Audience Chamber of the Queen (16 May 2002) Alice overhears some news for the Queen.

On the way to the stables, Alice found herself drifting asleep, and so she remembers only hazily that Kuon, in his humanoid form, and Queen Seraph, spent some time speaking in very grown-up tones, and then that there were soft downy blankets being pulled up over her, and then...

Servant's Bedroom, Palace of All Seasons
It is morning, and light peeks through the heart-shaped hole in the shutters, the frosting on the windowpane turning the sunlight to a pale white. From the musky smell that hovers in the small room, the stables are not far away.

The face of a bear looks down over Alice's face as a paw gently shakes her awake. "Dearie? Are you awake? Oh, you are! It's well past servants' breakfast, and if you're to be presentable for the Queen's court this morning, you haven't much time," coos a surprisingly matronly voice. The bear is dressed in a black dress with white apron, the latter of which is decorated with embroidery of roses.

The little girl blinks sleepily at the bear thinking when she was back in Ainigton her very own Mr. Bear was not usually so active in the morning. Mr. Bear, after all, was a late sleeper. She sits up, pulling the blanket close and smiles to "Miss Bear." "Oh!" she exclaims, "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to sleep so late but-" Her eyes widen as she thinks on what exactly she had been doing last night to make her happy enough to sleep and dream late. "-oh! Verily, I should hurry!" She nods a few times.

The bear-woman's full skirts swoosh as she walks across the room toward a white and pink dress laid out upon a tiny, wobbly table whose legs don't quite all meet the ground, then picks it up to show to Alice. "Well, you must have been tired, little one. Here are your clothes for the day, and there's clean water in the basin. You're to wash your face and get dressed, and you can have a quick bite to eat in the kitchen before you bring in the Queen's breakfast. Then she'll be seeing her morning audience, I expect, and you'll attend her in case she needs anything."

All though not exactly remembering this was part of "the plan," Alice can't exactly remember what the plan is and she thinks she probably slept through it. So she just goes along. That's usually the best way to go with plans, she thinks. "Certainly," Alice says as she carefully slips out of bed. Strange beds are often mysterious in height, and Alice being not so mysteriously short peers over the edge before she climbs out. She begins on the little things of getting ready, washing first and getting dressed -- and of course washing behind the ears. That's incredibly important, or at least everyone always seemed to think so.

"Do you know," the bear-woman says as she turns back to Alice, black eyes curious. "I've never seen you about the servants' quarter before. Are you new here?" Barely a second's pause, and then she natters on, "Oh, you must be! And with the Queen saying that you're too pretty to be a menial servant, well!..." Her voice trails off as she considers Alice's face. "You do have the look of April about you, girl. I wonder what that could mean?"

Alice is pulling on her socks when she answers the bear-maid, "You never know!" She giggles a little knowing almost for sure exactly what it might mean. She remembers Kuon's urging that she avoid revealing herself to anyone and so she decides not to elaborate now. However the woman seems just too nice to not talk to, so Alice chatters back, "'Tis very nice of Her Majesty to say so. Her majesty is much prettier though, yes, I think so. She must be the prettiest anywhere!"

"Well, and that's true, dear," the bear-woman says, smiling as she helps Alice get dressed. "But beautiful as she is, we'd better get you dressed and ready for court, or the Queen will still have my pelt. Oh, my name is Beatrice. Just ask any of the girls for me if you need something. I take care of the servants here."

"It's very nice to meet you Beatrice," says Alice. "My name is--" Again she recalls Kuon's advice on how to best play a real "spy game" and decides to avoid using her real name. "-- Jill! If you need me I'll be, well, I don't know where I'll be!" She smoothes down her dress as she speaks, looking happy with the choice of outfit.

The satin pink dress, with a full, ruffled skirt and trim of foamy white lace around the skirt and dangling down from puffed sleeves, suits Alice's usual tastes. It lacks the elaborate elegance of the princess-y garb Nymuae provided, but it would more than do for church services. It certainly isn't like the simple, dingy garment that Kuon had her in for her stint as "scullery maid."

Beatrice smiles, an odd sight on someone who looks like she could, if it were not for the dress, catch fish out of a stream with her paws. "But of course I know where you'll be, Jill," the bear-woman says kindly. "You'll be attending the Queen, like her other ladies in waiting. Now come along, dear, we should get you to the kitchen so you can take her breakfast up."

