Amy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kitchen_maid) wrote2006-07-30 01:43 pm
kitchen_maid) wrote2006-07-30 01:43 pm
April 27, Phantasmorania, Amy And Perry's Wedding
The wedding of King Algernon and Princess Amethyst, in the great cathedral at Phanff, performed by no fewer than twenty archbishops, is the most magnificent of ceremonies. Amy wears a dress with a train that is seventeen yards long and takes twenty pages to carry it, and Perry (after careful consideration) reluctantly accepts that there is really no way to avoid ermine. Amy manages to get Perry's name mostly right, remembering the Ferdinand but omitting the Archibald.
The wedding is followed by the very grandest and most festive of balls, which Amy and Perry will spend most of standing in a receiving line. ("But at least," Perry says to her, "we get to stand around for hours and hours together.") There's only a moment for each guest, except of course for the Old Fairy Crustacea, as no one is about to hurry her along.
"I haven't sent you a wedding present," she says, as she kisses the bride, "because my presents are not the kind that can be tied up with paper and string. But bend your head, my dear." Then she taps the Ordinary Princess, who is now the Queen of Ambergeldar, on the forehead with her twisty coral stick. "You shall always keep the love of your husband and the respect and devotion of your subjects," says Crustacea. "You shall have four gallant sons and two darling daughters, and you shall live happily all your days!"
"Now that," says Perry, "is something like a wedding present!"
"Yes, thank you, Godmama," says Amy, "for everything."
But other than that, there is only time for quick hugs and a few words for her friends. She tells Ingress that there are icing roses on the cake especially for her, one of the few things Amy has insisted on, content to let her mother handle most of the details. Henry makes a point of studying Perry as closely as he can in thirty seconds, leaving Perry slightly bemused and Amy trying very hard to hide a smile.
Amy is fairly certain she can follow Logan's progress around the room by tracking a particular type of feminine laughter. Nor is it hard to find Susan and Phil, both of whom have attracted trains of handsome and eligible noblemen, all of whom will be quite disappointed when their councilors can find no trace of either lady in the coming months.
Eustace tries to stick close to his cousins, not having a great deal of experience with royal events, then somehow winds up in a long involved conversation with King Hulderbrand about shipping (of all things) that lasts until Queen Rodehesia arrives to pull her husband away to talk to his other guests. Tom and the Court Magician are in the middle of comparing notes on glamours and vanishing spells when Door and Ingress drag him off to dance.
Because of course there is dancing, and a great deal of it, which means Meg is in her element, picking up new steps easily, possibly showing off just a little, and stealing the attentions of more than one brave knight from other fair ladies. Mendanbar and Cimorene's dancing leaves out most of the "proper" steps, but adds a great many extra twirls. Amy scarcely gets to dance at her own wedding, but she finds or makes time to dance with her brother once. And when the song ends, Caspian kisses his sister's forehead before handing her back to her husband.
Crustacea is in a remarkably good temper at her goddaughter's wedding, and stays until quite late, talking a great deal to Professor Lyon about all manner of things, and even taking a turn about the dance floor with him. Professor Lyon, no stranger to court functions, is quite gallant, even as his dance partner's seaweedy robes leave a damp track on the polished floor behind them.
There's a great deal of laughing and jostling and calling when it comes time for Amy to throw her bouquet from the landing at the top of the grand staircase. (Amy has carried white lilies and wisteria from outside her bedroom window -- one of the other few things she insisted on.) Meg disappears hurriedly behind a pillar, apparently still worried about malicious bouquet aiming. But Amy tosses it sideways, away from the crowd below her and toward the table where Lucy is sitting with Caspian. Lucy (despite looking a bit tired this evening) catches it easily, and begins to laugh. From the slightly quizzical look on Caspian's face, it's clear that this particular tradition has not made it to Narnia, but Lucy can explain later.
Amy turns to look over her shoulder at Perry, and laughs as he takes both her hands and pulls her out of view of the ballroom below. It's the closest thing they've had to any privacy since he arrived. He raises her hand to his lips and kisses the tips of her fingers, and the inside of her wrist, then pulls her closer to kiss the hollow of her throat, and the end of her nose, and finally her mouth.
"Happy, kitchen maid?"
