Ages. Literal, thousand-Earth-year Ages. Elves're - well, I mean, I could bring them around faster but it'd be in the form 'your monarchs, being above the law, will do as they please and you won't dare challenge them', and I'm not sure that's an improvement.

It kind of isn't.

So, convincing people that the actual stated manifest will of the gods doesn't matter? Ages.

Mages'll be faster than that if they can do it at all but anyone's guess if they can.

At least - the important parts of our relationship, the co-ruling a kingdom, wouldn't have to be secret -

I'm looking forward to that part.

...I am assuming here that it will not become intractable if we break up or something.

I don't have experience to draw on here but that does not seem likely.

Professionalism, says Isabella lightly.

We're the experts.

Okay. And if someone other than Alex or your dad found out...

Don't know. Really don't know. Sort of expect - range from 'they come to me for reassurance, I figure out what to say, it's fine' through 'they publicly announce we should step down and why, very few Elves are willing to live in our country'. And we lose the Valar, if we still need them.

Isabella is contemplating this risk when someone osanwës Maitimë - Sorry sorry I wouldn't interrupt but Minassë accidentally married a human and she's freaked out and the human is hysterical!

...thank you for telling me. Where are they? and aloud - "Uh, Florida Elves are already having emergencies for us, sounds like -"

"What happened?"

Minassë's by the portal on our side and the human is on the other side being hysterical and refusing to come through!

Suggest to the human that they go to a nice hotel in Tampa, our expense, ask if they have anything to write down a credit card number, give them this number - she recites it - and a phone number, and then if it seems like they're calming down thank them and say you'll be in touch, and if they're still panicked ask them simple questions - do they have a way to get to Tampa? Do they want you to call a taxi? - you can ask me how to do that if you need to - do they prefer to wait here, do they prefer to order some food - until they're calm -

And aloud - "Elves and humans can get married and determined this without telling the human they were risking it, apparently -"

Okay. Okay I'll do that.

"...grand. I assume they are of the opposite sex and this is only mildly unprecedented?"

"Sounds like it but he actually only said 'the human' throughout - I can ask Minassë -"

Dear?

Um.

I heard about what's going on and I am going to try to make sure it works out okay. Do you know the name of the person you married?

Uh, George.

Okay. How did you two meet, how long have you known each other?

...I met him literally yesterday at one of those mixers.

And you didn't warn him -

I did, I did warn him! I think maybe he misunderstood or - something -

Okay. I'm going to go talk to him now. Are you hoping that I can convince him to come live in Valinor and you two can get to know each other?