Chapter 166: food menu, wedding cake, and the second letter

Chapter 166: Chapter 166: food menu, wedding cake, and the second letter

The next morning began with food.

Marian had discovered that wedding planning had an irritating habit of making every ordinary decision considerably more complicated.

Choosing flowers had been one thing.

Choosing what several hundred people would eat was another.

By late morning, she and Cassian were seated in one of the private dining rooms of the reception venue, surrounded by samples, menus, and enough dishes to feed a small household.

Marian looked at the table.

"This is only the tasting?"

"Apparently."

She glanced toward the caterer.

"How many courses are we considering?"

The caterer smiled.

"For the formal reception, My Lady, we recommend five courses."

"Five?"

"With several alternatives for each."

Marian looked at Cassian.

He looked equally amused.

"Perhaps we should have eaten breakfast."

"We did."

"Then we’ll need another breakfast after this."

Cassian laughed.

The caterer began explaining the proposed menu.

A light first course.

A soup.

The main course.

A selection of seasonal dishes.

Dessert.

And, naturally, several alternatives for guests with different preferences.

Marian listened carefully.

She didn’t want the meal to feel excessive merely for the sake of extravagance.

The wedding itself would already be grand.

The food should feel generous, elegant, and memorable without turning the reception into an exercise in showing how much money could be spent on a single meal.

She sampled the first course.

Cassian watched her expression.

"Well?"

"Good."

"Only good?"

She looked at him.

"Very good."

He smiled.

The next dish arrived.

Marian took a bite.

Her eyebrows lifted slightly.

Cassian noticed.

"That one?"

She nodded.

"That one."

He turned toward the caterer.

"Keep it."

The caterer made a note.

Marian laughed.

"You can’t simply approve everything I like."

"Why not?"

"Because we’re supposed to be choosing."

"We are."

"You’re not even trying anything."

"I trust you."

She looked at him.

"You should at least taste it."

Cassian sighed with exaggerated resignation.

"Very well."

He tried the dish.

Marian waited.

He nodded.

"Keep it."

She laughed.

"See? You’re learning."

They continued.

Some dishes were immediately discarded.

One was too rich.

Another was too heavily seasoned.

A third was beautiful but impractical for serving hundreds of guests.

Marian was particularly firm about that.

"I don’t want anything that requires the guests to struggle with it."

The caterer nodded.

"Something elegant but straightforward."

"Exactly."

Cassian looked at her.

"You’ve thought about everything."

"I have."

She paused.

"Mostly because I don’t want anyone remembering our wedding because they couldn’t eat their dinner properly."

He laughed.

"That would certainly be memorable."

"Not in the way I want."

The tasting continued through the afternoon.

Eventually they reached dessert.

Marian’s attention immediately sharpened.

There were several pastries.

Fruit.

Chocolate.

Cream.

And a selection of small confections that could be served alongside the wedding cake.

She tried one.

Then another.

Cassian watched her carefully.

"That one."

Marian looked at him.

"What?"

"You liked that one."

She smiled.

"I did."

"Then that’s staying."

"You’re very decisive when it comes to my desserts."

"I’ve discovered where my expertise lies."

She laughed.

The wedding cake took longer.

Marian wanted something elegant enough to stand in the reception hall without overwhelming it.

The first design was too elaborate.

The second was too plain.

The third made her pause.

White icing.

Delicate floral detailing.

Several tiers, but not so many that it became absurd.

Marian studied the sketch.

"I like this."

Cassian looked at it.

"So do I."

She glanced at him.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"What would you change?"

"Nothing."

"You don’t have an opinion?"

"I have an opinion."

"What is it?"

He pointed toward the sketch.

"It should be bigger."

Marian stared at him.

"Of course."

He smiled.

"It’s our wedding."

"We don’t need a cake large enough to feed the entire capital."

"No."

He paused.

"Just the reception."

She laughed.

"You’re impossible."

The caterer smiled.

"We can make the primary cake more modest and supplement it with smaller cakes and pastries."

Marian considered that.

"That might be better."

Cassian nodded.

"Then let’s do that."

Another note was made.

By the time the tasting ended, Marian had several pages filled in her notebook.

She closed it with a satisfied sigh.

"That’s another thing."

Cassian stood.

"Done?"

"Almost."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Almost?"

"We still need to finalize the wine and drinks."

Cassian looked at her.

"Tomorrow."

She laughed.

"You’re tired."

"A little."

"So am I."

They left the dining room together.

Outside, the late afternoon sun had begun to soften.

Marian slipped her arm through his.

"We’re getting somewhere."

"We are."

"The dress is underway."

"The flowers are nearly settled."

"The food is almost settled."

"And the invitations are being prepared."

She counted them silently.

"That’s quite a lot."

Cassian smiled.

"And we’re not even finished."

"Don’t remind me."

He laughed.

For a moment, the correspondence from Ashford seemed distant.

But when they reached the carriage, Cassian found another envelope waiting.

His expression changed the moment he saw the seal.

Marian noticed.

"Another one?"

He nodded.

The Ashford crest was unmistakable.

He broke the seal.

This time, he read more slowly.

Marian watched his face.

The silence stretched.

"Cassian?"

He folded the letter.

"What is it?"

He looked at her.

"The northern reports have been reviewed."

"And?"

"They want me to return to Ashford."

Marian’s smile disappeared.

"For how long?"

"That isn’t specified."

She stared at him.

"You’re not going."

"I haven’t decided."

"You said it wasn’t serious."

"It wasn’t."

"Then why do they need you?"

Cassian looked down at the letter.

"Because apparently it has become more serious."

Marian’s fingers tightened around the handle of her notebook.

They had less than two months.

The dress was being made.

The flowers were being chosen.

The menu was being finalized.

Their invitations were already being prepared.

Everything was moving.

And now Ashford was calling him back.

She looked at him.

"You’re going to go."

It wasn’t quite a question.

Cassian didn’t answer immediately.

Finally, he said quietly,

"I may have to."

Marian looked away.

She didn’t want to hear that.

Not now.

Not when everything had finally begun to feel so easy.

Cassian reached for her hand.

"Marian."

She let him take it.

"I’m here."

"For now."

His expression softened.

"I’ll be here."

She looked back at him.

Neither of them knew yet how quickly that promise would be tested.