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"There was none of that before, either," Aethos pointed out. "What was wrong with that? My father worked his whole life to make our nation what it was ... and in a single evening, Aerin changed everything ..."

He stared down at his plate. "And I have no idea if it was good or bad or if it made no difference at all."

"Other people?" Aethos repeated, looking over at Lin. He seemed a bit confused. "How do you mean?"

Earendil pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Aethos-sola ... have you ever lived among your people? Seen how they live, what their life is like? I don't mean in the army, I mean in the city, living their everyday lives. Watching them do their business, interact with their families ..."

Aethos stared at Earendil as if he had two heads. "Never."

Aethos nodded thoughtfully, and Earendil could see in his eyes that he was actually considering the thought.

"Maybe you could go down to the city with us sometime," he smiled, "and we could just have a relaxing afternoon together, all of us, and you can see just what it's like."

Earendil chuckled. "Do you want to go to the city and play with the other children?" he asked her. "We'll be going with you, so you won't be alone."

He was starting to wonder about her clingyness: while it was endearing, and it made him feel good, it also made him wonder about how she would be able to form other relationships with other people.

Earendil chuckled. "Perhaps. Perhaps older, perhaps younger, but other children. I'm sure there are many that you can play with. And there are shops that we can see as well."

Aethos was silent as he watched Earendil and Miyuki. He had never really gone to the city other than for business, and truth be told he didn't really know what it was like.

"Perhaps," Earendil smiled. "We won't know until we go there and see. What do you say?"

He didn't know what they would do if she didn't want to go: leave her with Rhea and Aurin perhaps? Go another day and leave her on the ship with Amalirahc? But it would be good for her to go. Perhaps she would just need to be told that she was going, rather than being asked if she wanted to. She wouldn't be able to do everything she wanted, after all, and it would be good for her to learn that early.

"At least you won't have trouble putting her to bed," Earendil quipped. He turned back to Aethos. "Shall we go this afternoon, then, Aethos-sola?" he asked the prince amiably.

Aethos nodded. "Might as well. Since the gnomes have been gone, I have had little to do to keep myself occupied, I must admit. Yes, I think that a trip to the city sounds like a good idea."

It could be said in Aethos's favour that he was a much faster walker than Rhea was, and so Miyuki didn't have to wait for them nearly as often or nearly as long as she'd had to wait earlier that day for Rhea and Aurin. Of course, they'd had to convince Aethos that he didn't need to wear his armour to the city, that it would be quite safe for him (though Earendil's real thought was that he might not scare the people so much if they could see that he was a real person and not just a soldier); but once that was done they were off.

"Beautiful day," Earendil smiled as they walked.

Aethos blinked and looked up at the sky. "I suppose," he agreed hesitantly. He looked a bit lost, confused. "I suppose I'd never really stopped to think about it."