Chapter 9

***Elvish***

Annelise spent the next few days meeting with Lord Elrond and showing the Hobbits around Rivendell. Two days after their arrival, Annelise was surprised when she went to check on Sam and Frodo and found Gandalf seated by the sleeping Hobbit's side. He had happily accepted her relieved hug and she grew more worried when she saw just how bone weary and thin he was. The wizard could see the many questions going through the young woman's eyes but just shook his head slightly.

"Not quite yet, my dear," he whispered, shooting a significant look at the other two occupants in the room.

"Very well," she sighed, understanding his unspoken meaning. "I'm just glad you're back safely."

"As am I," he answered with a soft smile, reaching out and patting her hand in comfort.

Seeing that Frodo and Sam were in good hands, Annelise decided to leave them and go find either her old friend, Bilbo, or make sure that Merry and Pippin were staying out of trouble. After a few moments contemplation, she decided to find the older Hobbit, wanting a little peace and quiet for now. She found him quickly in his usual spot, sitting on a stone bench working on his precious book.

"Ah, there you are!," Bilbo greeted as he noticed her moving toward him. "I've come to a rather tricky spot in this verse, and was just about to look for you or the Dunadan to help me."

"I'd be happy to assist, but you know Aragorn is much better at it than I," she smiled, taking a seat next to her friend.

"Fiddlesticks," he protested, waving his hand in the air before passing the book over to her.

The pair spent the next hour adjusting the Hobbit's song until they were satisfied. Once they were done, Bilbo allowed Annelise to look through the rest of his book and the young woman did so eagerly. The tales and drawings from their journey so many years before brought a bittersweet smile to her face and she could feel the Hobbit's eyes on her face, watching for any reactions. Her breath caught as she turned the next page and Bilbo glanced down to see what had drawn her attention.

On the page before them was a drawing of thirteen dwarves, a young woman and a Hobbit. Bilbo smiled sadly at the various emotions rushing across his companion's face, knowing they were reflected on his own. He reached over gently and clasped her hand tightly between one of his own.

"Not a day goes by that I don't think of them," he murmured softly and Annelise grasped his hand tighter.

"Nor I," she shakily whispered as her eyes teared up.

"But I know they would be so proud of you," he responded, trying to lighten the young woman's spirits. "I know I am."

"Thank you, my dear friend," she answered, looking up to meet his eyes with as much confidence as she could muster before turning back to the book in her lap and going through the pages once more.

"So many memories," she sighed as she came to the end of what he had written.

"Yes," the old Hobbit spoke in the same tone, "some of which were very difficult, but I think in the end, they were outweighed by the good."

"You're absolutely right," Annelise responded, smiling fondly down at her old friend.

She couldn't help but feel sad as she looked at the small Hobbit sitting next to her. The signs of aging on his face had finally set in after so many years of knowing him, while she had not changed overly much. She had always known she would outlive the Hobbit, but to see that their time together was drawing to an end brought a new ache to her heart.

"Now," Annelise said, standing abruptly from her seat and holding her hand out to pull her companion to his feet, "I think it's just about time for your afternoon tea. And I'm sure you'll want to be checking on Frodo. Care to join me?"

Bilbo smiled up at his old friend, still so like the young woman she had been when they had met sixty years prior. He grabbed hold of her hand and stood up slowly, tucking his book under one of his arms, before gesturing for her to lead the way.

"Quite right."

The next day, Annelise got the news that Frodo had finally awoken. Her uncle had reassured her that the Hobbit was making a speedy recovery, despite the severity of his wound. Though he also told her that, given the nature of the injury, it would never fully heal.

Annelise had spent her time late that morning reading on a chaise in her room, when she heard laughter echoing through the opening to her balcony. She knew instantly that it was Merry and Pippin and moved to the railing to see if she could spot them. She smiled brightly when she saw that it was indeed Merry and Pippin, but that Sam and a recovered Frodo had also joined them.

She was just turning to leave her room and join the Hobbits when she heard the sound of hooves approaching. Her spine straightened when she saw that it was a man, likely from Gondor based on his attire, that had ridden into the courtyard. And following him was a figure she instantly recognized as Legolas and four dwarves. She was shocked to see that Gloin was one of them and his son, Gimli, was next to him.

She rushed from her room to greet her old friends and found Aragorn embracing Legolas lightly as she entered the courtyard. The two seemed to be speaking seriously so she made her way to the dwarves first.

"Lassie!," Gloin yelled upon spotting her and she quickly stooped down to accept the enthusiastic hug from the aging dwarf. The other two dwarves that she was unfamiliar with bowed their heads in greeting as Gloin introduced them.

"Princess," Gimli spoke, bowing deeper than the other two and Annelise quickly put her hand on his shoulder to stop him. She had always appreciated the respect she was shown by the dwarves for her position, though she didn't find it necessary and often felt uncomfortable with the extra attention her title brought.

"Please, my friend. Just Annelise," she insisted and the younger dwarf smiled up at her before wrapping her in a hug just like his father.

"As you wish, Annelise. It has been far too long."

"Indeed it has. And I'm sure you're all exhausted from your journey," Annelise commented and gestured for the four to follow after her. "I'll see to it that rooms are made available for you and have a hot meal and some ale sent for you."

