Welcome to Gaia! ::

Amora laughed softly. "Indeed." She smiled at the rest of the group. "And as for the rest of you ... for most of you, this is your first time here. You are all very welcome here. I hope - we all hope - that you feel comfortable here. Please, treat the palace as your home. If there is anything that you need, just let us know."

Her eyes lit on Elros, who had one arm around Alena's shoulders, who was carrying Shiloh in her arms.

"And Sir Elros," she said warmly, her eyes sparkling brightly. "You've returned. Welcome back. And Lady Alena, we have been looking forward to meeting you for such a long time now!"

Alena smiled and gave a short curtsy. "Thank you, Your Highness," she replied warmly. "I have also been looking forward to coming here."

Earendil saw the way Miyuki was looking at Amora, and he knelt next to her and smiled at her.

"The last time we were here," he murmured softly in her ear, "you were just a baby. It's been seven years. You won't remember them, but most of them will probably remember you."

Earendil chuckled softly. "Don't worry. Once we visit the Southland, that will be the end of it. Then you'll have been everywhere that you were when you were a baby, and you'll recognize the people who know you."

After all, once they visited the Elven Southland, they would have seen almost all of the Four Lands. When they'd sailed, Miyuki had been old enough to remember everyone.

That last comment made Earendil chuckle softly. "Well, here, most people are," he grinned at her. "So you can think of it the same way if you like."

At that moment, Amora invited everyone to take a seat. "I hope your travel was good," she smiled warmly at everyone. "Not too much trouble, I trust?"

"Good." Amora smiled warmly. "I would imagine that you're ready for some rest after your trip through the desert. I know it can really suck the energy from a person, especially if they're not used to it."

"I think some of us handled it better than others," Daeron spoke up, eying Iorlas and Alassëa. The two women had been quite the opposite: Iorlas had handled the heat quite well and seemed to be quite herself; but for Alassëa, it had been her first exposure to such extreme temperatures, and in addition to her skin having grown quite brown, she did not have much energy. At the moment, she was holding onto Aethos's arm for support, and he was the one holding her staff.

Amora nodded. "Very well, then. Come."

She rose to her feet, but paused before going anywhere. "Hmm. Sir Elros, you will need some new quarters. Your old quarters won't be big enough, they weren't meant for a family."

"We will take whatever you give us, Your Highness," Elros replied, bowing his head respectfully.

Amora smiled. "I'll think on it. In the meantime, everyone, come. I'll show you to your rooms."

She motioned for them to follow her through another doorway.

River made sure to stay close to the others.

"This place is like a maze," she murmured softly to Miyuki, her eyes wide as she looked around them. "We haven't used the same door or corridor twice yet!"

"You should have seen it when it was being built," Amora grinned at River. "Half the passageways were blocked off and we had to take the long way around to get to some of the rooms. And trust me when I say it was the long way around."

"Ah yes, he was here once before, wasn't he?" Earendil remarked.

Amora nodded at his comment. "That was when I was just a little girl," she smiled. "A very long time ago now."

She led them through a maze of corridors, up and down stairs - sometimes only two or three steps at a time, sometimes a dozen or more.

"I think it might also be prudent," she suggested without any hint of condescension in her voice, "if you each have a servant attend to you, if only so that you can find your way around without getting lost. At least for when there's not a family member with you."