It was a misty morning, and the fog created just the right amount of cover for someone entering the City that did not desire any fanfare or sort of welcome. In fact, no one really seemed to notice her and no one knew she was coming, so it was fairly easy for her golden mare to climb her way along the cobblestones through the many levels. A cloak drawn up to her face, she rode quietly, very much alone, but she took in the white walls and the beauty of the stone about her, amazed at the strength of the citadel. Having never been near a city of men, this was a new experience for her.

She had traveled, many, many years before; Lothlórien had been her home for over a thousand years and she had no reason to leave it. Now, it did not matter where she wandered; Lórien was no longer home. The mist made the City's complexity confusing to her, and she had to stop and ask for directions to a place to stable her horse from a stone carver before she was able to make her way to the sixth level. The higher they went, the more guards there seemed to be, yet not one of them stopped her. It was a grueling climb for the young mare, and upon arrival she dismounted and patted her neck.

"Take a breath, Rûnving," she said softly. "You have earned it." Patting the sorrel, she turned to find a guard standing close by.

"Excuse me, my Lady," he said, stepping closer to her, "you have clearly traveled far. Might I give you some assistance?" She dropped back the hood of her cloak, and he studied her, though he was clearly surprised at her appearance. "I would assume you are here for the wedding."

Finding her hair dark as the Queen's, he saw a lot of the Queen in her. There was no doubt she was an elf, even as he had stood next to her before she had lowered her hood as she was so very tall. Now, he could clearly see her ears, her beauty, and there was no doubt in his mind that she was beautiful. Long dark hair and hazel eyes made him stare, though he did try to focus.

"Thank you, my Lord," she said, her voice melodic in that way that elves have of speaking. "I am here as a sister to the bride."

"The Lady Enguina's sister?" he asked, his eyebrows raising. "How wonderful that you could arrive, my Lady. The wedding is in just two days! I am Lieutenant Hildanir," he introduced himself, bowing slightly.

"You need not bow, my Lord," she said, shaking her head, "I am no one of any importance."

"Well, the Lady Enguina is about to become the Princess of Eryn Lasgalen," he said shamelessly. "That makes you almost nobility." He gave her a smile. "Let me have the groomsmen take your mare inside where she can take some rest. Then perhaps I can provide an escort to wherever the Lady would wish to go?"

"You are very kind, Lieutenant," she replied and he turned to call the groomsmen. When that had been taken care of and her saddlebags and small belongings removed she asked, "Is the Lady Enguina about this morning?"

He winced. "Honestly, I do not think so. She and Prince Legolas left early together, and I have not seen them since. The King Elessar and the Queen—"

"Arwen?"

He nodded. "Yes, I believe they are at the King's House now. They usually take breakfast there. Do you know the Queen?"

"Very well," she replied softly, "and the King, though it has been many years since I have seen them." She looked up at the gleaming, tall Tower of Ecthelion and frowned thoughtfully. "Many years."

"I am certain they will be delighted to see you," he stated. "Please, let me escort you, my Lady."

"Erumar," she said softly as the two of them began walking together. "My name is Erumar."

He smiled at her. "Welcome to Minas Tirith, my Lady Erumar."

Hildanir had left her at the steps to the King's House as she had told him she could announce herself. Part of her did not wish to intrude, part of her could not wait to see them, and part of her…did not even know how to talk to them. How would this be? She swallowed hard, but there was no way she could make this any easier—no matter what she did. She knocked, and then stood back from the door.

The door opened and Arwen stood on the step before her, as beautiful as she had ever been, though a bit changed…thinner, perhaps…but the delight on her face was as Erumar had always remembered it. "Praise Him!" Arwen cried, laughing and throwing her arms around her friend's neck. "Oh praise Ilúvatar for his great blessings! For bringing you here!"

"Oh, Arwen," she whispered, "it is so good to see you." Simply being held by her was enough for the moment; she felt as though she had not been touched by another being in…years. Arwen squeezed her tight for another few seconds and then pulled back to look at her, tears in both of their eyes. "I have missed you so."

"I am so glad you are here," she gasped, and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "We had hoped you would come; we have been praying for it!" Arwen stepped backwards, clutching Erumar's hands. "Come inside!" she laughed, pulling her in.

Erumar crossed the threshold and as Arwen was tugging, she noticed something off about her hands. Looking down, Arwen noticed a crisscrossing pattern of lines and marks along her long fingers, several stretching towards her wrists; between Erumar's fingers there were deep lines that wrapped from the back of her hands towards her palms. Arwen stopped and stared down at them. "Erumar, what…what happened to your hands?"

