Disclaimer: I own nothing that is in anyway recognisable.

A/N: I have been stuck on this chapter since I last uploaded, so forgive me if it sucks, I really needed a filler chapter. There will be one more chapter after this before The Wedding.

Chapter 37

Boromir POV

I sat beside Eómer and Faramir during the feast, off to Aragorn's right. Luckily the Elves were sat to Ariana's left and her people directly in front of her. I studied them intently as they ate, the High priests sat closer to us than the others, but I still didn't trust them. Eówyn shifted beside my brother and I saw her gaze was focused up on Ariana and Aragorn, he was bent over to speaking to her with a soft look on his face and she was smiling. Eówyn's head moved slightly as she changed her gaze and I found two of the priests looking over at her with less than kind looks on their faces.

I was about to say something when a ball of snow fell from the sky and landed on top of one of them. They immediately turned to find the culprit, but couldn't seem to be able to pin point the original source. I looked back up at Ariana and Aragorn and she was smiling mischievously, clearly knowing who had thrown it. She caught my eye and shook her head slightly, I assumed that meant that I would find out later who had dared to throw it. I turned back around as I felt Faramir shift beside me, "I really want to know why they would treat someone the way they did Ariana and she can still treat them with all the kindness that she does." He said softly and we nodded, "I do not understand it either brother, but I feel that there is a reason for it. Much like how you never bothered to show any of your talents to father, despite having them." I told him and he nodded.

"I suppose so. How do you think their going to fair when the rest of the fellowship and the other special guests arrive?" Faramir asked and I shrugged. "Legolas told me earlier that all three of the Elven rulers are going to be here. Thranduil and the Lady Galadriel are said to have a rather large grudge with them." Eómer said casually from beside me and Eówyn looked over at him, "Well I just hope it doesn't ruin their wedding. I will personally gut anyone who tries to." She hissed out and we nodded believing that she would.

Ariana giggled at something that Arwen said to her and I looked up at her, smiling that she was finally feeling better than she had been before they had arrived. I continued to study the new guests for the rest of the feast, I knew that the guards that were escorting them back to their rooms were trust worthy and hand picked by Eómer and I. I moved over to Ariana and Aragorn when Eómer rose to leave, "I wish a good night to the pair of you and hope that we see you well upon the morrow." Eomer said and Ariana smiled. "A good night to the two of you as well." Aragorn said and we parted ways, watching from the shadows as they walked away from us towards their rooms. As I entered our room, Eómer turned to me and pushed me towards one of the armchairs.

"What is bothering you 'Mir? You seemed so distant at dinner." He asked, sitting on the arm of the chair he had intended for me to sit in. I paced in front of him and thought about my answer, "Something about Ariana's people doesn't sit right with me, even the high priests. I just feel like they are going to try to do something that will ruin everything for Ariana and Aragorn and I don't know what we can do to stop it." I ranted, gesturing widely. "Try something like what?" Eómer asked and I shrugged, "I don't know, but you know when you have that gut feeling about a battle or even just a routine patrol? I just feel like something is going to happen to one of them." I fretted and Eómer stood in front of me and wrapped his arms around me.

"I know what you mean 'Mir, but until they try something we can't punish them for it. " He reasoned with me and I nodded, "That doesn't mean I have to enjoy the feelings that they are stirring up." I murmured and Eómer rose up slightly and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. "And that is one of the many reasons that I love you. You show the world this image of a hard, seasoned warrior but you are so much more than that man." I smiled goofily down at him, I loved hearing him say that he loved me. "I love you too Eó, I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. How Aragorn found the strength to go on when Ariana was injured and then away from him for so long I shall never know."

I told him as I pulled his body flush against mine, dipping my head down to kiss him deeply. He groaned and pushed his fingers into my hair, clenching around the strands. I moaned and began to push him backwards towards our bed. I felt his legs hit the base and we toppled backwards, I grinned down at him as I broke the kiss. "Well looks like I'm in charge tonight." I told him winking down at him and he laughed before bucking up and unseating me. I looked up at him and he smirked, "It looks unlikely 'Mir." I shrugged and slid my hands under his shirt pulling it off of him and running my hands up and down his back. "Fine by me." I whispered and tugged his head back down to meet mine, all thoughts of the situation with our guest pushed to the back of my mind.

