Chapter 35 ended with:

"Valerie is considerate, amusing, very smart and perceptive..." Derenil smiled, feeling more comfortable. Until Thranduil finished his sentence. "She is also opinionated, aggressive, brutally honest and uses her mind-reading ability when you would prefer she did not. Legolas is crazy about her!" he finished with a snort. "And truthfully, if she can love me, she will love you too!"

This playful side of Thranduil was new to Derenil. It would take some getting used to...

Original characters living in Valinor:

Lithil, first mother of Oropher

Tialyn, mate of Oropher and mother of Thranduil

Derenil, mate of Thranduil and mother of Legolas

Allison, Valerie's sister, mate of Glorfindel and mother of Rosswen

Rosswen, daughter of Glorfindel and Allison, mate of Haldir

Helethil, mate of Liam

Chapter 36 – Permanent Farewells

For many long hours, they had been able to see the shore, the high peaks of the Pelori and the isle of Erresëa. After spending long minutes staring at their first sight of the Undying Lands, everyone had quickly packed their belongings, determined to leave the ship as soon as they arrived in Alqualondë. It was not that the ship was uncomfortable, or that the crossing of the western sea had been difficult. But after one full month of sailing, the crowding and lack of privacy had become unbearable. They all hoped that their family awaiting them in Valinor would soon bring them to their new homes, and that they would quickly forget the long journey.

Elladan made sure that the people of Imladris were gathered on the deck, ready to leave the ship, as was his last duty as Lord of Imladris. Once they arrived in Alqualondë, all the elves on board would return their allegiance to his father Elrond. Phoebe assumed it would be the same for her, certain that her duty as Captain of Imladris would soon end since Glorfindel was probably Captain of the realm where Elrond currently resided, wherever that was.

They were both looking forward to this reduction in their responsibilities. They had done their duty for decades but they both had admitted to the other that they much preferred the freedom of not being in charge of their people. Phoebe's desire was to be a lieutenant under the orders of her grandfather, while Elladan was simply happy to do the same under Glorfindel and his father. Many years before they had sailed, they had started discussing in which realm they would live in Valinor, should the Greenwood elves and the Imladris elves not live in one united realm. Heated discussions they had been.

Once the ship arrived at the port of Alqualondë, the mariners maneuvered around the rocks and other ships with great competence, until they finally accosted at quay, where a large crowd awaited the travelers.

Phoebe and Elladan were standing together, in full warrior gear as was their habit. They were arriving to a new territory, and although they knew Valinor was a land of peace, they had judged it more prudent to be ready for every possible outcome, including a violent one. The other warriors on the ship had done the same. The civilian elves were chatting nervously, trying to find their loved ones in the crowd standing on the dock.

In the front line of the group, Elladan suddenly recognized his adar, with his naneth standing beside him. Celebrian looked so healthy as compared to the last time he had seen her before she had sailed, unable to recover from the orc attack that had almost claimed her life. He pointed the couple to Phoebe, but his wife was watching the people standing near the Imladris lord. Proudly standing between two ellith was her grandfather Thranduil, as royal and aloof as she had always seen him in public. She had no idea who were the two ellith with him, but judging at how he was holding both their arms, they were probably family. One of them might be his mate, and she tried to recall the looks of the elleth that had been on the painting in his private apartment back in the Greenwood caves. His beloved Derenil, he used to call her. She thought the elleth at his left might be her. How glad she was that he had been right about the rebirth of his wife! The second elleth could either be Oropher's wife Tialyn or Oropher's naneth Lithil. She prayed it was the former, remembering that Thranduil had always said that Oropher had had an unhappy childhood with his first naneth. She did not even know this elleth, but she already hated her with passion. How could this elleth have been so heartless with her little brother was beyond her. Oropher was a bit of a handful, but he was such a charming ellon who wanted to be loved!

Somewhere between Thranduil and Elrond stood Liam and his wife Helethil, and Glorfindel with Allison. Her aunt was holding the hand of a cute elleth who looked like Phoebe when she had been a teenager. Rosswen was a few years away from her majority, and her father seemed to make sure that Haldir, the Marchwarden of Lothlorien, remained a little further away in the crowd. But even from the ship, Phoebe could tell that her young cousin was absolutely fascinated by the ellon who was standing beside Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. The latter had sailed a few years before them, after having spent a decade with them in Imladris.

"Are you ready?" Elladan asked Phoebe.

"As ready as I will ever be." She was nervous to meet all these people, knowing she would be looked at with curiosity if not contempt by the most puritan of elves. She would probably be the first female warrior seen in Valinor, and she wondered how well she would be accepted. This time, she would not have her mother to shield her from the scornful eyes. Valerie had always managed to bring all the negative attention about female warriors upon herself, leaving Phoebe a lot of opportunities to do as she pleased since people thought Phoebe's behavior was a consequence of how poorly Valerie had raised her. But until Valerie herself sailed, Phoebe would be on her own. She would have much preferred facing a horde of orcs than the self-righteous elves of Valinor.

People started to go ashore, and Elladan and Phoebe left the ship last, jumping with agility on the walkway. Once their feet touched the ground, the spouses separated, Phoebe going in the direction of her grandfather while Elladan went to see his parents.

Phoebe walked with feigned confidence to her grandfather, wondering if he had started again to refuse public displays of affection since his arrival in Valinor. He had been a pain about that in her first years in Greenwood, but she had quickly cured him of that habit. He answered her interrogation earlier than she expected, getting free of the two ellith's hold and taking the last few steps separating him from his granddaughter. She was quickly engulfed in a strong embrace, which she returned with all her might.

"Grandfather," she murmured against his neck. She remembered his scent now, and how baby soft his hair was. A rush of childhood memories came to her mind. How she had missed him, the strong ellon who had been one of the most important people in her life! She tried not to cry, but to no avail. He heard her sniffles and looked at her face, taking it in his hands.

