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𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑬𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻𝒀 𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑬
❝ 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔 ❞
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ROHAN IS JUST AS VERA REMEMBERED it.
There wasn't much that changed from when Vera had left with her Corin Decourt, a distant cousin of hers, and Neptune Prince, her half-brother.
The people of Edoras still labored hard day and night for the sake of their families, her friends still continued to defend the walls of their home from dangers and darkness, and her family still remained intact, connecting with one another in ways more than one as they buried their patriarch into the earth, and entered another stage of war. Nothing seemed to change; from the blossoming flowers blooming atop the bushes, and the blades of grass growing vibrantly in the lush greens of the plains of Rohan, and the soil sunk deeper into the earth, giving the world around them life. Vera could feel something familiar flow in her chest as the comforting breeze wafts past her hair and cuddles her warmly, delivering her the welcome that she so dearly missed.
But while everything remains the same, Vera couldn't bring herself to continue being ignorant towards the tension in the air.
Because while the people of Edoras still endured as positively as they could during a time of war, Vera could see the fear hidden beneath their eyes. There is a suffocating air surrounding the city, causing the people more grief and tension than they would like. It is like there is a knife held over their head, ready to decapitate them at any moment; similar to the dangers lurking around the country. Upon arrival, the mermaid had been briefed about the current situation of her second home; apparently, majority of her friends and family have either been obsessed with strategic planning or labor work...Vera supposed it had something to do with the air of their surroundings. Vera could feel it smothering her the moment she entered the city, refreshed from the sensation the water brought her but familiarized with the sense of darkness...just because the same lingering air filtered in her own home.
Atlantis had been different, far too different.
She could not remember seeing a time where the golden walls were so dull, where her people were so restricted and dry, as though they have gone through too much to ever be happy again. It had broken her heart, and the determination to lead her kingdom was only fueled. She was in Atlantis for a few weeks, away from the land above as she delved into the work and new purpose before her. Her only focus — for a long while, at least — had solely been based on giving her kingdom hope...giving her kingdom something to be happy for. She had worked on enlightening her realm, providing her people more happiness in the forms of gold and food and celebrations. Corin and Neptune had been much help, too; they oversaw the battlements and strategic planning.
Soon, though — when she was satisfied by the way her Kingdom is working, now — her attentions are shifted to something important.
Gandalf's letter.
He had explained that she would need to research the histories of Mordor and her ancestor's previous kingdoms. She had been stuck inside the libraries of her home and the archives, researching endlessly day and night to gain more knowledge about the situation and how to stop the evil from reaching the hearth of her home. Vera had been rather successful in her attempts, as she managed to attain the perfect amount of information to give her a detailed description of the story and what to expect. However, it only seemed to add more to her mind.
Vera hadn't been the same since she left. Much like her home, and her friends, and her family, Vera Adelaide has very much changed.
No matter how much she tried to hide it.
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Vera Adelaide greets the Great City of Edoras with a soft smile gracing her features, a spark of familiarity in her eyes. She hadn't seen the city in a long time, several weeks passing from when she left till this moment, and she could gladly say that she missed it dearly. Although she valued the time she had spend under the water, in the confines of her golden home with her people, Vera has a special connection to Edoras. And her friends and family reside there at the current moment. Despite the beam on Vera's face, something unsettling is registered in her heart, consuming her entire being with a certain darkness that is indescribable. Today would be the first day that she appears in Edoras — or, the land above, in general — and to say that she is nervous would be a smart understatement.
She wasn't nervous about much; she is excited to meet her friends, and reunite with her family. The mermaid has so much to tell Èowyn and the smaller children about her journeys under the water and the customs of her people. Vera also wanted to inform Thèoden of new ways to explore their battlements and other strategic plans for the upcoming battle, if the king chose to aid Gondor...which is something that Vera intends to convince him to do. She is more than happy to be reunited with Aragorn and Merry, or Hope and Legolas, and Gimli. She had missed her friends and family. However, Vera is a new person returning to Rohan with secrets under her skin and knowledge buried under her eyes that no one else could know.
She wonders how she could hide such a secret from her friends during a time like this: a war.
At the thought, Vera glimpses down, a frown replacing her smile. The sound of Corin saying something from beside her brings her attention back to the smiling man, and the alarm in her eyes go unnoticed by the grinning merman.
"You excited?"
