Under the Roses

62 - Warm and Real and Bright

ALICE

Queen Amoret stood in the hall like an angel, looking down at Vanessa.

Alice tried not to think about the closet and the organs inside it as she went over down the hall, pausing at the appropriate distance and dipping into a curtsey. "Good morning, Your Majesty," she said. Was it still morning? She couldn't tell. Whit's shadow fell beside her.

"Am I correct, then?" said Amoret.

Alice nodded, glancing up. "Yes, ma'am," she said. "Were you expecting us?"

"Somewhat," Amoret admitted. "I'd foreseen visitors, though I hadn't expected them to be...you. And I hadn't expected them so early."

Alice looked over at Whit and Vanessa. Vanessa seemed frozen, but the odd spell that had overcome her appeared to have gone. Whit looked blank, as usual. So Alice spoke again. "I hope we aren't bothering you."

"Not at all," said the Queen of the North. Alice remembered that the three of them had basically snuck into North Auvyn, illegally, and now, here they were, speaking to the Queen all very casually. She wondered if Amoret knew who she was. "I'm here to see your brother. I assume you came for the same reason?"

Alice nodded. So she did know who Alice was. For some reason, that made it feel stranger. Such a big, powerful figure knew who she was, knew who Alice was. Alice, a tiny girl who was so insignificant she wouldn't even be missed by her own family.

"Austin isn't here," she said, gesturing behind them. "Er...he's not in his room. Not at the moment, at least."

Amoret nodded, not looking surprised. "I'm sure he won't mind if we borrow it for now. Come, you three."

She strode past a gaping Vanessa, past Alice and Whit, towards Austin's empty room. They glanced at each other, then hurried after her. Alice lingered behind with Vanessa.

"Are you all right?" Alice whispered.

Vanessa nodded. "I'm fine. It was just..." She shook her head. "Let's not think about it."

Alice was fine with that. She nodded back, and they entered Austin's room behind Whit and Queen Amoret.

Amoret was looking around the room, almost wondrously. "Strange," she mused aloud. "I've never been in a college dormitory." There was a chair sitting in front of the desk, and she sat, crossing one leg over the other, so casually she didn't even look like a queen.

There were no other chairs in the room, and Alice felt strange standing and making the queen look up, so she sat hesitantly on the edge of the bed. Vanessa sat down beside her. She smiled at Alice, and Alice smiled back. Silently, Whit sat on Alice's other side.

"So, is there any particular reason you all had to see me so much you would risk getting arrested?" said Amoret, leaning back in the chair, her wings draped over the side. She looked so...casual. Hardly like a queen. "I'm flattered, I suppose. How did you get in, anyway?"

Alice glanced at the others. They gave her blank looks. She supposed Amoret couldn't exactly arrest her own children...or perhaps she could. But Alice said, "It probably wouldn't be wise to tell you. Ma'am," she added, just in case.

The corner of Amoret's mouth twitched. "Is that so?" she said. "I suppose. By the way, you all smell terribly of wine." Alice felt her face grow hot again. Did Amoret know? But Amoret only grinned. "Don't worry, I won't tell your mothers."

"We didn't drink any," said Vanessa. She started like she hadn't meant to say that, and she ducked her head quickly. "Ma'am," she muttered.

"Oh, why are you so afraid?" said Amoret, and Vanessa looked back up again. "I'm not going to do anything. You're already here; there's not really any point in kicking you out. So, really, tell me. What are you here for?"