She slipped them from Arwen's and let them drop to her sides. "Forget them, Arwen," she said softly. "Pretend they are fine." Arwen looked at her a moment longer, wanting to press, but she could feel a certain brittleness in her response. She nodded, reaching over to take the saddlebags and then stepped out of the way, leaving Erumar standing before Aragorn. She stared at him for a moment and he smiled at her, reaching out to take her hands himself. He did not look twice at them, though she felt that was probably because he had heard her tell Arwen to forget it. "Elessar," she whispered, shaking her head, trying to speak around the lump in her throat, "the years have undeniably been good to you."

"Fair Erumar," he said and leaned forward to kiss her other cheek, "you are still as beautiful as I remember. It is so good to have you here visiting with us and to be in our home." He then drew her into a hug and held her tight for a moment, and she found her arms pulled of their own accord around his waist, Arwen's comforting hand on her back. There was history between the three of them; joy…and pain. When Aragorn did not release her and she could not let go, resting her forehead against his shoulder, Arwen hugged her from behind, squeezing her tight. Erumar could not keep the tears from her eyes at the warmth of their embrace.

"Come and sit with us," Arwen whispered in her ear, her voice thick. "I only just finished cooking breakfast, and you must be hungry. You have been traveling for all this time!" The two of them released her, but before he pulled back, Aragorn rested his hand in her hair and kissed her forehead. "Come," Arwen said again, drawing her to a chair. They also sat as Erumar slowly wiped her eyes.

"Now, I see why you married him," she tried to laugh, but it was hard. She had not laughed in…no, she could not remember the last time she had laughed. "So gentle…so full of peace." Aragorn placed some food before her and filled a cup with cool water as he smiled.

Arwen set her hand gently over Erumar's and looked at her with eyes full of love. "Yes, and you are here with us now; Enguina will be so delighted you are here. Everything is going to be all right."

You are here with us now. Everything is going to be all right. Erumar heard those words and she nearly broke down into tears. She swallowed hard and her eyes fluttered closed. "You cannot know how long I have wished to hear that," she whispered, and Arwen squeezed her hand.

"Seven very long years," Aragorn said, his voice filled with compassion for her.

"Has it…has it only been that long?" Erumar heard her own voice saying the words, but she had not really thought to ask the question. "It feels…ever so much longer." She looked down and moved a piece of fruit along her plate with her fork, wondering when the last time was that she had eaten. She lifted her head to both of them trying to smile. "But Ilúvatar has blessed the two of you, smiled upon you," she said. "You have a wonderful home and a beautiful kingdom. This is where you were meant to be—such a blessing to other people. To rule and bless with love; those are your gifts."

"You are too kind," Aragorn said to her gently.

"I speak the truth," she insisted. "I have always seen in you what you did not want to see in yourself, what Arwen saw in you. No more shadows."

"None," he agreed, bowing his head to her. "Again, I thank you for your encouragement."

"Where are your children, Erumar?" Arwen asked. "Enguina said that they—"

Erumar shook her head. "Hrivë, Macarion, and Elentára sailed for Valinor shortly after the War," she replied. "Aelin and her husband have made a home for themselves in East Lórien now. I have heard there is more light and song there now."

"And you, have you gone to East Lórien as well? Celeborn is there now, yes?" Aragorn asked.

"No, I remained in Lórien," she returned. "I could...not go."

"Were there others?" Arwen asked, touching her hand. "There are surely others who remained."

"When I came to journey here, Lórien was emptied." She gave a sad smile. "When Enguina left, what was left of our people also journeyed, moving finally to East Lórien. I have been alone, but perhaps that is as it should be."

"Do not say such things," Arwen said softly. "You should not be alone; I honestly do not know how Enguina made the decision to leave you." She shook her head. "I would never have—"

"Enguina had no choice," she replied, lifting her head to look into Arwen's face. "She may have told you that she left, what she did not tell you was that I sent her away. Well, I chased her away."

"What can you mean?" she asked, and Aragorn tilted his head.

"Erumar, what…you have been unwell," he stated, changing from his question.

"Unwell is such a…nice word," Erumar said wryly, and then her voice dropped to a whisper. "This is the longest conversation that I have had with another living being in—at the very least—two years. Enguina, in enough pain of her own, has been struggling to keep me alive these past years. She left because I forced her to go; how could she stay? There was nothing left for her there."