Vera forces herself to smile back, hoping that her expression is enough for him to believe that she is actually full of excitement, and not overly absorbed with bundles of nerves. Corin seemed to consider it, which nearly made Vera sigh in relief.
"Excited?"
Corin nods. "Yes, to see your friends...and Legolas, of course."
"Oh," Vera mumbles, raising her brows with an amused beam, "yes, quite."
Vera watches as Corin smiles to his Queen before returning the smile to ground, now smiling to himself as he hauls the small amount of bags they brought with them from the Kingdom under the sea. They had learned from the first time they were here that they would be needing more clothing and equipment than before; her people had also been amazed by the sight of actual clothing, as they were never normalized in her culture. Corin had ultimately decided to join Vera when returning back to the land above, while Neptune had been appointed with the task of organizing their armies and ruling as regent in her place.
Vera had argued profusely against it, with the evidence that he would want to stay with Coral rather than her but with his position as the lead Guard and protector of the Queen, she had no choice but to relent. And Corin is deadset on protecting his friend.
"And you?" Vera decides to ask, guiding his attention to her as he set the bags down.
The merman shrugs.
"I suppose..." Corin trails off, but Vera could sense the underlying tone of sadness. She felt guilt eating at her chest. "Gimli must be waiting for our arrival at any time now. He shall be rather surprised to see us, I would reckon."
Vera lets her smile drop. "Corin, I told you several times. You can go, I will be fine. There is nothing that can touch me here, and I have always been safe...you can trust the people here," Vera tells him sincerely, putting a hand on his bicep.
"No, Vera," Corin argues gently, shaking his head. "You are my first priority. As your friend and as you are my Queen. I have no other duties lain elsewhere. There are more important matters than my personal issues. Besides, there is more at risk, now. I am sure you can understand that."
Judging by Corin's tone, he didn't want to talk about it anymore as he turns away from the frowning brunette, bending down to pick their belongings from the floor. He faces Vera, an indifferent expression on his face that makes Vera's frown deepen. "Shall I bring these to our chambers?"
Vera forces a laugh. "Corin, you do know that we would have to tell King Thèoden we are back," Vera tells him amusedly.
"Oh, please. You are his blood. I am sure there is no harm in barging in." Corin winks before planting a chaste kiss on Vera's cheek, departing from the docks of her father's home to locate themselves in their chambers at Meduseld quickly.
Vera sighs, watching his back. 'Besides, there is more at risk, now. I am sure you can understand that.' Corin's voice echoes in her mind.
"You have no idea," Vera whispers to herself, looking back at the water as the breeze whispers in her ears. She places a hand on her waist area. "Shall we?"
Vera never actually reached the Golden Hall of Meduseld from atop the hill of Edoras before one of her friends had catapulted themselves against her. She stumbles back on the impact, barely having time to register who is shrieking in her ear in excitement, and nearly falling back from the contact. Vera spends the first few seconds of the smothering embrace trying to discover who is strangling her while screaming in her ear at the same time before she dumbs it down to the one and only Princess Hope of Mirkwood. The elleth is talking at fast paces, barely breathing in between her words as she speeds through sentences in her enthusiasm. All the while, she is swaying Vera back and forth in their tight and prolonged hug, causing the woman to dizzy for a while.
She pulls away, making Hope stop talking as the grin on her face made up for the lack of words. Vera raises her brows. "Hope, I have missed you, too, but you need to breathe in between words, honey. I could not understand one word after 'Vera!'" Vera explains to her slowly as though she were a child before raising her voice in a high-pitched tone to mock Hope from when she called her out before proceeding to vault herself towards the mermaid. "You seem particularly happy today...has anything happened while I was gone?"
Vera pretends not to notice the way that her shit-eating grin drops just as she asked her last question. Although she couldn't hide the way her stomach suddenly lurched forward in anxiety, and the speeding of her heart to slow down, but Vera could feign her intrigue. Hope forces a smile, as well, seemingly believing the façade that Vera has now. Something has definitely improved from when she last was with her friends.
"Actually...there has been a lot that happened since you left," Hope starts, her voice more somber and weighted than when she first spoke.
Vera chooses to direct the conversation somewhere else. "Where is...where is everyone?"
Hope smirks. "Are you asking about everyone or a certain elf...?"
Vera rolls her eyes amusedly. "No," she deadpans. "I am asking about everyone. You, included."
