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Ingress waits for Amy and Alanna, and their animal entourage, in a playroom decorated with a lace tablecloth and a full tea service, complete with all the delicious biscuits and sandwiches ladies, and small creatures, might like.

Except for the dried flies for the frogs. They are in a container beside a little waterfall pond with running water.

The room is decorated for Christmas, complete with a large Christmas tree decorated with homemade ornaments from a few generations of House of Arch children.

Ingress herself is rather decorated, as well, in a red and green robe with holly in a crown on her blue head. Hope, her potato kitten, is sitting on her lap, and Hubert splashes in the pond. Agatha is sitting on the table nibbling a cracker. And out a window, watching lovingly, is Megwyn, the white horse-shaped Companion from Valdemar.

Ingress watches as Tom enters, both ladies on his arm, as he brings them through the magical painting.

"Hi! You came, you came!"

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Tom bows to Amy and Heather, grinning like the proud father he is.

"My ladies, you are welcome in the House of Arch, and I'm certain Ingress will make you feel at home."

He kneels down to hug Ingress.

"Now, sweetheart, Door has an appointment, and Gavroche and I are off to do boy things. But you can call for Mary if you need anything, alright?"

"Okay!"

She kisses Tom on the cheek.

"We'll have fun."

Tom leaves, nodding to Amy and Alanna once more. Ingress is up like a shot, bringing the meowing kitty with her.

"This is Hope! She's a potato that Dream turned into a kitty. She's nice!"

Hope meows piteously and licks her not!fur with a raspy potato skin tongue.

"Hubert's in the pond!"

"Hello, Ingress! She's adorable," says Amy, with a bright smile. Amy has a crow perched on one shoulder, a squirrel on the other, and another squirrel peeking out of her apron pocket. "And I'm sure she'll get along with Simon Perryvall. They can discuss being transformed."

She turns to Alanna. "I'm Amy, and I'm afraid I didn't catch your name in all the excitement."

Sir Alanna of Trebond, Amy. I'm delighted to meet you finally. I've heard much about you.

*Alanna bows carefully, steadying the cat on her shoulder with a quick touch. For her part, Thea looks around with wide eyes, clearly excited by her adventure.*

She is brilliant, Ingress. *Alanna smiles at Amy again.* This is Thea, my cat. Anthy gave her to me. And this? This is Tulip. *Eyebrow raised, Alanna hums a short and dramatic tune as she pulls a large frog from her sweater pocket. Tulip lifts her head and croaks. It's not hard to look in Tulip's eyes and imagine her with faintly human emotions. Some of the magic remains, perhaps.*

"Hi guys!"

She waves to all the animals, scritching and patting excitedly. She lets Hope down and the cat walks over to Amy and purrs, winding around her legs.

"Do crows like cakes? We have little ones! Little cakes, I mean. And Tulip can play in the pond with Hubert."

Hubert is peeking over the side of the pond. There is a look in his eyes of... recognition?

"It's lovely to meet you, Sir Alanna," says Amy, with a rather graceful curtsey. If the title sounds odd to her, and it does, there's no trace of that in her voice or demeanor. "And Peter Aurelious and the squirrels adore cake. They'll eat just about anything, unless you try to give Simon Perryvall a nut."

She reaches down to scritch Hope. "You have the same name as my brother's boat," she tells the cat, solemnly.

*Alanna grins at Ingress and happily deposits Tulip in the pond. Her frog stares at Hubert and twitches her back leg. After all, the Great Milliways Frog Invasion had happened because the other frogs were searching for her.

It's possible she feels a bit of froggy guilt.*

Peter Aurelious and Simon Perryvall are grand names. *Alanna grins and runs a hand down Hope's back.* I think, Ingress, that just about anyone loves cake. We are all just pleased to be here.

"Then lets have some!"

Ingress sits down at the table and gestures grandly for everyone to join her.

"We have cakes and biscuits and little sandwiches, oh! And I can pour the tea! Tom put a charm on it, so it won't spill."

She proceeds to pour the tea into the tea cups.

Amy sits gracefully down, looks at the table, and beams. "That sounds like a terribly useful charm to know. Spill-proof tea! How wonderful."

She grins at Alanna. "Thank you. I named Peter Aurelious after my uncle and Simon Perryvall after a very small squire, and Mr. Pemberthy, the other squirrel, after a pastry chef."

*Feeling a bit like the proverbial bull in the china shop, Alanna sits carefully and watches her two companions.

She has never been to tea, you see.*

Tom has the best spells, I've decided. *She perks up.* A squire, did you say? Do you have knights in your world then, Amy?

"Dream named Hope, and Door named Hubert, but I named Agatha because that's a fine name for a rat."

Ingress happily pours tea for every living creature at the table. There are many cups set out, you see. Then she begins placing biscuits and cakes on plates.

