"Thank you!" Serna beamed from ear to ear, "So, if you don't mind my asking, do you do anything else aside from being an Airship Captain?"

"Well lets see," He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment, "When my fellows and I are not patrolling the skies over the Fire Sea, I like to spend time with my beloved wife, Beatrice. We have a nice home in Asylum with our two children. Well, they're not really children anymore. My oldest is a student at the Alchemists guild, and my other son is learning currently at the Fighter's guild assisting in tactics training with new recruits."

"That's nice!" Serna smiled, "It's good to have a family to come home to when you are finished adventuring. I have a family too. Willow, Irzen, Alyson, Dragolem, Quake, Mermidon and Neven are my family--of sorts!"

"So where is home for you, young lady?" He sat down at one of the tables.

"The open road with my friends," Serna boldly declared as she sat down with Captain Lion, "But I am originally from Deeping Dale. I used to be a Servant for Baroness Meleranti and before that I was in an orphanage."

"I see," He sipped his drink and set it down on the table, "Do you have any memory beyond the orphanage, Serna? I will be honest with you, my wife and I always wanted to have a daughter but fate only gave us sons. So, would you consider being adopted?"

"Well I--wait WHAT?!" The Shield Maiden looked completely flabergasted, "What did you say?"

"Would you like to be adopted, Serna? To have a family who's cares and loves besides your friends, and a place to call home." He asked her.

"I--I--I don't even know you!" Serna shook her head is pure disbelief, "I mean, you seem nice and kind. But I don't really know or your wife. And what would she say if you brought me back to Asylum with you and brought me into your home like a lost stray puppy that you found on the street." The Shield Maiden smacked herself in the forehead, "And I didn't tell you this before, but I have been labelled a 'Disturber of the Peace.' Do you really want to get mixed up with someone who has that title hanging over her head?"

********

The elementalist walked away from him all together while the crown prince crossed his arms in contempt. After a few more outbursts, Prince Ash snapped his fingers and a pair of guards entered the room, "Escort, Lord Irzen to his quarters. He will remain there until he's sober enough to rejoin us. Furthermore, if he tries anything within the palace grounds, he will find himself in the tower dungeon to sleep it off."

"Mayhaps you are right, Crown Prince Ash," Irzen swayed back and forth, "I do appear to be a little too inebriated to return to my quarters. Aid would be most welcome. Also, your Royal Highness, I wish to thank both you and your sire for your hospitality. You could have easily cast me out once the war was won but you invited me into your home, allowed me to sup at your table and permitted me to enjoy your company. And for that, your Royal Highness, I will forever be in your debt. LONG LIVE THE KING! AND HIS SONS, HIS NOBLE PRINCES!"

Irzen was seized by a guard on either side and promptly escorted out of the banquet hall.

Just before the swordsman was hauled out, Alyson grabbed a cloth napkin, rolled it up into a ball and stuffed into his mouth, "Now you can take him to his guest quarters."

Irzen gave Alyson a quizzical look as he was dragged off to his bedroom.

With an innocent smile, Alyson waved him goodbye at Irzen was escorted out for the evening.

The crown prince took notice of his brothers and joined them, "Willow, your ally will sleep off his drunkenness in the guest quarters. I should hope that he remembers where he is here in the palace, it would be most unfortunate if father were to learn of his behavior. Still, we elves of Northaven have our flaws but we choose to keep it within our borders and our cities."

Willow waved Ash off, "Brother, you must understand that the Drow are not like us. Their ways are not our ways. They can be as secretive as us to be sure. But they are also boisterous and loud and given to acts of merriment and mischief that would rival anything we can do. Lord Irzen merely had too much Cannard for his own good. Once he sleeps it off and wakes up tomorrow, I promise you he will be on his best behavior."

Ash shook his head, "Be that as it may, Willow, I share our father's attitude when it comes to our kin who chose to live in the Underdark long ago. I'm sure it would be the same if we were the visitors in his homeland."

Willow looked a little downcast when he openly admitted, "If we were visitors in his homeland, brother, we would not be visting long. I fear we would be killed on sight. Lord Irzen is an exception to the rule amongst his people. He is open to the company of us Surface Elves while the vast majority of his kin are not. Still, beyond his bout of drunkenness, Lord Irzen has done nothing to warrant your anger or hostility. He has acted both honorably and bravely in battle; risking both life and limb not for gold or glory but purely out of friendship. You may share father's opinon of the Drow, but ask yourself this question: What more can one ask of a friend than he lay down his life for you?"

Yew raised his glass to his elder brother, "To friends, allies, family, and long may our father reign!"

"Hear! Hear!" Willow responded raising his glass as well, "To battles won, to friends we have lost, to family we cherish, and to Northaven we love, long may our father rule! Hear! Hear!"

Alyson went back over to the table with a plate of food and just stared at it. She was hungry but it wasn't the same without the Bronze Man there, and she heard his voice in her mind, ~ Lazheros.~

*******

Mandur and his fellows all stood up helping the bronze man to his feet, "I know you favor the hard drink of my kin, Grand Cleric but taking on a contest with the drow swordsman may not of been a wise choice."

Lazheros merely nodded in agreement as he stood up and headed back up to the banquet hall with Mandur and his kin.

The dwarves went over to the buffet and filled their plates and sat down across from the elementalist except for Mandur and Lazheros who greeted the princes three with a courtly bow. "Hail to the Crown Prince of Winterfall, to the Horse Lord of WestFall, and to the Ranger of the Southern Valley! Hail!"

A chorus of cheers from the dwarves erupted with their steins raised high.

Prince Willow looked towards his older brother, Crown Prince Ash, to deliver a responding cheer of his own. It was customary that the oldest and highest in royal or noble rank would do so first only to be followed by his subordinates.

Ash gave a nod which was followed by Yew, "Hail to new allies of Northaven! To the victory of our kingdom and the defeat of our foes! We honor those who came to our aid when our need was dire, and we shall honor it in kind when that day arrives!"

Willow added with a raised chalice, "Hail to our brothers under the earth, in the sky and across the sea! For those who stood with us this day are our brothers in all but blood! We honor those who died for us! We celebrate those who fought with us! And we will stand by those who stood by us! From now until the ending of The Realm!"

The bronze man said nothing as his head was still ringing from the mild hangover and loss of drinking contest proposed by the elementalist. He walked over and sat down next to her whispering, "Give me a heads up next time, Alyson."

She cracked a smile, "I did but you drank too much in a short amount of time. Perhaps if you paced yourself..."

Lazheros narrowed his eyes at her grumbling, "I see this is payback for dropping in the water at the bathhouse isn't it?"

"Maybe," Her smile grew larger followed by a giggle.