CHAPTER FOURTEEN
As requested Eldarion, Faerveren and Elboron reported to their mothers within the half hour. Much to Eldarion's bemusement he had to have another bath.
"I had one this morning!" the child protested as he was chivvied into the bathing chamber by Arwen.
"And now you are going to have another," stated Arwen. "I will not have my son turning up at a highly prestige gathering smelling like a Dúnadan Ranger."
"Hey!" protested Aragorn as he picked out his tunic and leggings for the evening. "We weren't that bad!"
"Which is why you were always directed straight to the bathing chambers whenever you entered an Elven realm," retorted Arwen. "Eldarion, am I going to have to physically place you in that bath?" Eldarion hastily shook his head and retreated to the bathing chamber.
"And don't spend to long in the water. I will not have you looking like a prune!"
"Yes, Nana!" called Eldarion.
An hour later Eldarion and Elboron were standing in front of the same mirror and positively scowling at their reflection.
"Red is a girl's colour!" groused Eldarion, picking at the sleeve of his tunic.
"Nonsense," smiled Arwen as she attacked Eldarion's curls with a comb.
"Nana!" yelped Eldarion as the teeth grazed his scalp.
"At least you don't have to have your hair braided," said Elboron as Éowyn's fingers moved through his tawny mop. For a former shield-maiden, Éowyn was surprisingly domestic.
"It there a problem with braided hair?" asked Aragorn who was sitting with Faerveren on his knee. The girl did not have her hair in a plait, but instead it was to be decorated with silver and gold charms, which Faerveren was currently running through her fingers and back into their box.
"You suit them," muttered Eldarion, fighting the urge to pull out the leather thong which was holding his hair together.
"Well, there could have been a worse response," smiled Faramir. "But something has to be done about your hair Elboron. I have never seen it so unruly." Elboron shrugged and continued to scowl at his reflection.
"Am I interrupting anything?" asked Glorfindel as his head appeared around the door.
"Just the complaining of two pre-teen children," smiled Aragorn, motioning his former tutor to enter.
"Ah, I remember that well. At least this family only went through it three times. Never have I been so relieved that four of you were twins! Anyway, I can't stay. Elrohir has requested that I abduct your sons."
"Oh no," said Arwen finally laying down the comb. "These two are not going to do anything other than sit and talk until it is time for the celebration."
"I am just passing on the message," said Glorfindel, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "But I can assure that they would not be getting up to any major form of mischief. Erestor would have their heads!"
"Major form of mischief?" asked Éowyn, smoothing out the shoulders of Elboron's blue tunic.
"Before we came to get ready, Uncle Elrohir asked if we could help lay out the place names at the dinning tables," said Eldarion, as Elboron shrugged off his mother's hands.
"And?"
"We are making Dwarves and Elves sit beside each other," grinned Elboron. Aragorn fought hard to contain his laughter while Arwen groaned inwardly. Only her brothers would be able to come up with such a scheme.
"Does Erestor know?" she asked, beginning to weave the charms into Faerveren's hair.
"Arwen, do you really have to ask that?" said Glorfindel, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "No, our counsellor does not know and as he is in a drug induced sleep, he isn't going to find out until the feast by which time it will be to late to do anything about it."
"On your head be it," muttered Arwen, knowing full well that advising them against the idea would be a waste of breath and Aragorn's smile widened. "Alright, you can go."
Eldarion and Elboron grinned and hurried out the room with Glorfindel in tow.
The Elven twins were standing in the marquee, a roll of parchment in Elladan's hand. Lindir was in the Hall of Fire setting up his instruments for the singing and dancing after the feast.
"There you are. I was beginning to think your mothers had locked you in your rooms," smiled Elrohir turning around.
"Arwen tried," said Glorfindel. "Do you mind telling me how you are going to prevent yet another war between the Elves and Dwarves."
"I'm hoping on their manners will play a part. Any complaint they make could be seen as an insult to the hosts. Now, boys take this plan and match up the names and seating arrangements."
Elboron looked nervous. "Lord Elrohir?" he said timidly.
"Yes?"
"I…I can't read Sindarin. And neither of us can read Dwarvish."
"That's alright, pen dithen. Eldarion, you can read Sindarin, correct?" Eldarion nodded. "Right. You help Elboron and Glorfindel, you lay out the Dwarf place settings." Eldarion and Elboron nodded while Glorfindel muttered something about upcoming disaster. little one
Glorfindel was on tender hooks when the guests began to arrive for the feast and the twins were nervous as well, though not as much as the golden-Elf.
"Mellon nîn, stop worrying. Elladan and Elrohir have everything under control," said Celeborn when he was told of Elrohir's idea. He stayed Glorfindel's hands which were currently pulling at the edge of his napkin that, until five minutes previously, had been folded neatly on to on his plate. my friend
"Thranduil is not like you," muttered Glorfindel. "And from what I heard you weren't best pleased to have Gimli in Lórien fourteen years ago."
"Times have changed," replied Celeborn. "Thranduil wasn't to keen on Edain when the twins were children but he accepted them didn't he. And his has little gripe with Eldarion, Faerveren or Faramir's family."