"Tom does have the best spells. It's fun to have magic."

Then she listens intently for any stories of knights.

"Yes," says Amy. "Knights and ladies and lords and kings and queens and princesses and even fairies. But no spells to keep the tea from spilling, and no rats nearly with names nearly as fine as Agatha."

Peter Aurelious gives a dignified "Qwa" and begins drinking his tea. Mr. Pemberthy promptly knocks his over, but it does not spill.

It is indeed, and I am quite sure Agatha is honored to bear such a name.

*Alanna nods firmly and grins as Thea moves to investigate the tea. The cat shakes her back paw and purrs.*

I am a Lady, although admittedly not a very good one. Women are not allowed to be knights in my world, but I disguised myself as a boy for eight years in order to complete my training.

"I get to be a Herald, and that's like a Knight. Megywn and Kerowyn say there are lots of ladies who are Heralds."

She waves to Megwyn, who nods her head and neighs softly in agreement.

Amy smiles. "I'm afraid I'm not a knight," she says, "or indeed, anything even a little like a knight. And I don't know of any ladies in my world who are."

She looks at Alanna, curious. "However did you keep everyone from finding out?"

But you did not turn your nose up at me for being one, and that says so very much about who you are.

*Alanna smiles at Amy, before picking up her tea cup and eyeing it a touch nervously.*

Well, I have a twin brother and we simply switched places. I was ten when I went to the palace, so it was easy to hide for a time. Later... I think the Goddess protected me more than a little.

*Alanna lifts her cup in a small toast and nods to Megwyn.*

You shall be a fine Herald, Ingress. I will enjoy watching you become so.

"You switched places with your brother?"

Ingress blinks.

"Did he have to wear dresses?"

She looks at Amy, hands to her mouth to hold back the giggles.

"I don't think Gavroche would wear a dress. Well, not for a long time, anyway."

Amy has one brief image of what Caspian would say if she asked him to put on one her elaborate brocaded gowns and starts to laugh. She is not very good at holding back giggles. It has occasionally gotten her into trouble.

"I think it's a rare brother indeed who would wear dress for his sister's sake."

*Alanna flushes, mostly because he has worn a dress at her suggestion, although not at the time these two ladies think.*

Not... precisely. Well, he wore my riding skirts until we had parted ways and revealed our plans to Coram and Maude, but he did not have to wear skirts in the convent. Noble born boys are trained in magic there until they are sent to the Mithran priests.

*Her lips twitch.*

Gavroche would be appalled by this conversation, so I will certainly not mention that he would look stunning in purple satin.

Ingress laughs and laughs.

"Your poor brother! He must love you lots and lots to do that! Amy, do you have brothers who wear dresses?"

Amy laughs more brightly than ever.

"I have a brother, yes, but I certainly cannot think that Caspian's ever worn a dress. I have six sisters who wear rather a lot of dresses, though, so perhaps that makes up for it."

*Alanna remains quiet for a moment, watching them. She doesn't know what to say to Ingress' belief about Thom's love. Not now. She just smiles and sips her tea until Amy's words pull her back into the conversation.*

Caspian is your brother? I had no idea.

*Six sisters with a penchant for dresses. The very idea gives Alanna hives.*

Heralds wear all white, don't they, Ingress?

"They do! I wear Greys for practice now, though. Kerowyn gave them to me on my birthday."

She takes a bite of cake and then shares it with Hope and Agathe and Simon, who has quite liked the attention, apparently.

"Six sisters is a lot. Did you have your own rooms?"

Simon Perryvall adores attention, though Mr. Pemberthy gets jealous. Amy gives him a bit of her cake.

"Caspian and I adopted each other," she explains, "so he's my brother, but he might not have been when you met him."

She smiles. "Six sisters is a little excessive, I think, yes, but thank heaven, we all had our own rooms, or I think we'd have run mad. My sisters could be very silly indeed."

I'm quite fond of him. He's ever so good with the horses. I went to Narnia on a quest, so we have loads to talk about.

*A bit ruffled by Alanna's lack of attention, Thea slowly makes her way toward Ingress. She spares Agatha and Simon a speculative look before brushing up against the small human's side.*

Thea, cease your begging! *Alanna smiles.* I can't imagine having sisters. It was just Thom and I.

Ingress certainly didn't mean to leave Mr. Pemberthy out. She reaches over, extending him some of her cake as well. Then she picks up Thea to sit in her lap with Hope, who licks the other cat fondly.

Ingress giggles.

"I love kitties!"

She snuggles them both.

"Caspian's nice. I guess he looks after the horses as good as Susan did. I miss her though."

Mr. Pemberthy accepts the cake happily, chatters a bit, and hops over to sit near or on Ingress. Where there is cake, there is also often someone who knows how to scritch.

