1477

Years of the Trees

When she woke on that bright winter morning, Eve climbed out of bed and went to the window. A large, black raven swooped down on to snow dusted ground, hopping about and leaving little footprints on the road. She felt herself tensing. To calm down, she opened the window and took a deep breath of cold air. The smell of the snow soothed her.

Eve turned when a quiet knock sounded on her door. She called for Amarië to come in. When the two maidens looked at each other, massive matching grins spread across their faces. Amarië hurried to her and they embraced.

"Are you ready?" Amarië asked quickly, releasing her friend.

Eve smiled, tears forming in her eyes. "I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life... in either lifetime."

"Good," Amarië said with a nod. "Then we better get you ready. Elenwë should be here soon."

Eve looked back out into the slowly lightening outdoors. Not a soul stirred in the streets at that moment as Laurelin began to overtake Telperion. A gentle harping did float in the background; perhaps a neighbor playing a melody. Then she turned to Amarië again. "I'm doing the right thing, right?"

The Vanyarin maiden laughed. "What happened to never more sure of anything in your entire life, Eve?"

"Not the getting married part. I love Finno. I want to marry him." She paused. "I mean asking everyone to be there."

Amarië hesitated. She sat on Eve's bed as the woman stayed by the window. Then she sent the bride to be an encouraging smile. "I think you are. Both houses are family to you now. If they can't put aside their prejudices for one day then they're worse off than I thought."

That put Eve a bit more at ease. She looked back out the window as she heard footsteps crunching on the snow. Below them stood Elenwë.

"Well, may I come in?" Elenwë teased as she stood below the window. "Or are you two going to hold a special meeting without me."

Eve laughed at her from above. "Come on up. The door is open, of course."

"Leave your boots in the entrance," Amarië shouted down to her, hurrying to the window. "I just cleaned the wood floors."

Elenwë rolled her eyes up at them just before she went inside. They could hear the woman down the stairs and soon enough she came up, joining the other two in Eve's bedroom. She leaned in the doorway, her thick grey and gold dress just brushed with now melting snow. "How's the bride feeling today?"

"Excited." Eve grinned. "Nervous. How did you go through this, Elenwë?"

The woman laughed and came further into the room, sitting next to Amarië on Eve's bed. "I had support."

Eve nodded. "Right. Yeah. Of course." She turned away and looked back out into the road. The raven was back, hopping about in the slumbering garden. Eve smiled back at them. "Well. I guess we should get ready."

Elenwë immediately stood and went to Eve's closet. She fished out a covered dress. "I must say, I do so adore the dress you chose." She uncovered it, revealing Eve's wedding dress.

The dress had been crafted mostly of white silk. But small floral lace patterns in red and gold accented it, creating a fiery garden on her bell shaped skirt. Eve's smile widened as she looked at it again. But she hesitated.

"Are you ready?" Amarië asked her with a knowing smile.

Eve took a deep breath. Was she ready? Over the past week, she had been having nightmares about her previous life, about the crash that had brought her here. All Eve could think about was how much she wished her dad and two siblings could've seen her getting married. As much as she loved the House of Fëanáro, and saw Nerdanel as a mother she'd never really had, the hole in her heart without her birth family caused an aching whenever she thought about it. Only two things helped her through it: Finno's absolute love and trust in her that she share with him, and a knowledge, a faith, that her birth family would someday know the truth.

"Yes," replied Eve a moment later. "Yes I think that I am."

She changed into the wedding dress with the help of her best friends. Once the dress was on, the knowledge that today she was getting married finally started to truly sink in. She felt her heart racing.

"Did you have an idea for your hair?" Amarië asked her as she stood staring in a mirror.

Eve shook her head. "I trust the two of you to come up with something. You've always been better at doing hair than me."

Elenwë laughed. "You aren't wrong. Though you have learned a lot."

They had Eve sit in a wooden desk chair. Her wavy, auburn hair flowed down her back nearly to her waist. Amarië took it in her hands and moved it over the chair back. She ran her fingers through Eve's hair, thinking about what to do.

"Something simple, I think," she said after a moment, turning to Elenwë.

The other Vanya agreed. "We want to preserve the waves of her natural hair."

They ended up doing a large, loose braided style as a crown over her flowing hair. Elenwë disappeared into another room while Amarië finished. When she returned, she held several pins with diamond flowers on the ends. They styled them into the hair.

When at last Eve had finished, they handed her a necklace with a hundred crystals. A gift from Nerdanel, they explained, who regretted she wasn't there to help Eve prepare. Her eyes teared up as she received the gift.

"Alright." Elenwë smiled at Eve, taking her hands. "Should we head over? The ceremony isn't long from now."

