Hello, dearest Seedlings!

I know, I know; you're probably wondering WHERE IS THE LAST CHAPTER ALREADY??? Well, the thing is, the release of the last chapter is currently dependent on the completion timeline of our super-secret-extra-special-surprise that is meant to be posted alongside it. It shouldn't be long now, I'm just waiting for delivery of a final update on the surprise. 

While we wait though (and I so appreciate your patience!) I thought it might be nice to have one last Q&A before the end of our story. The cast was kind enough to agree, and so they are all available one last time to take your questions! 

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 here with it. 

OoOoO

yavanna_kementari asks: 'The Three E's, but anyone who wants to answer really: Who's looking forward to TWO royal weddings within the space of a year??'

Elboron: *sitting to one side, looking absolutely smug since he's the only one of the Three Es who's already married* 

Eldarion: ..."What? Oh come now Elboron, surely you don't expect Elfwine or I to be the sort of bridegrooms to develop cold feet?!"

Elboron: "I'm just thinking back, recalling a certain someone who threatened to duel me if I came down with such a condition before I married his sister." *gives Eldarion a meaningful look*

Eldarion: "Ai! The House of Stewards have memories like Oliphants! If there is anyone I'd be keeping a close eye on right now though, it's Elfwine. How about it, Elfwine? Has Almárëa managed to scare you off your engagement yet?" 

Elfwine: *Harrumphing* "After knowing each other nearly our entire lives, I very highly doubt Almárëa could do anything to 'scare me off', as you put it. Why? Spoiling for a duel, princeling?" 

Eldarion: "No, just wondering why it is that Almárëa has only been to Edoras once since the two of you announced your engagement." 

Túrien: *Leaning in from the other room, a wicked gleam in her eye* "It's for Elfwine's protection, poor boy. You see, given half the chance, Almárëa is sure to attempt to rob her intended of his virtue long before their wedding!" 

Elboron: *Nearly suffocating from half-hidden laughter*

Eldarion: "...." 

Elfwine: "You know Almárëa...she has a way of always getting what she wants in the end."

Eldarion: "This is my youngest sister we are speaking of, can we please change the subject??"

oOo

Narsil_Anduril asks: 'Hello! My question for Elfwine; how do you imagine your future after you decided to marry Aragorn's youngest daughter? Like, how many children do you want to have?'

Elfwine: "Well, I'd be lying if I said that, when considering the future, Dagmar's curse never intrudes upon my mind... As the only heir of my house, ending my days childless would not only be a great sorrow to me, but would essentially spell the end of the House of Eorl." 

Almárëa: *Nudging Elfwine's arm* "When I told you that I suspected there might be a grain of truth to Dagmar's words, I was not referring to the part about children. Rather, I meant when she said "May no maiden you meet henceforth look upon you with favor". That part, at least, seems to have been correct.' 

Elfwine: *Not quite getting it* 'Erm...how so? Seeing as we are now engaged, I daresay you at least have cast some measure of favor upon me...?'

Almárëa: 'Yes, but I have known you long before Dagmar ever pronounced her curse. "No maiden you meet henceforth" could hardly apply to me!' *Winking* 

Elfwine: 'Ah! But of course! But what of our future plans for a family? What are your thoughts there, dear heart?' 

Almárëa: 'You may the only heir of the House of Eorl now, Elfwine...but it will be both my pleasure and my ambition to correct that. In short, I want as many children as can be managed. Just think of it! All we need to catch up to Túrien and Sufyan is one set of twins. Then there's also the fact that we must do our part when it comes to providing abundant cousins for Barahir to grow up with. Regardless, I would most certainly like to have at least two of each when it comes to daughters and sons.' 

Elfwine: *Beaming from ear-to-ear* 

oOo

v3Olympus asks: 'For Elladan and Elrohir; Well, given you both sailed, I suppose that still means I can ask you a question. Given that your nephews and nieces got married not too long after you left, do you ever wish you could have stayed a little longer to watch those days, or perhaps help Eldarion and Almarea through their darker days?'

*A letter arrives on the leg of a bird, sent all the way across the sea from the Undying Lands* 

Elladan: 'I had a bad feeling that the young folk would go are start having adventures and getting into trouble the moment we left them. The problem is this though; when would it ever have been a good time for us to say goodbye? After the last wedding? The first grandchild? The first funeral...? The nature of mortal life is that it is a never-ending stream of comings and goings, endings and beginnings.' 

