Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. Do I really need to keep stating the obvious?

A/N – This chapter is going to consist of three weddings and a short scene in our world. This chapter is rated 'R' for sexual content near the end.


Chapter Eighteen.

Natasha's Point of View -

I had never seen Minas Tirith like this. Or the rest of Gondor, for that matter.

Ravaged by war, yes. A flurry of activity trying to finish repairs resulting from said war, yes. In absolute Chaos preparing for a wedding, No.

Yes, Chaos was a fitting term to use and No, I was not exaggerating. I would swear that he coronation had not been half as bad as this.

There were seamstresses and tailors rushing around trying to take and finish orders in time for the event, caterers and Protocol underlings arguing over the table arrangements, decorations, food, drink, seating arrangements and everything in between. Then there were the guests and people taking part in the ceremony or reception. Women and unmarried maidens giggling and giving advice, men getting in everyone else's way, the list could go on forever. If it had been an option, I would have suggested eloping.


Eowyn and I tried to avoid the collective madness by staying near Arwen, even though that idea carried a fair amount of necessary involvement in organization. We had more important things to attend to, however. Arwen's wedding dress and suitable attire for the bridal party, for a start.


Arwen's Point of View -

I stood outside the doors to the Great Hall, a serene calm lying over me as I prepared to enter the Hall where I would be married. I was trying not to laugh at the sight before me. I would have thought that such a seemingly gentle, quiet and passive young woman as Lady Natasha would be averse to spying. She wasn't, and also ignored how silly she must have looked to anyone else, half bent over to look through the keyhole.

She straightened and turned back to me, allowing Lady Eowyn to take over. "The guests are all seated and the men are at the alter." She laughed, "Aragorn is doing a good job of hiding it, but he looks like facing a balrog would be less terrifying."

Lady Eowyn re-joined us. "I couldn't make out what they were saying, but it seems as though our brothers are taking the opportunity to tease him about being nervous. It is one of the few times he won't be able to deny it, after all."

Lady Natasha gave a faint smile. "Foolish of them. With the exception of Boromir, the other two will be getting married not long after this. They really should not provide him with reason to make their own wedding days a living hell."

Princess Lothiriel of Dol Amroth remained silent. She did not seem to like Natasha, for some reason. I couldn't see why, I thought she was nice enough.

The elvish maiden who acted as my fourth attendant spoke up. "I think it is a bit strange, don't you? It seems that in every wedding, the Groom is always nervous and the Bride is always so serene."

Lady Natasha's lips curled upward into a smirk. "Not so strange, perhaps. It kind of makes you re-think who really runs the world."

We all smothered laughter as trumpets rang out. Eowyn and Natasha hurried back to their stations just as the doors opened and we started up the isle.


The ceremony flashed by in a blur. I had eyes for one person only, everything else seemed immaterial, but I know I did nothing wrong, because suddenly I was kissing Aragorn and everyone was cheering.

The feast afterwards flew by just as quickly, with no incidents. Unless you count the commotion that always seems to occur upon any occasion when there is enough wine, ale or beer to get the majority drunk. Eowyn and Natasha had promised to try and keep things under a semblance control for the night, but allowing enough noise for Aragorn and I to slip away early. I wondered what methods they planned to employ, and made a mental not to ask them later, as the three of us had make a deal for the other two to help at each of our weddings.

Then I entered the Royal Bedchamber with my new husband, and everything else ceased to exist.


Eowyn's Point Of View -

A month after the wedding of King Aragorn and Queen Arwen, it was Faramir and my turn to walk down the aisle. Or in Faramir's case, dragged down as Natasha put it. I thought she was enjoying her brother's discomfort a bit too much.

My attendants were Queen Arwen, an elf maiden who had travelled to join the colony that Prince Legolas had set up in Ithilien, Natasha and (Unfortunately) Princess Lothiriel, who had only been included by right of her being Faramir's cousin.

