildberry drifted further into his mind. The day didn’t seem that looming three months ago, and now it reduced him to an exhausted mess when someone mentioned it. Crunchy Chip was faring no better; dark circles and eye bags were now prevalent upon both of their faces as they worried over fickle things. It shouldn’t be this nerve-inducing, but with everything being too calm in the world, it only made things all the more arduous.
His ears picked up on the clack of shoes on the carpet-covered marble floor as someone approached. He rubbed his face before looking around, noticing a shorter person approaching with a kind expression. Royal Berry gave him a small wave. “Oh, Wildberry! I hadn’t expected to see you. I just talked with Crunchy Chip a little while ago.” The King paused before his eyebrows furrowed with worry. “Are you alright, Brother? Your eyes are drooping and clouded with a weary look.”
“Rest assured that I am alright, Your Majesty. I was thinking about the plans for my wedding again.” A small tutting came from the cookie beside him as he avoided looking over. “It seems I’ve got more on my plate than I can handle,” he let out a deep exhale while speaking.
“The Wolf Captain said something to a similar cadence when I spoke with him earlier. You two shouldn’t have to fret over this so harshly.” A nod came from the Bodyguard as he finally met the King’s eyes. Those set-in-stone walls of the taller cookie only seemed to be hollow as his tired eyes met Royal Berry’s. “It was to my understanding that you two have yet to pick a date, right?”
Each impassive brick upon his meticulously built wall crumbled down from the fissure that stress had borne into it. One small query had tipped him over into the very strain that tore apart his fine-kept exterior. He brought a hand to rub his nose bridge before gritting his teeth. “Everything feels too soon. Maybe this isn’t the right time, or something unpredictable will happen that would ruin all the planning if we set it too far away.”
The King hummed to himself before placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder; Wildberry's tense jaw slackened slightly. “The fog of what-ifs is hard to pass by oneself. You don’t have to fight this stressful battle alone, and neither does Crunchy Chip. I’m always here, along with Jungleberry and Hollyberry. We’re willing to help with whatever we can with this.”
His tired red eyes met those of a comforting pink as he deflated. “I know, but it’s hard to accept that help.” Royal Berry was quick to pull the taller cookie into a hug, patting Wildberry’s arm with careful movements. The Bodyguard sank into the embrace with a heavy heart that had been begging for someone to take a portion of what he and Crunchy Chip couldn’t handle.
“Some advice for you to think about is splitting up each task. Don’t overdo what you’ve got scheduled; focus on a single task. Take it one at a time, such as picking a date before thinking about the stamps for invites.” Wildberry’s face began to form a small pout as the King spoke. “The date sets it all, and it can be anytime. I doubt things will go poorly. Just remember about delivery times.”
Royal Berry gave his brother a big smile as he released him from his hold. Silence fell between the two before a small sigh left the short cookie. “I best be off to go check on Princess. I believe you left her with invite duty?”
“I did, she’s in the ballroom.” Giving a small nod, Royal Berry waved to his brother before mouthing to him to take it easy. He only gave another head tilt before turning to continue forth to find Crunchy Chip. From what the Cacaoian had told him, he should be in the garden now. The two had planned to go down to the market together to figure out various flowers they wished to have at their venue, possibly having a lunch break in between. Finding Chip and picking out a date would be best before finding out what the flora should be, but he doubts they’d have a conclusive decision made.
His feet carried him effortlessly towards the very garden they wished to have their wedding at. The halls of portraits lost in his vision as the door to the garden came into view. As Wildberry stepped into the garden, his eyes squinted as the sun shone its radiant rays down. Navigating through the winding walls of lush flora was easy for a person who had spent every free moment within the garden’s interior.
He had been told that they’d meet in his small section of the garden; whether the Wolf Captain was able to find it or got lost was the real question. Pushing past the vines, it eased the Bodyguard to see the short cookie standing within the pleasance. He stepped past the hanging flora, and the grass cushioned his footsteps as he crept closer. The keen ears of the Cacaoian caught onto the sound of someone behind, and he turned to check his four o'clock. Wildberry was already on his left, just out of view, as a toothy grin crossed Crunchy Chip’s face.
Right as the Stoic Bodyguard raised a hand to tap the shorter cookie’s shoulder, a hand snagged his and pulled him forward. The Cacaoian spun on his heels and brought their faces together as he pecked kisses across the Hollyberrian’s face. Laughter broke from Wildberry as he playfully attempted to break free from the affection. He finally managed to cover Crunchy Chip’s mouth with a hand and planted a kiss on the warrior’s forehead.
“Hello, my dear,” a small greeting was common from the taller cookie as he smiled down at the Wolf Captain, taking in the patterned short-sleeve button-up and khaki knee-length shorts look that the shorter was donning. His greeting earned a kiss to his hand from the Cacaoian. “I’m surprised you didn’t get lost amidst the garden this time. All of our evening walks seemed to have paid off in the end.”