Elrohir: 'It's true, if unfortunate. When it comes to helping to safeguard the children through the trials and dangers of their lifetime, of course Elladan and I would have wanted to be there at their sides. The House of Telcontar has many friends though, among which we are numbered as neither the most heroic, nor the most needed. Our time in Middle-Earth had passed, and for better or worse, it was time for us to step back and let others take our place.' 

Elladan: 'Besides, the children would hardly have wanted us at their weddings. We would have outshone everyone there with our otherwordly beauty, grace, and charm, and it just would have ended up being awkward for everyone!' 

Elrohir: 'So true! No one wants the great-uncles of the bride (or bridegroom) attracting more admiration than the bridal party!' 

oOo

yavanna_kementari asks; 'To Túrien: does Myriam remind you of yourself at that age? ;)'

Túrien: 'Yes...and no.' *Currently trying to convince Myriam to put her shoes on before running outside* 'You see-'

Myriam: 'No! No shoes!'

Túrien: 'Yes shoes, I don't want to have to bathe you again today! You see, dear reader, as much as people compare Myriam to me because she's such a spirited child, she is absolutely her father's daughter. I was mischievous and wild, yes, but I also tended not to like strangers until I got a little older. Myriam on the other hand is utterly friendly. Just like Sufyan, she will walk right up to anyone and try to make friends. It's a bit of a problem, actually.' 

Sufyan: *Leaning in from the other room with baby Arthas in his arms* 'What is a problem, hezkirî?'

Myriam: 'Shoes!'

Túrien: *Sneaking a sandal onto one of Myriam's feet while she's distracted by Sufyan* 'Shoes are indeed a problem right now, but also the way she will approach anyone, even complete strangers on the street. I worry sometimes if she is too trusting...' 

Sufyan: 'Think of it this way; would anyone dare to harm Myriam, knowing who her mother is?' *Looks meaningfully at Hadhafang, hanging in its sheath upon the wall*

 Túrien: 'Point taken. I still think we need to teach her a little more caution...after we teach her that shoes are for wearing, not throwing!'

oOo

Narsil_Anduril asks; 'For Aragorn: Do you think that after all you went through, it will be better now?'

Aragorn: 'I most sincerely hope so, my friend. I most sincerely hope so. To be honest, I had hoped - after all the hardship and sacrifices of the War of the Ring - that our children would never know such danger. Every generation must know its struggles though, and I pray that Eldarion, Eruthiawen, Túrien, and Almárëa have all now faced their life's trials, and can look forward to a lifetime of peace and happiness well-earned. Only a fool could pretend that the road will be perfectly straight and smooth from here on out though. No doubt, there will be more dark and moonless nights in their lives. Arwen and I have passed on to our children as much as we could of strength, wisdom, and resilience; now the future will be up to them and the people whom they have chosen to walk beside them.'

oOo

v3Olympus asks; 'For Aragorn: Did you ever place bets on who would end up with who?'

Aragorn: *Leveling a meaningful look at Arwen* 'Perhaps you would like to take this question, meleth-nin?'

Arwen: 'I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, Aragorn.' *smiling serenely* 'Did we ever wager on our children's romantic futures? Only in the most playful, un-intrusive sense. Once we began to notice attractions emerging, we may have indulged ourselves in guessing how long a courtship might stretch, who might eventually propose to whom, and so on. Never though did we tell the children of our musings, nor did we ever seek to influence their choices. Wouldn't you agree, ladies?' 

Éowyn: 'Oh, I don't know about that! Wouldn't you say it's stretching the truth a little to claim that you, Aragon, Lothíriel and Éomer never tried to encourage Elfwine and Túrien to spend time together as children?' 

Lothíriel: *Indignantly* 'I did no such thing! It was entirely Éomer's idea that Elfwine should make a gift of that filly, Goldwine, to Túrien after she and Almárëa went joy-riding on her.' 

Arwen: 'Ah, come now mellon-nin! Now that Elfwine and Túrien are grown, I think it's safe enough to admit that we did at one time imagine a rather rosy picture of the two of them together. They are both certainly spirited and headstrong enough, no?' 

Éowyn: 'Perhaps best that things worked out the way they did then. Somehow I don't imagine that the Golden Hall would have been ready for such chaos as a union between those two would have produced.'

Lothíriel: *Considering the notion, then shuddering* 'Agreed. I for one think Almárëa has had a wonderfully maturing effect upon Elfwine. He and Túrien would egged each other on in their impulsiveness.' 

