A/N: I don't know what Tolkien says is the age in which Gondorian boys officially begin their weapons training, but for my purposes I've made it 13.

"You look bored," said Eldarion, attempting for what seemed like the hundredth time to engage Findowyn in a conversation that involved more pleasant talk and less glaring on her part. He'd been hoping that once she'd finished twisting his sister's hair into a ridiculously ornate style that was impractical for everyday life she wouldn't be so distracted and snippy. It was a shame that Laurelin continued to occupy her time by insisting on returning the favor. "Are you bored?"

Findowyn, who was sitting beside him on his sister's bed, seemed to feel that glaring was still her best option. "Not now," she told him tersely.

Perhaps if he impressed her with his chivalry she'd be more receptive to him. "You could tell me if you were," Eldarion assured her, letting his concern for her well being mingle with the confidence in his voice. "I wouldn't at all be insulted – or surprised, even – if you found my little sister to be a big pest. Say the word and I'll make her stop bothering you right away."

"I heard that," snapped a miffed Laurelin. "I've got Ada's elvish hearing, in case you've forgotten."

"As do I, and that's got nothing to do with anything," shot back Eldarion, tossing her a mean look. "You're standing right next to Findowyn – and getting your muddy footprints all over the bed doing it. Only someone who has no hearing at all could have missed what I just said. Now stop bothering us; Findowyn and I are trying to talk privately."

Talk privately – a difficult thing to do with two other people in the room. Findowyn snorted back a sardonic laugh, but Eldarion was too busy focusing on his argument with his sister to notice. "I'm interrupting you two?" said Laurelin as she waved the hairbrush in her hand warningly. "You're not even supposed to be here! You're supposed to be with the advisors, learning how to be a proper gentlemen – and you shouldn't miss any of those lessons because you really need all of them. That's where Ada and Papa expect you to be and you disobeyed so that you could pester poor Findowyn. I've had to hear you babbling to her constantly since you showed up in the garden! Now you keep quiet or else I'm going to make you stop it."

"I'd like to see you try," retorted Eldarion with a snort. "And before you do, let me remind you that you're a weak little kid and I'm a great warrior –"

"Ada and Papa are great warriors," interrupted Laurelin snidely. Her face screwed up in an expression that once made even a mighty elf warrior like Daerada Thranduil shudder at the sight of it. Eldarion had noticed this and questioned his grandfather, who would only say that he was caught off-guard at how much his granddaughter resembled what Legolas looked like when he was in the throes of a tantrum as an elfling. "I don't think that you're anywhere close to be as good as them. After all, Ada's knives and the tips of his arrows aren't made of wood, and neither is Papa's big sword."

Did she have to bring that up in front of Findowyn? Eldarion was quite embarrassed by the fact that his parents wouldn't allow him to own a real weapon, even though he had used several of them during the unofficial training he'd started a couple of years back. "Why, you annoying little…"

Throughout this exchange, Theomir had been sitting cross-legged on the floor across from his sister and the prince, stewing over the insults that fell so easily out of Eldarion's mouth but unwilling to intervene lest he break his word to Laurelin about watching over the dolls. It had come to a point, though, that he found it impossible to hold his tongue any longer. "Stop it! Don't you be mean to her anymore!" he commanded furiously, leaping to his feet in an attempt to make Eldarion think he was about to charge and thus intimidating the older boy. In reality, all he managed to do was scatter Laurelin's twin baby dolls, which had been lying on his lap, all around.

"Be careful!" scolded Laurelin, whipping around to face Theomir. In her haste she didn't notice how she smacked Findowyn in the forehead with the hairbrush in the process.

"Don't worry about me," said Theomir proudly. "I can more than handle Eldarion if it means defending your honor."

"I wasn't talking about that," replied Laurelin in exasperation. "Just look what you've done! Stop getting all worked up over whatever's coming out of Eldarion's pea brain and just keep an eye on the babies."

Eldarion saw the brush connect with Findowyn's head. He narrowed his eyes and scowled at his little sister. "As if you're the one to lecture anyone about keeping an eye on things," he shot out.

