Author's Note: My apologies that this chapter has taken so long to be posted. In truth I started writing it before the last chapter was posted, but my co-author and I had some disagreements about where the story goes after here and then I had writer's block and then university to deal with.

Be warned, this chapter contains implied nudity (nothing graphic at all) so it deserves the 'R' rating. It also contains some other implied (ONLY implied) suggestions of a naughty nature. I apologise if Anórmír seems rather absorbed with her husband (and certain ahem activities…..again though, nothing graphic!) but in this chapter, Ereinion is very important to her and it's a rather big step in Anórmír's life, don't you agree?

Ok…let's recap a few of the major events that have happened since I last wrote in my 'journal'. Rhiannon woke up, got married to Glorfindel, and has almost recovered from her wounds. My guard of eleven is decided (though thankfully I'll only have to put up with five until my wedding day). I haven't seen Ereinion very much since…well, if you count the day we saw each other at my sister's wedding…since the fourth day after our victorious battle. I think after that Círdan has been keeping him completely occupied with war stuff. I heard from Elrond that every time my beloved has a spare moment Círdan takes him out onto the practice field and fills up the space until he can think of something better for Ereinion to do.

The good part of this is that Ereinion hasn't even had time to search for me with his mind and as a result, I've had several decent nights of sleep. Bad news is, I've had basically nothing to do in the meantime. Keeping my sister company is the extent of what I get to do until my nuptials, which I should perhaps mention are drawing closer and closer...

Let's be honest- MY WEDDING IS TOMORROW!

And right now (and at every other moment that I haven't got something to take my mind off it) I'm in a panicked state. 'Pre-wedding jitters' doesn't cover it; pre-royal-wedding-nervous-wreck is slightly more accurate.

Obviously, I looked like I was about to faint because Sadoriel left the tent and brought me back a cup of tea with something that's put me in a rather strange sort of mood…quite mellow, almost…

Berialagor enlisted Glorfindel and Rhiannon's help keep my mind off my upcoming wedding, so now I'm sitting in Glorfindel's tent playing chess with my Elvish sister, who is periodically trying to cheat when she thinks I'm not paying attention. Despite that, we've played about fifty games or so, and I've only lost about five, so I suppose it doesn't really matter whether she cheats or not.

Hold on…50 games…and we started this just after lunch…

DAMN! Almost dinner time! One meal closer to the inevitable…

I sound like I'm going to my doom, don't I? That wasn't what I meant to sound like – I mean, I am really excited to be getting married! It's just…well…I don't know…it's all so rushed and it's also the implications that, by the end of tomorrow night, I will not only be married but the 'official' High Queen of the Elves. I think that might be what's frightening me the most. I'm going to be a Queen of a people of which I have only been a member of their species for…what, three weeks now? Maybe a month? Do you have any idea how-how- how SCARY that is?

Sadoriel has just arrived with dinner. Looks half decent too; baked potatoes, boiled cauliflower, an unidentifiable piece of meat…

"I apologise for such scant rations, but what food is left in the camp is being prepared for tomorrow evening," Sadoriel said in her soft voice. I envy her. My own voice is harsh and often slightly boyish. I'm no Lady. I wonder whether Ereinion will expect me to learn to speak like that; to speak softly with an inhumane patience. Ugh. I almost want to shudder at the thought of learning patience.

"No problems," I replied, accepting the plate and cutlery. "I don't think I've got much of an appetite right now anyway." Good thing too, since I just saw my sister Rhiannon try a mouthful of meat with mixed expressions of disgust and polite interest cross her face.

Sadoriel began brushing my hair as I picked at the dull food on the plate before me. I don't know where she got the brush from; Sadoriel seems to be able to make things magically appear just when she needs them. I can see Rhiannon's brush sitting on her bag. Maybe its Glorfindel's…but I doubt it.

I closed my eyes, letting the effect of the calming tea and Sadoriel's brushing wash over me. It was almost like meditation, except I've never actually managed to meditate…I have a tendency to fidget. But that…that was a state of pure calm, no thoughts, no worries…

I opened my eyes in time to see Rhiannon switching several of the pieces on the chessboard and quietly removing a few others.

I snorted. Sheepishly, Rhiannon looks at me. "If it means so much to you…" I said, lifting my arm to knock over my king. "There."

Rhiannon wrinkled her nose. "But that takes all the fun out of it."

That's my sister's logic for you.

I awoke the morning of my wedding with the feeling that my stomach was practising cartwheels without the rest of my body joining in. My head was rather light as well. To say nothing of the nightmares I'd been having all night about sleeping late and missing my own wedding…alright, the ceremony wasn't being held until late that afternoon, but it seemed all at once too close.

I will confess to having some doubts (you might have noticed already). As I picked at the food on the plate that Sadoriel was forcing me to eat, I made a mental list of all the things that were going to change. For a start, I would no longer be a 'nobody in particular' but 'High Queen of the Elves in Middle Earth'. That was the major leap that frightened me most I think. Because it meant that I would have to think before I spoke (something I'm not very good at), I would be expected to act in a manner befitting a proper Queen, I probably wouldn't ever be allowed to fight again, and I would have official duties to fulfil. And as we'd already established, one of those duties would include getting pregnant pretty soon after our marriage.

There was a nagging voice in the back of my mind that pointed out that Tolkien had never recorded any of these events. I mean, I never remembered reading anything about the Battle of Dagorlad being won thanks to the help of two scantily clad Elf-maidens. Nor is there any mention of Ereinion (and Glorfindel, of course, but my husband most importantly) getting married before the Gates of Mordor. There was never any child of Ereinion's mentioned in Tolkien's books either. I was terrified by the possibility that not only would I eventually lose my husband to this war, but I would remain childless as well.

Ok, ok…so I'm not overly keen to have a baby just yet…but I do hope for children someday, you know? And this war is only going to go on for another seven years before it inevitably ends, and with it taking Ereinion to Mandos…

Let's change the subject. Morbid thoughts are not what I need on the morning of my wedding day.

"Why couldn't we just elope?" I asked Sadoriel plaintively as she helped me bathe in the rose-petal water of the tub. I had decided not to argue with my lady-in-waiting over the fact I am capable of bathing myself.

Sadoriel just smiled, passing my question off as nerves. Which it was, but still I wanted somebody to give me a damned good reason why so many people had to attend! I was terrified of doing something to embarrass myself or my betrothed.

"The High King is a very important person to the Elves," Sadoriel explained in simple words. "And as his beloved and betrothed, you are an important person to the Elves as well. It simply wasn't possible for this to be any less extensive than it is. Were it not for the war, your wedding would be far more impressive and there would be a greater number of people invited from lands reaching from Arnor to Greenwood to Gondor."

Ignoring the idea of an even bigger wedding that Sadoriel mentioned, I retorted simply, "So the reason it has to be such a big deal is because everyone wants to make sure that it does actually happen and the elusive bachelor doesn't run off?"

Sadoriel and Berialagor (who was always present of course; at this point she was polishing her armour) chuckled. "Something like that," Berialagor admitted.

That issue settled (though not to my liking), I sat forward in the bath so that Sadoriel could wash my hair.