Gimli POV

My company and I paused as we stared up at the gates to the white city. "Never thought I would see anything Dwarfish made displayed so proudly by any man." Someone murmured from behind me, I turned around to face one of my cousins. "Enough. I don't want you to disrespect anyone within these walls, no matter if its an Elf. We owe Moria, our freedom and my life to the man and woman who invited us here. I will not hear a bad words spoken or you will face my axe." I snarled out at them, waiting until they all nodded and turned back around only to come face to face with someone's stomach.

"I see you tongue is still as sharp as ever my friend. I thank you for defending me to your people." I looked up at Legolas and shrugged, "The only one who gets to insult you is me, princess." I told him and he threw his head back laughing. "Wait until you see Boromir today before you announce that I am a princess." He said, conspiratorially and I frowned trying to work out his meaning. It became clear as we arrived on the terrace and Boromir came to greet us, limping slightly. "Gimli my friend, how are you?" He asked, grasping my arm and I smirked, "Better than you seem to be doing laddie." He growled and scowled over at Legolas, who was laughing.

"Shut up. We'll see who's laughing when Haldir gets here with your father." He snapped out and Legolas froze, which caused me to laugh. "What on earth is so funny out here?" I heard Ariana's voice say from behind Boromir and we all turned towards her. With her were two men that I didn't know. "I think they were having some fun at Boromir's expense Ari." The taller of the two said, chuckling slightly. "Sirian stop it. I can't remember the amount of times I've seen you limping in all the years that you two have been together." She chided him and we all laughed including his partner.

She turned to look at him, "Thian don't you start. Don't think I didn't notice that snowball last night." She said and I looked confused as Boromir and Legolas laughed, "That was you? A very good shot my friend." Boromir commended and I shook my head, "What's all this nonsense about a snow ball?" I asked and Ariana shook her head as they walked closer. "Well the high priests looked like they were going to say something nasty about Ari, so I may or may not have dropped a pile of snow onto their heads." Thian said shrugging. I laughed and moved forward to greet Ariana.

"It's good to see you again Lass." I said as she bent down to hug me. "And you my friend. Aragorn and I would like to extend our thanks to your craftsmen who built our new city gates, they are much appreciated." She bowed to my company and I watched as they bowed back. "No thanks are necessary my lady. We were glad to help." One of the party said and I smiled, glad that they could at least be polite when in public. "Still we thank you for your contribution to our rebuilding of this city. I know that relations have not been the best between our two peoples. Aragorn and I would like to change that."

I smiled up at her, she was fitting in to her role so well already. Ariana turned to move back into the citadel, "If you would follow me, my lord I can show you towards the chambers we have prepared for you and your party." I nodded and we followed her inside. "Ariana you don't need to do this." Boromir chided her and she turned to look at him. "I know that I don't have to do this. I want to do this though, I would rather meet the people we are going to be building relations with than spending any amount of time with my own people." She snapped out and I frowned.

"Forgive me my lady, but are they that bad?" One of my company asked and the two new men turned around. "Wait until this evening then you will find out. I can't wait for the Elvish party to get here, that's going to be a fireworks display and a half." The taller of the two said and Ariana groaned, "I just hope they don't start a fight." I nodded, hoping for her sake they didn't. I had a feeling the dining hall would not be able to stand it if they did.

Elrond POV

I smiled at the excited murmuring's that were coming from the four ponies towards the back of our company. "It seems the hobbits are excited." Thranduil murmured and I nodded, looking back over my shoulder at the four smallest of our company. "They have every right to be. They are going to see two of the people who fought the hardest to ensure they survived, Ariana especially." Gandalf snapped out at him and Thranduil turned to him to say something when I was caught in a vision. "Enough Thranduil! Ariana and Aragorn are going to need all the support they can get. I have seen that the warlocks are going to try something to sabotage this wedding. Ariana is nothing like the rest of her people, in fact you knew her father Fionntán." I told him and he turned to look at the approaching city.

I held my breath as he thought about that, "In that case I think I can tolerate her, her people are a different matter altogether." He said and I released the breath nodding. "I am not asking you to like her people, I am just asking that you respect her." I turned to look at Galadriel as I said this she looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I sighed and shook my head turning back to face the road. Weddings always had so much drama attached to them. I smiled at the proudly displayed Dwarfish gates and watched Thranduil from the corner of my eye. "Valar damned eyesore." He muttered and I heard Haldir chuckle from his post behind Galadriel and Celebron.

