Back In Ambergeldar
Perry's schedule is quite full today. It has been quite full for several days now. And that's for a kingly definition of quite full; Perry doesn't really have days off. But the last week or so have brought meetings stacked back to back, from very early to rather late, straight through most meals.
Amy's not entirely sure why -- there's nothing she's aware of that should require this much of her husband's attention at the moment. (And if there were something like that, she would most definitely be aware of it, and in the meetings as well.) But a lot of minor things seem to have piled up at once for Perry, and Amy's attention is focused, at present, on the thousands of details involved in her mother's upcoming State Visit.
She's asked Parker to visit partly because she's fairly certain Perry will postpone some meeting or other in order to show off his new football field. Amy's worried -- he's looked entirely too tired lately, and he needs a break. Besides, he's somewhat ridiculously excited about the whole football plan, and he hasn't had a chance to visit the field since they finished the moat. (Amy's gone, every day, at his request, so she can dutifully report on the day's progress to him in whatever time they manage to snatch for each other.)
She leaves Parker in her parlor for the moment, and goes to tell Perry that they have company.
The page -- James something? Amy can't remember -- outside the Council Chamber seems very reluctant to let Amy in. "Lord Julius said they were not to be interrupted," he tells her, frowning.
Lord Julius, the Protocol Officer. Not a good person to invoke, when speaking to Amy, who does not like him. Besides, neither Protocol Officers nor pages, even senior ones, give orders to Queens. "Did he? And did His Majesty tell you that he did not wish to be interrupted, even by the Queen?"
The page turns very red. "Ah, no, ma'am. Your Majesty."
"Then stand aside," she says. And pray that she doesn't report this to the man in charge of the pages.
Amy enters the Council Chamber to find Perry sitting at the head of the table, listening to a report on . . . cabbage? Neither he nor any of his ministers notices her right away, which means that either cabbages are much more interesting than Amy thinks, or they've all been lulled into a stupor. She suspects the latter.
"Please pardon the intrusion," Amy says. A dozen men all try to be the first to scramble to their feet (one does not sit in the presence of a standing Queen), and Amy tries not to smile at the sight. "I need a moment of His Majesty's time."
"Is anything wrong, Amethyst?" Perry asks, already halfway around the table.
"No, Algernon. Just something that could not wait."
"Excuse us for a moment, gentlemen," Perry says, and escorts Amy out into the hallway to a chorus of of course, Your Majesty.
Perry glances at the still red-faced page, and then, in response to Amy's slight shake of the head, continues across the hall into an empty stateroom.
"Oh, Perry," says Amy, as soon as the door is closed, "cabbages?"
He nods, glumly. "And before that, it was radishes."
"Oh, Perry."
Perry shrugs. "In light of the problems with the storm and the rationing two years ago, the minister thinks we should pay attention to our vegetables, apparently."
"And a written report . . .?"
"Would not let him hear his own voice drone on and on. Now, what did you need?"
"I wanted to let you know that Parker is here for tea. I thought perhaps, if all matters vegetable can be postponed, you might want to show the field. And see what she thinks of it."
"Now that is a good idea." Perry grins and kisses her. "I knew there was a reason I loved you."
"And I was under the impression there were several," Amy tells him.
"Don't fish for compliments, Amy darling. It's unbecoming," Perry says, and kisses her again. "Give me five minutes to tell Lord Julius to reschedule the next few hours and I'll be right along."
"We'll be in my parlor."
Perry, it turns out, needs only three of those minutes, and comes bounding into Amy's parlor unannounced and looking happier than she's seen him in more than a week. He starts talking about the football field almost before Parker can finish saying hello. Amy, laughing, tells them to go on ahead and she'll catch up; she wants to tell Nurse Marta that Susan will be joining them for tea when they get back.
(She also wants to give Perry a chance to talk through some of his enthusiasm while she's gone -- he talks a lot about the football field, and Amy has heard all of it many times.)
Perry cheerfully tells her not to be long, and offers Parker his arm. She can hear him all the way down the hallway.