"Why did you not go to the Havens yourself?" Arwen asked, horrified. "Why did you not come here more quickly?"

"I…do not know. I do not even know why I am alive, Arwen, how can I answer that question? There were days Enguina would come to visit me and she knew very well I had simply forgotten to eat." She looked down at the plate of food before her. "I do not know when I have last eaten, when I last slept. None of it has mattered in so long to me since…" She shook her head. "I do not wish to trouble you with my heart." She looked back up into their eyes, an attempt at a smile on her face. "Being with you again, after spending these past months alone, brings me feelings of happiness that I have not felt in so long. I…scarce remember what it felt like to smile. I am thankful to be here, for no matter how short a time." She hesitated. "There is nothing that you could have done, or can do, to take away my pain or make it less so."

"I would have delivered the news myself if I had thought it would bring you less pain," Aragorn said to her gently.

"No, that would have been much worse," she replied, closing her eyes. "Losing him…is the most painful, agonizing part of my existence. It has become my world. Nothing can change that now. He was my world, along with my children…now, all of them are gone. They took the last of my heart with them when they journeyed across the Sea. When I breathe, there is nothing but an ache; it is as though my heart will not heal. I miss him more than I can even understand myself, much less explain. It is as though there is a great weight in my chest, bearing down on me. I imagine him in my dreams before he traveled to War and I wonder if I should have said something different that would have made him stay.

"But then, I always remember the look in his eyes when he found out you were in great danger near Helm's Deep," she continued softly, looking to Aragorn. "It was his desire to go to you, to lead troops into battle to defend you, and to bring you aid. He wanted nothing more or less than to fight beside you once more and to aid you in your quest."

Aragorn looked at her, saddened by her words. He could see in her that she was ready to lay herself down, probably had tried. She had no idea why she was still alive, why she still remained in Lórien among the pain and the grief. She was brittle, her heart broken by Haldir's death, and he wanted, knowing Arwen felt the same, to find a way to reach out and prevent that from happening. "Haldir fought with bravery and skill on the wall that night. He died defending the Rohirrim, his men fighting the Uruks until every single one had been slain, fighting."

"If he had to die," she whispered, "that is the death he wanted—to be fighting for you. I am certain that does not bring you any peace, but it makes me feel that he at least is at rest, to hear that he fought bravely and met his end in battle." Her voice was so sad, but Arwen noticed there were no tears in her eyes as she spoke. This must have been because she had none left to shed; she had cried enough for a lifetime the seven years she had been without him.

"Aragorn was with him when he died," Arwen told her gently. "He was not alone."

Erumar looked over at Aragorn and bowed her head. "You are too good."

"If I were good, I would have prevented his death," he said softly. "I am…so sorry, Erumar. All I wanted was for him to return to you."

"Thank you," she replied. "I remember, looking down from the trees, when he stood among his troops and led them from Lórien…it was the dead of night. I think I may have known then, when I was unable to say goodbye, that he would not return. Enguina knows; she was unable to say goodbye as well, but he was not her husband." She closed her eyes for a moment. "My heart is so broken. I barely feel anything," she said, and then gave a bitter laugh. "Ilúvatar has been hard on me indeed these past years. The loneliness of Lórien has only furthered my depression. Being alone has only made this worse and still I remain. I thought I would be dead by now," she whispered softly. "There are moments I wish it were over…"

"Your words break my heart," Arwen whispered, getting to her feet to wrap her arms around Erumar's shoulders. "There is a reason you are sitting here with us. Do not despair, Erumar."

"Yes, let your heart feel lighter," Aragorn added. "Let the wedding lighten your spirits and give you peace…you can find your joy again here. Let us help you find it."

"Enguina has changed, hmm?" Erumar asked softly. "She was so sad all the years past in Lórien after you went away. I am ashamed to say in these last years I could barely notice her feelings beyond my own pain. It is no wonder she left; I have been living in the prison I built for myself. We could do nothing to help one another."

"She has changed," Arwen replied. "Legolas has altered her world and brought her love. The darkness has left her and she has found the light."

"I have never been happier for anyone but you," she admitted. "Thinking about all the time that she spent in quiet, her nightmares…to know that she has found someone to spend her life with is so wonderful. And he is a good man, yes?"

"The best," said Aragorn. "A most loving, compassionate, and protective soul."