"You certainly know the way to an old dwarf's heart, lass," Gloin chuckled as he reached up and patted her arm affectionately.

Annelise found rooms for the dwarves quickly and, after dispatching a servant with instructions for their refreshments, went to see if she could locate Legolas. She found him in the courtyard still speaking with Aragorn, though they now seemed to just be talking casually. She looked around and saw that the elf prince's horse had already been taken away and there was no sign of the Gondorian man either. The talking pair looked up as they heard her approach and both smiled upon seeing her.

"My friend," Legolas greeted, pulling her into a tight hug, "it has been far too many years since I've had the pleasure of your company."

"And I have missed you dearly. What brings you to Rivendell?," Annelise asked as he released her after a moment.

"As a matter of fact," she said, looking to Aragorn for clarity, "what are the dwarves and Gondorian doing here as well?"

"Lord Elrond has called a meeting in the morning. All your questions will be answered then," Aragorn answered softly. "And there will be a feast tonight to welcome all the guests."

"A meeting about…"

"Yes," Aragorn whispered, knowing what Annelise wouldn't speak aloud. "Lord Elrond has asked that both of us attend the meeting as representatives of the Dunedain."

"Very well," Annelise sighed, knowing the relative peace of the last few years was officially ended. No matter the outcome of the council the next day, things were now being set in motion that could no longer be ignored.

"Come," Aragorn interrupted her morbid thoughts and took her hand, looping her arm through his own. "Let us show Legolas his room."

Annelise was quickly pulled from her thoughts and realized that she had forgotten that Legolas was present for a moment. She quickly turned to her friend who had fallen into step on her other side and was looking down at her with a knowing twinkle in his eye that made her want to blush.

'Not a word,' her eyes glared slightly up at the elf but if he caught the meaning, it only succeeded in making his smirk grow wider as he looked at the pair walking beside him. He had known the feelings between the two had been growing stronger, probably before they had realized, but it was amusing to see just how obvious the affection between the pair was to everyone but them.

The pair soon left Legolas at the door to his room with a promise to see him that evening at the feast. Once they were alone, Annelise turned to Aragorn and was about to say she would see him later as well, when he interrupted her.

"Take a walk with me," he said softly and Annelise felt her pulse beginning to pick up.

"What for?," she asked and scolded herself mentally for not just going along with him.

"When was the last time you and I spent time together without people or duties hanging over us?"

"I can't remember," Annelise answered after thinking for a few moments.

"Nor can I," he responded as he took her arm in his once more. "And I fear it will be some time before the opportunity presents itself again."

"Let's not think about that now," she requested, wrapping both her arms around his tightly and he reached over with his free hand to grasp one of hers as they walked close together down the path.

"As you wish."

The pair walked aimlessly for a while before they came upon the clearing where her parents' memorial stood with his mother's grave. He led her to the chaise under the gazebo and she took a seat as he moved to lean against the railing nearby. The pair rested in silence for a few minutes before Annelise chuckled softly and Aragorn looked at her in question.

"I was just thinking of my first memory of this place," she explained and he moved to sit beside her, motioning for her to continue. "I had just met Gandalf for what I thought was the first time, sixty years ago in a Hobbit hole. One night soon after, I dreamt of this garden and a young boy who used to follow me around, making sure I was safe. And I dreamt of an old man making me a fiery rose encased in crystal. I didn't realize until much later that it wasn't a dream at all; it was a memory."

"I remember," he said softly, looking at the rose bushes and memorials before them. "We used to spend so much time here together. When you were gone, I refused to come back here for months. My mother didn't know how to handle my grief on top of her own. But once she was gone too, this was the only place that I could still feel both of you. Arwen used to find me asleep at the foot of your statue all the time those first few months after losing Mother."

"She never told me that," Annelise whispered, resting her head on his shoulder in comfort.

"I don't know what I would have done without her and Lord Elrond, especially as I got older," he sighed and Annelise knew he was again thinking about his birthright.

"Your mother would be proud of the man you have become, Estel," she whispered and placed a hand on his cheek to force his eyes to meet hers as his expression grew doubtful. "I am so proud of you."

"Annelise….," he breathed and her breath hitched as she saw the tender look in his eyes.

Aragorn's eyes darted to her lips as they parted slightly to allow her to breathe easier and both Rangers began leaning closer subconsciously. He saw her eyes widen slightly as he neared her and suddenly he became worried that he had misread her and was moving too quickly.

'I haven't even spoken to her yet about any of this. Besides, she is a princess of not just one kingdom, but two. What can I offer her, as an exile?,' he mentally chastised himself and diverted to kiss her gently on the cheek, much to her disappointment.

'Maybe I was wrong,' she thought worriedly. But then he reached up to grab the hand that she didn't realize was still cradling his cheek and pressed a lingering kiss to her palm. And before she could say anything, the dressing bell rang through the valley and she knew she had lost her opportunity for now.

"Time to go," he spoke and she was gratified to see that he seemed just as reluctant to part as she was. He offered his arm to her and escorted her back to her room in silence and departed with a promise to see her sometime that evening.