In the midst of all of this Findowyn sat, pondering her fate. She was hot, causing her to sweat and making her clothes cling uncomfortably to her body. As if that weren't enough, now after the combined efforts of the humidity and Laurelin's wielding of the hairbrush her normally wavy hair had become quite unruly. Now, in addition to all of that suffering, she had to serve as an audience of one for three squabbling children who were doing their very best to give her a migraine. What had she done to deserve all of this?

'Perhaps I was just as bad as they were when I was young,' she wondered, but quickly dismissed the thought. After all, Uncle Eomer constantly noted how she'd been no worse than her mother had been during her formative years. Why, even King Thranduil, who'd so often been on the receiving end of the same wooden sword that Laurelin had been taunting her brother about when the toy was in Findowyn's possession, often admitted that he was somewhat sad that she was now grown up.

'Oh, well; I suppose it could be much worse,' she decided. 'I could be with those twit girls who think they're so important because they have noble titles. At least these three have their entertaining moments.' Findowyn had never before come across anyone who wasted so much air and space by simply talking and existing than the young women her age in the court. Most of their conversations revolved around advantageous marriages – how to get one, how to determine if there was a potential one within grasp, who had one, who didn't, who didn't have a chance at getting one, and who was going to get one that didn't deserve it. She never quite fit in with them, and not just because – as her mother was from a "lesser" realm of Men – she wasn't a pureblood Gondorian.

The worst of it, however, came after it became painfully obvious to all of the court that Eldarion had a crush on her. Suddenly the young women who once barely tolerated her presence were practically fawning over Findowyn with a mixture of envy and scheming. They were actually jealous of the prince's feelings for her, but determined not to alienate the possible future queen. When Findowyn tried to tell them that she had no interest whatsoever in Eldarion they were aghast with her supposed stupidity.

"He's the prince," they'd stressed as if Findowyn couldn't possibly know that or comprehend what that meant. "One day he will be the king of Gondor and it appears as if he has decided that you will be his queen. This would be an amazing opportunity for any of us, but for you…oh Findowyn, how can you not be thrilled by this?"

Yes, the young noblewoman found the company of the three bickering children vastly preferable to that of the young ladies her age. She couldn't imagine ever thinking that the possibility of marrying a twelve-year-old was a legitimate and alluring plan for the future. Findowyn also seriously doubted that any of them would know what to make of Eldarion if they really got to know him; still, they were welcome to the prince, especially if he continued to behave so childishly.

"That is enough," declared Findowyn over their chatter. "From all of you," she added, meeting Eldarion's confused look with a pointed one of her own. "Until you three cease this inane nonsense you can safely assume that you're all bothering me."

"But Findowyn," protested Eldarion.

"I don't want to hear it," she cut him off. "At least Laurelin and Theomir have an excuse for their behavior – they're young. You, on the other hand, are about to turn thirteen – the age where you'll begin your serious training with the warriors of Gondor. How you're ready for such a responsibility when you still act about as mature as a five-year-old I'll never understand. Now, let's either talk about something else or not talk at all."

Eldarion bit his lower lip, deeply ashamed. No wonder she hadn't been treating his romantic overtures seriously – he couldn't be doing more to remind her of their age difference if he tried! Perhaps she'd respond more favorably if he subtly reminded her how old he was getting. "The plans for my birthday party are going well," he offered. "Ada and Papa even sent invitations to Sam, Rose, and their children; Pippin and Diamond; and sent word to Merry to bring that Estella he's so keen on marrying."

"I hope they come," replied Findowyn. Eldarion's heart soared when he saw that she wasn't glaring at him.

"Me too," he said eagerly, "though it might take a few more weeks until we hear anything. Ada and Papa never sent out a real invitation to them for either Laurelin or my birthday celebrations before, but I'm turning thirteen. That's a very important birthday – I'll be a young man. It would be wonderful if everyone could be here to enjoy it with me."

"I want them to come too," chimed in Laurelin, feeling a little left out now that her brother was being civil. Frowning at the mess she'd made in Findowyn's hair, she abandoned the idea of making it look as nice as the older girl made hers and started weaving in braids that proved that the little girl was her ada's daughter. "You know, I've never actually seen Sam or Pippin or Merry or any hobbit for that matter. They send me letters and presents, of course, and I've heard people talk about what they look like but they've never been to Gondor when I was around."

