Morning. Early. Arwen could not lie in bed any longer even though she could still feel that she needed rest. She was too awake, but she had no idea the reason. Lying still for another moment or two, she felt the crisp morning air coming in through their open bedroom windows. She watched her sleeping lover's face and smiled, stroking his cheek gently before leaning over to plant a kiss on his brow. For the first time ever, he did not even stir. She could not remember any time that had happened, or any time she had left him sleeping in their bed after she was awake.

But there was a reason she was awake, and she figured it would be nice to spend some time with Ilúvatar on her own. She had several things she wanted to tell him, and their back porch seemed the perfect place to spend some alone time until the rest of the House was awake. Arwen had assumed that when she exited her bedroom, dressed and ready for the day, that Enguina and Legolas would still be tangled in each other's arms before the fire; at least, she hoped they would be. She was surprised to find that she was wrong. Legolas lay, half-covered by a blanket, before the nearly extinguished fire whereas Enguina was nowhere to be seen. Arwen had her own ideas where Enguina might be, and taking a wrap from the nearest chair, she followed her instincts to the porch.

Seated quietly in a chair with a mug of hot tea sat Enguina, her one leg pulled up to her chest and her other foot touching the ground, her toes gently rocking the chair she was seated in. Arwen leaned against the doorframe for half-a-moment before she reached over and wrapped the shawl over Enguina's shoulders. The older elf titled her head to eye her.

"Good morning," Arwen said softly, crossing her arms and looking out into the sky that was only beginning to brighten with the first rays of sun. Enguina watched her as she leaned a hip against the rail.

"Is it a good morning?"

"It is a new day," Arwen said in the same, soft tone. "A fresh start."

Enguina narrowed her eyes and sighed, looking intently at her. "A fresh start, you say? You encouraged Legolas to pry at me last night."

"I encouraged him to tell you the truth."

She shook her head. "Do not sweet-coat it, Arwen," she said, her voice becoming snappish. "You are forcing me to tell him…and I cannot do it. I woke this morning with an image of him in my head, staring at me as I spoke the truth about the dream…and he…turned from me, horrified by it."

Arwen looked back at her evenly. "I am forcing you to do nothing. You can choose not to tell him…but you will never leave the past or have your heart in peace. And you will forever feel guilty about hurting him that way."

She glared at her. "I do not need you to threaten me about the future! I know what it will be like, whether he knows the truth or not!" Enguina set her mug down hard on the corner of the small table beside her. "And do not speak to me of guilt! I am not—"

"Do not say you do not feel it," Arwen chided her softly. "You feel guilty because you have not already shared the burden with him, and you feel guilt every time you must push him away because you cannot have him at your side or touch you during that dream. Of course you do! Enguina, you want to share this with him, but you surely fear needlessly." She spoke the words gently, but they still felt harsh to Enguina. "Your fear is natural; but Legolas is not someone to be afraid of."

"You speak as if you could possibly understand," she growled, "yet, you have no idea, Arwen…you have never been in my place. You have never hurt the way I have been hurt! You have never had a secret like this that you felt you needed to hide from everyone decent and good. And perhaps you are right; perhaps I should tell him simply to get it over with…perhaps I should stop prolonging the agony and just end it."

"Is that what you really believe he will do when he knows the truth?" Arwen insisted. "End it…end all of it? And then leave you?"

"What possible reason would he have to stay?" Enguina replied miserably. "I am broken, Arwen; a man wants a woman who is whole, does he not? I am not whole."

"Legolas fell for you when you had barely met," she stated. "Legolas wants you…as you are. There are no conditions, exceptions, or amends that must be made on your part."

"That cannot be true—"

"Because you do not believe it can be," Arwen stated adamantly. "You do not want to believe that he could love you without you wishing it to be so, that he could love you just because; you feel as though you need to be that something he wants or that something you have done in your life has won his love, but it is not about you…it is about what you are together. You make him more than he is, just as he makes you more than you are."

"Come now, Arwen," she muttered. "When he finds out I am not pure, what is he going to think? He is going to think I am a…a…" She shook her head, covering her mouth with her hand. "Eru, I cannot even say the word—"

"Stop it," she said quickly. "You are not! Enguina, you said yourself that there was a reason you were here, in Minas Tirith; that something brought you here. What do you think was that reason? To come here, see me, and depart? Who do you think brought you here? If there was no reason for you to be here, why did you not leave Lórien all those years ago?"

"At first it was you," Enguina insisted. "I stayed because I listened to you. And then you left, and Erumar was enough to preoccupy me, to help me live, to try and move on, even without knowing what had happened to me. For years I struggled…and then Haldir died, and Erumar no longer had the strength or the will to save herself, never mind me. That was why I left, Arwen," she said honestly. "She was barely holding on herself."

