Miril glared at the sleeping Aragorn. How long had he known? Since her birth, presumably. He'd known why her brother had died. But he hasn't told her. She walked over to him and he awoke upon her arrival.

"What's the matter, Miril," he asked in confusion, keeping his voice low to avoid waking the others.

Miril narrowed her eyes. "How dare you. You knew, Aragorn. You knew I was a Feanorian. But you didn't tell me."

Aragorn looked at her in complete and utter surprise. Then his hand went to his face as he rubbed his forehead.

"Come with me," he said softly, getting up and leading her away from the group.

Miril followed despite her anger. She wanted to believe he'd had a good reason to lie to her all these years. Still, she was furious.

Aragorn led her back to the Gardens of Galadriel and in the moonlight they were even more beautiful, if that was possible. He sat her down at last at the swan fountain.

"I assume Galadriel told you," he started. "Perhaps she felt it was time you knew."

"Of course it was time I knew! I'm 39 years of age, Aragorn! I can handle the fact that my ancestor is Caranthir the Dark. I can handle it without turning into some sort of... of kinslayer like you thought I'd become!" She hissed this last part at him with such venom he backed up.

"What?" Aragorn looked at her in confusion. "We never said that."

"You never said anything," she pointed out.

"Miril we kept it a secret to keep the enemy from finding out! Sauron holds much hatred for the descendants of Fëanor, ever since the days of the Silmarils when he was but the first Dark Lord's lieutenant."

Miril glared, "Great job you did too. That's why Eldir was killed, isn't it?"

Pain flashed across Aragorn's face. "Do not blame me for the death of your brother. He was a loyal friend of mine as well. We all mourned his loss."

She turned away and refused to let Aragorn see the sadness and pain in her eyes at the memory of her brother's loss. It was still fresh in her mind. The image of that day, burned into her soul.

"Tell me one thing," she sniffed, her back to Aragorn. "Did Eldir know?"

Aragorn sighed. "Indeed he did."

"Yet you could not tell me?"

Aragorn huffed in exasperation, "It was he who swore us to never reveal it to you!"

Aragorn and Halbarad had just revealed to Eldir the biggest secret of his life, but he took it remarkably well. Eldir sat, staring at them in surprise, but didn't get angry or object to it. He just... stared.

"Any questions?" Aragorn asked him at last.

Eldir shook his head. "Only a request."

Halbarad jumped in. "Name it."

"Never tell my sister. If what you say is true, that would explain why I see Caranthir in her mannerisms. At least, from how that elven Lord was taught to me. She will not take this as well as I."

"I fear he speaks truly, Aragorn," Halbarad agreed. "She is rash and impatient, swift to anger."

"It is agreed then." Aragorn nodded. "This knowledge goes not beyond this tent."

"Agreed."

"What?" Miril turned around in confusion. "Why would he have said that?"

"He wanted to protect you, Miril, as Halbarad and I and the house of Elrond have tried to do."

Miril took a step back, "The... The Twins? They knew?"

The raw pain and hurt on her face made Aragorn realize his mistake. He hadn't meant to mention them, even though he'd assumed she'd figured out they had known already.

"Miril, I'm sorry," he murmured, moving to place a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off.

"They knew?" Her voice cracked in the utter betrayal of it. "This whole time. They knew?"

Aragorn sighed and nodded. "Yes. But we insisted they not reveal it to you. I know how close you've become to them. Don't let this get in the way of what you built."

A single tear dripped down Miril's cheek. Her eyes were wet from other, unshed tears. She allowed Aragorn to embrace her in a hug as she let it sink in that her two greatest friends had kept the reason for her brother's death and her very nature from her. At the behest of her own brother.

"Did none of you trust me?" She sobbed. "No one? Not even my brother!"

"It wasn't a matter of trust, Miril. It was a matter of protecting you."

"I don't need protecting," she shook her head, breaking away from the embrace. "I can protect myself."

"Indeed," Aragorn agreed with her wholeheartedly. "Perhaps that is why the Lady Galadriel decided to reveal this to you now."

"Indeed, child," Galadriel said as she walked up to them. "You are a strong one. I would not have revealed that knowledge to you had I thought it unimportant."

Miril looked at her in confusion before realizing what she meant. "The dream!"

Galadriel nodded. "Come, both of you. There is something you must do."

They could feel the gravity of her statement and both Rangers shut their mouths, falling into step behind the Lady of the Galadhrim. They found themselves carefully led deep into the Gardens down paths they hadn't trod before. The moonlight lit their way beneath the trees and Galadriel was their sole focus.

Until they saw it. Below them in a small hollow was a singular object. Something like a bowl on a pedestal but all made of stone, it seemed ominous there, all alone in the moon and starlight. Galadriel led them down to it and picked up a pitcher to add more water to the bowl.

"This is the Mirror of Galadriel," she said. "It tells many things. And perhaps will reveal to you what your dream holds in store."

She poured the water into the bowl and motioned for Miril to step up to it. Miril did so, and Aragorn stood to the side to watch with anticipation. He wished he understood what Galadriel meant about a dream. He supposed that was what Miril had gone to talk to her about. But he had no idea.

Miril stepped up to where she could look into the water. At first all she could see were the stars above reflected in the water. But then she looked harder and things began to change.