the golden age

[deepest_magic]

When the party has died down, Isabella, for one, is well and truly exhausted. She explores the palace until she finds a room with a bed in it, and into this bed she flops, still in her clothes and holding her staff and carrying the cordial in her pocket. She sleeps late, because the party kept her up so late and she hadn't really slept the night before; but around noon, she stirs, and gets up, and goes looking for James and wherever her backpack may have got to. The backpack she finds in the great hall where the principal mass of the party was; some enterprising creature took both bags from the battlefield at Beruna up to the castle for them, and she only wishes she knew who it was. She takes her bag to her room and carries James's with her and continues looking for her friend.

Comments

[neverbeatme]

"Well, we can ask."

[deepest_magic]

Sigh. "Not very Christmasy."

[neverbeatme]

"Yeah."

[deepest_magic]

Winter continues to be Not Very Christmasy. The monarchs have other things to do, though. There's an archery competition and a tourney and a horse race (won respectively by Isabella, James, and a horse). There's some ruffled feathers and raised hackles to be soothed even a while after the kidnapping - it has shaken some creatures' confidence - but most people are placated by the story and the conclusion where Winter is in the inescapable dungeon. There are envoys to see and send and disputes to settle and an economy to gentle along without disrupting its charming Narnian-ness.

They can't very well visit him when they're in the summer palace for the summer.

They're back in Cair Paravel in autumn and there's Queensday and everyone stuffs themselves on harvest foods and there is a funeral for a knight who was getting on a bit and they have to establish traditions for knightly funerals and there are delights of married life to partake in and a grand ball that Viridian wanted to throw and how did they go this long without noticing that Narnia hadn't invented roof gutters and -

- there is snow, everywhere, deep and crisp and even, and a list of questions in Isabella's notebook.

1. What should we know about the apples of immortality?

2. What is Winter's problem?

3. Are there more surprises in Narnia like the dark tunnels?

4. Did Winter omit anything when he marked the tunnels?

5. Why couldn't Winter go back to Earth?

6. Is there a way to let him die?

7. Is there in general a reliable way to get between Earth and Narnia and back?

8. Are there any magic items lying around we could get without having to wait for you to bring them?

9. What other questions might it be worthwhile to ask you and what are the answers to them?

[pythbox]

"Merry Christmas, merry Christmas," says a familiar voice.

Father Christmas strolls up to the royal couple and hands Isabella an envelope and a smallish paper packet neatly tied up with string. "Here are your gifts, Eve's Daughter, and yours, Eve's Son." James gets a similarly sized packet of differently coloured paper. "The lighthouses of Narnia's coasts have been restored. I trust you can find creatures to operate them."

[neverbeatme]

"Definitely."

[deepest_magic]

"Merry Christmas," says Isabella cheerfully.

[pythbox]

He smiles and nods to each of them and sweeps out of the room.

[deepest_magic]

Isabella opens her envelope.

[pythbox]

It contains a list of answers to her questions!

1. What should we know about the apples of immortality?
They cannot be safely picked or consumed except at Aslan's own personal instruction. Any who try under other circumstances will find the results more unwelcome than otherwise.

2. What is Winter's problem?
It isn't my business to say.

3. Are there more surprises in Narnia like the dark tunnels?
Not presently.

4. Did Winter omit anything when he marked the tunnels?
You will find his map entirely sufficient to your purposes.

5. Why couldn't Winter go back to Earth?
The way was not open to him.

6. Is there a way to let him die?
No, and nothing like it.

7. Is there in general a reliable way to get between Earth and Narnia and back?
Not that you would call truly reliable.

8. Are there any magic items lying around we could get without having to wait for you to bring them?
You have the means to find out. Enjoy your search.

9. What other questions might it be worthwhile to ask you and what are the answers to them?
It is not in my nature to be an oracle.

[deepest_magic]

Isabella hands the letter to James and opens her other parcel.

[neverbeatme]

Isabella's parcel contains a pair of pretty bracelets, and James's parcel contains a charmingly wrought little compass which is currently pointing directly at Isabella despite her lack of northwardness.

James looks at the compass, and the bracelets, and the letter. "'Enjoy your search'?" she murmurs thoughtfully.

[deepest_magic]

Isabella puts the bracelets on.

[neverbeatme]

James turns the compass this way and that, moves it up and down and around in circles.

The compass points at Isabella. The bracelets tug very gently and subtly in the direction of the compass.

"Hmmm," says James.

[deepest_magic]

Isabella lets her arms be guided compasswards.

[neverbeatme]

As soon as she touches the compass, the bracelets relax. Item found.

"We both got... finding-ish sorts of things, it looks like," says James. "We could follow them around and see what they find us." She stifles a yawn. "Tomorrow. I was up early this morning."

The compass needle swivels. Now it points towards the corridor that James would take if she went to bed.

[deepest_magic]

"I'm going to go see if Winter's awake, let him know what the letter says," sighs Isabella.

[neverbeatme]

"Good idea. Thanks."

She hugs her wife and follows her compass to bed.

[deepest_magic]

"Love you."

And down Isabella goes.

[jackfrostbite]

Someone is giggling down there! It sounds like Winter, but a Winter who is much less unhappy than usual.

[deepest_magic]

That's weird.

Isabella continues down.

[pythbox]

Inside of Winter's cell, there is a picnic blanket spread on the floor and provisioned with an exquisite Christmas dinner for two. Sitting across from Winter at the blanket is Father Christmas.

[deepest_magic]

Isabella is momentarily struck speechless.

[jackfrostbite]

Winter doesn't notice her at first, being too busy laughing, and then as his giggles fade he proceeds to be too busy eating dinner.

[deepest_magic]

"Um," begins Isabella.