Amy is quiet for a moment, watching him, and then give Ingress a small smile. "Well, I certainly know he tries to take as good care of the horses as Susan did. But he and I both miss her, too."

Amy takes a moment to stir her tea, which didn't need stirring, and then turns to Alanna. "A quest in Narnia? I don't believe I've heard anything about this. What were you questing for?"

*Thea gazes adoringly at Ingress, and Alanna smiles a bit wistfully.*

I miss them all, but I know they are happy where they are.

*Shaking herself, she nods to Amy.*

Aye. It was a few months back. Several people fell ill with horrid symptoms, and I signed up to scrounge for cure ingredients. My group was sent to Narnia. I met talking horses and owls. It was wonderful.

*In truth, Alanna had a hard time leaving.*

"Megwyn would like to meet talking horses! She gets awfully homesick. Tom said Kerowyn invited us to visit Valdemar and he said yes!"

At this she gets so excited that she stands up in her chair, upsetting her plates of goodies. The biscuits and cakes fall to the floor, and suddenly there are no animals in sight.

Ingress giggles and sits back down.

"Oops. But I can't wait. Maybe we can visit Narnia, too! Lucy and Susan were queens there and their brothers were kings. They're nice, too."

Amy smiles. "I'd love to see Narnia sometime. I've heard a great deal about it, of course, but that's not quite the same thing, is it? And I've not met Susan, though I've talked to Lucy a handful of times."

She does not mention either of their brothers.

"Where is Valdemar, Ingress? I don't believe I've heard of it."

*Alanna's eyes follow Thea as the cat leaps on the ground to helpfully rid the floor of fallen biscuits. She smiles fondly at Ingress and pushes her plate closer to her young friend.*

More for you. Goddess, I would love to see Narnia again. I've yet to tell Edmund, but Peter and Caspian both let me regale them with stories. I do not know either Susan or Lucy. *She licks her lips. Certainly she knows of them, and suddenly feels more than a little uncomfortable.*

Oh, Amy. You should meet Kerowyn. She's wonderful. Valdemar... *She looks to Ingress.*

"It's where the Heralds and Companions live! We'll serve the King or Queen, and we'll protect the whole lot of it, from the Borders to Haven. There are monsters there, and bad guys who use magic, but Tom says he can give me charms to help protect me cos he knows about it."

Megywn neighs, and Ingress nods her head.

"And it's green and beautiful and Haven is city that's not underground."

"I shall look for her, if she's here," Amy says to Alanna.

"Goodness, but Valdemar sounds like an exciting place," says Amy. "And I'm sure you'll do a splendid job protecting it, Ingress."

She settles Simon Perryvall into her lap, and scritches him a bit.

"Are there cities that are underground?"

In truth, it sounds a bit like a mixture of my home and Narnia. *She smiles, looking around the room.* There is only one that I know of.

"You're in one, silly! The House of Arch is London Below! We're in the Underside, and it's mostly underground."

Ingress grins at Amy.

Amy looks around. "I didn't realize," she says. "How remarkable! There's a whole other London below the London on the ground?"

She is looking at the window, trying to figure out just how it is that they are underground.

*Alanna nods, smiling at Amy. She had been to London Below once before -when they rescued Door- but she will not mention that to Ingress.*

Aye, remarkable isn't it? *Shaking her head a bit, she nibbles on a piece of cake.* Little did you know you were going on an adventure.

"Yes, all the bits that get forgotten in the Above end up here. All the people, too."

Ingress reaches for another cake, and then drinks down her tea.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Mary helped me get things together to make ornaments."

She scrambles off the chair and hurries over to a box full of craft supplies. She holds up a small jar of green paint.

"We could paint the animals' feet and make footprint patterns on the paper, and then cut that out and put on glitter!"

"Well," says Amy, with that air of accepting something encountered through Milliways that shouldn't be thought about too much, "I'm glad the forgotten bits and people have a place to go."

She looks from the squirrels to the paint.

"Perhaps it would be better if we drew the animals," she says, cheerfully.

And ever so much less messy.

Forgotten people? Goddess.

*Startled, Alanna blinks at them before eyeing the paint. A slow smile creeps across her face as she nods in agreement with Amy's first statement. The second -about drawing- lessens the mischievous glint in her eye. Somewhat.*

Thea might let us trace her feet... and then we could paint that, perhaps? *She grins.*

"Okay! And then glitter. Lots of glitter!"

She pulls out a basket full of vials of glorious glitter in all shades of festive Christmas ~~doom~~ colors.

"This was a fun tea party. And now we'll make the prettiest ornaments ever."

The three ladies, with minimal help from the animals who, of course, end up sparkly with various amounts of glitter stuck to their fur. The Christmas tree in the playroom is soon bedecked in the loveliest ornaments.

Ingress smiles and laughs and twirls and glitters. It was a lovely tea party, indeed.

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