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

[parkerlee]

"The giant pendulum is probably the most relevant bit."

Really, Meg is sure to get the whole story in hairy detail. Just probably not in strict order.

"We figured that a clockwork world plus a giant pendulum probably added up to something that meant something."

"So, we--well, Scorpius--got that stopped. And that's when the chiming started."

[noteful]

"And everything else started falling apart," Meg says.

"We heard the chime, on the other side of the lake.

"And then stacks of papers started falling over."

[parkerlee]

"I think everything started falling over at that point."

It had felt like that, anyway.

"So, we all got out of the castle, though I'm not sure I could tell you how. And by that time, the lake had started to drain."

"And Scorpius goes tearing back into the castle. To get brooms, it turned out."

Parker takes hold of a strand of her own hair and holds it up in front of her eyes.

"If I wake up with white hair, I'm chalking it up to that."

[noteful]

"You still appear to be blonde," Meg says, a little dryly.

"You know, it never occurred to me anyone really and truly actually flew on brooms.

"And now I've done it.

"And been driven to excessive use of adverbs by it."

[parkerlee]

"Good. I don't think I could rock the Emmylou Harris look."

And a lifetime of hair dye is not appealing.

"That was awesome wasn't it?"

[noteful]

It's a difficult look to rock."

There's a moment, before Meg grins.

"It really was, wasn't it? I mean, unbelievable and a little terrifying, but awesome."

[parkerlee]

"Totally."

Parker pauses before popping a bite of pastry into her mouth.

"We should sweet talk Scorp into taking us for a spin when we're not running for our lives."

[noteful]

"I think technically we were flying for our lives.

"And I'm not sure how I'd feel about it as something to do for fun."

[parkerlee]

"Really? God, I'd love to have an enchanted broom of my own."

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, Parker had highly enjoyed flying on a house-cleaning instrument.

"No gas to buy. No traffic. I could just whoosh on over to the ranch."

[noteful]

"It seems better suited to your part of Texas than to Montreal, really."

There would be a lot of trying to swerve around buildings, for Meg.

"Besides, that would definitely be asking a bit much of Alain."

[parkerlee]

"Unless you got him a helmet and let him ride along."

At least in Montreal there would be fewer cows and horses to spook.

Not to mention fewer people who own shotguns. Or so Parker assumes.

"Tandem broom."

[noteful]

"I'll take that under advisement."

[parkerlee]

"Could be romantic."

Parker grins.

"Like E.T."

[noteful]

"I can't say 'romantic' is the first word that comes to mind for E.T."

[parkerlee]

"Meg Ford, phone home."

Has Parker mentioned that she's sleep deprived?

[noteful]

"I think you might need more tea, Parker," Meg says.

"Come on. Let's find you some caffeine."