Late Mardi Gras Night, Hallway Outside Room 203

[kitchen_maid]

Amy makes her way down the hallway, still in the trailing gown of amethyst-colored brocade, and the ropes of diamonds and amethysts, and that ridiculous and heavy for-very-best-occasions crown.

She is not looking especially Cheerful.

All she really wants to do is get to her room and change back into normal clothes.

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[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"Lavender's blue," comes the familiar whistle down the hall, and a quick step. "Rosemary's green--Hallo."

Perry stands there, bewildered a moment, before his automatic reaction kicks in and he bows--graceful, courtly, and utterly dissimiliar to his usual manner of greeting.

It's possible he doesn't exactly recognize her.

[kitchen_maid]

Well, to be fair to Perry, it's kind of hard to see Amy under all the fal-lals and frippereries.

Amy may not be in the mood to be exactly fair to Perry.

So she makes him a curtsey that is every bit as graceful and courtly as his bow was, and says, "Good evening, King Algernon."

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"Good evening," he replies, straightening up and staring at her in some confusion.

"Amy? Is that you?"

[kitchen_maid]

Amy glares.

Just glares.

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

He takes a step back, holding his hands up.

"Alright, it isn't my fault, you know. Whatever it is."

[kitchen_maid]

"I didn't say it was," says Amy. "But I shouldn't think you'd have to ask who I was, even if I am dressed like we're awaiting a friendly visit from Prince Pomeroy of Plumblossomburg."

And then as amused a smile as she can manage, given that the crown is starting to give her a headache.

"I wouldn't go downstairs if I were you, Perry. People are getting . . . costumed. Poor Cimorene wond up with wings."

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"Wings."

His eyebrows raise slightly, but all he does is take a step forward and gesture to the very heavy looking crown.

"Can I hold that for you? And really, you oughtn't be that surprised--I only saw the dress and the crown and I suppose it surprised me."

[kitchen_maid]

"Thank you," she says, handing him what is about five pounds of gold and amethysts.

"And if all you saw was the dress and the crown, I suppose I should be glad you didn't run straight off to hide in an arbor," she adds, starting to giggle.

She can appreciate the absurdity of the situation. Now that she's not wearing the crown.

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

He tucks it under his arm, a smile of his own on his face.

"I would never have made it," he laughs. "The nearest stairway is past you, isn't it?"

[kitchen_maid]

"Do you think I would have stopped you, or are you just worried about tripping over the train of this ridiculous dress?" she asks.

The train, it must be admitted, rather fills the hallway behind her.

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

He considers this.

"Perhaps a bit of both," he says, after a moment of thought. "Although really it is simply very rude to go bolting past someone instead of stopping to greet them, isn't it?"

[kitchen_maid]

"Hopelessly rude. But on, occasion, understandable."

And then she laughs.

"Unless, of course, you think this look suits me."

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"I think," he says, smiling, "that I much prefer your other dresses and that I rather like your hair without the crown, if it's all the same to you, kitchen maid."

[kitchen_maid]

"Good," she says, with a grin. "Because I am not intending to go on dressing like this. Unless Bar makes me, of course.

"Would you care for a cup of tea, Perry? After I change into something less . . . heavy, I mean."

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"A cup of tea would be marvelous," Perry says, with a smile. "Where shall I put this for you?"

He gestures to the crown.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy grins, and takes the crown back. "I honestly have no idea. Raven thinks we should try selling them, but I can't quite see very-best-occasions crowns becoming the latest fad in the bar, can you?"

She unlocks the door to her room and steps into her room. "Be with you in a moment," she says, and shuts the door.

It takes rather longer than a moment, really, but it's hard to get out of a dress like that when you have help. When she opens the door again she looks thoroughly Amyish, in a very simple grey wool dress, bare feet, and her usual two necklaces.

"Come in, Perry."

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"Now, that is far nicer," Perry says, appreciatively, and comes into the room, putting the heavy for-very-best-occasions crown down on a desk at the far end of the room.

"Thank you."

[kitchen_maid]

"Thank you," says Amy. "It's certainly far more comfortable."

She grins at him.