My thoughts strayed again, but this time it seemed more like a waking dream than conscious thinking. I saw a little Elven boy with dark hair, blue eyes and a face that was so like Ereinion's. The boy was running towards me on steady little legs, a beaming smile on his face and his arms flung out wide. Then I blinked and the dream was gone. I was back in the bathtub having my hair washed.

I blinked, stunned by the strange revelation. Had I just seen a glimpse of the future? Could that boy be mine and Ereinion's son? Or was it the past? Had it been Ereinion himself?

There was no more chance to ponder the question because at that moment, Sadoriel poured a jug of warm water over my head.

Anárion's wife, Finduilas, arrived just as Sadoriel was putting my dress on me. Finduilas was a beautiful red-haired woman and quite blunt in her speech, which I found strangely refreshing. As virtually the only noblewoman within a distance that could be travelled in the short time since my wedding to Ereinion was announced, Finduilas had a certain amount of standing in the ceremony herself. I was grateful for the company of a married woman. Neither Sadoriel or Berialagor were married so they could only tell me as much as they had seen at other ceremonies that they had attended, none of which were of high ranking lords or ladies. Finduilas's tales about her own wedding were helpful, although I was somewhat mortified when she insisted on telling me that I needn't worry about what would happen after the wedding ceremony.

"Your husband will take you into hand and guide you in what needs to be done," Finduilas assured me, unaware that I was blushing furiously. From the corner of my eye, I could see that Berialagor was blushing slightly as well, though Sadoriel seemed to be amused by it.

Rhiannon, who was standing strangely quiet near the door, was certainly grinning for all she was worth. I didn't need words to know what she was saying in that look. 'Fe, trust me; with all that smut you read, you'll be the one doing the guiding.' I wish I could have said something to stop that look, but I didn't want to give myself away in front of everyone else.

"Don't be embarrassed by it either," Finduilas advised. Damn, obviously she just noticed that my cheeks were the colour of a beetroot. With a naughty little grin, she added, "You might find that you like it."

I was on the verge of asking her not to say anything else when Sadoriel led me to the seat and had me sit down so that she could brush my hair and put the sheer veil in place with strategically placed combs. The veil didn't fall over my face, since the ceremony traditionally began with a feast. The wedding would also be my coronation as High Queen of the Elves (eep!), so later the combs and veil would be removed to make way for a circlet of some sort.

Sadoriel wordlessly began to apply a light covering of make up. I was getting more and more nervous by the minute. I wish that Finduilas had a tale to take my mind off my imminent nuptials, but she seemed so excited by it all that she couldn't talk about anything else.

As Sadoriel finished, I thanked her, hoping I didn't look as ill as I felt. If only my stomach would settle! How on earth was I going to eat when I was already feeling like I was going to chuck?

"Calm down," Berialagor said gently, laying a hand lightly on my shoulder. "You look positively terrified."

With a deep breath to dispel the onset of tears, I confessed in a small voice, "What if I mess something up?"

This was immediately refuted by four different replies. Rhiannon's was "Didn't bother me at mine!", while Sadoriel took my hands in hers and said kindly, "Do not dwell on what could go wrong. Think of the wonderful things that make this right."

"The King will help you through it," Berialagor put in.

"No 'what ifs'," Finduilas said firmly.

Their sudden reactions were so funny, I couldn't help laughing. The four of them exchanged looks and began laughing as well.

"My Ladies?" Túmagol or Túmegil's voice drifted into the tent through a small part of the flap that had been pushed in so that they could hear but not see.

We turned to look at the door. Berialagor, dressed in her gleaming armour (which I thought was a bit strange, considering she's playing the part of my mother), opened the flap so that she could see them and they her.

"Is something wrong, Túmegil?" Berialagor asked.

"King Elendil of Arnor and Gondor awaits," Túmegil informed us.

I almost wished I was the fainting type of woman, because I certainly felt my heart skip a jolt. Elendil, it had been decided, would play the part of my father in the wedding. It was a token part, but one that Elendil readily agreed to. Elendil's arrival was an indication that the groom's party was ready.

Everyone turned back to me, and I stood. I was trembling with nerves, but thankfully it didn't show. Berialagor stepped outside and held the tent flap open so that I could pass through without touching it.

The dark clouds that had covered the battlefield before our victory had withdrawn behind the gates of Mordor, so I could see the sky clearly. The sun was setting in the west, casting a deep golden light across the sky.

Elendil's armour had been polished until it shone silver. He waited patiently, a small smile gracing his face. "Lady Anórmír," he greeted, holding out a hand to me.

I put my hand in his and smiled shyly, "My Lord Elendil," I replied courteously. Unable to resist, I impishly added, "Father."

Elendil chuckled, giving my hand a kiss before turning and slowly leading me away from the tent, Berialagor on my other side. Though I didn't think it at the time, I suspect the Elvish cloth has something that makes it repel dirt. Despite the masses of dirt on the battlefield, my pristine white dress remained pure white the whole time.

I haven't mentioned my dress before now, have I? How could I have made such a huge oversight? Well! It's very hard to described, but the sleeves are long and flowing in a natural kind of way, made of a soft semi-transparent white material that has an almost unnoticeable pretty floral pattern on it, but it's not embroidered, so I don't know how they did it, or how to describe it. The main part of the dress itself had a neckline that enhanced my femininity (didn't know I still had any until I put that dress on!) and the white velvety fabric lingered around the curves of my torso before falling in graceful waves to the ground. It too had an intricate pattern of some sort of it, but now's not the time for me to try and guess what it might have represented.

Incidentally, before I continue writing was happened, I should probably mention that I was in fact wearing a pair of white silken slippers. Again, they were exquisitely patterned. Had it not been a battlefield upon which I walked, but grass, I would have been barefoot. However, the circumstances were far from ideal and I was thrilled all the same.

On with the story!

Elendil led me across the sparsely tented camp to where Ereinion and his side of the party were waiting. He did not have a female Elf to stand in for his mother, but Elrond, his next closest kin, stood where his mother should have been. Círdan, of course, was playing the part of Ereinion's father. There were quite a number of others in Ereinion party, but aside from Glorfindel and Gildor, I didn't really recognise anyone else.

Just in case you were wondering, my own party was made up of Elendil and his family (since he was standing in for my father. His family was mostly just Isildur, Anárion, Finduilas, Isildur's sons and Anárion's sons), Berialagor, Minaimîr and my recently appointed guards.

There was also a number of Elves standing to either side of an unofficial path that led to the large open tent where the feast was to be held. They were singing a song in Elvish. It was a beautiful hymn of sorts. I didn't recognise any of the Elves though.

I allowed myself a breath of relief that I had at least managed to make it to this point without stuffing anything up. I was unable to keep my smile from growing as I took Ereinion's offered arm and we began to walk slowly down the path between the singing Elves. I smiled shyly at the Elves, glancing up at Ereinion from time to time. He often met my gaze, his own eyes and mind reassuring me that all was well.

I confess, I do not recall much about what we ate. I know it was delicious, because I actually managed to finish half the plate before my nerves took hold and I couldn't eat anymore because of lingering nausea.