"When you came to Minas Tirith, when you decided to stay…you knew that reason was Legolas," Arwen replied, her voice still soft. "You have told him so, many times. You need to be with him; you love him, Enguina. I…am sorry that you were angry with me. I only want what is best for you, just as you do. I—"

Enguina suddenly glared at her. "How do you know what is best for me, Arwen? How can you say that telling him is best for me, for us?"

"How can you think that it is not?" she asked, surprised. "Telling Legolas will lift a burden from you; it will bring you peace."

"I am…fine," she grumbled. "I can handle this. I can. I do not need your urging and I do not need you pushing Legolas to push me either!"

"Enguina—"

"No! I do not need your help!" she snapped. "You always think you know best, but you do not. Perhaps I never have to tell Legolas the truth...maybe it is not even necessary! Just because you do not have any secrets with Aragorn does not mean I should not. Legolas does not need to know! Not…not everything must be shared!"

"Enguina, I know this is hard," she said, continuing gently. "I know that marriage is very new to you, and the idea of sharing everything is a difficult thing to accept—"

"Yes, I know you share things with Aragorn and he helps you bear the burden," she muttered, glaring down at her hands and missing the hurt flash across Arwen's face. "I know this already; but I do not need another example from your perfect marriage about what life can be like."

Arwen stared at her a moment and she could feel the sadness rising inside her. She knew Enguina was lashing out in worry, under so much stress, and she had not had enough sleep…but the words still stung. She would not address them, not get into an argument when Enguina was lashing out in anger. Maneuver her around the subject and deflect her would be a better strategy; there was no sense in being hurt.

"Enguina," she said gently, holding out her hand palm down, "all I want is for you to be all right. I want you to stop hurting so much all the time. I wanted to help you see, to remember that Legolas loves you, is planning on marrying you, wants to help you, can help you. If you let him reach out to you, he can help bring you peace." She frowned at her, worried. "Enguina, your pain hurts me too…can you not see that? Can you not see my concern for you?"

"So that is what this is all about?" Enguina said with a bitter laugh. "If it hurts you that much to see me, I will stop running to your door at night! I suppose I trouble you so much and bring you pain in your perfect life, your perfect marriage! I would not want to bring you any hurt—"

The slapping of Arwen's hand on the rail made her jump and pause. "Do not willfully misunderstand me!" Arwen said angrily, tears in her eyes. "You know very well that is not what I want for you! I want you to be safe! I want you to stop hurting so you can sleep, so you can live, so you can love Legolas and move on. Stop feeling so alone when everyone in this House loves you and cares for you, and would do anything to help you…especially Legolas!"

"You cannot understand! None of you can possibly understand what I have been through, what I feel after I have lived that, time and again in my mind!" she snarled. "When I suddenly wake and feel his hands on me, his breath on my skin, his weight pressing down around me! I feel as though every nerve is on edge, that I am set apart because I am so unclean." She choked on the words and felt hot tears pouring down her face; they only made her angrier. "And you want me to tell him? Tell Legolas about this ridiculous, uncontrollable hatred I feel for myself because of what happened, because of the way I was used…"

Enguina lost control of her voice and dropped her head into her hands, shoulders shaking. Arwen was at her side before her head made it fully there, wrapping her arms around her and pressing her tightly against her chest. She worked to soothe her as well as she could, rubbing her back, cupping the back of Enguina's head with her hand. There was no sound that reached Arwen's ears except Enguina's tears, and she held her, even when she heard Enguina sniff softly.

"When I think about telling Legolas," Enguina whispered, "telling him everything…all the details…it hurts. My heart wells up with pain; I cannot even imagine what it would be like to tell him the story, how I would even begin…how it would end…I just…I just hurt."

"Enguina," she said softly, "it is going to hurt to tell him the truth…but not because of his reaction to the telling…because of yours."

"I have never told anyone; there was never someone I thought really needed to know, that I thought I could tell. You knew because you were there…Aragorn knows because of you…but…Legolas…"

Arwen laid her hand on the top of Enguina's head and stroked her fingers through her hair. She waited a few moments and then she gently said, "Legolas very much needs to know."

She felt Enguina swallow, then nod, and then there was silence for many minutes. Finally, Enguina spoke again. "I…I am sorry…I am so sorry," she whispered, guilt and a feeling of awful mistreatment filling her as she thought of her words.

"You…you are sorry?" asked Arwen softly. "For what?"

"For my words, spoken in anger…they were wrong. And I should not have been angry, not with you. You have always cared for me…you are always watching over me. I have needed the comfort of your arms so much these past forty years; how dare I be unkind."

