Page 39 of Accounting for Drakes

“Flowers. I am just taking a few minutes out to bring Mal dinner because the wedding has been moved up, and we have hundreds of table displays to create.”

Nanny smiled. “Would you like help?”

Leena smiled slowly. “You would help?”

“Certainly. I have to leave by dawn to get ready for the party, but I can definitely do it. I think I can remember how.”

Leena clapped and hopped.

“I will be there as soon as I can, love.”

Nanny smiled. “Leena, you are going to be on admin only. I don’t want you stressing out that little bean you are carrying.”

Leena blinked. “You know?”

“Your pattern swirls from your chest and now your belly. It is obvious.” She glanced at Mal, who was looking very pleased with himself. “It explains your plans for a new house.”

Orwon offered, “I will help as well. I find the discovery of more layers to Nanitha fascinating.”

Nanny looked at Mal. “Eat your dinner and finish what you are working on, then come and take care of your wife.”

She linked arms with Leena. “Lead the way, little one.”

Orwon smiled and said to Mal, “I will speak with you before we leave.”

Outside, Leena asked, “You are leaving?”

“You started your life with Mal. I am going to try to start one with Orwon. He matches me.”

“I had hoped you would be here for this baby’s arrival.”

She glanced at Orwon. “I might be able to get a ride. He seems to have a better grasp of time than I do.”

Leena nodded. “I hope you can make it. I have convinced myself you would be there if I needed you.”

“The new empress was also one of my charges. I will be a regular visitor to this world.”

Leena smiled. “Good. I want my family to know you.”

Orwon followed them as they went to the florist part of the market, and Leena’s shop was bustling with light glowing into the dimness. Excited voices greeted them as all of the other fosters stopped what they were doing for hugs.

Orwon whispered in between meeting her charges. “They don’t know you were here?”

“They needed to start on their own, and I have a lot of biped shapes.”

He nodded and smiled. He looked to Leena. “Where do you need us?”

“Can you strip the thorns from the roses?”

Nanny grinned and hauled him over to the side where the base flowers were waiting for treatment. She made some claws, and he followed her lead as she used her index, middle finger, and thumb to thread the rose, and then, she pulled it out, removing thorns and extra leaves. He followed, and they went through the entire collection of roses.

After that, it was clipping flowers to a precise length and setting them in the vessels waiting.

The whole shop was moving fast, but with them adding built-in clippers and Orwon’s height, the archways got arranged, and by the time it was one in the morning, the extra twenty people via the foundlings and their spouses had completed the order for the next morning, with Leena focusing on floral crowns and bouquets.

They looked at each other and looked at the assembled mass.

Leena blinked. “Now, how do I get it into the palace.”

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