Legolas reached the Great Gates of Minis Tirith within three days of leaving Loth Lorien. He had journeyed across the Pelennor fields, and felt the warmth of the Minis Tirith's nightly lights before he felt the warmth of the wooden doors beneath his hand.
The guards at the gate admitted him without questioning his business, knowing the sight of an elf, an likewise knowing an elf could only be in Minas Tirith to see the King and Queen.
Legolas passed in silence until he reached the final gate of the massive citadel, and caught his breath when he saw the man waiting beside the doors for him. " Aragorn?!" He cried, rushing forward to meet his friend.
The man stepped out into the brighter lights of the street, causing confusion to rain down on Legolas' face. " No, I am not Elessar, but I know you, Legolas of the Elf kingdom of Mirkwood. My father has spoken much of you." said the young man.
Legolas frowned at his mistake, on closer inspection he could see the differences between the young man before him, and Aragorn, it was not until he had offered a murmured apology that Legolas registered what the man had said. " You are the son of Aragorn?" He asked.
The man nodded slowly and opened the doors of the citadel, beckoning to Legolas to follow him along the clean, white stone paved streets of the ancient centre of Gondor.
Legolas stopped him after a lengthy silence. " You are Eldarion?" He asked in disbelief.
" I am Eldarion, son of Aragorn the second, the Elfstone." Eldarion said proudly, and for the first time Legolas was struck by the youthful appearance of the man. Eldarion turned again and continued through a sprawing courtyard lit by candles, into a massive stone home. He led Legolas along a winding passage, stopping before a set of massive wooden doors, the White Tree of Gondor burnt into the wood.
" You have come to see my father?" Eldarion asked slowly in a hushed voice. " Leave your horse here, it shall be tended to."
Legolas nodded mutely. Eldarion pressed open the doors, and followed Legolas quietly into the room, coming to stand by the corner of the great bed that dominated the room. Legolas stood by the edge of the bed and caught his breath silently at the sight of the man before him.
The old man had a short, crisp white beard and crinkled eyes that were only half open. He held in his great, dark hand a goblet rested firmly on his lap. His hair was shoulder-length and as white as his beard. Legolas looked into the sleeping face of the man, marvelling at the trasnformation.
Where Aragorn had once been the picture of stately pride, Legolas felt him demeaned now- for King Elessar, the Elfstone, was nothing more than the bent version of his former grandeure. He woke at the sound of footsteps and almost dropped his goblet.
Legolas came to sit on the edge of the bed, and having removed the goblet from Aragorn's coarse hands, he held one within his own two, slender, young hands. " My old friend." He said quietly.
Aragorn smiled and sighed heavily. " You have come atlast, for I have waited for you. But where is Gimli?" Aragorn said. His brow creased in a frown, and the already furrowed lines of his skin increased across his forehead.
" Gimli left my side two weeks past, returning to his own kingdom for a time. But he shall come if I send for him." Legolas hurried to say.
Aragorn waved the Elf's comment away with a chuckle. " I see no point. He would take many days to reach me, for I know I am not alone in having aged." Aragorn coughed and his breath rattled slightly. " How long has it been since I last saw the face of Legolas Greenleaf?"
Legolas smiled and patted his friend's hand. " Fifty years of men I have been away. And only now it seems to long."
" Fifty years of men. You have missed much, though no doubt you've lived much in your absense. I hear you kingdom of Ithilien is a sight, the glory of old, or so I am told."
Legolas shook his head slowly. " My people have long since left, few now remain in the elf homes of old. I have come from Lorien."
Aragorn cocked an ancient eyebrow. Legolas marvelled as the old man bloistered the pillows behin his back, dragging himself into a sitting position. " Fair Lorien. What can you tell me of the enchanted city of Caras Galadron?"
Legolas sighed sadly, shaking his head. " It is enchanted no more, old friend. It has been too many years, and none now live even in the realms of East Lorien. Celeborn and his folk have long departed the Grey Havens."
" Yes, I know. But you have remained, Legolas?"
