AN: Here would be yet another chapter (i am good this week - side effects of not being allowed to do anything due to tendonitis is suppose) in celebration at having actually properly finished all the chapters now. This is officially 40 chapters long (plus epilogue). Most likely there shall be a sequel - any suggestions anyone (all three maia will be in Valinor for it, though not Losmeril)?

Anyway, here is be.

Chapter 21

"But that's been a platonic relationship for the last several hundred years!" Thranduil said in shock at the high king's comment. "Granted she is the only elleth father seems close to but there is no sign that there will ever be anything more. They are friends!"

Gil-galad raised his eyebrows at the young prince. Admittedly he should probably stop thinking of Thranduil as young as the prince was by now near enough to 2000 years old and even elves considered that 'not young', not that the high king was any more than a few hundred years older than that.

"And how close was she to a suitable age to be courted when he asked about taking a wife? Roughly how old was she when he started making friends with her?" He asked gently. Thranduil looked troubled.

"When he asked me about it, it was just getting to the point where it would be passable that he should court her, though him being a widower would make it less so." Gil-galad snorted.

"Him being a widower would always make it less passable, the only other remarriage of any note in our kind's entire history is that of my great grandfather and frankly, his first wife was a little nuts." Thranduil burst out laughing and Galion hid a smile.

"Would your personal opinion on the subject be a little bit biased by the fact you are descended from his second wife by any chance?" The blond asked with a grin. The high king held up a hand flat and wiggled it a little with a smile.

"Would I ever be prejudiced about bits of my family? Considering that Feanor and his descendants were all a bit nuts and all the members of the family not descended from her were perfectly sane. I'd hardly call that prejudice really, just fact." Thranduil smiled at him. Despite both his bloodline and upbringing, he couldn't help liking Gil-galad just a bit.

"Oh, I ought to warn you, Ada mentioned that as soon as this new haven, Imladris did you call it, is up and appropriate for a royal visit that he would want to go visit. I think he may be planning to use the opportunity to show off his new wife or betrothed depending to the world at large." The elder elf snorted.

"That sounds about right. Shall we tell him that a large part of the population are going to be the refugees of Eregion?" Thranduil snorted.

"He won't care, there is no kinslayer there as there was in Eregion. It was Celebrimbor's presence that offended him. Also there is no Celeborn either, that is another elf that my father has no lost love for." Gil-galad raised an eyebrow at the prince.

"Aren't they kinsmen though?" He asked with a hint of confusion.

"Ada never forgave him for first marrying a Noldor who was deeply involved enough with the first kinslaying for the ban not to be lifted from her as was the case with the rest of her race, not to mention the way she conveniently forgot to mention that major event to Thingol, and then going to live in a realm with the last descendant of Feanor." There was silence for a little while as they contemplated the horrors of the end of the Years of the Trees and the feelings that have never been forgotten before Thranduil spoke again. "Ada has never forgotten about the killing of the Teleri in Valinor, I am too young of course but many Sindars strongly remember and the problem with either having been old enough to remember or our parents having been so is that it makes it so hard to forgive. The humans have so much shorter generations that they forget and forgive so much more quickly and it doesn't taint their species for so long." He sighed with Gil-galad.

"Though sometimes it descends to meaningless hate, they hate each other without knowing why, at least our kind remembers the reason for such bitterness." The high king commented softly. Galadhion raised his wine up and inserted to the conversation.

"You should hear my great aunt on the subject; generations old meaningless hatred is what got her brought to Arda. Without such hatred then well..." He trailed off. Both elves worked out the meaning behind the maia's comments. They all sighed together and took a deep swig of wine.

XXX

Daffyd seriously wanted to kill the powers that be. There was a small part of him that appreciated the absolute irony of Eönwë holding him back and Riona holding Tuima back from going and killing the valar.

As he tried to calm down enough for rational thought, he went back to wondering what the hell had possessed his daughter to get into a romantic relationship with, of all people, King Oropher of Greenwood the Great. He could only conclude that lack of proper parental guidance during childhood had made her loose her mind.

