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Earendil laughed. "I meant since you've never received the title." He winked at her. "Lady is pretty much the equivalent rank of a knight, though of course for women. Perhaps a bit higher up, in that they're members of the court rather than the military, but ..."

It was strange really, that anyone without a title would be allowed such interactions with the royal family as Lin was. Still, like Earendil had told her the day they had met Aurin, things were usually much more formal, much more strict, when Lin wasn't around.

Earendil chuckled. "Shall we speak to Ninako about that when we return home?" he asked quietly as the guard returned.

The guard spoke to Alena, and Alena turned to the others and nodded. "He is ready for us," she said softly. "Come."

The doors were opened wide, and the group was allowed inside. The room was the throne room, and it was absolutely magnificent. Impressive, some would say. The hall was large and mostly empty, but the walls were covered in tapestries that depicted scenes of the history of the land. The floor was smooth stone, but there was a strip of carpet leading from the door up to the throne, which was an elaborate and impressive piece of art in itself.

The king was sitting in his throne. He looked very much like his son: fiery hair, though it was cut short, and the same freckles that were seemed otherwise unique to his son and daughter. There was a scar down one cheek, but rather than disfiguring, it made him more distinguished.

Alena stopped halfway to the throne and knelt to one knee, bowing forward so far that her forehead touched the ground.

"Your Royal Majesty," she said reverently, "your guests, as you desired." She stood up again and introduced them one by one. "Princess Arwen Aldrich, great granddaughter to Atalya Aldrich, High Queen of the Southland Elves. Her husband, Prince Roydon Aldrich. Their daughter, Princess Leyenda Aleanath, and her husband, Prince Kelirahc Aleanath. Their son, Prince Celeb Aldrich. Prince Earendil Aldrich, grandson of Queen Atalya Aldrich. Rhea Aldrich, descendant of Alyse Aldrich, former High Queen of the Dark Elves. Lady Lin Winters, friend of the Aldrich family."

Celeb waited a moment to see if Alena would introduce the last visitor, but when she didn't he blurted out, "Don't forget Senka!"

Celeb looked absolutely affronted. "She didn't introduce you with all the rest of us," he told her point-of-fact. Kelirahc looked up at the boy, but Leyenda reached up and tugged him down from Kelirahc's shoulders, shushing him.

Alena smiled, amused. "And Senka, the fluffy cat," she added, introducing her to the king as well.

The king was staring at the group in amazement. For several long moments, he said nothing, only watched them, not even reacting to Senka's speech, or Celeb's outburst. Then suddenly his lips curled up in a smile, and then he started to laugh.

Arwen and Roydon exchanged a glance, but Kelirahc grinned at Leyenda almost as if to say I told you so. He had after all said that they didn't need to be any different than they really were - and look, Celeb had been himself and the king was laughing. Then again, this was his first experience with a king. The concept simply didn't exist in his culture.

Leyenda just shrugged as if to reply, How could I have known?

"Thank you, Lady Alena," the king smiled at his advisor, his eyes sparkling with laughter. He rose from his throne and stepped down so that he was on the same level as the others. "Welcome, cousins of long ago. Welcome! It gives me great pleasure to see you all here! Welcome!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Arwen replied, smiling as she bowed to him. "We are glad to be here."

Of course, it probably helped that the king had almost certainly already spoke with Shiro and Kaito, presumably at length, and so he would have been expecting a girl with wings, and a cat who could speak. Otherwise, he would have been very surprised, indeed. But even with forewarning, he was amazed.

"It gives me great pleasure to hear of the changes that have taken place in Arda since we came away," he told them. "But the catmen were not able to tell me much of how things are now. Still, that can wait ... Lady Lin, Rhea ... please, tell me of my daughter. How is she faring in the other land?"

He approached the group, his eyes filled with eagerness to hear from the lips of those who knew her all about his daughter.

Rhea smiled. "Your Majesty, I was born and raised on the ranch of which she speaks, and I have known your daughter for many years. She is indeed a legend in all the corners of the Four Lands, and though she prefers to keep to herself, she is very kind and very strong."

The king nodded, but his face was troubled. "You mentioned children, kidnapped to become slaves ... by whom? For what purpose?"

Rhea hesitated a moment. "Your Majesty, after your people came away to this land, The Great One created a second race ... the race of man. It is they who steal the children from their homes, and sell them for gold to the dwarfs, to work in their mines and to be their slaves."

The king frowned deeply, his green eyes growing dark. "Such horrors ... how could these things be?"

It wasn't that he didn't believe Rhea, or that he thought she was lying; it was simple incredulity, the wish that it were not so.