Cran-Strawberry Cobbler

Chapter 26: Dragon Wedding

This was it, the moment Svend had been waiting for! He was finally marrying Mirabel. Everything was perfect. Gregory came to sit on Svend’s “side” as really his only friend. And of course Leoric and Fiora came with tiny baby Leif, who wasn’t quite so tiny anymore! They also chose to sit on Svend’s side, just so it wasn’t so empty. Svend was also pleasantly surprised to see some of the folk from the town sit over with Gregory. It was nice to see that they came to support him, especially since he had been working with many of them fixing houses and doing some smith work in his free time. 

Mirabel”s side was, of course, full. She had known these people her whole life and they were all excited to celebrate with her! She looked beautiful. The epitome of the blushing bride. Everyone thought this was just a vow renewal, but Mirabel and Svend knew this was their real wedding. This was forever. 

The little forest clearing where they had gathered for the event was beautiful, full of naturally blooming daffodils and tulips and the green of the trees with new spring buds just starting to form. Mirabel was dressed in a new dress of baby blue with delicate lace around the bodice and sleeves. She had baby’s breath flowers braided into her hair like a crown with the rest of her curly hair flowing freely down her back. Svend was wearing a new coat and smartly pressed pants that, remarkably, didn’t have any stains yet from his handiwork. 

The wedding went off without a hitch, Mirabel’s father even shook Svend’s hand as he passed her over to his care. Smiles and laughter and dancing was the mood as the village gathered for a feast after the occasion. All except one man. One unknown man in the corner of the gathering, keeping to himself and most definitely not smiling. His expression could be described more as a grimace than a smile. When anyone tried to speak to him he looked down his nose and huffed audibly before turning away and pointedly ignoring their inquiries. 

This man, unfortunately, was Vlad. Vlad Dracula, the human hating dragon himself. Svend had met Vlad during his time in the dragon caves but he had never seen him as a human so he had no idea what this stranger’s presence meant. If he had known Vlad Dracula was at his wedding he would have immediately spirited his blushing bride far far away for no good could come from Vlad investigating this joyous occasion. 

Luckily, Gregory was at the wedding as well and he finally noticed the tall stranger that was doing a terrible job trying to look inconspicuous. Gregory had also never seen Vlad in his human form but he knew the look of a dragon trying to blend in with humans. Gregory took it upon himself to investigate this unknown dragon presence. 

“What brings you amongst these humans?” Gregory inquired pointedly. 

“I am always amongst humans sir.” Vlad, though visibly startled, managed to reply as he thought a human would. 

“I would beg to differ, sir dragon.” Gregory continued smoothly. 

“Who are you? Why would you associate me with the gloriously noble race of dragons?” Vlad couldn’t help but puff up at the insinuation that he was so obviously above his present company. 

“I am Gregory, a friend of the groom, Svend. And I can easily recognize a fellow dragon when I see one.” Gregory made sure the revelry continued around him so as to keep this conversation from spreading. 

“Ah Gregory, the disgraced one. Of course we would find you here. And Svend, of course, is that young buck human lover of a dragon that we saw in the caves a few months ago. Now I recall. It seems his love of humans is deeper than even I anticipated.” Vlad acknowledged his own oversight with the grace of one who is not used to being mistaken, or at least, not acknowledging their own mistakes. 

“Yes,” Gregory continued cautiously, knowing that Mirabel’s transformation was extremely precarious information. “Svend loved the food immediately and grew to love the humans fairly quickly after that. Have you tried the food?” Gregory tried to take the conversation somewhere less…. Precarious. 

“Why would I waste time eating in this form? It is so inefficient. Just roast me a whole pig and be done with it in one bite. Two, if I’m in mixed company.” Vlad drawlled. 

“Oh, trust me, some things about humans are definitely worth the inconvenience. Try this cobbler, it will take your mind off your present troubles. For surely you are troubled if you deign to grace the humans with your presence.” Gregory slowly led Vlad to the dessert table and dished him up a generous portion of Cran-Strawberry Cobbler. Once Vlad had taken one reluctant bite, followed almost immediately by a second, much more enthusiastic bite, Gregory left to find Svend and warn him. Their lives were surely about to change, and if Vlad was involved, it was most definitely for the worse. This is the cobbler he gave to Vlad.