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River nodded. "Unless his mother made him get a new shirt too," she grinned. "Leyenda's tricky like that sometimes. It's fun to watch."

The Aleanaths' door was only a short distance from Miyuki's family's door, and they were there very quickly. Since her hands were full with Andarien, she nodded for Miyuki to knock at the door.

"It's kind of weird that he's not out yet," she said as she waited. "He's always in a rush, it seems."

"Yeah ..."

A moment later, the door opened and Amalirahc stepped out, followed by both of his parents. He and his father were both wearing new clothes. Both of them wore black pants that weren't quite as dark as their black skin as well as a white shirt with gold trim. Leyenda was wearing a crimson dress, trimmed in gold, her black tresses piled in swirls atop her head.

"Hi!" Amalirahc grinned when he saw his friends. "Look! Mama got new clothes too!"

Leyenda had been tired since that first day when she hadn't been feeling well, and her skin, usually bronzed from the sun, was pale. Still, she was smiling, and even her eyes were sparkling with excitement for the banquet ahead.

"You both look so lovely," she told the girls sincerely. "Like real young ladies, instead of children."

River giggled. "I feel like a princess," she grinned. "Even though I'm not!"

Leyenda's smile widened. "Thank you," she said warmly. She reached for her husband's hand. "But if you don't mind, can we speak in the Common Tongue? Kelirahc doesn't speak Common Elvish."

River giggled. "It's been a long time since we've spoken that. Not since we got to the Westland, I think!"

Andarien looked completely bewildered. Of course, he hadn't heard this language before, so he had no idea what anyone was saying anymore.

"Probably not," River giggled, amused by the fact that Miyuki was still speaking in Common Elvish. "But he doesn't say much besides names anyways. Who knows how much he even understands of that?"

"I'm sure more than we think," Leyenda smiled. "But come, we should make our way to the banquet hall."

Amalirahc pushed himself between his parents and took each of their hands. "Come on!" he grinned. "Let's go! I'm hungry!"

He started forward, dragging his parents along, and River giggled and followed along with Miyuki.

"There he goes again," she whispered to Miyuki. "Always in a hurry!"

Andarien was already bored with not being able to understand anything anyone was saying, and he sighed and put his chin in River's shoulder in resignation. Maybe when Mommy and Ada joined them, it would be more interesting.

River giggled. "Yeah, that too," she agreed. She shifted Andarien from one arm to the other. "But that's where we need to go anyways, so it doesn't matter for once that that's what's on his mind."

As they turned down the main corridor towards the stairs, some of the other guests emerged from their rooms, dressed for the banquet. Shiro and Kaito appeared first, wearing clothes that were barely different from their regular clothes, though a little nicer, followed by Aethos, wearing the formal garb of his own land: crimson and gold. He waved a greeting to the group that was heading down the corridor, but instead of joining them, he stationed himself outside Alassëa and Iorlas's door, clearly waiting for Alassëa.

Before the group made it to the stairs, Daeron had joined him in the waiting, and River couldn't help but giggle.

"Sometimes I wonder if Daeron likes Iorlas," she confided to Miyuki as they headed down the stairs. "He's always talking to her and stuff."

River giggled. "Maybe we should ask him," she grinned at Miyuki.

Amalirahc overheard her comment and looked at River over his shoulder. "But you get annoyed when people tease you about you and Jess," he pointed out. "What if we would ask you if you like him? That's what it would be like if you ask Daeron if he likes Iorlas."

River stuck her tongue out at Andarien. "Well maybe I do! There's nothing wrong with that."

Leyenda chuckled softly at River's reaction. "Only a few days ago, you would have denied it," she winked at the girl. "And Amalirahc is right, you would not have liked it if we had asked you outright if you liked Jess."

River pursed her lips thoughtfully. She had gotten over it, and she didn't mind people asking her anymore. And Daeron was a grownup, surely he would be mature and not be offended!

River thought about it a moment. "Even if we don't tease him when we ask, we just ask nicely?" she asked Miyuki.

After all, asking and teasing didn't have to be the same thing.

"Besides," she added, "it's kind of obvious. He treats her like Aethos-sola treats Alassëa."

Not that Aethos had said anything about liking Alassëa either, but it was definitely obvious in his case - especially as he allowed her to smack him when he teased her, neither of which happened with him and other people (either the smacking or the teasing).

"That's because everybody knows that Aethos-sola likes Alassëa," River pointed out logically. "I think nobody says anything because it's so obvious."

Though there were questions about Alassëa's regard for the sola, as far as she knew. Maybe that was another reason.

"But with Daeron we don't know for sure so that's why we have to ask," she finished with a smile.