Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. That honor goes to Professor Tolkien. I am gaining no money from this so please don't sue.

Summary: Elfwine, Theodred, Saranna and Alyssia want to hear a story about their parents.

A/N – Ok, I'll be blunt. I do not like flames or people who send them. Constructive criticism I will accept and use to try and improve my work. Flames, on the other hand, tend to make me wonder if a story is worth continuing. I just got a particularly nasty one on Chapter One of 'Children Grown' from Elros Tar-Minyatur that I will quote here.

"EAGH!

You just don't /learn/ do you?

I have not read the prequel to this story but I don't need to to point out the HIDEOUS lack of cannon in this abomination!

Eomer married a woman named Lothiriel, who was the daughter of Prince Imrahil. Natasha, although a nice enough name and one that I like, is not a Middle-Earth name. (It also sounds very much like your pen name.) Look, I will BUY you a book of baby names. I will BUY you a Middle-earth naming dictionary. Just stop recycling Tolkien's names and making up random and stupid ones. No author who ever amounted to anything ever announced whose POV the story was being told from. Theodwyn was Theoden's sister's name, not a descendent. BOROMIR IS DEAD! LET HIM REST IN PEACE!!!!! Apparently some of these idiots with random names come from earth. I've gathered that much. WHY? WHY? WHY? GODDAMNIT, WHY? This drivel is BAD ENOUGH without random pretentious thoughtless self-insertations! Jesus H. Christ WHY?

-Wishing you a happy wossname,

Elros."

OK, I would like to point out that if the reviewer had bothered to read 'Children and Fellowships, most of the things she is complaining about would make sense.

I understand that everyone has a right to express their opinions, so could everyone be brutally honest and tell me if the series is worth continuing or if I should just scrap it.

Thanks, Nathalia.


Prologue

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Saranna's Point of View - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We are staying in Gondor for a few weeks.

'We' is my parents, King Eomer and Queen Natasha of Rohan; my mother's cousin, sixteen-year-old Bella; my nine-year-old twin older brothers, Elfwine and Theodred; my five-year-old baby sister, Alyssia, and me. My name is Saranna and I am the seven-year-old princess of Rohan.

There is a State Visit to Gondor coming up soon and my parents want to spend some time with my Aunt Eowyn and Uncle Faramir, who are also visiting before 'Being swamped by all the court butterflies and toadies who want to gain power or standing', as Father puts it. We asked one of Father's advisors what a 'State Visit' was and he told us that it is when the rulers of one kingdom visit the rulers of another for some reason, usually to discuss politics. It sounds very dull.

Mother says that 'State Visit' is just a fancy term for going to see friends and spend time with them while pretending to discuss international relations.

Our Fathers are busy in King Elessar's council chambers and will not be back until late so Aunt Eowyn, Mother and Queen Arwen are in charge of keeping all of us children – meaning Bella, my siblings, our cousins and the royal children of Gondor – occupied. My cousins are ten-year-old Theodwyn and seven-year-old Isinil. The royal children of Gondor are nine-year-old Crown Prince Eldarion; Princess Celebrian, who is the same age as me and Isinil; and five-year-old Princess Gilraen.

It is Alyssia's turn to choose what to do and she wants to hear a story about our parents. My Aunt knows lots of stories about them, since Father is her brother and Mother is her best friend and sister-in-law on both sides, being Uncle Faramir's little sister. Queen Arwen is not as close to Mother as Aunt Eowyn is, but they are friends.

We all agree. Mother and Bella came from a distant land before the Steward of Gondor, Lord Denethor, adopted Mother. A very distant land, since there are no records of it.

Someone once suggested that the story of her being from a distant land was a cover up for something else. Very few people agreed, however. Uncle Boromir says that back before any of us were born, Mother's speech and behavior were unlike any known in Middle Earth.

She behaves similar to everyone else now, but she still has an accent that we cannot place to any region that speaks the Common tongue. Also, she slips up from time to time, using terms that she has to explain the meaning of.

Mother tells us about the land she was born in sometimes, but most of it sounds like things you hear in a fairy tale.

Aunt Eowyn smiles, searching her memory. Mother pales slightly, insisting that if we get to hear stories about her and Father, then we can hear about Queen Arwen, King Elessar, Aunt Eowyn and Uncle Faramir as well. The other two agree and Queen Arwen begins the tale…

-

-

-

-

-


A/N#2 – So, first chapter up. This will be a collection of short stories about events during and between 'Children and Fellowships' and 'Children Grown'.