"Yes they have," Eldarion told her. "They were here when you were born. That wasn't so long ago; I still remember how we would all gather together at mealtimes and tease Pippin about getting engaged to Diamond."

"Huh," responded Laurelin while she twisted Findowyn's hair, invariably tying the strands into knots. "I wonder why they didn't come for this. Two babies are more exciting than one."

It was strange, Eldarion had to admit. "I don't know; but then again a lot of things were different this time around," he said, suddenly struck by the truth of this revelation. He hadn't thought about the time when Ada was pregnant with Laurelin – his daerada moving in, being repeatedly told not to upset Ada at all, the many trips to the Houses of Healing, and Ada having to stay in that awful place and away from him for over a week before she was born – for awhile, but now that he was it seemed very curious indeed how dissimilar this time had truly been. "Maybe them being here was just a coincidence. I don't think that they were in Gondor for my birth; right, Findowyn?"

The young woman fell silent for a moment. "It's hard to recall; I was only the age that Theomir is now back then," she said slowly. Closing her eyes, she foraged through what memories she could find of that time. The hobbits were there, during that year at least – she could remember playing with Sam's daughter Elanor almost every day. Rose had watched them often, sometimes alone and other times joining Eowyn. Of those times, one vivid memory stood out: she and the hobbit lass playing in the royal bedchamber under the watchful eyes of their mothers. Findowyn could see her younger self performing a sword trick that she'd thought was quite clever at the time and smiling at Legolas. The elf returned it even though he was so sad that he was sitting in a chair by the window without the energy to do more than clutch at his swollen belly as if he was afraid that someone was going to try to take it from him…

"They were here," she finally answered, confused by her seemingly innate eagerness not to delve any deeper into those memories. "I don't remember why, but I don't think they came because Legolas was pregnant although that might have been a reason why they stayed as long as they did. There were a lot of strangers in Minas Tirith during that time."

"What about all the visits to the healers?" pressed Eldarion. He'd never asked much about what was going on around the time he'd been born and no one had ever offered him many details. It just never seemed important before; however, the discrepancies between what had happened during the other pregnancies were intriguing and he was very curious to know which one his was more like. "Was Ada on special diets for me too? Did he travel in and out of the city like he did this time, or did he have to stay within the walls like he did for Laurelin? If he did travel, was Papa all right with this or did he yell like he did this time? What about Daerada – did he move into the citadel when Ada was pregnant with me? Did Ada have to spend so long in the Houses of Healing when I was born?"

There was absolutely no reason why any of these questions would make Findowyn feel so uneasy but they were. No one – not her parents, Legolas and Aragorn, Gimli, Thranduil, the advisors, the court, and even the people in general – really talked about Eldarion's birth except to say that it was a blessing and he was the king and prince's miracle child. There had always seemed to be an understood rule that the topic was off-limits and Findowyn had never been so interested in it that she ever tried to. She almost wished that Eldarion, Laurelin, and Theomir would start arguing again – at least she was comfortable with that.

"I don't know the answers to your questions, Eldarion," she told him awkwardly. "Like I told you, I was only four-years-old at the time. No one ever confided in me about Legolas' care, nor did I give the details that much attention. My abiding memories are of playing with Elanor, dividing our time between balrog slaying and tea parties."

"But you must have overheard something," said Eldarion. "Maybe your parents talking when they thought you were asleep?"

"I don't remember," she replied, her body automatically tensing as it always did when she was faced with questions that she didn't like. "Why are you so interested in this all of the sudden?"

"It just seems odd," replied Eldarion. "I remember when Ada was pregnant with Laurelin, and he and Papa talked about that time a lot since they found out that the twins were coming. They never talked about Ada's pregnancy with me, though; and I guess I was just wondering why that was. Do you think it's just because hers was the most recent, or did Ada have a lot of problems during that time?"