"Yes, I remember the name Legolas," she added, "and the stories Arwen used to tell me. I met him…a long time ago in Imladris, though he would probably not remember me. I cannot wait to see her, just as I could not wait to see you both. I know it has been so long, yet…I was not going to come." She frowned, feeling the weight of the sadness she bore. "But then I could do nothing else. She is like a sister to me through blood, just as you have been, Arwen, through friendship. Though, our last parting was…awkward."

"I have missed you, Erumar." Arwen leaned back and rested her hands on Erumar's shoulders.

"Tell me, what has it been like to be a Queen?" she asked with a tiny smile. "I know you are well-suited to the task, but it seems it can be a difficult struggle in this world of men."

"It has not been easy," she replied, "but Aragorn and I rely on one another for strength. These are good people, and we seek to protect and love them as much as we can. I often find myself enjoying these duties."

"Do you—you still find time for each other, I hope?" she asked, glancing over at Aragorn.

"We make sure of that," Arwen said, and then continued, admitting, "though at times it has been challenging."

Erumar nodded, thinking of the two of them trying to make time together. She noticed the sitting room off to her right and her eyes were immediately drawn to the rocking horse in the corner of the room opposite the hearth. She gasped and looked up into Arwen's face, suddenly gripping her hands. "Ilúvatar has blessed you both! You have a babe?" she asked, and then looked to Aragorn, utter delight on her face though she felt Arwen's hands tighten on her shoulders. "Where—"

"No," Aragorn denied softly, shaking his head even as he felt Arwen's stab of pain as well as his own. "It has been a…rough year for us. Arwen conceived, but was poisoned just months ago and nearly died. In the midst of all that chaos, we lost our child, a son. Enguina had been taken and…" he paused, and Erumar could hear the sorrow in his voice, "it was a mess, Erumar."

"You were poisoned?" Erumar asked, horrified as she looked up into Arwen's face, reaching up to stroke her dark hair. "Ilúvatar, I am so sorry. I saw the horse and I thought—"

"That is not your fault," Arwen whispered. "We are still…trying to accept it ourselves. It has been very difficult."

"Oh my dear," she replied, stroking her hair again, "how awful for you both." She looked at Aragorn and he could sense she wanted to moan in despair but held it inside. "Who tried to do this? Why? And Enguina, taken? She has not been here six months!"

"It is complicated," Aragorn told her. "But they were elves and men in league together to destroy Gondor, both the heir and Queen. Taking Enguina insured we would follow them, leaving Arwen here and unsuspecting of an attack. There was nothing anyone could do; Arwen herself did not know she had been poisoned. Legolas and Gimli were able to bring Enguina home safely."

"There have been so many obstacles," Arwen said as Erumar's hand gripped hers. "Just a few weeks ago, Legolas was taken by members of his own kin who tried to ransom him to his father for some of the lands of Eryn Lasgalen. It has been a very difficult year."

Erumar looked at her, and then lowered her eyes to Aragorn. "Ilúvatar must know what he is doing, yes? I keep trying to tell myself that."

"I keep telling myself to trust him no matter what," Arwen whispered. "In the darkest nights, when I know he could have kept us from this pain, I keep thinking that there must have been some reason we were not spared; I thought it was punishment. I thought it something I had done wrong. Most recently, I have been trying to have faith in Ilúvatar's plan for us…though I cannot understand it, and sometimes I cannot keep myself from asking why. I know he will not answer that question."

"No, he will not. I…should be honest with you both," she said, lowering her hands and settling them on the table before her, "as you have been so honest with me. I have lost all hope that Ilúvatar has a plan for me." Her voice had dropped and was low and quiet. "I do not mean to put a damper on your faith, to make you not desire to trust him. He still remains at your side; you still have each other, and clearly he is at Enguina's to bring her love in Legolas, and those are two answers to prayer. For myself…I do not see the light nor his purpose. I have been alone for so long with no reason to be alive, wandering from here to there without a cause. I wish I knew why I was here."

"Is that one of the reasons why you have come?" asked Aragorn. "Can we help you?"

She shook her head very slowly. "Oh, Aragorn…always you seek to heal. Both of you are so kind, and Enguina was the same way. You cannot understand; I know this. Can there be healing from this?" she asked, her voice hoarse. "You know very well what would happen if Aragorn were to die, Arwen, do you not?"

She was silent for a moment, and then Arwen replied, without looking at Aragorn, "I would die of a broken heart."