"Because the twins were Elrond's children, Eldarion and Faerveren are Aragorn's children and Faramir's family are his guests. Urgh, this can only end in disaster," groaned Glorfindel.
"It is nothing different than what Eldarion and Elboron have been trying for the past few weeks. Thranduil needs to accept that the world has changed and that old grudges should be let go."
The first explosion of the evening came from Erestor who nearly had a fit when he saw how the twins had organised things in his forced absence. He had been woken by a servant about an hour previous, just enough time for him to have a bath and dress appropriately. His dress attire was nothing different from his normal attire save for the small designs which were working into the cuffs and hems of his robe. His outburst however was not aimed at the twins, but rather Glorfindel.
"How could you let them do this?" he demanded. "After all my carefully laid plans you let them reorganise, after drugging me to sleep! And you got the Princes involved! Glorfindel you are supposed to be an advisor which means you should be mature!"
Glorfindel simply sat and allowed the storm that was Erestor to blow itself out before saying anything. "I let them do it because it maybe the best way to encourage the Mirkwood Elves and the Dwarves to talk to each other without them calling for weapons!"
"But why now! On one of the most important nights of the year?"
"Because now is when the opportunity presented itself. Honestly Erestor, I think you are creating a storm in a teacup!"
Naturally the second argument came from Thranduil. He had arrived at the feast along with Legolas. Gimli and his father were already sitting at the table and they waved the younger Elf across. Thranduil followed, still not trusting Gimli to look after his son properly. It was then that he found his name of the peace-crane table decoration at Glóin's left. Checking the names on the other decorations around him, his eyes grew darker as he noticed that at least half of them were Dwarven. Glaring dangerously, Thranduil turned to Glóin.
"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.
"Sire?"
"The place settings. Why are you not with your own people?" demanded Thranduil.
"I could say the same about you," retorted Glóin. Legolas and Gimli sat and watched, their eyes flicking between their fathers with an expression of annoyance.
"I have had enough! Is it not enough that Dwarves are invited to a Eldar festival without it being ruined by you insisting on sitting at the same table as us! Where is Erestor? I am going to complain!" Thranduil swiped up his crane and made to move away from the table in the general direction of Erestor, who was scowling at Glorfindel, when Legolas stood up.
"Havo dad Adar!" he demanded. "If you go to complain to Erestor or one of the twins, then you will only be making a fool of yourself. Not to mention the fact that you will be causing them insult. When will you learn that life outside the forest has changed?" sit down father
"And I am insulted by the fact that I am being made to sit beside…"
"If you dare finish that sentence," warned Gimli.
"Is there a problem gentlemen?" asked Lindir as he entered the marquee.
"Other than being made to sit with members of the second born?" raged Thranduil.
"Well, Eldarion and Elboron have been trying to get you to make peace for the past two weeks. I assume that the twins helped them take drastic action. I suggest that you sit down and enjoy the celebration. Dwarves aren't as bad as you think they are."
Thranduil continued to splutter but did as Lindir suggested. A few more protests were voiced by Elves and Dwarves alike, but in general, those gathered commented that it was a good idea. The Dúnedain mingled and Aragorn's travelling party did its best to get them talking. By the end of the feast the populace of the hall, minus a few exception - Thranduil and Glóin were still unable to completely bury the hatchet after seventy-four years – were on speaking terms, even if they were only to wish each other greetings.
Next there was the dancing, Arwen and Éowyn being separated from their husbands by umpteen Elves and a few Dúnedain who all requested a dance. Glóin had engaged Faerveren in a dance, which of course had the little girl in giggles and smiles because Glóin was deliberately making a fool of himself, mainly for her benefit. Meanwhile Eldarion and Elboron attempted to show that they could be gentlemen by offering their arms to a few of the females. A few indulged them but eventually they settled on escaping out into the gardens.
Chasing each other through the relatively unpopulated grounds of the Last Homely House, Eldarion and Elboron came once more to the memorial of Gilraen. Elboron suddenly became sombre as he watched the moonlight dancing on the marble and the small pool of rainwater that had gathered in her lap the previous night.
"Elboron?" asked Eldarion, slightly concerned by his friend's sudden quietness.
"I was just thinking," said Elboron.
"About what?"
"Why the people of this world can't get along. The way that Eru intended."
"Because that would leave the world a very boring place to live," said Eldarion. "But it doesn't matter. So long as we are friends, the entire world could hate each other and we would still survive."
Elboron turned and held out his hand to Eldarion. Looking bemused, Eldarion took it. Twisting his own hand around, Elboron rested their wrists together and interlaced their fingers. "As long as we are friends. That will be forever Eldarion, because I am never letting you go. Never."
"Friend forever," smiled Eldarion.
Unbeknown to the two Princes, their little exchange had a witness. They stood on their own with a small smile turning the corners of their mouth upwards. They had witnessed three similar bonds being forged. Unfortunately, only one remained intact and the future was to uncertain as to whether this one would remain with the passage of time.
"May Ilúvatar hold you true to your words pin dithin. They may be tested sooner than you hope." little ones