A/N: Sorry its been a little longer than normal, but I was showing my horse at the Fair all week! Guess what? I was showing in 98 degree weather every single day! It is NEVER that hot for that long where I live. Heat index reached 120. Anyways, I worked on this chapter all week, and hopefully I made up for the delay with quality and length! Don't eat me!

P.S.

I love this chapter!

Love, A

DISCLAIMER: Pretty sure I don't own anything from LOTR. Come on now.

Chapter 21 - The Glorious Dead

After handing off their horses to the guards, the group silently made their way into the Golden Hall. Nobles and advisors were scattered about the open room, conversing in hushed tones.

Alexandra nervously fidgeted with her tunic, aware of the stares she was receiving. Legolas leaned down, "You must keep in mind that it is not often the Rohirric people encounter elves, let alone a party of elves our size. Try not to take the stares personal…"

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, it's easier said than done.. They look at us like we have purple skin or something…"

The corner of his mouth pulled up into a crooked smile, "I would like to see an elf with purple skin…"

She smiled at the ridiculous thought. Suddenly, the woman stopped walking and turned to face them, "If you'll excuse me, I will notify my brother of your arrival." With an excited smile and nod, she strode off down another corridor.

Alexandra curiously examined the hall. Instead of the white stone that made Minas Tirith, the hall was built with beautiful old wood. The walls were covered by intricate tapestries that depicted various history and legends of the Rohirrim. The high rafters held flags bearing a lone horse, and at the end of the hall, sat a throne. She could easily tell the people of Rohan were proud of their history.

Soon enough, the woman returned with a man whom Alexandra assumed was her brother. The man was tall and well-built with long, strawberry blonde locks. A golden crown rested upon his head. His face was partly covered by matching stubble and his large eyes were filled with shock.

"Sir Legolas…? The last time you set foot in Rohan, the lands were plagued with the gloom of war and death.. It gladdens my heart to know that you may know this beautiful country once more as it was before it knew the filth of Sauron and his pet wizard.."

She couldn't help but notice that he practically spit the last sentence. Alexandra made a mental note to ask Legolas about this Sauron character later…

The elven prince laid a hand over his heart and bowed his head, "Rohan is a beautiful country, no matter the circumstances. Even the blind can see that."

Alexandra rolled her eyes.

I wonder if sucking up is a formality…

Legolas returned to his normal stance, standing tall and proud.

The King grinned, "That she is master elf! This country has been near completely restored to its prior glory, though it could not have been done without your kind. So thank you my friend, once again."

He continued smiling, "What brings you and your party to the Golden Hall this day?"

Legolas replied calmly, We bring interesting news you could say… and seek council."

The Lord's eyes widened slightly, "I hope this news is not ill."

The blonde elf just stood there.

"Pray tell."

"I think it would be best if we speak of it in private, your Highness."

The King muttered something along the lines of an agreement and bellowed a command to the audience that resided in the Hall. Soon enough, it was just the elves and the two Rohirric royals that stood in the large room.

"Speak freely, my friend."

The elf nodded, "Are either of you familiar with the tale of Melkor, now known as Morgoth?"

This time it was the fair lady that spoke, "Very little, the people of Rohan are not very acquainted with the Valar you see..."

Legolas nodded, "Then I will do my best to explain."

Alexandra looked tiredly at Arandur who returned the expression. She rested her head on his arm. Both sighed deeply.

This might take a while…

~X~

"So if what you say is true, this gateway, so to speak, is real…and your party is searching for it?"

"I am afraid so."

For the first time, Legolas turned towards the rest of his companions and made eye contact with the bored elleth. He spoke so softly that only the ears of the first born (as Thalion had put it one time…) could hear.

"Alexandra…"

She looked up and shyly stepped forward.

The elf softly put a hand on her shoulder, "I would like to introduce you to Miss Alexandra Fanell."

Alexandra bowed respectfully, "It is an honor to meet you, your Highness."