"You have been under too much stress, Enguina," Arwen said softly. "The wedding plans, the dreams—"

"Do not excuse me; there is no excuse for what I said. I-I hurt you with my words." She lifted her head from Arwen's chest and looked up into her face. "I saw it, in your eyes as I said it. I did not…I did not mean…I know you do not have a perfect life; I know that even though you have not suffered…my pain, that you have suffered enough of your own for a thousand lifetimes. Please, I…I cannot even forgive myself for those words—"

"We all say things we do not mean," Arwen whispered, bending to kiss her on the forehead. "Forget the words; they are forgiven."

Enguina closed her eyes. "You…are far too forgiving."

Remaining silent instead of choosing to reply, Arwen simply stood near the chair as she held her. The smell of cooking breakfast made her lift her head, and she smiled, dragging her fingers through Enguina's hair again. "Aragorn or Legolas must be cooking breakfast. Shall we head in?"

Enguina nodded and stood up beside her. As she turned to go, Enguina caught her arm and rested her hand on it. "Just…give me some time, all right? I need time…to find a way to tell him."

She touched Enguina's cheek. "He loves you; it is enough, you know."

"I…I know," she agreed slowly, and followed Arwen inside.

"Faramir! Welcome!" Aragorn called as he opened the door at the sound of the knock, and his friend clasped his arm. Aragorn's wide smile made one break out on Faramir's face as well, and the younger man shook his head.

"Here already? I am shocked, to say the least! I expected to have Arwen greet me!"

"Are you disappointed?" Aragorn teased warmly.

"Most certainly!" he laughed, and Aragorn hit him in the shoulder as he passed to hug Arwen. He slipped his arms about her and they kissed the other's cheek.

"Oh, Faramir, you are too kind," Arwen laughed softly, and over his shoulder, she watched Aragorn scoop up Andúnêiel. He kissed both of her cheeks, and Arwen smiled, even if it was a little sad. "She is getting bigger every time I see her," she said, and Faramir released her to turn and look at the little girl.

"Yes," he agreed softly, "I feel as though I am missing half her childhood, and I have been here for all of it." They watched as Aragorn leaned over and kissed a laughing and very pregnant Éowyn. As he did, Annî wrapped her hands in his hair, and he laughed again, reaching up to try and take her fingers out. Éowyn helped him, taking her out of his arms and scolding her gently. Faramir laughed and gave Aragorn a gentle shove from behind.

"Do not forget, friend, that you taught her that," he said jokingly. Aragorn smiled at him, as Faramir wrapped one arm around Éowyn, fixing the shawl around her shoulders.

"Yes, friend, but you are the one who continues to allow her to do it," the older man pointed out, and the little girl in Éowyn's arms giggled and clapped her hands together. "See," Aragorn said, pointing at her, "she agrees with me." Faramir shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, Annî," Faramir insisted, taking her from Éowyn's arms, "do not say you agree with your Tirion instead of me." She frowned at him, looking deep into his eyes.

"I do, Daddy," she said, and her face turned into a huge smile as she looked back over her shoulder to Aragorn. He winked at her, and she giggled again. Annî reached her hands out for Arwen.

"Tiriel!" she cried, waving her arms, and Faramir set her on the floor so she could run to the elf's legs. "Tiriel, I picked a flower in the garden!" she called, waving a hand and clutching a flower for her. Arwen crouched, laying a hand in her hair and bringing the girl's hand to her face so she could smell the flower.

"Oh, Annî, it is beautiful," she told her. "Let me put it in your hair."

"Yes! Yes!" she cried, and Arwen slipped the stem beneath the ribbon that tied back Annî's rapidly growing shock of red hair.

"There, chên nîn," she said, "now you are beautiful, too." Faramir laughed as Annî danced around in a circle and then ran back to her father. He lifted her back up into his arms, laughing as he kissed her cheek.

"Daddy, look at me!"

"I see you, love."

Annî's response was lost in Éowyn moving to stand beside Arwen. The elf looked up at her and then stood up as Éowyn laid a hand on her womb. She sighed and rubbed her hand on her belly, giving a tired smile. "My, my…this baby cannot seem to settle down tonight."

Arwen smiled in return and watched her stomach for a moment, noticing an elbow protrude and then go away. She laughed and raised her eyebrows at her friend as she reached out and laid a hand on Éowyn's belly herself. "He is certainly active, Éowyn. You must be exhausted; come to the table and put up your feet."

Éowyn shook her head and laughed, too. "Oh, every time the babe does this I cannot help but be reminded about the times when you would get no rest at night at all. Your baby was always so—"

There was utter silence as Éowyn suddenly cut off her words, and Aragorn's head shot up, his eyes focused on Arwen even as he stirred the stew, a stab of pain spearing him through the chest. Faramir appeared to be the only one oblivious and unaffected by the words, but Éowyn looked horrified.

