Epilogue: It ends with love
Dúniel giggled as her new husband pulled her close and kissed her.
"So, my dear, did you enjoy yourself today?" Arash asked, stroking her naked back.
"Did something happen today? I can't seem to remember." She teased. Arash smiled.
"Well, today we got married."
"Really?" Dúniel said, feigning surprise. "How drunk did you have to get me to do that?"
"Very." He laughed.
"I think I can recall slightly...are you sure you're the groom? You're far too desirable..." She trailed off and kissed him happily, ignoring his chuckles.
"In fact, you even asked me not to tear your dress off, because you loved it so much." They turned to look at the beautiful white dress laid out neatly on a nearby chair. Arash's clothes, however, were in various odd places around the room. "And now we have consummated our marriage, you're stuck with me forever."
"Oh no! Woe is me, that I am to forced to live forever with the love of my life!" Dúniel cried dramatically, then shrieked when he darted forward and started kissing her neck. She laughed happily, her heart bursting with joy. Just wait until he found out what else they had to share...
3 years later...
Dúniel rolled her eyes as Miniual adjusted her veil once more and paced nervously, muttering to herself.
"Minuial, would you please calm down! Anyone would think you didn't want to get married!" Miniual looked terrified.
"So many things can go wrong! What if he doesn't want to marry me anymore! What if he doesn't love me anymore! Dúniel, I'm so frightened!"
"Miniual, calm down! Elboron loves you more than anything. Stop worrying!" Dúniel sighed as Miniual's lip trembled slightly. "Come here and feel the baby kicking, that should take your mind off things."
A small smile grew on her sister's face, and she walked forward and rested a hand on Dúniel's swollen belly. She laughed when she felt a kick.
"In a few months, I'll be an aunty again." She said happily. "And I may be a mother."
Dúniel smiled and hugged her sister, a little awkwardly thanks to her growing stomach.
"Everything will be fine, Miniual. Eldarion and I were, and look how good our marriages came out, politically and romantically." Dúniel grinned as Miniual giggled, but her laugh trailed away. Miniual seemed to have something on her mind. "What's wrong?"
The eighteen year old glanced around the empty room and pushed a strand of black hair from her face. Dúniel moved forward and pinned it back.
"D-do you remember when we went to Ithilien last month, to celebrate our engagement?"
"Of course I do. We were all so happy, but I'm still upset that my little sister is going to be stay there instead of here. I shall have to come visiting a lot."
"Well, Elboron and I...we...you know..." Dúniel smiled suddenly.
"You spent the night with him?" She asked quietly. Miniual blushed.
"Several, actually." She looked up at her sister. "Do you think it'll ruin tonight? You waited, do you think it makes a difference?" Dúniel now glanced around the room.
"Shall I tell you a secret?" Miniual's eyes suddenly widened.
"You didn't wait, did you?" She whispered, shocked. Dúniel smirked.
"We started sleeping together in the winter of that year. Did we really hide it that well?"
"You were together for five months before you got married!" Her sister gasped, impressed with her sister's daring.
"Well, we were so in love and we didn't know how much time we had to be together..."
"Wait a minute... Meluieth and Arnion were born within days of each other...but you said Meluieth was premature - she wasn't, was she?" Dúniel coughed a little.
"I was a bit surprised myself...Arash managed to get me pregnant on Eldarion's wedding night, a month before ours...we thought it best that everyone believe that she was early." Miniual suddenly laughed.
"And we were all so frightened when you went into labour early!"
"I still feel bad about that." Dúniel admitted. "But at least this we don't have to worry about." She said, patting her belly. "Miniual, it does not ruin your wedding night, believe me." She added with a smile.
"Thank you."
There was a knock at the door, and Dúniel walked over and opened it, allowing Merenwen, Arwen and Lothuial into the room. She was about to close the door when she heard a couple of shrieks and the sound of running feet.
"Best stand back, dear." Arwen said, gesturing to Dúniel hurriedly. "They've been running around like rabbits all morning."
Dúniel walked over to her mother as two small children burst into the room loudly, the small boy chasing the girl, who was giggling madly.
"Meluieth! Arnion! Stop running around!" Dúniel ordered sternly.
They slowed obediently, still giggling madly. Dúniel sighed. Her daughter and Eldarion's son, barely 2 and a half, were already terror cousins in the making.
"Ada said we could run!" Meluieth said, hurrying over to her mother and grabbing her skirts.
