Myka grinned at Ruli’s response. “You lot—well, you lot, including me, anyway—being at the high table is bound to raise a few eyebrows already,” she said, sipping on the wine before starting on her own meal. “But over the years, she’s let her hair down in public—figuratively speaking—bit by bit to not care.” 
Kire raised her brow at the conversation, amused. “There’d be people in here older than you, or maybe even Envy,” she said with a smirk. 
“Oh, right! Don’t Amrians live longer than other humans?” Gavin put in. 
“Between three to four centuries on average,” Kire replied, cutting into her meal, before her attention was diverted by another lord striking up a conversation. 
“Hm?” Elva looked down at Etta, who wanted to whisper something to her. “Ah. My little cousin here is curious about elves and how long they live.” Both Etta and Precy were looking curiously at Envy. She introduced them both to Envy, and promised the girls they’d be able to have longer conversation later, after dinner. 
“Oh, and after dinner I could show you the alchemy chamber, if you like,” Daryll said to Envy. 
“Can I look, too? Though Envy might throw a fit if he saw how you normally organize your stuff,” Gavin said, snickering. “He’d definitely give me a long lecture if I left the alchemy chamber the way you do.” 
“I have a [i]system[/i],” Daryll insisted.

Kire snorted at that, before turning to the cousins beside her. Edward looked to be relaxing much better now that Ysaryn was beside him. Jan, too, seemed to be doing a little better. “You’re both coming later, right?” 
“Mm-hmm. Wouldn’t want to miss it,” Ed said, smiling at the elf beside him. Already he couldn’t wait to relax with her later. “Jan, you should, too.” 
Jan looked hesitant. “This gate is safe, right Kire?” 
“They made it here in one piece, so yes,” Kire replied, amused. “You’ll like Úvano, Jan. We’ll bring along some wine.”
“Perhaps for a drink, then,” Jan said. “Ulrich and I still have some business to discuss.”
“Business? Today’s a celebration day,” Kire said, pouting a little bit. “But I suppose drinks are as good as I could get.”

The meal continued much the same way. Kire though had to give her attention to her other guests as well, something she’d always thought was a disadvantage at big celebratory banquets like this, her attention divided too much to give any one person enough of her time. As the banquet wound down and the festivities for the rest of the guests continued outside, Kire grinned, telling the others to wait for her and whoever else needed to change into comfortable clothes at the Tower. The girls, too, asked permission to come along just to see Úvano, and Kire nodded. 

“Finally, I can get changed out of this ridiculous jacket,” Daryll muttered once they had arrived, unbuttoning the doublet as he rushed upstairs to his room. “Be back down!” 
“You goin’ like that, Nard?” Myka asked, grinning. Narda shrugged. 
Ed had come along, though he didn’t bother to change, while Elva was fanning herself. “Is it hotter or cooler over there?” she asked. “I’ve been in the mountains too long, I think.”
“Yes you have,” her brother replied. “But there’s a cool sea breeze there, at least.” 

“Okay, back,” Daryll declared. “You lot are all coming down, I take it? Alchemy chamber and armory tour?” 

	Kire, Jan, and the girls returned later, with Jan and the girls wearing simpler dresses, and Kire wearing travelling clothes. “Where is everybody?” she said, looking around, carrying two bottles of wine with her. 
	“If you lot are staying there to drink, that may not be enough,” Jan said, raising a brow. 
	Pres made a face. “I dunno why you like the stuff so much, Kay. It’s bitter.” 
	Kire laughed, ruffling her hair. “Ah, they’re down at the basement, then, I hear them coming up.”