Welcome to Gaia! ::

Earendil tilted his head thoughtfully. "Well ... not as well as we know others, I'm sure," he said hesitantly. "We haven't spent nearly as much time here as other places, so we don't know them as well. I think this is what, our second visit here? Third?"

He looked to Lin to see what she said. He knew she had been there more than him, but he didn't think he had been here more than once before with her. That had been when Miyuki had been an infant.

They passed through the palace gates, and Andarien looked around, awed by the grandeur of it all.

"I'm sure they're not the only ones," Earendil replied with a chuckle. He looked up when he saw some movement from ahead of them. There were two girls coming towards them, both of them black-haired and dressed royally. One appeared to be just a bit older than River, the other about Miyuki's age.

"Probably grandchildren, even Amora's oldest would barely be old enough to have a girlfriend, let alone a family," Earendil suggested.

The younger one hung back a bit, but the older one waved energetically.

"Hello!" she called out brightly. "Welcome! It's good to see all of you! Please come on, the servants will take care of your things. We've been expecting you!"

"Thank you," Elros smiled back at her, dismounting from his horse and bowing to her. "If I am not mistaken, you are Princess Maeglin, are you not?"

The girl was astonished. "Mama said that you don't know things like we do!" she exclaimed.

Elros chuckled. "I was here when you were young. I remember you. I must admit, however, that I do not recognize this lovely young princess." He smiled at the younger of the girls.

Maeglin giggled. "This is my sister, Princess Lalwen," she introduced her.

Elros bowed to the younger girl as well. "Your Highness."

Lalwen blushed and pressed herself against her sister. "Hi."

Maeglin was unsurprisingly the one to take the initiative.

"Come, everyone," she invited them. "There's food on the table and fresh water. Grandmother and Grandfather are busy at the moment, but Mama will receive you when you're refreshed."

"Is no one else around?" Elros asked, surprised.

Maeglin shook her head. "Egleriad is being tutored, Uncle Celebrindor is out courting, and Aunt Elia is at the bakery."

"And his Highness, Prince Pengolodh?" Elros pressed.

Maeglin blinked at him. "Uncle Pen hasn't lived here in a long time."

Maeglin pointed back towards the city they'd just passed through. "He moved to the city. He said that the palace was getting too full so he was going to raise his family in the city where there was a bit more privacy."

She smiled. "His wife just had a baby last year, so now we have a cousin! It's kind of neat. We don't get to see her often, but Mama says that will change when she gets older."

"She's really little," Lalwen spoke up quietly.

Earendil hopped down from the wagon and helped Andarien down, then reached up to help Miyuki down as well. "Well, that's good to hear," he grinned.

Maeglin giggled. "Mama said you would say that."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Earendil laughed, setting Miyuki on the ground.

"Even without the Sight, you're predictable," Kaito said dryly as he hopped down from the wagon.

Earendil chuckled as the others climbed down as well. "Come on, let's head inside."

"This way!" Maeglin beamed, taking her sister's hand and leading them towards the palace.

"Exactly," Kaito grinned, flicking his tail.

River was intrigued by the two girls, and once she was down from the wagon, she ran ahead to walk with them. "So this is a branch of the Aldrich family?" she asked them curiously.

The girls both smiled at her, though Lalwen's smile was far more shy. "Of course," Maeglin replied. "Just like you're from another branch of it."

Amalirahc grinned and took Miyuki's hand. "Come on, let's go talk with them, too."