Just about ready now, Alice searches for her shoes, thinking this is one of the nicest dresses she has ever gotten to wear. She wears similar but much less expensive looking clothes for important occasions. But she thinks she likes this one better, even if her brother might call her a "puff ball" if he saw it. When Beatrice gives Alice her shoes she tells the bear-woman a heartfelt "Thank you", puts them on, and declares that she's ready to go.

The pastry cook in the kitchen, Ben, who looks like a plump old human except that his nose pushes up just a bit more, greets Beatrice and Alice kindly, smiling down to the little girl. "Missed breakfast, did you, girl? Well, I don't suppose the queen will mind if you take some of the buns that did not turn out so well." There does not look to be anything actually wrong about the pair of buns that he offers; they look to be some sort of sweet bread glazed with honey on top, and little red berries that have been set out amidst green frosting to suggest rose vines.

"Ooo, thank you!" Alice searches about for a napkin or something similar. "Could I have a napkin? T'would be just terrible if I attended her majesty with sticky fingers!"

Edward obligingly hands the young girl a linen napkin. To the other side, Edward sniffs at Ben's generosity as he slices eggs in half and mixes the yolks with some creamy stuff speckled with black bits. "Another of your strays, Beatrice? If it were not for the Majordomo's watchful eyes, I shouldn't wonder if I were to find half of Mirari's indigents housed under our roof."

Alice accepts the napkin with another "Thank you" and pretends not to hear the man's comment despite its rudeness. She concerns herself with the nicer likes of Beatrice, Ben, and a very delicious looking pastry. The little girl wonders what the little berries happen to be and so takes a testing nibble where one berry just happens to be near the edge of the sweet bread. All manner of possible berry-outcomes cross her mind, as Mirari is a magic place, and she remembers another Alice nibbling something and getting into all sorts of oddness for it.

The bear rolls her eyes at Edward, tutting. "The Queen's taken an interest in the young lady, cook, so mind your manners! She's to attend the Queen and bring her breakfast, and wait on her needs as well."

To that Alice nods enthusiastically as she chews on the bun. Rather than talk with her mouth full, she just listens as she eats.

"Really?" asks another servant, one whose name Alice has not heard, a thin woman with a long beaky nose, pale green eyes, and a short multicolored pageboy haircut that seems to grow that color naturally. "Do you suppose that it has anything to do with that Lord November shall be attending the morning audience?" She considers Alice's blond hair. "Or Lord April?" Her eyes sparkle at the promise of juicy gossip.

Ben arranges a few of the buns in a platter, just so, then drizzles some more honey (which is darker than the stuff Alice remembers) across the plate. Edward starts cutting slices of green-yellow apples (smaller than the normal apples) onto a platter, arranging the cuts so that he ends with a plate of very thin slices arranged in flower-patterns and a core that he bites into. With the core sticking out of one side of his mouth, Edward finishes the job by brushing the pieces with lemon juice.

Alice blinks back at the unnamed cook. The little blonde girl is quite content to eat her pastry and stay far away out of rumors. Alice has been in school long enough to know gossip when she hears it -- a lot of girls in her classes do it all the time. She doesn't remember it ever being very helpful to anyone, though.

"Well, I couldn't rightly say," Beatrice says with a wry smile. Then she looks at the cuckoo clock upon the wall. "Gracious! Jill, are you done with those buns? The Queen will be expecting her breakfast now."

"Jill" finishes with her bun, and looks up to nod at Beatrice.

Just about that moment, Ben comes back from the oven with pigs-in-blankeys, little sausages wrapped up in puffed pastries, which he sets upon the tray. "There we are," he says with a beaming look upon his pudgy face. "Perfect! And if you take them now, they'll still be warm by the time you get there, girl."

"Jill" glances at Ben as she asks the bear-woman, "Will I need to carry anything in? Oh, I've never served a breakfast before!"

"Oh, there's nothing to it," Beatrice reassures Jill. "I'll show you the way to the Queen's rooms, and all you need to do is take the tray in, put it on her table, curtsey, and then go to where the other girls will be waiting in attendance, and wait until the Queen sends you upon an errand for her. You do know how to curtsey, don't you, Jill?"

