semiautonomous kitchen

[thaumobabble]

The remaining two days of the walk are much more affectionate, and also much more free of wizards and snakes than the first two days were. Somehow, all three travelers manage to not realize that Bella has not yet produced her name, even though on at least one occasion it would have been convenient for Tony to have.

And there is the castle, and there is the -

"Skyvault," sighs Bella, diving into her hat for her specs.

Comments

[thaumobabble]

"It's only because it's fast. Nothing about you. We already knew it was fast."

[calendarofcrime]

"Yes, I suppose we did."

[thaumobabble]

Nuzzle. "Umber is a ways away. It's only Brown now. He'll have plenty of time to get used to the idea, and we'll have plenty of time to confirm that it's a good idea."

[calendarofcrime]

"All right."

[thaumobabble]

"Now," says Bella, "fun as it is being carried everywhere, I'm going to atrophy if it goes on much longer and I'm going to crack my head open one of these days if I try doing without, so I need to go find one of the servants you mentioned and see about moccasin material."

[calendarofcrime]

"All right."

[thaumobabble]

Bella goes off - carefully - to look for someone to solicit fake leather from, then goes back to her room.

Sherlock's not there to ask about timing, so Bella wanders into the castle, exploring the layout and keeping her eyes peeled for Her Majesty to ask about politics lessons and sword-looking-at permissions.

[pythbox]

There she is!

[thaumobabble]

"Your Majesty?" inquires Bella, quite ready to be sent away if the queen is busy with important queening.

[pythbox]

"Ah, Bella," says her majesty. "Have you decided which of my daughters you are going to marry?"

[thaumobabble]

"Sherlock first," Bella says. "In the event - I think it's an unlikely one, but not an impossible one - that I can't help out with producing you a royal grandchild, they think Tony will have an easier time finding a more traditional sort of spouse."

[pythbox]

"I think they're right," says her majesty. "Very sensible."

[thaumobabble]

"But since I probably can work out a spell for it - it may already have been invented, although I'd need to do a bit of a research project to find it - and since I'm going to marry Sherlock anyway, I was wondering if it would be a good idea for me to take some sort of politics lessons? The topic interests me but I haven't done a lot of investigation into it as I never expected to have a chance to apply it."

[pythbox]

"Also very sensible," she says approvingly.

[thaumobabble]

"Is there something like that available already, or that can be easily set up, or should I just investigate your library and talk to key staff members...?"

[pythbox]

"I think the most instructive method would be if I taught you myself," she says. "Although you're free to browse the library as much as you want."

[thaumobabble]

"That does sound very instructive, and I'd appreciate it," says Bella brightly. "What sort of schedule works for you?"

[pythbox]

"That depends," she says. "Will you be staying in the castle for the forseeable future?"

[thaumobabble]

"I will need to go to my house to collect my belongings and my cat, in the next week or so, and possibly again to sell the place. This will be pretty quick if I get a carpet to enchant and fly there and back instead of having to hike, though."

[pythbox]

"Good, then I can keep you plenty busy," the queen says with a smile.

[thaumobabble]

"I like to be busy!" Bella says approvingly. "Where are we going to start?"

[pythbox]

"Good question," she says musingly.

"What do you know about wizards?"

[thaumobabble]

"I know a fair amount about the magic works, considering that I'm not personally a wizard or related to one," Bella replies. "And some incidental facts about the Society and not very much about their history."

[pythbox]

"Wizards," says Queen Marianne, "are apparently very relevant all of a sudden."

[thaumobabble]

"We met some on our way here," Bella says. "I checked, and they weren't - at the time I looked - stealing any magic in active use."