"Perfectly, utterly, and completely so," she says, smile wrinkling up her freckled nose.
Downstairs, the musicians begin playing a familiar tune, and Perry waltzes his bride around the landing at the top of the stairs, singing softly, close to her ear,
"Lavender's blue,
"Rosemary's green,
"When I am King
"You shall be Queen."
"And so I am!" says Amy.
The wedding is followed by the very grandest and most festive of balls, which Amy and Perry will spend most of standing in a receiving line. ("But at least," Perry says to her, "we get to stand around for hours and hours together.") There's only a moment for each guest, except of course for the Old Fairy Crustacea, as no one is about to hurry her along.
"I haven't sent you a wedding present," she says, as she kisses the bride, "because my presents are not the kind that can be tied up with paper and string. But bend your head, my dear." Then she taps the Ordinary Princess, who is now the Queen of Ambergeldar, on the forehead with her twisty coral stick. "You shall always keep the love of your husband and the respect and devotion of your subjects," says Crustacea. "You shall have four gallant sons and two darling daughters, and you shall live happily all your days!"
"Now that," says Perry, "is something like a wedding present!"
"Yes, thank you, Godmama," says Amy, "for everything."
But other than that, there is only time for quick hugs and a few words for her friends. She tells Ingress that there are icing roses on the cake especially for her, one of the few things Amy has insisted on, content to let her mother handle most of the details. Henry makes a point of studying Perry as closely as he can in thirty seconds, leaving Perry slightly bemused and Amy trying very hard to hide a smile.
Amy is fairly certain she can follow Logan's progress around the room by tracking a particular type of feminine laughter. Nor is it hard to find Susan and Phil, both of whom have attracted trains of handsome and eligible noblemen, all of whom will be quite disappointed when their councilors can find no trace of either lady in the coming months.
Eustace tries to stick close to his cousins, not having a great deal of experience with royal events, then somehow winds up in a long involved conversation with King Hulderbrand about shipping (of all things) that lasts until Queen Rodehesia arrives to pull her husband away to talk to his other guests. Tom and the Court Magician are in the middle of comparing notes on glamours and vanishing spells when Door and Ingress drag him off to dance.
Because of course there is dancing, and a great deal of it, which means Meg is in her element, picking up new steps easily, possibly showing off just a little, and stealing the attentions of more than one brave knight from other fair ladies. Mendanbar and Cimorene's dancing leaves out most of the "proper" steps, but adds a great many extra twirls. Amy scarcely gets to dance at her own wedding, but she finds or makes time to dance with her brother once. And when the song ends, Caspian kisses his sister's forehead before handing her back to her husband.
Crustacea is in a remarkably good temper at her goddaughter's wedding, and stays until quite late, talking a great deal to Professor Lyon about all manner of things, and even taking a turn about the dance floor with him. Professor Lyon, no stranger to court functions, is quite gallant, even as his dance partner's seaweedy robes leave a damp track on the polished floor behind them.
There's a great deal of laughing and jostling and calling when it comes time for Amy to throw her bouquet from the landing at the top of the grand staircase. (Amy has carried white lilies and wisteria from outside her bedroom window -- one of the other few things she insisted on.) Meg disappears hurriedly behind a pillar, apparently still worried about malicious bouquet aiming. But Amy tosses it sideways, away from the crowd below her and toward the table where Lucy is sitting with Caspian. Lucy (despite looking a bit tired this evening) catches it easily, and begins to laugh. From the slightly quizzical look on Caspian's face, it's clear that this particular tradition has not made it to Narnia, but Lucy can explain later.
Amy turns to look over her shoulder at Perry, and laughs as he takes both her hands and pulls her out of view of the ballroom below. It's the closest thing they've had to any privacy since he arrived. He raises her hand to his lips and kisses the tips of her fingers, and the inside of her wrist, then pulls her closer to kiss the hollow of her throat, and the end of her nose, and finally her mouth.
"Happy, kitchen maid?"
"Perfectly, utterly, and completely so," she says, smile wrinkling up her freckled nose.
Downstairs, the musicians begin playing a familiar tune, and Perry waltzes his bride around the landing at the top of the stairs, singing softly, close to her ear,
"Lavender's blue,
"Rosemary's green,
"When I am King
"You shall be Queen."
"And so I am!" says Amy.