The tables in the room had been changed out. Instead of the smaller one for Helena and myself to enjoy an intimate dinner on and the larger one for the staff where they could all gather, it was one long single table that went down one side of the room and made an 'L' shape across the bottom of it.

With all of the guests and Helena and myself in the room, there were 33 people waiting to eat. It was the most people that we've had at a single table. I knew the cooks were up to the task, especially when I had specifically ordered my cook and the kitchen helper to set the menu and to arrange the dishes to my liking.

I sat Helena on my right at the only place left unoccupied and I stood at the head of the table. My eyes roamed around the people sitting there as they looked back at me expectantly. Vanessa was on Helena's right and her parents were next. On my left was a quite amused Queen Rivers and beside her sat her daughter, Rose. On their left were Alex and Donna, also clearly amused.

I was glad that such a large gathering had more relaxed seating than a smaller gathering would have, because about halfway down the table near the bend in the 'L' shape, were Helena's mother and Selena. Neither of them looked happy with being sat so far away from us and I glanced at Helena to see her fighting not to laugh.

I lightly touched her shoulder and picked up my wine glass. “I want to thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to grace us with your presences here tonight. It means a lot to both I and my future wife that we have so many reliable and dependable people in our lives.”

“Here, here!” Gary said and raised his glass.

“I'm not finished yet.” I said.

“Eh, it's good enough.” Gary said and a few people laughed.

I smiled. “As I was saying, this had only started out as a small dinner for very close friends that I hadn't seen in a while, then I had a particularly boisterous run-in with King Rivers and the royal family...”

Rose laughed softly and then covered her mouth.

“...and one thing led to another. I'll skip over the sensitive parts that are technically state secrets now, thanks to the documents I signed at the time.”

Alex and Donna had smirks on their faces, because they had taken the regeneration potion before then.

“After that, the guest list expanded out to include everyone that we wanted to let know that I was officially granted ownership of the marsh where I grew up in. Because the amount of land is quite significant... thousands of square miles worth in fact... I was also granted a full Lord title because of it.”

A few people looked shocked at my words, namely Mona and Selena, Gary, Anna, Nancy, and a few others that hadn't seen me in a while. A few people clapped, and the rest looked like they already knew.

“This meal is a celebration of that, of good friends that will come when called, even for something so simple as a meal with me, and for the king's birthday.” I said and raised my glass high as my hand gave Helena's shoulder a squeeze. “I dedicate this opening toast to all of you. I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for your help at the most opportune times. So, thank you for everything you've done for me.”

They all raised their glasses and took a sip. The only two that hesitated slightly were Mona and Selena and they gave me sad looks as they took a sip. I hid my smile as I sipped and then waved my hand at the kitchen door and let out a bit of magic. That surprised a few people there, then the entire kitchen staff came out and started serving the first course of the meal. Light conversation started as people ate their salads.

“That was quite the speech.” The queen whispered.

“It was the truth.” I whispered back. “Each and every person here has helped me at specific junctions in my life. If it wasn't for their help or influence, my life would be so much different right now.”

“Even us?” Rose asked.

“Especially you.” I responded and she smiled and blushed at the same time.

“How did I help?” The queen asked a minute later.

“You raised a very intelligent daughter. If it wasn't for your hand in that, I would have been subject to the whims of the kingdom's standard contracts because Rose wouldn't have pointed them out for me.”

The queen gave me a searching look and then looked at her daughter. “You really meant it when you said I've been intentionally dressing her down.”

“I did. You want to keep her as your beautiful little girl for as long as possible, so it's understandable.” I explained. “I would suggest keeping that aspect of her for your personal and private family time, since when out in public, you don't want people to see her as immature or not influential. She's the second princess.”

The queen blushed a little. “I was given full command to raise her how I wanted without the royal family's restrictions on raising a future ruler.”

“Mother.” Rose whispered. “You did a great job.”

“You did, considering she'll be a better ruler than Ellen.” I said and both of them gasped.

“David, you can't say things like that.” Helen cautioned me.

“Why not? It's the truth.” I said.

“It's treason.” Rose whispered. “You can't speak ill of the next ruler.”

“She's going to be the next ruler?” I asked, surprised.

The queen sighed. “Yes. My husband, in his naivety, has recused our eldest son for incompetence and sent him off to pasture.”

“What's that mean?” I asked.

“He's ruling over the kingdom's farmland that's a very safe distance away from everything, let alone the war front.” Rose said.

“Oh, so my prediction that you'd be next in line was right.” I said and both women widened their eyes at me.

“It's true.” Donna said. “He guessed that way back before we started on the plans to take out the dragons and move the war to the Eastern Empire.”

“R-really?” Rose asked and gave me a penetrating stare.

Gillis leaned in close. “I was there. His words about you being next gave me the courage to talk to Ellen about the unfairness of her plans.”

“She never told me that.” Rose said.

“I doubt she tells a lot of people much of anything, considering how she was raised.” I said and they all looked at me again. “She was raised to be a great military leader, to command forces to their deaths and achieve victory for the kingdom. I've had extensive experience with her command abilities and she doesn't really consider people's personal feelings when making her decisions.”

The queen looked a little upset and Rose put a hand on hers.

“He's right. The only people she really cares about are us.” Rose admitted.

