April 26, Phantasmorania

Two years ago, Amy sat in her window after her sister Pearl's wedding, and dreaded having to marry a handsome husband with no sense of humor, and fill her days with crowns and court curtseys and state banquets and no more climbing trees.

A year ago, she climbed out of her window precisely to avoid that happening, having decided that she wasn't going to marry anyone ever, and certainly not a silly handsome prince, and ran off to become a kitchen maid.

Seven months ago, she stood at her window and watched the handsome king she had agreed to marry, riding back through the Forest until she could no longer even pretend that she could make him out amongst the trees.

And today she is up before dawn, perched on her windowsill, watching it get lighter and lighter over the Forest. Perry is arriving later today. (Perry. Algernon Peregrine Humphrey Archibald Lysander . . . Lysander . . . oh, bother . . . Lysander Something Percival Hugh.)

She's still sitting there when Nurse Marta bustles in at nine, with tea and scones on a tray, and a small horde of ladies-in-waiting and maids-of-honor, who are are all properly horrified (if not surprised) to find Her Serene and Royal Highness in her window in her nightdress.

They chatter and laugh like a flock of starlings as they brush and twist and pin Amy's hair, lace and button her into a magnificent gown with a ten foot train, and then add what Amy thinks must be half the contents of the Royal Treasury. Amy looks in the mirror and wonders if Perry will recognize her. (Perry. Algernon Peregrine Humphrey Archibald Lysander . . . Lysander . . .)

"Marta?" Amy says.

"Yes, Princess Amy?"

"What comes after 'Lysander'?"

"Ferdinand," says Nurse Marta promptly. Amy is the only person in the room, and possibly the palace, who cannot remember this by now.

"Ferdinand," repeats Amy. "Algernon Peregrine Humphrey Archibald Lysander Ferdinand Percival Hugh."

And then there is a hubbub from the Courtyard that can be heard even through the windows in Amy's high turret room and that can only mean one thing -- King Algernon of Ambergeldar has arrived in Phantasmorania at the head of a glittering cavalcade of knights, barons, and fair ladies. And not quite an hour later, in the great throne room in the palace of Phanff, His Majesty King Hulderbrand takes his youngest daughter by the hand and leads her forward to meet the King of Ambergeldar.

"My daughter, Amethyst," says King Hulderbrand, a little flustered by the grandeur of the occasion. "Amy, this is Algernon."

Amy manages not to giggle as she sweeps the most beautiful curtsey.

She is more dressed up than he has ever seen her and really looks quite smothered in jewels. But Perry sees only that among the glittering diamonds and ropes of gleaming pearls, her Serene and Royal Highness, Princess Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne of Phantasmorania is wearing a little necklace of blue and green and periwinkle glass beads.

His Majesty of Ambergeldar replies to the princess's curtsey with the most courtly of bows. He is dressed every bit as magnificently as she is and looks very kingly indeed.

"Oh, dear," thinks Amy in a bit of a panic, "he doesn't seem a bit like my Perry!"

Then the heralds blow a fanfare on their silver trumpets, and King Algernon winks at the princess.

"Oh, Perry," whispers Amy, under cover of the fanfare, "it is you, after all."

"Of course it's me," whispers Perry, "but do try and look as though we've only just been introduced this minute."

"I'll try," giggles Amy, "but I do really believe it's the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

After that, there are no more chances for stolen conversation -- this day is structured and busy and formal and very very public. But Amy finds she doesn't mind (much) that their conversation that day has to be polite and trivial and mostly meaningless. It's enough to see him, hear him, find ways to brush her hand against his at the banquet in the evening.

And after the banquet, when she takes her leave and retires (early, as today has been long and tomorrow will be longer), Perry bows over her hand in the most proper and courtly of ways. But he also slips her a note.

Until tomorrow, kitchen maid. P.

Amy sleeps all that night -- the last night she'll sleep in her turret room with its amethyst-colored tapestry and her window that looks out over the Forest -- with a smile on her face and Perry's note clutched in her hand.

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.