kitchen_maid | (no subject)

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In the two weeks since the Ordinary Princess was last here, autumn has arrived in the Forest of Faraway. But this is that perfect moment in autumn, the one you remember. The leaves have turned, but few have fallen. The weather has turned cooler, but it's still warm in the sun. It's a beautiful day for a picnic.

The Ordinary Princess stands very still in the clearing, head tilted back to look at the trees and the sky, the squirrels chasing each other around her feet. "This is the Forest of Faraway," she says, eyes still on the trees. And then she turns to look at Caspian. "This is home."

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"It's very good to have family," she says, with a smile.

"I wonder if anyone has ever caught your stag and then wished that he hadn't."

"Do you know, I'm not sure," he says, thoughtfully, "although anything that can give you wishes is to be treated very carefully, indeed. Creatures or objects that magical sometimes have intentions of their own, whether they are for good or ill."

She looks at him for a long moment, and then begins to laugh. She tries to say something, but can't stop laughing.

It's probably not a polite response to what he just said, but she can't help it.

He rolls his eyes.

"Alright, never mind," he says, laughing back at her. "I give up. Where are those blackberries?"

"I'm sorry, Caspian," she says, as the laughter subsides. "It's just . . . you can't possibly think I didn't know that, can you? After the 'incident' at my christening?"

"The blackberries are just around that turn," she says, pointing.

He makes a face at her, and heads off in that direction.

"At least your family didn't try to kill you," he calls over his shoulder, grinning. "and I think it's rather for the best your godmothers sadi what they did. Ah, here they are!"

She rushes a bit to catch up to him. "Oh, it's definitely for the best."

She frowns. "Why did your family try to kill you, Caspian? That doesn't make any sense at all."

There's really an awful lot she doesn't know about him. And she's a little surprised that he can refer to it that casually.

He looks a little surprised.

"Didn't I tell you about that?"

Her expression tells him otherwise, so he waits for her to catch up and heads to the blackberries, plucking a few and handing them to her with a smile.

"They wanted to kill me because I was the son of the true king, and while my Uncle Miraz was childless, he didn't whether I inherited the throne when he died or not, but eventually he and his wife had a son, so they decided to get rid of me."

His attention diverted to the berries, he tells the story fairly causually. It's been a long time for him, now.

[ooc: Yeah, ok, so he has told her that. Sorry. Mun's mind is . . . something. But watch the attempt at recovery.]

She accepts the berries, but doesn't eat any of them.

"Well, yes, that you've mentioned, but what about the rest of your family? They just . . . went along with him? And doesn't it bother you?"

[ooc: *applauds*]

He takes a few berries for himself, and offers one to Peter Aurelious.

"Well," he says, thinking back, "both of my parents were dead, and the seven lords who might have been loyal to me rather than to Miraz had been sent off on a journey from which they never returned, so I didn't exactly have anyone there to stand up for me until I could do it myself. And you have to realize that I didn't realize for quite a while that Miraz was not the true king, only a usurper."

[ooc: *bows*]

Peter Aurelious accepts the blackberry with a "Qwa."

"Oh, Caspian," she says, because it sounds quite dreadful to the Ordinary Princess. "Your uncle is the one Peter fought on your behalf? So I can guess what happened to him. What happened to your aunt and your cousin?"

"As a matter of fact, Peter didn't kill Miraz," he says, grinning at Peter Aurelious, who says "Qwa" back at him and blinks in a dignified manner.

"One of his one men did, while he was lying on the groud. Terrible, really--Miraz was never very kind to me, but he was the only family I'd ever known, and I'd have wished him a better end than that. His wife and my cousin were sent by Aslan with all the other Telmarines who wished to go to an island somewhere in Peter's world, actually."

Peter Aurelious does everything in a dignified manner.

"Oh," she says. "I'm sorry you didn't have a kinder family. And, for it's worth, I promise never to try to kill you."

He laughs.

"Well, that is very kind, Amy, thank you. And you, it wasn't so bad. I had a very wonderful nurse, and Doctor Cornelius was a fine tutor and friend. I suppose it explains why I rather adopted myself into Peter's family, though."

She smiles at him. "Adopted families are excellent things."

Peter Aurelious says, "Qwa."

"And do Forest of Faraway blackberries meet with you approval?"

He tries one, and chews it thoughtfully. Peter Aurelious quirks his head at him.

"Qwa," Caspian says at him. "Yes, they're very good indeed."

She smiles. "And would you care for lunch, such as it is?"

"That'd be lovely," he says, and looks about.

"Where should we set up?"

"Oh, anywhere. It's not very grand, I'm afraid."

It's apples, slightly stale cake, odds and ends of bread, and walnuts they'll have to share with Mr. Pemberthy.

"Near the pool, maybe, so we can get the blackberry juice off our fingers, and the water will be near at hand if we get thirsty."

"It doesn't need to be grand," he says, "I'm just glad to be out here with you, Amy."

He heads towards the pool and lays out a cloth for them to sit on a short distance from the water.

As the Ordinary Princess sets out the food, Mr. Pemberthy comes hopping over (walnuts!), alone.

"Oh, dear," she says. "He's lost Simon Perryvall again. Caspian, would you excuse me for a moment?"

And she's off without waiting for an answer.

"Of..."

He looks up, and sees that he's alone, for the moment.

"Course?"

Shrugging, he continues setting out the food, whistling a bit.

"You are not meant to be here, young man."

If Caspian turns around, he's going to a woman standing half in, half out of the pool behind him. She's leaning on a knobbly branch of coral, and her long grey green hair is dripping onto a robe that appears to be made of seaweed. She's regarding Caspian steadily through horn-rimmed spectacles.

Caspian turns, and gives a short yelp of surprise. There are some things fifty years of kingship simply can't prepare you for, and the sight of an old woman regarding you from a pool through horn-rimmed glasses is one of them.

Recovering, he makes a graceful bow, and stands straight.

"I cry your mercy, madam, but I don't know what you mean."

"I suspect you know exactly what I mean," she says, drily. Or, well, not drily but . . . nevermind.

"You're not a part of this world, are you? How did you get here?"