Chapter 38 ended with:

Her shocked expression, quickly replaced by a strange mix of hope and fear, was very telling. She seemed to hesitate between two courses of action for a while, but then she closed her door. Her face reappeared at her window a few moments later, still watching him warily. He smiled predatorily. How their roles had changed! He walked slowly in the direction of the tree where her talan was located, making sure to stay within her sight as he climbed the stairs.

Chapter 39 – Sean's Secret Love

Once Sean reached her talan, he stopped on her doorstep to listen to the sounds in the small home, hoping to discern her whereabouts. But he could only hear complete silence. She must have been immobile, not even daring to breathe. Did she think he had not seen her? Or was she truly scared of him? Breaking the silence, he knocked on her door.

She did not answer.

"Amareth, I know you are there. I saw you," he murmured, knowing she would hear him through the wooden door. He heard a few light steps and knew that she was now standing right behind the door. Did she need to be closer to him, unable to resist the temptation that his presence represented?

"Let me in," he insisted gently. "We need to talk."

"About what?" she asked with a trembling voice.

"About us."

"There is no us, my Lord. Your naneth and grandfather made sure of that when they banished me."

"There is an us. You simply did not realize it at the time, because you would never have left Greenwood, even if my grandfather had ordered it. You would have convinced him to allow you to stay because of what we represent to each other. And I must admit that I did not realize it then either. I was too young, too inexperienced."

"Inexperienced? I have heard all about your love prowess even if you were a continent away!"

"I cannot deny this. For many years, I did not understand why I needed to be with ellith and women so much. Until I realized I was always taking to my bed females with long, golden hair. With a slender figure, light skin... always the same kind. Your kind. I was trying to be with you. I am ashamed and deeply sorry that it took me so long to realize it."

"So long? A century! The length of time in itself shows that you do not truly care for me." Her voice was hard and unforgiving.

He had expected that she would be surprised to see him, that maybe he would need to push her out of her comfort zone a little. But he had not anticipated that she would be angry with him.

"I cannot have this discussion with you through a door. Please, let me in!" he insisted, thinking that being face to face could help his case.

"No! I do not think you truly care for me! You simply wish to finish what we had started back then. I am sorry, I will not be another one of your conquests, a play thing that you will throw away once you are bored!"

"You do not understand! I would never reject you! I care for you!"

"No! I care for you! The minute I left Greenwood, all I could think of was you. Regrets filled my heart. I wished I had waited until you were an adult, but back then I was blinded by my disappointment about my life. I spent years in Lothlorien waiting for you, hoping for a visit, even if it was a quick one. You could have come to see me anytime. But you never showed up." Her voice broke down on these last words. "I waited for you. I rejected all the ellyn who wanted to seduce me. I waited, you hear me?" she cried, and she hit the door with her small fist.

Appalled, Sean realized how much he had hurt her. First, by not realizing that she was the one for him until he had spent decades seducing females and taking pleasure in their company. And secondly, once he had realized it, he had continued his deplorable behavior, trying to forget her in the arms of women of Minas Tirith instead of sailing right away to join her. He was despicable. She was right.

"I am sorry," he apologized. But he was not discouraged. He loved her. It was not possible that she would reject him for ever. He would do what he had to do in order to have a relationship like his parents' shared.

But Amareth was not done with her list of grievances. "I sailed in the hope that I would forget you. After all, everyone was saying that Valinor is a land of peace and happiness. I truly expected to start a new life here, that I could forget all about you and find an ellon who would respect me, love me. But I could not forget you! You were in my mind, in my heart, even in my dreams all the time! And my wait started all over again. You only sailed with your parents once the King of Gondor had passed away, while some of your siblings had sailed decades before. How can you come here and say you care for me?"

"I do. I really do. Please believe me! What can I do to prove it to you?"

"There is nothing you can do. Please leave, Sean. If you truly care for me, just leave me alone."

Sean grasped how deeply she had been crushed by the events in Greenwood, and by the wait she had had to endure, unaware of his true feelings. Between her and his parents, he had chosen his parents. He had decided to remain until Elessar passed away with them, living a joyful life on the outside, but with his fëa deeply troubled inside. How had he been able to make love to other women while he was certain that he loved her? This certainty had appeared quite late, many decades after she had sailed. He had been a fool, disrespecting her by his behavior and carelessness. How could he show her he truly cared?

His heart told him what to do. For the first time in a long time, he allowed his feelings to lead him, instead of his head. He went down on his knees in front of her door.