"Yes, I very much do! I practiced every night," answers Alice. To prove it she offers her best curtsey, something she has tried to work on ever since she knew she'd be meeting the queen. After all she didn't want to disappoint her majesty. That'd be just unbearable.

Beatrice claps her hands. "Very good! Let's go then, little one."

"I'm ready!" She walks over to scoop up the tray and balance it before herself using both hands to support it from the bottom. With that Alice is as ready as she'll ever be for her very first breakfast serving -- and to a queen, no less!

Audience Chamber of the Queen
The royal colors of blue and white dominate in a room themed after the vault of the sky. Opposite the double doors that lead into the room, after an empty expanse of plush, deep blue carpet, a throne rests on raised dais. Shaped of cut frosted crystal, cushioned by snowy white velvet, the throne is large enough to be imposing, occupied or otherwise. Feathered wings spread from its back; a swan's head arches over its occupant. A small table with legs of clear glass and a top like the spread wings of falcon rests next to it. Benches and chairs of ordinary proportions, fashioned of white velvet, are located beneath tapestries along the wall. In the sea of blue, they look like a little like clouds on a still day. The room is lit by a soft, yellow-white glow that emanates from somewhere around the swan-head of the throne.

The bear-woman waits outside the door and motions for Jill to go in with the tray. The Queen herself is there of course, attended by three young ladies -- Alice would guess them at ten, twelve, and sixteen years of age -- and all dressed in fine dresses. A crook-nosed old fellow with pepper-black-and-grey hair stands nearby gnawing upon an apple, dressed in green-and-gold frippery, but otherwise, there seem very few in attendance on the Queen's morning audience.

Take the tray in and place it on the table then go stand with the other girls. It sounds very easy and Alice wonders why actually doing it isn't nearly so worry free as it should be. Hesitantly at first she steps in to the audience chamber. After a few steps her pace picks up and as she eases in to the idea of walking across such an important-looking and lavish room she finds it not so hard to do after all. As she approaches the table she finds herself glad that it's a small table and not one of those big affairs she saw in the dinning hall. Figuring out where to put the tray now seems easy and she goes to do just that. As she does she smiles brightly to the Queen and resists the urge to give her a big wave or a hug.

The Queen, seated on her throne, wears a long, sweeping gown of pale blue velvet, girdled by a V of embroidered white satin with a frontispiece that runs vertically from waist to the floor-length hem. A circlet of gold and diamonds rests on her brow. She leans on the carved right arm of her chair, and her expression, as cloudy as the room's furnishings, lightens at Alice's appearance. "Thank you, little one," Seraph says, smiling at her. "You may go sit with the other ladies-in-waiting." She nods towards the three girls seated on a bench by the right wall, not far from the throne.

"Yes, your majesty!" Alice says with enthusiasm, and she offers one of her best curtseys before departing to join the ladies-in-waiting.

The youngest introduces herself as Lady Nissa of House June, one of Her Majesty's ladies in waiting. "That's Lady Olympia, from House May," she says of the twelve-year-old, who seems to be of a plump nature. "And that's Lady Penelope, from House October." The sixteen year old has a dark beauty about her, with chestnut red-and-brown hair, fair skin and brown eyes that seem nearly black. "Hawk-nose is the Queen's Counselor, Garrett; he keeps her books an' records. What's your name? You're from April, right?"

"Of course she's from April," Olympia says in a loud whisper. "You can't mistake that look!"

The Queen takes one of the apple slices from the tray and nibbles at the edge of it, her eyes straying to the ladies-in-waiting. The smile she greeted Alice with lingers for a few minutes, but gradually fades, replaced by an expression of contemplation, and concern.

"My name's Jill! And oh, well, I don't know really," admits Jill. "I think so, but nay, I'm not really sure. Not super-positive very sure anyway. And I don't want to be lying if I'm wrong." The little blonde girl shakes her head a little before adding, "But I'm so very pleased to meet you all. Lady Nissa, Lady Olympia, Lady Penelope -- I'll remember."

When the queen turns to look at her and other ladies-in-waiting Alice returns the smile bright as ever, turning from the other girls briefly so that she may do so.

Penelope murmurs, winged eyebrow rising. "Really, Lady Olympia, Lady Nissa! You shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions. It's not entirely unknown for someone to be born to one House who resembles another House to some extent." She gives a cool nod to Alice by way of acknowledgment.