"Why the tears, aure nin – my sunlignt ? We are finally reunited, for good this time. You will be happy here, I swear it. You will never be alone without family ever again!"

He held her against his chest once more, deciding to discuss her future residence that very night. He had originally wanted to give her some time to discuss this with her mate, but now that she was here, in his arms, he needed to know if she would live with him or with Elrond. But for now, he needed to introduce her to his mate and his naneth. He looked at her face again, and she smiled to him, her tears dried.

"Are you ready to meet your grandmother and great-grandmother?"

He pulled her hand until they faced the two ellith that had been with him before. One of them smiled to her shyly, and Phoebe felt a surge of protectiveness towards her. She was delicately beautiful but seemed fragile. Exactly the type of elleth that her grandfather would love safeguarding, one that would not rock his world like Phoebe and Valerie had done to him in the past.

"Queen Derenil," Phoebe said, "I am delighted to see that you have been reborn and that you finally have been reunited with my grandfather. I wish my father and mother could know this, it would be such a relief for them!"

"Please call me Derenil," the elleth said with a sweet, low voice. "I am your grandmother after all."

"It is my preference too, but I was not sure of your reaction, so I started with being formal," Phoebe replied with a grin. She took Derenil in her arms and gave her two kisses under the observing eyes of her grandfather, who seemed to think this was natural.

Phoebe turned to the second elleth, who was looking at her with curiosity and a bit of playfulness.

"I am Tialyn, Oropher's mate and Thranduil's naneth," she said before Phoebe could say anything.

"Well, I can predict that Oropher will like what he sees once he sails!" Phoebe said, clearly hearing Derenil choke beside her while Tialyn laughed delightfully.

"Valar, I already like you! We will spend a lot of time together before my mate sails, and I want to hear everything about him!"

Phoebe gave Tialyn a kiss, and murmured in her ear that she would tell her all of Oropher's most embarrassing moments as a child. Tialyn laughed again.

Phoebe turned around and looked for her brother with a frown. When Liam approached her, she welcomed him with a haughty look. "Liam! I am surprised to see you here, waiting for me, after the way you left Middle Earth."

Liam's face became red, but he gave her a hug nevertheless. "How is Mother?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"She took your hasty departure very hard, but as she keeps saying, you always had more brains than heart! I would dread her arrival, if I were you."

"Grandfather reminds me of my inappropriate goodbyes to my family each time we meet. Believe me, I do not need you to add your voice to his harsh lectures."

"I will let Father do that. I predict that he will give you an even rougher time. Personally, I believe it is the detrimental influence of Helethil that made you do that. Oh! Helethil! There you are! I had not seen you!" Phoebe feigned surprise at seeing her sister-in-law beside Liam.

Tialyn snorted softly while Thranduil looked at the two ellith with a raised eyebrow. He had expected Phoebe not to appreciate Liam's mate, they were, after all, extremely different. Their disparity did not seem reconcilable.

"I thought your eyesight was better than a mortal's," Helethil replied with condescension, "but I guess I was wrong."

"Worry not, my eyesight is very good, my archery skills are a testimony to that. But I admit I tend not to notice insignificant details…" Phoebe drawled. Before Helethil could reply, she turned to Liam and told him that she had a letter for him from their mother, and to come pick it up later that evening. Alone.

"We all are staying in the same inn than Lord Elrond," Liam said, holding the arm of his wife who knew it was his way of asking her to remain silent. He wanted to speak to Phoebe and did not want her to interfere. He knew his sister was right. His mate had never respected Valerie and Phoebe, telling him regularly that their behavior was not acceptable for ellith of their statuses. He loved his mate dearly, but knew she was a pain in the arse when she did not like someone. And truthfully, she did have something to do with his departure without saying proper goodbyes to his family. He had to make amends, and Helethil would not stop him this time. And more than anything, he wanted to read his mother's letter.

"Phoebe will be staying with us, not with Elrond," Thranduil interfered, already making a claim on his granddaughter. "You can visit us after dinner, or even better, have dinner with us."

"I will," Liam promised.

Phoebe looked around her and noticed many Greenwood warriors standing in a perfect line, showing respect for their returning lieutenant. She walked to them and greeted each soldier with warm words.

"Bret!" she cried when she faced Brethilon, the warrior who had protected her mother for decades, and her by the same token. She could not help herself and gave him a hug, which he returned heartily.

Elrond, Celebrian and Elladan were now standing nearby, watching the warriors welcome back their lieutenant. Celebrian was arm in arm with her son, and everyone could tell that she would not want to let him out of her sight for a long time. Once Phoebe was done, Elladan called her and introduced her to his naneth. Either Elrond had prepared her or Celebrian was very open-minded, but she showed no surprise or disapproval when she met the warrior elleth who was her daughter-in-law.

Phoebe was wearing a dark blue tunic and white leggings which were not hiding the muscular shape of her long legs, and her violently red hair shining under the sunlight was tied in a high braid that flowed over her elven blades and bow on her back. As much as she had been shocked by Liam and Rosswen's red hair, Celebrian thought their looks were nothing when compared to Phoebe's. Elladan was looking at his mate as if she was a goddess, and she decided that was enough for her to accept this strange daughter-in-law. The close friends Celebrian, Derenil and Tialyn exchanged glances, knowing they would have much to talk about once their trio was alone.

Later that evening, Derenil was watching her mate, her granddaughter and Elladan as they were sitting on the balcony of their nearby suite. At dinner, Elrond and Celebrian had been disappointed to realize that their son and daughter-in-law were staying at the inn where the Elvenking had elected to stay. Phoebe had much to tell her grandfather that evening, and Elladan had decided to humor her. Liam had joined them and had been able to get a few smiles out of his sister, and by the end of the evening, she had forgiven him and given him a thick letter with the Greenwood royal seal. Liam had left the dining room almost immediately to return to the inn where he stayed, unable to wait to read his mother's words.