Arwen: *Laughing* 'Agreed! All turned out as it was meant to, and ultimately what a delight that has been to us all!' 

oOo

yavanna_kementari asks; 'To Malbeth: I've asked this before but seriously, ARE you single?? Asking for a friend *coughJeddahcough*'

Ohtar: 'Oho! The question we have all been waiting for! Go on Malbeth, tell the ladies; ARE you available?' 

Malbeth: *Laughs and gives Ohtar an elbow, even as a hint of a blush tinges his neck and ears* 'You know very well that I am unmarried, Ohtar, and yet for some reason you continue to insist upon making a dramatic reveal of it! Yes, dear reader, I am indeed single, unattached, a bachelor, and however else you would like to describe it.' 

Eldarion: 'Now that you think about it Malbeth - if you were in the future to marry - the lucky lady in question would not only become your wife, but also the future Lady of Erynos.' 

Malbeth: 'You know, Captain, I actually hadn't thought about that? I suppose it's true...but as I said at the Harvest Feast, I have no plans to leave Minas Tirith just yet. My life is here, and I am ever and always your loyal servant.' 

Eldarion: 'My friend, Malbeth. You are ever and always my friend.' 

Malbeth:  'My lord.'*Dipping into a bow to hide how close he is to tearing up at that pronouncement* 

oOo

v3Olympus asks; 'For Legolas and Gimli: "Well, little Almarea is getting married... your thoughts?'

Gimli: *Sitting with his back turned, faking a cough to cover the fact that he is in fact weeping into his beard* 

Legolas: 'Ai...it's the bittersweet end of an era for the House of Telcontar. Almárëa was the last of Aragorn and Arwen's children, and with her marriage their days of parenthood will be over. I fear it is yet another sign of the waning of days remaining to the Elessar and the Evenstar...' 

Gimli: *In a choked voice* 'Our wee lass, all grown and about to be a queen in her own right...and only yesterday it seems she was begging to put braids in my beard! My only comfort is that, as Queen of Rohan, she'll be closer to me that her brothers and sisters...even as the years pass and that little girl has children of her own..' 

Legolas: *Reaching over to pat Gimli's shoulder comfortingly* 'It is the natural way of things, my friend. At least you will always have me to put braids in your beard, no? I can hardly grow older than I already am, in your eyes.' 

Gimli: 'Pah! You'll always be a pointy-eared elvish princeling, and a constant thorn in my side!' *Trying and failing not to sniffle aloud* 

Legolas: 'Always, mellon-nin. Always.' 

oOo

yavanna_kementari asks; 'Also, for our dearest darling Almárëa: did you know about you and Elfwine before? I mean, did you see it?'

Elfwine: "The first rule of talking about Almárëa's foresight is: we do not talk about Almárëa's foresight." 

Almárëa: "Precisely. But since we're breaking the fourth wall anyways, the answer is yes...and no. The problem with foresight is that it's a little bit like Galadriel's mirror."

Elfwine: *In a surprisingly accurate Galadriel-impression* "Things that were...things that are...and some things that have not yet come to pass." 

Almárëa: "What Elfwine is trying to say is that the things that I see are only glimpses of various possible futures. Just like my grandfather Elrond saw a possible future for Naneth in which she married Adar and had children, I saw myself, standing upon the parapets of the Golden Hall with a crown upon my head and Elfwine at my side. Just because I saw it though did not mean it was a foregone conclusion. Any number of things might have occurred to change or prevent the course of that particular future. For example, I might have decided that Elfwine just isn't my type!" 

Elfwine: "Oi! OR what if I had decided to court a different woman?? They don't call me 'Elfwine the Fair' for nothing, I'm sure I could have found someone if I had tried!" 

Almárëa: "Oh please. You've been following me around ever since Eruthiawen and Elboron's wedding. Face it, Éotan, I'm the only woman for you." 

Elfwine: "Just as I'm the only man for you?" *Raising an eyebrow* 

Almárëa: "Heh...fair enough."  

oOo

EruthiawenTelcontar asks: 'I would like to ask Aragorn-aran and Arwen-rían, Lady Éowyn and Steward Faramir, King Éomer and Queen Lothíriel, Chieftain Na'man and Ramyah Sawda, what the names of their children mean and why did they choose them?'

Arwen: "Oh, I do love this question! For some background, first, I think it is only fair to confess that Aragorn and I had something of a standing agreement regarding names before ever I first conceived." 