An elbow jabbed his side as he was yanked down once more. “Oh, hush, I have a great sense of direction! I just so happened to take a wrong turn last time because everything looks the same!” Wildberry rolled his eyes as a hand traced his jaw. “You’re one to talk about surprises, seeing as you’re late. Who was it that said he wouldn’t lose track of time and would have been here fourteen minutes ago?”
“I do apologize for my tardiness. I spoke with Royal Berry while heading this way and hadn’t checked the time for a bit.” The Wolf Captain took the Bodyguard’s hand as he moved to intertwine their fingers. He looked closely at Crunchy Chip’s face, noticing a hint of lingering strain to his browline. “Is there something that’s bothering you?”
“Why are we going to the market to look at flowers when we don’t have a date for the wedding?” A hard-hitting question, but something that needed to be spoken. The two had been idly dancing around it and pushing off the decision for weeks. Wildberry remained silent as he pondered a reason that would fit the lack of an answer. “I mean, look at us, we’ve exhausted ourselves because of small things! We’re warriors, damnit! Why is something so… meager seem so daunting?”
The air between them grew tense as they stood with pent-up stress. The Stoic Bodyguard looked down at their intertwined hands before letting out a heavy sigh. “It’s because we’re putting too much thought into it. The world is at an unusual peace, and it’s caused us to panic about fickle things.” The Wolf Captain’s jaw clenched as he averted his eyes. Wildberry let his own face cultivate a taut expression.
A breathy laugh left the lips of the shorter cookie, startling the taller of the two. “We’re at our wits' end over a date for the wedding. Our list doesn’t even have the important stuff on it yet, and we’ve all but lost our minds.” His tone was that of defeat as he moved his free hand to run down his face. Crunchy Chip let his eyes close while shaking his head slowly; faulty chuckles escaped him as he tried to regain a strong composure.
For a long stretch of time, neither spoke. A gentle gust blew past, taking their tension with it and leaving only a solemn sentiment between the two. The melodic sound of wind rustling various plants around the two aided in the atmospheric change. Wildberry looked back towards the exit of the small garden space. “Let’s just go to the market.”
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“These flowers look nice! They match your eyes!” Crunchy Chip held up another bundle of flowers as Wildberry looked over the card for them. They’d been in the market for several hours now, far longer than they intended to be. The pair hadn’t started at the garden, choosing to go around and look through various shops. After an hour of that, they went and looked through flowers, but quickly became rattled by it all; they ate lunch at a diner nearby. “They’d look beautiful because of how red they are!” The taller cookie looked closer at the words on the card before sighing.
“They go out of season in two weeks. Unless we can get a plan in order in two weeks, align with everything else done, these flowers wouldn’t be able to be used.” A groan left the Wolf Captain as he set the flowers back down. Those weren’t the first flowers he had picked up that had been duds, and they certainly wouldn’t be the last.
Those pale yellow eyes caught sight of another bouquet of rudy colored flowers. “Oh! How about those! Just look at the reds of those buds!” He moved towards them while letting his awe paint his face with excitement. The Stoic Bodyguard’s own gaze followed the movement of the shorter cookie as he picked up the bundle. “These would go great!”
“Yes, they would, but they go out of season in 3 weeks.” The Hollyberrian gestured towards the signage beside the flowers as the Wolf Captain deflated and shoved them back down. With growing frustration, the Cacaoian began to loop around the stalls of flowers, looking at each sign posted beside the various seas of flowers. Each one said the flowers would be out of season in just a handful of weeks.
A groan through gritted teeth erupted from the shorter cookie as he moved his hands onto his head, grabbing fistfuls of hair. “Why’re you shutting all of these down without even giving them a chance? What are we supposed to do? Why’d we even come here without a date in mind, Wildbery? Damnit, damnit, damnit!” He released his hair and looked back towards all the flowers. “Got any plans you’re not sharing, bub?”
The bubbling anger in the Wolf Captain’s words caught the taller cookie off guard as he rubbed the back of his neck. “No, I don’t.” A shout came from Crunchy Chip as he slammed his hands down upon a table of red flowers. They’d been running themselves into various disappointing dead ends for hours, and no progress had been made whatsoever. Those pale eyes shot over the short cookie’s shoulder as he stared back at the Bodyguard.
“This has all been pointless, hasn’t it?” As Wildberry gave a small nod, causing the Captain to drop his head. “We’re not ready for any of this, are we?” Even though he couldn’t see the Hollyberrian, Crunchy Chip knew he had nodded his head again. “If that’s the case, then why the hell are we still here? We have no plan, no ideas, and more stress than before. Hell, I’d say the stress of war was easier than this!”
“Don’t say that, Chip.” He hadn’t intended for his words to sound threatening, but the Bodyguard’s words were laced with his own growing nuisance. Muddling with his mind, he looked away, over at a couple that was happily holding flowers together while laughing. Wildberry’s attention was drawn back as the Wolf Captain slammed his hands down once again upon the table that displayed various flowers.