Eve nodded from where she sat in the wooden chair. It took a moment before she worked up the courage and strength to stand. It confused her; Eve knew she loved Findekáno enough to marry him so why did she feel nervous? Elenwe seemed to sense it.

"Eve, I felt nervous too, and I'd know Turvo since we were young." She smiled at Eve. "You and Finno, you're meant for each other. Remember when you first arrived in Valinor, how frightened you were? How confused? You wanted to know your purpose?"

Eve nodded quietly.

"Maybe that purpose was to marry Finno? To become part of this family, and heal it?" Elenwë shook her head with a small smile. "I do not claim to understand the ways of Ilúvatar. But nothing has been so clear as this: you and Finno are meant for each other. You complete each other, just as Turvo and I do. I do not think it was an accident that you arrived here and met him."

Amarië placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Elenwë is right. I've never told you this before Eve. I've told Elenwë. But I do not marry Findo because I can sense something is wrong there. Hardship I would have to endure if I did so. But when I look at you and Finno, I just see goodness, despite the troubles the house of Finwë is enduring."

Eve smiled, tears forming in her grey eyes. With a nod, she took a deep breath and gestured to the door. "We should go then."

Elenwë opened the door for her and Amarië followed them out. The walk from their house to the palace at Tirion didn't take long. They all enjoyed the stroll. Laurelin's golden light sparkled off the dusting around them like crystal prisms. They could hear people mingling as they got closer. It both warmed her heart and caused her to feel sad as she looked at the people gathered in the wintery garden.

Most of her brothers stood by themselves. Curvo and Nixiel chatted with Tyelko and their father. Moryo stood by himself behind Nelyo, Kano, Elemmírë, and Nerdanel while Telvo and Pityo chatted together. Some ways away Turvo, Aro, Marillië, and Irisse chatted together with Findo. Anaire and Nolofinwë spoke together with Finno.

Finwë and Indis spotted the three women first and smiled wide. Nelyo noticed the change immediately and followed his gaze until he saw Eve. His smile widened. He nudged Kano who in turn told Nerdanel and Elemmírë to turn and look. Nerdanel's eyes shined with unbidden tears at the sight of Eve.

Finwë cleared his throat. "Lords and ladies, it is my great pleasure to announce that today we gather to witness the joining of Lady Eve Elmendë and Prince Findekáno." He smiled at them as both came forward.

Eve looked at Finno. As she told him often, he cleaned up well. He wore a multi-layered tunic of blue, black, and gold. Upon his head sat a circlet of silver. When their eyes met, neither could look away. Eve felt herself trembling again. She reminded herself of what Elenwë and Amarië had told her.

Finwë continued as everyone quieted down and gathered near them. "As is customary, now that your betrothal has ended and a new era in your lives begins, you may return your rings."

Eve took hers off carefully first. She handed it to Finno. She nearly jumped when he touched her and both tried to stifle their laughter. When he returned his, she smirked at him. Watching Finno try to stop himself from laughing was all she needed to see to break her nervousness. Once that ended, Nolofinwë and Nerdanel stepped beside their respective charges.

Finwë smiled at his second son. "Lord Nolofinwë."

He stepped over to Eve, sending her a small smile. He took from a small bag a pin. It glittered in the light of Laurelin. Eve saw it was a snowflake shape of crystals, some red and some blue.

He leaned close to her and whispered. "This is Aicalossë. May it remind you of winter always, which seems to be your favorite time of year. And may the red and blue symbolize a joining of two house who have been at odds."

Eve smiled back at him. She said nothing, her heart in her throat already. As Nolofinwë stepped away, Nerdanel stepped past Eve and to Finno. The bridge didn't hear what was said, but based on Finno's small smile and stifled laughter, she guessed it had been just as warm as Nerdanel's words always were. When she moved away, Eve saw a sculpted flower pin on his chest.

"Findekáno, do you promise to keep Eve in your protection with everlasting love?"

Finno paused, trying to keep from smiling to wide. "By the grace of Ilúvatar it shall be done." He slipped a simple golden ring onto her right index finger.

"Eve Elmendë, do you promise to keep Findekano in your protection with everlasting love?"

Her heart raced. She gripped the metal golden band with her right hand and smiled. She restrained a small laugh that came out of nowhere. "By the grace of Ilúvatar it shall be done." She took Finno's hand and put the ring on his finger.

Finwë smiled and gestured to the couple. "May Ilúvatar bring you prosperity and peace."

Finno and Eve kissed immediately. She melted into his arms, so finally sure that everything would turn out alright. As long as she and Findekáno had each other, the threat of lies and rumors didn't stand a chance. Thoughts of her family faded from her mind and she felt true peace.

When they broke apart, She turned to see Nelyo smiling. She laughed involuntarily, both out of surprise and relief. She hadn't seen her eldest brother smile in a very long time. The others seemed happy as well, though each side of the family clearly felt content to be with their own kin.

