Children at Work [Lucy/Open]

[Sebastien Lienid]

Sebastien swung his legs gently as he carefully examined his current project. The body of the puppet was coming along very well and all that was left to carve were the details of the face. At the moment, he was sitting on a thick branch on a tree in the gardens of Cair Paravel. He was carving a new puppet, or more precisely, a marionette, for his new puppet show. The ones that he had been performing were fast becoming old and it was time to make a new story.

The puppet that he was making right now was going to be Queen Lucy. They story was going to be an adventure during the Golden Age and he needed the Queen’s input to make sure that the story was accurate, unlike those silly Archenland bards. They exaggerate historical events too much. Like the one about how King Edmund ended up being the sole ruler of Narnia. That one was rather funny. Seb’s personal favourite actually, and most likely King Edmund’s too. That one annoyed Queen Lucy to no end and King Peter and Queen Susan refused to talk about it at all.

Seb made another thoughtful scratch on the face of the puppet and watched the chip of wood fall to the ground metres below his feet. The garden was calm. It was the perfect place to work. Sometimes, the ladies of the court came out and then Seb would have to leave. Other times, like today, there were a few other occupants meandering around the garden. To have some privacy, Seb would climb onto a tree, with the consent of the tree of course, and sit up in the branches while he worked.

Lucy’s puppet was the last puppet he needed to make. Next, he would need to figure out the story. He had the general plot in his head which was why he had his whole cast of characters already, but some details needed to be straightened out, like the setting for example. Seb could get started on that as soon as Queen Lucy got there.

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[ellie]

Sometimes Lucy hated being the queen. There was no freedom in it at all. And the tasks and things one had to learn were completely rediculous. Really, why did Lucy have to learn how to fill out the boring paperwork and sit through boring meetings. It was as if everyone was rushing her to grow older. Couldn't she be wise without acting like a grow up all the time? Lu was practically an adult as it was, so why couldn't she grasp onto the bit of childhood she had left. She knew that people all must grown sometime...but was her time really now?

If anything, she didn't feel the need to be escorted everywhere. Really, it wasn't as if a swarm of evil birds could swoop down into the garden and take her away. The archers were posted on the palace walls, and they were quite skilled at knocking down even the smallest of targets. Lucy was safe, she knew this, and that is why she felt no remorse for sneaking out her window. Okay, so she would have to come up with another clever story to explain to Ariadne why she was skipping out on another lesson, but didn't she always? Besides, this was important to her, and a friend, and Lucy has never been one to break promises, no matter how trivial everyone else thinks they are.

Sebastien needed help with his story. Queen Lucy was quite fond of his stories, as they were as true as he could get them to be. After all, he couldn't have every detail right as rain, because he wasn't actually there. That was were she came in. She would tell him all the details she recalled about the Pevensie's adventures, and he would manage to put it all together, unfolding into a marvelous show. It was amazing all the work he put into it, and she was probably the person who enjoyed his displays the most. After all, the puppets he made were beautiful, little pieces of small art that always managed to catch Lucy's eye.

Tumbling out the window, and miraculously landing on her feet, she dusted off her skirts (which were far too long in her opinion), and walked over to the tree near by. "Afternoon, Sebastien!" she called up to him. If anyone where around, they might think her crazy for speaking to the plant life, especially one that had never danced before. He seemed taller, although that could be that she was looking up at him at a much more elevated height. Then again, at only two years her senior, Sebastien was about a foot taller than her, she mused. Her height was often the topic of teasing around here, but if he were to make a remark, she doubt she would mind that much.

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[Sebastien Lienid]

Upon seeing his friend and his queen standing at the base of the tree he was sitting in, Sebastien quickly put down his knife and his puppet in progress on the trunk and lightly dropped to the ground, landing quietly beside Queen Lucy. He straightened himself, noticing that he was now even taller than the last time he had talked to the queen. Last time, Lucy’s head came up to his chin, now, her head barely reached his shoulders. Sebastien made not comment though. He would never do anything to hurt his favourite monarch.

“Good afternoon Your Majesty,” greeted Seb, taking a bow and flashing Lucy a cheerful smile. Despite knowing Lucy for a good two years now, Sebastien refused to call the monarchs just by their name. He may be their friend, but rank wise they were on the opposite ends of the spectrum. He was born a peasant and while he may actually add up to something some day, he doubted he would ever go that far.

“I hope you didn’t abandon your lessons again Queen Lucy,” said Seb after a moment of thought. “I would hate to be the reason for you get yelled at again.” Seb tried to speak with more formality but didn’t succeed very often and it never came out quite right. He blamed his upbringing. He never learned to read until he became a cabin boy on the ship and had received little education before that. The only things he learned before having a proper education were only things essential to his survival. He knew how to fish, make a fire, make a shelter, gut a fish and all sorts of stuff. The only educated thing he knew from a young age were numbers. One couldn’t sell their wares at the market if one couldn’t even do simple mathematics.

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[ellie]

If only she were a little bit taller, then she wouldn't have to look up at him in such a way. Really, it was a bit rediculous of her to be so small at age fourteen. Five feet was such an awful height...was it too much to ask for just a few more inches to add? What are you...some sort of beardless dwarf...? Her lips formed into the smallest of frowns, Sebastien, already quite tall in her opinion, was still growing. He had grown since last they'd met, as she had...just not enough to match him.