Dúniel smiled slightly. Her daughter had her father's dark skin, but her own green eyes, which stood out like lanterns. Her smooth black hair, which had been neatly tied back, was now messy.
"I bet he did. Where is he?"
"I'm here." Arash said, holding the door open for Taenwen, who held her newborn son Tadion in her arms.
"Why are you letting them run around like mad things, husband!" Dúniel asked lightly.
Arash grinned and shrugged as he walked over to her. His leg had recovered quite well - he'd only needed a cane to assist his walking for the first year, and could keep up with his high spirited daughter fairly well, but still had a noticeable limp.
"It is part of my plan, my love." He said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "If they run around all day, we get to sleep all night." Dúniel laughed and kissed him gently.
"You are so clever."
"I know." He said with no trace of modesty. He gently stroked her belly then grinned at Miniual. "So, it is your turn! Shall I start teaching you the terrors that marriage brings! Ow!" He cried as Dúniel slapped his arm.
"She's already nervous enough as it is!" He grinned sheepishly. Miniual giggled.
"I feel a bit better now actually...Dúniel and I had a nice talk." Arash suddenly looked suspicious.
"You didn't tell her about that time-"
"Arash! Not around my family!" Dúniel cried. "Honestly, I sometimes think Arnion has more sense than you!"
Now the family that were in the room were giggling at the couple, amused over the two who were so obviously in love they were grinning as they argued.
"Where's Eldarion?" Miniual asked.
"With Elboron." Taenwen answered, adjusting her grip on Tadion so she could take Arnion's hand. "He's pacing a hole into the ground."
"See, he's just as nervous as you." Dúniel teased.
"We'll be ready for you soon dear." Arwen said, hugging Miniual tightly and kissing her forehead. "I can't believe it...another one getting married. I'm getting used to being a grandmother now, at least."
"Come on, let's go sit down." Merenwen said, bouncing around impatiently as Lothuial laughed.
"She's been as bad as them all day." Lothuial giggled, pointing to her niece and nephew, barely a year young than herself.
"Alright, everyone out!" Dúniel commanded.
Everybody hugged and kissed Miniual and slowly filtered out. Dúniel grabbed her husband by the arm as he headed for the door.
"Will you go and help Eldarion with Elboron?" she asked. Arash grinned.
"Only because you asked so nicely." He leaned forward and kissed her deeply, then left the room, Meluieth running to catch up and grabbing his hand.
Dúniel sighed as she watched him limping down the hall, laughing at their daughter chattering away. She turned, shut the door and hugged Miniual tightly once more.
"I'm glad that you get to be with a man you love." Dúniel said, smiling as she pulled away.
"Me too."
Arash smiled as his beloved daughter fell asleep in his arms. Let her sleep. The real fun wouldn't start until after the vows were spoken. He turned when he sensed Dúniel sit beside him, and smiled.
"She's so beautiful." Dúniel said, resting her head on his shoulder.
Arash wrapped his arm around her gently and kissed the top of her scar.
"Just like her mother." she giggled quietly.
"Arash?"
"Mmm?"
"I've been thinking..."
"What about?"
"Names for this one." She said, stroking her stomach lovingly. "We had to name our daughter Sindarin, because it made our people happy, but I want to name this one something Haradric. Is that alright with you?"
"Yes, of course."
"If you like, if it's a girl, we could name her for your mother." Arash looked from his wife to his daughter, part of him still unable to believe just how lucky he was, and smiled.
"Her name was Ayisha. I would like that."
"I'm glad. Ayisha sounds like a beautiful name." Dúniel kissed his cheek gently and smiled. It was so wonderful, to be so happy.
So, finally, I have accepted my scar, my loneliness is long gone. I am happy and love a wonderful man, and I'm a mother. And to think, if Mazid hadn't tried to start a war, he'd never have brought Arash to kill me, and I wouldn't have my beloved beside me.
"What are you thinking of now?" Arash asked.
"Just how happy you make me." Dúniel said quietly, and smiled as Miniual appeared, soon to become a wife as well.
THE END
/cries/ i can't believe I finished this...i shall miss writing it. id like to thank absolutely everyone who's ever read or reviewed my story. thank you for keeping me going. as for future prospects, i am considering writing another LOTR, youre typical 'girl falls into ME', just becoz ive always wanted to, and i may (but probably wont) write an avatar: the last airbender fic. dont expect anything too soon...i dont know when i will be writing next. perhaps i can finally figure out how to end my discworld story ;P anyways , thank you thank you, thank you /bows out /
Meluieth - loving female
Arnion - royal son
Tadion - second son