With nothing else to say, the two took a moment to collect themselves, but looking over the flowers wasn’t helping to ease their discomfort. The Hollyberrian spoke first, “We’ve got a lot on our plate, possibly too much. I’d argue that we’re not suitable for such a position of planning.” He watched the body language of the shorter cookie with keen eyes. “One might even say that we need help with the load we bear. I know we already tried it before, but maybe we should look into more pla–”.
“Don’t you dare say it!” Crunchy Chip shot around with a snarl on his face. “I’m tired of looking for help that isn’t right! We’ve burnt that bridge, and there’s no going back over it! To hell with those foolish morons and their idealistic concepts for a perfect wedding! Those stupid weddings aren’t what we want, and you know that!” A finger began to jab into Wildberry’s chest as the Wolf Captain continued to shout.
“To hell with all of this malarkey because it doesn’t work for us! It isn’t us! This isn’t us!” Gesturing wildly around, the shorter cookie’s yellow eyes grew hysterical as his brows furrowed further inwards. “I don’t know why you haven’t just picked out flowers on your own because you know so much about them.” He held eye contact for a long time before gritting his teeth. “We don’t fit the ideas that others make, and they sure as hell won’t change their ideas for us.”
A bitter silence took hold of the two as the heat of the sun cast upon their doughs. The truth hurt, no matter what way it was put. Crunchy Chip was right, nobody would hear them out on what they wanted for the wedding; either calling the couple simplistic, or odd for their choice of a wedding. Wildberry turned to look back towards the rest of the market, and dozens of people walked about in conversation.
Time didn’t feel slow in that long stretch of stifled frustration; it ran normally. It was his vision that began to warp; each figure seemed to smile too widely or move too abnormally to be considered a normal sight. Crunchy Chip was right, they weren’t normal. The Bodyguard’s mind came crashing down as everything that had been bottled within broke out of him. A loud ringing burst from his ears as he felt the kettle deep within whistle.
“We aren’t normal. We never have been, and we never will be, because of what we were trained into. War was hard; this is hard; everything is hard. If you thought life would be kind and easy on us, you’d be sorely mistaken, Chip.” His eyes narrowed in on the Wolf Captain’s as his fist clenched tightly. “We either have to make it work or give up, and I have no intention of giving up. Whether you choose to or not is up to whatever you deem worthy.”
“Isn’t that swell then!” The Cacaoian punched Wildberry’s arm as his lip quivered. “Look at you taking the stoic, passionate, high ground over me! I’m just trying to say that this world won’t spin with us, but maybe you’re too dense to try to imagine that!” The Bodyguard shoved the shorter cookie in return. They both stood still for a moment, regret hitting them both. “Wildberry, I’m–”
“Just drop it.” Crunchy Chip watched as the taller cookie turned to look away from him, figure stiff. “Grab whatever pamphlets you want about the flowers; I’m heading back to the palace. Hollyberry requested that we meet her at two thirty, and it’s already two.
The Cacaoian stood still for a long moment, watching as Wildberry disappeared in the crowd. He blinked a few times and pursed his lips before looking back at the rows of tables. With a gloved hand, Crunchy Chip picked up a few pieces of paper before making his way after the taller cookie. They both needed time to cool off.
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Princess walked down the main staircase with Knight following close behind her. A few invitation designs and random sketches fell from the stack she carried as she rushed down the steps. Her bodyguard stopped to pick up each paper she dropped before continuing after her. Several hours had passed since she had last seen her uncle, and she was just about to give up on designs without his input.
“Your Majesty! Please wait up, you’re losing papers!” Knight gasped as he rushed after her, out of breath from trying to keep up with the speed at which the Young Royal traveled. As the pair reached the bottom of the stairs, they noticed two figures entering through the large doors. A grin cast upon Princess’ face as she caught sight of who it was. Her bodyguard grew stiff at the anger that swelled on the faces of both returning cookies.
“Hey! Uncle! Check out these des-” A hand slapped over her mouth as Knight dropped the papers he held to prevent her from continuing. Wildberry didn’t look over at the two. The Young Royal forced the armored hand off of her and went to retort before noticing the sour expressions. She slowly nodded and turned to face her guard, who looked petrified to be there.
Before either could react, Crunchy Chip slammed down the papers he had been gripping onto. They scattered against the marble floors, sliding and drifting away as he brought his hands to his face and let out a shout; the Stoic Bodyguard remained still. “Damnit!” Was all he could say as he dug his gloved fingers into his hair and pushed air through his teeth. “A handful of hours of pointlessly smelling flowers, and for what?”
“Not now, Chip.” Wildberry’s voice was low as he stood as still as a statue. A scoff came from the Wolf Captain as he shook his head in disbelief. “It’s rude to argue in the presence of a higher power.” Princess and Knight glanced at each other before collectively taking a half-step back. Neither had ever witnessed such anger from the two.
The younger cookie leaned closer and whispered to the frightened guard as he kept his eyes on the angry pair. “I think they need some help from a certain love expert.” Her eyes met those of her bodyguard as his face morphed into confusion. His light eyes flicked between the two standing near the entrance, and then back at the cookie beside him, before he mumbled a response.