I was sitting in my chambers, having my hair and face done, and wondering what was taking three of my four attendants so long. Queen Arwen had had to finish some last minute details, and Natasha and Galadwen (The elf) had finally gone looking for her, abandoning me to suffer the company of my soon-to-be cousin.

I had always thought that Eomer and Natasha would be good for each other. My prolonged exposure to Princess Lothiriel had only given me more reason to thank the gods that Natasha had come along. Otherwise, my brother would have had an arranged marriage, possibly to this woman! I shuddered inwardly. She was pretty enough, I supposed, but she had all the intellect of a brick wall, not to mention that she was in love with the image of my brother, while Natasha knew and loved him for himself.

Finally, my missing threesome returned just then. All of them were smirking broadly.

I raised an eyebrow, not sure that I really wanted to know. "Dare I ask?"

Galadwen smiled, "The king finally got Lord Faramir back for teasing him. It was quite clever."

Queen Arwen agreed, "He started a conversation saying that he hoped the day would go well and that there would be no problems."

Natasha finished the explanation. "Then he went on to list any number of things that could go wrong, everything from running out of alcohol - not necessarily a bad thing, in my opinion - to you getting cold feet and running off at the last minute."

I shook my head, careful not to mess my hair. "What about Eomer? He did not join in, I hope?"

Natasha shot me a reassuring grin. "No. I pointed out yesterday that Aragorn was already going to find some way to torment him at our wedding, so he didn't need Faramir after him as well."

Our conversation was cut off as a group of maids entered to finish our hair and help us dress.


My brother escorted me down the aisle, and handed me to Faramir with a whispered threat on his physical well being if he hurt me.

The minister who performed the ceremony was unbelievably dull, so I tuned out that part of the ceremony, contenting myself with gazing at Faramir. I recovered when we were to exchange vows, managing to keep my voice steady. I then found out that Faramir had an amazing gift for eloquence, as proven when he spoke his vows. If he was no a warrior and Lord of Ithilien, my new husband could have made a fine living as a poet or minstrel.

Most of the entertainment for the wedding feast was provided by Gandalf and his Fireworks, and by some very nice dances that the hobbits introduced us to. Along with several interesting drinking songs from their homeland. I only hoped that the assemblage would not get drunk enough to learn those songs off by heart. The speeches that traditionally came from the mother of the bride and one of the men who stood with the groom were another source of amusement.

My mother had died when I was very little, so I had asked Natasha to make that speech. She stood up. "Eowyn tells me that I have to make a speech, giving advice to the newly married couple. Eowyn, the rest of the bridal party and myself have already given you some advice while we were getting ready for the ceremony, so I won't bother repeating it." She gave a faint smirk "Besides, it tends to make the male population uncomfortable and there are children in the immediate area. So, Faramir, I am going to pass on some advice that my uncle said at my cousin's wedding and that a husband should follow.

1)Women are meant to be loved, not understood.

2)When you are wrong, admit it. When you are right, shut up.

3)Never argue with the woman who runs the kitchen.

4)When you have royally screwed up, grovel. If that doesn't work, re-seduce your wife and try again.

5)There are very few problems that cannot be solved with these three simple phrases: 'I was wrong.' 'You were right' and 'I love you'."

The audience was laughing by now and I could hear applause.

Boromir gave my friend an amused look as he stood up. "Thank you, little sister. Now the only problem is that anything we say is going to sound inadequate." This caused a ripple of laughter. "Faramir is not just my brother, he is also my best friend. We have had our fights, although they were usually over nothing and Faramir has an annoying habit of usually being right. He is a great man and a strong warrior and I am sure that you will be very happy together."


Although I do not clearly remember most of whatever happened during the rest of the party, drunk with joy, what I do remember was that it was one of the most wonderful days of my life. What happened on the night, I refuse to repeat. Some secrets are not meant to be shared.

Now all we had left to endure was the preparations for Natasha and Eomer's wedding.


