Welcome to Gaia! ::

Rhea pursed her lips thoughtfully. While to the elves, sex wasn't exactly something that was a secret, she knew that to some people it could be a sensitive subject. Not to mention, she was so young ...

She decided to go with simple but truthful.

"The baby was always in there," she answered. "That's where it came into existence. It hasn't been out yet. It started out so very tiny, but then it grew and it grew, and now it's almost big enough to come out and live all by itself."

Rhea tilted her head slightly and looked at Lin, and it was very clear by the look on her face that she was amused.

"Well," she murmured, "I don't believe so. A mommy needs to be married to have a baby in her tummy."

She felt it safe to say that simply because she knew that Lin and Earendil were both honourable people, and they would not sleep together until they were married. It was simply unacceptable in this world, she wasn't sure about Lin's, but Earendil would never do anything to dishonour himself, his family, or especially Lin.

"Married is when a man and a woman make vows to each other, that they will love each other for the rest of their lives, and that they will join together as a family," Rhea explained. "They become husband and wife, and when they have a child, they become a father and a mother. Usually there is a ceremony of some sort, but the customs are different in different countries."

Earendil chuckled at Lin. "On different subjects, yes," he grinned. "But I don't think pregnancy or marriage ever came up. But if there was something you didn't understand, you asked question upon question ... it was nice, to be honest. Made me feel smart every now and again."

He ruffled her hair affectionately, his eyes shining with laughter and love.

"Not quite the same thing," Rhea winked at Miyuki, though it was getting harder not to laugh. "I should have been clearer, I'm sorry. It's when they're married that your mommy can have a baby in her tummy. But you didn't come from her tummy, you came from the stork, so that doesn't count. I know it's very confusing, and it doesn't make sense, but that's just the way it is."

She patted Miyuki gently on the head. "Your mommy isn't married yet. They have to have a ceremony. Perhaps they will exchange rings, or something else, I don't know what they might decide, but they aren't married until they make vows to each other and give each other something so that the world can see that they are married."

Earendil chuckled again. "I can imagine. But you came fully formed and viable in only a matter of days, or weeks, or something. For a child that grows from two parents ... well, they need constant nourishment that a vase or whatever could never supply. Logically, it does make more sense to come from a womb."

Earendil laughed. "And it's not as if it would have made any sense to you when you were that young anyways," he grinned. "So it all worked out. Besides, you know better now. That's all that really counts, right?"

Rhea tilted her head again and looked over at Lin and Earendil. She knew how short a time it had been since Earendil had begun truly courting Lin. How could she not? It was her gift, after all. But how to explain it to a child ...

"Well," she murmured, "I suppose that the main reason is simply because they're not ready. Your ada has work to do before he can get married, and your mother ... I'm not sure she's ready to leave her world behind quite yet. If she marries your ada, she would have to change her home."

Rhea giggled. Perhaps Earendil and Lin were further along in their courtship than she realized. It was possible. She wasn't omniscient, after all.

"Well then," she smiled, "I suppose that the only way you're going to get an answer is if you ask them yourself. They would be better prepared to answer your questions."

She stood slowly and stretched her arms. "As for me, I think I'm in need of a walk," she murmured. "I slept all morning, I need some exercise."

Immediately, Aurin was at her side. "Lin, Earendil," he called to them, "would you care to join us for a walk outside?"

Earendil blinked in surprise and his face turned a bright shade of red. Of all the things that he had expected, that was not one of them. He hadn't been following the conversation for a while now, and he had no idea where it had come from.

"Um ..."

He paused and tried to think of the best way to answer that question, and finally he replied, "Well, I wouldn't feel right if I asked your mother to marry me before I had a good place for us to live. Somewhere we won't have to worry about other people sticking their nose into our business. And I would want to make sure that she would be ready, too."

He smiled at Lin. "And we're together right now anyways," he added, still speaking to Miyuki, though his gaze was on Lin, "so there's no rush. We're still a family, even if we're not married yet."

Earendil smiled and patted Miyuki on the head, glad that she had accepted his answer. Then he reached for Lin's hand so that they could follow after Aurin and Rhea for their walk.

"Any other questions?" Earendil asked, looking down at Miyuki as they started off.