The way to Gondor (Aragorn and Legolas fanfic)

Epilogue: Eternal happiness

"Daddy, daddy!!", Nibeneth cried, running along a corridor that was flooded with light. She was searching for Legolas, her father, to complain about Aragorn, her other father. When she had asked, if she could go riding with her brother Mattei, who planned on doing a tour with Faramir the whole day, the king had told her, that she was too young and couldn't go with them. But maybe daddy Legolas would allow it, if she didn't tell him about Aragorn's decision.

"Why are you yelling like that, Meluisell (sweetie)?", the elf asked her, when the small child with curly blond hair found him in the garden. "Has your doll lost a leg again?" He sat on a bench and pulled her up in his lap.

"No daddy, not like that", the girl answered. "I want to go riding with Mattei!"

"Have you asked your father about this?", Legolas wanted to know, even though he already knew the answer. Aragorn had come to him earlier and told him about Nibeneth's wish, and that she wasn't allowed to go, and Legolas agreed. A whole day away was a little too much for a small girl like her, despite the fact that she already was a very good rider and a lover of nature. 

"No", Nibeneth said with big blue innocent eyes. But her father knew her too well, so he started tickling her. 

"You don't dare lying to me, Nibeneth, you know I always know everything!", he smiled, holding the girl in his arms, as she tried to escape his tickling. 

"I didn't tell him, I promise!", she said in between laughs, but Legolas gave her a stern stare and she finally weakened. "Ok, ok, I did. But why can't I go? I'm at least as good a rider as Mattei is!", she complained.

"But you are four years younger than your brother, and he has been in training with Faramir for much longer than you have."

"But...", Nibeneth started, but was interrupted by her father.

"No buts, Nibeneth, someay you will be old enough and can follow your brother on his rides. However, right now you will stay here with daddy and me and I'll tell you some stories. That sound ok?", Legolas offered and smiled at his daughter. 

"The one with the ring! Please daddy!", she begged and the elf ruffled her hair. He had never been able to believe that he could love someone as much as Aragorn, but here she was in his lap, laughing like a little sun, and her brother was no else. 

"Sure, what about if we go to the hall and let auntie Éowyn join us. Then I'll tell you the story about the Lord of the Rings", the elf said and while standing up lifting the child in his arms and walking towards the palace. 

"Yes, auntie Éowyn, she can tell me about it too!", Nibeneth's happy voice was heard receding. Soon they were gone and the wind rustled through the leaves of the white tree.

---

Aragorn was in his study, drafting letters. He had a lot of letters to write these days, not only affairs of the kingdom, but to so many friend living everywhere in Middle-Earth, that he couldn't even count them. 

Right now, he wrote a letter to Éomer, who had asked for some advice about Rohan's trading connections. Then he would write to Sam and Frodo in the Shire, just checking up on them after all these years. Another letter went to lady Galadriel in Lórien, because he held the friendship with the elves very high. And after that he'd write a letter to Gimli, which he had to adress to Lórien too, because the dwarf had been there a few months ago with lord Haldir, but they probably had left already and were wandering through the forests somewhere. 

He hadn't heard much from the dwarf lately, as Gimli was travelling through Middle-Earth with Haldir and didn't report back very much. It surely was hard to believe that the two of them were such good friends, such very very good friends, and Aragorn was happy for them. Everyone deserved to have someone you could trust and depend on, and especially Gimli, who, during the long journey they had made together, never had met anyone of his own kin, deserved happiness. 

It was Gimli too, who had suggested taking Mattei as a son, and that the king was most grateful for. He loved the boy, and he would give his life for him. Somedays he felt like lord Elrond, giving a lost young boy a new home and family. And not long after that, Nibeneth had showed up on their doorstep. Well, not she herself, but a nurse from a village a few days away from Minas Tirith, who had brought her as an orphan to the king's care. Word had spread, that his home was open to everyone, and Nibeneth was indeed very welcome. She was a lovely young girl, always spreading happiness, but she was also smart and curious, and she never gave up if she had set her mind on doing something. And she was sneaky, very sneaky, and could almost always get what she wanted, because no one could say no to her. That was why he had to tell Legolas about her wanting to join Mattei today. If he hadn't warned him, she might have ended up on the back of a horse and not returned until dusk. 

Speaking of which, Aragorn really wanted to seek his husband right now. Even after many years together, he was as in love with him as he had been from the very beginning, and he never missed an opportunity to show him. He stood up and left the letters half-finished on his desk. They'd have to wait, his husband was much more important. 

The quill ended up unmoving on the table, the arcs of paper waiting to be written on, and the door closed after the king of Gondor, who was in search of his most beloved elf.