Aragorn: *Chuckles* "Indeed, and it appears you got the better end of that particular agreement! Our pledge was that I would be permitted to name any sons, while Arwen would have free reign over the names of our daughters." 

Arwen: "I fared even better than you might have guessed, meleth-nin, for 'Eldarion' is the name I would have chosen for our firstborn son regardless! But as for the explanations of each, all four of our children have been named in the Sindarin tongue, which Aragorn and I are both most comfortable speaking when in private. 

First of all, 'Eldarion' means 'Son of the Elves', an obvious nod to his parentage on my side-"

Aragorn: *Ahem*

Arwen: "My love, however much I might wish to humour you regarding our shared heritage, your most recent elvish ancestry is sixty-two generations removed!" *Laughing*  "Moving on, the name 'Eruthiawen' comes from the root name of Eru Ilúvatar, the Great Creator. The full translation is, essentially, 'Handmaiden of Eru'. Then there is Túrien, our fiercesome 'Daughter of Victory'. Little did we know how fitting that particular name would turn out to be! And then, last but certainly not least, 'Almárëa', which means 'Blessed'. But we are not the only ones to whom this question is addressed! Faramir, why don't you explain what your son's name means?"

Faramir: "I cannot take full credit for the naming of Elboron, Your Grace. It was actually my uncle Imrahil of all people who suggested the name, which means 'Enduring Star' in the Sindarin tongue. He was one of the first to meet Elboron after his birth, and he commented that there was still a star lingering in the sky outside Éowyn's window even though the sun had already risen." 

Lothíriel: "My father always was something of an astronomer at heart. As for how Éomer and I chose Elfwine's name, there is actually a dual meaning behind it. In Rohirric, 'Elfwine' means 'Elf-friend', which Éomer suggested as a playful nod to his own previous mistrust of elven folk. For those few who still speak the language of the Noldor though, they would recognize 'Elfwine' as also being a modern translation of the name 'Elendil'." 

Legolas: "At least, I sincerely hope it is. When you asked me to help you translate from Quenya, I had to dust off some immensely old memories of my childhood tutoring..."  

Lothíriel: "Well, considering how rare Quenya is nowadays, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to correct us anyways. As far as our family is concerned, Elendil is Elfwine's namesake." 

Arwen: "Which leaves it to you, Sawda and Na'Man, to explain to us the meaning behind our dear Sufyan's name."

Na'Man: "Oh, not I! The naming of children is solely the right of the mother who bears them, and so I leave it to Sawda to explain her reasoning."

Sawda: *Raising her eyebrows at Na'Man* "The final say may have been mine, but I seem to recall a certain new father innocently leaving lists of suggestions lying about all over the place in the days following Sufyan's birth. By our traditions, children are not named until they are fifteen days old...life in the desert can be harsh for newborns. I chose the name 'Sufyan' because it means 'Bright', or 'Glowing', and nothing could have been a brighter light in Na'Man and I's lives following the War of the Ring than the birth of our first and only child."

oOo

EsotericBookworm asks; "Eldarion, how is it to live in a household full of girls? Do you ever wish you had a brother?"

(I have answered your questions here, in the Q&A Part 3, so that I may refer to all elements of the SotWT plot without dropping spoilers ^_^ )

Eldarion: "No, not at all! It just so happens that I already have two brothers...actually three now, counting Sufyan. Elboron grew up barely a day's ride away in Ithilien, and Elfwine and his family made the trip to Minas Tirith almost as frequently as we visited Edoras. Even beyond them, I have never wanted for male company throughout my youth. There are dozens upon dozens of squires, pages, stable hands, and kitchen boys to be found within the upper circles of Minas Tirith, most of whom were always happy enough to spare me a moment of their time. If anything, I don't think it would have been a bad thing for me to have spent more time socializing with girls my age!" 

Túrien: "Perhaps if you had, it wouldn't have taken you an elf's age to figure out how to speak your heart to Galieth, gwador-nin!"

Eruthiawen: "Túrien, no need to tease Eldarion...more than we already have. He and Galieth came together in their own time, as they were always meant to."

Galieth: "Thank you, La-...Eruthiawen. To my mind, there was nothing wrong with Eldarion's timing in the early days of our courtship. It was I who was the hasty one..."

Almárëa: "Only out of necessity! Just think, Galieth; if you hadn't been the first to address the matter, Eldarion might never have come to his senses and realized that love was standing right in front of him!"

Eldarion: "......."