"I cannot leave. I love you, Amareth. You have to believe me."

"Are you on your knees?" she asked with disbelief through the door, hearing his voice from a lower point.

"Yes. And your neighbors are watching. But I do not care. I will not move until you listen to me."

"Please do not cause a scandal! I cannot go through another one. My arrival in Lothlorien was shameful. Many had heard about the events in Greenwood, and I was judged for my misconduct."

"There will be no scandal. All ellyn go down on their knees when they ask their love to bind with them."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. Bind with me, Amareth. I swear that I will make you forget the past. From now on, my one and only purpose in life will be to take care of you, to make you happy, to praise you in my songs. I already composed so many melodies in your honor, inspired by your beauty, by what I remembered of you. Please be my wife, my muse, my friend, the most important elleth in my life."

A long moment passed, and she did not reply.

"Amareth? Are you still there?"

The door opened slightly and she looked at him through the small opening. Her beautiful eyes were wide with disbelief.

"You have not changed," he marveled. "You are still like I remembered, so beautiful, yet so sad and tormented. I want this sadness gone from your eyes."

"You changed," she murmured, her eyes analyzing him.

"I was 15 when you left," he reminded her.

"I spent years wondering what you would look like as an adult. I sailed on the same ship than your brother, did you know that?" she asked.

"No, he never told me."

"He probably did not think I was important to you," she replied bitterly. "I was shocked when I saw him. He was both strange and handsome. His hair, his eyes, his half-elven features. Like your naneth. Strange and beautiful, catching everyone's attention when she is in a room. For decades, his presence in New Imladris tormented me, gave me images of what you could potentially look like."

"I hope my strangeness is not displeasing to your eyes," he replied, wondering if Amareth thought he was handsome. Or not. He had had success with women, giving him a self-confidence that had served him well throughout the years. But now that he was kneeling at Amareth's feet, the one and only who could crush his heart with a rejection, he wondered for the first time what she thought of his appearance.

"I told you your brother is handsome," she replied, opening her door a little more. He noticed the blush on her cheeks. "You are... you are so much better than handsome."

They looked at each other for a long time, him on his knees, her standing in front of him, still partially hidden by her door, both disregarding the neighbors who were standing on nearby flets, watching with interest a renowned prince of Greenwood kneeling in front of an elleth who had never truly become a Lothlorien elf after her banishment from Greenwood in Middle Earth.

Amareth suddenly realized that her neighbors were enjoying the show. She grabbed Sean's arm and pulled him in her talan, closing the door behind him. She sat at the table, and pointed a chair for him to sit.

"Let us talk about this ridiculous impression of yours that your family would allow you to bind yourself to me."

"They will," he told her with assurance. "My mother asked me to bring you to her so you could talk."

"Your naneth hates me."

"She does not. She told me that all will be well, that we would work things out."

"I have been your father's lover for many years, did you know that?"

"Yes, I do. And I knew when we were together. I am not saying that it will be easy. My grandfather will not be pleased, my father will be uncomfortable, but with my mother on our side, the battle is won."

"She still rules like a queen, imposing her decisions even to the king?"

"Amareth, you might not have gotten along with her due to the circumstances, but she is a good elleth. She cares for our people, has fought and bled for them. She is my father's one and only love, a good daughter to the king, she can be a great friend, and most of all, she is an incredible mother. The love and admiration I have for her do not diminish in any way the feelings I have for you."

"Is it true that she had more children after your second sister? Did Prince Legolas want more blood children? There are so many gossips here about that!"

"It is true that we all assumed that my sister Victoria would be my father's only blood child. You could think that Victoria was more important to him, or even Phoebe, Liam and myself, since we have his mate's blood flowing in our veins. But no. He loves us all equally, even the reborn prophecy children, even Hadrian, my adoptive mortal brother. He could not care less about having children of his own blood. It is my mother who needed more children. She was fading... It was the only way."

"Your mother was fading?"

He could tell that Amareth was truly concerned. Even if she was still disappointed about her banishment, she did not truly want his mother to be harmed in any way, shape or form.

"She is better now. Eiliannel and Raevon stopped the fading, gave her her health back. You see, she is half-elven, and unlike her first three children, she was an adult when she became half-elven. Her character is closer to a mortal's than to an elf. She needs children around her. And since none of us gave her grandchildren..."

"Why is that?"