“I don’t think you know anyone who fits that title, Your Majesty.” He was flighty with his words as he shifted his stance. His armor clinked together, causing him to freeze like a deer in headlights. Princess placed a hand lightly on her bodyguard’s back.
“I’m referencing myself, I’m great at resolving issues like this.” Knight’s eyes went wide as he slowly looked back at her. A wide grin passed onto her face as the Young Royal stood up a bit taller. “I know exactly what they need.”
“Oh boy.” It was all that the frightened guard got out before Princess began to approach her uncle. Knight stayed still for a moment longer before shuffling after the Young Royal while stuttering out syllables in an attempt to get her to halt. Crunchy Chip looked up at the two with a scowl, while the Stoic Bodyguard kept his eyes down the center hallway.
“I see there’s a tension between you two, and oh my it’s bubbling! I know just how to solve your frustration!” She gave a wide grin to her uncle as he slowly turned his head to peer at her. Princess was quick to raise a drawing into his line of sight. His face twitched for a moment as he looked upon the sketch of his garden corner. “You two need some time to relax and color! I know you have a meeting with Grandmama in, uh, eighteen minutes, but take a minute to sit back and do something mindless!”
The Wolf Captain slowly strolled over out of curiosity. The Young Royal handed him a drawing of his Cream Wolf along with one of the Hollyberrian banner. “These will help both of you to relieve some stress that you’ve pent up and maybe talk better!” She gave the pair a bright smile before handing the rest of the papers to them.
Crunchy Chip nodded a few times before opening his mouth to speak. He was cut off by the Young Royal piping up once more. “Don’t you fret about the plans and stuff, for I, your trusted niece, will find a suitable planner for you both!” She turned and began running towards the doors before any other word was said. Knight remained still for a moment before pointing in the direction Princess ran and slowly following her.
Wildberry let out a sigh as he rubbed at his nose bridge with his free hand. “Wilds, you’ve got to give her some credit. She’s got good intentions, and look at these sketches!” The short cookie held up a few of the papers that the younger cookie had given to the two. “Who knows, she might find somebody, maybe. I mean, personally, I don’t have very high hopes, but you know her better than me.”
All that Wildberry could do was close his eyes and take a deep breath. He did not have hope for whoever his niece dragged back.
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The duo stood outside of a boutique, one that was recommended to them by a few people who overheard the Young Royal’s jabbering about wedding planning. A sign above read “Grand Mariage”, and it was decorated with white roses and various outfits on display. Princess stood with her hands on her hips while grinning excitedly. Knight stood beside her anxiously while glancing back at the bustling cookies that moved with intent. The Royal’s head swiveled to look over at her guard. “This person sure knows how to make a place look inviting!”
The bell above the door chimed as the two walked into the Salon. Several outfits caught the eyes of the Young Royal as she ogled at the fabrics. Knight remained alert, noticing a bit of movement from behind a dressing screen. “Welcome! Welcome to Grand Mariage! Just a moment!”
The voice was cheery as the person was quick to finish up the task they had been attending to. Princess stepped further into the place, but didn’t make it far. From around the screen came a woman in a white gown, her hair styled back in a hidden bun, and she held a notepad within her gloved hands. Her warm smile made the two feel at peace; her presence was nothing short of comforting.
“Well, aren’t you two a fine pair! Congratulations on your relationship! I’m Wedding Cake, a planner who will make sure your special day is as perfect as can be. I typically run by appointments, but who am I to send a couple away? What can I do for you two on such a refreshing day!” The upbeat rhythm of her voice and her kindness made the two smile, until they reflected upon what she had said.
“Oh, us? Heh, we’re not getting married.” Princess looked between Knight and Wedding Cake. The Planner raised an eyebrow at her words. “We’re here to ask if you’d be able to assist in my uncle’s wedding.” Knight was flushed and nodded along to whatever the Young Royal was saying.
A hum came from the cookie that greeted them as she tapped a pen to her notepad. “My mistake, I apologize profusely for making such an assumption so hastily.” She let out a breathy chuckle before glancing between the two. “So tell me, why have you both come to request aid in your uncle’s wedding?”
“Well, my uncle and his fiancé are all stressed out over plans. It’s gotten to the point that they’re getting frustrated with one another, and that’s sealed my decision to seek out someone who can help them in this time of turmoil!” Princess gave a firm nod while lifting her chin to appear noble. Another short hum came from Wedding Cake as she wrote down on her notepad.
Knight cleared his throat as his foot tapped against the wooden floorboards. “It’s been several weeks now, and they’ve barely figured out anything. Countless other wedding planners were rejected by them because those cookies were a little too much or too insistent.” The Planner nodded her head at the guard’s words while twisting her pen in her hand.
“I see, they didn’t like being pushed around, but trying to do so much on their own has been quite counterproductive.” Wedding Cake looked up at Princess and Knight, giving them a small smile and bowing her head in a curtsy to them. “I’m glad that you two came to me, for I make it my utmost priority to take in every need from my clients and turn them into results that best suit their vision.”
