Wimple - the wrap up

by TMI Fairy

The wrap up of my Wimple AU. There will be several short chapters, laying out the fates of some Major and Minor characters plus the adorable family of ex-Mrs. Hurin Aredhel and her crazy bunch of kids. Part III of the Series. NOTE: This includes two previously stand alone stories - "16 years later" and "16 years later outsider view" for ease of reading

1. The Fate of the Peredhel

The Fate of the Peredhel

After the War of the Ring Aragorn, now known as Elessar, returned north to the lands of Eriador to resurrect the Kingdom of Arnor. Besides coming into his birthright the restoration of this realm was half of the task allotted to him by Lord Elrond the Half-Elven to prove himself worthy of his daughter's, Arwen Udomiel's hand. The other half of the task being claiming the Kingdom of Gondor for himself.

Whereas the other Ringbearers had taken the Straight Road the Lord Elrond stayed on, watchful over his daughter. He did send his Ring of Power to Valinor with his mother in law, however. The Wise Lord found it easier to part with Vilya than with his children – daughter in particular.

With the lands of Arnor of old laying desolate from the plagues unleashed upon them by the Enemy the King sought settlers and soldiers from other lands. For the latter he looked to Rohan in particular, knowing that the Sons of Eorl were fell of arm and loyal of heart. At times he journeyed alongside his recruiters as he was eager to see his shieldbrother Eomer, King of the Mark. And so it came to pass that in year 3027 TA that King Elessar accompanied by his foster brothers – the grim half elves Elladan and Elrohir – travelled south to the Mark. The Twins had heard rumours of remnants of Saruman's Fighting Uruk-hai hiding in the White Mountains and wished to have sport with them. After sojourns at Hornburg and Edoras Aragorn's party came to Aldburg.

Since the War of the Ring the old capital of the Mark had been the seat of Eowyn Wraithbane, the King's sister. She was effectively the ruler of the Eastfold and Eastemnet as Underking for her brother the King. Besides ruling fairly if severely on occasion she also rode with the eoreds to protect the lands entrusted into her hands. Which distressed her brother and the Eastfold Marshal Elfhelm alike greatly. At two and thirty she was no spring flower yet still unwed with the Eorlings despairing of her ever taking a husband. Suitors she had many but gave none her favour. There was wonder of the King not wedding her in an alliance with some Great Lord – as she was greatly loved by high and low alike nobody of lesser standing was thought to be worthy of her – but Eomer had sworn to his sister that her hand was her own to give.

The two half-elven princes indeed found their desired sport in the Ered Nimrais. With tragic results – one of their forays ended with an ambush in which Elladan died and Elrohir had several limbs broken. A punitive expedition four days later found the Uruk camp and gave no quarter to its inhabitants. Initially some mannish women – thought to be the orcs' captives – were spared but their assault upon the Riders for killing half-breed children led to them being included in the slaughter.

Elrohir was shattered by the loss of his brother. While being nursed back to health at Aldburg he began to ponder his own mortality, to think of matters other than his half a thousand year's old campaign of revenge. His recovery was his longest ever exposure to the strengths and weaknesses of the Secondborn. He watched and grew to admire the strong yet not uncaring, the gentle yet not docile nature of the Princess. And from this admiration sprouted love. On a summer night, under the stars, the Orcslayer gave his heart and immortality to the Wraithbane.

By this point Eowyn had mostly whittled away at the shackles of ice biding her heart which she had put upon her spirit as manner of protection during the Dark Days of Grima's Ascendency at Meduseld. Elrohir's gesture shattered whatever manacles she still wore and the White Lady of Rohan (wearing green that night) accepted his courtship. They wed at the Spring Equinox in 3028, choosing the date of the Elven New Year to honour that side of the groom's heritage.

Hearing of one son's death and of the other's choice of the Gift of Man destroyed Elrond's spirit. The heartbroken Elven Lord could not bring himself to say farewell to his daughter but wrote a note and rode to the Grey Heavens, boarding the first available ship to Valinor. In the Undying Lands he became known as Elrond the Childless. With two children choosing the Gift of Man and Elladan - dying before his Choice – having his fea in limbo, the Peredhel Lord was never to see any of his children again.

Some saw this as Valar's punishment for his prideful denial of his daughter's happiness as many notable personages – both of Man and of Elvenkind – had called upon him to consent to Arwen's and Aragorn's marriage. They spoke, Figwit prominent amongst them, of how Aragorn's acts in destroying the One Ring equaled those which had made Beren worthy of Luthien, of how he had in fact restored the Southern Kingdom, solely with enthronement delayed. Yet Elrond had haughtily dismissed such talk, claiming that the terms for marriage had not been completed. Those of mind of this being Valar's Judgment pointed to his greedy holding on to one child leading to his loss of all three.

Another joyful event in the same year of 3028 TA was the union, on Mid-Summer Day, of Arwen and Aragorn at newly rebuilt Fornost. With the passing of Denethor son of Ecthelion in 3040 TA the couple became the King and Queen of the United Kingdoms.

Eventually the children of Elrond were to come together in death. The first to be buried was Elladan, on a rocky outcrop to the south of Aldburg. After Eowyn passed away at the age of 96 years Elrohir initially tried to live on for his sister's sake. Yet after two years in Minas Tirith he had wasted away to the point that he could no longer ride and the proud warrior was carried to Rohan in a litter. There he died on his wife's barrow – the first of the line of the Princes' of Aldburg – amidst Simbelmyne in bloom. Some two score years later Arwen, following in the wake of her husband, died after a short period of fading in the Golden Wood. By order of her son Eldarion she was buried alongside her brothers on a hill overlooking Aldburg. Their cairn on the Hill of the Three Half-Elves later became a destination of pilgrimages of those hoping to shorten their betrothal.

Just as the line of Arwen and Aragorn lived on through Kings and Queens of the United Kingdoms, so did that of Elrohir and Eowyn. Unique amongst the Great Houses of Middle Earth the line of Princes of Aldburg passed from mother to eldest daughter, as it had from Eowyn to Elfwynn.