Leafë looked around at the revelry with glee. The mountain of gifts stacked behind her was enough to make any four-year-old grin, but it was the sight of her parents dancing that truly made her smile shine. Islanzadí's laughter rang forth as Evandar spun her around, her eyes brighter than her daughter had seen them in a long time. Others watched their monarch and his consort with smiles of their own. Everyone always seemed to be happier when her father was home.

Even Dellanir's scowl wasn't quite as pronounced - that is, until Oromis and Glaedr arrived. Her frown deepened as her granddaughter went running off to greet the large golden dragon while its Rider strode forward to greet her with, "Atra esterní ono thelduin, Dellanir Dröttine."

The former queen replied, "Why did the Riders interfere in the War of Iron?"

Oromis Thrándurin was not surprised that Dellanir did not complete the greeting; indeed, he would have been surprised if she had. And while her question did throw him, he had expected her to ask it...if perhaps not so bluntly. "The council was divided, and it was Vrael-vinr who finally decided that we were needed to keep the peace."

"Did the dvergar agree to this?"

"The war is over."

"At what cost?" Orange gold eyes met light gray ones. "I know that Vrael has not been leader for long, but he is old enough to know the folly of interfering with dwarves when they were not made part of the pact."

The Rider nearly sighed. "Yet you were strongly against adding the humans to the pact."

"No need to understate the fact," Dellanir retorted. "Anurin was a fool to even consider doing so, this being the exact reason. Before we set foot on this continent, the dwarves were enemies with the dragons. Once Eragon helped bring an end to Du Fyrn Skulblaka and we allied with the dragons, they considered us foes. And now that humans have been added to the pact, what has occurred? A war between humans and dwarves so devastating the mighty Riders themselves saw it fit to intervene. We have made it so that the dwarves stand alone against all the other races in Alagaësia."

"And what would you have had us do?" asked Oromis, his hands folded calmly behind his white robes while she gestured angrily. "As you said, the dwarves warred with the dragons long before we did, and I doubt they would have joined in the pact if Eragon had asked them."

"He should have. But enough of this - the girl of the hour approaches."

"Oromis-elda!" Leafë shouted excitedly as she drew near. "Brunkuldr says that he's going to give me a ride as my birth day present tomorrow morning!"

His face softened as Dellanir's had upon seeing her granddaughter approach. "Funny - he told me the same thing. Guess it must be true, then."

The girl laughed in excitement, prompting the former queen to joke, "I suppose we must call you Leafë Shur'tugal now. A pity."

"I'm not a Rider, Grandmother!"

"Do you wish to be one?"

Dellanir snorted at Oromis's question while Leafë answered, "I'd rather be their historian! My grandmother reads to me from The Chronicles of Ingothold, and someday I'm gonna write my own chronicles! ...but being a Rider would be nice, too."

Her grandmother coughed to muffle her snicker, but the Rider didn't bother masking his amusement. "You would get along nicely with my mate Ruby, then. She has the task of our current historian and is working at the Arcaena Reliquary. Once you are old enough, I'd be happy to ask her to take you on as an apprentice."

"Really?" She shot forward and hugged his legs tightly. "Thank you, Oromis-elda! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Patting her head, Oromis told her, "You're very welcome. Now, I believe your parents wish for you to join them at the table for your toast."

As Leafë ran off after one last squeeze, she heard Dellanir warn the Rider, "I'm still her favorite."

Evandar cleared his throat as his daughter took her seat between him and his consort, and the guests immediately quieted down as they sat. His mouth twitched as he saw his mother accept the seat Oromis had pulled out for her with pursed lips before turning his attention back to the waiting populace. "Greetings, my subjects. On this special day celebrating the fourth anniversary of the birth of my daughter, I have brought good news along with my annual toast. My sojourn to Ilirea was successful; with help from Oromis Shur'tugal on behalf of the Riders, King Aksel chose to stop his people's forays into our land upon his coronation."

Cheers rose, and he smiled widely, proud to have protected his people and pleased that they were pleased. "A glorious achievement to mark this day, a day that is already made special by our dröttningu, Leafë. I thank Ellesméra for looking after my beautiful girl while I was gone, and hope she was not too much of a handful." That garnered a few chuckles as his daughter flushed. "Let us raise our glasses in a toast to her. Atra gülai un ilian tauthr ono."

Everyone repeated the toast loudly, and music began to flow forth as the meal was served. Evandar sat down and stroked his daughter's hair as she looked up at him with her mother's eyes and said, "I love you, Faði."

"And I you, my dearest."

He leaned down to kiss her brow before allowing her to dig in to her meal with enthusiasm, knowing she could begin opening her presents as soon as she was done. Islanzadí began lecturing her about eating too fast as Däthedr leaned over to murmur, "I am correct in presuming Queen Qûnvirna did not attend the coronation?"

"How could she?" he murmured back, taking a bite of his fruit salad. "She ordered the dwarves to retreat after the Riders arrived to end the War of Iron, and many of her people were not happy with her decision. While her country is teetering on the brink of a clan war, it would be folly to attend the coronation of the king that is currently claiming land that her people believe to be rightly theirs. Qûnvirna has no wish to end up like Forna."

"And will she?"

"I do not know." Evandar sighed. At his side giggled Leafë, and he told the elf lord, "But let us not linger on such dreary thoughts during this time of celebration. Tonight, we feast."

"Of course, my king." Däthedr watched as his friend began chatting with his daughter and consort and hoped that a conflict wouldn't arise any time soon, for they would always bring the family's time together to an end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Late again, I know; no real excuse besides my computer running as slow as molasses. Took me twice as long to write this as it should have! But hope you enjoyed it nonetheless; part three will fast-forward a decade later to see Oromis make good on his promise to Leafë. Chapter I will end with her leaving for Alalëa, but we have over one hundred and fifty years to cover until that occurs! Put in a lot of references to events that occurred/characters long dead before the Cycle began like the War of Iron, some of which you guys might recognize. And to think that this is only the beginning. (:)