Alice smiles to the other girls as well as she tries to be polite and friendly. She rather does wonder what they're supposed to be "waiting" for and though she thinks its probably to serve the Queen, she also wonders if it might be to gossip about new ladies-in-waiting.

Lady Nissa says defensively, "But she does look very April! Don't you think so, Lady Jill? Even if you're not sure which one you come from, you must have some guesses. Where did you grow up?"

Seraph smiles again, as if she can't quite help answering Alice's enthusiasm in kind. She finishes her first slice of apple, then tries one of the pastry-wrapped sausages. Her eyes wander to one of the tapestries, which depicts an antlered man and a lady brandishing a mirror like a weapon, engaged in battle against a dragon.

"Lady Jill" thinks on the matter of that question. After all she really doesn't think Kuon would want her to say "Ainigton" or mention anything about being from beyond the Sieges. So she tries to think of something that will do without being an actual lie. "Well, I'm from-" Her eyes shift uncomfortably at being forced to be sneaky and she finds a welcome distraction in the form of the tapestry the Queen seems interested in. "-oh! 'Tis a depiction of Lord Monitor and Lady April, is it not?"

"Lord Monitor?" echoes Lady Olympia, looking at Alice oddly. "Oh, no. Those are Lord Bram and Lady Angelique, from a very, very long time ago." Lady Nissa nods to this and adds, "They went on a lot of exciting adventures! I couldn't imagine being that brave. But then, they had all kinds of magic to help them, too."

"Oh I didn't mean Lord Bram was Lord Monitor -- that would be silly!" Alice shakes her head at the very idea. "And of course there was lots of magic! Verily, there was the Flute of Thorns and Lady Angelique's personal mirror. I don't know if the mirror is really magical though, besides being special in a different kind of way. Memories are magic too! A pastor told me that once. But why is Lady Angelique holding up the mirror to Lord Monitor?"

Penelope murmurs distantly, "Of dragons seen in the lands of Mirari and the Wild Lands, there have been many, from Lusiphas the Bright to Nukpana the Grey, who was slain by Lady Redmane, and it is said that when Lady Angelique and Lord Bram drove away one such dragon, who is not named in the stories, that Lady Angelique used the mirror to protect them from its terrible breath, directing the attacks elsewhere so that Lord Bram could approach close enough to strike. But in no story has there ever been a dragon called Monitor, or Lord Monitor." She turns a slightly condescending look upon the younger ladies in waiting.

"Oh," says Alice sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I could be wrong. Someone told me that name once, that's all." Never mind it was the dragon himself who told her his name. The little girl does take note of the legendary powers of the mirror though. After all she has thought it magic because it held Lady Angelique's letters, but this is a whole new sort of magic she didn't know about. She'll just have to tell the others.

"Well! Just because you read so many old books," Lady Nissa says sniffily, "you needn't be so harsh on Lady Jill. Someone probably just made the name up when they were telling her the story."

"But was he big and black with lots of horns and bumpy-bits? And he spoke, and he had a helper who talked funny. There were Jhruuh too but ... Oh! never mind!" Alice blushes a bit, having rambled on in to something she didn't think she couldn't say. But she probably shouldn't mention what happened in Ainigton either. She thinks being sneaky is very hard to remember.

"Jruuh?" Lady Olympia draws back from Jill, looking at her oddly. "Who tells you strange old stories like that? Those are ghost stories, not real stories like knights saving princesses from dragons." Lady Nissa looks more curious than disturbed.

Seraph's gaze falls from the picture to Alice again. She reaches for her plate, to set the half-eaten pastry down, and carelessly knocks over her glass, spilling fruit juice over the table and dripping to the carpet.

"Old people tell me old stories," answers Alice matter-of-factly. That's true enough. "Like how the Jruuh are min- ... oh, yes, minions of the Lord of Year's End an-" When she sees her majesty has spilled her glass she begins to stand with a start forgetting for a brief moment appearances.

Penelope tsks. "Lady Nissa, Lady Olympia, do find a servant to clean up the mess," she says. "Lady Jill, you should go see to the Queen, and be sure that she didn't stain her dress."

"Yes, thank you, Lady Penelope," offers the little blonde lady-in-waiting as she's already hurrying over to the Queen's side. She really didn't need to be told though. The urge to rush to the Queen had already taken her and the older lady-in-waiting's direction only serves to show her what she's doing is the correct thing to do -- something Alice is glad for, having moved before thinking and being worried she made a mistake.

