Room 203

[avonlea_girl]

It's late

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[kitchen_maid]

It's early. Absurdly early, really.

And no matter how quietly you try to unlock and open a door, it cannot be done silently. Not, apparently, that waking Anne was an issue.

"Anne," she says, closing the door carefully behind her. "You're up late."

[avonlea_girl]

"I couldn't sleep," is the soft reply. She watches Amy walk across the room, and her eyes are troubled.

"Is everything alright?"

[kitchen_maid]

Amy sits down on her bed, wraps herself in the quilt, holds her head in one hand, and shakes her head.

"No. Not really."

If she closes her eyes tightly enough, she won't cry, right?

[avonlea_girl]

Anne steps out of bed, and sits beside Amy on hers, her long red hair plaited into a thick braid that hangs over her shoulder.

Gently: "What happened?"

[kitchen_maid]

Amy, who had done a very good impression of being asleep this morning, and therefore hasn't told Anne any of it, thinks for a moment.

"I don't even know where or how to start, Anne."

But she's so very very glad to have Anne there.

[avonlea_girl]

"Did something happen to you? Are you hurt?"

[kitchen_maid]

"I'm not hurt," she says, addressing the that point first. "Not injured, anyway. I'm sorry, I've made you worry, haven't I? I've been out with Caspian the last two nights, so I was quite safe. I . . . "

There's a long pause, and a deep breath.

"I . . . Peter and I are not . . . whatever it was we were, and . . . Caspian's son arrived tonight . . . only, it's a bit complicated and . . . they fought and . . . I'm very worried about my brother."

[avonlea_girl]

An arm goes around her, steady against her back, while Anne listens, gray eyes darkening.

"Oh, Amy." It is breathed, sadly. "I'm so sorry. About Peter, and...is Caspian...is he alright? Did they hurt each other?"

[kitchen_maid]

"Peter is . . . it's really for the best, I think, right now. It just doesn't--didn't work. And Caspian isn't badly hurt . . . he . . . they . . . his son is under some sort of enchantment there's a witch involved somehow and he -- Rilian that is -- he only knows his own mind for an hour each day and Caspian had to-- he was trying to try to keep him here until he-- until the hour came and I came downstairs and there . . . they . . . they were . . . Caspian was . . . I've never seen him or anyone look so . . . and this man I didn't had drawn his sword to challenge my brother and I didn't have any idea what was going on and they were all there and I . . . Rilian is locked in a room because when he doesn't know who he is he's a danger to Caspian and Narnia and I don't know what else and I'm not making any sense at all."

Anne will be forgiven for missing some of that.

[avonlea_girl]

Anne makes calming noises, shushing her gently.

"Hush, now, it's all right. Caspian isn't hurt, and his son--Rilian?--can't get to him. I'm sorry, dear, truly I am."

She thinks back to meeting the merry young man her best friend called brother, and what Gilbert had said.

(I think he did. I liked him, too. And I think he could be frightening, if he wanted to.)

Her arm around Amy tightens.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy, eyes closed tight, hands half covering her face, shakes her head. "Anne, what do you imagine could hurt him more than his own son not knowing him twenty-three hours out of twenty-four?"

[avonlea_girl]

"His son not knowing him twenty-four hours out of twenty-four," she says, gently taking Amy's hands away from her face.

"Or never seeing his son again. He did what he had to, it sounds."

[kitchen_maid]

"I was so scared, Anne. Of this situation and the . . . these are people I care about and I didn't know the expressions . . . the fury . . . I've never seen . . . I shouldn't be . . ."

afraid of any aspect of my brother. But she's ashamed to even think it, let alone say it outloud. He's my brother and I love him, even the parts of him I don't like.

[avonlea_girl]

"Caspian scared you?"

It's half-question, half-not.

"Oh, my dear. He's--well, Gil said he thought he could be frightening, if he had to. But I don't think he meant to scare anyone."

[kitchen_maid]

She shook her head. "No. Caspian didn't scare me, the situation did. I am not afraid of my brother." I am a little frightened of what he is capable of, but not him.

"He is a king, Anne, and he lead a country that occasionnally went to war. I knew, rationally, that he could be 'frightening' as your Gil said. I just . . . didn't expect to see it."

[avonlea_girl]

"No one would," Anne says, and wishes she could say more. But she doesn't know Caspian, not all that well, really, and she doesn't know anything about ruling a country and what is expected of you.

But she can listen.