"Liam and his mate are fully absorbed by their studies and the construction of New Imladris. I doubt Phoebe will ever have children. Victoria will probably have one soon, Elrohir and her were planning a pregnancy once they sailed."

"What about you? Do you.. want children?"

"Eventually. But I need a mate first. And the only one I want children from still did not give me an answer when I asked her to bind with me."

"You are seriously considering binding with me, the person who was banished under the accusation of trying to steal the heart of a child?"

"Yes."

"You are insane. The gossips would be horrendous."

"My family is used to the gossiping. We can shield you from it. We are very protective of our own."

He gently grabbed her hand. "Do not be afraid. You have your place in the family. My heart belongs to you. Please do not deny me," he pleaded.

"I need to think. This is too much happening all at once. A few moments ago, I still thought you were indifferent to me."

Sean knew that in all fairness, she was entitled to think about his proposal. She loved him, he knew it, even if she had not told him as much. But she had not expected his return today, not expected him to go down on his knees and ask for her hand. Pushing her into the decision would not bring any good.

"Take you time," he said gently. He kissed her hand, his eyes never leaving hers. "I will remain in New Imladris, in my brother's home, until you have an answer for me."

"I thought your brother was moving to Greenwood."

"He is. But he will allow me to remain in his home until you are done considering my proposal. Just... Amareth, I have no right to ask you this considering what I did to you, but... please, do not make me wait too long."

"I will not, Sean. I promise to have an answer by tomorrow."

"Rest well, my love."

A few hours later, Amareth was in her bed, staring at the ceiling of her bedroom, unable to find some rest. Her soul was in turmoil, her heart torn between her feelings for Sean and the dread of living in a family where she would not be welcome.

She had not told the minstrel, but she loved him with all her heart. She had thought these feelings were under control, well hidden behind decades of fake indifference. But as soon as she had seen him, these feelings had surfaced with unexpected violence. As he was climbing the stairs to her talan, her heart had been beating wildly, she had felt dizzy and scared. And hopeful. Clinging to a last tread of control, she had refused to open her door to him, until he had said the words she had never expected to hear. He had asked her to bind with him.

And when she had opened her door and taken a good look at him, she had fallen head over heels all over again. He was attractive, elegant, charming. Somehow, just by looking at him, you could tell he was a great artist.

She wanted him. But did she want his family? She had had much time to think about the past as she lived a lonely life in Lothlorien. She had been ambitious. She had wanted to be part of the royal family. She had tried to seduce the king, and he had rejected her. His heart still had been with his mate Derenil, even if she was dead. What she had not accomplished with the father, she had thought she had achieved with the son. For 25 years, she had been Legolas' lover. Deep in her heart, she had known they were not mates but had hoped nevertheless. But he had never asked the question. And when he had brought back Valerie, she had known immediately that he had found his mate. She had turned her interest to young Sean, a teenager who was starting to be curious about his sexuality, hoping once again to find her place in the royal family. She had been short-sighted, not even realizing that she could truly have a future with him. That their hearts were speaking to each other. She had been discovered before things went too far, and banished. And she had regretted it all her life.

Her conduct had been shameful. She had tried to take advantage of an innocent. If an elleth had done the same to her young son... She too, would have asked the king to banish the elleth, just like Princess Valerie had done. And as a consequence, she had atoned for her sins for more than a century.

And now she had a chance to be with her love. She was disappointed that unlike her, he had had sexual experiences with other ellith and women even if he had known he loved her. But he was half-elven, even if he was more elven than his mother. And he was young. So much younger than her. She had heard through the grapevine that Liam and Helethil had had a difficult time adapting to their age difference. But they were both scholars, using their minds more than their hearts. It was to be expected.

She knew that when she would bind with Sean, their hearts would speak to each other. That is how they would settle things. And -

At that point in her reflections, she realized that she had decided to bind with him. Whatever his family would say, she needed him. She trusted him when he said he would protect her. And if he was telling the truth, and she knew he would never lie to her since he had admitted his shameful conduct with women, then Princess Valerie truly wanted to talk to her, find common grounds.

Yes, she would bind with him. Be his wife. Spend the rest of her life caring for him, listening to his music. And be a seamstress, a profession she had adopted after her banishment. She was talented. And she remembered that Sean's mother was very creative in designing dresses. Maybe that could be another common ground.

Her decision taken, she realized she could not wait any longer. It was the middle of the night, it was raining, but she didn't care. She wanted to be with him, now. She had waited too long already.