Queen Seraph quirks an eyebrow at her eldest attendant. She stands, stepping back from the table and the spreading spill. "Do check the train of the gown, Jill. I think it all spilled away from me ... but it would not do to see the Lord of a House with apple juice on my dress." She checks the cuffs of her gown with apparent anxiety.

Lady Nissa gives Penelope a cross look, but goes to find a maid, with Olympia close behind. "Don't worry, Your Majesty," Nissa assures. "We'll be right back!" and Olympia volunteers, "I'll fetch another glass of juice, Your Majesty!"

Alice hurries around behind the Queen and begins diligently searching for any signs of an apple juice stain. "Of course, Your Majesty!" she calls back as she hurries to her task.

"Thank you, Jill." The Queen leans forward, brushing at the white frontispiece and spreading the skirt with her fingers to examine it. "You would think after the number of Years I have seen I would have acquired some grace by now," she murmurs, shaking her head at herself. The train is extensive, but, from Alice's review of it, appears moisture-free.

Lady Penelope gives Alice a thoughtful look as she takes away the offending glass to the entrance, missing the look the Queen was giving her. Garrett, meanwhile, takes out a handkerchief from somewhere in his outfit and solicitously offers it to the Queen. "Your Majesty, Lord November is waiting in the wing upon your pleasure," he says.

As Alice continues to search the train, she offers, "Oh, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Your Majesty! Everyone makes mistakes. You can only do your best!" Having finished her inspection of the train by the time she had finished trying to comfort the Queen Alice adds, "T'would seem as if you are free of apple juice, Your Majesty!"

The Queen accepts the handkerchief from her steward, a frown marring her brow. She dabs at her fingers, saying, "Already? He is early." She expels an exasperated sigh. "Well, he may wait upon my pleasure until the mess is cleared." She wipes the arm of the throne -- needlessly, as far as Alice can tell -- and seats herself again, after bestowing a smile on Alice. "Thank you, little -- one." She gives an affectionate stroke to Alice's blond hair, then gestures her back to the bench at the right, as Nissa returns leading three fey servants. The servants descend upon the spill like flies on honey, clearing it away before Olympia returns with the juice.

Garrett nods. "Of course, my liege." He bows and then stands back as the servants buzz about.

Another one of Alice's happy smiles shines upon the Queen before the little girl moves off. She tries to hurry -- the rush of approaching cleaning servants makes her think she had best not get in their way lest they scoop her up too! After evading the diligent fey Alice has resettled herself back where she had been earlier.

In moments, the spill has been miraculously removed, the table cleaned and tray replaced, carpet as clean and dry as if nothing had happened. Olympia puts the fresh glass next to the plate of mostly-uneaten breakfast, then helps the queen array herself into a dignified position on the throne. "Thank you, Olympia. Ladies, this morning's audiences will be informal, so you may talk -- quietly! -- amongst yourselves, or work on your studies," Queen Seraph bids them.

To this direction Alice gives an enthusiastic nod. What with all the excitement of being here she isn't sure she could even sit still through a whole meeting with a Lord. There are a thousand questions she wants to ask, a million things she wants to do.

Lady Penelope inclines her head quietly, smiling as she takes out a thick book with, Alice notices, many ribbon bookmarks in it at various chapters. Olympia sits up and looks more or less attentive. Lady Nissa fidgets a bit as she tries to arrange herself to be as dignified as the Queen on the bench, then gives up on that and just leans toward Alice. "Audiences are so boring," she whispers. "They always want to talk about grown-up stuff."

Seraph gestures for the girls to rise before their bench, then nods to the greying Counselor. "My pleasure is now, Garrett. Have Lord November shown in."

Alice rises with the others and decides now probably isn't the best time to agree with Lady Nissa. It just wouldn't do for Lord November to walk in and be declared boring, thinks Alice. She does however take a quick moment to fret over her dress and make sure she too looks presentable and proper. Embarrassing the Queen by looking silly is another one of those things that just won't do.

The Queen's Counselor bows his head. "Very well, Your Majesty." He whispers to a page, who scurries across the hall to the entrance, and moments later, a herald announces the arrival of Lord November. There is no trumpet fanfare, but he stands aside and a lone noble walks into the hall.