"So I must ask the question: why am I still here?" She lifted her shoulders, unable to answer the question. "Am I not broken enough? What is the reason? I try to believe there still is one, even though I feel there is no plan for me…none at all. I feel as though I have been forgotten." She sighed. "I do not feel his purpose, his touch in my life. He is nowhere near me. He—"

Pounding came up the front steps and the three of them turned their heads. Suddenly, the door flew open and a little redhead came rushing inside, laughing and screaming as she dashed through the kitchen without stopping and into the sitting room.

"Who was—" began Erumar, her eyebrows high, having not seen a child in many, many years.

"Annî?" called Aragorn, rising to his feet. Arwen straightened as well to follow the child and then took a step back against Erumar's chair as Thranduil jogged up the steps and into the House.

"Where is the little devil?" he growled, and there was no patience in his gaze as he spied her giggling and rocking on the horse in the other room. "Get down from there!" he thundered, and Annî screamed loudly—then burst into a fit of giggles.

"Thranduil!" laughed Arwen, though surprised by his tone. "Take it easy."

"She is only a child," Aragorn insisted, holding out a hand to calm him.

Thranduil took and then let out a breath, looking as though he needed to count to one million instead of five. "I have been chasing her around the garden for the last ten minutes, between the hedgerows, under the benches, around the bushes, through the fountain, and Éowyn was worried sick about her as she could not find her. In her condition—"

"Is she all right?" asked Aragorn, looking worried.

"She was not feeling well, and I volunteered to help her this morning though this is clearly not my duty or anything I have done in several hundred…forgive me, thousand years." He rolled his shoulders. "This was to be Éomer's duty for the morning, as given to him by Faramir, but no…it has become mine."

Arwen smiled. "Would you like me to get her for you?"

"No, no," he grumbled with a scowl, "I will retrieve the imp."

"She might run from you with that expression on your face," Aragorn teased with a smile. "You appear as a grumpy, old troll."

There was a burst of laughter from the next room and Thranduil looked over at Aragorn, pasting an absolutely ridiculous-looking smile on his face as he walked into the sitting room to get the child. Arwen laughed and then looked down to find a smile on Erumar's face as she watched him walk away.

"Children," Erumar whispered, "they bring out the best in everyone, do they not?"

"The best in some, the worst in others," Aragorn said with a laugh. "She can be a bit of a handful; Arwen and I have spent some time watching her as we are her guardians. As bad as her father."

"Who is she?" Erumar asked, watching Thranduil wander carefully over to her as she was rocking. And it was not only Annî she found herself wondering about. Studying the elf's perfect posture from behind, his hands clasped at the small of his back, his long flaxen hair; her gaze was easily drawn to him.

They heard him say, "Andúnêiel, your mother is waiting for you to return. Come…" His voice grew quiet and they missed his words to her.

"Annî is the daughter of Faramir and Éowyn, Prince and Princess of Ithilien," Aragorn replied.

"No!" Annî said with a giggle. "I want to stay here, Thandul! I like the horze!"

"It does not belong to you, but I will…"

Arwen rolled her eyes and covered her mouth to prevent her laugh from being heard. "Did you hear what she called him?"

"That is the worst," laughed Aragorn. They did not hear the rest of his response, but they heard her squeal.

"Promise!?" she screamed and the three of them jumped.

A sigh. "I give you my word, Lady." There was a bit of banging and tromping.

Too intrigued, the three of them leaned towards the corner, but they did not need to wait long as Thranduil appeared, rolling his eyes, Annî's arms clasped around his neck, her fiery hair popping up over his shoulder as she hung over his back. He stopped, smiling wryly as he looked at them, Annî grinning from ear to ear, trying to get a grip on his sides with her little bare feet as he held her arms.

"That went well," offered Aragorn, and as Thranduil opened his mouth to make a snide reply, he suddenly noticed Erumar sitting there, a curve in her lips.

"Thandul! Thandul!" cried Annî, tugging on his neck and nearly choking him as he coughed and Erumar actually laughed at him as well as Aragorn. Arwen stood dumbstruck at her laugh.

"And—" he choked on her name, leaning forward and boosting her up, tucking his hands behind his back and underneath her to take the pressure from his throat as she giggled from being thrown forward. "Forgive me for being so terribly rude, my Lady." He said this from a nearly upside-down position which only made the entire situation more hilarious.

