Title: The End Has Come

Author: B-witched83uk )

Rating: R

Summary: The royal family of Gondor have their final adventure together.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of the Rings. The whole of Middle-earth belongs to Tolkien

Dedication: Cassie, not cos I have a favour to ask her, just cos she's lovely.

Beta: The Last Evenstar, a great friend and a great editor.

Archive: , Any others please ask.

Feedback: I would absolutely love some because yes I am a praise junky.

A/N: A very small portion of this text was taken from Tolkien's Tale of Aragorn and Arwen.

Chapter 18

Follow Your Heart

A sadness unmatched hung in the air in the streets of Minas Tirith. Arwen Undómiel sat upon her black mare, cloaked in black velvet and veil. Beside her sat Elladan, expressionless, unable to look down at his family. The children and grandchildren of Arwen and Aragorn stood in silence, having already bid their final farewells.

She looked at Eldarion, his arm wrapped around his eldest daughter, and smiled sadly. "So like your father in both body and heart. You are a credit to us both, Eldarion. Your reign will make us proud."

Galadwen clung to Legolas tightly, tears streaming down her cold cheeks, now void of all colour. Arwen was unable to voice any words to her eldest daughter, whom she desperately prayed would not follow her into death. She merely held her eyes and smiled with all the love that she felt. "Namárië, iell nín."

Then Arwen Undómiel went from the city of Minas Tirith, her brother her only escort, and passed away to the land of Lórien, and dwelt there alone under the fading trees until winter came. Galadriel had passed away and Celeborn also was gone, and the land was silent.

There at last when the mallorn-leaves were falling, but spring had not yet come, she laid herself to rest upon Cerin Amroth, the hill upon which she had pledged herself to Aragorn; and there is her green grave, until the world is changed, and all the days of her life are utterly forgotten by men that come after, and elanor and niphredil bloom no more east of the Sea.

Here, at last, comes the end of Elessar and his Evenstar.

Gwydion and Estelai sat alone in the throne room. The stone floor was cold under them, but they cared not. The throne was strewn with flowers, and a faint smell of roses hung in the air. It had been many months since Aragorn's passing, and now Arwen had left to die also. Each month since their grandfather's death, the two cousins had met in what was his throne room, laid flowers down, and sat silently. It was the only time the two of them had really been alone together, and Gwydion both looked forward to them and dreaded them.

He felt a great weight upon him, a weight he wished to be rid of. He had spoken to Estelai of the Prophecy and all he had learnt, needing someone to give him council.

Estelai had told him to follow his heart, which he knew he could not do, for she was his heart. It beat for her alone. The pretence of friendship and no more had driven them both mad. Silently, they both desperately wanted to stand up and shout out from the top of their lungs that things were not the same, that they would never again be the same.

Finally, looking over to his beloved, Gwydion stood abruptly. Estelai's eyes flew to his face before standing also. He looked upon her as he had done the night he declared his love in the pouring rain, he looked upon her with hunger as though he wished to devour her whole. It was a look he had kept well hidden since, for fear of frightening her away again.

Estelai breathed deeply, her body silently glad to have that look back.

In two long strides he was standing in front of her, scooping her in to his arms and forcing his mouth on to hers with violence. Estelai moaned into the kiss, finally giving in to what her body wanted - finally dropping the pretence, without care of consequence or shame. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck and she pulled him closer still, pushing her entire body against his, feeling the hardness of his chest and limbs.

His tongue flickered over her bottom lip and she parted her lips to allow him entry. She sucked on his tongue until it almost hurt, needing to feel him inside. She felt his hands, one on her back and one in her hair, tugging at it in helpless abandon.

When finally Gwydion felt the effects of her kiss upon his body, he tried to gently pull away, to disengage before it got out of control, but Estelai wouldn't let him. She held him tight, refusing to come back to the real world, where actions had consequences.

When they finally parted, Gwydion could do nothing but look at her with surprise, love and desire. He had expected her to push him away, he had never expected her to respond to him in such a way. Inside, his heart was dancing. It had healed itself and grown wings, yet his mind screamed at him how wrong this was. That even if she did return his love, they couldn't possibly be together.

Gwydion closed his eyes briefly and breathed deeply, hoping to clear his mind and collect his thoughts. When his eyes opened to met hers, he saw them return his feelings and thoughts. He spoke softly, but honestly to her. "I love you now more then ever, I need you more then ever. I am sorry if it pains you to hear that, but it is the truth. I know not what to do for the best, but know that I would spend a thousand life times in a hellish torment if it meant your happiness."

Estelai closed the distance between them and cupped his jaw lovingly. She couldn't understand why a man as wonderful as Gwydion would love her. She was nothing but trouble most of the time, and she knew it. "Why do you love me, Gwydion? What has made you love me?"

Gwydion took in her golden hair and her pouted lips, glistening and slightly swollen from their kiss. "In truth, I do not know. All I know is that when I look into your eyes, I have to remind myself to breathe."

A single tear fell from her eye and a warm smile lit up her face. She leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss to his warm lips. "Thank you," she whispered. She knew now what she must do.

One day she would be Queen, and could her lord be her cousin also? She had never asked for the throne, but it seemed she had no choice until now. She needed time to think, to decide whether or not what she and Gwydion shared was more important then the entire Kingdom of Gondor. She would ride for Rivendell at first light. She would join her uncles and find her solitude, her space to think.

