Continental Breakfast Included

[kitchen_maid]

The King and Queen have a great many parlors at their disposal, ranging from the very grand to somewhat very grand.

And then there is this one, which is generally reserved for the use of the family and their closest personal friends. It is a comfortable, sunlit sort of room, where one may find the children's toys and the Amy's embroidery and Perry's carving projects.

It is also where Amy has instructed her staff to lay out a breakfast for her friends this morning. They were all shown back to their rooms for what was left of the night before after their adventures, to at least attempt to get some rest.

Amy herself is a bit busy at the moment catching up on Official Matters: giving reports to the Deputy Captain of the Palace Guard and the Court Historian, seeing to the palace's new ghost (she's settled him in the Northwest tower, which is, she assures him, a perfectly lovely place to haunt), and reassuring her husband that yes, darling, she really is perfectly all right. She'll be along when she can.

In the meantime, everyone is free to make their way into the parlor in their own time. When they arrive, they will likely find company, and definitely find a table laid with everything the kitchens could find to send up: bread and jam and marmalade, cakes and pastries, eggs and bacon and sausages, a giant bowl of fruit, tea and juice and milk.

Comments

[cutting_edgex23]

"Amy is not in a trance. And she is not dancing anymore."

Beat.

"Bruce is not, either. And the bird exploded."

Here X hesitates.

"It is possible for Scorpius to check? Before the court wizard returns."

How concerned do they need to be?

[noteful]

"It's probably possible," Meg says. "And the Queen and King don't really seem like the sort of people who wouldn't make sure that things are done, you know?"

Meg pauses.

"Bruce was dancing?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"It did not interfere with combat."

Much.

"And I did, too. A little."

Here she frowns. The two-step was very unexpected.

"I think."

Beat.

"I do not know why."

[noteful]

"Huh," Meg says, thinking about that one for a moment.

"Maybe it was just that you were that close to it? I don't know. Magic really isn't one of areas of expertise."

[cutting_edgex23]

"It is possible," X acknowledges, after a moment or two of consideration.

"I am not good at magic, either."

Thinking about it is also not high in her list of available skills.

[noteful]

"Well, fortunately, we don't have to be good at everything.

"We just have to know what we're good at.

"And know when to admit that we need help with the rest of it."

[cutting_edgex23]

X nods.

Once.

"Many people are not good at that."

She does not quite understand why.

"It is problematic."

[noteful]

"It is, yes," Meg says.

And while at another time, she might say more about that, right now . . . she's just too tired.

"But I think we did a good job with knowing who to let handle what last night."

And a couple of times, they just got lucky.

[cutting_edgex23]

"It is good Scorpius was here," is X's contribution to this part of the conversation.

"Magic is very strange. And the rules do not make sense."

[noteful]

"Maybe they make sense within the context of magic? I don't know. But there must be some sort of rules that govern it, I would think.

"But, yes. I'm very glad we had someone along to handle it."

[cutting_edgex23]

"Some of my teammates are learning. And Pixie can teleport."

Thus is X's knowledge of magic exhausted.

Oh well.

"You will sleep more? Before you go home."

[noteful]

"Maybe," Meg says. "I don't know. It depends some on how much longer we stay.

"But I'm kind of ready to go home. I miss Alain."

Even if explaining this particular trip is not going to be exactly fun.

[cutting_edgex23]

"You can hug him," X says. "When you get back."

Beat.

"Sometimes that is good."

[noteful]

"I plan to," Meg says.

"Probably more than once."

She'll probably kiss him, too.

[cutting_edgex23]

"It is better if you do not break his ribs."

X is very serious when she says that.

Deadpan, even.

[noteful]

"I'll do my best not to," Meg promises, with a bit of a smile.

"I never have before."

[cutting_edgex23]

"There are better people to practice on."

You know. In case Meg was wondering.

[noteful]

"I'll keep that in mind.

"In case I ever need to practice rib-breaking."

[cutting_edgex23]

"Okay," X says, still very deadpan.

"Good."