"Introductions are in order," Aragorn said with a grin. "Thranduil, Legolas's father, Ki—"

"Elf!" cried Annî, and Erumar smiled again.

"Hello, little one," she said, and then looked into Thranduil's eyes, "Erumar, of Lothlórien."

"Welcome to Minas Tirith, though that is not really my place is it?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

Her eyes full of humor, she replied, "Not quite, my Lord."

"Thandul! Ride!" said Annî, bouncing on his back. He grunted and stood upright.

"Treated like a common animal."

"I think you can handle yourself," added Aragorn. Arwen remained silent watching their exchange. The man looked at the little girl with a sad face. "Annî, no good morning? Not even a smile for your Tirion or Tiriel?" he asked. She shook her head back and forth and bounced again on the elf's back. Aragorn sighed and then gave Thranduil a smile. "Perhaps you should take Annî back and then join us for breakfast if you have not already had it. We were waiting on Legolas and Enguina, but—"

"No, I saw them this morning," he said shaking his head, "and—"

"Thandul!" Annî cried, and she tightened her grip around his throat.

"Thranduil," he said stiffly, "and patience, my girl. Patience." He rolled his eyes heavenward and then looked back to Erumar. "I apologize for my enduring rudeness, but as you can see I have a child that is forcing me to be her beast of burden. Are you to be here long?"

"I am a friend of the bride, my Lord. I am…to stay as long as the celebration."

"She is a good friend to us as well," Aragorn said, leaning against the table and crossing his arms. "She will be here for dinner, but come back if you can. Join us for breakfast."

Thranduil's eyebrows rose and Arwen noticed a strange light in his eyes. "That is most excellent news about dinner; I shall make every endeavor to attend." His eyes were fixed on Erumar's and she felt unexpectedly drawn to his gaze. "Something tells me that I would not want to miss one moment of the time." There were words left off, but all three clearly heard them as bold as daylight. Thranduil straightened as Erumar stared at him, unable to remove her eyes from him, the curve of her lips still up. "I regret that I told Éowyn I would stay longer this morning," he said, looking over to Aragorn, "and return her daughter, so…tonight."

Aragorn bowed his head, still smiling, and with Annî bouncing on his back, Thranduil bowed deeply and left the House, closing the door behind him. The moment he was gone, Arwen sank down into her chair, staring at the back of Erumar's head in wonderment, her hand over her mouth; she was smiling—a real smile! Erumar returned her attention to the plate before her, picking up her fork.

"He never did tell us about Enguina and Legolas," Aragorn said, resuming his seat.

Erumar lifted her head and caught sight of Arwen, who remained very still. "Are you all right, Arwen?" she asked, and the elf nodded.

"Oh, yes…" she agreed, trying to shake herself out of her shock. "I…was thinking about finding Enguina in a little while. Aragorn has duties to attend to, but I think I can postpone my own until we find the bride and groom. Then perhaps you can help the two of us out on something we were…planning."

Aragorn's eyebrows rose. "Am I not allowed to know of this plan?"

"One of you may need to know eventually," she admitted. "I will tell you if necessary. At the moment, no. I think it would interest you, Erumar."

She nodded. "Keep me occupied, Arwen." She gave her a little smile. "The more I do the less I think. Not thinking is a very good idea."

"I promise I will encourage you to not think all day."

"Please," groaned Aragorn, "when you say things such as that I feel as though I need to worry."

"I traveled to Minas Tirith entirely on my own, Aragorn," Erumar said, "I think I can handle one afternoon in your City."

"I was not referring to you."

Arwen gave him a gentle shove from across the table. "Oh stop. Now, if Enguina were here, then I would say you would have cause to worry; though, I suppose she will be soon enough." She grinned suddenly. "I remembered what Legolas and Enguina were doing today—taste testing!"

"That is right," Aragorn agreed popping a piece of sausage in his mouth. "I do remember now."

"I would love to see them and finally meet Legolas," Erumar replied, finding herself smiling another genuine smile. "Anything that includes the two of them is completely fine with me."

When Arwen and Erumar entered into the Tower, Legolas and Enguina were laughing at each other. Erumar had been distracted up until that moment when she heard their voices, staring around at the beauty of Ecthelion and the marbled stone, being a bit drawn out of the brittle shell she had cast around herself. They had climbed the stairs to the conference chambers somewhere around the seventh floor, a few floors below where the homeless Gondorians were being housed. However, upon entering the rooms here where food was spread around some of the tables, many of those very same Gondorians were standing about, tasting the foods that had been prepared.