Elladan closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. The fresh woodland scent of his childhood flooded his senses, calming the raging fear inside of him. In the distance, nightingales sang to one another, calling their mates home for the night.

Elladan had come home, but what was supposed to be a place of safety and love now seemed cold, like something from another lifetime.

Elrohir stood watching his twin brother approach the wooden steps that led up to the main entrance of the Last Homely House. Of the smile he felt building inside of him, only half made it to his mouth.

Elladan's eyes locked with his brother's and he began to run up the steps and in to his brother's arms.

Elrohir laughed as he cradled his brother tightly, feeling whole for the first time in a long time. When Elladan pulled back slightly to look at his brother, he felt his heart break a little, for Elrohir's once-youthful face seemed older to him now, his eyes much dimmer.

Had Elladan caused this? Had his absence, his abandonment, caused this? Elladan didn't think he could feel anymore guilt then he already did when it came to his brother. The blame of their mother's passing to Valinor had not been spoken of since the night she left, thousands of years ago. Yet they both knew that tonight they would break the mutual silence. What would have been dealt with in a manner of days had been left to fester. The avalanche effect had taken their silence and slowly rolled it into something unstoppable.

Galadwen sat silently. She had heard her son's declaration of love for his own cousin and took it with little surprise.

Galadwen had not long before she must leave for Valinor, before she must depart from this world. She had desperately hoped that her son would join them, but now that hope seemed fruitless.

Gwydion had asked his mother's advice, and sat patiently whilst he allowed her to digest the information. He knew she would not turn him away, nor be disgusted by his love, and so he waited.

"Gwydion, we love whom we love. I am afraid it is as simple as that. You must do what your heart tells you. Let it lead you wherever it will. It will not be easy for you, or Estelai, should you chose one another, but perhaps it will be even harder apart. If we could chose who we fell in love with, it would be a lot easier, but a lot less magical." Her voice was cool and throaty, like the words were drying up inside of her.

She studied her son's handsome face. It grieved her to put any more worry on him, but she knew that it was only fair that he finally knew the truth. She took several deep breaths, which came ragged and forced.

Gwydion looked at her, realising that she was about to tell him something important.

"Gwydion, I must leave for Valinor before the year passes."

Her son's eyes went wide. "What? Why? Naneth, it is your health, isn't it? I know you have not gotten any better, but you are strong, you will fight this!"

"No, Gwydion, there is no more fight left in me. For though I look young still I no longer feel it. I am dying, Gwydion. Valinor is my only hope."

Gwydion simply stared at his mother. His tears fell hotly, burning a trail down his cold face. "You cannot leave me, Naneth. How can I face this without you?"

"A bitter choice now lies before you, Gwydion: to remain here and peruse your love for Estelai, or join your Ada and I in Valinor and discover the true meaning of your prophecy." Galadwen stood and knelt down before her son, taking his face in her hands. "The choice is yours alone, no other can make it for you. There is no shame in love, for it is the purest of all things. Follow your heart, Gwydion, but follow it quick, for time is running out."

TBC

ThePrincess04: I didn't kill Aragorn, Tolkien did it, I swear it wasn't me.

Lariren-Shadow: Hope your enjoying Britain, I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back. Crying in a British pub huh? Yup, that's defiantly something all us Brits have done before. I didn't read your new stuff because I didn't get an alert for any, I'll go check on the site.

Queen Arwen: Your computer blew up? It took its time didn't it. That thing has been on its last legs for months now. I think that Gondor an benefit from having a drunk as its King.

tindomiel-tintalle: I don't suppose you know any programs on line or anything for a family tree do you? I'm glad you liked Eldarion's speech, it took me a good hour to write that.

viviana: Did you cry this time? How many boxes of tissue have you been through since I started writing this? I bet you didn't cry at this chapter though, cos although Arwen left to die, it wasn't dwelt on. I felt there had been enough death already.

Cerridwen-Evereven: I'm glad you still like it, I toned down the sadness in this chapter cos people were complaining about how much crying they had been doing.

Starlight63: Sorry, but Tolkien wrote that Arwen died soon after Aragorn, and I would have been yelled at by Tolkien purists had I changed the facts too much. Eldarion has to learn to be alone, he will spent most of his rule alone I'm afraid, poor little lamb.

DreaminofLorien: I couldn't access your live journal, can you give me the link again, also what is a blend? When I need a good cry I watch Disney's Robin Hood, and ball my eyes out.

The Converted: Your loved, your loved. I didn't receive the email with your review in it until just before I posted, and I had already put it in hmtl format, so I could make changes. I just finished writing a new Viggo/Orlando fic, it has 4 chapters in it. I'll send it to you the second some lovely person who drips with sarcasm and lives in America offers to beta it for me ok. You wouldn't think that I would have to whore myself out for betas would you.

ME132: You young lady are far too young to even consider sexual healing. What happened to the sweet girl I met 10 months ago? Me, that's what. I have ruined you. Oh Valar.

EbonyBeach: Death always makes me feel awful, I usually like to pretend that it doesn't exist in every day life. I can't read death fics myself, I stick my fingers in my ears and sing. that fic idea sounds good, although if you want to be cannon, Heaven didn't exist back then, as it is a Christianity concept and they invented heaven. you could have them meet again in what Aragorn called 'the halls of his fathers' which I guess is kind of like heaven.