Welcome to Gaia! ::

"There's no rush," Shiro admitted. "With the time difference between worlds, it doesn't mean much if we're gone for longer than first anticipated."

"Agreed," Ura piped up for the first time, looking at Tinuviel. "If you have duties that you will need to get back for, then it might be best to come back right away instead."

"Or if you don't," Kaito suggested, "perhaps we should think of how Regan might be by then ... after all, she is very young, and she may need to get home by then." He shrugged. "If on the other hand she's all right by that time, and you have no duties to return to ..."

Tinuviel exchanged a glance with Aranel, who smiled easily at her. "It sounds good to me," he grinned. "You know that I'll be behind anything you decide."

Tinuviel giggled. "You're not supposed to be," she admonished him teasingly. Then she turned to the others. "Perhaps we could wait until we are at that point and then decide, depending on how Regan is holding up?" she suggested. "After all, we don't have to decide everything right away ..."

Tinuviel nodded and hefted Regan in her arms. "We don't have to announce our arrival, so yes, it doesn't matter if our plans are last-minute," she agreed. She looked up at Aranel. "So I suppose ... the last thing we need to do is prepare for it and decide when we're going to leave, yes?"

Aranel nodded. "I'll speak with the groom," he promised. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be back later." And he turned and left the room abruptly.

Earendil grinned at Lin. "Well, considering how much you can fit into that bag of yours - but keep in mind, we can have our clothes washed at every inn we stay in. If we end up staying in inns at all."

Ura blinked at Earendil. "I'm sorry?"

Earendil looked at Ura over his shoulder. "Tinuviel is the crown princess of the Southland, heir to the throne ... the magistrates will be eager to have us stay in their homes, I can guarantee it."

"Some of them might not have enough space for all of us," Tinuviel added, "though the inns, I'm told, are also quite comfortable."

Earendil chuckled at Lin. "Indeed."

He straightened up a bit and stretched his arms, then turned back to Tinuviel. "Do you have plans for the day?" he asked her.

Tinuvisl nodded. "I have my duties to tend to," she told him softly. "I'll do that now ... we'll all meet up again at lunch, I'm sure." She turned to Lin and the others and smiled. "Until then, have fun. And Kaito ..."

Kaito's ears pricked up at the sound of his name. "Yes?"

Tinuviel winked at him. "Do try to stay out of trouble," she teased him; and then she was gone.

Ura laughed. "She still hasn't forgotten about that, I see."

Earendil grinned. "No."

"May I look at your instruments?" Shiro asked Earendil, true to his form.

Earendil looked from Lin to Shiro and back. "If I stay with you," he nodded. "They're finely tuned, I can't let you play with them too much ... Lin, would you mind if I left you to find Sir Valdemar on your own? His study hasn't moved ..."

Sir Valdemar was in his study with the door closed, staring thoughtfully out the window. He was startled by the knock at the door - but of course he hadn't yet heard that Lin and the others had come to visit.

"Come in," he called out, turning to sit once more at his desk.

Sir Valdemar was surprised to see that it was Lin who was visiting him, but his surprise was quickly replaced with gladness. "Lin!" he said brightly, rising to his feet once more. "Such a pleasure to see you! It's been far too long, even for your standards. How have you been?"