Welcome to Gaia! ::

Tinuviel smiled and greeted everyone else, and then took a seat on the edge of the couch next to Lin. "I've been well," she smiled warmly. "It's been a while since you were last here. I don't suppose you came here with plans to travel?" She winked teasingly.

Tinuviel laughed, brushing some stray hair away from her face. "Then I suppose it's time for Earendil and I to get plans ready for it, isn't it?" She smiled at Lin. "And I hope you don't mind if we have an extra guest coming along with us."

She folded her hands in her lap and smiled mischievously.

Shiro chuckled at Lin. "To be fair, you're always curious," he pointed out - a little ironic coming from him. Curious as a cat, he was - and curiouser. But it just made him laugh to hear Lin talk about it, since she was just as curious as him.

Tinuviel laughed. "You have a very good point, Shiro," she grinned at her cousin. "And if I wanted to be mean, I could also add that it's thanks to you, Lin, that this person is joining us at all."

Tinuviel couldn't help but giggle again, her eyes sparkling in the slowly growing light. "I apologize, I don't mean to tantalize ... I'm afraid I'm not usually up this early in the morning anymore," she smiled, the very tips of her pointed ears turning a light shade of red. "At any rate ... this should make you quite happy. The third person to whom I refer is-"

She was interrupted by another voice at the door, this one quite surprised as he exclaimed, "There you are! You were already gone when I awoke, someone said something about visitors ..." He trailed off as he approached, staring at the three nekos in wonder.

Tinuviel smiled and motioned for him to join them. "Lin," she said softly, "you remember Sir Aranel?"

Ura tilted his head thoughtfully. "I assume that he would now be Prince Aranel?" he guessed, showing Shiro's intelligence but his own bluntness.

Aranel grinned at Ura. "Pretty sharp," he nodded, sitting next to Tinuviel and slipping one arm around her waist. "And now introductions ... ?"

Aranel looked at Tinuviel. "Six years?"

Tinuviel smiled back at him. "Six," she agreed. "Introductions ... Aranel, you know Lin Winters already ... these three are Shiro, Kaito and Ura Aldrich Winters, children of my Aunt Elnara. Adopted, obviously."

The three bowed their heads in greeting, and Tinuviel turned back to Lin to begin her story.

"It was sixteen years ago that you were last here, Lin," she began, "and that of course was when Aranel was summoned here about the matter of the morgawr. He had to leave right away to take care of it, but afterwards he came back to report that it was taken care of. He was in no hurry to return home, so I invited him to stay - Grandmother was most happy to have him as a guest. For several years, he visited often, and ..."

"Things just picked up from there," Aranel smiled warmly, clasping Tinuviel's hands in his own and stroking them tenderly. "It's now been six years since we were married, and every day feels like the first again."

Kaito's ears flicked forward suddenly, and he turned towards the door curiously. He was the most feral of the three nekos, and so it was that he often picked up on things before they did.

"There's somone in the corridor," he said softly, craning his neck to see.

Two sets of footsteps could be heard - a tiny pitter patter as well as a heavier step - and suddenly a tiny little girl, probably only as tall as Lin's knees, with long black hair and wearing a long white nightdress appeared, accompanied by a guard.

"Nana!" she cried, running forward and almost stumbling over her own feet, catching herself just before she fell headlong on the floor. She giggled and pounced on Tinuviel's lap, then wriggled her way up and made herself comfortable.

Tinuviel smiled down at her daughter and turned her to face their guests. "Regan," she murmured softly, leaning down so that her mouth was right by the little girl's ear, "tell our guests what your name is."

Warm brown eyes smiled up at Lin. "Wegan!" she exclaimed happily. She giggled and pressed back into her mother almost as if embarrassed. "Wegan ... Nana, Ada, Wegan!"

Aranel laughed, warm and rich, and leaned over to kiss the child on the head. "Show-off."

Tinuviel frowned slightly at her husband. "You're not supposed to encourage her lisp," she said as if reminding him of something he should know well. She looked down at the girl. "Regan," she said clearly, stressing the 'r'. "Rrrrregan."

The child smiled up at her mother. "Wegan!"

"About three and a half," Aranel replied proudly. "Our only child."

"So far," Tinuviel added quickly, glancing at Aranel.

He nodded back at her, his smile growing wider. "So far," he agreed.

Shiro had some more ... practical concerns than just general information. They were going to be going on a trip, and an arduous one at that.

"Will she be coming along on the journey?" he asked tentatively, tilting his head slightly. "Would it be safe for her?"

Prince and princess exchanged a glance. Apparently they did not yet have an answer to that question.

Tinuviel nodded. "At least," she smiled, "almost all of the places for us to visit are right along the river."

"It means that we won't have to worry too much about water," Aranel added as Regan climbed into his lap instead. "That would make it easier. Safer."

Tinuviel nodded. "As long as we stay near water, I foresee no trouble taking Regan with," she murmured. "She has a strong constitution ... though she is a little accident-prone ..."

Regan smiled over at her mother. "Wegan faww down, not get huht," she said proudly.

Kaito chuckled at that. "Perhaps that's a good thing."