How she had missed him! When Seb went off, it could be a month to a year or so. Time was still odd to her, even though she had lived through at least a score of Narnia years in her lifetime. It was uncertain how moments passed. Could it really be possible that so many years could have passed since her very first moments in Narnia. Ah how she remembered,that wardrobe in the spare room, and having tea with Mr. Tumnus...How she missed her faun compainion! But when the Pevensies had returned, it was far too late. Their castle had been in ruins, and e no one was to be found for miles.

But it wouldn't do her any good to think of that adventure. That adventure was commonly known, and what she needed to focus on now was when she and her brother Edmund set forth on a voyage on the Dawn Treader. That was what Seb was interested in, why he needed her help. He'd told her many stories before, and now it was her turn. The frown slipped into a smile and he landed on his feet beside her. He was very much like a cat at that moment, and as Lucy knew, cats always landed on their feet, even larger ones.

Although she had to admit, she did love it when Seb smiled at her. For that matter, she liked it when anyone smiled. Lucy always liked to see someone happy, genuinely happy, not pretending or something else foolish and what a grown up would do. Around him, there was no one telling her she needed to grow up, she could just act the way she wanted, which was nice for a change.

"Oh, Ariadne won't mind." she said with a small dismissive wave of her hand. He certainly didn't force her to sneak out of her bedroom window, and this was no way his fault if any concsequence came around. She stared at the ground for a moment, and spoke to it, rather than Seb, who the comments were really directed at. "How I would wish you would just call me 'Lucy'. I haven't always been a queen, and I am much less of one that Susan..." She could say that all she wanted, but she doubt whether it would have any effect at all. Probably not.

[Sebastien Lienid]

Seb didn't comment nor did he show a reaction. It wasn't his place to tell the Queen of Narnia off for skipping her lessons or escaping through her bedroom window which she most likely did. At least the youngest monarch knew how to have fun, unlike those other stuffy rulers, like the Tisroc. Lucy wouldn't be Lucy if she didn't defy those superior to her every now and then just to prove that she wasn't a little girl and could do whatever she wanted to. That reminded Seb so much of his sister who he hadn’t seen since he was sold at the slave market. Arrayah too had vibrant personality. Maybe that was why Seb and Lucy were such good friends.

“You may not have been born into royalty and raised to be a queen, Your Majesty,” replied Seb, his brain going as fast as the wind, thinking up ways to cheer Lucy up, “but you were born to be one, by Aslan’s will, and that makes all the difference. And maybe you are not as beautiful and dignified as Queen Susan,” at this, Seb gave Lucy a bashful smile, “but you are charming and delightful all the same. Not to mention the fact that you are much easier to approach than your royal sister. To tell you the truth, Her Majesty can be quiet intimidating sometimes. I’m not saying that she’s scary or anything, mind you, just that her beauty and air is quite grand, much grander than what most of us non-royalties are use to.”

Seb swallowed. He really hoped that his little speech helped Lucy. It seemed that even the most confident and high ranking people have doubts about themselves, not just the lowly servants like him. Seb’s mind drifted back to what the two had been talking about before going in an adjacent direction. Lucy was, once again, trying to persuade him to call her by her first name, with no titles attached. It wasn’t going to happen. Seb had been raised to respect his elders. Changing this habit now was not a good idea.

Hoping that Lucy had been distracted enough, Seb motioned for his friend to sit down on the nearby bench. She would sit first, of course. He still had to climb back up the tree to gather his puppet and his knife before joining her. But even if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have sat down first. He may not have been a proper gentleman, but that was no excuse not to act gentlemanly towards the queen.

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[ellie]

Whenever someone called Lucy 'Queen' it made her feel like just another stuffy adult. She was not such. She knew Sebastian was only trying to be respectful, only knowing his place. It seemed a bit rediculous to her, these rules of nobility and whatnot. Really, technically as a performer, he wouldn't really be allowed to converse directly with one of Narnia's own royalty. But of course, Lucy wouldn't even of been able to bear that. Sebastian had now becaome one of her dearest and more treasured of companions, and reguardless of the way things were "supposed to work" around here, she would continue to talk to him as much as she'd like. Well, when he was around here...which was growing increasingly and increasingly less frequent.

Being a queen made Lucy feel a bit awkward around people. they believed they had to act a certain way. Perhaps they did, but it didn't make her feel any better. She couldn't help but smile a little. He was complimenting her, after all. True, as a young queen she often recieved many compliment, if even less than Susan, but she could tell Sebastien truly meant every word, which made her a bit calmer. Although she did wish for him to just call her Lucy... "Fine, I don't suppose that will work today either." True, there had been a few times when he'd come close to calling her by name, but he'd never actually done so.

She brightened up a bit, a small smile on her lips and she walked over to the bench and took a seat, waiting for him to take his place beside her. True, this was why they were here, to talk about the story. It was time to get to work. Well, the type of work in which Lucy did not mind taking part in, that is. Her legs dangled over the edge just hovering above the ground. It was odd to think that just a few years ago she could barely even make it near the ground while sitting on the edge. Maybe she was growing up...

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