Immediately, she covered Arwen's hand with her own. "Ilúvatar, forgive me, Arwen," she whispered, "I am so sorry. I did not think—"

Arwen shook her head, laying her hand on the woman's arm. "Please, it is fine, Éowyn. Everything is just fine." She gave her a little smile as Éowyn attempted to interrupt her, and continued rapidly, "I hope your little one will not be awake all evening." She tugged her arm, "Come along and sit down." Éowyn trailed along behind her, but Arwen was determined to make her let go of the careless words. The poor woman had meant no harm, and it was certainly no one's fault how the words would affect her.

Aragorn watched Faramir follow them over, and let out the breath he had been holding. It had only been a few days since Arwen's last dream about the child, and the pain was still fresh in her mind. Yes, he hurt too, but there was nothing as excruciating to him as her pain when it took her suddenly. And there was never anything he could do but hold her and comfort her. He watched as Faramir set Annî down in a chair and moved to assist Éowyn, taking her hand.

"Come, love; take a seat at the table. You are exhausted already," he said lovingly. He began assuring himself that she was comfortable, that she was fine, even as Arwen was doing much the same thing. He hovered for several more minutes before turning and making his way toward where Aragorn stood near the hearth.

Behind his back, Arwen leaned conspiratorially across the table, a little smile on her face. "Éowyn, are you certain you are quite well?" The smirk on her face made Éowyn roll her eyes, but still she smiled.

"Oh please, Arwen…I love him, but he worries far too much. This is our second child; that means this should be easier, yes? Yet, how many times did he ask if I was all right?

"Five…or was it six? I cannot recall," Arwen replied, giggling softly.

Éowyn reached across the table and slapped her arm. "Enough!" she hissed quietly. "It is not as amusing as you think. If it was Aragorn, you would have told him to hush long ago. At least I have enough sense to let him fawn over me if he wishes."

Arwen outright laughed. "I permit Aragorn to sweet-talk me all the time," she muttered to her.

Éowyn shook her head in exasperation. "When? I have never seen you sweet on Aragorn in public! Sometimes I wish Faramir would show a bit more…restraint in that area. But, another part of me cannot understand how you can contain your enthusiasm in public." She laughed, a little embarrassed. "I barely can keep my eyes off of Faramir when there are others around, never mind being all—what should I call it—proper?" She laughed, "All glory, laud, and honor to you if you can do so."

"Sometimes, it is very hard and other times less difficult," she added with a shrug. "But, it is only right that we think of the people first; we are the King and Queen."

"Oh…but the Council does not need to be thought of, yes?"

Arwen gave her a wry smile. "They are thought of, but just simply…not worried over?" Éowyn laughed as Arwen continued. "The people must come first…and the last…months have been difficult." Éowyn looked away, and Arwen could see a faint blush on her cheeks. "Do not be ashamed of seeing the difference in us, friend," she said, sighing softly. "Anyone with eyes would have noticed."

"Legolas said you both seemed more alive than ever when I saw him today," she added. "I thought that was a very good thing, and I was glad to hear it. I have been…so worried for you both. And I did not want to leave you both if…well…things were not better."

Arwen's eyes widened with surprise. "Leave? Where are you—"

Faramir's loud voice calling a 'welcome' cut over her words just as a hearty greeting came from the lips of Gimli the dwarf. Entering the House, he clasped arms with Aragorn and then Faramir, having a brief laugh over the 'missing King' that he had heard of just this morning, and how he very much approved of the disappearing act.

"It's carried on quite long enough this past month, and I daresay it's about time that it's ended!"

Aragorn clapped him on the shoulder good-naturedly, as the dwarf laughed. "I am grateful for your approval, Master Dwarf." Gimli turned then and saw the wives and he grinned at them.

"Ah, it's good to see you lasses again. What's for supper tonight?" Éowyn laughed as Gimli breathed in deeply. He smiled at Arwen and took one of her hands. "Ah…it is stew, isn't it? Delicious stew!"

Arwen laughed, and she bent to kiss his forehead. "You are sweet, Gimli, but I do believe that you would speak such words about any meal that I roast or boil over a hot flame. Though, to be honest, Aragorn helped quite a lot with this dinner."

"I do say that every meal has something of its author, hmm?" He laughed and released her hand, and she smiled again.

"Gimli, are you trying to tell Arwen that she is 'delicious'?" laughed Éowyn, and Gimli turned slightly red. Before he could reply, there was another loud welcome that came from the door, with words of greeting in Elvish.

"Suilaid!" cried Aragorn, clasping Legolas' arms and laughing. "Welcome once more to our humble abode."

"I feel as though I only just departed," Legolas said with a grin. "Ah, the fair Arwen has toiled for a long day over a hot cooking pot. Poor girl."

Aragorn, finished kissing Enguina's cheek, turned with a smile to Legolas. "Yes, indeed," he replied, sparing time to snatch a quick glance at Arwen, "and how was your day? Well, I hope."

