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At last the guard seemed to find his voice back, and he stuttered, "Then ... the reception you were talking about ..."

Earendil smiled. "We were very much hoping to visit my neko-thel, perhaps even to stay with her for a while - though of course if that doesn't work out, we would be quite content to stay in an inn."

The guard nodded and took a step back, then motioned to the guard that was on the bridge. The second guard moved to the side of the bridge, giving the travelers space to cross.

"I wish you a pleasant visit, my Lord," the first guard said respectfully, bowing to Earendil.

"Thank you," Earendil smiled warmly as the troupe started moving forward again, with Daeron and Iorlas riding in the lead. "And a pleasant day to you as well."

He turned and climbed back up onto the wagon, sitting down quickly so that Elros could get it moving again without having to worry about knocking him over.

The guards both smiled and waved back at Miyuki before resuming their posts.

The bridge they had to cross was quite large - forty feet in length, at least fifteen feet across - and made solidly of marble, a seeming staple of Elvish architecture. On the far side of the bridge there were two more guard booths and two more guards, but this time they weren't stopped - apparently these guards were here to stop people who weren't supposed to be leaving, instead of people who weren't supposed to be entering.

Just beyond the end of the bridge was the wide, sparkling metal gate that led to the city itself. It was wide open at this time of day, and they didn't even have to slow down as they entered the city.

Inside, the city was alive and bustling with activity. It hardly seemed like a city, at least to Shiro and Kaito; the trees were so enormous and so leafy that there were few buildings actually evident. Some buildings, houses presumably, were built out of the trees, somewhat like the buildings in the smaller towns, while other buildings were carved out of marble. Still other homes were not on the ground at all, but rather in the branches of the trees that filled the city.

The roadways were cobbled marble, and on both sides of every road, path and walkway were small streams of clear, glittering water. Flowers filled most of the yards, and apple, pear and plum trees were in full bloom, their flowers filling the air with their fragrances.

The streets and yards were filled with golden-haired Light Elves: men and women chatting and working, children laughing and playing and chasing each other around. Birds flew here and there, not at all bothered by the people that were seemingly everywhere, taking perch on fences, houses, trees - even on the edge of the moving wagons.

The birds weren't bothered by Senka's presence, or by the fact that she was batting at them - they just ignored her, as they would continue to do until she showed signs of actually seriously trying to harm them. But they understood Miyuki's tone of voice, and one of them, a bright red bird with a proud crest on its head (similar to but different from a cardinal) hopped forward onto her knee and sang for her.

Earendil smiled to himself, but his attention was quickly taken by the city around them. He had never imagined anything like this, and truth be told, it filled him with a slight sense of awe.

They made their way slowly through the city without stopping. Daeron had of course been here before, and he knew the way, and he led the caravan through the busy streets in the direction of the palace.

The palace, as they saw when they arrived, was as mysterious and mystical as the rest of the city. Carved predominantly from marble, its walls were ringed on the inside (not the outside, for security reasons) with trees, and though the top of the wall was flat, flets in the trees served as guard posts, with light rope bridges connecting one tree to the next. Water flowed over the edge of the wall in many places, the same clear, sparkling water that flowed through the city.

Earendil couldn't help but wonder what it would be like once they entered the walls - if they were allowed inside.

"I have no idea," Earendil murmured softly, filled with awe. "We'll have to ask someone ..."

He wondered if they would have the opportunity to speak with the royal historian, and how interesting it might be if the historian and Alena had the chance to talk.

It did seem however that the water that flowed over the walls was the source of the water that flowed around the streets of the city. Which was interesting.

They approached the drawbridge for the castle (it was a short one, but it was needed to go over the shallow ditch that the water collected in) and were again stopped by two guards. This time Daeron took it upon himself to do the talking, and it went much faster this time - the guards apparently remembered him from an earlier visit. It wasn't long before they were allowed over the drawbridge and into the castle walls.

Inside the walls was every bit as amazing as Earendil expected it would be. The courtyard was absolutely enormous and, aside from the trees that served as watch towers, also had several small outbuildings. Like the streets of the city, water flowed at the side of the cobbled marble path, and wherever there were no buildings or paths, the ground was lush with grass and, along the waterways, flowers in full bloom.

The castle itself was still further ahead, and it would be again a few minutes before they would arrive. On the way, they were able to observe some of the servants of the palace: gardeners tending the flowers and trees, grooms tending the horses in a large pasture to the east, a few men working on a roof of one of the smaller buildings (presumably working on repairs) ... Each and every one of them seemed to be quite content in their position, chatting back and forth cheerfully as they worked.

Earendil laughed, startling Andarien, who looked up at him, and then reached over and ruffled Miyuki's hair affectionately. "We'll be there soon enough," he grinned. "Be patient."

And sure enough, it was only a few more minutes before they came to a halt at the base of a set of wide marble steps that led up to an enormous wooden door. Footmen and grooms stepped forward to take the horses and wagons as the travelers dismounted. Most of them stretched to rid themselves of the stiffness of riding for so many days, and very soon the enormous doors opened together and a man strode out, standing tall and erect. His flowing golden hair was braided in elven style, and his robes were a tealy blue with gold trim. Though he moved with a regal elegance, he didn't seem to be royalty - he wore no insignia, no crown, not even a circlet. It left Earendil confused as to who he might be.

"Welcome, lord and ladies," the man greeted the group cordially, bowing deeply at the waist, "to our humble city."

Kaito just about choked. Humble city? Was this guy serious?

The elf raised his head slightly and blinked, clearly surprised that of all people, a child would speak up - though a moment later he smiled, pleased by her comment.

"Thank you, child," he said, his tone still respectful. He straightened fully and looked around at the group. "It is my understanding that you seek an audience with Her Majesty, Queen Amalthea."

"Yes," Daeron replied, stepping forward. "If you would be so kind as to take us to her, we would be grateful."

The man bowed again. "As you wish, your Highness. News of your arrival has already reached our ears, and rooms have been prepared for you. Come, you may freshen up before meeting with Her Majesty. Your bags are already on their way to your rooms."

Earendil raised one eyebrow and looked over at Lin. Talk about being prepared - they had only approached the city a half hour ago!

Daeron smiled at the man and nodded his approval. "Thank you."

As the man led them inside, Earendil strode forward to walk beside Lin. In his arms, Andarien whimpered a bit and leaned over, stretching his arms out toward his mother.

Earendil held him out to Lin, and leaned down at the same time and murmured softly in the Common Tongue, "This is definitely different from anything I would ever have imagined."