Derenil was listening to the conversation taking place from the balcony of the royal suite, half hidden behind the curtains of her room. She heard about what had happened in the past decades since Thranduil had sailed. So many unknown elves who were part of her family! She knew the names of some but had never met them personally, and the size of her family literally scared her.

Thranduil was appalled to hear that Oropher had turned violent when he had realized that his twin brother was his former enemy in his previous life. He was even more shocked to hear that Valerie had been hurt while interfering in the fight. But Phoebe reported that after a few weeks, things had gotten calmer in Ithilien, and that Oropher and Gil-galad had been on friendly terms when she had sailed, although Valerie had been hoping that their brotherly love would soon reappear.

Thranduil inquired about their plans for the future, trying to sound uninterested when he mentioned that both Elrond and he had assumed they would live in their realm. He was very satisfied and relieved to hear that Phoebe and Elladan had decided to live most of the time in the Woodland Realm, and to visit New Imladris many times a year.

Derenil blushed in shame for her eavesdropping when the conversation turned to her own self. Eaten up with curiosity, she listened as Thranduil subtly asked his granddaughter to treat his mate with consideration and not to hurt her sensibilities by being careless. Phoebe laughed and promised to act like a proper elleth as much as she could, telling him that she was always nice with family.

"Yes, I seem to recall that you were very nice with your uncle John," Thranduil said.

"If you recall correctly," Elladan intervened, "it was Legolas who was very nice with John."

"Elladan is right. On my part, I was very nice with Aunt Rose," Phoebe continued.

The three of them laughed darkly, and Derenil promised herself to make an investigation about these people. Something dramatic must have happened between them, Legolas and Phoebe.

The evening ended when Phoebe gave her grandfather a heavy box wrapped in green paper. Thranduil brought the box back to his room, where Derenil was waiting for him, brushing her hair as if she had not been listening all evening.

"What is in the box?" she asked.

"I am not sure, Phoebe said it is from my daughter. Our daughter," he quickly corrected himself, making sure to include his mate in the relationship. He sat on the bed and removed the ribbon that was sealing the box closed. When he removed the top, he saw many letters, all closed with the Greenwood seal. The first one said Year 6 of the Fourth Age under the seal. He started going through all the letters, and realized there was one for each year since he had sailed, from the sixth year to the thirtieth year of the Fourth Age. Valerie had written him a letter each year! There were hours of reading ahead of him if he read them all now.

He looked at Derenil, evaluating if she would be angry if he read the 24 letters before going to bed. But as usual, she had read him very well. She gave him a kiss and simply asked him to read the letters at the candlelight in a corner of the room so she could sleep that night.

OoOoO

Gondor, Year 43 of the Fourth Age

13 years after the last events

Easterlings had attacked Gondor again, and their invasion was important enough for King Elessar to ask for the help of all his vassals and friends. Together, they had prepared a battle plan that would encircle the hordes of savages and ensure to eliminate them. The goal was to inflict a defeat of such proportions that the Eastern lords would get the message and remain in their lands for good.

In the southern flanks of the Gondorian army, the Swan warriors were battling fearlessly, led by Prince Elphir. Prince Imrahil had died a few years before, leaving his firstborn son and heir in charge of his realm. Elphir's brother Erchirion and his son Alphros were riding with him.

The eastern flanks were comprised of the Minas Tirith army, led by King Elessar himself, while the western part was protected by Prince Faramir's men.

On the northern flank, the elves of Ithilien were containing the attack, led by Legolas and his numerous sons. Elessar's adoptive brother Elrohir was with them. Even the princess of Greenwood was riding with the elven army. Some soldiers whispered that they had seen her riding a huge stallion, her bow on her back and a strange metallic weapon in her hands.

In fact, Valerie had been bored at home while her husband and sons were at the border of their realm, and when the king of Gondor had asked for troops to boot out the Easterlings, she had decided to go with them. At first, her sons had been against the idea, but Legolas had told them not to worry about their naneth. She had proved her worth in many battles while they were elflings.

Their reborn sons were adults now. Gil-galad and Oropher were 62, while Fingolfin, Elros and Ecthelion were 56 years old. Only Victoria was still an elfling, but at 45, she was close to her coming of age and looked like a 15 year-old teenager. Victoria had remained in Minas Tirith while her mother was on the battlefield having the time of her life. The past 50 years had been difficult for Valerie, concentrating on raising six elflings all at once. Although Arwen had helped her when they had visited each other, it was now her turn to experience maternity. After 45 years of marriage, the queen of Gondor had finally given birth to a child, a son and heir that she had called Eldarion. He was Elessar's pride and joy, after having been desired for so long. Valerie had remained in Gondor with her friend for a few months, before she had decided to join Legolas and her sons in battle.

The battle had raged for an entire day on many fronts, but in the end, Gondor was victorious. All the soldiers were whispering about the fierceness and absolute lethalness of the reborn elves of Ithilien and their father Legolas, who had fought the war of the ring with their king. Some had witnessed their mother on the battlefield, her fiery hair making her a target for the Easterlings, but somehow, she had finished the battle without a scratch. They were curious about her weapons, unseen yet in Middle Earth. She had killed many foes with her arrows and these special weapons, and many had looked at the bodies of the Easterlings she had killed, puzzled by the metallic small objects they had found in their wounds. Whatever this was, it was a lot more effective than arrows!

All the leaders met in King Elessar's tent to celebrate their victory. Valerie went with Legolas and her sons, making sure to hide her guns carefully in a locked chest in her tent before the meeting. She had hoped that not many mortals had seen her use them, but it was unlikely that her weapons had remained a secret. The way the Gondor soldier were looking at her told her as much.

Inside the tent, the expression of Prince Elphir of Dol Amroth was dark, despite their victory. Elessar informed them that the prince's brother Erchirion was dying after having received an arrow in the stomach. It had caused irreparable internal damage, and the man was expected to pass away within the hour.

While the leaders were discussing the cleaning of the battlefield and the next steps to ensure the Easterlings would not venture in Gondor ever again, Elphir discreetly came closer to Valerie, until he was standing beside her.

