Thranduil had wanted to come along but he had a whole kingdom to attend to with no one else to trust so he did all that he could, he had the servants prepare food and water for Susan and Legolas while sending for their horses. He scribbled a letter of condolence to Queen Arwen and told Legolas to give it to the elf if the worst came to worst. In half an hour, everything was ready and Susan had said a quick goodbye to Luthien and the village children who were coming to adore her. They climbed on their horses swiftly, with goodbyes and wishes yelling behind them, they galloped out of the forest.
Susan followed closely behind the prince the whole time, trying not to get lost in the Mirkwood Forest where every part was unfamiliar and completely alien to her. They did not stop to rest for a single moment and they only slowed down when the horses began panting and were reluctant to go on. The girl patted Deronda which appreciated the affection. It neighed happily when it was offered water, obviously, it had not a clue that things were getting solemn and serious for none of the riders bothered to talk at all. They both understood how troubled the situation was, Aragorn was their friend and held a particular dear place in Legolas' heart. However, he knew one way or another that despite the King's gift of having a long life, he was bound to die sooner or later as all mortals do. It was difficult for him as an elf and he had no idea how Arwen must feel, being the closest to him.
They picked up their speed once the horses had recovered their strength and breath and headed for the capital of Gondor at full speed. Unlike their previous journey, they had no time to waste and so when night fell, they were forced to distinguish their way through the complete darkness with the prince's sharp eyesight. The plains were quiet and the wind made squealing noises as they swift past, creating a most eerie atmosphere, sending shivers down Susan's spine.
When morning came, Susan was so tired that she dozed off a couple of times on her horse even though it was running fast, but she managed not to fall for Deronda simply followed the elf's horse, needing no direction at all. Finally, when the sun began creeping down to the west, the beautiful white marbled city of Minas Tirith was in sight. The horses seemed to know they had arrived their destination and sprinted towards it quicker than they had ever been in the whole journey.
Legolas yelled out the password for the gate before they were even ten meters close and it opened efficiently enough for them to keep on going without halting. They caused quite a nuisance when they entered the market place but they simply shouted out apologies and carried on rapidly. The gate guard recognized them from afar and had the gate opened for them. Their horses were taken care of as soon as they leapt off and ran towards Aragorn's chamber.
"Knock, knock" Susan rapped at the door gently.
Footsteps could be heard and the door creaked silently and Elwing was to be seen. She gave out a surprised gasp and the girl hugged her dear friend to comfort her. The half-elf slumped onto her comparatively smaller frame, causing her legs to limp and nearly falling over if Legolas had not held her on time.
"Thank you," she whispered as she patted the princess' back to soothe her. She knew just how terrible and miserable it was to have someone so dear to be dragged away, for she had a similar experience not too long ago. From the gap of the door, she could see that Aragorn had aged abruptly for he now had a head full of grayish white hair. His face had wrinkled up, leaving not even a sign of the energy and youth he had once held onto. By his bedside was his wife who was holding his hands and raising them to her face. She kissed it over and over again affectionately. She murmured something as she did. Although the Gentle Queen heard not a thing, she knew by the dim eyes of Arwen that she was hoping to take his place and die for him instead. Nimoloth was also sitting nearby, losing all the cheerfulness and magnitude in her. She clutched onto a handkerchief, dabbing it round the rim of her eyes as tears ran down her cheeks. Susan could spot a soothing arm round her shoulders and assumed that it belonged to Meron.
When she had finally recollected herself, the elder twin stood up straight and wiped away her tears. She took a deep breath and hurried in, whispering some words into her sister's ears and pulling her out. They came back out and asked Susan for a favor, "Could you help us get ready?" The raven-haired beauty nodded, gave them a faint smile of encouragement and followed them to their rooms.
The weddings were held in the king's chamber. Everything was simple. The brides had on simple dresses that were of different colors. They had a small twig of rose that belonged to the garden in their hands. There were only dear friends present: Gimli, Sam, Legolas and Susan. Eldarion helped host most of the cremony, considering their fathers' condition. The two maidens were probably the most beautiful brides in the world, one was strong and took up the responsibility to hold up the family while the other, spotting a hint of a smile and comfort in Aragorn's eyes, became the most bright and delighted women who lit up the whole room and shed it of its gloominess.
Shakily, the king sat up with the help of Legolas, who steadied him with his strong arms. The patient managed to to give his friend a nod of thanks who returned it with a smile.
"Ellie and Nimmy," he said slowly, almost in a muttering tone, "I'm glad you have found yourselves good husbands who will be sure to look after you. I happily announce you two couples, men and wives."
The grooms gave their brides, who had tears gathered on the edge of their eyes, threatening to flow down, a peck on the lips. They smiled, which was not at all forceful, but a mix of sweetness and melancholy. They and all the other guests faced the king who looked at everyone. For a minute, his piercing eyes returned but it faded and with one last breath he got, he said, "Just know that I'll always love every single one of you."
He scanned through the room once more and as his eyes rested on Arwen's, he gave her a second's worth of a longing gaze and his body sank. He had left them.
Hope I did not disappoint you with this update! A lot of your reviews have mentioned about not wanting Aragorn to die but I'm sorry that I had to make this difficult decision. Anyways, do review if you have anything to tell me about! I'll try my best to update as frequently as possible!
Reply to the Cretin: Thanks for the review! I'm really grateful of your compliments and encouragement, they keep me motivated! About my views on Sumarai and Knights, I honestly had no idea that they had such similarities for I've only seen them in different occasions and never has it occurred to me that they might have something in common LOL Now that you mention it, I think you're quite right, it's definitely unusual for the same type of warriors in the same period with the similar weapons and armors to exist. I would have to say that its incredible that something like this should happen, it would come off as eerie but definitely worth investigating! Maybe that's the work of God? :) Good Luck!