"Honestly, Legolas!" they heard Enguina cry out. "You are not doing that to me!"

"It is tradition to shove the cake in each other's faces!" he laughed in response.

"No!"

"Come now, Guin, do not be that way."

"That way? I think we can see how far tradition brought us before. I think I have had quite enough of your traditions."

He rolled his eyes. "This is not my tradition. The cake-shoving is a little wedding delight going back centuries and generations and—"

"And we do not need to participate in it."

He leaned in towards her, waggling his eyebrows. "What if I make you another bargain?"

"Legolas…" she groaned, "whyever do I allow you to get away with that?"

Erumar stopped in the doorway, hesitating, and Arwen halted beside her. "What is it?" she asked, and Erumar slowly shook her head.

"I…do not know how she is going to feel about seeing me," she said, twisting her fingers together. "We both said some…terrible things to each other."

"She has been mentioning you nearly every day," Arwen reassured her. "She is looking forward to you being here!" She reached over and gave Erumar a tug. "Come now."

The two of them moved out into the room and Legolas looked up first. "Good morning, Arwen!"

Enguina turned and her mouth dropped open at the sight of Erumar. "You came!" she exclaimed. She stood up and went immediately to them; she could see clearly the tears in Erumar's eyes, and she remembered every miserable word they had spoken to one another. Tears filled hers as well.

"Please," Erumar whispered, "let me beg your forgiveness for—"

"I am sorry, too," she replied, and she reached out and hugged Erumar. The two of them held each other close for a moment. "I forgive you. I am…I am just so glad you are here." She leaned back and kissed her cheek. "It is so good to see you." She left off the word that Erumar clearly heard: alive.

"It is good to see you, too."

"I did not think you were coming!" Enguina said a bit more joyously, almost as though nothing could ruin the mood. "Are you alone? When did you arrive? You must meet Legolas!"

"Yes, I came alone, and I only arrived just this morning. I came early enough to take breakfast with Aragorn and Arwen; then we came to find you." She looked over Enguina's shoulder and gave Legolas a little smile. "You are the bridegroom. You may not remember me, but I met you once, a very, very long ago. May I congratulate you and wish you forever to love this woman."

"Erumar," Enguina chided, embarrassed by her words.

"Thank you so for your words. Though I do not remember your face, you are every bit as beautiful as Enguina has told me," he said softly and grinned at her. "Guin has spoken of you so often, I feel as though I do know you. I had hoped, one day, I would have the privilege of getting to know you. Thank you for coming."

Enguina grabbed Erumar's hand and put it in Legolas's. "I am so happy! This is my sister!"

"In bond," she said softly.

"How have you been, Erumar?" Enguina asked. "How did you get here?"

"Rûnving brought me," Erumar replied, "and let us not speak of the past if we can avoid it." There was a pause; it was clear, once again, that she wanted to press the issue, but she visibly let it go.

"Well, you are here now," Enguina sighed. "Now everything is right. I do not know if I would have been happy with our celebration if you were not here to join us."

"I am not sure how much more of an addition I will be, Enguina," Erumar admitted. "But I will share in your joy as much as I can. And you, to be a Princess?"

Enguina rolled her eyes. "I will admit I think of that responsibility as little as possible."

"Erumar met your father this morning as well," Arwen added.

Legolas raised his eyebrows at her. "She met my father? Was he a ray of sunshine this morning or…something else?"

"Legolas," chided Enguina. "I love your father."

"I do as well," he stated firmly. "But there are times he is pleasant and times he will take you to task. Which was it this morning?"

"He was pleasant," said Erumar, "and rather amusing."

Legolas stared at her incredulously. "My father? King Thranduil, amusing?" He looked over at Arwen. "Is such a thing even possible?"

Arwen smiled, remembering Erumar's first real smile. "He made all of us laugh with his antics with Annî. I have a feeling this evening's supper might be…very interesting."

"Why?" asked Enguina, intrigued.

"For several reasons," Arwen said enigmatically, and it made Enguina raise her eyebrows. "One would be that I have a feeling he promised Annî something to get her out of the House this morning. We shall see."

"Well, we shall see him for dinner at least; that shall have to be enough," Enguina stated, looping her arm through Erumar's. "Erumar, you must tell me of your journey. Was it quiet?"

"Very," she replied as Enguina had her take a seat at the table where the food had been spread out, everyone else sitting down around it as well. "Long and quiet."

