Alexius: Dinner With the Guests

The cook wasn't exactly pleased about the sudden addition of two mouths and a wolf to the intimate meal he had prepared. While he was all smiles to the king and queen, his foulness was untempered around the children as he passed them in the hall.

"A dog! A dog! And not even scraps, he says! The prime cuts!" He gave Wolf at Harri's side an evil look, then stormed down the hall to order more trays.



When Crispin and Corisand took their seats at Random's table, Vialle gave them a tempered smile, holding out a hand to them. "It's been so long, children..."

Random looked over Crispin with a look that implied it hadn't been long enough. Since the infamous 'Pocketwatch Incident', Random had kept a wary eye on the boy twin. Crispin gave him a glowing smile as he took Vialle's hand and covered it with his own.

"Much too long, Aunt Vialle."

Wolf, much to the servant's dismay, was allowed a place next to the table and his own plate of Prime Rib. He was flanked by Corwin and Harri, and Harri was flanked by Wolf and Alexius.

From her seat between Corwin and Random, Cori said, "It's always a pleasure to visit, Aunt Vialle." Her smile could be more accurately described as nervous than as glowing.

To Corwin, she added, "I'm so glad to meet you at last, Uncle Corwin. Father speaks very fondly of you." Her eyes flicked to Random for a moment, but returned to Corwin almost immediately.

Harri was engaged in looking around the room, a little shyly. Although she had considerable poise and confidence, it was also true that this was a wholly new environment for her.

She turned and spoke quietly to Alexius.

"This is very different from our Hall in New Avalon. There we all eat together, masters and men, although we do have the High Table. But just stone floors with rushes ... there's so much mud from all the building work. Mama despairs - but Father says we will be gracious and as elegant as she could wish in about twenty years. In the mean-time she is amassing the most gorgeous decorations she can find in Shadow ... "

"It takes time to build up such things." Alexius said, looking around. "It took Amber, from what I understand of my history, hundreds of years before the finished Castle was done. Castle Amber didn't start off much unlike New Avalon's Hall, after all.

"I'll look forward to seeing New Avalon, and I am sure that I'll love it...rushes on the floors or not"

The noise Wolf made at the cook was either an indignant snort or a laugh. He turned his nose away and pointedly ignored him in favor of staying close to Cub.

At the table he settled in quietly with his food, remaining closer to Cub than her Sire. His ears remained perked, and his expression almost attentive as conversation swirled around him.

Corwin looked down at the girl seated next to him. "And what does Bleys say, when he's speaking fondly of me?"

Random chuckled under his breath. "Probably a whole host of things you didn't throw in your book."

Crispin dug into the bread basket before passing it on. "Oh, we've heard about your fight up Kolvir over and over. He even took us walking up the stair last spring."

Vialle accepted a refill on her water, then frowned over the talk of war over dinner. "And considering how that story ends, Crispin, we might want to leave talk of it for another time... Corwin, how long will you and Angharad be staying? That wasn't in your letter."

"Well... That rather depends," replied Corwin, then stopped speaking as he began to cut into his food.

Alexius regarded Wolf's actions with a confused look on his face. After a moment, another emotion, perhaps regret, crosses his visage.

He looked thoughtful as the meal continued. He hovered on the edge of asking Corwin what he meant but held his tongue.

Harri was eating in small, polite "guest" mouthfuls, keeping a wary watch on Vialle and Corisande, in case they had some special way of eating food here in Amber. The array of knives and forks had quite daunted her, but she had watched and copied carefully.

Nevertheless, between courses she slipped a small hand into Wolf's ruff. To the table it looked as though she was reassuring him.

Only Wolf was aware of how her fingers trembled ...

Wolf's head pressed back against her fingers... he was there, by her side, and always would be. Whenever she needed him.

Cori had started to reply to Corwin, but Vialle's comments and the transparent change of subject reduced her to silence. She'd heard enough lectures about proper manners at the adult table from Aunt Flora in her life to know better than to interrupt, even if her response would have had far more to do with happier times in Corwin's youth, before the wars, than Crispin's.

Instead, she concentrated on her food. Occasionally she caught Harri's eye on her and smiled at the other girl across the table.

"I do hope you'll be able to stay a while," she added politely into the deepening silence. "I know everyone has missed you, Uncle Corwin, and everyone will be dying to meet Harri."

Harri looked a little quizzically at her father.

"I'm not sure how long we'll be here for," she admitted to Corisande. "The whole trip was a complete surprise to me and Wolf. Father just suddenly announced that I was coming to Amber for my Nameday. And ... whoosh! We were on the road."

She raised her hand to the torque around her neck, and smiled at Alexius.

"But I am so looking forward to seeing places that Alexius has told me about."

Her eyes suddenly sparkled with mischief. "And perhaps you have places you could show me too," she suggested to Corisande.

"We do!" Crispin set down the phesant leg he had been chewing on and leaned over to look at Random. "We could start tomorrow! Cori and I can stay up at the castle tonight, then ride down the Harri and Lex after breakfast."

