Note: The usual. Enjoy the second to last chapter here!

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"I believe Gimli had too much to drink tonight, meleth."

Legolas and Merenwen had taken a slightly inebriated Gimli back to his room, where he'd promptly fallen asleep once his head hit his pillow.

"Too much," Legolas agreed. "But he was not the only one who had too much to drink."

Merenwen laughed. Too many of the elves indulged in the wine the wood elves were so fond of. Legolas, with Merenwen's assistance, had seen to the few elves that were in no condition to make it home after Thranduil had retired for the evening.

"Was this evening enjoyable for you, Mer?"

"Very much so. Gimli's attempt to sing the Lay of the Stars was, however, terrible."

Legolas laughed. "Yes, I must agree. Dwarves have naught a talent for singing. I thank you for stopping him and demonstrating the proper way of singing it."

"It was for everyone's benefit. Dwarves, truly, can not sing."

He smiled. "I am very grateful for it. There is no limit to how many times I can say it."

She smiled softly in return. "You are quite welcome. I am glad I could be of assistance."

"And I am still grateful, for I am always in your debt."

No more was said as they made their way to their rooms. When they reached their apartments, the silence was broken.

"Did you mean it?" Legolas asked.

"What?"

"You would be married. I do not want you to feel you must say yes because I proposed in front of so many in the Great Hall. Nor would I have you be unsure of the whole affair."

Merenwen looked up at him and took his hand. "I make no empty promises; neither do I make any unnecessary obligations. The only ones I make are to my heart."

Legolas blinked and Merenwen continued.

"I fully believe that this is what we are meant to do. I love you with all my heart and do not consider marrying you an obligation."

Legolas smiled and brought her hand up to his heart, covering it with his own. "That is good to know. I would hate to force myself as an obligation to anyone."

Merenwen shook her head and placed her other hand over his own covering hers. "You are no obligation to anyone, only of good heart and substance. If anyone is an obligation, it is I."

"Why do you say this? It is not so; you are an obligation to no elf, least of all me."

"I have been a bother such a long time to you. The poor orphan who met the king's son and was taken in."

"Merenwen, what has come over you?" He shook her sharply. "You have never been a burden to anyone, to me or my father. I would never consider you thus. Do not say such foolish things."

She looked at him as though a veil had been lifted from her eyes. She shakily reached up and brushed loose hair away from her face.

"I am so sorry, meleth nín. I have no idea why I said that. Please, forgive me," she begged. "'Tis but my doubts and fears speaking. But do not listen; I meant them not."

Legolas pressed his lips together. He slid a hand up to cup her cheek, closed his eyes, and listened. He did not possess the great skills of Lord Elrond, but he had some skill that lay within elves to see the presence of others.

"Your spirit fades. Your desire to remain in Middle Earth is leaving you."

"No. It cannot be," she uttered in disbelief.

He nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid so, lothinnu, flower of starry twilight."

"Why? I have no desire to leave yet."

"I know not either. Your heart may realize that it is the end of our time here. Though, I fear I know the reason true enough."

"What reason is that?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but he turned his face away instead at her pleading eyes. "I should not say."

Merenwen peered at him and turned his face back to hers. She ran her fingers lightly down the side of his face. "Treneron nín, Legolas. Im lasthan man le quena. Im heban nadea o le. Tell me, Legolas. I would listen to what you say. I have never kept things from you."

"I fear your increasing desire to live no more on these shores is because of me."

"No, meleth. It cannot be your doing; it is not! I will not accept that."

"Merenwen, it can be no other fault than my own. You said yourself that it is me you wait for; whom you would not be separated from."

"I do not hold you as responsible. It is of my own being; you know that. And it is simply consequential. I stay because you stay, yet you stay because of Aragorn. In fact, this is easily Aragorn's fault. The man had to be the most fortunate in all of Middle Earth that he has not died yet. The Dunedain's blood must hold luck and recklessness."

Legolas laughed so much that it took him some time to calm himself. Merenwen had adopted the morbid sense of humor that he'd developed in his long friendship with Aragorn.

"I am certain he would love to hear you say that. I shall not tell him you said that, even though he does know this. He would not come to the ceremony if he heard you."

Merenwen was quiet for a minute and Legolas thought something had disturbed her. "Mer?"

She looked at him, completely startled. "I am sorry. You mentioned Aragorn not coming, then Arwen would not come – and that would surely sadden me. But then again I began to wonder, what if Elladan and Elrohir did not come? I started pondering the good and bad of that prospect." She smiled slyly.

Legolas chuckled. "That would be confusing, would it not? However, I feel they would show up no matter what, with some magnificent scheme planned."

"Yes, perhaps if they had been warned and restrained…"

"I do not think that would make much difference. The twins would come anyway."

"So we are stuck with them?"

"I am afraid so."

She sighed, but when she looked at him, she was smiling. "I've just remembered something. I have something for you." She opened her room and led him inside.

"When we are married, you must move into my room. This is to the point of absurdity," Legolas commented. Instead of going toward her sleeping chamber, she went over to a table in the receiving room they were in.