" I have travelled far these long years, and I am beginning to feel the pull of the shore. I fear my time here is ending." Legolas conceided. It was the first time he had said the words aloud, and baulked at how they seemed to slip from his tongue so naturally.
Aragorn nodded and gave a crackling old laugh. " I fear much the same. Though I doubt a boat will save me from my plight!" He cried. He laughed again which bought an insatiable bout of coughing. He becokoned for Eldarion to come closer, the prince came to sit on the opposite side of the bed. " Legolas, you have seen Eldarion?"
" Yes, father. We met at the gates." Eldarion said in a worried tone. He tried to lay his hand against the brow of his father, but the old man slapped it away quickly. Eldarion was startled by the force behind his rebuke- he had not seen his father with this much energy for weeks, and knew it was the presence of Legolas that had to be thanked.
Legolas smiled at the interaction between father and son. " He is your image, Aragorn." Legolas said smoothly.
Aragorn laughed and patted the hands of Legolas and Eldarion with his own. " That is what I fear! Often I find myself praying he be more like his sisters and take after his mother. But no matter of that now, there shall be plenty of time for talking, I wish to sit!"
" Father, you are sitting." Eldarion said, worrying- not for the first time- about his father's mental clarity.
Aragorn shushed him loudly. " Sit in a seat, not a bed. I wish to sit before all my family, and my old friend-" He grasped Legolas' hand within his own and smiled fondly "- and eat!" He cried ceremoniously.
Legolas was ushered out of the room while Eldarion helped his father to prepare. Legolas wandered through the halls of the house and out into the courtyard.
He had been leaning against the stone bannister of a ivy-covered balcony for only minutes before he heard a familiar voice calling to him. " Legolas, welcome lost friend."
Legolas turned to see Arwen comig to stand behind him. They embraced warmly, and Arwen kissed his brow and whispered elvish words of welcome.
" It is good to see you are well." Legolas said finally.
Arwen nodded and pulled her shawl around her shoulders as a breeze stole through the courtyard. " How are you after so many years away from us?"
Legolas shrugged and turned to face Arwen after a minutes' silence. " I regret not having come sooner. There are no words for the hardship you are facing."
Arwen shrugged now with a bitter little smile. " It was forseen. But I have my daughters, and Eldarion. They share the burden of my pain." She sighed, and Legolas caught the glimmer of a tear in her eye.
Legolas laid his hand softly over Arwens and smiled warmly. " As do I." He said.
Behind them a maid cleared her throat and called to Arwen that Aragorn bid them return. Arwen turned back to Legolas after dismissing the maid. " It is good to see old friends. Go to Aragorn, I must summon my daughters." She kissed Legolas' brow again and walked quickly across the courtyard, vanishing into the night.
Legolas looked after Arwen for a few moments before finding his way through the elaborate system of corridors until he reached the throne room. When he finally reached the throne room Legolas discovered only one long table was set, at one end stood was a grand seat, carved from dark wood with the symbols of the house of Numenor. To each side of the seat were similar chairs of less granduer, and along each side of the table were two more chairs. Aragorn sat at the head of the table, leaning heavily upon his elbow which rested beside his plate. Arwen sat at his right, a picture of plactitude, and Eldarion sat to his left, the stoic symbol of Aragorn's youth. Beside Eldarion sat a young woman of thirty Legolas had never seen, but knew instantly to be one of daughters, both she and her sister who sat opposite looked almost exactly like Arwen. Each had long, flowing dark hair and porcelein skin, quiet lips and roaring eyes.
" Ah, Legolas you will finally see all my family!" Aragorn roared joyously. He beckoned for Legolas to come forward towards the opposite end of the table.
Aragorn stood slowly and gestured his hands towards Eldarion. " You have met Eldarion, My eldest and heir." Eldarion nodded and smiled quietly. Aragorn turned to the woman sitting beside Eldarion. " My eldest daughter, Ardael." Ardael nodded in recognition with a small smile. Aragorn turned to Ardael's sister sitting opposite. " This is my second youngest, Arwelil. Twins." He said with a grin at Legolas - twins born of elvish blood were considered blessed. Aragorn turned to the empty seat beside Arwelil. " Where is Elessiel?" He asked his gathered family.