"I count the silverware, you know," he replied, and a small thud under the table signified Vialle giving his chair a light kick. Above table, she did nothing more than smile, and touch her son's hand.

"I think it would be an excellent break from court."

"I agree, mother. I never intended to hoard Harri's attentions all to myself." He smiled over to her.

"Besides, a whirlwind tour of Amber should be as complete as possible. With all the time I DO spend in Court, Cori and Crispin match or even beat me for favorite spots and adventures." He smiled to his cousins.

"I tell you now, though, keeping up with Harri and Wolf will be a challenge." He then smiled back to Harri. "In a good way."

"We're up for it," Cori said, and winked at her brother.

"And you won't even have to make up a room!" Cripin added. "I can sleep in Lex's room, and Cori can bunk with Harri! We won't be any trouble, I swear."

"But ... only if it's not too much trouble, Aunt Vialle," Cori followed up quickly. "Otherwise we can ride home and meet Harri and Alexius in the morning."

Harri looked anxiously at Vialle. As a guest, she was being too polite to actually ask - and nor could Vialle see her hopeful expression.

Alexius decided to be serious A joke here could botch the entire plan, and spending time with Bleys' children would be fun...it usually was something of an adventure.

Besides it would give stuff for him and Harri to write about for months and years afterwards.

"What do you think Mother? Father?" Alexius said.

Random started to say something, but Vialle placed her hand on his, stopping up his words. "I think that would be fitting, Alexius. It's too late to ride back at this hour, any way. Harri? Do you mind sharing with Cori?"

"Oh, not at all!" Harri assured her, with an enthusiasm that was clearly wholly unfeigned.

She grinned across the table at Corisande. "That is - if you don't mind sharing with Wolf? He always sleeps in my room."

Wolf looked up at the Girl with a somewhat gentle Whuf!

"As long as Wolf doesn't mind sharing with me," Cori said, not having been in a good position to see or hear Wolf's response.

"Thank you so much, Aunt Vialle. It's so kind of you and Uncle Random to take us in, and at such short notice." In the moment when Crispin was looking across the table at Cori, she gave him a Look, in hopes that he would read her meaning and for once follow her lead.

Harri simply beamed and carressed Wolf's ruff.

"He won't mind," she assured Corisande. "On really cold nights he sleeps on my bed - I have a huge one in New Avalon specially to take us both. But he doesn't mind a rug on the floor, really."

There was a note of apology in her caress to Wolf.

"Thank you, Aunt Vialle," she echoed. "It so lovely to be able to be here and meet you all!"

"As lovely as it is to meet you." Vialle favored Harri with a soft smile, then turned her attention to Corwin. "You never said how long you were staying, and what it depends upon."

Corwin shifted in his seat. "It depends on my men back in Avalon. We're at a tricky stage of the construction. The castle isn't going to be safe for a while, and it certainly won't be quiet..."

"Just drop the shoe, Corwin," said Random as he speared another slab of meat.

Corwin glanced at his daughter, then said carefully, "A season, perhaps?"

Cori said nothing, but her face lit up with a smile.

Hari looked not displeased, but startly startled.

"A whole season, Father? What about my lessons?"

Alexius looked startled, looking from Harri, to Corwin, to his father and then back again to Harri.

But his startled countenance had a smile on it. And he soon recovered.

"I imagine that the Amber Castle tutors will be happy to have another student with which to earn their pay." Alexius murmured and then smiled. "And I a classmate like you." he beamed at Harri.

Wolf stiffened slightly, and leaned into Cub more, his head upon her lap. Stay? Here? He looked up at Cub, watching her reaction.

"I think some Amber lessons will do you good," said Corwin, returning to his meal once more. "Something more formal, with classmates your speed."

"Formal?" Random chuckled under his breath. "You haven't met Rein's kid..."

Crispin nearly bounced in his seat, looking over at Harri. "You don't just need to have Amber's tutors. Cori and I have our own, that father brought in. You can take lessons with us, down at the Manor!" The matter decided (in his own mind) he reached for the first serving of dessert...



The conversation after that drifted to politics and other things that zoomed over the children's heads. The ten o'clock toll was struck as Corwin, Random, and Vialle sipped at coffee. Vialle counted silently, then placed her hand on Alexius's. "I think it might be time to find your beds... It is a long day tomorrow, showing your cousin around."

Harri rose to her feet at once.

"Yes of course," she said. "Thank you so much for having me to stay, Aunt Vialle. And I shall do my very best not to be a worry while I am here."

She dropped a slightly less formal curtsey, and then prepared to withdraw with Wolf, Alexius and the twins.

A little sparkle in her eye suggested that they would have lots to talk about once away from the grownups.

Cori was right behind Harri. "Thank you for having me, Aunt Vialle, Uncle Random. It was a pleasure to meet you, Uncle Corwin." She gave her own courtesy, perfect enough to meet even Aunt Flora's approval.