The snow fell, graceful as dancing elves. The flowers on the White Tree still blossomed, however, thick enough to hide a little girl and her snowball from her big brother.
"Tin, where are you?" he called in a sing-song voice, throwing his own snowball up and down in the air. His little sister stifled a giggle and threw her snowball straight at the back of his uncovered head.
"Here, El," she laughed as she jumped down from the tree, ducking behind it and screaming as El through his snowball. He missed, but Tin's next was quite as accurate as her previous one. El growled playfully as he ran towards her, Tin screaming and laughing as she ran away. Her ears warned her of another snowball coming from her brother, so she ducked out of the way and threw a mocking laugh over her shoulder.
"Eldarion, Tinuviel!" their governess called as she stepped out of the hall. "It's time to come inside."
"Oh, come on, Lady Inzil," Eldarion complained.
"Please, just a few more minutes?" Tinuviel begged.
"Yes, I was just about to catch her," Eldarion added.
"You were not," Tinuviel scoffed.
"I was, too," he argued.
"Were not!" she shot back.
"Was too!"
"Were not!"
"Was too!
"Were not!"
"Was too!"
"Were – ah!" Tinuviel screamed, hiding behind Lady Inzil as her brother picked up another snowball.
"Enough, enough!" Lady Inzil laughed. "Come inside, you two! Your supper is ready, and then it's off to bed. Remember, today is the Feast of the Fellowship.
"The Feast!" Eldarion and Tinuviel exclaimed together.
"Maybe this year Nana and Ada will let us attend!" Tinuviel exclaimed hopefully.
"You mean maybe they'll let me," Eldarion teased. "I'm older, after all."
"Only by a year," Tinuviel said, sticking out her tongue.
"Now, as far as I know," Lady Inzil broke in, taking one hand of each child and leading them inside, "you too will both be sound asleep before the feast begins. Hurry upstairs, supper's on the table, and the cook made something special for you for after."
"Race you!" Eldarion called and took off, Tinuviel close on his heels.
"Ollo vae, my nightingale," King Elessar murmured to his daughter as he tucked her in.
"Goodnight, Ada," Tinuviel replied with a yawn. "Do you think Lady Eowyn will be at the feast tonight?"
"She should be, Iellig, why?" her father asked.
"Could you please tell her that I figured out the fifth position?" Tinuviel asked innocently.
Aragorn couldn't help but smile at his little girl. She was learning sword positions from his steward's wife, though he prayed she would never need them.
"Of course, Tinuviel," he assured her, kissing her forehead.
"Go to sleep now, Tinuviel. We love you very much," Arwen smiled, and Tinuviel smiled back.
"I love you, too. Goodnight, Nana," she said yawning again and closing her eyes. The royal couple walked silently from the room, closing the door behind them.
A few minutes later the door creaked open a bit.
"Tinuviel? Are you ready?" Eldarion whispered.
"Of course I am," Tinuviel replied, slipping out of bed fully dressed. Eldarion opened the door a bit wider for her before taking her hand and leading her down a less-used stair case that ended in the hall. They quickly slipped behind a pillar, carefully not to be seen while seeing all that they could. When their mother stood and raised her glass, Eldarion passed a cup of water to his sister, as well as lifting his own.
"Lords and ladies," Arwen's clear voice rang out as all eyes turned to her, "thank you for gathering with us. Tonight, to mark the anniversary of their setting out from Imladris, we gather to remember the Fellowship of the Ring and their deeds. Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Elessar our king; Legolas of the Woodland Realm; Gimli, son of Gloin; Mithrandir; Peregrin Took, son of Paladin; Meriadoc Brandybuck, son of Seradoc; Samwise Gamgee, son of Hamfast; the Bearer, Frodo Baggins, son of Drogo; and the fallen member, Boromir son of Denthor. These brave people preserved the freedom of light and joy in Middle Earth. The Fellowship!"
"The Fellowship!" the hall echoed.
"The Fellowship!" Eldarion and Tinuviel repeated, solemnly drinking from their cups. Eldarion was old enough to have some understanding of the darkness and danger the Fellowship had passed through, and Tinuviel certainly understood her father's grave face.
After a moment, however, the hall quickly turned to noise and laughter. Songs were sung, tales were told, and the little prince and princess watched it all. It was all too much for them, however, and they both fell asleep. Their father found them a short time later. He shook his head, smiling softly, and carried them back up the stairs, tucking them each into bed.
"Sleep well, my children," he whispered to the closed doors. "It shall be long before storm of grief or harm reaches you."
Ollo vae = Sweet dreams
Iellig = My daughter