"Good evening, Princess Valerie."

"Good evening, Prince Elphir. I am sorry to hear about your brother. It will be a great loss for Dol Amroth."

"It will be," Elphir sighed. "A few years after my father's death, it is with great sadness that we will see another of our own pass in the other world… My Lady, please forgive my audacity. There is something I need to ask you, but please, feel free to refuse if you cannot accept."

"What is it, Lord Elphir?" Valerie was curious but was sure it had something to do with Erchirion.

"My brother… he still cares for you very much."

Elphir did not realize it, by their whispered conversation had caught the attention of all the elves in the tent, including her mate and all their sons. Valerie saw Legolas' jaw tense in discontent, while her sons looked at her discreetly, wondering what this was about. Some of them recalled that Legolas had once attacked Erchirion after he had been insulted by him, but they had never known the true cause of their fight. They suddenly realized it had something to do with their mother, and the unwanted attention she frequently raised in mortal males, who generally did not realize how lethal a jealous elf was.

"I am sorry to hear that," she simply replied, hoping that this conversation would soon end. But Elphir did not realize the tension in the tent, nor the inappropriateness of his next request.

"He would certainly die in peace if he saw you one last time…"

"I do not think this is a great idea. He should pass surrounded by his family, not with some youth crush he should have forgotten long ago." Now it was there in the open for her sons to hear, but she could not accept his request and he did not seem to understand her position.

"This was no crush for him. He loved you deeply, and still does."

"Elphir, please do not ask this of me…" she pleaded.

"He is dying!" he insisted angrily, forgetting he had promised that she could refuse. "He received this arrow in his chest because he was too busy watching you on the battlefield and being worried that you would get hurt! If you had remained in Minas Tirith with the queen, my brother would still be alive!"

She hid her face behind her hands, unable to decide what to do. She soon felt Legolas' presence beside her.

"You can go," he told her. "I will remain here, with Elessar."

"Are you sure?" she was surprised that Legolas was comfortable with the idea, but after all, Erchirion was dying. He was no more a young man, what was the risk for his mate? Legolas could afford to allow her to see the one who had coveted her for decades.

"Yes, Elros will go with you." This time, she was not surprised. Legolas could be magnanimous, but he had his limits. Elros would be there to make sure Valerie was not being pushed into something she did not want.

Elphir led Valerie and Elros to a tent with a Swan flag, and when she entered, she saw a man lying on a small bed with two healers beside him. Erchirion was now an old man. Another person that Valerie knew who kept aging while she remained ever young. She was now 93 years old and still looked in her twenties. Erchirion's painful expression lightened up when he saw her in his tent, and she slowly walked to him, noticing all the signs of aging and of his imminent death on his face. He was pale and shuddering with a fever that told her the arrow that hit him had been poisoned. The two healers left the tent after she arrived.

"Valerie, my love," he whispered, extending his hand in her direction until she took it in her own. Valerie could hear all the thoughts rushing in Elros' head, wondering if his naneth had slept with this man. He could not think of another reason for Erchirion to call her in such a familiar and passionate way.

"I did not," she told her son with a glare, and Elros nodded his head in shameful apology. She turned back to Erchirion and sat beside his bed.

"You are in a poor state, my friend."

"And you are as beautiful as ever. I hate the gods who made me fall in love with an elleth!" But his smile denied his words. He was glad to see her unchanged, still the elleth he had wanted for himself since he had seen her when he was a young man. "I never knew you the way I always dreamed of, but I see now that it was better that way. You have remained in my mind like an unreachable goddess. Knowing the pleasures of the flesh with you would have spoiled my feelings I am afraid," he admitted.

Elphir was in the corner of the tent, trying to be discreet but listening with as much interest as Elros. Valerie promised herself to make her son swear to never reveal this conversation to his adar and brothers. She would never hear the end of it!

So far she had remained silent, seeing that Erchirion was soliloquizing and did not expect a reply. Until he suddenly asked the question she had been dreading to hear.

"Have you ever considered loving me, Valerie? Have you ever been tempted by my passion?"

In truth, she had almost found herself in his bed the first time they had met when she had visited Dol Amroth. But after that episode, she had felt indifference for him at each one of their meetings. Could she tell him that? Could she tell a dying man that she had no interest in him while he had just declared his love and admiration for her? She realized that she could not.

"Yes, Erchirion. The first time we met, I was tempted and almost betrayed my vows to my husband. But we were not meant to be. I am sorry."

"I am glad," he sighed, turning his gaze to the top of the tent instead of her face. "I am in peace knowing that you once shared my feelings."

It was not exactly what Valerie had said. She had told him she had been physically tempted to share his bed, but not that she had shared his feelings. The others in the tent realized as much, but Elphir gave her a pleading look that made her close her mouth on the protest she was about to emit.

"Stay with me until the end," Erchirion pleaded. She nodded and took his other hand. She spoke to him softly, encouraging him through the pain until he suddenly stopped breathing. The silence in the tent was unbearable after the laborious breathing of the dying man.

Valerie delicately closed his empty eyes. "I hope you will be reunited with your mother and father. Be at peace, Erchirion."

Elphir started to cry and walked to his brother's body. Valerie stood, leaving the space beside the bed and walked to her son who opened his arms for her. Elros hugged her, knowing this had been difficult for his naneth. He was proud of how she had helped the man in this most delicate situation.

"I will never tell what I have seen and heard today," he promised her. She smiled despite her tears. Elros was full of wisdom like his twin brother Elrond. She knew he would never tell anything to their family.

"Thank you," she said. "Now let us go announce to the king that Erchirion is gone." They left Elphir, nodding in the direction of the grieving prince of Dol Amroth.

When Valerie and Elros entered the king's tent, they were welcomed by the grim faces of everyone in attendance.

"Valerie," Legolas said, worriedly. He was projecting grief so strong it was almost painful for her, and so did all her sons.

