Sage glanced over at Anya and nodded when she asked him about food. "We can go eat something," he answered. Then he grinned. "And don't worry about waking this little gremlin up ...she's out cold. And it's been loud in here all night so I doubt you'll wake her up by talking to me," he chuckled. He shifted the girl so she was resting on the side of his hip and stood up, the flock of children around him all standing up and running ahead of him, laughing and giggling as they swept down the hallway like some kind of wave. Sage chuckled at their enthusiasm and jerked his head in the direction of the banquet hall. "Come on, let's go eat," he laughed, carrying the little girl on his hips with his as wrapped protectively around her. He wasn't sure who her parents were, or where they were....they were obviously somewhere around here...he just wasn't completely sure where. They'd most likely be in the dining hall though, and if they wanted to get their sleeping daughter they could. Not that he minded carrying the girl around ...she could be a bit snippity, but she was a sweet kid, and he'd enjoyed being with the little ones.

Anya chuckled as she watched the hoard of children run off... they were always together anyway, like a little gang, but they seemed to have more energy tonight. Probably because they'd been allowed all the sugar they could imagine - well, not allowed, but everyone was too busy to notice, and they wanted to be awake long enough to see the new year through. She wandered along the halls at a slower pace. It was sweet how Sage seemed a little more comfortable with the younger kids than with everyone else - but she supposed that was because he had gotten used to being with Lizzie than with people more his age... she briefly wondered if he enjoyed it because they reminded him or her at all. "Looks like you've got a little army," she hummed teasingly as she skipped along. "They seem like they like you - well, more than they like me at least." It wasn't exactly hard for them to like, well, anyone more than they liked Anya. She wandered into the banquet hall, only for her ears to be filled with joyful laughs and talking. The kids that had run along filled the room with their happy laughs and giggles. Anya wandered along and took a seat, where a plate of hot food was already out... she wasn't sure how long it'd been... a few hours, maybe. It was probably about nine pm, which was already late enough to be eating... but if they ate late then everyone was more likely to stay up for when the clock struck midnight.

Sage chuckled at the thought of the 'little army' as Anya had called it and nodded. "I think they just like the stories I tell them," he laughed, shaking his head slightly. He found himself holding the little girl on his hip a bit tighter as they entered the banquet hall...he supposed in case someone bumped into them so he wouldn't drop her or something. The adults could call it what they wanted, but sage had to admit he was protective of the little ones...taking care of Liz for so long had done that too him, he supposed. And this little girl he was holding...if Lizzie had lived in a castle, she would be a lot like this one. Sage really couldn't keep all their names straight, and he wasn't sure he ever got her name, but he liked her all the same. Sure, they could be a bit annoying at times, but he liked them. There was a certain attitude they all had that the adults didn't...they just seemed to be more real. more...alive, he supposed. And the childhood innocence was something to treasure. He shifted the girl slightly once he sat down in a chair next to Anya, and kept one arm around the girl while using the other one to eat. He didn't mind the extra burden ...he didn't even really think if her as a burden...and it was nice to interact with the young ones again...he'd missed that since Liz had gone.

"Well, who wouldn't?" She asked quietly before shaking her head in amusement. She supposed Sage entertained them... much like Anya, they were all raised in the castle, and they didn't often get to leave. They didn't all have titles like she did, so they were a little bit more... relaxed. When she was little, she remembered all of her older cousins being able to run around like idiots, while she was confined to her studies. For that reason, she was glad to be an only child - she'd hate to see a sibling be locked away the way she was, to never get to see them. Obviously, it was a hell of a lot better now that people had given up hiding her away, but she couldn't help but feel a little... how to put this... jealous of them? It was stupid, she knew that and she should have been happy to see them running around as little kids should, and she was, but there was always that little bit of envy bubbling up through her. Hours passed before people had eaten their fill, and more and they were all buzzing with life again... people were planning on going out into the gardens to watch the clock strike midnight, but in all honesty, she wasn't feeling like going out in the cold so late, though if that's what Sage wanted to do, then she'd be more than happy to drag herself out there. She looked at the little girl - Charlotte- that Sage was holding with a small smile. "How about we go drop her off in bed and then if you want we can meet everyone outside? I don't think her mother would appreciate her being dragged out in the cold while she's asleep... she'll catch a chill," she hummed gently.