I was introduced to a lot of nobles, both human and Elf alike. I hoped that I would not be expected to remember all their names. I was half tempted to apologise then and there if I should forget their names later, but Ereinion telepathically advised me not to.

You will find, my Anórmír, that your memory is not so poor as you believe it to be, he assured me as he casually conversed with one of Elendil's commanders. And even if it should prove to be so, in most circumstances I will be with you or at least very nearby, so you can ask for me to clarify.

That was hardly reassuring, but I put aside that thought for now.

I was somewhat surprised to meet the new King of Greenwood the Great, Thranduil, who had only been Prince up until a few weeks ago. Thranduil eyed me with interest, but it was clear that although he was civil, that he did not particularly like Ereinion for some reason. I supposed it was that ancient argument between the Noldor and the Sindar, which most had put to rest eons ago.

"And how do you like the fuss of a royal wedding?" Thranduil asked me, gesturing around him where dozens of Elves and Men were conversing in a variety of languages.

I gave a small shy smile. "When I asked why we couldn't just elope, I was told that it would be rude to deny everyone the chance to see such a notorious bachelor fall."

Ereinion choked on his drink, but Thranduil burst out laughing. I ducked my head, cursing my impertinence. Thranduil didn't seem to mind in the slightest. "She'll make you a good wife, my Lord Gil-galad," Thranduil patted Ereinion's shoulder. "You should be fortunate to have found her first. I would have quite happily stolen her from you, had you not."

Ereinion put his arm around my waist protectively. "As I have been told on several occasions, my Lord Thranduil," he replied. He looked down at me, and I knew that the pink blush of sheepishness had not yet left my cheeks. As Thranduil left us, after a raise of his glass, Ereinion did not seem angry or annoyed by what I had said. In fact, he was thoughtful.

What is it? I asked after a moment, my curiosity getting the better of me.

That comment may have single-handed built a trust between Lindon and Greenwood that three eons of diplomacy could not achieve, Ereinion smiled at me, taking a sip from his goblet again.

So long as Minaimîr stays off the booze, we're fine, I added, taking a sip from my own goblet. Though we were allowed a drink of wine during the meal, afterwards Ereinion and I were only served grape juice. Everyone else continued to drink wine, but not us. Ereinion gave a vague explanation that as the couple being married we weren't allowed even a chance to get drunk, pinning the reason to the fact that we had to be sober for our ceremony so that we wouldn't stuff it up, but I suspect he wasn't entirely being truthful. Just by the hint of embarrassment that flushed on his cheeks, and some logical thinking on my part, I was about 95 certain that wasn't the only reason. I mean, think of this way – if it really was only so that Ereinion and I didn't stuff up our ceremony, then why were Círdan, Elendil and Berialagor still allowed to drink wine? They're the ones who are going to do the actual speaking, not me and Ereinion. All he and I have to worry about is exchanging rings.

Nevermind, Anórmír, Ereinion said firmly in my mind, confirming my suspicions. Though a small smile at the corner of his lips told me he was pleased I had figured it out on my own.

A raucous bout of giggling from the other end of the pavilion ended all hopes of my twin not getting entirely smashed. She was sitting on the edge of a table with a wine goblet in one hand and a tankard in the other, conducting rowdy drinking songs with a dishevelled choir of several tipsy Men (I recognised Isildur's sons Elendur, Aratan and Ciryon amongst them), her legs swinging back and forth like a child. She seemed to be teaching a very merry and drunken Glorfindel how to sing the songs as well.

Ereinion and I looked back at each other with raised eyebrows, neither of us able to conceal a smile of tolerant exasperation.

At that moment, Elendil came up to us. Several groups of conversation quietened down to watch the exchange.

I almost panicked. Was it time already?

Elendil inclined his head. Ereinion and I returned the gesture. "My Lord, my Lady, if you will forgive my intrusion. It is a tradition of Men that the bride and her father share a dance…however, I understand that Elves do not dance until after the bride and groom have retired for the night." That was news to me. One might even consider it good news. Even Elendil seemed to flush a little in saying it, but he was smiling all the same. "I have no daughter of my own, and I have been honoured with this chance to be called on to stand in for the father of your betrothed to give her away to you. Might I ask that I be allowed to dance with my adopted daughter?"

"But of course, my Lord," Ereinion agreed as he took my goblet.

As I found myself in a dancing pose with Elendil, I almost wished that it had been the ceremony. Though I had enjoyed the folk dancing that my primary school P.E. teacher had taught us, it had been a long time since then and I didn't know any steps to any of the dances that a Lord of Men might know.

Somewhere a band of string instruments started up and Elendil lead me around in a waltz. I'm glad it was a waltz and I was dancing with a guy who knows how to lead; there was nothing more embarrassing than waltzing with the boys at my primary school who couldn't lead. Elendil and I smiled, conversing easily. I began to understand why he had been so eager to play the part of my father. After Isildur was born, he had secretly hoped for little girl that he could spoil, but his wife had died giving birth to Anárion, and he could not bring himself to marry again, not even for the want of a daughter. He was very proud of both his sons and their achievements, but he was enjoying having me as a daughter for a day. He also whispered in my ear that I should not be worried about the dancing. Apparently he had noticed the flicker of apprehension in my eyes.

After Elendil, I found myself passed on to Isildur, who was a lot more cheerful than I had ever seen him before. I suspect a large quantity of ale might have had something to with his mood. Then I danced next with Anárion, who informed me that Finduilas had told him what she had said to me and we had a good laugh about it. Thankfully, I was saved having to dance with Elendil's grandsons, because it was finally time for the wedding ceremony.

The wedding party moved out from underneath the feasting tent to a short distance even further away from the Black Gates of Mordor. Ereinion and I led the procession, both of walking gracefully to the designated spot (since I didn't know anything about this beforehand, Ereinion must have either decided at that moment or he'd discussed it with Círdan earlier). I somehow managed to hold my head high, glancing only a few times at Ereinion to smile at him and, I hope, betraying none of the anxiousness that I was feeling inside.

Once in place, he and I stood facing each other holding hands for mutual reassurance and support, as our guests slowly and ceremoniously gathered around us. When the last of them had stopped moving, Elrond stepped forth on my left side to where our hands were joined.

"Let Ilúvatar see this ner-" It was all said in Elvish of course, but I couldn't quote it accurately to you. Incidentally, 'ner' is like the Elvish equivalent to saying 'male Elf'. "-and this nís-" which means, of course, 'female Elf' "-as they come together this day to make their lives as one. May He bless their union."

Next, Círdan took a step forward to stand next to Ereinion's right hand shoulder. "I call upon Manwë Súlimo to witness the union of Ereinion Gil-galad son of Fingon and Anórmír daughter of Elendil."

It had been decided that as so little was known about my parentage that on this day no mention would be made that I was adopted by Elendil and Berialagor, and that we would simply pretend that I really was their child (cough, snort, giggle).

Círdan continued on. "Manwë, we ask that you bless this couple with peace and prosperity for all eternity."

snort A funny and ironic thing for us to be blessed with when we're standing on what was only a week ago a battlefield of death and destruction. Still, it'd be nice if it comes true!