Elboron and Elfwine: *steathily creeping in and rescuing Eldarion from the rapidly developing conference regarding his personal life*

oOo

EsotericBookworm asks; "Eruthiawen, you can't tell me your siblings are perfect (no siblings are ever perfect!) What's the most annoying thing your siblings have done?"

Eruthiawen: "Well...I suppose it will come as no surprise for you to hear that it was Túrien whom I was most likely to come into conflict with as a child." 

Túrien: *Under her breath* "'As a child??'"

Eruthiawen: "Ahem. Yes, as I was saying...our two personalities are perhaps the most different, out of the four of us Telcontar siblings. It is not that we ever did not care for one another, far from it! I do, however, remember an incident involving Prince Hakon and the feast following The Harvest Tournament." 

Túrien: "Oh yes, that incident."

Eruthiawen: "Considering that you and Sufyan were already well on your way absconding off to Harad together, one would think you might have been at least somewhat sympathetic to my predicament involving the prince of Dale!" 

Túrien: "The difference being that Sufyan and I knew almost as soon as we met that we wanted each other. Can you blame me for trying to introduce a little momentum to the situation between you and Hakon?"

Eruthiawen: "Thankfully for you, Naneth was there to intervene." 

Hakon: "I thought it was rather odd when you were so insistent that I should sit in that particular seat, Princess Túrien. Little did I know that you were intending to go so far as to actually trip your sister...onto my unsuspecting lap no less!"

Elboron: "I can laugh about it now, Prince Hakon, seeing as you have Lady Ragna and I have my She-Wolf of the Vale. I think though, at that point in our young lives, watching Eruthia slip backwards to land all but on top of you would have likely sent me into a sulk for days on end!"

Eruthiawen: *With a steely glint in her eye* "As I said, Túrien is very fortunate that our mother was there to steady me."

oOo

EsotericBookworm asks The GreenScholar; "How does it feel to enjoy so much popularity here on Wattpad?"

GST: I'm both flattered and a wee bit taken aback by this question! ^_^* Everything is always relative; there are so many excellent Wattpad authors who have both more and less reads than I do! It's taken me 4 years of being on Wattpad to get to this point, and to be completely honest I often don't pay attention to the read-counts on my stories. The thing that does get my attention though is comments, because I make a point of trying to respond to each and every one of them. Some days that can actually get to be a bit of a herculean undertaking; I remember one day in particular because, between two of my followers, my inbox had no less than 230 new comments in under 24 hours! My first reaction was delight...the second was blind panic (lol). No matter what, however, I still feel the same thrill of excitement every time someone comments on one of my stories. :-)

Ultimately, I write for the same reasons today that I did when I first joined Wattpad; because there are stories inside of me that want to be told. My LOTR 'Tales Untold' trilogy, 'The Book of Terrus', even my one-shots, they all have a life and spark of their own. I think of myself as just an instrument...a scribe, telling stories as they unfold in my imagination, so that other people can go on these journeys and meet these characters with me.

When it comes to the numbers on my profile, I suppose my overall take on the matter is "The more, the merrier!"

oOo

EsotericBookworm asks The GreenScholar; "Any speculations about the Secret Surprise?"

GST: Yes...and all of them have me shaking in my boots! I get the feeling that terrible things are going to happen to Eruthiawen, Elboron, and Eldarion in particular. >_< My guess is that neither Eruthiawen nor Eldarion are going to survive The Easterlings' plot. 

Perhaps Eldarion will be stabbed by the Morgul blade, and have his body possessed by the spirit of Morgoth? 

Perhaps Eruthiawen won't make it through childbirth...possibly taking an unborn Barahir along with her? 

I also have wonders and worries about Sufyan and Aragorn. Obviously, if Eldarion 'dies' and is possessed by Morgoth, Aragorn is gonna be first on the Dark Lord's hitlist. As far as Sufyan goes, it would have been all too easy for him to have been crushed in the initial incident...or to die of his wounds afterwards. 

Poor Malbeth is also easy pickings, if we're going to quick ways to inflict maximum emotional damage. O_O  (yavanna_kementari will likely kill you before I can though, if that's the case)

Overall, I suspect that your secret surprise involves some sort of (illustrated?) re-write of SotWT, where everything goes pear-shaped and many of the averted disasters from the original plot actually unfold. If I'm right, then my biggest question will be.....HOW HAPPY ENDING???

No matter what the Secret Surprise is though, I am filled with anticipation every time you mention it, and cannot wait for its eventual reveal!

oOo