Enguina smiled at him, "I feel as though I slept most of it away."

Legolas nudged him. "We decided to escape to the mountains for a time of rest. It was quiet, peaceful. A rather good idea after such a long evening. And how was yours?"

Aragorn gave a wicked little smile. "I left early today."

Enguina gasped and Legolas shook his head. "You mean that you squeaked out by the skin of your teeth."

"How did you manage it when they were so upset over yesterday's meeting?" asked Enguina.

"I suppose you simply need to know how to talk to the council," Aragorn chuckled. "It would never work all the time, but…it happened to please everyone today."

"I am glad to hear it," she replied, and, upon spying Arwen sitting at the table, she moved slightly past them to reach her. As she hugged her friend, Legolas leaned over close to the man.

"Aragorn," he whispered warily, "I have a very important question to ask you."

Aragorn looked confused. "What can I help you with?"

He glanced at Enguina, making sure she was not overhearing their conversation—she was too busy with Arwen. Turning back to Aragorn, his voice grew serious, "I need to know what Enguina is planning to do to me at our wedding."

"What?" asked Aragorn, as though he had not heard the question.

Legolas rolled his eyes. "Come now, Aragorn," he said, his voice still hushed, "do not pretend as if you do not know. If she has not told you directly then I am certain that you have heard it from someone else in passing…possibly the dwarf?"

"I do not know what you are speaking of," Aragorn dead-panned, and his face was as still and innocent as if he had just been born. Legolas squinted and looked at him with scrutiny, frustrated when he knew that the man was not speaking the truth.

"I am determined to know, Aragorn; you shall not be silent for long."

Aragorn shrugged. "Surely would I tell you, Legolas, had I any sort of idea what your words meant. Without doubt, Enguina has spoken nothing to me about any such plans."

"What is the matter with all of you?" the elf cried, looking clearly distraught, and this drew the looks of everyone seated at the table. "Surely you all intend some horrifying affair to occur to me at the altar with an even more unspeakable aftermath—"

Aragorn could possibly have continued to feign innocence; he might have been able to keep playing dumb a bit longer had Legolas been less amusing. The face of his distressed friend along with the words 'some horrifying affair' and 'unspeakable aftermath,' did him in. His expressionless face broke into a smirk for one moment, and a sound sort of like a snort came from his nose, but that was all that was required for Legolas to catch. He immediately stuck a finger into the man's face, right under his nose, and a triumphant look came over his face.

"Ha! Now I know that you are all hiding something from me!"

"What is going on over here?" asked Enguina, reaching over to take Legolas' arm and tucking hers through it.

Legolas narrowed his eyes at her, though he covered her hand with his as he turned his face back toward Aragorn. "I was just now discovering what it was that you were plotting for the wedding." Enguina glanced at Aragorn and shook her head, gently tugging Legolas with her.

"Come now with me, my darling," Enguina crooned, and Legolas raised an eyebrow at her even though his feet remained firm.

"I am not moving until I find out what your secret is!"

Enguina sighed and pulled him until he had no choice but to move towards the table. "Legolas, I am afraid that no one in this entire room knows what it is you are speaking of. Come now, and sit at the table where you belong."

"But—"

"Now, come on, lad!" cried Gimli. "We can't eat until everyone's sitting down, and you and Aragorn are the last two. Let's go!" Aragorn laughed as he moved to pour the stew they had made into bowls as Legolas eyed him longingly.

Suddenly, he sighed loudly, looking down into Enguina's face as he held the chair for her. "It appears everyone wishes me to surrender. And since, for some reason, no one appearsto be on my side, I do not believe I shall ever discover what the matter is here."

"Oh, Legolas," chided Arwen softly as Aragorn placed a bowl before her, "no one is on a side." She gave him a little smile. "Let her have her fun."

He eyed her glumly as Gimli chuckled. "Even at my expense?"

"Especially so," replied Éowyn indignantly. "It is about time that we, as women, give back all the frustration we must put up with from you men."

"Ha!" said Faramir. "That is a laugh, Éowyn, when you are the source of so many of the worries I have…Annî is the rest of them, and you are both women."

"Annî is only a wee lass," Gimli pointed out. "She doesn't really apply."

"Besides," Aragorn sighed, finally taking a seat, "let a little excitement in your life, Legolas. Life that is predictable is boring. Do not take all of the fun out of her plotting."

"That was the idea."

"You will have to forgive me for interrupting this…most important topic of conversation," Arwen broke in, rolling her eyes, "but Éowyn, I have to ask you…you mentioned before that you might be traveling soon and then Gimli arrived and I never had a chance to ask you what you meant. Will you be? What did you mean?"

Éowyn looked a bit surprised. "No one told you?"

"It was not my responsibility," Faramir said, holding up a hand while he helped Annî with the other.