Amy grins and heads for the nursery. She'll have to make that up to Parker later.
Amy's not entirely sure why -- there's nothing she's aware of that should require this much of her husband's attention at the moment. (And if there were something like that, she would most definitely be aware of it, and in the meetings as well.) But a lot of minor things seem to have piled up at once for Perry, and Amy's attention is focused, at present, on the thousands of details involved in her mother's upcoming State Visit.
She's asked Parker to visit partly because she's fairly certain Perry will postpone some meeting or other in order to show off his new football field. Amy's worried -- he's looked entirely too tired lately, and he needs a break. Besides, he's somewhat ridiculously excited about the whole football plan, and he hasn't had a chance to visit the field since they finished the moat. (Amy's gone, every day, at his request, so she can dutifully report on the day's progress to him in whatever time they manage to snatch for each other.)
She leaves Parker in her parlor for the moment, and goes to tell Perry that they have company.
The page -- James something? Amy can't remember -- outside the Council Chamber seems very reluctant to let Amy in. "Lord Julius said they were not to be interrupted," he tells her, frowning.
Lord Julius, the Protocol Officer. Not a good person to invoke, when speaking to Amy, who does not like him. Besides, neither Protocol Officers nor pages, even senior ones, give orders to Queens. "Did he? And did His Majesty tell you that he did not wish to be interrupted, even by the Queen?"
The page turns very red. "Ah, no, ma'am. Your Majesty."
"Then stand aside," she says. And pray that she doesn't report this to the man in charge of the pages.
Amy enters the Council Chamber to find Perry sitting at the head of the table, listening to a report on . . . cabbage? Neither he nor any of his ministers notices her right away, which means that either cabbages are much more interesting than Amy thinks, or they've all been lulled into a stupor. She suspects the latter.
"Please pardon the intrusion," Amy says. A dozen men all try to be the first to scramble to their feet (one does not sit in the presence of a standing Queen), and Amy tries not to smile at the sight. "I need a moment of His Majesty's time."
"Is anything wrong, Amethyst?" Perry asks, already halfway around the table.
"No, Algernon. Just something that could not wait."
"Excuse us for a moment, gentlemen," Perry says, and escorts Amy out into the hallway to a chorus of of course, Your Majesty.
Perry glances at the still red-faced page, and then, in response to Amy's slight shake of the head, continues across the hall into an empty stateroom.
"Oh, Perry," says Amy, as soon as the door is closed, "cabbages?"
He nods, glumly. "And before that, it was radishes."
"Oh, Perry."
Perry shrugs. "In light of the problems with the storm and the rationing two years ago, the minister thinks we should pay attention to our vegetables, apparently."
"And a written report . . .?"
"Would not let him hear his own voice drone on and on. Now, what did you need?"
"I wanted to let you know that Parker is here for tea. I thought perhaps, if all matters vegetable can be postponed, you might want to show the field. And see what she thinks of it."
"Now that is a good idea." Perry grins and kisses her. "I knew there was a reason I loved you."
"And I was under the impression there were several," Amy tells him.
"Don't fish for compliments, Amy darling. It's unbecoming," Perry says, and kisses her again. "Give me five minutes to tell Lord Julius to reschedule the next few hours and I'll be right along."
"We'll be in my parlor."
Perry, it turns out, needs only three of those minutes, and comes bounding into Amy's parlor unannounced and looking happier than she's seen him in more than a week. He starts talking about the football field almost before Parker can finish saying hello. Amy, laughing, tells them to go on ahead and she'll catch up; she wants to tell Nurse Marta that Susan will be joining them for tea when they get back.
(She also wants to give Perry a chance to talk through some of his enthusiasm while she's gone -- he talks a lot about the football field, and Amy has heard all of it many times.)
Perry cheerfully tells her not to be long, and offers Parker his arm. She can hear him all the way down the hallway.
Amy grins and heads for the nursery. She'll have to make that up to Parker later.