On my right hand side, Berialagor stepped forward. "I call upon Varda Elbereth to witness the union of Ereinion Gil-galad, High King of the Elves in Middle Earth, and Anórmír, Lady of Arnor and Gondor."

I can only imagine the speculation that must have been going through people's minds at this point; a virtually unknown Elf-maiden of unknown parentage and status was marrying the High King of Elves. I've got to admit, I was a little nervous about hearing it myself. However, I wanted to marry Ereinion so I wasn't going to question it.

"Elbereth, we ask that you bless this Elf and Elf-maiden with love and light in their lives forever," Berialagor finished.

At this, Ereinion and I finally let go of each other's hands and stopped staring into each other's eyes, as it was time for our part of the ceremony. Ereinion took the wedding ring from Círdan and removed the silver betrothal ring from my index finger before replacing it with the gold ring (which incidentally was delicately engraved with an ornate pattern of leaves). I turned and accepted Ereinion's wedding band from Berialagor and removed his silver betrothal ring before replacing it with the identical gold ring that symbolised that he and I were formally wed to each other.

The crowd burst into deafening applause and cheers. My beloved and I were officially wed!

According to Elvish tradition, we each would keep the betrothal ring worn by the other. Discreetly, we both handed them to our 'parents' for safekeeping until later, since neither of us had a pouch of pocket in which to store it.

If you thought my wedding was over at that point, think again. Next was the exchanging of gifts, which in Elvish tradition is given by the bridegroom's father to the bride and the bride's mother to the bridegroom. It was something I had fretted over until Berialagor had told me not to worry and that Elendil had promised to take care of the matter himself.

As the cheers died down slightly, Círdan opened a beautiful carved wooden chest held by his squire and gently placed a very beautiful and very elaborate necklace around my neck.

My father, Fingon, left this is Círdan's keeping just in case something should happen and he should not be present for my wedding. Círdan showed it to me many years ago, some years after my father had been killed when I was still a young child, Ereinion explained to me.

I'm certain that I blushed just enough to turn my cheeks a rosy colour, transforming myself into that popular literary picture of a blushing young bride. "Thank you," I whispered softly to both Círdan and Ereinion, not sure if I was allowed to speak. Since both my husband and his surrogate father smiled, I deduced that even if it had been a breach of protocol, I would be readily forgiven for it.

Sadoriel held out a strangely decorated box and Berialagor opened it. I couldn't see what was inside due to the fact my surrogate mother blocked it from view as she put the necklace around Ereinion's neck (he had to bend his head slightly so that Berialagor could do the clasp behind his neck) and then she stepped back. The necklace for my husband was exquisite and yet quite masculine in its glory. I can't describe it. It's one of those things you have to see to understand.

In any case, I turned to look at Elendil, wondering from whence he had obtained such a beautiful and priceless gift. Elendil just smiled. "I was given the necklace by Uinen when our ships were saved from the Downfall of Númenor. It was she who told me it was a gift for the husband of my daughter. Since I had no daughter, I did not understand her…but when I was asked to stand in for your own father, I realised what Uinen had meant."

Uinen! Uinen was a Maia, the wife of Ossë, and said to be the calm of the seas…why had she done that for me? Not that I wasn't grateful, but still it was puzzling.

I heard the murmurs of some of our guests and from Ereinion's own thoughts I gleaned that this was seen as confirmation that I was indeed 'sent by the Valar'. Whilst our guests didn't think it, I suddenly pondered the reason for sending Minaimîr and I to the War of the Last Alliance. Had it been to help the Alliance? Or had it been to each fulfil our destiny in marrying Glorfindel and Ereinion?

That thought would have to wait for later, as Elrond was now bringing forth a gold and mirthil circlet on a velvet cushion. The crown of the High Queen of the Elves.

I didn't stand taller or prouder as I had imagined I might, and my smile only slipped a bit from my face, but I'm not sure anyone other than Ereinion noticed. I'm not sure who else might have seen it in my eyes, but I know that Ereinion saw the wistfulness there. He said nothing but gave me an encouraging little smile.

Paranoid about screwing this bit of my wedding up, Sadoriel had shoved a cup of her calming tea into my hands before explaining that it really was the simplest part of all the protocol I had to go through in marrying Ereinion. All I had to do was stand still and let them crown me.

Ereinion removed the veil from my head, handing to Sadoriel so that he could take the crown from Elrond and whatever lingering murmurs died down immediately. Everyone waited breathlessly with anticipation.

I stood patiently, finding an inner calm that I hadn't had before. I was not afraid or anxious nor was I ecstatic about the crowning. It was a part of what I had accepted when I had decided to marry Ereinion and accept it I would with neither pleasure nor fear. Like Ereinion, I acknowledged it as my duty and I entered it willingly, for love of him.

Ereinion placed the crown gently on my brow; it fit perfectly. As he removed his hands to let the crown rest on my head, he announced to all, "Let it be known hereafter that Anórmír is my wife and the High Queen of the Elves in Middle Earth."

The cheers that went up were even louder than the ones before. At their sounds of jubilation, I could not help smiling in relief and joy at my husband, who grinned back at me.

Protocol or not, we wrapped our arms around each other and engaged in a passionate kiss.

The roar of elated joyousness did not dim or cease when we withdrew from our embrace and Ereinion took my hand in his and guided me through the crowd which parted to let us through.

Ereinion led me to the tent that would serve as our wedding night chamber. As Túmagol and Túmegil held open the outer tent flaps for us enter, I began to wonder about that pile of blankets that was Ereinion's bed…
Sadoriel and a relatively young Elf whom was unfamiliar to me (though Ereinion briefly explained the Elf in question was his squire, Nîthion) opened the flaps to the inner chamber of the tent.
I gaped in awe, which quickly turned into a grin. I put my hands over my mouth and giggled. The desk, chair and blankets had gone and in its place was a bed of three huge fluffy mattresses, the top of which almost reached up to my waist.

Ereinion wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Am I to judge by your smile that you approve?" he murmured teasingly next to my sensitive ear.

I had trouble controlling my voice to breathe, "Very much." I turned my head to look at him. "How?" I asked simply.

"It is a gift from Isildur," Ereinion explained with a grin. "He wished to make amends for his past transgressions and hoped that we might find this useful."

I giggled again, blushing bright red.

No, I'm not going to tell you anything further about my wedding night. That's between me and my gorgeous husband. However, I will, with a lop-sided grin, summarise it in one word: WOW…naughty giggle

It was just as my mind was on the verge of slipping into a deep contented sleep that I heard a voice come from the direction of the tent flap. "My Lord?" the male voice enquired timidly.

I furrowed my brow in irritation and snuggled against my husband, as though doing so could somehow drown our reality. Ereinion's arms pulled me closer as he sighed and said softly, "I thought I asked you not to disturb us until an hour past high noon."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Ereinion's squire replied, "My Lord…it is already the second hour past midday."

That got me awake. 2 o'clock already? But I hadn't even gotten to sleep yet!

blush……Just don't go there. I told you – you don't need to know anything more about my wedding night than what I've already told you.