The blonde man kept a curious eye on her. He outstretched his hand and took hers. He then raised it to his lips, whiskers tickling the top of her hand. She bit her lip, trying her best not to let a laugh escape.

Wow…she could be immature sometimes…Its okay, no one had to know.

The King replied smoothly, "The pleasure is mine. I am Eomer, ruler of Rohan."

She glanced nervously at the blonde elf that stood next to her, intently staring at something to the right. It was then that the lady stepped forward and grabbed Alexandra's hand and covered it with her's.

"I am Eowyn, the sister of Eomer."

Alexandra smiled, it was nice to see another woman again. The King spoke up, "If I may ask, why is this charming young girl traveling with you on a journey such as this? It must be tiring, not to mention dangerous.."

Suddenly, Legolas's gaze returned to the bearded King.

"Miss Fanell is no ordinary girl, My Lord," he glanced down at her, "-and she has become quite accustomed to traveling."

He quirked an eyebrow in response, "Who is she then, if not an ordinary girl?"

"Miss Fanell is none other, than the daughter of the fabled Nostalion and Lothiriel the Giving."

The Lord and Lady stared on in bewilderment. Legolas nodded at the now slightly uncomfortable elleth. She reached up and tucked away a few curls, exposing a distinct elven ear.

"She was once just as you are, human for a time... But, fate had a different plan. Now she is here with us, searching for the Door in Arda and coincidently…her missing parents."

Its safe to say that Lady Eowyn and King Eomer needed some time to take it all in…

~X~

After some tedious, but much needed Q&A time, the party had been shown to their rooms. Legolas joined the King in a private meeting, disusing the safest travel routes, according to Arandur that is… but you never know what to believe out of that ellon's mouth…

About an hour or two passed before Alexandra ventured out of her room. She wandered aimlessly about the Golden Hall, admiring the various tapestries. Eventually, she found herself at the stables, loving on all of the large Rohirric horses. She had changed out of her green and brown travel attire, and was now sporting dark brown leggings and a long, flowing white tunic, adorned with a brown leather vest. She chose it for comfort.

She inhaled, loving the smell of the horses and freshly cut hay. Down the aisle she heard a horse whinny. Alexandra strode down the row and found the source of the sound.

"Why, hello Arod!"

She scratched his white face and gave him a kiss.

"You're such a good horse.."

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

"You miss your master don't you? I can see it in your eyes."

The big white horse just nickered. Alexandra assumed it was a horsy response for "yes".

"I feel ya'. I wish I was invited to important meetings with the King. I mean, this is twice now…and we're supposed to be a team, right?"

Arod let out a deep sigh. She reached up and played with the horse's long forelock, weaving its threads. She giggled as she finished braiding the chunk of hair and tied it with a piece of twine.

"Arod, you look so cute!" she squealed.

As she began to make her way down the rest of his mane, a voice broke the silence.

"I do not think your prince would appreciate finding his horse's mane in girlish braids."

She whipped around, attempting to hide her work from the black haired elf standing behind her. He simply raised his eyebrows.

She was caught.

Alexandra looked at him desperately, "Don't tell on me.. Please?" The corner of his mouth perked up mockingly, "Why should I not?"

"He needs to lighten up a bit anyways! Naranmil, you're no fun.."

The ellon leaned back against the stall door, "Be at ease, I never said I was going to tell…at least not for a price that is…" She sighed, "What do you want? Let me rephrase that, what could you possibly want? Because we all know that I do not have any kind of money or valuables."

"Oh, you have plenty that is valuable."

She answered with a hint of exasperation, "What do you want."

"I want a kiss."

Arod snorted in the background while Alexandra just stood there, dumbfounded. Unmoving and slightly blushing out of embarrassment. Just staring at the raven haired elf standing in front of her, who was gazing at her with mischievous, yet all-too-serious eyes.

Aren't elves supposed to be really flighty about these things? What's his deal?

Alexandra opened her mouth to speak, but was beat to the punch. The dark eyed elf chuckled, "-and you claim that I am not fun."