Hope loops her arms with Vera's, leading her away from the Golden Halls of Meduseld as she unknowingly guids Vera through the steep hills of Edoras to wherever Hope wishes to bring Vera to. The blonde elleth had sighed, ignoring the way that Vera refused to follow her and relented; she couldn't. Hope has a surprisingly strong grip on Vera. She wonders if she had done something. Eventually, the mermaid surrenders to the elleth princess' attempts and follows after her, remaining silent as she awaits for the princess' reply.
"Well...Trewyn is busy in the Healing Halls with Aldwin. Apparently, King Thèoden had sent several soldiers — Edgar and Grimmund included — to guard the borders of our country from other forces trying to infiltrate us. However, something went wrong...it has been taking much of Lord Aragorn, Master Gimli, and my brother's time, truthfully. Edgar had gotten injured a few days before. I believe Lady Èowyn is tending to him. The little ones, those pain in the arses, are most likely causing more mischief than they are good," Hope describes, "and I...well...I am doing quite well."
Vera didn't believe her, and she has no problem revealing it. "Is something wrong? You know you can tell me anything, right? I may have been gone but I am still your friend...we are still friends right?" Vera asks, stopping Hope to genuinely provide counsel for her friend but widened her eyes and sputtered as she realized that Hope may not want to be friends with her anymore.
Hope laughs. "'Tis alright, Vera. Of course I would want to still be friends with you, silly mermaid! You can leave all you want but you will always come running back to Hope! And Legolas, but let's not touch that topic."
Vera gives her a knowing look. "Hope."
The elleth sighs. "Things have just been different, Vera. Smiles are rare, laughs are rarer. The people are scared and King Thèoden is awfully invested in protecting his Kingdom once more. There is something missing in his plans, something that halts the protection process. It is tiring everyone, if I am being honest. The Golden Halls are suffocating. I just had to get away," Hope reveals in a weighted tone before she brightens considerably and turns to Vera. "Which is why I have accepted the task of assisting Trewyn in a certain task as she is unable to do so. And you are going to help me."
"And what would this...task...be?" Vera asks cautiously, eyeing the vibrating elleth beside her.
"Well, Èmiliya and her cousin, Freda, are visiting the city for a while and I thought it would be nice for us to watch over them. How does that sound?"
Vera immediately tries coming up with an excuse. "Err, no, I don't think I will be able to be any help in that certain...subject. Children are not my favorite, at the moment, and to watch over them alone seems..."
"Oh, c'mon, Vera. You are the most maternal woman I have ever met! Apart from my Naneth, of course. But you will do fine! I am sure Èmiliya misses you, as well, the little one spends every day talking about you. Legolas and her often spend time with one another, if I am being honest." She mumbles the last part. "Why are you so scared?"
Vera hesitates in her answer. She isn't exactly scared about watching over the two girls, but something within her just didn't want her to do so...and the reason behind that is that Vera's feä had reacted so beautifully towards the factor of watching over the children. It truthfully made her nervous; the prospect of taking care of an entire being in a more committed way. She gnaws on the bottom of her lip at the suspicious gaze Hope directs at her, knowing fully well that her silence is the reason behind her mistrust. She would have to answer soon in order for Hope to pass it off and accept her dismissal, so her mind went to work rather quickly. Vera is definitely the last person who would turn the option down, especially with her friendship with E1miliya and slight maternal instincts. But Vera has changed.
The thing is, is that Vera didn't want anyone to know she has changed.
So, she demands a smile. "Shall we?" Vera questions, offering her arm for Hope to loop her own arm through, hoping that her façade is believable.
Hope grins. She believes her. "We shall."
The two women marches towards the exit of Edoras, laughter and smiles filling their entire journey there as they caught up with one another's latest situations. Vera could sense that Hope is hiding something from her, something that is bothering her more than she would like to let on, but Vera didn't want to pry. She really didn't have a say about one's secrets, seeing as she is concealing something far more surprising than whatever Hope is withholding from her. Vera can cleary understand the concept of secrets and why people choose to hide them; so she never asked Hope, and Hope never asked her. Of course, Vera did hide her slight differences better but that is only from experience.