She dressed quickly and put on her cloak to protect herself from the elements. In her hurry, she completely forgot to bring a small lantern with a candle, something she only realized once she had left the borders of Lothlorien. She had to choose between turning back to get her lantern, or keep going on the dark road. She could barely see with the rain, she was already drenched, but she wanted to see Sean so much that she decided to disregard the risks of traveling at night without light.

She soon regretted her choice, falling a few times on her knees in the mud, bumping into trees and rocks that were invisible to her eyes in the complete darkness. Her mind was screaming at her to turn back, but her heart was in the lead. She finally emerged in the city of New Imladris in much more time than usual, her cloak and dress torn, mud all over her clothing and hands, and without shoes. She had abandoned them on the way, the muddy water inside them making it more uncomfortable to walk with them than without shoes.

Relieved, excited, she ran on the slippery paving stones of the streets, until she arrived in front of the house that she knew belonged to Prince Liam. She knocked on the door like a lunatic, calling for Sean and waking the entire neighborhood.

She continued knocking until she could see light at the window. Liam opened the door and stared at her.

"Can I please see Sean?" she asked breathlessly.

"Who can I announce?" he asked, bewildered by the appearance of the disheveled elleth. Obviously, he did not recognize her in the state she was in.

"I will take it from there," the beloved voice of Sean said in the background. "Amareth, what happened to you? Are you hurt?"

"Amareth?" Liam cried, and bringing his candle closer to her face, he observed her attentively while Sean was touching her face and her arms, looking for injuries. Liam suddenly recognized her, but did not dare say anything. He deducted that the banished elleth had been the urgent reason why his brother wanted to visit Lothlorien alone.

"I am not hurt," Amareth reassured Sean.

"You have scratches on your arms, you have mud all over with clothes and body!"

"It rains, I fell. There is nothing to worry about."

"You walked all this way in the dark, under the rain?" he asked in disbelief. "Why?"

"I had to talk to you."

Sean realized she had something so important to tell him that she had decided not to wait for morning. Did she want to tell him that she was accepting his binding proposal, or tell him that she refused immediately, to ensure he would not uselessly hope for a positive answer all night?

"You have an answer for me?" he asked, bracing himself.

"Yes."

"Yes, you have an answer?" Liam asked, curious. He had quickly understood what his brother was intending to do.

Sean glared at him. "Brother, a little privacy would be appreciated."

"Are you sure of what you are doing?" Liam felt that as the older brother, he was entitled to give Sean some advice, even unsolicited ones.

"Yes, I am."

"What about Mother?"

"It is you who should worry about Mother. You have much to be forgiven about after the way you left Middle Earth. Let me take care of my own business."

Sighing heavily as if his brother was a desperate case, Liam turned around and left them alone, going back to bed, where his mate was waiting for him.

"That elleth that was banished is here, in our home?" Helethil murmured not to be heard by Sean and the elleth in question.

"Yes. Mother will have his head on a fork once he shows up in Greenwood with her."

"I want to be there when they go. It will be nice for once not to be the one that people do not like."

"You are not helping your case, my love. You have been antagonizing Phoebe since the first time you saw her."

"Hush, I want to listen to what is going on downstairs!"

Sean looked pleadingly at the elleth in front of him. "Amareth, please, stop torturing me. Will you bind with me or not?"

"I will, silly! Why do you think I would have walked all the way to New Imladris if not because I could not wait to be with you?"

"You accept? You will be my wife?"

"Yes!"

He took her face delicately between his hands. "I love you. Today, you are making me the happiest ellon alive." He gave her a chaste kiss that she tried to deepen, but he stopped her.

"No, Amareth. For a little longer, we need to make sure that people cannot find fault in our relationship. I do not want anyone to say that you seduced me as before. We will show them that our love is true, that it is not only physical attraction. Can we do that?"

She hesitated, thinking that people gossiping should not have an effect on her relationship with Sean. She had waited for so long for this! But his hands were caressing her face very gently, making her resolve shatter quickly. The Greenwood family had always been in the spotlight since the arrival of Princess Valerie and her children. Of course people would talk! Sean obviously knew how to minimize the gossips. Could she refuse to wait a few days, a few weeks, after waiting for more than a century? She did not want to, but she would. For him, for them.

"Yes, we can," she murmured.

"Thank you."

"I guess... I will go back home."

"Absolutely not! You are not leaving my side until we are bound! The sun will rise shortly. Stay with me here, Liam's library has a few comfortable chairs. And at dawn, we will go back to your talan, grab a few of your belongings, and travel to Greenwood so we can meet my family. Come!"

