kitchen_maid | Wayback Machine Thread

Courtiers aren't a patch on an (overly protective, perhaps) elder brother, especially one who's been out working by the stables and has now jogged over to give her a concerned look, his hand at her back.

"Amy, should you really be out walking?"

And they all pale in comparison to concerned husbands.

He gets one of those smiles that wrinkles up her nose.

"At a sedate pace, on a fine day, with my older brother keeping an eye on me?

"Yes, Caspian, I'm fine."

That smile gets one in return, though Caspian never does quite wrinkle his nose.

For some reason, it isn't an expression encouraged in kings, though he finds it adorable on Amy.

"Well, then," he says, a little at a loss, because the Lion knows Amy will do what she thinks best, "as long as we keep it sedate, then."

But he does walk with his hand on her back, just in case.

"I'm glad you decided to drop in today, Amy."

"I promise that I shan't even attempt moderate," Amy says, ever-so-very solemnly.

But her expression grows a bit more serious at his other statement.

"That sounds a bit like the beginning of a Conversation, Caspian."

"Good," he says, trying to be stern. "I'd much rather not get on Perry's bad side by letting anything happen to you here, even if it is only a moderately-paced walk."

He's keeping his tone light, because there's no point in alarming her, is there? Only, Amy has always been able to see through his facades.

As she'd said, kings are terrible at sneaking.

"Can't I just be glad to see you?" he asks, smiling, but she looks serious, so he ducks his head and rubs at the back of his neck.

"The Door came back for Eustace and Tirian."

She knows him.

And, yes, he's terrible at sneaking.

Amy stops walking, sedately or otherwise.

"Did it?"

He nods.

"Yes. So they're...going back. Quite soon."

They would have left already, perhaps, but he'd asked for some time to make arrangements and say farewells, and they'd granted it.

Amy's stopped, so he stops too, and turns to her, brow furrowing slightly. "I'm going to go with them, Amy."

"Perhaps we should sit, after all," Amy says, finally.

Though he may have to help her back up.

"Of course."

He walks her over towards a nearby log that seems comfortable enough -- she should be able to lean back against the trunk of the tree it's up against, while he sits nearby after helping her sit, his hands clasped loosely together and his forearms on his thighs as he leans forward to study her.

"I didn't want to say anything right away," he says, finally. "I'm sorry for startling you."

Amy smiles a little. "Well, I wasn't quite expecting you to go to such lengths to keep me from walking when you didn't think I should."

Amy settles her own hands on the curve of her stomach.

"Are you coming back?

"Any of you?"

His own smile is just as small, but very fond. "I can be very imaginative," he promises, but he can't really, and it's all just absurdity anyway that neither of them is really paying attention to.

Her question, however, deserves consideration, and that's what he gets, as he shifts a little on the log to sit back.

"Well, Tirian will stay, of course, as he's King," he says, without mentioning that all of this is assuming they win. "Though I'm sure he'd like to come back, from time to time. I couldn't really say about Eustace. As for me, I certainly plan to."

As long as the Door is still there, as long as they win, as long as nothing happens.

"If you can," Amy finishes, for him.

"What are you going back to?"

He nods, again. Amy is Wise, after all.

"If I can."

The other question is a deal more difficult, but he can't hem and haw over it for long, or she'll know it's worse than he's letting on, so he just shakes his head. "It's a rather nasty situation, as I understand it. There's an invasion force from Calormen. Tirian needs all the help and hands he can get. I suppose there will be a deal of fighting."

"I'm going to assume, dear my lord brother, that you are trying not to alarm me, and not that you're actually heading into a situation like that without an accurate understanding of it," Amy says, with just the hint of a Look that is equal parts Sister and Queen.

"You will be careful, won't you?"

She isn't quite scolding, but he gives her a wry look, anyway.

"It's my prerogative," he says, but she's right, of course, so he nods.

"It's going to be a very messy business. Narnia has been completely invaded, and her armies are scattered, her soldiers confused and lost. But yes. Rest assured that I do, in fact, know what I've gotten myself into. Tirian and Eustace and I have talked and we've come up with a strategy we think will work."

His voice is quiet, but level, and now he reaches to take his sister's hand, a smile flickering at the corners of his mouth before fading again.

"I promise. Besides, this is something I'm really quite good at, you know."

Just because she knows his light tone is for her benefit doesn't mean he's going to stop.

"And once a king in Narnia, always a king in Narnia."

Knowing the situation, what else could she expect him to do?

Amy laces her fingers through Caspian's.

"It's my prerogative to worry as much as it is yours not to want to worry me.

"That's what you get when you acquire a sister."

"Yes."

He might be being especially optimistic so she doesn't worry, but Amy knows plenty of Narnia's history, and his own personal part in it. She knows this is nothing he hasn't seen before, and also that there's a great deal more to worry about than he's letting on.

But she's letting him pretend, because she knows he needs to, he supposes.

He pats the back of her hand with his free one and smiles for her.

"Well, I can't argue with that, but do try not to worry too much, Amy. I'm dead sure worrying is far worse than walking for a lady in your condition."

It's what she can do for him.

And so she will do it.

"Fortunately, this particular lady received Health from a fairy at her christening," Amy says.

Amy looks over at the lake for a second and them back to her brother.

"When is 'quite soon'?"

"Fairly useful, those fairy gifts," he muses, but she's looking away, so he goes quiet for a moment until she looks back at him, and then it's his turn to look away, back towards the bar, considering.

"Perhaps tomorrow. They're quite keen to get going as soon as possible, you know, but I have things here I need to make sure are taken care of before I go off anywhere for a length of time."

Amy's eyes get very wide.

"That quite soon?"

He looks uncomfortable, and rubs at the back of his neck.

"Tirian is understandably somewhat impatient to get back. We'll go as soon as everything's settled."

"Well," Amy says.

And then pauses for a longer time then she means to.

"Maybe that's the best way to do it," she says, finally. "When Susan left . . . once she knew she was going . . . I don't think those last weeks were easy for her. Maybe . . . maybe if you have to go, quickly is the best way to do it.

"I'll bring Susan to visit tomorrow, so you can see her before you go."

He presses his lips into a line, watching her, and shakes his head, but only just slightly, because she's not wrong.

Those last weeks weren't easy on anyone.

"This isn't quite the same thing," he says, gently. "But aye. Drawing out preparations wouldn't help us in this case, and it wouldn't help anyone here, either. I've found a good man to take charge of the stables, so you needn't worry about Kiseki or Dar."

And this way, there isn't too much time to think. He always has been better with action than consideration.

"Thank you, Amy. I'd like that." He gives her a smile. "Please send my regards to Perry, as well."

"I wasn't worried about that at all. You'd never go off without making provisions for the horses."

Not given the sort of person he is.

And not given the person who gave him care of the stables.

"If there's anything else you need me to take care of here in your absence, let me know."

"If I think of anything, I'll let you know," he promises.

He'd rather not leave anything for Amy to take care of, of course, but ... wanting to come back is no guarantee that he will, and just in case, there are some things that will need to be kept care of by someone other than him.

"For now, all I'd like is to spend some time with my sister. Perhaps some tea would be nice."

That's one of the other things you get when you acquire a sister. Someone to look after things while you're away.

However long that should be.

"There should always be tea," Amy agrees.

"And I'll tell you all about Susan's budding skills in international diplomacy. She's showing a remarkable ability to know just when to smile at the grumpiest of our current lot of ambassadors."

Wayback Machine Thread

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject