Legolas

I strode toward the royal wing, mind whirling with affection for Eda, eagerness for the wedding, nerves for the wedding night, and anxiety for the war. I probably wouldn't sleep much tonight.

Noticing the door to Adar's study stood open, I peeked in. He sat with his elbow on the desk, face resting in his palm and fingers rumpling his flyaway hair.

"Illùvatar, Adar, you look like Mordor itself." I walked in and collapsed on a plush sofa, looping my legs over the armrest and letting my back hit the cushion.

He arched a single eyebrow. "You would too, if you had children like mine."

I snorted a laugh. "You know you love me."

"That depends entirely upon the next question is you ask me." He reluctantly sat up and smoothed his hair. "You only flatter when you want something."

Meeting his gaze, I said, "I want to have the wedding feast tomorrow. Eda and I are ready, we want this, and we see no reason to wait."

Adar cut a sharp glance in my direction. "Why the rush? I told you to abstain—is she with child?" He hissed a curse and ran a vicious hand through his hair.

"No!" Heat flushed across my face, and I scrubbed a hand over my cheeks. "Ada, we've waited, and we want to be together." I grimaced. "With your blessing."

He looked at me, then released a long breath. "There's more to this than your beloved Eda. I suggest you inform me immediately."

I rubbed my face—why did he have to be so suspicious? And why did his suspicions always have to be right so often? "There is war in Gondor. Aragorn is tryi—"

Adar shoved his chair back and thrust himself to his feet, spinning to face the back. "I told you to never ask for help for that mortal again."

I slid my legs off the armrest. "Has it ever occurred to you that may be the reason I've been gone for so long?" My fingers dug into the upholstery.

He didn't answer.

I stood and began to pace, hands clenching and unclenching, nostrils flaring. "You wouldn't let me near Tauriel. Fine—I understand. It wasn't political, and she was clearly a bit loose with her affection. But Eda—Queen Amariel—it makes sense. Not only is she a queen, I already know and care for her. You told me this! Why have you suddenly changed your mind?"

"I have not changed my mind!" His suddenly-sharp tone echoed loudly in the confines of the study. Adar released a long, measured breath, and then he glanced at me out the corner of his eye. "When I agreed to this, I expected a year's betrothal." He faced me and leaned down to press his palms into the desk, looking me in the eye. His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "In twelve months' time, the dark lord will have killed us all, or be dead. You've no business bonding yourself to anyone when either of you could be dead in a matter of days."

Fear tightened my limbs. A fear I'd been pushing away, avoiding for weeks. "Adar, we're going to win this war. We need backup, but we will endure—"

"You don't know that." His jaw clenched, and his eyes darted away. "Twice in my life, I've been in love. Twice I have created a sacred bond, and been blessed with an elfling." He closed his eyes, mouth tightening. "And twice, I lost my wife, and nearly sailed to the Undying Lands for the grief it caused me."

A bit stunned, I sank to the sofa and covered my mouth. He never talked about Lachiel's naneth. I didn't even know her name.

"These are volatile times, Legolas." He met my gaze. "You've grown into a warrior, and I couldn't have asked for a more capable heir. But losing a spouse is like being gutted alive and left for dead."

I said nothing for a long moment. I'd always struggled to see him as anything other than a reckless king that had left the throne to me while he ran off and had an elfling out of wedlock.

Adar seated himself again and sighed. "Losing your naneth impaired my judgment, which led to the circumstances surrounding Lachiel's birth."

Neither of us spoke. I sat in silence, processing all this new information, and sifting through my fears to clearly understand what I wanted. Finally, I sighed and looked at him. "Our alliance with Erebor is nothing but words, until I wed Eda."

Adar nodded.

I hesitated, hating the words I was about to utter. But I had to face these fears before I could conquer them. "If we hide from this darkness, we will fail. Darkness will cover the land. We will die."

His jaw clenched, but he didn't argue. "What's your solution?" he asked quietly.

"Hit Mordor with a unified army. Elves. Dwarves. Men."

"Men?" Adar scoffed. "Those pesky mortals are about as likely to unify as a swarm of small cats."

"We'll help them." I stood and began to pace again, forming my plan on the fly. "If anyone can rally an army of Men, it's Aragorn. It's the steward of Gondor causing the problem, but with a sizable army, he'll surrender or quickly be overcome." I spun to face Adar. "But this means I have to wed Eda. Soon. Tomorrow."

He steepled his fingertips. "Well Legolas, if you're convinced of your own plan, my warriors will fight for you."

Warmth filled my chest, and my face softened. "Thank you, Adar."

He held up a finger. "Not so fast. If you're getting married tomorrow, there's something else we need to discuss."

That warmth drained out and was quickly replaced by dread. "No—Adar, there's no need—"

Adar smirked. "Sit, Legolas. This is a part of your education I've neglected, and no loving adar would leave you to guess at these things."

I reluctantly perched on the edge of the seat. "Really Ada, it's fine...I overheard the guards talking for years, and frankly, they rarely talk about anything else."

He waved dismissively. "The more you argue, the longer this will take. I suppose to start, I should ask if you've ever had sexual relations with an elleth?" He looked me square in the eye. "Or any female from any race?"

Giving up on all dignity, I sat back and buried my face in my hands. "No, I swear it."

He chuckled. "Good. The first time a couple bonds, they establish a spiritual connection that lasts the entirety of their relationship—ideally, the rest of their lives." His tone took a more sober note. "Elflings are created when both parents specifically wish for offspring, provided Eru wills it." He paused. "It's very unwise to wish for an elfling before any foreseeable turmoil. Certainly not during."

