She leads her to a wing of the palace that seems to be set aside for servants - there are quite a lot of them, all around. Zephrys leads Iobel up to a woman who's currently barking orders at people while doing what looks like paperwork. She waits until a moment when she's not barking order to address her.
"Um. Mrs Lyre?" says Zephrys.
"Hmm?" asks the stern looking woman, not looking up from her paperwork.
"Um. Mrs Lyre?" says Zephrys.
"Hmm?" asks the stern looking woman, not looking up from her paperwork.
come_midnight
"I am," says Iobel, "the queen, and currently don't have my own staff. I like Zephrys. Can she be spared?"
come_midnight
"Thank you."
Iobel turns to Zephrys. "What all are you competent to do, besides what went on this morning?"
Iobel turns to Zephrys. "What all are you competent to do, besides what went on this morning?"
come_midnight
"All right, I don't care what I wear so I'll leave you in charge of that, do you know how to get miscellaneous - things, from wherever the household source is? Paper and the like? Do you know how the palace interacts with the mail system?"
come_midnight
"Okay. I think I'm going to go back to the room I was in the first time we met. Eventually I might want my things from home, but not just yet."
In case she runs after all and thinks she has time to stop home for a box or three.
"To start I want envelopes and stationery and the like, there are already pens up there - and more spellchart paper, and blank notebooks. Can you get me those, and something to sleep in - I've been in the clothes I arrived in for a week except today and this isn't sleepwear - and something to wear tomorrow, and then meet me back there? Mind anything I put on will get cat hair on it, so ideally it won't show too much or be hard to get off."
In case she runs after all and thinks she has time to stop home for a box or three.
"To start I want envelopes and stationery and the like, there are already pens up there - and more spellchart paper, and blank notebooks. Can you get me those, and something to sleep in - I've been in the clothes I arrived in for a week except today and this isn't sleepwear - and something to wear tomorrow, and then meet me back there? Mind anything I put on will get cat hair on it, so ideally it won't show too much or be hard to get off."
come_midnight
"Thank you," says Iobel. "What can you tell me about meals around here - where will the queen be expected to turn up for dinner?"
come_midnight
"Thank you, Zephrys."
And Iobel goes back to her room, the one without any spilled wine.
And Iobel goes back to her room, the one without any spilled wine.
come_midnight
Iobel is startled into laughter by the chocolates. "Thank you."
Cricket purrs at Zephrys.
come_midnight
Iobel writes a letter to each of her parents, and then one to her landlord, explaining what's happened (in more detail to the parents than the landlord; the landlord is only asked to make sure everything's locked up and forward her correspondence).
And then, when that's all done, she tucks them into envelopes to give to Zephrys later, and she goes to dinner still in her wedding dress.
And then, when that's all done, she tucks them into envelopes to give to Zephrys later, and she goes to dinner still in her wedding dress.