"I spent much time in the Halls of Mandos," Milandy explained once the party in what had turned out to be Galadriel's home began to quieten down, leaving them alone together in the gardens once more. "I would watch as the spirits of men passed arrived, awaited their fate and then passed through the doors to meet it..." Legolas looked to her, an eyebrow raised curiously. "The doors were... I am sure there is a better word for it, maybe a name, but I do not know it. When your time was done in the halls, you were summoned to pass through them."
"And what was on the other side?" He asked.
Milandy shook her head. "For the others? I don't know. No one quite does. But I waited longer than the rest, and I saw many we knew." She smiled gently at this, although her eyes were sad. "Aragorn spent some time there. He told me about his children, about the things I had missed – but when Arwen arrived in the halls it was so quick, and she passed through the doors with Aragorn within moments... but they seemed happy. Eomer spent time there, too. Longer than Aragorn, perhaps two years, three?"
"Was he well?"
"He was in great spirits," she laughed. "He spoke endlessly of Elfwine. He thought the world of him." Milandy paused. "Is it true that they still sing songs of me in Rohan? Or was Eomer just teasing?"
Legolas smiled, having been unable to break his gaze from her since laying his eyes upon her, almost as though he was afraid she would disappear otherwise. "Yes, it's true. There are even children bearing your name, now."
Milandy frowned, shifting on the seat. "Well, that seems a bit much. I rode a horse for a little while, I didn't exactly kill the Witch King."
"There are plenty of young maidens named Eowyn as well, you need not worry," Legolas laughed. "How did you come to the Undying Lands?"
"Not long ago, just after Aragorn passed through with Arwen, I was finally called to the doors – but I was told I would not go where other men travelled to. Nienna heard us long ago, apparently. Well, all the Valar had, but Nienna's empathy... when Galadriel asked what reward you wanted for helping destroy the Ring, you asked for me, didn't you?" Milandy gave a tiny smirk, and while Legolas knew perfectly well that she knew the answer to this, he decided to humour her.
"I asked that there be a way for us, yes," he replied. "Although, I had thought perhaps they would offer me a mortal life as they had Arwen."
She gently and dismissively slapped his arm, rolling her eyes and eliciting a laugh from him. "I wouldn't have allowed it. They knew that," she sighed. "Nienna held sympathy for us. Well, she said pity, but I don't very much like that word." Legolas couldn't help but shake his head at this. Of course Milandy would find something to pick at, even when speaking the Valar. "But for Nienna to provide, I had to be lost of tragedy."
"So that is why you died so suddenly?" He asked.
Nodding, Milandy continued. "Nienna had Mandos place doom on me. If the fever hadn't taken me, something else would have, should it have been an attack or an accident or even childbirth. The fever was the most merciful."
"So when the time came for me to set sail," Legolas began, taking this all in, "they allowed you to pass into the Lands of the Undying."
"Yes." Milandy gave a nod, reaching out and taking his hand between hers. "You must understand, though, and Nienna did ask that I make this clear: This is a gift for you. It is a blessing for you, for your own deeds and-"
She was cut off by his lips against hers, Legolas pulling her towards him and doing as he'd longed to since he had first seen her in the clearing. She had waited decades for this, but Legolas? He had thought it was something he would never experience again. "It does not matter to me," he spoke once they parted, his brow pressed against hers. "You are here. I am whole."
"We are whole," she corrected.
"When will we be married?" He asked. Milandy smiled, looking into his eyes.
"I have not yet thought to ask. I'd imagined that you would need at least a few days..."
"A few days?" He pulled away, smirking. "Let's get married this second. Right now. I'll fetch Galadriel and-"
She put her fingers to his lips, shaking her head. "I am not getting married without a wedding dress, Legolas. You'll at least allow me that."
"Fine," he laughed, warming at the thought of that. "But only because I want everyone to know I'm marrying the most beautiful woman in all of Arda."
"Legolas, you're going to make me ill!"
She surely could have vomited from her nerves.
Two weeks she had waited for this. She had planned and prepared thoroughly for this moment with the help of Erunanethiel. And yet, as she gazed into the looking glass and saw her own reflection, it all felt... wrong.
The circlet that sat atop her head? Far too valuable for the likes of her. The way her now impossibly long hair was braided, with glimmering beads of glass woven in sparingly? Too grand for a thief. And the dress? Oh, the dress, in the finest shades of whites and creams with lilac trim so pale that in the right light, it looked as white as the rest of the fabric – and Milandy struggled to justify that such a dress had been made just for her.