For a moment there was only the sound of Ereinion's breathing. I stared at him groggily, silently hoping that he would tell his squire to leave us alone until tomorrow morning…

"In five minutes time, I will require your assistance to dress," Ereinion spoke at last, ruining my chances of going back to sleep.

"Of course, my Lord." Nîthion sounded rather relieved to be dismissed. The flap closed completely once more.

"Hmmm," I protested, burying my head into Ereinion's neck.

My apologies, my darling, Ereinion bethought me regretfully. But we must forego sleep at this time. We are expected to join the rest of the Alliance in Mordor tonight. And I fear that when we arrive, neither of us will be allowed to rest – we must ensure that the camp is properly settled, defended and prepared for an attack. That will require us to attend a good many meetings.

I almost groaned aloud at the prospect of going without sleep for a second night in a row. My previous record of staying awake was 28 hours straight. It was already well past that since I had first awoken yesterday, and I was exhausted. How was I ever going to make it through my first day as Queen?

Ereinion kissed my forehead. They have allowed us an extra hour, he pointed out.

Yes, but if they hadn't, they'd have gotten a real shock, wouldn't they? I retorted.

Ereinion chuckled and drew me into a gentle passionate kiss before he reluctantly disentangled himself from me and climbed out of bed. He had only just pulled up the covers to ensure that I was entirely and modestly covered when Nîthion peered in, making sure that the coast was clear, and, with palpable relief at seeing that only my husband was out of bed, entered our chambers with a clean set of clothes for Ereinion.

I grinned beneath the shelter of the bedcovers as I watched Nîthion help Ereinion get dressed. I'm sure that if Ereinion had lived on Earth, he would have been mistaken for Paris of Troy, or Adonis, or someone like that...

Nîthion was trying very hard not to show it, but I could tell that he was nervous. Every time Ereinion wasn't paying attention, Nîthion would glance at me anxiously before turning away, blushing.

Darling, I began, determined to point this out. Your squire seems a little uneasy at your new marital status.

Ereinion made no physical action to acknowledge that he had heard, but in my mind he replied, Why do you think that?

It might have something to do with the fact that he's trembling and he keeps glancing at me nervously, I replied.

This time when Nîthion glanced at me, Ereinion was watching. He turned before his squire could become aware that he had been caught out. I will speak to him later, Ereinion assured me.

By the time Ereinion was completely dressed, including armour, Nîthion made a hasty exit from the room. It was almost insulting, as though he thought marriage might be a contagious disease or something. Ereinion's lips twitched in a smile as he lent over the bed to kiss me. "Your turn," he said before he left our 'bedchamber'.
Sadoriel and Berialagor entered only moments after he left and I reluctantly pushed back the covers. I was feeling even more self-conscious than before my wedding about my present state of nudity. I suppose it was because I was no longer a maiden, and that everyone knew it that made me suddenly so uncomfortable.

Anyhow, after I was dressed in an entirely new gown and wearing the circlet that denoted my status as queen, I wandered out of the tent, hoping that what I needed to do next would be clearly apparent.

It was. Ereinion, his personal guard and my personal guard were all standing, or mounted on their horses, waiting for me to emerge. The rest of the lords and commanders had gone on ahead to the new camp a few hours earlier (their lateness in rising was due to the pounding hangovers they were now sporting) and the few who had come from Osgiliath (such as Finduilas and her party) had already headed back to the capital city of Gondor.

Ereinion turned, a smile playing at his lips. "So nice of you to join us, my dear," he commented, coming over to take my hand and lead me to my horse Lossúl. He and I would be riding separately, due to the rough terrain of Mordor. As it was, most of the horses wouldn't stay with the Alliance. There would only be a few dozen left, in case there was need of them. Lossúl was numbered among those that would stay, since I was considered an important personage and if something should go ill, I would be among the first evacuated from the camp. Small relief, since I knew that should such a situation arise, Ereinion would be expected to stay.

I raised an eyebrow at him. Only because you got out of bed first, I reminded him, though because no one else could hear it, it did not stop the badly disguised chuckles and grins of our guards. Rúmion even whistled encouragingly at us. Ereinion grinned as he moved round to mount his own horse, but I turned around and glared playfully at Rúmion who just grinned broadly back at me. "Do you suppose we could at least pretend to have a little professionalism?" I asked him. I couldn't help blushing slightly, even though I was telling him off. Having turned around, I could now see just how many faces were smirking behind us.

"As you wish, my Queen," Rúmion replied formally, limiting his grin to a smirk. Thangail looked like he was on the verge of laughter himself.

"Oh dear," I muttered under my breath, turning back to face forward once more. Somehow I managed not to roll my eyes.

I could feel Ereinion getting prepared to tell me 'I told you so' or something along those lines, so I warned him, Don't. Just don't say a word.

Ereinion's mouth was fixed in a small smirk as we nudged our horses forward.

The journey to the new camp took several hours, on account of the fact that we didn't want to ride the horses faster than a walk over the terrain if it could be avoided. Since there was no hurry, walk it we did. Dinner was just finished being served to all, though there was still some kept for our group.
Ereinion and I were allowed to enjoy dinner together before being dragged into a gathering of Ereinion's commanders. Mostly it was still a case of 'this is done, but I haven't gotten round to checking out that yet…' or 'so and so is having a few difficulties…' or 'there's problems with the layout of the camp/ supplies gone AWOL …', etc, etc. Incidentally, it was all spoken in Elvish, but I found that problem particularly easy to overcome since I was able to use Ereinion's mind unconsciously as a translation dictionary. What he understood, so too did I.
It was a female Elf who spoke up next. She wasn't a regular attendee of council meetings, but apparently the camp relocation issues included her in those necessary to be present. "My Lord," she began respectfully but firmly. "The Healers are woefully undermanned. The wounded have all been transferred here, but the Men lost quite a few of their Healers to sickness, which was the result of having so many of their own wounded to tend to. We've sent some of our healers to help them, but there's one healing tent between the Elves and Men, which tends to both kindreds, that are in a bit of chaos at the moment. Due to fact that we have less space than we did before, so the healing tents are more crowded, and we have not time to check where all of our supplies have been brought since arriving here and how much of each item that we have. If there are soldiers or somebody who can be spared to help us, we would be most grateful."
A thought flashed across my mind during the Elf maiden's report so quickly that I wasn't sure whether it had originated from me or whether it had been Ereinion's idea first.
"Anórmír," Ereinion turned to me. Though I whole-hearted agreed with the idea, I was a little annoyed by his decision. My husband is not very subtle when it comes to directing me towards a part in this war that he'd rather I'd play. It was something for us to discuss later, because no way was I letting him get out of teaching me to fight. I knew that he'd much rather that I join the healers permanently though.
I nodded before he'd had a chance to finish explaining. Sadoriel, who had been sitting sewing to one side, jumped up and smiled in wordless support that she too was going to help.
The head-healer, Serkewen, showed us to the healing tent that served both Elves and Men. She introduced us to the healer in charge of that particular tent, an Elf-woman by the name of Tereva. The second-in-command of the tent was a human woman, Saranya, of like attitude. I noticed that these healers had a personality that seemed to be dominated by grim determination. They were compassionate towards their patients, but not as much as I expected. When I thought about it though, I suppose they couldn't really afford to be as openly kindly or sympathetic; it would have caused too much heart-ache to see so many people in their care die.
Tereva set us to opening the boxes and making a list of what they had. It was tedious work, since many of the bottles and jars were labelled in Elvish and Sadoriel did not know the names in the tongue of Men, so I had to list the items in Elvish copied from the jars.