"What is it?" she asked, deciding not to read their minds. She assumed Erchirion's death could not be the cause of their sorrow. They had never been close, in fact, they had barely known him.

"We have just received a message from Minas Tirith," the king said. "It is from Arwen."

"What happened to Victoria?" she cried, already damning herself for having left her daughter alone to participate in a battle just for her own entertainment.

Elros walked to his nephew Elrohir and grabbed his arm, as if this contact would tell him the extent of Victoria's injuries. Elros had retrieved his memories a few years before, and although Elrohir had not been born when he had died, Elros had immediately developed a strong relationship with him. Their physical resemblance was astonishing, and their characters were similar too. They had realized that Elrond had been the serious twin like Elladan, while Elros had been the undisciplined one, like Elrohir.

"It is not Victoria," Elrohir told them. Elros and Valerie realized that if something had happened to Victoria, Elrohir would be half crazy already.

Legolas took Valerie in his arms and whispered in her ear: "It is our son. Hadrian. He had a heart failure a few days ago. One half of his body is paralyzed."

They had seen Hadrian a week before. He was a widower now, living alone as his children had their own families in Minas Tirith. He had been burying himself in work since he had started working for Elessar as a counselor, living with constant stress and worries. He never had time to rest or to take care of his health.

Valerie knew that these times did not have the available treatments to help Hadrian. It was only a question of time before another stroke took his life definitively.

She looked at her sons. They were sad because their parents were sad. But they had never been truly close to Hadrian. He had already been a grown man while they were still young elflings. Hadrian had been close to Liam, Phoebe and Sean. Of them, only Sean was in Middle Earth. Sean! He must be with Hadrian as they spoke, and this is where she needed to be too. At her mortal son's bedside.

"Do you want to ride back to Minas Tirith immediately or leave tomorrow morning?" Fingolfin asked. He was a most practical ellon, and always took care of the family arrangements.

"I want to leave now," she replied. "That is, if you do not mind…"

There was a concert of protests, all her sons telling her that they would ride at the time of her choice. Fingolfin left the tent with Oropher and Gil-galad.

"It will be a difficult loss for our family," Ecthelion said, taking Valerie's hand in his. She was very close to him. The memories of the horrific battles against balrogs during the fall of Gondolin had plagued his dreams for many years now. When he had still been an elfling, she had spent countless nights in his bed after he had had a nightmare, caressing his dark hair until he fell asleep again. Now that he was an adult, she no longer joined him in his bed, but walked with him in the forest when he could no longer sleep. Some nights, they just walked without exchanging any words. These nights, she knew he was horrified beyond words. Other nights, he shared his memories with her, and she gave him all the comfort she could, which was very little when his memories were about killing devilish creatures whose flames were burning him, and finally drowning in a fountain with the king of the Balrogs. But he seemed to appreciate her presence. She had wondered many times how Allison coped with Glorfindel's nightmares. Maybe he had found peace in Valinor? When would Ecthelion know such peace? Elessar was still in the prime of his life, with very little grey hair and wrinkles. It did not seem that they would sail anytime soon.

"Thank you, ion nin – my son," she told him. Even if they all knew she was not their true mother, her reborn sons were still calling her naneth and liked being called ion. The same applied for Legolas, who had been their father figure for 50 years.

"Will you be coming back to Minas Tirith soon?" Legolas asked the king.

"No, I need to clean up the battlefield. Please tell my wife that I should ride back in three days."

"We will."

OoOoO

Victoria could tell that Hadrian had very little time left. Since half of his body was now paralyzed, not only his speech was difficult, but he could no longer drink or eat properly. Getting enough nourishment in his body was a challenge they were failing miserably at.

Hadrian's daughter was spending a few hours every day with him, but since she had a husband and children to take care of, he was unfortunately not her priority. Sean and Victoria were spending most of their time with him, taking care of him. Sean was doing it out of affection for his human brother, while Victoria was doing it out of duty. Hadrian was so much older than her, 22 years were separating them. He was a very old man while she had the interests and looks of a 15 year-old elleth. A world separated them. She knew her naneth loved this man, this brother she barely knew, and she was anticipating her mother's reaction once she saw her adoptive child on the brink of death. It would not be pretty.

For the moment, Sean and Arwen were beside Hadrian's bed, and the queen was whispering to her husband's counselor that they had won the war and that his family was on its way back to Minas Tirith to be with him. They would arrive anytime now.

Victoria was sitting in a corner, holding Eldarion, the son of Elessar and Arwen. The child had many elven features, and he looked like his mother and uncles, with his dark hair and grey eyes. She kissed the little head while he slept in her arms. She imagined that the children Elrohir would give her would look like Eldarion. She smiled, imagining herself surrounded with numerous dark elflings like her naneth had been. Her smile faltered. No, that would not do. Only her mother could handle so many elflings. She removed quite a few elflings from the picture, and saw herself with two elflings, one ellon and one elleth, both looking like Elrohir. It did not even cross her mind that their future children could look like her, or even like her naneth. Elrohir was the only thing of importance in her life, outside of her family.

She was still too young to bind herself to an ellon, but she already knew that Elrohir was destined to be hers. Her dear friend, as her naneth had always delicately called Elrohir, had always been in her life from as far as she could remember. Over the years, her friendship for him had evolved into fascination. His character, his intelligence, his absolute courage, his looks, all about him pleased her. She had wanted him for herself even before she realized what a physical relationship would entail. She only knew she wanted no other elleth around him. It had been a year that something had changed in Elrohir's eyes when he looked at her. This hunger, she had seen it in her adar's expression when he sometimes looked at her naneth. It was the same expression when she caught her parents kissing in their talan, or even in the forest when they thought they were alone. And she wanted that. She wanted Elrohir to hold her, to kiss her and caress her. She wanted them to be a couple like her parents. They were so happy! She wanted to make Elrohir happy in the same manner. Only five more years before she could marry him. She had no doubt that her friend would ask her hand in marriage on the 50th birthday.