Aragorn grimaced. "I did not remember to mention it when I came home today."

Legolas shrugged apologetically. "We were going to tell you."

Arwen's eyes widened. "You all knew?"

"Well, it was Legolas's idea," Enguina explained, taking a spoonful of soup. "He thought it might be a nice thought before the wedding…to calm our nerves a little bit while we still could before the big day."

"What…how…" Arwen shook her head. "I am so surprised I do not even know which questions to ask."

"Understandable," Legolas replied. "Let me explain. Enguina, Faramir, Éowyn, and Gimli, if he will consent to join us—"

"Aye!"

Legolas nodded. "Then Gimli as well, will be traveling to Ithilien. Just for a few weeks, we will be searching about for a good place to make our new home. Faramir thought they might like to join us. It will be an easy journey, and we will not be far—only a few days ride from Minas Tirith."

"It…only seems so sudden," Arwen said softly. "I do not mean I do not want you to go; in fact, I think it seems to be a wonderful idea. You will return before your father arrives?"

"We wouldn't miss Thranduil!" laughed Gimli.

"I would not wish him to arrive and not be here," Legolas said with a grimace. "I would hate to see what he would have to say. I would prefer to avoid that."

Enguina smiled. "You make your father sound as though he is a terrible beast of some kind."

Arwen laughed. "He does, does he not? But Thranduil is nothing of the sort."

"Not to you perhaps," Legolas said genially, "but to a son he has not seen in nearly five years…he can be a bit of a beast."

It was Aragorn's turn to roll his eyes. "I will be sure to let him know you said that of him when he arrives."

"Certainly! You have always been on good terms with my father. He would enjoy getting irritated at me for something I said, especially if you were to give him the news."

"Returning to the subject at hand," Arwen interrupted, and all eyes turned to her. "So you will all be traveling together? That, at least, seems safe to me."

Faramir laughed and put a spoonful of stew into Annî's mouth. "We will all be traveling…except our little one here."

"She is a bit young to make such a journey," admitted Éowyn.

"I'm assuming you found someone to watch her while we're away," inquired Gimli.

There was quiet for a moment around the table. "Well…" Faramir began softly, with a cringe on his face, "we…we were going to…" He glanced up, his eyes sweeping from Arwen's to Aragorn's. "We were going to ask you both if you would mind. It would not be for very long; you are her guardians and she feels safe with you."

Legolas internally winced and Enguina outwardly frowned. What a time to ask them! She could almost feel the tension in the room. Éowyn's eyes were sad as she looked to Arwen's just as Enguina searched Arwen's face with her eyes. But the elf was not looking at either of them—she was looking at Annî. Aragorn folded his hands and settled his chin on them.

It was far too quiet for Faramir; even being second to the most patient man in Minas Tirith, this was far too much pressure for him, and he knew he had judged them wrong…perhaps there was no way they could do this. Not so soon.

"You know," he said, his voice echoing oddly in the room, "I think we might be able to—"

"No," Aragorn said, shaking his head.

"Of course we will watch her," Arwen finished, looking over to meet Éowyn's eyes, hers warmer than they had been moments ago.

"When will you be leaving?" asked Aragorn before anyone could say another word about it. "Assuredly after dawn, yes?"

"Whenever Annî wakes," teased Faramir, "and we can easily convince her that it is a wonderful idea to stay with you while we are riding out of the City for a few weeks."

"No, it will be easy," Legolas said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood. "Annî easily loves them more than you." Faramir reached out to swat him and the elf simply ducked around it, laughing as Annî giggled at him.

"Legless!" she laughed, and then reached out and touched her father's face before looking directly at Arwen. "I get to stay with Tiriel?"

"And Tirion," he said, kissing her little palm. "And you will have a wonderful time."

"You and Mommy will pick me up later?"

Éowyn smiled uncomfortably as Faramir nodded. "I…am going to have a difficult time with this."

Enguina reached out and rested her hand on her arm. "You both do not have to—"

"No, no," interjected Faramir, "we are happy to go with you. And we should, when all is said and done. For how many times we should have done it already," he added honestly, sighing. "We will come to terms with it and be fine." He took Éowyn's other hand and squeezed it as she nodded slowly.

"Can I ride Isen?" Annî asked, interrupting.

"I bet Tirion and Tiriel would love to take you riding while we are away," Faramir said with a twinkle in his eye. Enguina glanced down the table and watched as Aragorn lowered a hand and wrapped it very slowly around Arwen's, interlacing their fingers. She watched Arwen's face, Annî's face turned towards theirs as her eyes lit up.

"Can I? Can I ride your horse, Tirion?" she begged excitedly, her little voice mumbling over a few of the words. Aragorn smiled at her.

"Brego would like that very much, Annî."