I peeked between my fingers. "Like you did?" I was purely guessing, but what else is there to conclude when Adar brings home a wounded elfling and no naneth?

He dipped his head. "Yes. Like I did."

A weighty silence hung between us for a long moment, until I sighed. "All right. I won't."

He sighed also and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. "You should know, an elleth's first time mating with her husband is uncomfortable for her—sometimes even painful." A frown appeared between his eyebrows. "Do you know if Queen Amariel—Eda—is a virgin?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. "Yes, all right?"

"Are you sure?" Skepticism laced his tone.

"Well it's not as though I checked!" Heat spread across my cheeks. "But...she doesn't act with the confidence I would expect from someone who's...done that."

"Then you'll need to be gentle with her," Adar said quietly. "And understanding if she's frightened. If you don't go out of your way to make her feel beautiful and loved, she'll be unlikely to...invite you to her bed, in the future."

I scrubbed my face. At this point, I didn't find it likely that I'd sleep peacefully tonight. I hust hoped he wouldn't make it any worse. "Got it. Anything else?"

"Hmm...yes. When she tells you no—and she will, eventually—take no for an answer and control yourself. You'll cause yourself a world of pain if you pressure her."

I could only imagine. Angry Eda was a scary Eda.

Adar sighed. "Truth be told, Legolas, I think you'll be fine. I'm glad you already know her, and that the marriage will have some political value. The rest will fall into place. As for the matter of the war...I won't stand in your way, since you'll clearly do what you want anyway."

I risked a glance at him. "So you'll arrange the feast for tomorrow?"

"Ai..." He rubbed his face. "I suppose so. Just know you're acting like a lovesick elfling."

I gripped the arm rests to keep from leaping with excitement. I did stand though, and walked to the desk. "Thank you, Ada." I reached over and grasped his forearm.

Rolling his eyes, he grasped my arm briefly as well, then swatted me away. "Go to bed, Legolas. She's not apt to let you sleep for a while."

My heart thumped, and I couldn't help an excitable smile as I started for the door. "All right, Adar. Good night."

He allowed a small smile and nodded. "Good night, ion nin. I couldn't have hoped for a better son."

I almost stopped to ask what he meant. Such a comment was very much out of his character—at least toward me. It wasn't so rare for him to compliment his precious lovechild.

But I didn't stop. I didn't ask. Because I didn't want to know. I just wanted to enjoy his compliment as exactly that. So with a single nod of gratefulness, I stepped out of his office and shut the door behind me.

* * *

Eda

Three ellyth dragged me out of bed at stupid 'o clock the next morning, jabbering excitably about some wedding feast or something.

Eru I hate mornings!

They took me down the hall and around some corridors to a massive dressing room, which boasted a—oh no—a bathtub. Full of steaming water.

"Is that for me?" I asked, barely half-conscious and not in the best of moods.

The maids paused their chitter-chatter. "Yes, Queen Amariel," one finally replied. "You must look your best—you're marrying Prince Legolas, after all."

I squawked at the memory. When they began pulling off my clothes, I didn't resist as much as I'd planned. Acutely aware of Legolas's ultra-sensitive sense of smell, I let them guide me into the water and start scrubbing. After all, my skin had nearly grown back from my coronation.

"You're such a lucky one," one of the ellyth said, attacking one of my arms with a scrub brush. "He was my first affection, you know."

"You mean your first crush?" I grumbled. How many ellyth—no, females in general!—would I have to share my husband with?

She tittered in a most delicate way. "Yes!"

Over the following hours, the ellyth scrubbed me within an inch of my life, combed and pressed my hair to make it more smooth and elfy, ripped the hair of my legs and underarms clean out of my skin, and made me a dress.

By this point, I was not a happy camper. The ellyth tiptoed around me and spoke in hushed whispers, as though tending to an irritable dragon. But when Larika walked in with a tray of breakfast, I nearly cried with relief.

After she'd filled my stomach and gotten me calmed down, the lot of them helped me into the dress. It was a maze of greens and browns, with the occasional gold threading, and so soft I could've slept in it.

If my coronation dress had been a work of art—which it had—then this was a masterpiece.

They braided a few strands of my hair, but left most of it down, since the pressing made it managable. Then they brought foward my Arkenstone crown and gently placed it on my head.

I hadn't missed that.

Larika looked over me and smiled. "You're lovely, My Lady. I hope you don't mind, but I brought a little something you might like to have along." She reached into her pocket and withdrew the necklace with the Mithril key. "It would look very elegant on you."

I smiled and took the necklace, buckling the clasp and letting the key rest on my open neckline. "Thank you, Larika. Ever attentive to details."

The door opened, revealing Lachiel and a guard in the hall. Her keen eyes instantly locked onto the key. "You look stunning, Your Majesty," she said in her smooth tone. "Befitting for my brother's bride."

I couldn't help but distrust her. "Thank you."

She motioned to the hall. "I hope you are ready, Amariel of Erebor. It is time for the wedding."

***Author's Note***

This one's hot off the press! Thanks so much for everyone's love and support, you guys mean the world to me.

In other news, I'm getting more active on FFN and posting TSW there. So excited! If you're on FFN and you want to help me out, a review would be AWESOME.

Oh and by the way. For y'all that like superheroes. I'm reading an awesome book by eme_the_writer123 titled Masked Hero, and it's great! Check it out, show her the love. She's also been a massive help to me, getting this chapter and the last one written and posted. Love ya girl! ;D

I'll be back soon, cuz we've got stuff cooking!