There was a commotion outside the little house, and many people started entering. Victoria held the child closer to her chest. "Sweet Eldarion, I hope my family will not wake you. You are such an angel and they are so noisy! You will see!"

She nodded each time one of her brothers entered the room, and they all immediately hushed when they saw her precious charge. Her parents entered the room too and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before going to the bed where Hadrian was lying. Elrohir entered last and stopped when he saw her, surprised by the sight of his future mate with a child in her arms. Since Arwen was in the room, he assumed the child was his nephew Eldarion. He walked to Victoria and sat beside her, immediately confirming the identity of the child.

"A child suits you very well," he told her with a hoarse voice. He prayed she would not notice his desire. She was still too young for that.

"Do you think your children will look like Eldarion?"

"Probably," he admitted.

"I want a child or two, exactly like him," she said lightly. She looked at him through half-closed eyelids.

He looked stunned. It was the first time she was making a statement that potentially implied that she wanted to be with him later.

"I hope your wishes will be granted," he said neutrally.

But Victoria knew his mind was in turmoil. "My naneth always says that we need to force destiny to grant us what we want," she replied seriously. "I know exactly what I want, and what I need to do to get it."

A light appeared in his eyes. "What are you planning to do exactly?" he asked with a grin.

"Nothing you will not allow." She blushed with that last sentence, but still held his gaze.

He smiled like a predator. "I am looking forward to the moment you will be taking action."

"I am looking forward to many other things," she whispered, but this time, she looked back at the child in her arms.

Behind them, Oropher cleared his throat and they both jumped out of their skins. By some miracle, Eldarion did not wake.

"Dear Elrohir," the reborn king said, "I am certain that you realize how inappropriate this discussion is for my great-granddaughter. She is still an elfling."

"I am your sister," Victoria rebelled. Their family relationships were strange and complicated. Oropher sometimes acted like he was her brother, other times like he was her great-grandfather. Of course, he generally used the status that suited him best to annoy her. How many times had her naneth needed to get involved to make sure that Victoria had some form of freedom once in a while? She had stopped counting.

"I am sorry, Oropher," Elrohir said calmly, not even shaken by the ellon's glare. He had played with Oropher as a child. He would never be afraid of the former king of Greenwood.

The room soon became too crowded, and after telling Hadrian a few words, the brothers left the room with Victoria, Elrohir, Arwen and Eldarion, only leaving Legolas, Valerie and Sean in the room.

"My son," Valerie murmured while she caressed Hadrian's face. "I wish I could give you some of my strength."

Hadrian took her hand with his good hand and let his eyes speak. But for Valerie, it was much easier to understand him. His mind was opened to her, he wished for her to read his thoughts. It was now the best and only way for them to communicate.

There are too many people around me. I feel like a freak show with everyone staring at my paralyzed side. I hate reading the pity in their eyes.

"I will make sure to limit the number of visitors. You will be quiet," she promised.

I cannot eat, Naneth.

"I will try to feed you some juice with crushed fruits inside. It will give you some nourishment."

No. I do not want to be fed like a small child. I do not wish to live like this.

"What do you mean?" The tone of her voice told Legolas and Sean that Hadrian had thought about something that Valerie didn't like.

I cannot care for myself. I am half a man now!

"You are not half a man!" she said angrily. Legolas put a calming hand on her shoulder. He had a good idea what Hadrian was telling her. It was not something a mother liked to hear.

I am. I have been an important counselor in Minas Tirith. I participated in many negotiations and was the ambassador of Gondor for many visits in other realms. I will not be looked at with pity, I will not be perceived as a useless weight!

"Fine, we will not allow visitors outside the family."

This is not what I meant. I do not want to remain like this for many months and years.

"What do you want me to do?"

I want you to let me go.

"What?"

If my heart fails again, I want you to let me go. I do not want you to keep me alive in this state.

"I cannot promise that," she moaned. "You are my son!"

If I were your son, I would not be lying half paralyzed in this bed. I would be young and strong.

"Is it my fault if the Valar did not grant you immortality?" she cried. "I prayed them for years, every single day. But my wish was not granted!"

It means you were not meant to have me as a child. I was not part of the prophecy.

"Was I supposed to let you starve in Lake-town? Or die during a cold winter night if someone did not offer you shelter?"

No. I am sorry. You gave me wonderful years with your family, you gave me the only love I had ever been given. But… I always resented the fact that all your other children were immortal. Even Sean, Liam and Phoebe, who were human before…

When Valerie looked up at Sean, he knew that Hadrian was expressing his frustration about his mortality. It was something Hadrian had shared with Sean a few years back, during an evening where they both had had too much to drink. It had been the first and last time that Hadrian had expressed himself on this subject. Sean could not believe that Hadrian was somehow making their mother feel guilty about it.

"Our mother loved you as much as she loved all of us," he told his adoptive brother. "Six of her children are not of her blood, and can you say you have ever seen her show favoritism to her four blood children?"

Hadrian closed his eyes, somehow admitting that Sean was right.

"Do not let your anger at the Valar be directed at your mother," Legolas continued. "She did all she could, but this decision was beyond her power. If it had been up to her, you would have become an elf the moment she laid her eyes on you."

"I love you," Valerie told Hadrian. "You said you want me to let you go… Are you not scared of death?"

I am more scared of staying like this for many years. I am tired. My time has come. Promise me you will not intervene if my heart lets me down again.

"I do not know if I can promise you that."

"What does he want?" Legolas asked.

"He wants us to let him die."

Legolas looked at Hadrian for a long time. He had seen many battles, many mortals and elves being grievously injured and preferring to die than to live with missing limbs. For an elf, the choice was easier, as they would one day be reborn in their original state. But for men, the choice was final, and many still made it. Hadrian was old now, frustrated never to have been granted immortality. His life from now on would be difficult, a charge for his family. He would need help to feed, to use the chamber pot, to get cleaned… It was no life for such a proud man. Valerie could not understand that choice. She would be the first one to volunteer to take care of him, forgetting her own well-being and her other children to take care of Hadrian. But Hadrian did not want that.