The night was now quiet; the torches flickering in the darkness and the moonlight shed only a bit of light for the party who remained together on the front porch of the King's House. There was a silence among them as they watched the stars and enjoyed the comforts of being together. No one being about gave them the freedom to enjoy each other's company without having to worry about being watched, and the front porch offered more chairs for such a large gathering.

Little Andúnêiel was seated in Gimli's lap as he sat on the step of the porch. She knew that the tugging of the dwarf's beard was of some irritation to him, however she liked the feel of it between her fingers and was not about to stop doing it anytime soon. She had spent the last ten minutes combing all of the snarls out of it and at the moment it resembled a large red bush. Gimli seemed discomforted, but said nothing about it; he did not really wish to make the child stop her fun. She's young; let her enjoy herself while it lasts.

She turned in his arms to look to her Father. His body was leaned against the pillar and he was gazing out into the night to see the stars. His arms were wrapped about her mother, his cheek resting on the top of her head, and there was a content smile on his face. She was leaning into him feeling comfortable and safe, his arms crossing above her stomach that was bulging. Her eyes were also looking out into the stars. The little girl smiled; she loved her family.

"Daddy?" she asked as she yawned into the silence. She could not understand why big people could be so quiet all the time and for so long. His gaze turned to her and his smile grew.

"Yes, love?"

She gave him her adoring eyes; she loved it when he called her that because it made her feel special. "Why is it so dark at night?"

"So people will know when Eru thinks they should rest."

"Do all people sleep when it's dark?"

He shook his head. "No, not all people, Annî. Some remain awake, making sure the rest of us stay safe."

"And many animals are awake when it's dark out," added Gimli. "Like bats."

"What's a bat, Gimli?" asked Annî, her eyes wide.

"It's like a rat with wings." Annî giggled hearing Aragorn chuckle and Éowyn cluck with her tongue. She grinned at the dwarf as he grinned back.

"Gimli—"

"I want to see one! Can I, Mommy?"

"Bats are not very…friendly creatures, Annî," she answered as she heard Faramir chuckling in her ear. "They are not like horses, dogs, and kittens."

"Oh…" she said, looking back at Faramir. "Daddy, why do we have to stay safe?" she asked, yawning again. "Is it scary?"

"Is 'it' scary? No, little one, but sometimes it is better to be prepared for trouble."

Éowyn squeezed his hand. "A wise answer, my Lord." He smiled and sighed gently into her hair. She smiled in bliss, and the little girl frowned, knowing that when Daddy put his nose in Mommy's hair he was no longer listening to her.

"Daddy," Annî said more loudly, making an attempt to draw his attention back to her, "why are there stars? What are they for?"

Faramir lifted his head from his wife's to look down at her once more. "The stars were made by Eru as well. He knew that darkness, even for rest, needed some light in it, and so he created the stars and the moon. The stars make light for those who stay awake, so that they can see."

She looked thoughtfully at him, and then yawned again. "Do all the things Eru made have a reason for being there?"

"Of course they do, little one," he replied. "They would not be here if Eru had not created them for a reason. He made every one of us for a special purpose."

There was a bit of quiet and Faramir could almost see her thinking. "Why am I here, Daddy?"

He laughed softly, and Éowyn smiled. "So we can love you, for the moment. That is a very special question; one you might answer when you are a little older."

"I know what Ilúvatar's purpose for Annî is right now," Aragorn said softly and Gimli laughed as the little girl yawned again.

"Yes, it's time for bed!" laughed the dwarf, scooping up the child from his lap and holding her in his arms. "Don't bother moving, Faramir. I'll take your daughter inside the House and she can sleep there 'til we head for the house for the night."

"But I'm not tired!" she yawned, and everyone laughed. Gimli opened the door, still laughing, and Aragorn smiled at her as they went past.

"Put her in our bed, Gimli," he said softly, and he watched the dwarf disappear inside the House. He glanced down when he felt the weight of Arwen's head as she laid it upon his knee. He was seated in the chair nearest the door with Arwen sitting at his feet, her legs folded beneath her. A smile spread across his face as he saw the starlight on hers, and he brushed his fingertips gently against her forehead. He said nothing, but then glanced from her face to Enguina's, who sat only a few feet from them.

She was seated at Legolas' feet in much the same position as Arwen, except Legolas' fingers were running through her hair. He could not see her face, but he was certain that she was quite enjoying the attention. His eyes rose to Legolas' face, and the elf smiled at him, meeting the man's eyes with a secret smile. It was Faramir who finally broke the silence.

"So…" he said softly, "we are officially traveling tomorrow. Putting aside the randomness and madness of the thought of such a journey, we really must decide on where to build our home."

"Yes," murmured Éowyn with a little smile. "The Prince of Ithilien must actually come to live in Ithilien."