The tedium of the task was relieved a short while later by the arrival of Minaimîr. She came bounding into the tent with a broad grin and her usual enthusiasm.

"Oh dear," I murmured so that only Sadoriel could hear me. Having known my sister for so long, I could guess what was coming.

"You did it!" Minaimîr squealed. She gave me a hug (and almost spilling the ink everywhere). "And you didn't mess it up or anything, like you were worried that you would."

Thanks, I thought to myself dryly and I'm sure my expression said as much. I caught a glimpse of a smile on Sadoriel's face before she could relax her features into pretending that she hadn't heard. Some of the other healers were smiling and exchanging glances.

"So…" Minaimîr began with a nasty glint in her eye, trying not leave any opportunity for me to dodge the question.

"Sister, we're working," I interrupted pointedly.

"I know. But I wanted to know if you enjoyed yourself last night?" Minaimîr grinned wickedly.

I flushed bright red, but I continued on trying to pretend that I wasn't. "Minaimîr, that is hardly-"

"Stop avoiding the question and answer me." Minaimîr crossed her arms.

"It does not concern you-" I tried again as calmly as I could, keenly aware that everyone had stopped to watch us.

"Just tell me – did you enjoy it?" Minaimîr persisted determinedly.

"That is between myself and my husband," I replied prudishly and resolutely.

"I'm not leaving until you give me all the sordid details," Minaimîr declared, crossing her arms stubbornly.

Shocked that my sister would do that to me (did I ask for details about her first night with Glorfindel? No. I was also kind enough not to mention that her wedding night was had long before her wedding.), I flushed a deeper shade of red. Desperate for some kind of compromise that would get me out of that uncomfortable situation, I finally said, "If I say 'yes', will you leave me alone?"

Thankfully, my sister was so elated to hear me say 'yes' that I was relieved of having to 'give all the sordid details'. She squealed and hugged me and was cackling gleefully on her way out when all of a sudden she stopped and turned around. "As long as 'yes' is the truth. That you did enjoy…?"

Despairing that I should ever get rid of my nosy sister, I exclaimed exasperatedly, "Yes! Now will you leave me alone?"

With a last shriek of joy, Minaimîr bounded back out of the tent and left us to our work. It was at that point that the healers became all too aware that I was aware they weren't working. They hastily went back to work.

I rubbed my hot cheek with one hand, glancing bashfully at Sadoriel, who was smiling. "Please, not you as well," I begged.

Sadoriel rested a hand on my shoulder. "Your secrets are safe with us, my Queen."

I winced at the title. "Sadoriel, please. I prefer just to be called 'Anórmír'."

"You are the High Queen of the Elves in Middle Earth," Sadoriel protested steadily. "It would be wrong for me to call you by just your name. I am your lady-in-waiting. If I do not use the appropriate formalities then other lords and ladies will think I have no respect for you. It would not reflect well on you as a Lady, let alone a Lady of your status."

Ouch. I sighed. "We'll continue this argument later. What's the next bottle say?"

I don't know how long we spent listing the contents of the healing supplies, but after a long time, I had this strange uplifting feeling…
Looking behind me, I found Ereinion, who had been peering over my shoulder at the list I'd compiled. Instinctively, I smiled at him. "Escaped the commanders, did you?" I asked, looking back to Sadoriel who had paused in reading the names. I wrote it down on the sheet of parchment.
"For the time being," Ereinion replied.
"And so you came to watch us make lists? I'm touched," I teased.
Ereinion wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my hair. "Actually, I came to steal my wife…" he said.
Some of younger healers giggled before they could bite their lips to stop themselves.
Still smiling, I raised an eyebrow before asking Sadoriel, "How much more do we have to go?"
"Half the box," Sadoriel replied. She too was trying to hide a small grin.
I turned back to Ereinion. "Sorry, darling, but you've got half a box to wait," I told him teasingly.
Ereinion, however, had other ideas. He lifted me up and tossed me over his shoulder. In shock, I dropped the list, quill and ink bottle (thankfully it was corked at the time). I shrieked in surprise.
"Ereinion!" I protested shrilly.
Ereinion was having none of it. With his arm wrapped around my legs to make sure I couldn't extract myself from the position in which he'd put me, Ereinion cheerfully strolled out of the tent. I suppose in retrospect I could have avoided a certain amount of embarrassment if I hadn't been so vocal about telling my husband that I was quite capable of walking and would happily do so to wherever it was he wanted so long as he'd let me down...but my half-laughing protests (hey, it was
kinda fun wink, grin) fell deaf on Ereinion's ears, though a goodly number of Elven soldiers heard and came to check out what exactly was going on. Once they took in the situation (the High King heading for his tent with his Lady thrown over his shoulder), they cheered and laughed.
"That's one way of getting her to bed, my Lord!" one of the more brazen Elves called encouragingly, much to the mirth of his companions.
"You're enjoying this," I accused my husband, blushing furiously.
Though I couldn't see it, I knew that Ereinion just grinned more broadly than before.
"My Lord," I said, after several more moments of listening to whistles and applause. It was time to try a different approach! "Flattered though I am that you are carrying me-" I was abruptly because Ereinion shifted me with a jolt that ended my speech. I couldn't help giggling at that point. And it felt a lot better to be laughing along with everyone else, than have them laughing at me.
"You're only brave enough to do this because you're wearing armour and that means I can't poke you or hit you," I teased wickedly.
"Be careful, Anórmír, you'll incite me to do this more often – and without armour," Ereinion replied gleefully.
Eventually we reached our new tent (it was much improved than the old one) and Ereinion playfully dumped me onto the bed of mattresses. He crawled onto the bed, an arm on other side of me so that all my chances of escape (as if I'd want to!) were blocked. With a grin, I wrapped my arms around his neck and drew him into a kiss. Ereinion was very happy about that.
My eyes were closed, and though I felt Ereinion's lips leave mine, I was trapped in a dream state like the one I had experienced while I was preparing for my wedding. Except this time, the dream was so similar to reality I was almost convinced it was happening at that moment. In the dream, I was in the same room, same clothes, on the same bed with Ereinion, but he wasn't kissing me anymore and then Círdan appeared, pushing aside the fabric doors of our private chamber and saying "I'm sorry to interrupt you both, but, Gil-galad, you're needed at a council with King Elendil. They suspect another attack soon."
I opened my eyes and I was back in reality, Ereinion was pulling back a second time, having just kissed me again. Confused and dazed by the dream, I did not realise that Ereinion had paused.
"What is it?" he asked concerned.
"A strange dream," I answered uncertainly. Ereinion stared at me, though I could not determine his emotion.
"What kind of dream?" he asked softly.
"I…it was just like this," I said slowly, trying to recall what I had seen in the dream without the hazy sense of sleep that had overwhelmed me when it had happened. "Except that Lord Círdan was opening the door-" I pointed to the tent flaps that were the only way in or out of the bedchamber from the antechamber. "And he said 'I'm sorry to interrupt you both, but, Gil-galad, you're needed at a council with King Elendil. They suspect another attack soon.'" I looked at Ereinion, wondering what he made of it. Ereinion stared at me thoughtfully.
Before either of us could say or do anything further, a rustle of the fabric drew our attention to the door where Círdan appeared, pushing the flap aside. He opened his mouth and said, "I'm sorry to interrupt you both, but, Gil-galad, you're needed at a council with King Elendil. They suspect another attack soon."
I snapped my head back to Ereinion. "Déjà vu," I whispered. Ereinion looked at me again contemplatively.
"What is the matter?" Círdan asked, sensing our strange mood.
My mouth went dry and I didn't know what to say.
Ereinion turned back to Círdan. "Anórmír just foresaw the moment of your entrance," he explained quietly.
Círdan stared at me thoughtfully as well.
"I-I…" I tried to find the words to deny that what I had seen had been the future, except that it had been, and then I tried to find another explanation, but I could find none.
"She was explaining it to me, just before you arrived. Your first words were exactly as she told them to me just moments earlier," Ereinion continued, confidence returning to his usual voice and tone.
Círdan nodded. "It is a matter we will have to investigate at a later time," he said shortly. "We have that meeting to attend."
Ereinion nodded in agreement. A small smile crept onto his lips as he recalled what we had been doing before we'd been interrupted. As he stood, he said casually to me, "I shall try not to keep you waiting, my Lady."
"Good," I grinned cheekily. "In the meantime though, I think I'll use the extra time to have a bath." The bath tub was currently in the corner of our bedchamber, and I suspected that it was likely to remain there as long as I was in residence.
Ereinion grinned shamelessly as he followed Círdan, who was shaking his head dismissively and good-humouredly, out of the tent.