He gently pulled her hand and put his arm around her waist, guiding her to the comfortable room where Liam spent so much time working and reading.

"They are in your library!" Helethil whispered to Liam.

"They better not make out on my couch! Oh Gods! I will have to get it cleaned!"

"Your brother would never do that. Not in our home," his mate comforted him.

Helethil's mood darkened. Why did Liam's family always brought chaos in their quiet lives? And they were forced to move in Greenwood with them! Her life was about to take a turn for the worst!

OoOoO

They had traveled for the past two days, stopping at an inn in the middle of the journey. They had spoken for hours as they shared Sean's horse, Amareth sitting in front of him. He had talked about the events in Middle Earth, the childhood of his brothers and sisters, about his music and his sadness that he had had to leave his dear piano behind. She had talked about Valinor, or the little she knew about it, since she had mainly remained in Lothlorien. Sean was blown away to discover the impact that her banishment had had on her. She had literally lived in shame for a century. It broke his heart.

They were very close to Greenwood now, and as they were getting nearer, Amareth's nervousness was growing exponentially. At least three times, she had been close to asking Sean to return back to Lothlorien. Sensing how disturbed she was about meeting his family, Sean cuddled her closer to his chest.

"Can you see them?" he asked, pointing at a group of elves who were nearby a small lake.

She could see a few people, two elflings and three ellith playing in the water, and a few ellyn watching them. Only one elleth had the unusual copper hair, and she knew it was not Phoebe the warrior. The one she had always considered an enemy was right ahead, playing with her family. The elleth who could make her life miserable by asking her son to break the promise they had made to each other. Her nervousness sky-rocketed, but this time, in his excitement, Sean didn't notice.

"Let us join them by this little hidden trail. We can observe them and even surprise the kids. Eili will love that!"

They dismounted and he lead her in the trail, hiding behind the trees until they were close enough to listen to the conversations. Valerie was standing in the water, her dress lifted up to her knees, holding the small hands of a miniscule ellon who could barely stand with water up to his waist. His hair was as violently read as his mother's and Sean's, and he truly was the cutest little elfling.

"Raevon! Come on, a few steps, lazy little ellon!" Valerie was laughing while another elleth Amareth did not know was calling his name softly, calling him to her, extending her arms in the hope that the child would make a few steps in her direction. This elleth looked delighted to be around children.

"It is my grandmother Derenil," Sean whispered. "I do not know her well yet, but Phoebe tells me she is very sweet."

"She was already in the Halls of Mandos when I was born," Amareth informed him, observing with interest the mate of the very cold and very severe Thranduil.

"And this is Victoria," Sean said pointing the elleth who was holding the other elfling in her arms. Amareth was amazed by the resemblance between the elleth and Legolas. "Yes, she is a female version of my adar," Sean whispered proudly, "she is the beauty of the family! But not as magnificent as you," he gallantly said. She appreciated the compliment even if she knew if was greatly exaggerated. Now that the Evenstar was no more, Victoria could easily hold the title of the most beautiful elleth.

Amareth finally looked at Legolas. The one she had hoped to marry so long ago. There he was, his eyes barely ever leaving the elleth he had gone in a different world to get, a small smile on his lips as if he marveled that she was there, in front of him.

"He does," Sean confirmed, and she realized she had spoken aloud. "She almost faded before she got pregnant with Eiliannel. Yes, he marvels every day that he still has her beside him. It is quite annoying to see how in love they are. I mean, they could be more discreet about it!"

Legolas had given Valerie the children Amareth had hoped for. He loved the princess like he had never loved Amareth. She had expected that seeing him and Valerie together would break her heart, but surprisingly, she only felt jealousy for the fact that their couple was a model one, praised by everyone, while the status of her couple with Sean was still uncertain. She no longer wanted Legolas. He was irrelevant, except for the fact that he was Sean's father. Sean, the ellon to whom she wanted to give elflings to. And hoped one of them would have his copper hair. Valar, how she would love that! A child with his hair and his emerald eyes!

"Oh! I thought I had seen Brethilon with Brannor and Cadworon," Sean said pensively, looking at the two bodyguards that were with the family. "I must have imagined it," he shrugged.

"You did not," a male voice said from behind. Brethilon was standing, an arrow nocked, ready to shoot. "Why are you hiding, my Lord?" the bodyguard asked, putting down his bow.

"I just wanted to give my love some time to observe my family," Sean replied pleasantly. "You recognize Amareth?"