"We will," he firmly told Hadrian while Valerie gaped.

"We will not!" she protested hysterically.

"He is my son too. And I am telling you that we will let him choose the life he wishes to have. If he changes his mind, I am sure he will let us know."

Thank Legolas for me.

"Absolutely not!"

But Hadrian managed to smile, knowing that he had won over his naneth. His adoptive father would make sure that his wishes were respected.

For many days, Valerie spent most of her time with Hadrian. She was the only one who could communicate with him. She only slept a few hours each night, going back to his bedside in the early hours of the night. They spoke like they had never spoken, telling each other things they had never shared with no one else. His morale was better, but he was declining physically very quickly. The immobility, the lack of proper food and the heat of the end of the summer were too much for his weak body. His fate was sealed.

He died in her arms peacefully, one evening right before sunset. His final thoughts were thoughts of love and forgiveness, telling her it was not her fault if he had remained human. Her forehead was against his, their tears blending on his cheeks, until he slowly stopped breathing.

Legolas put his hand on Valerie's neck, giving her the necessary strength to face the people who were waiting for them. Hadrian's numerous brothers and his sister, his children and grandchildren were sitting outside the house, waiting to hear about his passing. But Valerie did not react calmly like he expected. After all, Hadrian's death was hardly a surprise for her. But once she realized Hadrian's body was now lifeless, she started screaming for him not to leave, to remain with her. All her pain came out for everyone to hear, and outside the house, their family understood that they had lost one of their own. Forever.

OoOoO

Ithilien, Year 73 of the Fourth Age

30 years after the last events

The ellyn were sitting around the fire. They were still protecting the borders of Ithilien, more out of habit than true necessity. No orc had been seen in Middle Earth in the past 20 years. Easterlings had remained in their territories, having signed a peace agreement with King Elessar that suited them and had fixed some of their grievances. No elf in Ithilien had drawn a knife to protect himself for a long time, other than during practice or when facing a wild animal.

For many elven warriors, it meant it was time to sail. If they had no purpose, they would fade. Many had sailed already in the past ten years, and only twenty-five elves remained in Middle Earth, including the royal family of Greenwood.

That evening at the borders, the brothers were discussing their situation while their parents and sister were in their now almost empty city.

"I need to sail," Oropher explained. "I can no longer wait. King Elessar is nowhere near the end of his life! Queen Arwen and him are still very young, in fact, she is expecting her fourth child! I have a mate waiting for me in Valinor. And I want to speak to Thranduil."

"I am not sure that Thranduil is waiting for you with impatience," Gil-galad remarked. "After all, once you sail, who will be king of the realm he currently lives in? You? Or him?"

"This is a dilemma many of us will face," Fingolfin said to Gil-galad. "My adar Finwë was king before me. My sons Fingon and Turgon were both kings after my passing. It will be very awkward if we are all reborn and living in Valinor. But I still want to sail regardless. Anairë is waiting for me. We have been apart since the First Age, since we left Valinor to come to Middle Earth."

"Do you clearly remember her face?" Elrohir asked. As their brother-in-law, he was accepted in their close circle.

"I remember it like I had seen her yesterday. Would you ever forget Victoria's face?" Fingolfin asked to prove his point.

"I always said that I would remain here with our parents, but it has been 42 years that I regained my memories. I miss my mate and by now, she knows I remember her. I cannot remain here any longer." Oropher had made his decision.

"I am staying with our parents until the end," Gil-galad said. "And so will Sean. We spoke about this a few times him and I. He will only sail once the king and queen pass in the other world."

"I wish I could be with Elrond... But I have no mate waiting for me," Elros finally told his brothers. "My wife and queen was mortal and will never be reborn. Elrond can wait. I have my nephew here," he said, smiling to Elrohir, "and I wish to remain here with our naneth, our adar and our sister. What about you, Ecthelion?"

"I am still undecided. My family is here, but my friends are in Valinor. I always wondered if the nightmares would disappear once I sailed. The Undying Lands are supposed to be a land of peace... I find no peace at night, once dreams occupy my mind. I have not properly slept since I became of age. I might sail after all." They knew that Ecthelion wanted to sail but was hesitating because he knew their parents' reaction would be very negative.

"Brannor will never leave our parents," Gil-galad said. "But if a few warriors follow you, there will be too little of us to guard Ithilien."

"You forget Uncle Gimli!" Oropher replied sarcastically.

"He will be a great support once you all sail," Elros chided. "I am sure our naneth and sister will be heartbroken once you tell them of your plans."

"You are assuming Victoria and Elrohir will not sail!" Oropher said. He was very close to his great-granddaughter/sister, and wanted her to sail with him.

"We are not sailing," Elrohir confirmed.

"Did Victoria have a say in this?" a tense Oropher asked.

"Let us say that I am the one who did not have a say in this," Elrohir said to decrease the tension. "She wants to remain with Valerie, and would not listen to my arguments about being reunited with Elladan."

"We will have to move to Minas Tirith," Elros told the ones who were planning to stay. "We cannot protect our city anymore. We will have to abandon it."

"Naneth will hate it. You know how we are stared at and inspire distrust in Gondor," Gil-galad replied. "But we have little choices ahead of us. We can discuss this with Adar once you tell them of your decision."

"They already know," Oropher assumed. "She has probably read it in our minds already. And she has told Legolas." He had a hard time calling his grandson adar and preferred calling him by his name. "Why do you think they seem so sad lately? I am certain that they have been dreading this day for many years now."

Oropher, Fingolfin and Ecthelion nodded. They would cause great pain to their parents. But they were also causing pain to their mates in the case of Oropher and Fingolfin. Everything would have been easier if Legolas had not sworn this oath to Elessar! And inexplicably, the king did not release Legolas from his oath despite the obvious signs that the elves were ready to leave. They all assumed he wanted to keep the last two friends of the fellowship, Legolas and Gimli, for as long as possible in Middle Earth. By the same token, he ensured that his wife's brother and Valerie remained near Arwen, to ensure she would have elves around her until her passing...