The Young Royal clapped her hands together and jumped a few times before patting Knight's arm. “I think you might be the planner that is perfect for them! My uncle’s fiancé, oh boy, he’s going to be so thrilled to finally have a planner that takes into account everything. Oh, and not to mention that you’re so kind, that’ll make my uncle calm through it all!” Her bodyguard gently placed a hand on Princess’ shoulder as she beamed joyfully at Wedding Cake.
“That’s wonderful to hear! If I may, would you enlighten me with what the two had already agreed upon for their special day?” Holding the pen to the notepad, the Planner looked at the pair that stood before her. She gestured towards Knight while giving him an inviting nod. “You had mentioned that they had done very little of the planning, but that tells me that some things might’ve been determined already.”
“Oh, right! Yep! They’ve set me in charge of invites, and the design for those is something more garden-like with a vine design around the edge and a fountain at the bottom.” Princess chipped in, teetering back and forth on her feet as she recalled the three finalized sketches for the invites. Wedding Cake wrote down each detail that was spoken by the younger cookie with swift ease.
“Don’t forget about the flowers.” The guard beside her spoke before stopping himself and mumbling. “Wait, no, they didn’t really decide anything. I think going and looking at flowers made it worse.” He sheepishly rubbed the back of his hand before shaking his head.
Princess stopped with her own fidgeting to look over at her bodyguard. “I never understood why they went out looking for flowers when they’re having the wedding in the garden. I mean, that place already has a bunch of flowers and plant life in it. Why bring more?” The Planner paused her writing as she looked between the two.
“They plan to have their wedding in a garden?” Princess hummed a response to the Planner’s question while nodding, earning a puzzled look from the cookie in front of her. “If you don’t mind me asking, which garden were they planning to be in? Sometimes the right flowers aren’t there, or the color of the place isn’t to their idea.” Knight tipped his head to the side as the Young Royal clapped her hands together.
“It’s going to be in the Royal Gardens of the palace! A truly beautiful place, and again, one filled with a whole catalog of flowers. I still don’t see the need for more of them.” Wedding Cake’s mouth pinched into a line as she tapped her pen to her chin.
“That would be a grand luxury, having a wedding in such a renowned and glorious place. I can see if a venue can be made, and for what price, I can’t determine yet. Even then, the gardener is quite the stickler.” She began to write down on her notepad, but stopped when she heard a giggle come from the cookie in front of her. With a raised eyebrow, she pondered over the giggling girl.
“Well, the Royal Bodyguard of the Queen Mother was the one to pick that spot as the place he wanted to have his wedding, so I’d say he’s got that figured out.” Princess put a hand on her hip while placing the other in the middle of her chest and closing her eyes. “The gardener likes him a decent amount, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.” Wedding Cake slowly raised her head from her notepad.
She remained still for a long time, paused with a carefully keen look in her eyes as she slowly lowered her pen. “And, who did you say you were again…?” Her voice was weary as the puzzle pieces slowly clicked together in her mind. Knight’s face mimicked that of the Planners as he looked over at Princess. The Young Royal tipped her head to the side with a soft smile on her face.
“I’m the princess, of course!” That bright smile on her face made the room feel ten times more illuminated, even with the ivory colored walls. Knight brought a hand to his head and dragged it down, jostling his helmet in the process. Wedding Cake slowly repeated Princess’ title as her face grew pale, but there was a joy that kept the appearance of a shine upon her features.
“Your parents' wedding is the very reason I chose this career. It would be my greatest pleasure to assist with the wedding of your…uncle?” The last word was drawn out in a curious tone as she motioned towards Princess. The cookie in front of her nodded her head before glancing over at her guard beside her.
“Mmhm! My uncle!” Wedding Cake nodded slightly but kept her head tipped to the side. “Oh, right, my Grandmama adopted my uncle, but I don’t think there’s actual paperwork with it.” The Young Royal gave a wide grin before looking past the Planner’s shoulder at a few dresses. This cookie sure did know how to design some fancy clothing.
The guard beside her let out a sigh of relief that he’d been holding in for a while. “It’s a good thing that you’re helping, because those two are hopeless with planning and all out of sorts with stress.” He pitched in before an elbow was jabbed into his side, drawing out a groan from him. Princess frowned at her bodyguard before shaking her head while directing her attention back to the Planner.
“Well, if that is the case, then I see why you two came to me. Do they have any ideas for outfits, or do they have something planned already?” She looked between the two and watched them shrug after a few seconds of pondering. “I’ll have to bring them back to my salon to figure out their visions for these, along with getting measurements.” Her pen moved against her notepad like butter on toast, and each detail she had to talk to the pair about was given a box next to it.
“Let’s take you to the palace to see the two. I’m sure it’d help out more to speak with them in person rather than through us.” The Young Royal announced while looking over at her guard. “I’d bet they're out of their meeting by now and that their anger is all but simmering down to a lukewarm!” Her bodyguard only lowered his head while pursing his lips; he had his doubts.