Eomer's Point Of View -

I stood at the alter in the Hall, starting to regret teasing Aragorn on his wedding day. Now I knew how he felt, trying to ignore the whispered comments that he and Boromir were making behind me. Absently, I noticed the irony of the situation. I could face down the armies of Mordor without flinching, but I cannot remember being as terrified as I am now.

At least Faramir had decided to return my favour from his wedding and remained silent.

Then the Bridal Party appeared.

The world around me disappeared as Natasha came toward me. She almost seemed to shine.

Until now, there had always been a faint sorrow about her, but now it was replaced by joy and contentment. Myself, I had to focus hard to remember how to talk! Why and how are Brides always so calm?

My worries vanished as she took my hand and we turned to the minister. Did he have to give such a long and windy sermon? If it wouldn't have stopped the ceremony (Last thing I wanted) I would have been severely tempted to threaten the man just to make him shut up! Natasha's face was serene, but her eyes agreed with me. Then it was time to speak our vows. I was first.

I know my voice shook slightly. I drew a breath, and then spoke. "Most of my life, many have only seen me for what I was, loved the idea of me. You looked past that, more intent of helping the survivors of Helm's Deep than trying to catch attention. Since I first saw you, I have loved you for that. My love grew when you were willing to accept friendship at first, accepting that interest and love were not the same. You are a rarity, Natasha, and I love you for it. There will be times when duty must come first, when I must put you second, but I will never stop loving you. I would bind myself to you, Natasha, daughter of Denethor, until the end of time. I love you."

Now it was Natasha's turn.


Natasha's Point Of View -

I could not remember ever being this happy. I'll admit that I had thought to wait until I was older before getting married, certainly I never thought that I would only be Nineteen when I did.

I had no complaints, however. True, it meant that I had very little chance of seeing my birth family again, but I had changed too much to be able to fit in back there. My parents may have been my protectors, my siblings my partners-in-crime, but Eomer was my world. I would stay here, willingly, if it meant being with him.

I think that I flouted tradition a bit when I did not include Princess Lothiriel in the ceremony, instead choosing two commoners as my third and fourth attendants. I had Arwen and Eowyn, of course, but also Yalewen, my first friend from Gondor, and Cadeilith, a woman of Rohan.

That caused more than a few protests, but it was my party, so politics could go to hell, as far as I was concerned.

I have had people tell me that I would never forget this day, so to make it one to remember.

They were right; I can remember each detail with perfect clarity.

I wore a gown of pure white, my hair pined away from my face and threaded with white and pale blue ribbons. I had borrowed a silver necklace from Eowyn, and was wearing a few remnants of my original clothing underneath my gown. Something Old, something New, something borrowed, and something blue.

Near the alter, Eomer stood in formal robes. The very sight of him nearly made me melt to the ground.

I took a deep breath, ignored Eowyn's comment on her brother actually knowing how to dress properly, and started toward him.

As we reached the alter, I handed my bouquet to Eowyn and took Eomer's out stretched hand. We turned to face the minister, who gave a very drawn-out blessing, then turned toward each other, ready to speak our vows.

Eomer was first. He looked nervous, but his words nearly made me break down. Then it was my turn. "I was a stranger to these lands. I can never return to my own, and have nothing of my own to offer, except a loving heart and boundless devotion. If it will bring you home safely, I will be content to be second or third priority, should the need arise. I would bind myself to you, Eomer, son of Eomund, until the end of time. I love you."

I somehow managed to maintain a calm visage, although inside I trembled like a leaf on a stormy day. What if I had said the wrong words? If people could not accept me because of my origins? What if…

My thoughts steadied momentarily as the minister pronounced Eomer and I too be married.


We decided to have some outdoor celebrations while the Great Hall was re-arranged for the feast. I also took the opportunity to warn my brothers that if there were any pranks arranged, to get rid of them, or else.