Sage chuckled and grinned. "That's true. My stories are almost as fabulous as I am," he joked, amused at the thought. Most people were heading outside, so he nodded, going along with Anyas suggestion. He didn't particularly care whether they went outside or not ...he was more than used to being out in the cold late. "That's fine. Do you know where her family is staying?" He didn't want to leave the girl alone, though, either...what if she woke up in a dark room alone and got scared or upset? He frowned slightly, Wondering if the girl even wanted to go back. "Though, she did say she wanted to celebrate and to wake her up. If I wake her and keep her warm she can celebrate and then go right back to sleep. Then we can drop her off and go on our way," he murmured thoughtfully. He was pondering which one to do when the girl stirred, solving the issue of waking her or not. She yawned and murmured a sleepy question before sitting up slightly and looking around."Hey there, sunshine," Sage chuckled. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cuddled up, and he patted her back gently. "You up for celebrating still?" The girl nodded eagerly, though still with bleary eyes. Sage shrugged and grabbed a blanket the girl could wrap around herself and looked over at Anya. "Are you ready to go celebrate, too, little missy," he asked her, chuckling slightly as he teased the girl lightly.

The girl nodded and chuckled before giving a smile. "I suppose so," she sighed dramatically before standing up and making sure the girl was tucked up in the blanket properly. If the poor thing caught a chill while she was with Sage, the girls mother would probably tell Anya off for it, for letting the tavern boy anywhere near her little girl. If anything, the woman would probably assume Sage gave her some sort of disease, and that was the last thing Anya wanted. "Come on then," she groaned gently before wandering out the door and wandering down towards the garden, where the church clock was visible. She half every door open for Sage along the way, and when she got down there she found a seat on a bench to curl up on and keep herself warm, sheltered from any of the cool breezes. Her mother and father were very clearly out of it, along with a few other of the slightly older family members, well them and Luther, who seemed to be having the time of his life dancing around in the snow.

Sage watched all the commotion outside with a grin, and let out a chuckle when he saw Luther spinning in clumsy circles in the snow, a childish grin on his face. The little girl in his arms giggled and pointed at Luther, whispering something in his ear. Sage grinned and walked over to the boy, who was having enough fun not to notice sage. Though, he walked quietly too, so there was really not reason for luther to notice him. He bent down so the girl could scoop up some snow and then darted behind Luther so she could shove it down the back of his shirt, peals of giggles coming out of her mouth when the boy reacted. Sage chuckled too, amused by the girl's prank. Of course, it was totally something he could have done to poor old Luther, which made it even better. "I swear it wasn't my idea this time," he wheezed out between laughs as the girl held her hand out for a high five and he hit it gently.

Luther yelped when he felt the cold rush down his back, and kind of jumped up and down squealing like a little girl. He eventually got the snow all out of his back before he whipped around to glare at Sage. "You're not meant to teach them to behave like that!" he yelped, sticking his tongue out playfully at the girl. "He's a bad example." he huffed out, though his words were slightly slurred. Maybe he wasn't the best example either, but he didn't quite seem to notice. He thought momentarily about throwing snow back at the two... well, the thought about it, and while he was drunk, he most definitely wasn't stupid enough to get into a snow fight while it was so cold - or while his fiance was watching him get into a standoff with a seven year old.

Sage chuckled and shook his head. "Hey, she did this all on her own," he protested. "I just helped her get up there." He shrugged. 'well, that and because she's been asleep on top of me pretty much all night." He grinned widely at the boy...the dude was drunk, maybe sage could get him to believe something or do something stupid. Though, he wouldn't do that now....Anya was watching and it wouldn't be fair to the guy to make him seem like a fool. The snow was good enough. He patted the guys shoulder as he walked back to Anya. "Don't pass out outside, dude. That's all I'm telling ya," he chuckled on his way back to the girl and sitting down beside her, the little one bouncing up and down on his lap, completely re energized.

Luther cocked his head at Sage, putting on an offended look as watched him wander off before going back to whatever messing around he was doing... running around in the snow and whatever. A couple of the other kids had joined in, which just made it a more interesting sight. Anya sat there, watching with her head slightly cocked as Sage came to sit back down next to her. "Poor guy," she hummed lightly as her gaze flickered back to Sage, "I thought he was a bit... dumb... before. But now it just seems like he's lost brain cells." It was true - It wasn't often you saw the future king spinning around like a little girl playing ring of roses. "And that was mean!" she added with a gentle chuckle.