Before Vera and Corin departed from Atlantis, Vera had ultimately decided to keep herself reserved fmor everybody else. She wouldn't exactly ignore her friends and family because she wouldn't want them to worry over nothing, and she certainly didn't want them to fret over her. No, she had chosen to keep something from the others, knowing that they wouldn't notice nor would they force it out of her. Her friends would respect her choices and her secrets, right? What Vera needed to discover was to hide the fact that she is changing in several different ways. However, Vera is quite an expert in burying her head in the sad longer than she thought.
Soon, Vera and Hope managed to reach the field of Rohan just outside of Edoras swiftly. They had barely passed the gate before a woman with brown hair and a sweet, but tired, face greets them gratefully. Vera raises her eyebrows in amusement as the elderly woman wilts in relief after seeing Hope and her, probably more than happy to be able to have a rest day for herself. Hope beams back just as joyfully, matching the energy that the woman welcomes them in. Vera could barely match their energy but the sight of such smiles and the sounds of children's laughter makes it easier for her to forget her worries; she would just focus on the now. The happier side of things.
"Oh, bless the Valar that you are here! Èmiliya and Freda have been relentlessly asking for you. I am guessing that they would like to roam the fields soon and waiting has never been an expert trait for children. You will know when you get them," Freda's mother exasperatedly informs them, laughing alongside Hope as Vera grimaces. The woman suddenly turns to Vera, causing her to brighten instinctively. "Oh! You must be Vera. Èmiliya tells me so much about you. The poor thing has gone through a lot ever since my sister passed away during the attack but your presence has brought her more happiness than you would think. I believe she finds you to be a mother figure for her. Thank you, I truly appreciate it."
Vera feels the breath knock out of her at the words coming out of Freda's mother's mouth as she forces a smile onto her face, hoping that she didn't appear uncomfortable in front of the sterling woman as her eyes full of gratitude stares deep into her, as if she knew something that Vera knew all too well but is hiding hard not to reveal. Vera chuckles nervously. Hope seems to read the room as she piques up, glancing at Vera confusedly before switching her expression to one of politeness to the elderly woman.
"We shall be leaving soon, I am sure, but Vera this is Brunwyn, Freda's mother," Hope brightly introduces the two with one another, chuckling when Brunwyn sighs and shakes Vera's hand, mumbling about how she is being disrespectful. Vera laughs her worries off. "We will bring them back before the sun is set, do not fret. They will be safe in our presence and we will be watching them like a hawk. Relax, Brunwyn, this is where you are free to be by yourself. They will be protected. Vera is a warrior and she will guarantee safety."
Brunwyn warmly grins at the duo, thanking them once more before giving her girls a goodbye call, which goes ignored as they argue about the different characters they could be in their roleplay story, meaning that Èmiliya still hasn't seen Vera. Vera finds herself grinning naturally as Brunwyn passes her, entering Edoras once more to officially leave Vera and Hope to watch over her little girls for the day, and her gaze lands on Èmiliya laughing at something Freda says. The younger girl she knew has progressively grown taller and looks rather mature; it had only been a few weeks but the suffocating tension of Edoras would surely do something to the young ones, who are so sensitive to their surroundings. Èmiliya more than most. She makes it her goal to pull her worries away.
Hope sighs from beside her. "Sometimes, I forget how terrible it is to be around children."
Vera frowns. "You don't like children? Then why'd you agree to help?"
"Oh, I love children...but being around four other siblings when they were younger really tests your patience. Thankfully, they are now matured. And I agreed to help because the tensions inside the Golden Hall of Meduseld is...strangling. I needed air and the opportunity is conjured. I took it," Hope explains, shrugging dismissively. "Come on. They will be waiting."
Vera nods understandingly, following after Hope as they approach the arguing girls, who are certainly in a more heated discussion about their characters in their roleplay situation, and they don't seem to notice the two figures appearing near them. Vera takes it upon herself to bring their attention to her, already seeing the way that Hope wrinkled her nose in slight distaste. She is defintiely not going to advance towards the situation kinder, and almost intuitively, Vera piloted initiative.
"Alright, girls, listen up!" Vera calls in between shouts. However, she was ignored.
"Hello? Èmiliya? Freda?"
No response.
"It's me...Vera?! The second mother as you so affectionately called me before?"
Nada.
"It's a seahorse, over there! Look!"
Zilch.