"I suppose I should make you go downstairs and see what sort of ridiculous outfit you come back in," she says, putting the kettle on to boil.

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"I would prefer if you didn't, all the same," he says, leaning against the wall by the window. "Doubtless Bar would attempt to put me into court clothes and I'd just as soon remain as I am. I wonder what she would do to Mr. Pemberthy?"

[kitchen_maid]

"Simon Perryvall got a waistcoat and a pocket watch at All Hallows' Eve," says Amy. "It was all very confusing, but it didn't involve quite so much . . . excess," says Amy, without turning away from the tea.

And then she looks back over her shoulder at him. "I'm sure you look very dashing in ermine, Perry."

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"It's impossible to be dashing in ermine," Perry says, realistically. "It's far too heavy, and much too warm. Not to mention the velvet and the crown."

He looks down at his (somewhat stained) doublet, and smiles.

[kitchen_maid]

"But perhaps it would be only fair," she says. "After all, you've now seen me at my absolute worst.

"How do you take your tea, Perry?"

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"Cream and sugar, if you please," he says, coming over to where she is fixing the tea.

"And I shouldn't say 'worst', you know. Only different."

[kitchen_maid]

"Very different," she says, laughing and handing him a cup of tea.

"I'd forgotten how much I disliked dressing like that. It's been almost a year, after all."

She settles confortably into the window seat.

"And how are you this evening, Perry?"

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"Doing well enough, kitchen maid," he says, sitting down beside her. "Despite the shock I received from seeing you dressed as a proper princess. And you?"

[kitchen_maid]

"Very well," she says, "now that I'm neither wearing a crown nor shocking friends. And I really am enjoying working with Dar. It's nice to have something to do. Other than embroider, you know."

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"I'll have to come join you, some day soon," Perry says, sipping his tea. "I'd like to go for a ride, you know, if there is someone here who would not mind my borrowing their mount for a short while."

[kitchen_maid]

"I can ask Caspian easily enough," says Amy. "Or you can." In a very handwaved conversation, no doubt.

"And both Dar and I would welcome your company."

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"Then we shall have to arrange it," Perry says, firmly, and smiles so that his eyes crinkle.

"Will Dar be ready to ride soon, do you think?"

[kitchen_maid]

"I hope so," says Amy, "but not right away or anything. Mrs. Reynolds did a very good job with her, and she's very clever and cooperative, but we're still working on the bit and the bridle right now. Caspian thought by summer, or late spring, I think."

With long reins. Which they can't do for too long, because it's rather cold out.

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"The weather will be much finer by then, any way," Perry agrees. "Will you leave her here, when we return, or bring her with you to Ambergeldar?"

[kitchen_maid]

"I don't know," says Amy, setting her teacup carefully on its saucer. "Kitchen maids don't usually keep horses, you know. And . . . well . . . It's all very complicated, isn't it?"

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"Not particularly," Perry says. "Unless you're speaking of something other than stabling horses, in which case I have no idea what you might mean. I do know that there is plenty of room in the Royal Stables for Dar, if you'd like to keep her there."

[kitchen_maid]

"I suspect she'd get bored, you know," says Amy, "in between second Thursdays. She might be happier here."

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"If you think so, I'm sure you're right."

Perry finishes his tea.

"But do remember that the offer remains open, my dear kitchen maid."

[kitchen_maid]

"I will, Perry. And thank you."

He gets a very sweet smile, fond and content.

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

He smiles at her then, and leans forward to kiss her cheek, misses, kisses her nose instead, and laughs.

"I suppose I ought to let you recover from your evening as a princess, Amy."

[kitchen_maid]

Amy leans forward to kiss Perry's nose in turn, and grins.

"Probably. It may take rather a lot of recovery," she says, with a rather melodramtic sigh. "Besides, it's getting horridly late, isn't it?"

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

"Terribly so," he says, and manages to get her cheek this time, before standing.

"Good night, kitchen maid! Pleasant dreams."

[kitchen_maid]

"Good night, Perry," she says, walking with him as far as the door.

[man-of-all-work.livejournal.com]

She gets one more kiss, and another smile, and then Perry is walking down the hall, whistling.

"Lavender's blue," he whistles, "rosemary's green."