Room 203, 7:30 Wednesday Morning

[kitchen_maid]

It was a long night, last night. Amy got in late, and sleep came neither easily nor quickly.

And so, now, even though she's usually up and dressed and busy starting her day by this time, Amy is still curled up in bed, drifting not quite in and not quite out of sleep. Anne has gone off to meet Gilbert for breakfast, and aside from the occasional burst of chatter from the squirrels, the room is still and quiet and peaceful, full of warm sunlight and the soft smell of lavender.

She'll have to get up at some point, and face the day and all it brings.

But not just yet.

Comments

[the_seafarer]

He smiles down at her in response.

"I love you, too, Amy. You are my dear sister.

(I found my family)

"And you are a comfort and a joy to me."

[kitchen_maid]

"And you to me. Best beloved brother."

Her smile, is still small, but it quirks a little.

"Have you eaten?"

He had to know it was coming.

[the_seafarer]

His own mouth quirks, and a spark of amusement shines in his eyes for a moment.

"Sneaky girl. No, I haven't."

He looks at his tea.

"...I haven't had much of an appetite, frankly."

[kitchen_maid]

"No, I don't guess you have." She hasn't either.

But she gets up, and returns a moment later with apples and cookies. It's not really much of a breakfast, and she doubts either of them will do more than pick at it, but it's better than nothing.

She settles back on the floor and offers him an apple and a cookie.

[the_seafarer]

He takes the apple, but instead of biting into it, does something rather odd.

Taking a knife from his pocket, he peels it carefully, and cuts the white flesh into pieces, and eats it slowly, piece by piece.

The last piece he offers to Amy, with an oddly solemn expression.

[kitchen_maid]

"Thank you."

Amy takes it, looking just slighty bemused, and eats it carefully.

[the_seafarer]

"You're welcome," he says, looking strangely more relaxed.

This isn't that apple, and neither he nor Amy are terribly ill, but the old stories are a comfort anyway.

The cookie gets eaten in normal fashion.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy still doesn't understand, but if giving her a piece of an apple makes him happy, all right. She understands that it means something to him, and, really, that's enough.

[the_seafarer]

Someday he'll tell her the story behind it, about the birth of Narnia and the tree that was her shield for hundreds of years, and of the apple that cured a deathly illness...but not today.

He finishes the cookie, and his tea, and puts the cup gently down on Anne's desk.

"Thank you, Amy."

He may or may not be speaking of the food.

[kitchen_maid]

And she'll be here to listen to the story when he decides to tell it.

"You're welcome, Caspian."

She may or may not be talking about the food, either.

But probably not.

[the_seafarer]

He smiles at her, and the silence between them is warm and companionable, and he is loathe to leave.