"I do," Brethilon replied, his expression not changing one bit, a testimony to his self-control. "Good afternoon, Amareth. You are... returning to Greenwood?"

"She is," Sean confirmed while Amareth was speechless, knowing the bodyguard was trying to evaluate if she should be allowed around the princess.

"Is the prince aware of this?"

"I am not sure," Sean admitted. "But my naneth is. Truly!" he insisted when he saw the skepticism in Brethilon's eyes.

"Bret?" a familiar voice called from the lake. "What are you doing? Is there something wrong?"

"My Lady, your son is back from New Imladris... with a visitor."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let them join us!"

When Sean and Amareth appeared near the lake, followed by Brethilon, Legolas immediately lost his smile and observed his mate to see her reaction. He made a few steps in her direction, in an unsubtle gesture to protect her from danger. But Valerie simply lifted the little ellon out of the water and gave him to Derenil, before walking in Legolas' direction, adjusting her dress quickly.

"All is well, my love," she said to appease him. She put her hands on his shoulders and gave him a quick kiss. "Trust me."

"Who is it?" Victoria whispered to Cadworon.

"Amareth," the bodyguard replied, frowning.

"Sean, Amareth, I am glad to see that your journey was uneventful," Valerie said, walking in their direction. She gave a kiss to Sean, and then turned to the elleth she had banished from Greenwood for her misconduct with a Sean who had been too young at the time.

"How are you, my dear?" the princess asked kindly.

Amareth stared at Valerie. Was it really going to be this easy? No screaming, no attitude, no coldness? The princess' courteous inquiry seemed sincere, her green eyes awaiting a reply from her. Her mind in turmoil, the elleth contemplated the possibilities that were suddenly opened to her. Maybe Sean had not misinterpreted his naneth's words. Maybe they would truly be allowed to be together, without being rejected, disdained by the entire Greenwood population. She saw flashes of a quiet life here, with Sean playing his music while she listened to him while sewing. The sight of the two elflings playing in the water had awakened once again her desire for children with Sean. She could already picture them, small, quiet elflings like Sean had been as a child, and briefly wondered if he would want more than two, like his naneth. She would agree to it, why would she not? Any child from him would be a wonderful gift. Eternity with the ellon she had waited for for more than a century did not seem enough to enjoy her new-found happiness.

Valerie was following Amareth's confused thoughts with great interest. The moment she had laid eyes on her, she had known that Amareth had changed, that her banishment had had a terrible effect on her, and that she had not truly meant harm to Sean before. She had been misguided, misinterpreting her awakening bond with Sean as a potential way to use the child to get revenge or gain social standing. But her lack of recognition of the bond did not make it less present, and she must have suffered greatly in Lothlorien, then in Valinor while Sean was still in Middle Earth. Sean was oblivious to the change, never really having understood the elleth before. But anyone who had interacted with Amareth in Greenwood could tell that she was no longer the same.

As she read Amareth's mind, she could also get the feelings of everyone around her, and she knew that Legolas and her bodyguards could see the change too, just by Amareth's demeanor and the inner light she projected.

"I love him," Amareth murmured only for Valerie to hear.

"I know. Come, let us walk. We need to talk."

Valerie took her arm and guided her further away in the forest while Sean went to speak to his father.

"I hope you do not mind, Father. It must be a surprise for you."

"I cannot say that I am surprised. Your naneth had mentioned a few times in the past that sending Amareth away might have been a mistake. But I did not expect you to bring her back so soon after our arrival. You could have consulted us!" Legolas was truly unhappy about Sean's actions. So many people were impacted by the arrival of the banished elleth, starting with the king, who was seeing his rules being ignored by his own grandson. Legolas was also not pleased to see his former lover interact with his family, his wife, his children. To think that Amareth would share Sean's bed! It was distasteful to say the least.

"Mother knew."

Sean seemed to think that Valerie's awareness was the equivalent of a blessing from the king. "We will have to think about how to present this to your grandfather. Did you think of that?" Legolas inquired a little coldly.

"I think he knows," Derenil said as she walked in their direction, still holding Raevon in her arms. "Do not forget that each time someone sailed, Valerie was giving them letters for Thranduil. Amareth is not a name I am unfamiliar with. Thranduil mentioned her a few times. I believe Valerie had shared her doubts with him too."

