Miss Galina seemed to be in quite a good mood. She glanced at Leisha, dressed as a bridesmaid. Though she did not know what had just happened, seeing the seating arrangement near Shade, she could guess what Leisha had been doing.
"Good afternoon, little Leisha."
She maintained an elegant smile, and her vivid crimson gown especially enhanced her beauty today. Leisha, dressed in a bridesmaid's gown, likewise maintained the elegance of a royal lady.
"Good afternoon, Aunt Galina."
Inside the church auditorium where the wedding was about to take place, both women restrained their emotions. On the surface, everything was perfectly proper. Leisha soon headed back toward the entrance; she ought to be with today's bride now.
Miss Galina turned to watch Leisha leave, then swept her gaze around the room. Rather than seeking out one of the other seats reserved for royalty in the first three rows, she greeted Shade and sat beside Miss Sylvia, on the other side of the aisle.
This way, the two Great Witches from the Witch Council were seated together.
Tifa naturally had no seat. Once she had confirmed that Miss Galina had found one, she temporarily left the auditorium to wait outside. There was still some time before the wedding began. To the somewhat cheerful melody of "Midsummer Green Grass," Shade had intended to continue chatting with Dorothy, but unexpectedly, Dorothy had struck up a conversation with Princess Margaret.
The Kasonlik princess had also studied Delarion Language, and so she knew of the Tobesk female writer who had recently risen to fame. They got along wonderfully, and Dorothy even drew Shade into the conversation.
Although Shade had already encountered the princess in Huntington, he still had to pretend they were meeting for the first time and, according to social etiquette, compliment her on