kitchen_maid | Late April, The Forest of Faraway, Just Outside Amber

Late April, The Forest of Faraway, Just Outside Amber

One of the favorite topics of discussion among Amy's ladies-in-waiting in recent months has been speculating about which of the King of Ambergeldar's many castles he would be taking his bride home to. Amy would just laugh, and say she didn't know, and she couldn't guess, and she was sure it would be lovely, wherever it was. And despite the hours and hours of chatter on the subject, no one ever even came close to actually guessing.

Perry had started working on it partly, or even mainly, to pass the time between reading Amy's letters and writing back to her. That it proved to be an excellent way to hide from his Council was a bonus. And he's terribly proud of it -- this little one-roomed house he's built in a clearing in the Forest -- even though there's no glass in the two windows and no lock on the door. But there's a fireplace (and he was delighted when, the first time he used it, the smoke actually went up the chimney rather than filling the room), and a window seat, and tiny table and chairs, and bed in the corner, and enough room outside to dance.

Because sometimes you just have to run away and live in the Forest. Even if only for a little while.

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He is really very proud of it.

Taking her by the hand, he leads Amy into the tiny clearing and, on impulse, twirls her about before gesturing to the house with a wide-flung arm and a very nice smile--the kind that crinkles up the corners of his eyes, looking back at her excitedly.

"Well? What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect," says Amy, with a smile of her own. "Where did it come from?"

She's fairly certian she could guess, but then he doesn't get to tell her.

"I built it!" he says, with a certain degree of pride, and hardly lets her get a good look at the outside before he hurries her through the door to show her around.

"In between your letters and during the days I simply couldn't stand another Council meeting. Do you really like it? What will we call it?"

"I adore it," she says. "And I think you're frightfully clever to have built it. As for a name . . . don't let's call it anything palacey or castle-ish. Let's give it a nice ordinary sort of name."

"Well..." He steps back outside (it isn't that far) and looks up at the house thoughtfully.

"Let's call it 'The Birches.' That's ordinary enough, and besides, there are two silver birches right beside the door."

"Let's," says Amy.

A pause, and then a slow, mischievious smile.

"Where does your Council think we are, Perry?"

He squints up at the birches.

"Today is Thursday? I do think we are visiting my summer castle, at a lake on the far Eastern border of Ambergeldar. We're set to host quite a large dinner and boating party this afternoon, I believe."

"Are we?" asks Amy, raising an eyebrow. "And won't we be missed, at this dinner and boating party?"

"Oh, no," he says, airily, and takes both of her hands to lead her back outside and swing her around cheerfully. There might be a few dance steps, but they are very loose.

"No, there's no worry of that in the least. You know, kitchen maid."

"Good. This is much better than a large dinner party," she says, laughing. "I think I've had enough dinner parties to last me years and years and years."

She looks back at the little house.

"I don't suppose we could just stay here, could we?"

"AS long as we like," he tells her, cheerfully. "No-one knows where to find us, and the weather will be holding for quite a while now it's spring. And we've enough to live on here, though it is quite small."

"It's big enough," says Amy, settling confortably into his arms. "And I think at some point you have to go back and run Ambergeldar. But the Council should be able to run things without you for a few weeks. So we shan't have to worry about that, or them."

"After that wedding, I wasn't sure I'd ever be allowed enough time with you, my kitchen maid," he says, and wraps his arms tight around her waist, putting his head on her shoulder to kiss her neck lightly.

"At least when we need to run away, we'll have a place to run to."

"Do you know, Perry, that the loveliest thing about that wedding is that we never ever have to have another one as long as we live."

And then she giggles. "That tickles."

"I agree," he says. "And I hope it was the last time I shall have to wear ermine."

And does it more, grinning as she squirms.

Amy suspects he'll be disappointed in that hope.

"Perry . . ." she half-says and half-laughs, fingers coming up to tangle in his hair.

He laughs too, and turns her around in his arms to kiss her quite firmly on the mouth.

"Welcome to your castle, Queen Amy!" he laughs.

She laughs more. "That sounds so strange," she says, kissing him again. "But I think I shall enjoy getting used to it."

He takes her hands, and steps backwards into the small house, pulling her gently with him.

"I've spent all winter wondering how you would like it," he says, smiling broadly. "And it isn't quite finished, but you shan't mind helping me, will you?"

"Not in the slightest," she says, letting herself be pulled. "I promised to make curtains for it, didn't I? When we decided to run away months and months ago.

"I love it. I love you."

"I love you, too, kitchen maid."

He shows her around the small house, pointing out every detail until they've prowled thoroughly around and have had to return to the clearing to sit and eat some sandwiches. Perry offers his crusts to Simon Perryvall.

Simon Perryvall takes the crusts very gravely, then scampers off with them before Mr. Pemberty can steal them.

"What's left to be done?" Amy asks, lying back to look up at the house and the sky about the clearing.

"Oh, curtains, of course, and I've got to chop some firewood. I didn't have much time left to make it comfortable, I'm afraid, so that will have to be arranged, and won't it be fun, Amy?"

"It will. And I think we'll be quite comfortable. It's certainly more civilized than the last time I ran off to live in the Forest."

She smiles up at him.

"I still can't quite believe I'm not going to wake up in a moment, and be back in Phanff with people all around telling me how gallant and handsome and regal you are. I missed you dreadfully this winter, Perry. And oh I would have loved to have seen your face when that 'portrait' showed up."

"That was quite a portrait," he agrees, sitting down and putting his hands behind his head.

"It doesn't really look a thing like you. Did you model for it at all?"

"Of course," she said. "I sat very still for a very long time. But I think he painted Pearl from memory and made the hair darker.

"Mama was afraid you'd change your mind, I think, if you knew about the nose."

Which her smile is currently wrinkling up.

He leans over to kiss her nose.

"I adore your nose. We'd have to get you a proper portrait, except that sitting for them is so deadly dull. So I suppose we're stuck with that one."

"I suppose we are," she agrees cheerfully.

"Do you have any horridly flattering portraits hanging about? I think I should know before I am startled by them, Perry."

"That wouldn't be fair in the least," he disagrees, quite as cheerfully. "I've no doubt you'll come upon them soon."

"Because it's an excellent idea to have your Council decide that the new queen is quite mad, when they come upon her standing about giggling at portraits of her husband," she says, nodding ever-so-solemnly.

He wrinkles his nose at her.

"One never knows. Perhaps that could be my new lever, now that they can no longer try to marry me off to some Princess or another."

There's an arch of an eyebrow.

"Did you just call me a lever?"

"No," peacefully. "I called my availabilty a lever. Which it was."

"Oh. Well," she says, pausing long enough to kiss him, "that's all right, then. Did you get something good in exchange for finally agreeing to get married, Perry?"

"I got you, kitchen maid," he tells her, and kisses her again with an arm around her waist to pull her closer.

"There isn't anything better."

A bright smile, as she lets herself be pulled again.

"That's not what I meant," she says, "but it's a very good answer. In fact . . ." but then he moves to kiss her neck again, and she trails off, laughing.

She's still laughing a moment later when he picks her up and carries her across the threshold and into the little house and closes the door behind them.

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Late April, The Forest of Faraway, Just Outside Amber

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