Once they came back from the borders, the three sons went to their parents' talan to inform them of their decision while their brothers remained outside.

Valerie listened to her sons without saying a word. What could she say? She understood their need to sail, especially Oropher and Fingolfin who had a mate waiting for them. If Legolas had been in Valinor, she would have sailed without a second thought. The fact that they had waited four decades once they had regained their memory was impressive. It had been beyond their expectations. She had tried to ready herself for this day, but despite years of preparation, the pain was devastating. She was losing three sons all at once.

She stood and gave each of them a tender kiss. She could not speak without bursting into tears, and she did not want them to feel guilty. She tried to avoid Legolas' gaze while she was with her sons. As the decades passed by and that they remained in Middle Earth, the weight of Legolas' oath was becoming harder to bear. They had had harsh arguments on the subject in the past, especially after Phoebe had sailed. Before she verbally attacked him or cried in front of her sons, she left the talan, and avoiding her other sons and Elrohir who were nearby, she almost ran in the forest, looking for a spot where she could let her emotions out in private.

She went to her favorite clearing, a spot where she had taken the habit of going when she wanted solitude. She usually just sat on the soft grass, listening to the birds and animals around her. She sometimes brought parchment and a quill, and wrote long letters to her loved ones who had left her. At least, her sons' departure would allow all these people to receive another stack of letters! How she would have preferred to keep her sons with her instead of having them become her messengers!

She remained in the clearing for many hours, sometimes crying, sometimes having an argument with an invisible Legolas, an imaginary altercation in which she was telling him things she would never dare tell him in person. Valar, how she loved him! That was why it was so difficult to deal with her anger towards him. Forgiveness was much more difficult than she had expected. She knew he deeply regretted his oath, but regrets were not bringing her children back.

She had sometimes wondered if she would eventually sail without him. But deep in her heart, she knew it was not an option. As much as she loved her children, Legolas was her mate, the one she could not live without.

"Naneth?" a soft voice called.

Valerie dried her tears while Victoria sat beside her. Her daughter took her hand in hers and put it on her lap. "They are wondering when you will come back home. I told them you would come back when you are ready. They still sent me to see if you need anything."

Victoria was such an attentive person. So sweet, beautiful like an angel... If Valerie was the pillar of their family, Victoria was the glue, keeping the peace in such a turbulent family. Ever since her binding to Elrohir, Valerie's daughter had become very mature, a true lady, a princess Thranduil would be extremely proud of. Elrohir could never take his eyes off her, and Valerie had read in his mind how amazed he was that he was mated to such an extraordinary elleth.

"I do not need anything, Sweetie. But your company is appreciated." She gave her daughter a weak smile.

"I spoke to my brothers. We want you to know that Gil-galad, Elros and I will remain with you no matter what, even if it is in 200 years from now. It is the same for Sean. He is not here, but it is something he told me once. The conversation you had earlier today is the last one you will hear until the king passes, we swear it."

"I love you! So much!" Valerie grabbed her daughter and hugged her with passion. "I thank the Valar every day for having you as a daughter!"

"I love you too, Naneth! There is one last thing I was charged to discuss with you. We have not discussed it with Adar yet. We think we should abandon Ithilien and move to Minas Tirith."

"Why would we do that? Ithilien is our home now!"

"There will be too little of us left to guard the city. It would be safer for us to live in Minas Tirith."

"There are no more orcs! And we are at peace with the Easterlings! There is no danger!"

"And who knows how long this peace treaty will last? These are savages we are talking about. Their behavior is unpredictable. We should not take the chance."

Valerie remained silent. Her children knew how she hated going to Minas Tirith. Between Hadrian's children who were cold and almost scared of their elven nature, and the other citizens who were distrustful, life in the city was far from ideal. Sean was accepted because he was a great minstrel and everyone loved his extraordinary musical talent. But if he had been the average elf, a warrior or a craftsman, he would be an outcast like the rest of his family.

Arwen would probably give them a whole aisle in the castle, where they could have some privacy. But what would they do all day long? How would they occupy themselves? Sean had already promised Victoria and Valerie to teach them some musical instruments. Would it be enough to keep them busy?

And more importantly, would she ever forgive Legolas?

In the next chapter, Oropher, Echtelion and Fingolfin arrive in Valinor. And Valerie falls into a depression...

Natasya Ivashkov: I guess you will have found this latest chapter even more sad than the previous one. Only one sad chapter left and we will see quite an improvement in Valerie's life...

hannahhobnob: Oropher and Gil-galad took a few years to build their relationship back. But they are apart now, since Oropher wanted to sail and Gil-galad preferred to stay with his parents.

Littlehen: thank you for your comments! I am pretty much decided to start writing a Glorfindel version. But I need to finish the Legolas version first!

Angel: Valerie is not sailing yet, Legolas' oath won't allow it. And about a Glorfindel version – I have an idea for Allison's mate. It would be very different!

Gginsc: I hope that you liked this last chapter. It was a little sad – but we are getting closer to the end of the story – and it will end well, I guarantee it.

Blackunicorne: I hadn't even thought of matching Allison with Legolas. I will think about it!

Leafygreen16: As you can see, Phoebe doesn't like Helethil any more than you do!

Airbender42: I hope the list of characters helped you! I agree that many original characters were introduced all at once and that it can be confusing. Thanks for the tip!

Aralinn: I have many, many, many ideas for a Glorfindel version. I can barely stop myself from starting it – I really need to finish the Legolas version first! Thank you for your support.

Syriel: thank you for your comments. I really feel like my writing is improving with each story. I am pretty sure that I will start a Glorfindel version, it is only a question of time.

Ijuhl: you will see more of Glorfindel and Allison once Valerie sails. This part of the story is really focusing on Valerie's family. It should be in two chapters.