"That is because you are quiet when you are alone," Enguina pointed out, though not nastily. "What else has been happening? Are the woods of Lórien as quiet as you?"

"Let us not speak of the past," Erumar stated again, this time more firmly. Enguina looked a bit embarrassed, and Legolas surprised at the tone in her voice. But then her look softened as she tried to change the subject to something she wanted to talk about. "You…you are much changed, Enguina. I have never been happier to see you so obviously in love, so obviously full of joy." She looked at Legolas. "I have heard much about you as well, Prince Legolas. A more handsome husband Enguina could not find."

He laughed softly, but refused to be embarrassed by her words. "Please, Legolas is my name, and I thank you for your kind words."

"When I received word several months ago that you were to be wed, I was all amazement, but full of delight as well. Finally, my Enguina has found a home." She gave her a gentle smile, and squeezed the other elf's hand. "You two will be wed here, in the City?"

"Yes," replied Enguina. "A perfect spring wedding and in only two days' time! I must also ask a favor of you while you are here, but—"

"Anything you wish," Erumar replied. "I am at your disposal."

"No, no," she laughed, "not here…not in front of Legolas, anyway."

"Ugh," he groaned. "Not again with this nonsense."

Erumar raised an eyebrow. "Do not tell me you are playing games on each other?"

"Well, this is not," Enguina admitted, "but there should be some fun before the wedding, yes?"

"There is going to be revenge here, you know," he said eyeing Enguina. "Great revenge. Even if it takes me years."

She leaned forward as well and smiled sweetly at him. "I welcome it."

He rested his elbows on the table and began to lean toward her when he bumped a box with his elbows. "What is this?" he asked looking down, but Enguina kept right on smiling.

"It was on the table when we sat down," Arwen said, eyeing it up. "It appears innocent enough."

"Is there no letter with it?" inquired Erumar, though she had a thought as to who had placed it.

Legolas lifted the box and sighed, looking at Enguina suspiciously. "If you wanted to give me a gift, you could have simply—"

"Oh, open it!" she cried, laughing. "I did not want to hand it to you."

He began undoing the ribbon and when it was finished, a pop! was heard. The top of the box blew off and out exploded a stream of paper and brightly dyed bits of fabric, spraying out into the air as Legolas nearly dove from his chair, startled by the gift. Enguina and Arwen burst out laughing at the picture Legolas made, lying on the floor covered in bits of paper, Enguina's head on her arms as she fought to control herself. Erumar, who had been startled herself began giggling uncontrollably at the elf as well.

"Oh, fine…go ahead and laugh," Legolas said with some irritation. He finally sat up, watching them laugh at him before he brushed a hand along his tunic, taking off some of the paper. There was no way he was going to let Enguina get away with that, and reaching over, he grabbed her leg and dragged her out of her chair and down on top of himself.

She shrieked at the sudden yank and fall, hitting him once squarely in the chest when she ended up on his lap, but Legolas wrapped his arms around her to hold her there and began tickling her mercilessly. Enguina tried to get away, tried to grab his hands, still shrieking, but it sounded like cackling at this point, she was still laughing so hard. He wrestled her to the floor, still trying to tickle her, and pin her down with one shoulder.

"Mercy! Have mercy!" she cried, struggling to get away from him as he laughed.

"And you said you were not to be tickled! Well, well! Will you apologize for your most unscrupulous behavior?" he asked, pausing in his attack long enough for her to make a reply. "Or is there more torture in your very near future?"

Gasping, her back pressed flat to the stone floor, she forgot that Erumar and Arwen were even present for a moment, her eyes trapped on Legolas's dancing blue ones. "I will not apologize, you troll," she muttered, so low only he could hear.

"Then suffer the consequences," he stated, and she lunged away, trying to roll from beneath him, giggling as she went when he caught her and tickled her again, refusing to let her go. It went on like this for a few more long seconds, Enguina breathless as she finally squirmed her hands free to grab his and tug them away from her sides.

"You are awful!" she laughed, unable to control her breathing. Swiftly, he leaned down and kissed her soundly, and she gave into the kiss, releasing one of his hands so she could wrap hers around the back of his neck.

"You owe me," he murmured into her mouth, and she could only kiss him in response.

Up at the table, Erumar set her chin on her folded hands, a smile on her face as she watched the joyous exchange. "Oh…this is good for my soul."

Arwen reached over and touched her arm. "We are so glad you are here."