He looked on in amusement and waved, "Your expression was payment enough."

With that, he turned his back and began to walk away.

"Have a nice day, Miss Fanell."

The elleth felt a nudge and looked at Arod. She blew a stray curl out of her face, "Did I seriously just get Punk'd by an elf?"

She shook her head and continued braiding.

~X~

"Orc parties have been spotted roaming on the edge of the mark for the past few weeks, each week they move in closer. Our riders have been doing their best to patrol the borders, but our numbers still ail from the war. The strange part is, the orcs have not attacked any villages. They are just there.. Perhaps they have caught wind of your expedition?"

Legolas sat there, staring at the cracks in the wooden table they were sitting at, deep in thought. Finally he answered, "Perhaps… Our group was attacked once when we first found Alexandra in the caves… we have also narrowly evaded numerous of their parties," Legolas met the King's eyes quickly, "Though do not tell her… we do not wish to frighten her more than she probably is… they attempted to take her with them that night, but failed."

Eomer looked at the elf curiously, "Why would they want to abduct her? What purpose would that serve?"

The blonde elf kept his focus on the table, "I do not know…"

Finally he looked up, "Have you heard the name Morohtar before?"

The King shook his head, "Nay, tis not familiar... May I ask why?"

Legolas further studied the grain of the wood, "When the seal on Miss Fanell's memory and elvish characteristics was broken, she saw many things… heard many things… One of the last things she heard was a women threatening someone or something named Morohtar."

The King rubbed his chin, "I will do my best to gain information.."

Legolas put his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands, "If we could learn more about this Morohtar character, it would be a great lead…"

"What would you have me do my friend?"

Legolas sat there and thought for a moment before glancing at the King, "Share any information on orc activity, safest routes… possible leads… right now it is like finding a needle in a haystack… The Door could be anywhere and the enemy could be anyone…"

The elf sighed, "In reality, this mission is quite high risk… we have no way of telling what we are up against…"

The King gruffly put a hand on the anxious elf's shoulder, "Stay here for a time, let my men ride out and track the orc's movements, we may not be able to help much with gaining intelligence, but we can at least provide shelter and safe passage. Where is it that you head next?"

Legolas looked at Eomer with gratitude in his eyes, "Thank you, and we will head North, where hopefully we can gather more information…"

Silence crept over the two as the conversation came to an end. The new king of Rohan stood and roughly patted the blonde elf on the back, "Come, let us forget this troubling news for the night. I will have my page show you to your room where you can receive some much needed rest!"

~X~

The next day passed quickly, mainly because Alexandra spent most of it sleeping off the large meal the King and Lady had prepared for their group. After some sparring with Arandur and a quick Sindarin lesson with Thalion, Alexandra set out to find Legolas.

Hall - negative.

Stables - negative.

Room - negative.

Kitchen - negative.

Balcony - negative.

By now, the elleth was becoming slightly frustrated with the elf's disappearing act. After all, she was a little worried about him…he didn't seem like himself at dinner. Maybe the guy needed to have a vent session? Leo and her had monthly vent sessions, they'd talk about life...people…their parents.. She knew how nice it was to have someone to talk too.

Eventually, she found herself roaming about the quant city of Edoras. The sun was just about to set, and the clear sky was a mixture of oranges and pinks. Alexandra looked around, fathers and husbands were coming home from the fields and their shops, being greeted by their wives with open arms. The children were all walking home, tired from a long day of chores and playing.

Alexandra could hear a father stoking the fire in one of the homes next to her, talking to his wife about their crop. She sighed, thinking about how simple and content the city was…it was certainly refreshing.

She walked on, exploring different sections of the city until she ran into a strikingly peculiar sight on the eastern bank of the hill. Large, grass-covered mounds dotted the land, giving it the appearance of rolling green waves. Of course, curiosity got the best of her and she ventured down the hill and towards what she assumed was graves.

Alexandra weaved through the spider web-like paths and admired the large mounds. Though, she stopped in mid-stride as a voice as gentle and clear as a summer breeze broke the silence. Even her elvish hearing was slightly strained in order to pick up the soothing sound.