As we rode up to the terrace Merry and Pippin darted around us on their ponies and rode up excitedly to stop before the tree. They jumped down off their ponies and ran towards Ariana and Aragorn, I watched Gandalf take a breath to yell at them, but they stopped before they reached them and bowed. Ariana and Aragorn smiled and bowed back, before crouching down to hug them both. "It is good to see you my young friends. How was your journey?" Aragorn asked and Pippin smirked, "Better Gandalf was a little less boring this time around." Ariana laughed and I saw Thranduil pause and take her in.

He dismounted and walked straight over to her and she froze, turning to look at him. He stopped in front of her and gripped her chin, turning her head to either side. "I didn't remember you when Elrond mentioned your name. You look so much like your father did when I knew him. I was saddened to hear of his death." Thranduil said and she nodded her head, smiling softly. "You are the first person to say that to me in a long time. Many only mention him in the context of his madness." She spat the last word out and I moved over to Aragorn.

"It is good to see you in such good health my son. How has everything been here since we left?" I asked him and he frowned slightly. "The new council is working infinitely better than the old advisors and the changes we have made have started to boost the cities moral I believe, but the women who were helping Ariana plan the wedding have been terrible, especially to her." He paused to watch her talking to the Hobbits and Gandalf. She turned to him and smiled before going back to the conversation. "She still faces everything with a smile. Her people send her letters with cutting words in them and she still greets them with a smile and respect. I do not know how she does it."

I nodded and watched as Aragorn moved over to the Lady Galadriel. "My lady I thank you for all the help that you granted us on our quest to destroy the one ring." He said bowing deeply and she smiled faintly nodding her head, "You are most welcome -" He held a hand up, "I was not finished my lady. I hold only the utmost respect for you and your people, but if you dare to disrespect the woman who holds my heart again, that respect may lessen." He told her staring into her eyes. I watched from the corner of my eye as Ariana walked over to him. "Mo rí, this is not the time to rehash things that have happened. I am aware that the Lady Galadriel holds me in low regard. It is not something foreign to me and it is not something that bothers me."

I shook my head and walked over, ready to interfere if needed, but Lord Celebron got there first. "Lady Ariana I would like to issue an apology on behalf of my wife. My granddaughter informed me of what was said and it grieves me that you were treated badly within my realm by my own wife. It will never happen again." He looked at Galadriel at the point and she nodded. "I apologize for any harm that I caused you with my comments, please understand that I believed you to be the same as the rest of your people. I see now that you are not." Ariana nodded and smiled, "I am aware that many of you hold no love for my people, but I am not one of them. Believe me, they went to great lengths to ensure that." She said and looked up at Aragorn as he placed his arm around her shoulders. I frowned and saw Thranduil copy the action.

"If you will follow us we will show you to your chambers. I know that it is not protocol, but you are family to members of the Fellowship and are valued friends to Ariana and I." Aragorn stated and led us through the corridors to what I remembered being the dignitaries chambers that were very close to the royal apartments. Boromir and another man stepped out of one room and bowed to us as. "Welcome to the Citadel. I believe that Prince Legolas and Lady Arwen are waiting for you with my sister and your friends." The unknown man said to Ariana and she nodded. "Thank you Eómer, I'll go and find them." Ariana said, pressing a kiss to Aragorn's jaw, and bowing to us before moving down the corridor.

Aragorn's frame was tense as she walked away from him. "She'll be fine my King, I doubt anyone will target her after her show of power the other day." Boromir said and Aragorn nodded, "I am just worried as we now have so many more people in the citadel that would harm her. I know she will be safe with the others, but I will still worry until she is back in my sight." He said frowning and Pippin approached him. "Is she ok?" He asked and Boromir chuckled. "She is now, but the women who have been helping her plan the wedding have not been overly kind to her. Along with the arrival of the Warlocks in the city, Aragorn is a little on edge." I looked around at the others that had arrived with me, hopefully we would all be enough to stop anything bad from happening to Ariana and Aragorn's wedding.