"He might still not be happy," Sean said worriedly, suddenly realizing that Thranduil could be more difficult than his naneth. "But I know Mother and you can convince him to allow us to bind," he told Legolas. "I know it is... inappropriate for me to want to marry an elleth grandfather banished. But she will make amends. She had plenty of time to atone for her mistakes. Please, Father, help us!"

"You love her?" Victoria asked, joining them with Eiliannel.

"I do. I have loved her for a long time now. And she has loved me for even longer."

"Then we will accept her. I mean, she cannot be worst than Helethil. Phoebe tells me the most horrible things about Liam's mate!" Victoria looked at Derenil for confirmation.

"Your sister is exaggerating," Derenil sighed. "It is true that they do not like each other. But Helethil is not a bad elleth. I wish Phoebe would give her a chance."

"I am glad to hear it," Victoria said. "I was worried that Liam was truly unhappy with a difficult elleth!" She gave her little sister to Sean and took Legolas' arm, walking a little further away.

"Ada, I cannot even imagine how strange this must be for you. It is as if Elrohir had been with Phoebe in the past. But if this Amareth is Sean's fëa-mate, he should be allowed to be happy like you and I are. You have found Naneth, and you are in love with her, and she loves you so much! And I cannot imagine my life without Elrohir! Sean deserves the same."

"I know you are right," Legolas sighed, caressing his daughter's cheek with a finger. She was such a sweet person, the only elleth in the family who had ever reminded him of his mother Derenil. Valerie, Phoebe and Eili were all determined, lively, selfish and unyielding. Victoria cared for others before her own self. She too, deserved to get what she was wishing for.

"When will Elrohir give you the child you have been dreaming of since your feelings awakened for him?" Legolas asked, pulling her against his chest. His sweet, sweet daughter. How he loved her! As he kissed the top of her head, he noticed her blush.

"Victoria? Are you...?"

"Yes, Adar. Elrohir and I are having a child. It happened when we sailed."

"Sweetheart, I am so happy for you! Does your naneth know? Of course, she does," Legolas answered his own question. "She started reading people's minds just as much as before. She had lost interest in that in the past few decades, but now..."

"Now she is enjoying herself too much to stop!" Victoria cried, half-laughing, half-ashamed. "I am scared to imagine everything she knows about Elrohir and I!"

"She does not share her knowledge," he reassured her with a snort.

"Do you feel her right now?"

"Always. I always know in what kind of mood she is."

"And how is she now?"

"Curious. Relieved."

Valerie was relieved that Amareth was quietly chatting with her, and that so far, the exchange was peaceful and full of understanding. Amareth had apologized for her past behavior and Valerie had accepted her apologies.

"I have read in my son's heart about his fascination for you, and knew it was love long before he even realized it. Ellyn can be clueless sometimes. But it was too late. You had already sailed by then. I also have to apologize to you, Amareth."

"Why?"

"Because once he discovered his love for you, I did not ask him to sail. At that point in time, most of my children had already sailed, and I could not... could not lose another one. I was selfish."

Amareth remained silent for a long time, but eventually held Valerie's arm much tighter. "I understand. I would be very unkind if I did not accept your apology after you accepted mine for trying to corrupt your son when he was young and defenseless. I am sure that one day, I too, will want my children around me."

"Thank you."

"I have a question about Sean. About his feelings. Shouldn't he have felt it? Our bond, I mean. He is not a scholar, he has always been lead by his emotions..."

"But he had never loved before. He met you too early in his life. I believe... I know that you are disappointed that he has known other women and ellith before he sailed."

"Yes, you are right."

"There is something that you must know. It is a delicate matter, but it is something that Helethil, Elladan and Glorfindel were told before you. Something you must be aware of, and decide if you can live with that."

"What is it?" Amareth asked, curious and worried. What could be so terrible that she could change her mind, if Elladan and Helethil had not changed theirs? Did the princess think that she loved Sean less than Elladan and Helethil loved their mate?

"As you know, Sean was born a mortal, as were Liam and Phoebe. As Allison and myself. And although we are immortal now, we have been left with some human traits. We can feel the cold. We think differently and have less memory. And there are... temptations. Temptations elves do not feel."

"Temptations?"

"Yes. Even if he loved you with all his heart, he was... sexually active. Had he been a full elf, he would never have been able to physically love other ellith if he had met his fëa-mate. Elladan and Elrohir never had sex with another elleth after they met my daughters as elflings."

"But once we bind.. Will he...?" Amareth didn't finish the question, the thought being too awful to be expressed out loud.

