Hello beloved Seedlings!
Because I'm being a snail about releasing the next chapter, I thought now might be a good time to do something fun...such as a panel-style interview with the characters of SotWT!
This Q&A will remain open indefinitely, so if you have a question that you'd like to ask our beloved Middle-Earthians, feel free to comment on this chapter with it. Who knows? One or more characters might just might answer. 😉

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v3Olympus asks; "Túrien, why Sufyan? And Eruthiawen? Who will it be (Elboron or Prince Hakon)?"

Eruthiawen: "A lady never reveals her secrets. Túrien, I believe half of this question is for you?"

Almárëa: "Yes Túrien, why Sufyan!?"

Túrien: *rolls eyes* "So like you to be evasive, Eruthia. Why did I marry Sufyan, the son of a Haradrim ramyah, when any number of Gondorian lords and ladies would have  leapt at the chance to betroth me to their sons? Well, to be honest, in the end it all came down to his strapping eastern looks."

Sufyan: *laughing* "Was that all, hezkirî?"

Túrien: "Hmm...perhaps not. Your upbringing in a largely matriarchal society, your easy way with the Mûmakil, and your charming sense of humour may have all helped to play a part too. Just a small part though."

Sufyan: "I love you too, hezkirî."

Eldarion: "You two and your love-talk are thoroughly revolting. Honestly."

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16hawk asks: "Túrien, what's your favourite part of life in Harad?"

Éowyn: "Now this I want to hear, since I've not yet had the chance to visit Harad. Soon though, I hope!"

Elphir: "It's hot, dry, and full of spicy food. Does that sate your curiosity for now, Lady Éowyn?"

Éowyn: "Not nearly, but thank you for that...succinct description, Lord Elphir."

Túrien: *exaggerated throat clearing* "A-hem? Right then, this is a difficult question! Some parts of moving to Harmindon have been wonderful, such as learning the tribal politics from Sawda, getting to know more of the city, and eating the spicy food." *raises eyebrow at Elphir* Some things have also been difficult though, such as being so far away from my family. I particularly miss Almárëa coming to whisper with me under the covers at night..."

Arwen: "We miss you too, iel-nin, dearly so. I know that Sawda, Na-Man, and Sufyan have been doing everything in their power to make you feel welcome. We are always ever only a raven's flight away though."

Sawda: *nods to Arwen* "Your daughter is my daughter, Queen of the White City. She does have quite the talent for finding excitement I've noticed."

Aragorn: *long-suffering sigh* "That she most certainly does..."

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v3Olympus asks: "Aragorn, who are your suspects?"

Aragorn: "I presume by this question, you mean whom do I suspect was responsible for the desecration of Gandalf's statue in the Sages' Tier? That I do not know...yet. My hope is that it was bored miscreants with a poor understanding of the meaning behind that symbol, and nothing more. Somehow though my heart whispers that it is not so simple."

Eldarion: *has not told his father about Rhoss yet* ...................

Faramir: "We could look into securing the publicly available records pertaining to Sauron and his symbology? If it was miscreants, undoubtedly they took inspiration from the drawings in the archives."

Aragorn: "No, best the records of the War remain open. The day we forget the past is the day when history risks repeating itself."

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v3Olympus asks: "Sufyan, do you think Túrien will be accepted? How far are you willing to go for her?"

Elfwine: "Everyone keeps asking after Túrien...why is there no interest in me???" *whines only half-jokingly*

Gimli: *snorts* "Mind yer head there laddie, it's been big enough since the lassies started calling ye 'Elfwine the Fair'!"

Elboron: *snickering*

Sufyan: "My faith is certain that Túrien will one day be as beloved and respected a ramyah for Harmindon as my mother is now. It will take time, yes; there are many in Harad who still see the West as our enemies. Túrien is fearless though, and not even the fiercest disapproval daunts her. Just the other week I watched her convince a gruff old warlord to teach her how to play ifranjiah. By the end of the night she was still losing, but it was still a victory because Ikrâm was laughing."

Túrien: "I was not losing! I was letting him win..."

Sufyan: *smiles sideways* I will believe that when you learn to beat me. As to how far I'm willing to go for her, if King Aragorn had not consented to let Túrien return to Harmindon with my father and I, then I would have remained in the White City. It would have meant leaving my parents without an heir, but my mind was made up. So long as Túrien wanted me, then I would be hers no matter where."