Wedding Cake’s face grew with shock as she looked between the pair before her. “My, that’s quite the invite. I’d be honored to go to the palace. Are you sure that I’d be allowed to enter?” Princess and Knight cast her a curious glance as she tapped her pen against the spiral binding of her notepad. “I assume that the palace is only open to the general public during special occasions that are being hosted.”
“Typically, it is, but you’re an invited guest and a wedding planner who is desperately needed. My parents would be more than thrilled to have someone like you walking about! Oh, you could even visit the garden and see the spot they chose for the ceremony!” The younger cookie grabbed hold of Wedding Cake’s arm and began to pull her towards the entrance. Her bodyguard followed after the two as the Planner fumbled to grab her key.
They stepped out of the Grand Mariage building. Princess continued to walk while the gowned cookie halted for a second. “Allow me a moment to lock up this place before I follow after you! This all feels like a dream come true for me.” She was quick with her keyring and turned back towards the two. “Let us head to the troubled pair that needs my assistance! I’m ready to see what I can help with!”
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Crunchy Chip sat with a few pencils in hand, meticulously coloring an image of the Hollyberrian banner that sat above him. The two sat at a small table meant for the palace guard, one that hid behind a large potted plant near the entrance. Wildberry sat much closer to his paper while delicately adding the various shades of pink and blue that burst from the flowers of the garden. Whether the pair would admit it or not, the Young Royal was right in the sense that the mindless activity had calmed them. They’d been coloring for a while now, having finished the meeting with the Queen Mother relatively fast; it was tense for the short time they spoke. Hollyberry had sent them away without trying to upset either party further, having noticed the rising conflict and choosing to say only what was needed.
As they continued to color the sketches given by Princess, they began to chat. “I do think we need flowers,” was the first thing that the Wolf Captain said. “It’s not that the garden doesn’t have enough flowers, but rather none that complement us.” He looked up at the Stoic Bodyguard; those deep red eyes were already examining him. “Maybe some yellows and deep red?”
“I agree.” Wildberry averted his gaze back to the drawing he had been making. “The garden has more pinks than any other hues.” The Cacaoian nodded his head in the Hollyberrian peripheral while tapping the brown pencil in his hand on the table. An idea struck the shorter cookie, and he stood up and reached over to the stack of pages, sifting through them in search of an empty sheet. His sudden, bemusing movement had captured the Stoic Bodyguard’s attention as he observed. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to draw our cabin. It’s something that’ll make both of us happy, and through that we can think about the wedding!” He sat back down with the blank sheet of paper in hand and began to create a sketch. Wildberry watched for a while with growing amusement. “We could try to find those flowers that were in the valley and use them at the wedding.” When the taller cookie narrowed his eyes at the Wolf Captain, he tutted his tongue for a moment. “Or we find something similar that’s in season for a while.”
The Hollyberrian gave a small smile; Crunchy Chip was trying his best not to cause any tension, and he appreciated that. As his eyes returned to his own colored sketch, he took notice of the amount that the shorter cookie had done in such a short time. “I was unaware of your art skills, Chip.” There on the page was a nearly finished design of the cabin that they’d spent months describing the aspects of. A few chuckles escaped from the Wolf Captain as he looked back up with a bright smile.
“I’ve imagined this cabin so many times that it’s merely a copy-and-paste situation between my mind and my hand.” He moved to grab a few colored pencils before using them to add details to the drawing of the home. Wildberry couldn’t hold back the smile that turned his lips upward with the warmth that swirled within himself. “I find it comforting to sketch it out, because of how much it reminds me of you.”
“Quite the charmer you’ve become, my love.” Crunchy Chip stuttered out a few things before huffing. “I sit in my garden for a long time because the yellow flowers look like your eyes. Makes it seem that you’re always close.” The Stoic Bodyguard finished up his garden with the final shades of yellow before holding it up. Smitten, yellow eyes admired the art for a long time as Wildberry stared into them.
“Look whose charmin’ now.” A sly grin broke the lips of the Wolf Captain as his eyes met those of deep red. Flush spread across the taller cookie’s face as he set down the paper. Just as he went to say something, the sound of the door opening caught the two by surprise. The Hollyberrian sat up straighter while the Cacaoian jumped from his seat. Two recognizable voices filtered in, accompanied by one more modest. Their eyes met before Wildberry stood and began to move towards the chatter.
“Uncle! Where’d you go–Oh, there you are!” The Young Royal began to rush towards the taller cookie while beaming with delight. She looked over at Crunchy Chip and then back at her uncle. “It seems you two have been doing rather well in the last hour! I have exciting news!” As she clapped her hands together, her bodyguard approached, accompanied by a woman in an ivory tournure dress. “We found you guys a planner, and she’s awesome!”
Once more, the duo glances over at each other before triangulating their eyes back towards the new figure. “I don’t mean to force my way into being your planner, but these two have filled me in on your situation, and I merely wish to make your vision come true while easing the stress of it all.” The woman gave a bow while speaking. “My name is Wedding Cake, and it would be my pleasure to help!”