Eomer and I stayed for the feast, and then held the drinking and Gandalf's fireworks outside as we retired.

It turned out that the excitement was not over yet, however.


Eomer closed the door behind us, then turned back to me.

I bit my lip slightly; this was all new to me. I had seen naked bodies before, having worked with young children, but I had never actually had sex with anyone. I had endured the Talk and knew where babies came from, but this was my first physical experience.

Eomer seemed to know what I was thinking, but only smiled, saying that we would simply explore it together. Then his eyes darkened and he warned me that "If you don't stop biting your lip like that, you will find yourself thoroughly kissed."

Hardly a reason for me to stop, then. I very deliberately continued, and found myself swept into Eomer's arms and a breathtaking kiss. Clothing became an unwanted obstacle, and was quickly dealt with, leaving us in very little.

We were on the bed when there was a knock at the door and a voice asking to come in.

It looked like Eomer was about to tell them exactly what they could do, but settled for letting out a very unflattering remark in Rohirric, then called for them to enter. Maybe it would be in the intruder's best interest to go away; Eomer's expression said that if this was anything short of a full-blown orc-attack, someone was going to be hurt.


The intruder happened to be Bella, holding a jug of cooking oil.

It turned out that my brothers had decided that if I had no qualms about hurting them, then Bella would have a better chance of carrying out the prank. They had sent her up to pour oil outside the door, but had neglected specific instructions. Bella had realized this after entering our chambers, so had gone to the nearest adult for help.

Thanking fate, I suggested that Eomer wait until morning to kill them, then found a piece of paper, writing Arwen, Yalewen and Eowyn a message to spread the word among the ladies that Boromir might be looking for a bride in the future. He wasn't, and I very much doubted that he ever would, but the un-attached ladies didn't know that. Revenge, thou art mine!

I gave the note to Bella, asking her to give it to my three attendants, then gave her back the still full jug, told her to pour it over Faramir's head, and sent her back to the party.


The other interruption came in the form of a loud explosion, causing us both to jump. That sounded too much like when the Deeping Wall fell for my liking. Eomer, wearing only a loincloth, snatched his sword and ran to see what had happened. He returned five minutes later, swearing under his breath.

It turned out that Merry and Pippin had decided to set of a firework themselves, but had forgotten to stick it in the ground, panicked, and dumped it into a half full barrel. They had not checked what was in the barrel, however, and it had exploded, showering half the courtyard with dwarven ale.

I laughed at that. Trust a Brandybuck and a Took!

I got the impression that there was more behind the swearing, though. If I was correct in my assumption, it also involved the fact that none of our plans for this evening featured running around the city all night. On a personal note, I agreed.

I kissed my husband and removed the last article of clothing, drawing him over to the bed.

I bit my lip as he entered me. It didn't hurt as much as I had expected. Eomer stilled as I adjusted to him, kissing me softly.

One kiss became several, and the rest of the night passed without further trouble.


Back In Our World -

Monitors bleeped as two families sat in the hospital room, watching the two figures on the bed. The scene remained that way for a long time. A young woman and a child lay on the beds, still and pale as marble statues, surrounded by their family.

They all stood in anticipation as a doctor entered the room, holding the results of a scan.

He looked at the worried and eager faces before him and sighed inwardly. He really hated having to be the one to break this sort of news.

One of the fathers finally spoke up. "Well? What are the results?"

The doctor looked away for a moment, then turned back. "The vital organs are stable, and there is minimal blood loss." The younger members of the family relaxed slightly then tensed as he continued. "But the head trauma… it is simply too severe. I'm sorry to tell you this, but there is very little chance that they will ever regain conciseness."


A/N – Last chapter up! There will be an epilogue, so stay tuned!

I may do a sequel if I get enough reviews.

For anyone who is wondering about the last scene, please read the side story 'Song in the Silence, Knowledge of the Heart'.

Thank you, all.

Nathalia