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It's been almost four months, in Ambergeldar, since Amy came into the bar. Four rather tiring months, really, spent criss-crossing the country so she could be introduced to a populace. But that all ended last week, in early October, almost two months early, and she's back, looking about for her friends.

The slight curve to her stomach could be the result of the fashion of her dress, or even a trick of the light. But given the way she's smiling . . . it's probably not.

Amy is back. And she has News.

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"Thank you," she says. "I'm very excited. And a little nervous."

"Well, of course you are," says Cimorene reasonably, "but I don't really think you need to worry overly much, Amy. You are going to be an absolutely splendid mother, of that I have no doubt at all."

"I hope so," she says. "The fairy gifts will no doubt be helpful.

"And I'll have Marta to help."

"Is the baby going to have as many fairy godmothers as you did?" asks Cimorene curiously. After all, fairy godmothers can be quite useful. Sometimes. When they're not tattling to your parents.

"No."

Emphatically.

"It's not the tradition in Ambergeldar."

Though Amy suspects Crustacea will show up anyway.

"Lucky baby," says Cimorenee with a nod. "Not that fairy gifts aren't useful at times, but, well. You know what I mean."

She grins, "Have you run across any Ambergeldarian traditions that you plan on thoroughly breaking yet?"

Knowing Amy it's just a matter of time, really.

"Well, I'm going to have to have the consort's crown redesigned. It's far too heavy, and I'm rather expected to dress up a lot more now than I was as a princess.

"And I think I horrify Perry's secretary. And the Council seems a bit confused about the freckles, honestly."

Cimorene nods at all of these. "Sometimes I think that people who design crowns have never actually worn them. They can be so uncomfortable. I have such trouble finding light ones that can be worn day-to-day."

Rather like the one she's wearing now. She quite likes this one.

"And why should they be confused about the freckes? I can understand them being a bit unexpected, I suppose, but once they've seen them once, it should be rather straightforward."

She shakes her head. Silly council members.

"I'm not sure. The Chancellor blinks at them every time he sees me, though. Or blinks at my nose. Or both.

"I'm wondering if I can somehow introduce just a simple ciclet, but I'm not too optimistic."

"Perhaps if you start wearing one it will suddenly become fashionable?" Cimorene hazards without much optimism. "Or you could tell everyone about how it's all the rage over in Phantasmorania?"

"Or I could simply do it, and let them grumble. I think they like to grumble, so perhaps it will make them happy. And it's not like tjat can tell me not to."

After all, the only person who can really tell her no isn't likely to.

"That's true. Clearly there are some advantages to being a queen then."

Not that Cimorene hasn't ever thought about what it might be like to be a queen before, but that's another story altogether. Ahem.

"And in my own experience, grumbling is what counselors do best, so you may as well just let them do it."

Cimorene should consider becoming a queen. It might suit her.

"A few," says Amy. "Some disadvanages, too, but I think the advantages outweigh them by rather a lot."

Pause, and a grin.

"The advantages being Perry, of course."

Who's to say she isn't considering it?

"Of course," she says with a grin. "Also, I rather think running a country would be extremely interesting."

Not that she doesn't have practice at that one.

"So far I haven't helped with that very much," she says. "Though Perry keeps threatening to put me on the Council, so who knows. But we've scarely spent any time at all in the capital."

"Well, that would certainly shake up Ambergeldar a bit," laughs Cimorene. "It would probably be good for them."

"Are you home now though? Or still on the grand wedding tour? How long has it been anyway?"

"Home. We were supposed to be away until late November, but we came back in early October. I suspect I'd have been fine, but I was so tired of traveling at that point that I didn't object when they decided the Queen needed her Rest."

A grin.

"Which may come back to haunt me for the next five."

Cimorene raises an eyebrow. "That's a long tour. I'm surprised you made it through four months of it."

She grins, "But I have no doubt that you will continue to scandalize them with your outrageous ideas of what pregnant queens should be allowed to do. Councilors were born to be scandalized."

"There were a lot noblemen anxious to play host -- and try to out do the previous nobleman who hosted us. I think without that, the whole thing could have been done in a month."

A grin.

"Most likely. I think I'll probably scandalize them even when I'm not pregnant."

"I should hope so. I'd be dreadfully disappointed if you didn't scandalize them. Oh, not for the sake of scandal, of course, but sometimes it just seems to go with the territory."

She grins, "Mendanbar's whole staff is quite used to being scandalized by now, and they've rather come to expect it from him, I think. And his steward tries so hard to keep things proper."

Poor Willin.

"His whole twenty-three person staff?"

Amy grins.

"That seems like a remarkably few people to be running a castle. I suppose the magic helps, though."

"All twenty-three of them," laughs Cimorene. "I think the magic does help. You need rather fewer footmen when you can just snap your fingers and make something appear. Also, he hasn't any family living there, nor does he have guests particularly often, I think, which lightens the workload considerably."

She smiles, "Actually, I think they all rather like it."

"Well, I have to approve of any castle in which the staff is happy," says Amy.

"How long will you be staying with him?"

"I'm not sure precisely," says Cimorene with a shrug. "It all depends on how well Kazul feels really. Probably a fortnight or so. She doesn't have anything terribly drastic to deal with at home right now, so we're not in any rush."

"Plus it gives the twenty-three of them a challenge, which at least is not boring."

She raises an eyebrow.

"You're not making too much work for any kitchen maids are you?"