Small fingers fisted in Findowyn's hair, making the older girl wince. "You're so mean!" shrieked Laurelin, unaware that she was pulling Findowyn's hair in her anger. She was too used to Eldarion teasing her to realize that he wasn't trying to be rude when he asked if she was difficult to give birth to. "I'll have you know that Uncle Elladan told me that I was a joy to deliver! Ada and Papa probably just didn't want anything to happen to me after being stuck with only you for so long. In fact," she went on indignantly, "I bet it was you who was such a pain to give birth to!"

The idea that something had happened while his ada was pregnant with him had never occurred to Eldarion before. "Is that true, Findowyn?" he asked earnestly. "Was all the stuff that Ada had to do when he was pregnant with Laurelin necessary because of what happened with me?"

Again Findowyn was seized by an uncomfortable feeling that she couldn't quite explain. She could remember going to the Houses of Healing right after Eldarion was born – she hadn't seen him, though; she wouldn't be able to do so until her second visit. The first time it had been very quiet in the building, as it had never been before or since and she had clutched Elanor's hand fearfully as their footsteps echoed through the corridors. Her mother had been waiting for them, her eyes red and adorned with dark circles. Findowyn could recall feeling disappointed when Eowyn had told her that no one could see Legolas, Aragorn, or the new baby that day. "Legolas is very tired," she'd said, though her voice caught. "We're going to have to wait to see them when – when he wakes up."

"Eldarion," she murmured hazily, still caught up in her memory. Half of her mind was still back there in that waiting area; she could hear as clearly now as she did back then the sound of sobbing – was that Aragorn? – coming from the healing chamber where Legolas had given birth even though her parents had told her that it would be awhile before the baby came…

"My prince! My princess!" shouted the voice of the guard who was standing watch in the corridor outside.

Darn! It sounded like he had almost gotten some information out of Findowyn. "What is it?" Eldarion demanded.

The door burst open, revealing the guard with a young boy at his side. "Please forgive the intrusion, Prince Eldarion, Princess Laurelin – my, you look so grown up with your hair like that; my apologies, Lady Findowyn, Lord Theomir, but this errand runner comes with wonderful news. Prince Legolas had given birth! He and the king send word."

The boy – Minardil, Eldarion recognized him as – had a huge grin on his face as he stepped forward. "It is a great pleasure and utmost privilege to inform you of the births of Princess Gilraen and Princess Meren of Gondor," he announced formally. "They and the prince are all well. Now it is the wish of King Elessar and Prince Legolas that Prince Eldarion and Princess Laurelin come at once to meet their new sisters."

"Yea, I have two sisters," gloated Laurelin smugly in a sing-song voice. "Things are going to be a little more even around here from now on."

"Just what I always wanted," said Eldarion half-heartedly, more responding to Laurelin's teasing on reflex than out of any annoyance or malice. He was more caught up now in what had become to him the mystery surrounding his birth. "Oh well; if I can put up with you I'm sure I can deal with them too."

"You're not going to spoil this for me," retorted Laurelin haughtily, secretly glad that her brother's attention was back on her instead of all that stuff about what happened before she was born. Why did it matter now? "Now I'm not going to be the only girl and I'm going to have real babies to hold."

"They're not going to let you hold the babies," replied Eldarion as he and his sister walked out the door after Minardil. "You're still too young for that…"

Left behind in their wake, Theomir hugged the dolls to him as he looked at his older sister. "Legolas and Aragorn are going to let her hold the new babies, right?" he asked, sounding like he'd consider any decision to the contrary to be nothing short of a travesty.

Findowyn shook her head slowly. "I don't think so," she told him, still trying to sort through the memories of long ago. "I was only a little younger that what Laurelin is now when Eldarion was born and I wasn't allowed to hold him." She thought for a moment. "He was kind of small, though; smaller than Laurelin was, at any rate."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"They are beautiful," declared Faramir as he, Eowyn, Thranduil, and Gimli gathered around the bed. Legolas and Aragorn were still lying there, holding their newborn daughters and too excited to feel the effects of not getting a lot of sleep the night before. Elladan and Elrohir had already excused themselves, apparently too exhausted for any amount of excitement to make them forget sleep. "Just be prepared: there are some who'd hoped that at least one of them would be a boy. They would feel better if Gondor had, as the saying goes, an heir and a spare."

