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"I think that's when they realized how serious River was," Jess supplied. "Up until that point, I think they probably thought that we were just friends."

"From the moment I first arrived," Luk added, "River had been going on and on about how she wanted to see the place where I came from, and she was originally more excited about this particular trip than about your trip around the Four Lands. For her to threaten not to come ..."

"And Mama gave me a talk later about being too young to be in a serious relationship." River rolled her eyes. "It's not like we're getting married yet."

"Your father talked with me, too," Jess admitted, his face growing red again. "When we first arrived in the Borderlands."

River blinked at him. "Really? When?"

"After you went to bed for the night." Though clearly the talk had gone well; he was still here, and he and River had not been quiet about their regard for each other.

Jess smiled shyly at Lin and nodded slowly. "It was a nice talk. Timaeus is very kind."

River was staring at Lin. "Good morning," she returned the greeting. "What do you mean, tradition?"

Of course, since she had been born there hadn't been any marriages in the Borderlands, so she didn't know about the talks and teasing that had taken place in the past.

River's eyes grew large, and she whirled to face Jess again. "Papa didn't tease you, did he?" she demanded, her eyes flashing.

Jess shook his head quickly. "No, no - not at all," he insisted. "He was very kind, very nice."

River calmed down, letting her breath out slowly. "Good," she said firmly. "Because if he had ..."

She let the sentence hang.

River giggled at that. "Nineko is a terrible tease," she admitted. "But even he was pretty good for not teasing Jess."

Luk chuckled. "I think he said something about Jess being too young to handle it," he winked.

River's jaw dropped. She knew that wasn't a comment about Jess, but ultimately about herself.

"We'll be of marrying age by the time we return home," she huffed.

Luk laughed again. "What is marrying age for you, anyways?" he asked. "I know different places have different ages that they consider ..."

"Mama says sixteen," River replied. "For both of us."

Jess patted her hand. "It's only a year and half," he reassured her.

Luk grinned. "You'll be marrying age before we ever reach Caras Galadhon, I'm sure."

River and Jess exchanged a glance and at the exact same moment, both of them broke into a wide grin.

"I know Mama would like it if we would," Jess said ruefully, "but ..."

"We'll see how things go, and make plans a little closer to the time," River finished for him. "We don't know how long we're going to be in Caras Galadhon. If it's going to be another year after Jess turns sixteen before we would arrive home again ..."

"We won't want to wait," Jess concluded. He looked at River and smiled bemusedly. "So no, we're probably not going to wait."

River laughed.

"Have fair warning for what?" another new voice cut into the conversation.

The others looked past Lin to see Alyse approaching them. She looked a bit sleepy, as if she had just woken up, but she was dressed and her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail.

"Morning, Mama!" River beamed innocently.

"Good morning, River," Alyse replied with a smile. "Good morning, everyone. What will we have fair warning about?"

For a moment, Alyse didn't react. For one thing, she wasn't quire sure how to; and for another, she was simply too tired for her brain to register much. In the end, exhaustion won out.

She sighed in resignation. "River ..."

River frowned at her mother. "Mama, are you sure you should be out of bed? You look like you're going to fall asleep standing up."

"Thank your father for that," Alyse replied dryly.