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Since the family tended to attract the unusual and down right weird, everything was runed. The etchings in the ceiling molds were runes to protect against malicious forces and potential break ins.

Earendil however did not fit into either category, since people could come and go through the portals as they wished there had been no trigger to warn if someone was going through the portal room and since Earendil had no malicious intentions he didn't get locked in the portal room at all.

The portal room was located on the ground floor near the "Gathering" room, it was dubbed this because this was where the family had it's really rare family meetings. Something they hadn't had since someone broke into the grounds, and that had been a long while ago. When not used as a meeting room for the family, the doors were left wide open giving anyone clear view of the large empty room.

At least as empty as it could get with a six year old Jin who was playing with blocks, and baby Hope and baby Faith who were having fun seeing who could toss their soft balls farthest. Azaela was reading in the corner, and Naida was fiddling around with a zither. Iris was actually in the mansion for once as well, but that was because she bit one of Triton's students, so she was sitting at a table with Kara trying to learn sign language because Iris still didn't talk, and if children didn't talk the other way was to simply teach them sign language.

Donovan and Kali were also there keeping an eye on things, it was always a family affair when children had to be looked after.

Donovan raised a brow, "Earendil?"

Of course by saying that it got everyone else's attention, for rarely (if never) had they received visitors from the Four Lands. Everyone knew who Earendil was, even if they didn't quite remember what he looked like.

Getting up from his spot, he made his way over to Earendil, curious. After all this wasn't just any visitor from the Four Lands (though any visitor made one notice), this was the man who would one day marry his daughter.

"What brings you all the way here?"

Now Earendil really had Donovan's interest, he had never seen the man like this before. To be fair it's not like he got to see Earendil a lot, it was just from what he knew told him that, this was unusual.

"The study is right next door," Donovan motioned for Earendil to follow.

As he did so he called out to the others.

"I'll be right back."

He opened the door to the study that he and his wife used.

Donvoan didn't waste any time following in after Earendil and closing the door after him. Not that he was in a hurry, but he kind of figured that Earendil was, what with the time difference and all.

"So, what did you need to talk about?"

Donovan blinked, in truth the idea wasn't unheard of and in some ways Donovan should have foreseen this. On the other hand, how often was it a guy from another world would come here to ask him for permission to marry one of his daughters?

Probably what made it more bizarre was that Earendil was honestly nervous about this. He wasn't that mean was he?

Donovan laughed, "Of course you have my permission."

What probably amused him more, than the fact that Earendil was asking him, was the fact that even if Donovan didn't want to (which wasn't the case) he didn't have any say in it. Technically Kara had all the say in it as clan head and his mother would kill him if he said no.

"Earendil," Donovan leaned against the desk in the study nearly sitting on it.

How he always seemed to rub Earendil the wrong way, but what could he say? The guy was sometimes quite uptight.

"You two have known each other for a very long time, and in Lin's case all her life. You might not remember it, but this family has also known you for a very, very long time."

Hell, he could still remember Earendil in his little lisp saying "angel", but he wasn't going to bring that up. As tempting as it was.

"You've grown up well, you're well educated, you're kind, thoughtful and hell is willing to defy all normal conventions to ask me if you can marry my angelic daughter tells me you're quite open minded and brave."

Donovan shrugged, he couldn't think of a really good reason to deny Earendil his request, unless he wanted to be a complete b*****d.

"And completely in love, can't forget that part. I can be a p***k at times, but I'm not that much of a p***k to deny a man who obviously loves and respects my daughter his request, especially not when she's also obviously in love."

"Ah...."

Well that made a lot of sense, if Lin had actually been human they probably wouldn't have to think too closely on this, but she wasn't.

Donovan held up a finger, "Just one moment, you probably need to see this to understand."

He then made his way out of the study and to the other room, if Earendil could hear, Donovan was talking to Kara. Several moments later Donovan came back holding a chain with a pale gold feather hanging at the end of it. Standing before Earendil, Donovan then pulled off a chain around his neck.

Normally unseen as it was hidden under his shirt was a white feather encased in a cage like structure of gold dotted with red gems.

"These pendants I guess is like the wedding rings, though I understand only the wife has a ring in your culture. Angels have a particular feather that grows and does not rot with time, normally they burn that feather when it molts off and a new one replaces it. However, when an angel is ready to marry they turn it into this."

He held up the one he had been wearing.

"It's a promise feather, often it's made to suit the person who the feather is going to. In my case my people believe that gold and red are good luck colours, so she had it done in that fashion."

He wasn't going to get into the whole white thing, because frankly he didn't want to deal with that. If Lin was anything like her mother she probably wouldn't wear white anyways to her own wedding.

"As you notice, I don't have wings, so I had this one," he held up the gold feather, "For Kara. Really the feathers, in their whole tradition it's this idea of giving a piece of yourself to the person you love, to keep and protect and cherish. That being said, angels don't have weddings, so Kara and I had a human wedding, even though technically we were married before we ever had the wedding according to angelic custom."