Wildberry kept a stone-cold poker face while inspecting the Planner, while Crunchy Chip nodded a few times and crossed his arms. “Well, what all were you told because, I for one, want to fact check.” The Wolf Captain’s tone was low as he squinted suspiciously at the woman. Both of the warrior's eyes widened as she pulled out a notepad and cleared her throat.
“To start, I was informed that you two were warriors who were not used to peace like this and that you’ve been so concerned about the world having a sudden disaster that you’ve put off picking a date. The delay is only adding to the collective frustration.” She held a firm gaze at the two, waiting for them to interject, and when they didn’t, she continued. “I was also told that you plan to have your wedding within the Royal Garden, near a fountain, which is quite the romantic detail, I must say. You’ve struggled with deciding upon flowers and aren’t certain of most details about your wedding because of the listed reasons.”
The two were flabbergasted as she finished speaking. For a moment, it seemed that they had been turned into statues. Wildberry nodded his head and pursed his lips. “That is… correct. Princess, I told you not to go around telling others that Chip and I were having conflicts.” His deep red eyes glowered at the Young Royal as she sheepishly ducked her head. Wedding Cake gave a few hums before raising her hand slightly.
“If I may, I’d reason that it’s important to discuss such things with a wedding planner because it helps to know what is causing you both distress. Through that, it makes it easier to go forward once those agitators have been agreed upon.” The Planner had been skimming over her notepad, and when she looked back up, she froze for a moment, seeing that all eyes were on her. “Issues are best resolved when faced together.”
“She’s good.” Crunchy Chip spoke while reaching to plant a hand on his fiancé’s shoulder. The taller cookie closed his eyes as he turned his head toward the cookie beside him. “Don’t give me that, she’s got guts and knows good tactics. I’d say we give it a shot, Wilds.” All the Stoic Bodyguard could do was nod. For the first time, the Wolf Captain had agreed to a planner, unlike the many others he and Wildberry had sent away. The gowned cookie clapped her hands together with a warm smile.
“I’m glad to hear that! So, to start, why don’t we look over the invites? The dear princess here told me of the vision you had, and I want to see if there was any progress made while she went away.” Wildberry offered out a hand, motioning towards the small table littered with papers and pencils. Wedding Cake was quick with her steps as she reached the table and began to gather a few sheets.
The Wolf Captain stood to her left and watched as her hand moved to sift through the papers. She seemed to pause while moving the stack, her eyes latched onto a specific page across the table. As the Planner moved around the table, the shorter cookie held his breath. Her hand hovered above his drawing of the cabin for a while before she placed a finger on it and looked up at the four others.
“The splendor of this house is jaw-dropping! I must say this is quite the design.” Wedding Cake inspected the drawing for a bit more before picking it up to take a closer look. The small flowers on one side of the porch brought life to the lived-in feel of the scene. Princess stood on her toes to see over the Planner’s shoulder. A gasp came from her when she saw the sketch.
“Wowie, that is one pretty art piece!” She moved to stand to the side of the gowned cookie while grinning from ear to ear. The Cacaoian only buried his head in his palms as a hand from Wildberry rested upon his shoulder. Knight moved to get a peek at the paper and raised his eyebrows upon seeing it.
“It is indeed very stunning, but I seem to have distracted us from the invites.” Wedding Cake stated while setting the page back onto the table. Within her hands were about eight different pages of designs for the invites. “I can see a theme here with the vines and marble pillars, but I want to know how you two feel about them.”
She strolled over to the two warriors, her heels clicking as she approached. Crunchy Chip let out a groan while dragging his hands down his face. “Why does this all matter? We’re only going to have like two dozen guests, and they all know we’re getting married! What’s the point of making these designs?” The Stoic Bodyguard beside him tilted his head as he moved his hand down the Wolf Captain’s arm.
“Hmm, I can see that the invites are a stressor. Why don’t we leave them to the princess while we go and focus on another item on the list of many things?” As she stepped away from the table, a paper on the ground caught her eye. As she moved her heel off of it, she took note of the other pages that were scattered about; all sharing the similarity of flowers. “Why don’t we go look at some flowers in the market?”
Resting her hands on the shoulders of each warrior, she began to guide them towards the entrance. “Help has arrived for the two damsels in distress who desperately needed saving from their miserable planning dilemma,” Princess called out to the two as they were led out of the palace. Her bodyguard remained by the table, looking over the artwork of the cabin with intrigue.
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The smell of the flowers was almost as overwhelming as the heat, but they somehow canceled each other out to the trio. They made their way through the various selections of flora before halting. “I want both of you to go pick out a handful of flowers, just to see a bit of how you both think.” She moved to stand off to the side, holding up her notepad and pen as the two looked at her.
