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[youngestqueen]

Lucy sat on the grass near the school. She'd finished a class, and had some tutoring by Susan as well. Now she was drawing. Feverishly drawing in a way, one of the compound cats who had wandered outside for a while

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[patriotqueen]

"Hello, ducky." Guy said, as he approached the girl. He was actually here to find Anthony after class (originally he intended to be there during class, but that plan had stranded on the sunny but just slightly windy beach today). "Dear me, he's not going on about allegory, is he?" He asked, when he saw the lion Lucy had drawn.

[youngestqueen]

"Allegory?" Lucy looked up at Guy, confusion plain on her face. "No, he's not mentioned it. What is it?"

[patriotqueen]

"Visual paraphrases. Emblematic pictures. Boring lectures that he is able to go on about for ages. Lions feature disproportionally often." Guy said, poshly, rather bored by even saying it.

[youngestqueen]

"What for? What do they represent?" Lucy is leaning forward, both excited and confused by the randomness of this conversation and yet its appropriateness as well.

[patriotqueen]

“Prudence, nobility, sometimes madness, even sacrifice - but then, what isn’t an allegory of sacrifice? It’s a very popular theme. And then of course Mark was always fond of lions, which allows for a whole range of biblical symbolism.” There was an air of mock about his tone of voice and particularly his emphasis, wholly intended. “But, rest assured that your lion is a more accomplished than most. At least it looks like a lion.”

[youngestqueen]

"Oh," Lucy paused a moment on his words. "Thank you."

[patriotqueen]

“Are you truly alright, dear?” Guy asked. Though perhaps not worrisome, the lack of a five-minute answer was unusual.

[youngestqueen]

"There are a lot of lions then? In stories?" She asked it quietly, far too quietly for her.

[patriotqueen]

“Lions, dogs, wolves and of course horses. True, but boring. Now, are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?” Because the fact remained something was.

[youngestqueen]

"No," Lucy closed her sketchbook. "I don't think I shall."

[patriotqueen]

Now he was certain something was wrong. He looked at her, cautiously, to see if he could spot anything in her demeanour. "So something is the matter." He said and then added, seriously. "You will tell me, if there's anything... if you think you need help?"

[youngestqueen]

"Thank you," she said simply, avoiding the question of something being the matter entirely. Other people would have lied, but Lucy didn't like to lie.

[patriotqueen]

And Guy simply ignored that she hadn't affirmed anything was wrong. "Is it about the book?" He then asked, almost quietly, having quite a good hunch that it was. He had read it, if only to be able to understand Anthony's opinion of it.

[youngestqueen]

Lucy nodded, sliding her sketchbook into her bag, no longer looking at Guy. "He's not an allegory," she said, her voice rough and low, "He's real."

[patriotqueen]

Ah. Realisation had struck the poor girl. "Yes, of course." Guy agreed. "Some lions have to be real; it's not a mythical animal., after all"

Then again, real lions don't reside in wardrobes. But he was tactful enough not to say that.

[youngestqueen]

"Yes. Some do," It wasn't the answer she wanted, it wasn't quite what she wanted to say. She wasn't sure what that was.