“That's why my argument worked.” Gillis said and the queen reluctantly nodded.

“That's all water under the bridge, as Gary would say.” I said and they all looked back at me. “We're all here now and all we can do is move forward...” I sat back and waved my hand at the kitchen door with more magic. “...to the next course of the meal.”

Helena laughed softly, Gillis chuckled, Vanessa laughed and had to cover her mouth to stop it, which meant she had taken her potions, and Rose gave her mother a huge smile.

“All right.” The queen said and smiled back. “The past is past and we've established bonds of friendship and understanding because of it.”

“Exactly.” Rose said as the kitchen staff replaced the empty salad bowls with a light soup. “We came here to celebrate with David and his family, so let's do just that.”

“We will... right after I say something.” The queen said and leaned in close to whisper to me. “Thank you for your help with the king and Melanie.”

“Did it work?” I asked back in a whisper.

“She's been much more relaxed around me and she's stopped trying to copy everything I do.” The queen whispered back.

“That's not what I meant.” I whispered and stared into her eyes. “Did it work?”

The queen's face flushed red as she blushed, then she leaned in very close to put her mouth next to my ear. “We can't announce it until next month until after the king's birthday.” She breathed. “Yes, she's pregnant.”

“I'm glad you're so happy to have another child to raise.”

The queen lightly kissed my cheek. “I really am. Thank you.” She leaned back and started eating her soup. Rose gave me a knowing smile and started eating, too.

Helena and Vanessa gave me pointed looks and I slightly shook my head as I mouthed the word 'later'.

The meal progressed and we shared polite conversation, then Vanessa's parents brought up the new business. Well, that topic ran all the way around the table and everyone started talking about it. It dominated the conversation for the rest of the meal because it was all so new and exciting. The only two people not enjoying it were Mona and Selena, because both of them knew that the business was going to severely cut into their family's profits.

When the subject of the first large scale product being produced was a ship that was a quarter size smaller than a clipper ship, Mona's face was both shocked and embarrassed. Nothing smaller than a clipper ship had ever been built before, because current construction methods and the wood used made it so that a clipper ship was the very smallest full scale ship that people could make.

Ships could be made much larger than that and take that much longer to make; but, clipper ships were the quickest. Three months was the estimate for a clipper ship, not counting the furnishings and details. Each larger scale ship would add a month or more. It was a bottleneck that even adding more workers couldn't overcome, because it had to be done a certain way and that was that.

“We'll be done at the end of the week.” Baroness Sellwafer said and complete silence fell in the room as all other conversations stopped. “The new construction methods and materials that Lord Drake's construction crews use have revolutionized our production.”

“You can't possibly build a ship's hull in a week.” Mona said from down the table. “It's not physically possible. I admit that I haven't seen David's crews and their construction prowess firsthand and only the results...”

“Mother, they rebuilt the dorm mansion in a week.” Helena reminded her and looked at her sister. “You saw it before and after, Selena. How big is the building?”

Selena opened her mouth and then closed it. I could tell that she didn't want to admit that a ship could easily fit inside if there were no floors or internal walls.

“A ship is much smaller.” Helena said and looked at the Baroness. “I assume you meant the entire ship will be done and not just the hull.”

The Baroness smiled. “Even the full masts and sails with all the rigging. The men are so excited about the progress they are making.”

“Will it be done by the weekend?” I asked and she nodded. “I'll come by to pay for it and pick it up.”

“You ordered it?” Mona asked, shocked.

“I wanted to own the first one ever produced.” I said with a shrug. “It's a test of concept because it'll be the first ever solid wood ship using the new construction methods. Since I can't build it myself, I commissioned the Sellwafers to do it for me.”

“I definitely want one if it works.” Alex said and everyone looked at him. “I've been on David's boats before. If it's as solid as them, I want one.”

“Of course you do.” Donna said with a roll of her eyes. “Who are you going to get to sail it for you?”

“I'll figure something out later.” Alex said smugly and she laughed.

“I would want one as well.” Rose said and the queen gave her a surprised look. “Father's been wanting a little runabout to tour the harbour for years.”

“He has been eyeing that decommissioned dreadnought for a while.” The queen said. “All right. If you think he'll like it, we can get one for him as a birthday present.”

Rose beamed a smile at her. “Thank you, mother.” She looked at the Baroness. “As soon as David takes his out on the water to test it, the royal family wants the next one you make.”

The Baroness was surprised and recovered quickly. “O-of course, princess. Our humble establishment would be honoured to provide the same ship for you.”

“Wonderful.” Rose said and reached across the table to shake her hand and seal the deal. “I'll come by with David on the weekend to see the thing for myself.”

“Why don't we all go?” Lady Marks suggested and a lot of heads nodded in agreement. “We are all staying here for the king's birthday anyway, so we might as well stick around and witness the next wonder that Lord Drake is involved in.”

“I think that's a great idea.” Lady Bassinger said. “I can't wait to see it for myself.”

“It's going to be another event, isn't it?” Greta asked with a chuckle and her sister laughed.

“It always is.” Helena said and took my hand. “I wouldn't have it any other way.”

I turned to her and gave her a kiss, which made a few people say 'aw'.

The meal continued on after that, each course more delicious than the last.