Noro go hul, bado go Eru.. Quel esta astalder..

Alexandra picked up her light purple dress (provided by Lady Eowyn) and made her way over to the origin of the sound as silently as possible. She peaked around the corner and found what she had been looking for.

The silver haired ellon sat, kneeling in front a mound that was easily more significant than the rest. It was covered it what appeared to be remnants of white flowers, but many were wilted and dried.

Maybe I should go…

Alexandra turned to leave.

"Do not go."

She rested her foot back on the ground and turned to face him, "I don't want to disturb you, really it's okay.. I'll go."

…

"No, do not mind me… I was just visiting an old friend."

…

"He was the late king of this land, Lord Eomer's uncle, Theoden. He led his people to victory and gave his life selflessly, fighting bravely in the War of the Ring… Even when all hope had been lost and the end was immanent, he fought."

Alexandra slowly walked over and couldn't help but frown, she had never heard him like this before…

…

"I want to say a prayer."

His blue eyes met her green and blue curiously, "…you do not know him?"

She looked away and studied the mound, "…but his was your friend, and I want to wish him well."

The next thing she did not expect… a beautiful, warm smile spread across the elf's face. "It will be in Sindarin, repeat after me." She nodded and did something she didn't expect herself to do. Alexandra reached over and grabbed the elf prince's hand, he jumped at her touch and met her eyes. He gave her a hesitant, but sincere smile and tightened his grip. He bowed his head, Alexandra did the same.

"Na Elbereth veria la.."

She repeated, "Na Elbereth veria la.."

"na elenath din sila…"

…"na elenath din sila.."

"erin rad o chuil lin."

…"erin rad o chuil lin."

Legolas looked and Alexandra and then the mound. He reached into the pocket of his casual light blue tunic and pulled out a handful of white flowers. The ellon handed her a few and then tossed some on the grave. The golden haired girl did the same.

They stayed like that, until they had no more flowers to throw and the sun had taken its last breath before giving way to the peaceful, Rohirric night.

…

"I Melain berio le…"

Noro go hul, bado go Eru.. Quel esta astalder.. - Run with the wind, be with God. Rest well valiant one..

Na Elbereth… - May Elbereth protect you, may her stars shine down on the path of your life

I Melain berio le - May the Valar keep you

Metoochocolate - Oh Arandur… what will we do with him ;)

PatonxJulia - Arandur loves you back! Haha, and the Sev/Lil pairing is growing on me too! I felt so guilty about hating Snape when I found out how much he must have been suffering… Blahhhh! I'm gonna make myself cry again!

Gwilwilltih - I would greatly appreciate it if you could tell me how you feel about each chapter! If there's anything I need to improve, tweek… yada yada. Thank you so much for the reviews, keep them coming please! :D

Hopefeather - No worries! Better late than never! Thank you so much for your review! I just ecstatic knowing there are readers who are on the edge of their seat trying to figure out what's going to happen next! Please keep the reviews coming, let me know what you think!

Aliben - Aww I'm glad you liked that married bit! Kids say the darndest things.. Haha. That's awesome that you show! I show the same but I can't say I have ever trained with the polo team before! Lol. I'm hoping to make my university's equestrian team when I graduate high school next year!

Dreaming Fantasy Dreams - Glad you liked it! I bawled my eyes out during the movie! Of course my friend made fun of me but hey. Whatever. I have to agree, it was incredible! A great way to end the series :'D

FireWingedWolf - Its incredible to hear that I get that kind of response of out my readers! I love when an author can make me laugh out loud, or cry, or blush… and knowing that I can make people do that is just… *insert corniness* magical. You know? Thank you so much for your amazing review, its words like those that keep me inspired! Thank you thank you thank you! Please keep reviewing, let me know what you think!

RANDOM QUOTE THAT MAKES ME SMILE!

I dream of a better tomorrow… where chickens can cross the road and not have their motives questioned.