Eve hurried over to Nelyo and Káno. She threw her arms around both of them in a hug, tears on her face from excitement, not sadness. Nelyo rested his chin on her head and laughed. "Well I'll be. You two finally married."

"Point to team Nelyo," she joked. "That means, good job predicting it."

Finno wandered over from where he'd been speaking to his brothers and sister. He hesitated. Nelyo made eye contact and they both paused. But finally the redhead walked forward past Eve and grabbed Finno in a hug.

Eve didn't hear what was whispered between them; she didn't want to intrude. But both had tears in their eyes when they broke apart. Finno then took Káno's hand in congratulations. The master musician didn't say anything, he merely nodded, letting his approving smile say it all.

A shout from behind them drew their attention away. Elenwë gestured for the couple to come their way. Eve smiled at her two oldest brothers again and then followed Finno to the other family. Elenwë immediately embraced her.

"You're stuck with us now," she teased Eve. "We're sister now, you know."

Eve grinned. "The thought had crossed my mind." She then turned to Turvo and gave him a big hug. "I'm your sister too now. You're stuck with me."

Turvo chuckled and shook his head. "Not a bad thing."

Aro and Iri both congratulated her next, and Anairë, Nolofinwë, Findo, and Amarië. When they had exchanged pleasantries, Eve hurried back over to her other siblings. She grabbed Tyelko first, causing him to jump in surprise. But then he shook his head with a smile.

"Do not jump people," he muttered to her as she hugged him.

"Oh be quiet."

Tyelko chuckled and shook his head. When she released him, Moryo came up. He nodded at her and offered her a hand. She ignored it, grabbing him in a hug as well.

"If Finno does not treat you well-"

"Moryo," groaned Eve with a laugh. "He's fantastic."

"I'm just reminding you that we expect the best from him."

She nodded. "I'll be sure to let you know."

Curvo and Nixiel congratulated her next. Eve found it odd that she didn't notice Fëanáro anywhere after congratulations from Telvo and Pityo as well. But she found Nerdanel immediately.

When they embraced, they both started tearing up. Nerdanel told her how proud she was, and how excited she had been when they had intended to marry, officially. They stayed embracing for a long time before Nerdanel backed away.

"Where's Lord Fëanáro?" Eve asked in confusion.

Nerdanel's gaze hardened. "He is sulking." She gestured to where the elf stood drinking wine with his father, alone by the food tables.

"Oh."

The woman shook her head. "Fëanáro would rather spend his time in the forge, away from his family. Frankly I'm surprised he even showed up."

Eve nodded. "Perhaps someday he will accept our marriage."

"Perhaps," Nerdanel agreed. "If he does not, we will have problems."

This caused Eve to laugh. She nodded at Nerdanel. Lowering her voice, she spoke again. "I'm trying to heal this family. I could use all the help I can get."

Nerdanel took her hand. "Eve. I cannot do much when neither family wants to listen to me. My sons care, but I fear my husband no longer listens to me. He has become too preoccupied with worrying about rumors and his own hurts." After a pause she smiled. "But you. You have managed to maintain friendships with all three houses. If anyone can heal this great house, it is you."

She straightened up at Nerdanel's words. "I'm certainly going to try."

"That's all any of us can do." Nerdanel looked over Eve's shoulder and caught sight of Finno. "Your husband is coming."

Eve nearly laughed at the strangeness of the word husband. "Well, I'd best see what he wants."

She spun around and faced Finno just as he went to surprise her, causing him to jump instead. "Hello Finno." She laughed at his expression. "What did you want?"

"What I want is to be with my wife," said Finno with a wink, "and to tell her that I convinced my youngest brother to let us have the house for the night."

A smirk formed on her face. "How very polite of Aro."

"I thought so to." He turned to Nerdanel and bowed. "May I take her off your hands?"

Nerdanel laughed. "Of course, Finno."

The couple snuck out of the festivities as soon as it was clear that neither house was going to associate with the other. Wandering down the road, Finno pulled her into a small garden with a fountain once they were a ways away.

"I have something for you," he told her with a smile. When she nodded, he pulled a bag from behind his cloak and undid the tie. "I had this made. You never really wore one when you were a member of Fëanáro's house, but now that you are officially royalty, you need one."

She took what he offered, marveling at it. In her hands was a circlet of silver, crafted perfectly for her head and with a blue sapphire gem in the center. "It's beautiful."

"Put it on, Elmendë, lady of the house of Finwë."

She grinned and did so carefully. It fit without an issues, and she couldn't stop smiling. Together they continued on to Finno's house, leaving their troubles behind. Together they would embark on a new life, together, officially one. And both rejoiced.

Author's Note:

I'm just gonna leave this here.

You're welcome.

And now it all goes down hill.