Nîthion was unsurprisingly obliging when I emerged from the bedchamber to ask if he could possibly find Sadoriel for me. Whilst I didn't like the idea of pulling Sadoriel away from the work that I myself was supposed to be doing, I liked the idea of asking Nîthion for hot bath water even less. Nîthion, however, seemed to like the idea that someone else would have to tend to me and he could get out of my sight. Ereinion most definitely had to speak to him.

Sadoriel arrived, slightly confused but upon seeing that it was just me in the bedchamber, understood immediately that my husband had been called away. I apologised to her of course, but Sadoriel waved my apologies away and happily went to obtain the necessary apparatus for my bath. Sadoriel enjoyed being helpful, something I wasn't going to complain about.

So it wasn't long before I was soaking gratefully in hot water, liberally sprinkled with scented oils. "Hmmm," I murmured contentedly.

"My Lady is very fond of hot baths," Sadoriel observed after quite some time of silence.

"Extremely," I confessed happily.

There was no chance to pursue that conversation further for at that moment my beloved husband chose to enter by way of the door from the antechamber (there were two doors leading into the bedchamber; one from the outer antechamber and one from the room that would serve as Ereinion's 'study').

"I thought you might still be in the bath," Ereinion greeted me affectionately. He glanced at Sadoriel, who understood that she was dismissed for the time being. After Sadoriel had left, Ereinion dumped the pile of parchment in his hand onto our bed and came to sit on the edge of the bath, dipping his fingers into the warm water. He traced patterns on the surface of the water before looking at me. "Regrettably I will not be able to join you, my dear," he apologised straightforwardly. "I don't think anyone realised just how much paperwork a war takes. I have those parchments to read over and I need to pass some of them on to my quartermaster along with a note about what he needs to order, not to mention writing a letter to my dear mother to be passed along when the messenger is sent to Lindon."

I took Ereinion's large hand between my own in silent support. "I understand," I told him. With a small smile, I added, "And tomorrow you'll have the headache of trying to find something else for me to do."

Ereinion lent over and kissed me. "I have arranged with my acquaintances in the nursing division that certain healers shall spend a few hours with you on alternate mornings to teach you the art of healing. That should give you something to occupy your time."

"Darling, you're about a subtle as an oliphaunt on a rampage," I said dryly.

"It's a practical use for your time," Ereinion insisted in protest. "There will not be much opportunity for you to learn many other crafts or talents whilst you remain with me and the Alliance, and this is something I feel sure of you being able to learn without the need for me to be present." All of it was said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Convenient."

Ereinion just chuckled. "Take care not to drown yourself wallowing in the water, my love. I will be finished my work as soon as possible."

Pushing aside my feelings about Ereinion's blatant 'shove' in the direction of a war-time occupation he wished for me to take, I estimated that I spent another good hour in the bath before deciding the water was getting too chilly for me to remain comfortable any longer.

I gathered that Sadoriel had resigned herself to rest for the night after being dismissed by my husband, but I wasn't worried by it. I had seen where she laid the towel and the nightgown (taken from my backpack…is there no end to the stuff that comes out of my bag?) out on the chest that held my gowns. I was a big girl – and quite capable of dressing myself after all. When I was dressed in my nightie, I briefly considered going to bed before opting to see how far along my husband was with his tasks.

Using the door that would take me directly into the 'study room' without having to go through the antechamber, I was glad that my husband smiled as he saw me enter. Ereinion held out his arms in wordless instruction and I grinned, taking my seat in his lap.

"How goes it?" I asked, nuzzling his neck.

"Hmmm," Ereinion murmured happily before taking up his quill again. "I am almost finished. I need to complete the letter to the quartermaster and seal the letter to my mother." He gestured to the envelope that sat on the desk to one side. It was quite fat with parchment.

Curiosity got the better of me. I picked it up, but was disappointed to find that the name was written in Elvish, so it was a reasonable enough assumption that the whole letter would be written in Elvish. Sure enough, when I pulled the letter out it was all written in Elvish characters. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised – after all, my husband and his mother are Elves. I couldn't expect that everyone in Middle Earth would speak, read and write English just because I did.

Ereinion suddenly pulled out a drawer that I hadn't noticed beneath the main part of the desk and took out another quill and bottle of ink to give to me. "There is a little bit of space on the back page for you to write a short note to my mother," he said.

I stared at the drawer as Ereinion pushed it back into its place, hidden away underneath.

"You did not realise there was a drawer there?" Ereinion surmised to his amusement.

I blushed slightly. "Not really. Every time I've seen this desk I've always been distracted by you. Mostly because you're in the room with me, but on the other occasions you were still in my thoughts. I never noticed, alright?" My embarrassment grew as Ereinion broke into laughter at my explanation.

"Ah, my Anórmír," Ereinion let his laughter dissolve into chuckles.

Pretending that nothing had happened, I picked up the last page of the letter and turned to the back. I had roughly half a page in which to write my regards to Ereinion's mother. I picked up my quill and poised to dip it into the ink before I realised I was struck with a dilemma: what do you write to your new mother-in-law when you haven't even met her?

