(no subject)

[kitchen_maid]

Amy, tonight, is looking rather more Queenly than has been her wont of late.

The dress is very, very grand, and she's still wearing her third best crown when she comes through the door.

A moment later, she has removed the crown and set it on the table in front of her, pushed her trailing sleeves up past her elbows and out of her way, and asked a waitrat for a pot of tea.

There's nothing like a seven-hour Council meeting to make a woman appreciate a good cup of tea.

Would anyone else care for a cup?

Comments

[queenofmay]

All outside excursions eventually have to come in. And with it comes more people. The evening are always more crowded, and it's seemed the whole place has been a little more lately. It's nice to see. It's rather back to way it all ought to be.



Including familiar faces finding peace. "Fair eve, Amy."

[kitchen_maid]

"Good evening, Marian.

"Would you care for some tea?"

[queenofmay]

Marian nodded, smiling. "I would love a cup."

She took one of the chairs at the table, looking at the space between. "You have your crown here today?" And an excedingly nice gown, which is not like the normal kind she wears in here when relaxed.

[kitchen_maid]

"Council meeting," Amy says, pouring Marian's tea.

"Seven hours.

"Three of them on the name of a ship.

"I didn't bother to take the time to leave the crown."

The dress is actually fairly typical, when she's not dressing for post-apocalyptic decor. It's too much trouble to change and change back for a short visit.

[queenofmay]

Marian wrinkled her nose more in understanding than surprise. The Council of Nobles could meet until everyone was cowed into submission, and in five years, especially in the earlier ones, there had been some exceedigly long ones in there.

"Was it a good name in the end?"

[kitchen_maid]

"Oh, it hasn't been decided yet," Amy says. "They were simply offering criteria Their Majesties should keep in mind while considering a name for the new flagship of the Royal Navy.

"We're not even to the part where they offer their suggestions yet."

[queenofmay]

Marian shook her head, after she finished a sip of her tea.

"What were the most interesting suggestions for today?"

[kitchen_maid]

"Mostly, it was about remembering the heritage and history of Ambergeldar.

"No actual names were proposed.

"And Perry gets to pick, anyway, and can pick whatever he likes. He can call it the Turnip if he likes."

[queenofmay]

Marian laughed, nearly, spluttering her tea. But she came away with a smile. "Someone should paint the picture of what their faces would look like during announcement."

[kitchen_maid]

Amy laughs.

"I fear the Court Painter would not know what to do with that request."

[queenofmay]

"That poor man, to be confronted with such realities."

Marian held her cup. "Have you been well, day-long meetings aside?"

[kitchen_maid]

"First freckles, then that. He'd faint clear away.

"And I've been well, thank you. Chasing after my children and catching up with my brother and flirting with my husband at state banquets when no one is looking."

[queenofmay]

"That sounds like a very full, very good time." A very full, very good life. And Marian can't help the smallest twinge of envy toward the ease and joy of it. Even with seven hour meetings.

[orchidkaboom]

The crown and majestic dress are intimidating. The body language is not.

Amanda gives a smile.

[kitchen_maid]

The body language only matches the crown and the dress when it's absolutely necessary.

Amy smiles back.

"Good evening."

[orchidkaboom]

"Taking a break?"

It's kind of charming, a queen on a tea break. Amanda pictures a prince stepping outside on a cigarette break.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy nods.

"I've been in a Council Meeting for the last seven hours.

"At one point, we were discussing whether there should be an Official Royal Vegetable, and if so, if it always be the same or if a new one should be selected each year.

"And I'm sure it'll come up again."

The minutiae of running a country.

"I'm Amy."

[orchidkaboom]

If that's just tea, Amanda is amazed at her resilience.

"Amanda," she says. "And I suggest: always the same vegetable, your least favorite, excluded from the royal menu to show your generosity to the subjects."

[kitchen_maid]

Amy laughs.

"I like that, as a suggestion. I'll be sure to tell my husband.

"It's very nice to meet you, Amanda.

"Would you care for some tea?"

Amy always gets extra cups, in Milliways.

You never know who you'll meet.

[orchidkaboom]

"Please," says Amanda, scooting down onto a chair with some grace.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy pours her a cup of tea, and moves the milk and sugar to where she can reach them.

"Where and when are you from, if I may ask?"

[orchidkaboom]

Amanda admires the teacup and considers how much milk she should put in it. "The year two thousand wasn't long ago, and I'm exploring right now. Wandering around in forests and up and down rivers."

[kitchen_maid]

"I think I know some people from around your when," Amy says.

"Assuming that you're from a version of Earth, of course, which I suppose I shouldn't.

"Are you?"

[orchidkaboom]

Amanda blinks at her teacup, takes a careful sip, and decides she put in too much milk. It's still good.

"Yes, but I don't know much about anyone else's yet," she says. "Or if they're from a time like the same time." She thinks about what she just said. "This is confusing.

[kitchen_maid]

"Sometimes, the hardest thing about Milliways is putting things into words, even if you have a pretty good idea of what you're trying to talk about.

"There are all different Earths, and people come from all different times, and I often find that I deal with things by just not thinking about things too closely.

"I'm from a country that most Earths don't seem to have, Ambergeldar, and from the nineteenth year of the reign of King Algernon, which I don't know how to translate into the years everyone else seems to use, except to say electricity was a revelation, when I first arrived here."