He is a tall but thin man with dark brown hair, edged with some red highlights to show that his hair might be darkening as he ages. His nose is long and beaky, and he dresses in colors of brown and red. He reminds Alice of Tom somehow, as if there were some kind of family resemblance. "My liege," Lord November says, kneeling before the Queen. "It is ever an honor to be admitted to your presence."

Silently Alice wonders if Tommy might have his hair change color as he gets older, too -- and if his nose will grow. She tries to picture Lord Thomas as an older man and can't quite seem to manage it. Even now that he's "grown" in to Lord Explorer Thomas it's still somewhat hard for her to see him as a lot older.

"And it is my pleasure to have you in it, Lord November. Please rise, my lord, and be seated." Seraph gestures, and as November rises from his kneeling posture, a page brings him a chair, and the Lord sits with a nod to his queen. "I have missed you in your absence. Tell me, what business has brought you before me this morning?" The Queen watches November, serene upon her throne, but still interested.

"Your Majesty, it is that there is much pressure upon you to choose the successor to the monarchy of Mirari. I ask that you not make your decision prematurely, nor without all the information that you might yet command. I have asked the Lords and Ladies of Mirari to join me for a convocation in two weeks' time, and I believe that you will find what I have to say then to be of much interest."

Lady Olympia looks curious, Lady Penelope lifts her eyes from her book calmly to see what Lord November will say next, and Lady Nissa appears half about to drowse off.

As the young blonde lady-in-waiting watches the Queen accept the lord in to her audience chamber she can't help but forget her musings about how silly Tommy might grow to be and think just how pretty the Queen really is. Like a fairy tale, thinks Alice. It makes her feel proud. She watches the exchange with rapt attention and doesn't find this grown-up talking nearly so dull as the rest. The Queen's presence is enough to maintain her attention.

Seraph allows herself a small smile, tilting her chin up. "My Lord of November, I think you are as well aware as any that my husband is not dead -- nor is he anywhere in the land of Mirari, that he might pass the throne on to a successor. It is not my place to choose a new King. It is his. I have no intention of usurping that right ... and I dare think you know my mind on that, as well."

As the two nobles exchange words Alice tries to puzzle out what it all means. She thinks she understands the whole matter of the throne and who next will become king. After all that has quite a lot to do with her, and she has long since been involved. It strikes her as odd that she actually has a part in a grown-up matters. Rebecca would have told her she wasn't "mature enough" in that haughty way she always did. It makes her wish Rebecca was here too.

"Your Majesty," Lord November says, nodding. "It is one thing to suppose that you might think so; it is another to hear it from your own lips. Yet it is true that winter has drawn on overlong in the land of Mirari, and that there are those who say the King's successor must be chosen, without his let or leave, and even those who name themselves or others as claimants to the throne. Some might even urge you to choose such a claimant, my liege."

Nissa lists more to her right, toward Alice. Penelope murmurs to Olympia, "April or October, methinks that Lord November must surely favor my house, yet why does he argue for delay?" Olympia gives Penelope a shrug in return.

"My husband chose an heir, before he left." The Queen's voice turns cool, and distant. "It is not my prerogative to choose another, or to pass the throne on to the one chosen. Have you come only to bid me do what I must do, regardless, Lord November? Or do you, 'in two week's time,' plan to become one of those who urge me 'to choose such a claimant'?"

Alice doesn't think that's fair at all. After all the king is still alive and it's his choice. And besides that she just doesn't like the idea of someone trying to make the Queen do anything she doesn't want to do. To Lady Penelope she asks, "'Tis true such meetings about the throne are common now, are they not? Do you know much about them?"

"Your Majesty, in two weeks' time, I believe I will have very interesting news for you and all the Lords of Ladies of Mirari," Lord November says, voice rising slightly. "There may be darker hands behind this crisis of faith for Mirari than any merely fey hands. In such times, we must abandon partisanship for the good of all, lest Mirari itself fall forever into darkness."

The Queen studies Lord November's expression. "What are you saying, my lord? What news do you have now which leads you to think you will have more in a fortnight?"

Alice's eyes widen. He must have spoken to Tommy! The young lady suddenly looks particularly interested in the goings on of the two nobles. She fidgets with her hands as she tries to fight the nervous energy.