Faramir chuckled as well. "What a novel idea." He rested his chin on her head and wrapped his arms more tightly around her belly. "Although, I still think it might be a good idea if we waited—"

"Oh, Faramir," Éowyn chided him, "if we wait for every child you have planned for to be born, we will never leave Minas Tirith!" His response was to blush a deep crimson. Aragorn shook his head and gave a sympathetic look to the man.

"I, for one, actually do understand your guardedness in traveling with a woman bearing a child."

"As do I," agreed Legolas, and Enguina raised her head.

"Oh please! The only reason you both agree is because you are far too overprotective."

"There are times when such a character trait is necessary—" All of the ladies rolled their eyes at once, and Legolas continued on seriously, "—and vastly important. Particularly with all of the trouble you three get into."

"I do not believe I know what you are—"

"Yes, you do," Faramir insisted, turning his head to look over into Enguina's eyes. "How about the incident just after Aragorn's birthday when you nearly—"

"I thought we agreed that we would never mention that again…" threatened Enguina softly. "You have a very short memory, Faramir."

Éowyn laughed out loud. "Well, if we are going to bring it up, you must realize that he does have a point."

Enguina scowled, and turned her head to find Legolas looking purposefully at her, an eyebrow raised. "Oh, stop…it was not that big of a crisis."

Aragorn looked at her with concern. "I seem to recall that you nearly fell several hundred feet…no," Legolas agreed with a bit of sarcasm, "there was no danger at all." Enguina's irritation faded a little in the appearance of his concern.

Faramir snorted. "Thank Ilúvatar for many pairs of strong arms and some rope."

"Indeed," whispered Arwen, remembering the day. "You must admit, Enguina, that time they were correct." She heard Enguina sigh and return her head to Legolas' knee so that she need not look at any of them.

"Will I never live that down?"

"No," replied Aragorn, his eyes concerned, "you will not."

"Indeed, and we shall remind you of it every time we believe there is need for a reminder," Faramir pointed out. "And there is always cause for concern around any of you; what of the time Éowyn nearly drowned in the Anduin?"

"Faramir, Enguina is right; you do have a very short memory. I thought we had agreed that would never come up in a conversation either," muttered Éowyn. Faramir looked down into her eyes.

"It never would if it had not happened at all."

"As if any of you three have never done anything that gives us cause for alarm!" cried Enguina, raising her head once more and waving a hand. "What about when I met Aragorn for the first time at the King's House and he walked through the door covered in blood?"

"How about the times when any of you come home looking as though you went through the war on any given day?" asked Arwen softly, though she did not lift her head from Aragorn's knee, his fingers now in her hair. Éowyn nodded, turning her eyes to look at Faramir.

"Yes, how many times has that happened?" she asked, poking him in the chest.

He winced under her piercing gaze. "I promised you that I would not come home again looking as though I had been through another war. Beside that promise, the explosion on the fourth level was certainly not any of our faults."

"And what of the time Gimli was nearly buried beneath that huge pile of stone last year?"

"What in the world is goin' on out here?" asked Gimli, stepping from the house. "I don't believe this is the way I left all of you." Faramir sighed and turned his eyes to Gimli.

"We were speaking of how difficult it is to look out for our women when they are always getting into trouble." He turned to glance into the eyes of the men there. "I mean, really, you three have no idea; women who are with child are sometimes quite unbearable…and taking them on a long journey is…well, more like a headache." Éowyn looked fairly insulted, even though the others laughed. "I do not mean to be irritating," he said honestly, "but now that we are addressing the subject, perhaps you should not go, Éowyn. Three weeks of traveling, when you are so near due—"

She startled him with a glare as her head shot up from her husband's chest. "I am settling this right now, Faramir. I am going…and that is that." She laid her head back against his chest and reached over to settle his arms more firmly about her. He gave Gimli a confused look, and the dwarf chuckled.

"That is it?" Faramir said softly.

"I have had the final word—I am coming," she repeated, and she had a little smile on her face as though she had won. Gimli shook his head.

"You might as well let her win, laddy," he laughed softly. "It seems to me, from seeing these ladies all the time that things go much better for everyone when they win." He winked at Legolas. "Though, I suppose I don't know them as well as you all do."

"Oh, Gimli is definitely coming with us," Éowyn stated.

"You said it," Enguina added with a giggle.

"Yes, Gimli must be agreed with," Aragorn said softly, smiling himself. "There is more peace in a home when a man does not argue with his wife." He nodded toward Legolas as he caught Enguina's smile. "A lesson for the future."

"I will bear it in mind."

"You have finally learned that, have you?" Arwen asked Aragorn softly, but instead of replying, he only smiled. Gimli sighed softly into the night, and Faramir rested his head once more on Éowyn's. Once again, they spent some quiet moments enjoying each other's company. There would be traveling tomorrow to look forward to. At the moment, all was peaceful.