Almárëa: "Pssssst Sufyan! I think they wanted to know if you'd do something grand and romantic like die for Túrien!"

Túrien: "Almárëa!! If he goes and does a foolish thing like that, then he had best be sure he dies properly...because I will most definitely kill him otherwise."

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yavanna_kementari asks; "I just wanted to ask Her Grace the Queen Arwen, that when she was growing up in Rivendell, had she ever imagined the life she has now?"

Arwen: "A very thoughtful question, thank you for asking! The answer is no, not when I was a young elleth in Rivendell. I grew up on stories of Valinor, and especially after we lost my mother, I dreamed of the day when we would reunite on the shores of the Blessed Realm. All that changed however when I met Estel in Lothloríen..."

Almárëa: "Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you had chosen differently, Naneth?"

Arwen: *smiles* "Only once in a distant while, iel-nin. If I had sailed though, your father and I wouldn't have the four of you to love, now would we? And that has been worth all the bliss of a thousand lifetimes."

Aragorn: *wraps Arwen and Almárëa each in an arm* "On that I agree wholeheartedly. You and your sisters and brother are exactly what we dreamed of when we were fighting the shadow."

Arwen: "I suppose then I will have to amend my answer! Because yes, you are perfectly right, Aragorn. Although we couldn't know what the future would bring in such uncertain times, we had a very clear vision of what we hoped for, you and I. Thank the Valar, all that we hoped for came true."

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v3Olympus  asks; "I want to ask Legolas what he thinks of the 'little ones'?

Eldarion: *leans forward on his elbows* Now this ought to be good...what exactly do you think of us, Legolas?"

Túrien: "Yes, do tell?"

Almárëa: "Aw, you needn't even ask! Legolas loves us!" *whispers* "You do love us, don't you?"

Legolas: *laughing* "But of course I do, my dear not-so little ones. You have taken me in and made me part of your family, and so as far as I am concerned you are kin after my own heart."

Eruthiawen: "And what about the other children present, namely Elboron and Elfwine?"

Elfwine: *yelps, then grins* And just who are you calling a child, Princess?"

Legolas: "You are all children in my eyes, Éomerion, and will still be so even when you are old and grey." *speaks over Elfwine and Almárëa's laughter* "As for you and Elboron, Gimli and I would cheerfully do just as much for either of you as any of Arwen and Aragorn's children. That being said, Elboron, your people and mine are essentially neighbors, so I do see a great deal more of you. If fact, I can recall you wandering the woods of Ithilien as a child, trying no doubt to find where our colony had settled."

Elboron: "'Looking for Elves' was always a favourite game of mine. Did I ever get close?"

Legolas: *chuckles* "Close enough that my people began having to keep an eye out, lest they come across you in your wandering."

Éowyn: *grumbles* "Aye, and you kept your father and I out half the night on more than one occasion, calling your name and fearing you'd been eaten by wolves!"

Legolas: "Rest assured, I would never have allowed anything of the sort to happen to him. I will never, in fact, let any harm befall any of these merry young folk. As Arwen and Aragorn said, they were what we were fighting for when the War of the Ring reached its darkest hour."

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v3Olympus asks; "Aragorn, if you could go back in time, would you still pursue Arwen knowing what you are doing?"

Aragorn: "Yes, without a moment's hesitation. I had what you might call my crisis of faith and conscience when I attempted to return the Evenstar to Arwen, all those years ago. Here is the truth of the matter though...this was Arwen's choice. I, in my fear and doubt, tried to take that decision from her by claiming our love was nothing more than a dream. Thankfully, Arwen knew both my heart and her own well enough to believe that there was still a future for us. And in the end, she was right." *looks to his and Arwen's children where they are gathered all around*

Elladan: "I think I may speak on behalf of the house of Elrond when I say that there is no burden of guilt laid upon Estel's shoulder for the fate of Arwen Undómiel. We can hardly begrudge her choice of love over the fate of the Eldar; to remain bound to this world forevermore."

Elrohir: "Agreed. And besides, if Estel were to reverse his decision, Middle-Earth would be all the poorer for not having the likes of Eldarion, Eruthiawen, Túrien, and Almárëa in it. Our time is over, and they are the rightful heirs of a new age."

Arwen: *leans in to kiss Aragorn's brow* "You are endearingly naive indeed to think that you could have even hid your feelings from me, should you have chosen to do so. Your love was and is as plain to see as a summer sunrise, meleth-nin."

Aragorn: *smiles contentedly*

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