Hope turns to the exasperated mermaid as she frowns in annoyance, her eyebrows furrowed together as she remembers a time where she was in a similar situation; there were once three men who balantly ignored her when welcoming them to Imladris. She did not miss that. The elleth flashes her a grin. "Any experience in this?" Hope teases, but drops her smile completely after seeing the murderous look in her face. "Right. Shall I?"
"Please, try," Vera bites back.
Hope jumps before practically springing off to stop Èmiliya and Freda's arguments.
Vera watches with a scowl on her face as Hope successfully brings their attention to the mermaid-elleth duo immediately after she said their names. Vera doesn't drop the bitterness on her face as Èmiliya stares at Hope in confusion before letting her eyes wander to land on the annoyed mermaid behind her back. Vera observes with an indifferent expression as Èmiliya lights up like a Christmas Tree before catapulting herself towards the mermaid, all the while svreaming her name in excitement. Vera hugs her back, struggling to hold off her scowl as she listens to Èmiliya's voice. Hope and Freda watch in amusement.
Vera falters as Èmiliya tightens her grip. "Liya, a little too tight, sweetie."
"Oh, I am sorry but I have missed you so much!"
"Oh, so now you hear me!"
"What was that?"
Before Vera could do any more harm, Hope quickly intervenes, dragging Vera away from Èmiliya as she smiles obliviously. "Well, let's get going!" Hope gleefully says, barely finishing her sentence before Freda and Èmiliya are running off. Hope turns to Vera. "You are certainly a ray of sunshine."
Vera smiles sweetly. "Hope, keep walking or I may just hurt you instead."
The elleth gulps. "Understood."
This was going to be one hell of a first day back for the mermaid.
Vera and Hope have spent the entire day watching over the two, little girls with a watchful gaze.
Vera would be lying if she said that she didn't enjoy, because she appreciated the day more than she thought she would. Hope and the brunette had settled the group down at one space in the widespread fields of Rohan. They didn't venture far, knowing that the nearer they were, the better and the safer it would be. However, Hope had also told them that staying too close would be boring, and a hint of danger will be needed. Vera wanted to argue back but she somewhat agreed with the general idea. The little girls have ended up deciding on which characters to play after Vera suggested a new storyline, one where they both seemed to adore it. For a while, the quartet have played with one another in several ways, ranging from the roleplays games to a safe game of 'hide and seek.'
However, the elder women soon decided to retire after a long day of running about and exploring. They simply wanted to talk for a while and converse, seeing as they didn't spend enough time with one another before Vera left to her country, and they barely knew anything about one another. The duo stuck to safe topics and common questions like their favorite colors or their strange incidents as children. Hope would tell her about the times she would often roleplay with Legolas and her friends. Vera has never roleplayed before but she did enjoy it more than she thought she would. Meanwhile, they keep close attention to Èmiliya and Freda, knowing that Brunwyn may actually have their heads if anything happened. Vera seemed to be doing it unconsciously, but Hope did notice slight changes in her behavior.
Soon, the blonde princess elleth frowns as Vera pops a fruit in her mouth for a moment. She couldn't find either of the little girls, and that thought is worrying her. The air is too still, and the silence is almost deafening, even with their keen ears and eyes. She calls for Vera's attention, making the brunette face Hope in question. As Hope informs Vera of their current dilemma, the mermaid abruptly stands to her feet, alarm resonating through her as she widens her eyes and she instantly darts off to find them, Hope hot on her heels. As the pair searched and searched for the girls, their worries and nerves risen up drastically, and they are screaming their heads off at one another.
However, the sounds of laughter break their argument up as they whirl around to face the innocent visages of Èmiliya and Freda by the spot Hope and Vera were before. Immediately, they relaxed.
"Where the hell— where were you both?!" Hope screeches, correcting herself when Vera shot her a glare.
"What do you mean?" Freda asks, tilting her head.
"We were here the entire time." Èmiliya supports.
"No, you were not!" Vera exclaims.
"Yes, we were," Freda argues, frowning, "are you alright, Queen Vera?"
"Oh," Hope flares, "Oh, I see what you two are doing. You both are just trying to get under our skins and trick us! Well, you have failed miserably, you—"
"—Okay!" Vera cuts off, clapping her hands to ease the tensions. "The more important thing is, is that they are safe and they are here, right?"
Hope grumbles.
"Right. So, why don't you three hug it out?" Vera pressures, gesturing between the trio as Hope groans under her breath. Meanwhile, Èmiliya and Freda simultaneously stretch their arms. Reluctantly, the blonde elleth begrudgingly walks towards them, accepting their embrace.
