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"So where's the box?" River asked Amalirahc, realizing suddenly that the boy's hands were empty, and had been since she'd seen him in the library.

Amalirahc blinked at her. "Oh ... right. The box. I'll go get it!"

He turned and ran a few steps, then turned back to the girls. "You two stay here," he told them. "I can go faster if I'm by myself and then no one will yell at me for it." He grinned at them, clearly not meaning anything personal by it. "See you in a bit!"

And then he was gone.

River smiled softly. "Well, in the meantime, we're outdoors, enjoying lovely weather, and it's nice and peaceful out here."

She looked around, and when she spotted the roses, her curiosity piqued. "Desert roses," she murmured softly. "I had heard of them ... but never seen them ..."

River's smile widened, and she drifted over to take a closer look.

"I wonder if there's some way to bring them back home to the Borderlands," she murmured, leaning over to smell the roses. "Mother would love them ..."

As would Jasmine, Jasmine was really a girly girl.

"That's a pity," River smiled wistfully, stepping away from the flowers again. Before she could say anything more, a guard stepped out into the courtyard and bowed to the girls.

"Dinner is served," he told them formally. "Please allow me to show you to the dining hall."

River smiled and put one hand on Miyuki's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, he'll be fine," she assured her. "Did you see how many guards there are in this place? I'm sure he already knows. After all, he's closer to people than we are."

She took Miyuki's arm and followed after the guard with her. "Come on, you'll see. He might not be there before us, but he'll be there."

"Mi!" Andarien called excitedly when he spotted his sister. He waved both hands to catch her attention. "Mi! Over here!"

Earendil smiled but he put one hand gently on his son's hands to calm him down. He had to admit though that he was glad to see Miyuki, too - it was a large castle after all and easy to get lost in.

They weren't the only ones there, either: almost all of the rest of the guests were present, everyone except Amalirahc and his family. The ruling family was present as well, or at least most of them were. Amora was there with her husband, Elwin, and their family, Lalwen, Maeglin, and Egleriad with his fiancee, Kiara; Elia, and Celebrindor, a fully grown man now, tall and strong. Lothiriel and Estel weren't yet present - but that was no surprise to most people. Palace protocol usually meant that the rulers were last to arrive, simply because that was when the meal began and it meant that no one else would be late.

Andarien was full of energy after his nap, and he couldn't quite sit still on his chair. He kept bouncing on his heels as he waited for Miyuki to join them. River went immediately to sit with her grandparents and her uncle, and just as she sat down, Kelirahc and Amalirahc entered the dining hall and took the last of the empty chairs, leaving only a single empty space where Leyenda would otherwise have been.

"So what did you do this afternoon, Miyuki?" Earendil asked once she was seated.