I looked at my husband. Ereinion had already resumed his message to the quartermaster, still smiling. I bit my lip and rested my hand on the parchment, the quill still without ink. I wrestled for quite some time before I decided that at the very least some thanks for sending Sadoriel and the beautiful wardrobe of gowns might be in order. I dipped the quill in the ink and almost touched the paper before I realised that I didn't even know what to call her. Lady Tinnulin? Was that too formal? I was certain 'Mum' or 'my dear mother-in-law' wasn't likely to go down well. I couldn't exactly say 'Miss Tinnulin' or 'Mrs Tinnulin' either.

"My naneth will not mind what you decide how you choose to refer to her," Ereinion said, breaking the silence.

I drained the quill of ink and looked at him sheepishly. Trying to write half a page to my new mother-in-law was tough enough without my husband being aware of how much trouble I was having with it. Apparently Ereinion knew that thought as well because he distracted me with a soft kiss. Opting to let myself be distracted, I snuggled closer to my husband.

Needless to say, my husband's efforts to drive me to distraction were going exceedingly well until we were most unfortunately interrupted. Having heard the rustle of the tent flap, I glanced over Ereinion's shoulder at the intruder. Nîthion had strolled into the room, unaware what was going on, but once he saw me in my husband's lap, he took on the expression of deer caught in the headlights of a truck.

"-My Lord!" he choked, casting about some means of apology or escape. Apparently what he had to say was important enough for him to stay where he was. I grinned mirthfully, my mouth hidden from Nîthion's view by Ereinion's shoulder, as I watched Nîthion force himself to pretend nothing was wrong. It must have taken a lot of self-discipline to be able to stand up straight and stare calmly ahead when your king and his wife are being openly affectionate with each other.

"Lord Elrond asked me to inform you that a messenger arrived from Imladris. The next month's food supplies are on their way, my Lord." The squire reported grimly.

Ereinion began to stand and I hid my smile as I got off his lap. Ereinion picked up the note to his quartermaster and handed it to Nîthion with not the slightest trace of self-consciousness. I envied his strong willed composure. "Thank you, Nîthion. This is to be taken to the quartermaster."

Nîthion nodded, maintaining his pretence that nothing was amiss. "He will likely send a messenger to Lindon as soon as he has compiled a response. Has my Lord any other letters to send?" Apparently he too knew about Ereinion's letter to his mother.

"I have, but it is not yet finished. I have more that I wish now to add before sending it. Ask Narwanár to delay sending the messenger until then. I should have the letter finished in morning." Ereinion said.

Nîthion inclined his head with obvious relief to be able to leave. As he headed to the door, I caught Ereinion's thoughts and discovered that usually his squire would wish him a good night before leaving. Annoyed that first Nîthion just blatantly ignored me and then proceeds to change his usual courtesy to my husband in favour of leaving as quickly as he could, I couldn't help myself.

As Nîthion reached for the flap, I said dryly, "You know, Nîthion, marriage isn't contagious. You needn't fear that you will somehow come down with a sudden urge to get married yourself."

Nîthion froze and glanced at me before looking at Ereinion. Though I couldn't see it myself, I knew that Nîthion could read the unhappy puzzlement in Ereinion's eyes. Nîthion looked away guiltily.

Perhaps I should have said nothing and let the air of forced tranquillity continue. I surprised myself by speaking out. Normally I would just hold up the pretence myself until such time as it was sorted out privately. But I wanted it to end now.

Anórmír, Ereinion spoke solemnly within my mind. Please retire to our bedchamber. I will be there shortly.

I sighed. With a brief inclination of my head, I said, "Please excuse me." And promptly ducked into the bedroom.

Wanting to know what was going on, but understanding that I could not be present while Ereinion dealt with Nîthion, I sat cross-legged on the bed and closed my eyes, concentrating. Sure enough, I was able to see the exchange between my husband and his squire…

"Nîthion," Ereinion said with a hint of warning in his voice. "I cannot let this continue. There must be harmony in my House, now more than ever. That includes the relationship between my wife and my squire. The Dark Lord would like nothing more than for us, his enemies, to be in conflict with one another."

Nîthion seemed even more uncomfortable than before. "My Lord," he said respectfully but awkwardly. He struggled with a way to express himself without giving offence. "I was not here when you first met Lady Anórmír, nor as you grew close to her. I only discovered your relationship by way of your summons and invitation to attend your wedding. I arrived too late to get used to Lady Anórmír being around." He paused. "And she seems extremely young to have been getting married."

Ereinion nodded in understanding. "Nîthion, I need your help in this matter more than any other. Anórmír is not familiar with being a Lady, let alone being the High Queen of the Elves in Middle Earth. She has Sadoriel to guide her in the arts of being a Lady, Berialagor will help Anórmír come to terms with her restriction of her freedom – Anórmír can no longer walk unprotected beneath the stars as she once used to – and also help Anórmír to understand when I have to make decisions that she may not like…but I need you to help my wife understand the politics and positions held in Lindon, and how we stand in relation to the other kingdoms."

Nîthion's look softened. "Just how young is the High Queen?" he asked curiously.

Ereinion hesitated. "Suffice it to say the High Queen is young enough. It would be best for me not to say exactly. You have duties of your own this evening I believe. I hope that you and Anórmír can learn to live with these circumstances. May the Valar see fit to give us a swift victory in this war."

Nîthion smiled genuinely. "May they indeed."

As Ereinion headed for the flap that would lead him to me, Nîthion blurted out, "My Lord!"

Ereinion turned expectantly.

Nîthion threw caution to the wind and gave a mischievous grin. "As the Men would say…Sweet Dreams!"

Ereinion chuckled and grinned as Nîthion withdrew to the antechamber.

Something changed and I was no longer in control of what I was seeing. I knew I should have seen Ereinion open the flap and then I should have opened my eyes to see him there, but I could not. The vision took hold and instead, I followed Nîthion into the antechamber, where Sadoriel slept on her pallet of blankets and Berialagor was preparing for sleep as well…

When Berialagor caught sight of Nîthion's grin, she raised an eyebrow. Nîthion's grin faded slightly and he blushed.

"What is it, cousin?" Berialagor asked curiously.

"I…" Nîthion flushed a deeper red, his grin wiped completely off his face as he recalled his embarrassment. "I was not expecting to find the King with his Lady."

Berialagor gaped slightly. "Anórmír…?"

"Anórmír?"

I heard Ereinion's concerned voice at the edge of my consciousness, but I couldn't end the vision.

"Aye. I was as shocked as you are now – actually, I was more so at the time. I was somewhat rude, something that apparently disturbed Lady Anórmír enough for her to point it out. I've been chastised by the High King and hopefully things will get better from here on out." Nîthion confessed.

Anórmír.

Ereinion's mental voice penetrated the hazy fog on my mind and I was finally able to free myself of the entanglement of the vision. I shook my head to clear, blinking. I was suddenly very glad to be back.

I felt Ereinion probe my thoughts with his own mind. In doing so, he came to understand the sequence of events that had led me to be trapped in the vision. "Perhaps you should not try that again until I have the leisure to be at your side to assist should something go wrong," he suggested gravely. "Your abilities are progressing and it would be unwise to allow them to get out of hand whilst we are in Mordor. We will practice mind exercises later." A grin slowly grew on his face. "But for now…"

I think you can guess what came next. Try not to be too vivid in your imagination.