"Gondor already has both, though it would be folly to refer to Laurelin as a 'spare' in my presence," scoffed Aragorn. "Even if we were to have one hundred more boys I would not have any of them be in line for the throne before her. She is our second child! Numenor had high queens in its time and Gondor could accept it too if, Valar forbid, it should come to that."

"Besides, there will be no more male children," spoke up Legolas in a thoughtful tone. "I cannot say for certain if I will have any more children, nor how many more there would be if I did; but I have a feeling that Eldarion will be our only son, Aragorn."

Eowyn sat down on the bed facing her elvish friend. "I for one think that Laurelin would make a fine ruler. She has proven herself to be bold and strong –"

"Are you still going on about that?" interrupted Aragorn indignantly. "How many times and to how many people do I have to say that I told her to punch any little boy who kissed her when she didn't want them to. If you ask me, the king of Dale should have taught his son more manners before bringing him here."

The lady rolled her eyes. "She's got a lot of practice at ruling too," she went on, choosing not to acknowledge anything that Aragorn had said. "She seems quite comfortable with giving Theomir orders."

"And your daughter could have my son wrapped around her little finger if she wanted," returned Legolas in a friendly tone. "Honestly, some of the advisors have been talking about Eldarion and Findowyn getting married, as if it was only a matter of time until it happens. He just finished potty training, for Elbereth's sake!"

"That was almost eleven years ago," Thranduil reminded his son. "Time passes much more quickly for Men than it does for elves. Eleven years is but a breath to our people but to them it is a significant number of years."

"Be that as it may, he's still my little boy," said Legolas, sounding very much like his father. "I need some time to get used to the fact that he's now old enough to receive real weapons before people start talking about who his bride should be."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Minardil was almost beside himself with shock as he walked down the corridor that lead to Legolas' room, followed closely by Eldarion and Laurelin. He'd been running messages for the monarchy and court for almost two years and, needless to say, had encountered many important people because of it. While most were nice or at least polite to him, the boy had always found it hard to believe that such people or rank and accomplishment were anything like him or the people in his normal life. Yet here he was in the company of the person who would one day be the king and said person was bickering with his sister in the same way that Minardil often carried on with his brothers. It was somewhat alarming and strangely comforting at the same time.

More practically, though, it eliminated the need for the errand runner to announce their presence. Before Laurelin, the last of their small company, had finished putting both her feet into the small outer waiting chamber the king called: "Good of you two to come! Now try to be quiet long enough to meet your new sisters."

The renewed promise of seeing babies spurred the princess ahead, past her decidedly more distracted brother and into the room where her parents were. Minardil, not knowing what else to do, paused to respectfully wait for the prince to enter the birthing chamber before going in himself. "Ooohh!" squealed Laurelin, already up on the bed. "They're so cute – so much better than any of my dollies!"

"Does that mean that you wouldn't hit me with one of them?" Eldarion couldn't help asking as he peered inquisitively at the bundles that his Papa and Ada were holding.

"Children!" scolded an exasperated Aragorn. "Your ada and I have been through a lot today; can we please finished out what's left of it without having to listen to you two bicker?" As he shook his head he noticed Minardil still lingering at the door. "Thank you for you dedicated service today, Minardil; you are now dismissed with our thanks."

"Thank you sire, but I can't be yet," replied Minardil politely. "The Council told me to tell you that a messenger from Dol Amroth came today with a letter of 'legal and personal' business from Prince Imrahil himself. I'm supposed to let him know when it would be all right to give it to you."

Legolas' face hardened. "Not today," he said. "Our daughters were born today. I don't want to have to know what this is all about right now."

"Sire?"

"We will receive him tomorrow morning," Aragorn told the errand runner stiffly. "Make sure he understands this and then just enjoy yourself for the rest of the day."

"Thank you, King Elessar, Prince Legolas," said Minardil. He bowed and turned, leaving without understanding what he'd really told them. He didn't see the way that Legolas pressed his lips together and looked down at the baby in his arms with an expression that told that he was thinking about another time; nor did he see the dark expression that passed over Aragorn's face as he clutched in the other infant closer to him. Eldarion did observe it all, though; and the questions that had begun stirring within him back in the citadel increased tenfold.

To be continued…