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"I'm sure he would have, had he known," Earendil frowned. "It's still hard to believe that he so thoroughly deceived us the first time we were there ..."

He had always thought he could read people, but apparently not.

"No kidding," Earendil said dryly. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I can't help but wonder what kind of progress Rhea is making with him," he mused. "Or if he's been put on trial yet."

For that matter, he wasn't even sure if Aerin knew Rhea was talking to her father.

"Please do not take offense, Prince Earendil," Luk spoke up, his tone apologetic, "but there is a reason why our people do not have a single ruler. It is simply too easy for their power to tempt them to do more than they ought, and for them to become corrupt. I know that in Elves, it is rare," he added quickly. "Believe me, as a half-elf, I know what the races are like in comparison to one another ... but as in the case of King Aerennel, when an elf goes bad, they go very bad."

"I take no offense," Earendil replied graciously. "I know it to be true, I've seen it with my own eyes. It has happened in my own family. But that is why they don't rule alone, even if in they do in title. They have their spouses to help them, their counselors, a council they must answer to ..."

Earendil stretched as he crossed the yard with Lin and Miyuki, heading towards the second barracks. As it was decades newer than the other one, it was still inhabited, and would be for quite a while.

"Daeron is still here," he affirmed. "Not a whole lot new here on his part, I think. He's more of a hunter now than anything else, since as Arthael pointed out, the fighters are pretty much useless at the moment ..."

He grinned at her. "You want to visit him?"

Earendil grinned at Miyuki and put one hand on her head. "That's right," he winked at her. "My brother, your uncle. Your ada-tol. He lives here, too. He used to be a fighter, but since fighters aren't needed anymore, he's a hunter - he helps to make sure everyone gets enough to eat."

There were a lot of people, after all, who lived there - even if they didn't need to anymore.

Earendil chuckled. "He's fun, don't worry," he grinned. "Come on, he should be in his quarters."

He led them into the second barracks, and, just like every time he walked in there, he was glad of the window at the end of the hall. It was good to be able to see where they were going.

He led them down the hall and up the stairs, then headed across the hall to Daeron's door, where he knocked solidly and waited for an answer.

It wasn't long before Daeron opened the door, looking much as he ever had. He looked almost the same as Earendil, but his hair was a bit longer, tickling around the tips of his pointed ears.

He grinned brightly when he saw the group, and immediately stepped aside so that they could enter his quarters.

"Come on in!" he greeted them warmly. "It's about time you showed up! We've been waiting for you!"

Daeron chuckled. "Yes, yes, I know. That's what kept Earendil at home for so long, after all, even after we thought that he would go nuts with Ada all the time."

He grinned at Miyuki as Earendil ushered her forward. "No need to stare, Miyuki, blood siblings usually look quite a bit alike. Though I'm not sure you've seen much of that before."