"You may not be an elf," Erunanethiel began, her soft speech never ceasing to make everything she said sound like a poem to Milandy, "but you suit the beauty of our songs, especially today." As she adjusted the circlet, she caught Milandy's expression, and her own quickly matched that of her soon to be daughter-in-law. "You are troubled?"
"No..." Milandy began with the intent to dismiss, but quickly shook her head. Honesty. That was what she sought now right? "Well, yes. But, it's... isn't this all a bit much?" She asked, wincing as she spoke.
"What could you possibly mean?" She asked. "It is your wedding day."
"It is all just so..." Milandy paused, choosing her words carefully. "It is all so fine."
At this, Erunanethiel gave a laugh, brushing a stray few strands of Milandy's hair from her face. "You may have forgotten over time, sweet child, and we may not be in those lands, but you are still marrying a Prince." She paused. "A Prince who wants nothing but the finest for you."
"I... it's just..." giving a sigh, she watched as Erunanethiel sat across from her, hands folded in her lap, eyes attentive. She was there to listen. "I don't know if I deserve all of this."
"Because of your previous misdeeds?" Erunanethiel watched as Milandy gave a nod, a smile appearing on her face once more, gentle and soft. "It is all forgiven, sweet child. The Valar have forgiven you, Legolas has forgiven you. It is time you did the same."
With a sigh, Milandy nodded. "I know. It is hard, however..."
"You died," Erunanethiel began, taking her hand with hers and looking her in the eye, "and when you joined us in these lands, you were given second breath and second life. They are new and they are free from mistakes you made all that time ago." She gave a gentle squeeze of her hand and Milandy gave a small sigh, one of relief, although she felt content as well.
"I suppose it was many years ago now," Milandy admitted.
Erunanethiel smiled and stood from her seat. "And there are a great many to come."
Legolas had seen many Elven weddings in his time. Countless. They were quite the affair, a sea of whites and pale colours, flowers and song, food and wine. When it came to his own, it seemed very little would be different. Spare one thing.
The Elven brides, although different, had similarities to them after enough weddings. Their youth, their blushing cheeks, a grace that seemed unique to the occasion. They'd seemingly float towards their groom, eyes glancing to those who had joined them, almost as though they weren't meant to look, before their eyes would meet with their groom, and the ceremony would begin. Every breath a song, every syllable a poem, every movement a flourish. Elven brides were a special sight indeed, almost comparable to creamy, golden willow trees.
But Legolas would not have any of that. He would not wed the same kind of dark haired, velvet skinned, graceful, blushing maiden as he once thought he might. No. The woman he set his eyes on was none of those things. Milandy may have not been graceful in her movement, but she made up for that in charisma and a sense of humour that could rival Gimli's at times. She was not blushing and humble, but steadfast, her gaze locked to his as though he were the only one there. She may not have been the dark haired, milky-skinned maiden he'd once pictured, no. She was better than that. She was marked with stories, her skin a map of a rich life full of trials and lessons, strength and hope. She was not the colour of winter nights, but she was Autumn, all of rust and crispness and that final warmth that warded off the cold that he loved – the same shades as the leaves that had covered the ground when he'd seen her for the first time, her bow taut and her eyes steadied on an elk.
And most of all, she was his, and he was hers.
I'm so sorry for my absence, guys! I've been incredibly busy with work. You know how it goes.
This will be the second last chapter of this story. I wanted to thank you all so much for sticking it out with me. Every single follow and review has genuinely made this one of the best experiences I think I've had as a writer. It's been so great knowing you're enjoying something I've written down and I'm so pleased we found each other. I cannot possibly thank you enough for all your support. Writing this was often, at times, a distraction for me during a really rough period that included redundancy, losing my apartment and illness. I struggle a lot with anxiety and depression, and writing this was a great method of distraction, which is a very useful coping mechanism for me, so I'm glad that something positive for others has come out of that.
I've recently started my Eomer centered story, which is called Scholarly Pursuits. I haven't written very much yet, but I do have the second chapter drafted and will be dedicating my time to it once this story is complete. I'd love it if you'd join me there, because I've gotten to know quite a few of you and really appreciate your feedback, as funny as that is!
Once again, thank you, thank you, thank you.
