and marveled at the young man he had become.
"Oh, Ian, look at you."
Ian started to turn red as Alia swept him into a hug and he waited to shake hands with Sean. Grant moved forward.
"So where's my godson?"
Alia shook her head and shrugged. Then from behind her came Brian.
"Right here, Sir."
The boy held out his hand and Grant Turner took it and laughed, then pulled the boy into a hug.
"How are ya, Kid?"
"Good, Sir."
Ellen smiled and held out her arms for Brian to give her a hug.
Vivian had gotten all the Crystals settled into their areas and had now returned to retrieve the most recent guests.
"Your majesty, we must get the Paulists to their quarters so they can rest and set up."
Alia turned around and shrugged.
"I guess she's right. We'll catch up later."
Grant Turner leaned over and kissed Alia's cheek.
"Absolutely!"
He then turned to help Ellen back into the wagon and lifted himself up as well. Jerry and Liam were saying hello to Brian, but turned when they saw their uncle getting back into the wagon.
"Uncle Grant? We're gonna go with Brian, ok?"
The president of St. Paul's nodded and waved them off.
"Don't be late for dinner," Ellen called after them.
He turned to Alia and Sean.
"I'll keep this one," Grant Turner motioned to the back of the wagon and the continuous squeals from inside. "I don’t think we could pry them apart if we tried. And oh, yeah, Levine and his tribe are right behind us. You've got your work cut out for you Chancellor."
Vivian turned and sighed. She rested her chin on the tops of her fingers, deep in thought. She then clapped twice and in a flash, two young men stood by her side.
"Boys, wait here for the Israelites to arrive. I’m showing the Paulists to their quarters."
"Yes, Chancellor," replied the young men in unison.
Sean and Alia looked at the rigid young men and smiled. Within fifteen minutes of the Paulists entering Lia Fail's gates, they heard the next wagons approach. Sean walked out first with several of his soldiers, who had now arrived, and helped to calm the horses. The soldiers moved to the side of the wagon and placed steps alongside.
Aaron Levine stepped lightly down the steps and in a few giant strides was grasping Sean's hand in a firm shake, which became a hug.
"How are you, Aaron?"
The men back up and looked at each other.
"I'm great! You?"
Sean smiled and put his hand around Aaron Levine's face, and grasped it firmly with the connection of an old friend.
"Me, too!"
"And just in case you wondering, I'm fabulous, too!"
Sean looked around Aaron to see Lorraine Levine walking towards them.
Sean bellowed. "Hello, Gorgeous! Still married to this beach bum, I see."
Lorraine jumped into the arms of Sean as her husband watched, feigning a wounded ego.
"Someone has to be," Alia said as she walked towards her old friends and was grabbed into a warm embrace by Aaron.
David dismounted from his horse and walked over to greet Sean and Alia as Ian had. Alia looked at him. He might have only been seventeen, but he had grown into quite the young man in the last six months. It always struck her how much the children changed and how everyone else stayed the same.
"David, you're taller."
David smiled and shyly stepped forward to let Alia hug him, and he then stuck out his hand to shake Sean's hand. A defiant voice came from behind David Levine.
"I'm taller, too."
"Yes, you are, Rachel."
Rachel smiled and ran to Alia, as her mother looked on. Lorraine leaned into Sean and whispered.
"She's a bigger smart ass, too."
Sean laughed and stood cross-armed, watching. Joe Levine popped his head out of the wagon and everyone could see he had just woken up.
"Are we here?"
Lorraine shook her head.
"Yes, Sweetheart, we're here."
"Cool."
Joe jumped out of the wagon and ran towards the group.
"Hi, Mrs. Stark. Where's Brian?"
Sean nudged Joe.
"That way about fifteen minutes
"Oh, Ian, look at you."
Ian started to turn red as Alia swept him into a hug and he waited to shake hands with Sean. Grant moved forward.
"So where's my godson?"
Alia shook her head and shrugged. Then from behind her came Brian.
"Right here, Sir."
The boy held out his hand and Grant Turner took it and laughed, then pulled the boy into a hug.
"How are ya, Kid?"
"Good, Sir."
Ellen smiled and held out her arms for Brian to give her a hug.
Vivian had gotten all the Crystals settled into their areas and had now returned to retrieve the most recent guests.
"Your majesty, we must get the Paulists to their quarters so they can rest and set up."
Alia turned around and shrugged.
"I guess she's right. We'll catch up later."
Grant Turner leaned over and kissed Alia's cheek.
"Absolutely!"
He then turned to help Ellen back into the wagon and lifted himself up as well. Jerry and Liam were saying hello to Brian, but turned when they saw their uncle getting back into the wagon.
"Uncle Grant? We're gonna go with Brian, ok?"
The president of St. Paul's nodded and waved them off.
"Don't be late for dinner," Ellen called after them.
He turned to Alia and Sean.
"I'll keep this one," Grant Turner motioned to the back of the wagon and the continuous squeals from inside. "I don’t think we could pry them apart if we tried. And oh, yeah, Levine and his tribe are right behind us. You've got your work cut out for you Chancellor."
Vivian turned and sighed. She rested her chin on the tops of her fingers, deep in thought. She then clapped twice and in a flash, two young men stood by her side.
"Boys, wait here for the Israelites to arrive. I’m showing the Paulists to their quarters."
"Yes, Chancellor," replied the young men in unison.
Sean and Alia looked at the rigid young men and smiled. Within fifteen minutes of the Paulists entering Lia Fail's gates, they heard the next wagons approach. Sean walked out first with several of his soldiers, who had now arrived, and helped to calm the horses. The soldiers moved to the side of the wagon and placed steps alongside.
Aaron Levine stepped lightly down the steps and in a few giant strides was grasping Sean's hand in a firm shake, which became a hug.
"How are you, Aaron?"
The men back up and looked at each other.
"I'm great! You?"
Sean smiled and put his hand around Aaron Levine's face, and grasped it firmly with the connection of an old friend.
"Me, too!"
"And just in case you wondering, I'm fabulous, too!"
Sean looked around Aaron to see Lorraine Levine walking towards them.
Sean bellowed. "Hello, Gorgeous! Still married to this beach bum, I see."
Lorraine jumped into the arms of Sean as her husband watched, feigning a wounded ego.
"Someone has to be," Alia said as she walked towards her old friends and was grabbed into a warm embrace by Aaron.
David dismounted from his horse and walked over to greet Sean and Alia as Ian had. Alia looked at him. He might have only been seventeen, but he had grown into quite the young man in the last six months. It always struck her how much the children changed and how everyone else stayed the same.
"David, you're taller."
David smiled and shyly stepped forward to let Alia hug him, and he then stuck out his hand to shake Sean's hand. A defiant voice came from behind David Levine.
"I'm taller, too."
"Yes, you are, Rachel."
Rachel smiled and ran to Alia, as her mother looked on. Lorraine leaned into Sean and whispered.
"She's a bigger smart ass, too."
Sean laughed and stood cross-armed, watching. Joe Levine popped his head out of the wagon and everyone could see he had just woken up.
"Are we here?"
Lorraine shook her head.
"Yes, Sweetheart, we're here."
"Cool."
Joe jumped out of the wagon and ran towards the group.
"Hi, Mrs. Stark. Where's Brian?"
Sean nudged Joe.
"That way about fifteen minutes
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