Arwen smiled and placed her hand on Aragorn's arm. " She will come." She said simply.
Aragorn sighed with a soft smile " You shall have to meet my youngest at some later date, Arwen has her riding far and often these days, with messages to my allies." He sighed and resumed his seat, beckoning for Legolas to take the empty seat beside Ardael.
Legolas marvelled at the sight of Aragorn, unravelling from his stupour before his family. The party of six drank and made merriment deep into the night, Legolas and Aragorn sharing stories for The War of the Ring and the age afterwards, and all of Legolas' travels, and it was only when Arwen finally excused herself to chambers that the party began to dissolve. Aragorn bade Eldarion, Ardael, and Arwelil to leave him to counsel with Legolas.
Each daughter kissed their father lightly on the brow as they left, and Eldarion said nothing, but placed his hand firmly on his father's shoulder to look down into his eyes before departing. And when Aragorn turned to Legolas, the Elf was sadened to see the age return to the King's eyes. His exuberance seemed to dissapear with his family as the king led Legolas slowly through the corridors and out into the courtyard.
They sat on a stone bench with their faces turned out towards the peaceful land of Gondor, both men's faces glimmering in the night air, though Aragorn's seemed to be faded to ash, and Legolas' bright as diamond.
At length Aragorn placed his hand on Legolas' shoulder. " It is better than I can say to see your face again, old friend. But something troubles you."
Legolas nodded silently for a moment before answering. " Long have I desired to look upon the face of King Elessar. It hase been too long. And I fear it will be too short." He said sadly.
Aragorn sighed and held his aged hands out before him, inspecting their leathery appearance. The skin on the back of his hands was scarred from uncounted battles, and skin of his palms smooth and worn from too many years of use. " I do not fear death, Legolas, but what it shall leave behind for my family. Ardael and Arwelil are married, they will prosper, and the lives of their children shall measure three lives of man for many generations to come. Eldarion will rule in my steed, and serve Gondor proudly- he will be the pride of his kingdom. But Arwen...Arwen I fear for. She will not linger here once I am gone, but I fear for where she shall go."
" To the Havens?" Legolas asked quietly.
Aragorn shook his head. " No, Legolas. She will not leave the shores of Middle Earth, in this age, or any. Her fate it sealed, and I fear also, I do not regret the part I have played in her downfall. For all the stars that were in the sky when I met her, I would not revoke a single moment of our short lives together. But that does not mean I do not wish some other fate on her." Aragorn paused, his breath coming in short rasps for a moment after speaking for so long. In the hour it had been since their feast Legolas watched the last vestiges of strength leave his dear friend, and he knew with utter certainty Aragorn had almost reached his end. " At times I have known her heart better than my own, and I know now where she shall go."
" She would not stay with Gondor?"
" No, for Gondor loves her dearly, as it loves me. And my memory will haunt the corners of her mind, and this city forever. I know my wife, Legolas. She could not look upon the faces of our children once I am gone." The king turned away, looking to the north. " She will return to the home of her kin, and linger until the short years of her life are utterly spent. Alone, in pain. This I have been told, and long forseen."
Legolas' gasped and shook his head in sorrow. " Could you not stay longer?" He said helplessly, reminded of when his own father had left the shores of Middle Earth so many years before.
Aragorn's words were no louder than a whisper when he answered. " I will stay for eternity, within the love of my wife, and the pride of my children, for these things are ageless. But my time in Middle Earth, as well as yours, has come to an end."
"I do not understand." Legolas said slowly.
Aragorn turned his steely gaze towards the eternally youthful face of his friend. Legolas caught a glimmer of something behind the King's dark, rheumy eyes that had not been there before. " You will understand, my dear friend. Dawn will shed light on more than my kingdom. But now I must leave, Arwen seeks counsell with me." And with that, Aragorn stood and ambled into the darkness, leaving Legolas to contemplate his parting statement until he finally retired, little more than an hour before dawn.
***