Eventually they were able to sit down and talk about it. Riona looked just a bit uncomfortable as she began to speak.

"I hate to be the voice of reason but..." Daffyd closed his eyes. When his aunt was the voice of reason then hell was about to freeze over. "He is actually sincere and frankly, he definitely seems to love her and there is no doubt he can care for her properly. As far as I can see , your main objection is that he is Oropher of the Greenwood."

"Exactly! He is the same bastard who sends children on dangerous journeys so he can try and train them as spies!" Tuima burst out. Riona tried not to roll her eyes and her jaw tightened.

"Have either of you noticed that since he started falling for your daughter that he has become a far better leader, king and person generally? He has softened into humanity, or whatever the elfin equivalent is. Has it occurred to that a) the marriage would be good for Arda generally and b) that she might be very happy married to him? It looks like the very happy bit is far more than a might. Would either of you deny your daughter happiness?"

Daffyd ground his teeth together. Riona was not saying what he wanted to hear. He wanted something to yell at. Why did she have to choose this subject to come out in a rash of reasonability for?

XXX

Fea sighed in joy as she sunk down into the bed having sorely missed to comfort of a proper bed. Now the buildings were up and at least the basics done to provide everyone with permanent shelter, they were putting in basic furniture. For some reason, they had decided to make her a proper bed as one of the earliest things. She had protested at the luxury of course, there being far more important things that the comfort of a real bed to do but the elves had insisted anyway and since they had she was going to enjoy it.

The moment she was asleep however, she wished she'd stayed awake since she sent straight into the most colourful family argument she had ever witnessed. Meriliel was sitting glaring at her parents who were both bursting off the ceiling. Next to her was Riona, obviously being the voice of reason. It was that that made her question her own eyes.

"Mama? What is going on?" She asked carefully. The silence dropped like a stone. Obviously not a good question to ask then. Eventually, Riona answered, Daffyd and Tuima too busy being angry to answer and Arallë to busy glaring at them because of their anger.

"Arallë has, for whatever reason, decided to agree to King Orophers request to be allowed to court her. My darling nephew and his wife are not happy with the idea." Fea snorted. Behind her there was a choking sound, which Fea quickly discerned to be two people choking as she noticed that Thranduil was there as well as Élanon. It was the prince who got a comment in first.

"He what? I knew he had some elleth in mind but I thought that relationship was platonic? My father wants to marry a girl his son helped bring up?" Thranduil seemed on the verge of having his own fit of shock and horror. "That is too wrong."

Fea raised an eyebrow at her mother, it seemed that they were the only two not hyperventilating at the idea. Riona shrugged at her.

"Damned if I know the problem, elves tell me often enough age is not an issue and aside from that I really cannot see the problem. It is obvious that Oropher really loves Arallë and will be a good husband to her. I think it is just the specific elf." Fea snorted.

"I think it is just protectiveness. None of them has worked out that Arallë is technically an adult perfectly able to choose her own husband. There is also the minor factor that..."

"That I am actually here? It is kind of nice to remember the person you are talking about is next to you." The maia in question snapped. Fea just regarded her cousin.

"Actually I was going to say there is nothing they can do to stop you. Your brother is the only one who is even physically in the same country of you and he can hardly do anything. Thranduil can complain a bit, your adopted parents a little less but seriously, if you and Oropher decide to marry there isn't much there to stop you." Fea said. A wicked grin twisted the younger maia's lips, forcefully reminding Fea that Riona was also a relative of Arallë's not just her own mother.

"You know, that hadn't occurred to me. There isn't much they can do, is there?" She looked over to the wall. "Do you think I should go and stop uncle Thranduil bashing his head against the wall? I mean, he's in dream state so it shouldn't be hurting him..." Arallë bit her lip as she watched the sole blond in the room whack his head against the stone with some force. Fea burst out laughing for some reason.

"I think, if your marrying his father that it might be more appropriate to call him son, cousin mine." The younger maia shuddered.

"Fea, you have a really evil mind you know that?"