"He can still be tempted, Amareth. You see, while Legolas was never able to appreciate the beauty of another elleth after our binding... I can still be physically attracted to ellyn and men."

"Valar!" Amareth cried, suddenly understanding why Legolas was well known for being possessive of Valerie, something she had noticed herself before her banishment. "Are you saying that... that Sean might have affairs like mortals do?"

"No, I do not think so. Not in Valinor. The temptations are numerous around mortals, because few care about the sanctity of elven binding. They care not if you are bound or not, they only think of immediate pleasure and face the consequences later. When we lived in Minas Tirith, I received more or less discreet proposals on a regular basis, and I denied them all. But it never happened in Greenwood."

"Did you ever...?" Once again, Amareth could not finish her sentence.

"I will tell you something only few people know. I was tempted once... by a prince of Dol Amroth. He was young, very determined... But I resisted. It made me stronger. Many years later, he died in my arms, an old man who still desperately loved me. It was heartbreaking. I love Legolas. He is my life, all I am thinking about at every minute of the day. He never blamed me, he understood my weakness. And in the end, it was a positive thing, because we came to the realization that our children might be exposed to this temptation too. I am glad that these events can help spare them similar torment. Nonetheless, until they sailed, Helethil, Elladan and Glorfindel kept an eye on their mate when they were around mortals. But they were never betrayed. I am glad for them."

"You never betrayed Legolas," Amareth whispered, being perceptive enough to know that Valerie was feeling guilty for being so weak.

"No, I did not. I could not live with myself if I had. As for Sean and you, I know this explanation does not make your disappointment any less -"

"It does. I understand. I still have a lot to learn about half-elven people and about Sean in particular. But... I am not afraid. We are together now. Nothing can tear us apart. The past is the past. If the king and you are kind enough to forget my past, I can forget Sean's."

"I am glad. Can I just ask... that you keep this conversation to yourself? I would prefer if no gossips circulate on this regrettable weakness that my children and I share. I do not wish for them to face judgmental comments. We already hear enough about the number of children in our family."

"Of course, my Lady. I would never betray your trust!"

"Thank you. Now, about the matter of the king. We will go back to the manor, where he will lift your banishment. We will provide you with a talan until Sean and you bind. Do you have any idea when that will happen?"

"I think Sean wants to wait a year, to make sure that my name is cleared, that people will see that we truly love one another before we bind."

"I am surprised that Sean would be so respectful of elven traditions. Is that what you truly want?"

"I want what is best. But... one year is a long time," Amareth admitted.

"A word of advice," Valerie said to Amareth as she guided her back to the lake where the family was waiting for them. "If you want to bind in a few months, say so now. You have a voice in the matter. Do not let him decide about everything in your life together, or be ready to suffer in silence."

"Is that what you do?"

"Have I ever stricken you as an obedient elleth?"

"You are different. Your oldest daughter is too. I have never met other ellith like you. I am not sure I can be the same."

"Do not act liked Phoebe and I, Amareth. Be yourself, that is all I ask. It is your choice to wait a year or not. Oh look! Raevon walked!" Valerie cried as she saw her son make one single, shaky step in front of his adar. She left Amareth's side and ran to father and son, laughing and hugging the elfling while the family encircled them to celebrate the child's achievement.

"How did it go?" a relieved Sean murmured beside her.

"Very well, my love. All will be well."

Sean has been somewhat neglected so far in this story. This chapter reestablishes the balance with the other characters.

The next chapter will probably be the last. This is one of your last chance to send me a review, or tell me if you wish to hear more about a specific character.

Natasya Ivashkov: you were right, it was Amareth! You are very perceptive.

17booklover12: I hope you liked this chapter. It was a little on the romantic side...

angel: you were right about Amareth. As for Hadrian, he will not be back. But Arwen will make a reappearance...

Glassary: yes, it was Amareth. She has changed very much - I hope you were not disappointed.

hannahhobnob: I hope you liked that chapter about Sean!

foofie01: I am very sorry to hear about your mother. I hope you are doing better. Please accept my condoleances. I hope reading stories on fanfiction helps you cope with the situation...

OoOxylionOoO: thank you for your reviews!

Merlin: you were right about Amareth. The next reunion will be with a character that will be coming back!

blackunicorne: you were right about Sean's lover. Arwen will come back soon...

airbender42: I think these will be the last children of Valerie and Legolas. But you never know, maybe after hundreds of years, she might be ready for another - but I think I will leave that to the imagination of the readers...