Merenwen laughed. "But what of the empty room?"

"We shall find some use for it."

She shook her head as she searched through her strewn about arrow making supplies. She smiled to herself and picked up a crown of leaves.

"This I made for you the day you returned to Eryn Lasgalen. The leaves have remained green," she said, reaching up to place the crown on his head.

Legolas looked curiously at the leaves. "These are of the oak and the birch around the palace."

"Yes, where we used to play."

"And yet it is like my father's."

"It should. Do you not remember my efforts to call you 'lord' when we first met?"

"I do and I told you not to. So, instead, you attempted to give me my own crown like my father's."

"And when you saw me trying to crown you, you wouldn't allow it."

"I threw it into the Forest River," he sighed sadly.

"When I found out, I cried so much that I wouldn't go near you for a week."

"But this time I will treasure your gift."

"It was not the actual item I had for you, though."

"It's not," he asked, puzzled.

"No." Merenwen turned, picking up an object and presenting it to him.

Legolas looked at her presentation. One of his arrows and one of hers were bound together, decorated with ivy vines, and mounted on a plaque with their initials carved into the wood above the bound middle of the arrows.

"Meleth," he breathed, taking her gift and holding it before himself. "It is beautiful." He ran a hand lightly over it and looked up at her. "Did you make this?"

She nodded proudly. "Carved the wood of oak myself," she smiled, indicating the intertwined Tengwar letters.

"Mer…"

She looked up at him, as patiently as always, eager for approval.

"Oh, lothinnu…This – this is perfect." He looked at her with bright eyes.

"You truly like it?"

He nodded. "When did you make this?"

"I made it while you were gone. It obviously did not take long to bind the arrows. But it took a while to find the right wood and carve it," she said, holding her hands out for inspection.

He looked at her hands. There were no scars or marred skin, thanks to elven healing, but he could see the love she put into her gift. He looked closer at the arrows.

"Is this the arrow I gave you in Lórien?"

"Yes. It was difficult for me to readily part with that last piece of you I had."

Legolas looked at her sympathetically. He carefully placed her gift on the cluttered table that was so much like the one in his own room. He wrapped his arms around her slim shoulders.

"I'll give you another arrow to replace the one you gave up for me."

"Thank you." She smiled slightly as he played with her hair. "I'm glad you finally came home so I could give you the gift."

"Merenwen, because of you I had a home to come home to."

"I tried. I really did. But some of the wood still burned."

"Meleth, you did what you could. I spoke with my father, and he told of your part in the defense of out home and people."

"But it still burned."

"With our people's skill it can be rebuilt and replanted. Do not worry. You've failed no one."

Merenwen looked down at the ground, blushing some, but still feeling that she did not do all she could. She'd wanted nothing more than to destroy as many of those foul creatures that took her parents' lives. And yet they still managed to beat her again by burning the trees of her home. Tears of frustration started to gather in her eyes unbidden.

"Lothinnu, do not cry," Legolas chided, tipping her head up. "There is no reason to."

She wiped her eyes quickly. "You are right, malcúar, golden archer. I should not be crying. It is childish."

"No," he disagreed with a quick shake of his head. Laying a hand on her arm, he sat her down in chair at the table and sat himself down across from her. He took her crown of leaves off his head and set it on the table. "Tears are not childish. They are a gift from Ilúvitar to allow others to comfort us. Never hide them."

Merenwen looked at him as she wiped her eyes. "Who told you that?"

Legolas let out a soft sigh. "Naneth."

"Oh, Legolas…" She reached over and squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry."

"No, it is fine. She was right. Your parents would no doubt say the same thing." He smiled slightly.

"And how do you know this?"

"My heart tells me so."

"What else does your heart say?"

"Your parents are proud. And I am doing the wise thing." He paused. "To which Estel would add 'for once.'"

Merenwen chuckled before sobering. "I miss them, Legolas. And Aragorn. And Arwen. I've not spoken with them in so long. Arwen I have not seen since before the war started."

The prince caressed her hand. She never saw him as the Silvan prince descended from the noble Sindar. She only saw him as Legolas – the elf she could never best in archery, who always looked out for others before himself. She only saw her beloved and best friend.

"Wait. We shall see them soon. Your parents will be waiting with mine. As for Estel and Arwen, we will see them when we wed. I am also sure once word reaches them, they will demand to see us."

Merenwen smiled and looked at Legolas with a thoughtful expression. "Will we see Elladan and Elrohir as well?"

"Meleth! We shall not be leaving these shores anytime soon. We will see everyone in given time."

"I was only curious."

"Why is that? Do you plan on trading me for one of the twins? Was this over the time they asked you to marry them? I forget, was it Elladan or Elrohir? I'll have you know, they are not fully elven."

"How could you think that? I would never give you up for anyone. I love you more than anyone in Middle Earth. Besides, there are two of them. It is a difficult choice. But just between you and I, I would probably have picked Elrohir. Elladan is just too…I don't know. Uptight?"

Legolas could not help the laughter that escaped him at that point.