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Colour rose in Earendil's dark cheeks, and he lowered his eyes self-consciously.

"Not ... wrong, per se," he murmured, "just ..."

He stopped and put his hands on Lin's shoulders, turning her to face him. "Lin," he said seriously, kneeling down so that he was closer to her height, "are you certain that you still want to come traveling with me in the future? I mean ... you sound as if you're having a wonderful life back home already ... and the time between your visits here keeps getting longer and longer ... I don't want your visits to become a burden to you, I don't want you to feel as if you have to come ..."

He hesitated a moment, then stood tall once more and lowered his hands again. "I don't know," he murmured, "maybe it's just me. Just ... if you don't want to go traveling anymore, if you want to keep doing all the things you're doing in your own world ... just say so. I'll understand."

As Lin spoke, a smile crept across Earendil's face, and as she tugged him down the hall once more he went along with her willingly.

"You know," he said softly without letting go of her hand, "that makes me feel ... a lot better. A lot. Maybe I'm just getting old. I mean, I know you were just a - an infant, really, when we made that promise, and I know a lot has happened since then ... I couldn't help but fear that you might have changed your mind."

He chuckled softly. "Though I know what you mean about finding a boyfriend ... my parents want me to find a girlfriend. According to them, I should have been courting someone decades ago. But like you, I have no interest in marrying and settling down ... I want to travel. Yes, I know I'm a prince ... but let's face it, there are so many of us that what difference would it make if I were gone? Daeron doesn't have to stay here all the time, he travels, and he's never once looked at a woman, that I know of."

He shook his head. "No, I can't be the proper prince that my parents would like ... my heart yearns for adventure, for the sea."

"Forty years, actually," Earendil chuckled softly, "though I can't blame you for not knowing. Anyways, my parents are of the opinion that the best way to find someone is to look for them ... which I find odd, considering how they met. Ada was just walking through the city and they literally ran into each other ... Valar know, I spend enough time in the city - not looking for a girl, just ... out ... why waste my time looking for a girl when I'll probably only find one when I'm not looking."

He looked down at Lin defensively. "Now, I'm not saying I don't want to get married and have a family or anything - not at all. I'm just saying, I don't want to force anything. Let things come naturally. Leave it to fate."

Earendil chuckled and opened the door for Lin. "Yes ... their story is indeed a romantic one. Now if I could have a relationship like that with someone, that would indeed be worth the effort. However, since there is no one like that for me, I shall be content with the way things are right now."

Luthien and Ruel were already in the Dining Hall, just sitting down to their meal, when Earendil and Lin entered. Luthien's face lit up when she saw Lin, and she waved cheerfully. Ruel nodded a curt greeting and then promptly ignored her.

"We're doing well," Luthien replied brightly. "Come join us, I know you probably can't stay long but at least we can see you for a short while!"

Earendil grinned, pleased to be able to be the one to give his mother the good news. "Lin came with Uncle Lore and Aunt Elnara, and she'll be staying almost two months."

Luthien's eyes grew brighter. "Really?" she beamed, switching to English. "That's wonderful! It's been so long since you've visited us like that, at least ten years, since Lore and Elnara's wedding! Oh, have they brought the twins with them? I'm so eager to meet them!"

Earendil laughed and pulled out the chair across from his mother for Lin to sit down. "She's been like this ever since we got the letter about their birth," he grinned to his friend. "I think she's excited about them because they're the closest things to grandchildren she'll probably have for quite a while."

Luthien turned to her husband. "I told you I heard someone in there!" she exclaimed in elvish.

Ruel shrugged, but there was a flicker of interest in his eyes. "So I was wrong," he chuckled softly. "I'm sure we will see them soon enough."

Luthien giggled and turned back to Lin and Earendil. "Reave and Atalya have been keeping that room specifically for when Lore and Elnara came back," she grinned, "and I swore I heard something when we passed by there earlier! Well, we'll just have to go see them later - if they haven't already come down here."

"Forgotten, or just not noticed," Earendil smiled. "Remember, you haven't been here long - they probably don't even know what time of day it is here, unless they've already asked someone. Of course, if they're with Ninako and Nineko, they would know - I'm sure we'll see them soon enough."

"What are the twins like?" Luthien asked Lin eagerly, leaning forward in her seat and folding her hands on the table in front of her. "Who do they look more like, Lore or Elnara?"

This was true, Lin mused what time was it when they left before morning like usual. That was when they generally left. She looekd back at Luthien and giggled seeing the look on the woman's face.

"It depends on which twin you're talking about, Hana looks more like Lore, but Garrick looks more like Elnara."