“That’s not fair, he knows so much about plants!” Crunchy Chip snapped while poking Wildberry in the side. Wedding Cake raised an eyebrow, pointing her pen between the two. “He’s got a section of the garden to himself and is like an expert on this stuff. I know about as much as a newborn does in regards to the alphabet.”
“That gives you all the more opportunities to choose what you want to, rather than be dictated by the things you know.” The Planner gives a nod to the Wolf Captain. In return, the shorter cookie furrows his eyebrows and turns to wander through the flowers. With a small exhale, she looks over at the Stoic Bodyguard, whose eyes remained on the figure that walked away. “You should look through the flowers as well.”
A low hum came from Wildberry as he crossed his arms. “I want to see what he picks first. I have little care for the flowers; I just want him to be happy with the selection.” He glanced over to see that she had cocked her head to the side. “I don’t need something perfect or grand, just him and me in the garden saying vows of how we’ll remain together through thick and thin like we always have.”
“I’d reckon you still, deep within, want the flowers to match him or for your outfit to draw love-filled tears from him.” All that the taller could do was chuckle as he listened to the Planner’s words. She gave him a nudge with her elbow before the sight of the Wolf Captain returning had her patting down her gown.
With a cheerful grin, the Cacaoian held up a wide selection of red flowers with confidence. “I like these, they look like your eyes.” Wildberry let a smile form on his face as he brought a hand up to look closer at the flowers. “They really highlight how stunning you are.”
“If by stunning you’re alluding to his eyes being rigid, rough, and deathly sharp with a hidden meaning of mourning a loss, then we can go with them.” Wedding Cake spoke while gently taking the assorted buds from the now flustered Crunchy Chip. The Stoic Bodyguard failed to stifle a laugh, earning an elbow to the side as he mumbled out weak apologies to the shorter cookie.
The Planner was quick to place the flowers back in their designated spots amongst tables before going to search for several other flowers. Occasionally, she’d peek back over at the pair to see them observing other tables and selecting a few flowers of their own. With a decent amount in hand, she made her way back towards them.
“I assume you wanted them to be a romantic touch, so how about some Dahlias, Amaryllis, and Begonias. All in red to match Wildberry’s eyes.” The Cacaoian let his jaw drop as he swiped the flowers from the gowned cookie. The taller cookie gave a skeptical look, but a hand raised by Wedding Cake prevented him from speaking up. “If you’re worried about the bloom time of amaryllis, I have an acquaintance who has them year-round in their greenhouse.”
All that the Stoic Bodyguard brought himself to do was a firm nod before turning to continue looking through the flowers. “These are perfect! I don’t know how I didn't see these!” Crunchy Chip continued to ogle at the blooms in his hand before he looked back up at the Planner.
She was writing a bit in her notepad before meeting his eyes. “The red Dahlias are meant to symbolize passion and desire, often put in bouquets to make them more romantic, and they are associated most with big gestures of love; red Amaryllis follow a similar rhythm in terms of meaning. The red Begonias go a step further, symbolizing deep love and passion, and in general, a Begonia symbolizes balance and harmony.”
The Wolf Captain nodded along to what she said, glancing down at the flowers every few seconds. As Wildberry walked back over, the yellow flowers in his hands made the Wolf Captain smirk. “I see that you chose Chrysanthemums, Ranunculus, and Hellebores. Quite the romantic assortment!”
“I am only a bit worried about the Ranunculus and Hellebores because of when they bloom in the year.” Wedding Cake hummed while writing several things down on her notepad. Crunchy Chip went over to the taller cookie and started to look at the flowers he selected.
“Just like the Amaryllis, my acquaintance also has those two. You have nothing to worry about regarding the times for which they would be in bloom.” She looked between the two and tapped her pen along the spine of her notepad. “Are you two okay with Baby’s Breath and Solidago as the filler flowers in bouquets or assortments?” The two thought for a moment before nodding, although only Wildberry knew what they were. Crunchy Chip nodded to nod.
After twenty more minutes in the market, Wedding Cake halted and began to count the flowers she had written. The two warriors held various pamphlets of flowers that they agreed upon and even seemed relieved to have found. “When did you two plan to have your wedding? I’m sure it would be best to get the flowers situated sooner rather than later so they can be planned and delivered in time to be arranged.” As she stopped speaking, her mouth pursed at the expression of each of the warriors in front of her.
They slowly turned to face each other and began to mumble. Through their babbling, the Planner concluded that they hadn’t yet decided on a date, just as Princess and Knight had told her. She couldn’t help the bafflement that spread across her face, bringing a hand to place against her chin. “Looking at the flowers blooming times and all that's left to do, I’d say we shoot for something two to three months from now. The only reason it’d be that soon is that you two already have a venue of sorts planned.”
The two were silent as they looked at Wedding Cake in defeat. Sighing to herself, she began to write in her notepad. “How about a date fourteen weeks from now. That gives me time to make your outfits and get everything else situated.” A deep exhale left Wildberry as he nodded. Crunchy Chip shared a similar reaction. “With that settled, let us head to my salon! I want to know what your outfit visions are so I can start planning your dazzling designs!”
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