Part 9: The Night of Midsummer
Aragorn's hand secured his bride's hand and together they led everyone to the banquet hall. Most of their guests sat at tables around the main long one along one wall of the room and immediately began talking. At the table with the King and Queen sat Elrond, opposite his son-in-law, Galadriel, across from her granddaughter, with Celeborn beside her. Elladan sat to his father's right with Pippin separating him from his identical twin, Ellrohir. To Aragorn's immediate left sat Gandalf, with Faramir and then Imrahil to his left. To Arwen's immediate right sat, Frodo, Sam and Merry, with Legolas opposite Sam, and Merry opposite Gimli.
Elrond wasted no time beginning to tease his son-in-law about the seating arrangement, as soon as the feast began. "Aragorn, did you put young Peregrin Took between the twins so you could tell them apart?" He suggested, mischief in his eye.
Aragorn laughed merrily for the first time in months. A gleam sprang into his eye as he answered his "father"/father-in-law in fun. "And if I did, Lord Elrond, what would that mean? Didn't you say no person without elven blood could tell them apart? No offense meant to those who don't." He replied, a sprinkle of sass in his voice.
Elrond and Gandalf laughed as they hadn't in centuries and both Galadriel and Celeborn were chuckling, in between wide smiles. Arwen laughed freely. The twins decided to pretend to switch places in full view of everyone, then they began stage whispering to each other various instructions that no one was "supposed" to hear. They both leaned down in front of Pippin and began.
"Be quiet for once you blabbermouth, just because you're a chatterbox doesn't mean I am one, Ellrohir." Hissed Elladan.
"And don't answer to Elladan, Elladan! Remember how that spoiled our plan last time? And be nice and chattery, okay?" Ellrohir answered.
"Shh! They hear us!" Elladan said. "Nothing, nothing, we said nothing." He explained, sitting up and turning bright red.
Faramir and Imrahil were cracking up, and so were all four hobbits. Gimli and Legolas were also convulsed with laughter.
"And that's what I live with." Elrond quipped convulsing everyone even more. Aragorn, Elrond, and the twins continued to make their whole table laugh all the way through the feast.
After the feast was over and the toasts drunk, the two newly-weds were left alone with Elrond and Galadriel. Both of them were given whispered advice, and Elrond and Galadriel departed for their rooms.
"Come, my love." Aragorn beckoned to his wife. "You haven't seen the White Tree in the moonlight yet."
She smiled and the two of them went away up the usual staircase but turned through a separate door outside. Outside, a set of stairs led up a considerable distance up towards a white gate. The guards opened the gate and the two of them strode up into the court. The tree glistened in the moonlight like white jewels under the stars. Arwen smiled at him and the two of them continued up to bed.