Lady Olympia shivers but in the fashion of someone hearing a good hair-raising story, not one who truly believes what November is saying. Penelope whispers over the gently tilting Nissa to Alice, "Oh, they are everywhere; you can't pass a tavern without hearing partisans for one Lord or another. But talk like November's, that's the sort of thing you'd expect to hear from rustics."

"It could be true!" whispers Alice to the other ladies. "But, but- if Lord November knows then why doesn't his lordship say something now? To delay might be bad for all of Mirari. Even if there's an argument over the throne."

"Accusations might do more damage now," Lord November says. "In that they might warn those in alliance to darkness that they must cover up their misdeeds, that they might appear blameless when called before the throne. I can say only that one long thought dead has returned from exile, who will testify on his return from his mission at this convocation. That it is with his help that the Golden Woods stand again free of bandit infestation, Hawksmoor Keep able to speak to us once more with news of the far lands. That he..." November's voice trails off as he glances into the distance, eyes momentarily misty.

It has to be Tommy he's speaking of, Alice is sure of it. So in two weeks Tommy and maybe even Agatha and the others will come to the Palace! She can tell them all about the mirror and what she has heard here at court.

"One long thought dead?" Seraph frowns. "Riddles ill suit communication with your queen, Lord November. Speak plainly -- it is not the full court you stand before. Or is it my attendants you mistrust, my lord? My Counselor? Myself?" She arches a blond eyebrow.

Lady Penelope blinks at November's statement, then whispers to Olympia, seeming vexed, "Have you heard any of this? I hadn't heard about Hawksmoor Keep or the Golden Woods."

Alice bites her lip. She so much wants to hop up and explain to the Queen what the man means and what the danger is. Unwilling to make such a spectacle and indeed thinking it might be dangerous to do so obviously, the little girl manages to keep herself vaguely still. She fidgets more with her hands finding to need to do something.

Lord November shakes his head and smiles briefly. "Alas, my liege, I fear that my thoughts have grown brooding as I worry over my daughter. I found her briefly, thanks to this young man.... Let me be the first to name the hero of the Golden Woods, your Majesty. He is Lord Explorer Thomas, first of the Explorers, who was thought dead many Years ago, but has returned. He sojourns into the Wild Lands for the answers to all our questions."

"The Lord Explorer?" Seraph straightens, a sudden light in her eyes. Her gaze darts, briefly, towards her attendants, then returns to Lord November. "You are certain it was he, my lord, and not some ruse or deception?"

At that, "Lady Jill" beams a big smile at the Queen hoping she'll see it. It's not just she wants the Queen to see that Lord Explorer Thomas is a positive revelation but she's genuinely happy to see the Lord Explorer recognized.

Olympia whispers excitedly back to Penelope, "No! I hadn't heard anything! Have you ever heard of this Thomas?" Lady Penelope looks however, too astonished to reply immediately.

Lord November laughs. "I had my doubts, my liege. But the proof is, as they say, in the eating, and considering his achievements, I believe that he is, Your Majesty. He is a remarkable young man, and if he is not the perfect image of the Lord Explorer Thomas, then it is the images that lie."

A tentative smile plays on the queen's lips. "I see." She settles back against her throne, resting her hands lightly on the arms. "It is said that the Lord Explorer could find anything that he looked for. Perhaps he will find us our answers." She speaks contemplatively, almost to herself, then focuses on the lord again. "Do not fear my mind, Lord November. You will have your two weeks. I hope they will be profitably spent."

"My thanks, Your Majesty," Lord November says, bowing low. The queen nods, and after a final exchange of formalities, she dismisses him. He backs away from the throne, then turns and departs through the gates.

Nissa stirs sleepily and murmurs, "Is it over already?"

Penelope elbows Nissa roughly. "In an informal audience, we may study or converse quietly. Sleeping is neither. Unless you plan to become a Doctor of Naptime."

"'Nay," answers Alice, sounding distracted. Her mind is full of what her friends must be doing and what all she needs to tell the Queen. "I would truly think it's not over -- not yet!"

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This site serves as a chronicle of sessions in an online roleplaying campaign moderated by Conrad "Lynx" Wong and May "Rowan" Wasserman. The contents of this site are (c) 2001, 2002 by Conrad Wong and May Wasserman except where stated otherwise. Despite the "children's fantasy" theme of this campaign, this site is not intended for young readership, due to mild language and violence.