"Oh, how happy I am to see you are safe," Hope flatly exclaims, her voice void.
"Well, we would say the same!" Freda shouts back.
"But we were rather content with having Trewyn watch over us," Èmiliya finishes, causing the both of them to giggle. Vera smiles.
However, they all stop their laughter and smiles when they catch Hope grinning in glee, and Vera hears the girls struggling to breathe.
"Err, Hope," she calls out warningly.
"Hope, we can't breathe," Freda manages to let out through strangled breaths.
"I know," Hope sighs in content.
Vera widens her eyes when she hears Èmiliya choking.
"Oh, dear Eru, she is limp."
"Hope!"
Vera watches from the distance as Hope, Freda, and Èmiliya play around in the grasses with a content smile on her face. She had managed to separate Hope from Freda and Èmiliya after the alarming incident, and then struggled to hold Hope back when she launches herself forward to attack Èmiliya, who had turned out to be faking her unconsciousness to be freed from the elleth's grip. Vera had been rather alarmed, but manages to calm Hope down as she let the children go off to play again. Soon, though, everything is forgotten when the women pair were able to prank the children back later on, and they are currently playing with one another in the grass. She had chosen to stay back, feeling the need to preserve her energy for the journey back and to help her slight feeling of being sick.
She looks down, the thoughts from before returning to her mind as she frowns in thought. She had too many to hide now, too much that she needed to keep from her friends and family because of the war and the darkness of such times, and the amount of secrets piling up is suffocating her. She is utterly terrified of what could happen when she knows that burying her head in the sand will only cause her more problems than they would solve. She is filled with all this negative ideas and situations, and it is consuming her mind completely. The worries are overloading in her mind, and she is terrified that she is not going to be able to cope with it.
But seeing her friends so happy despite such dark times...Vera could feel herself glowing in satisfaction and content, a smile gracing her features as she watches Èmiliya giggle at Freda and Hope rolling in the grass. All the doubts and indecision washed away as she felt herself grin.
She knew what she wanted.
And with that thought, she places a comforting hand on her stomach.
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By the time the quartet returns to Edoras, they are wearied out and ready to collapse. Vera had ended up joining them in their exuberant activities before they eventually crumpled onto the ground and remained their for a long time, attempting to console themselves and regenerate their energy. The sun had begun to set, and the hue of the sun rays expands throughout the bladed fields. Eventually, though, the mermaid-girls-elleth group departed from their close haven towards the city of Edoras, the little girls walking in front of the elder women duo as they quietly conversed with one another. Vera is rather nervous about seeing her family again but she is more than excited to see Legolas after a long time apart.
They had dropped Èmiliya and Freda off to Brunwyn and Edmund, who had greeted Vera with warm and slightly moist arms from his game with Henry, who had also smiled upon seeing Vera once more. Before they could venture further, though, they were stopped as Gimli and Corin welcomed them, forcing Vera into the dwarf's embrace as she struggled to breathe. Thankfully, Corin managed to coax Gimli to release Vera, and they were off once again. Apparently, Èomer, Aragorn, and Grimmund are not in Meduseld at the moment, so she wouldn't be seeing them anytime soon. She had been upset but thankful that Legolas is not out; she could see him again.
Hope and Vera had ended up separating after running into Aldwin and Trewyn on the way out. They had done the same process as everyone else before, hugging and greeting Vera before her grandmother dragged the mermaid off to the infirmary to be welcomed by Èowyn and Edgar, who have gotten much cosier than they were before with one another. Vera had been elated to know that they are slowly forming a bond, and could definitely see something happening in between them. On the way to the Healing Halls, Trewyn and Vera had even ran into Thèoden, who winked at her and told her that her chambers are ready and being attended to. That had also improved her mindset as she smiles heartily.
Finally, Vera was soon left to go to her chambers, alone and waiting for the moment she could see the love of her life for the first time in a long time. She had been nervous before but decided not to dwell on that; this day has been too happy and too light for her to end it in worry and taint.
The mermaid reaches her chambers and smiles when she sees the door is open. She leans against the doorframe, casually watching the elf inside her chambers inspect the previous placement of her accessories on her dresser with a sad smile. She felt her feä hum in pleasure at being in close proximity with Legolas's feä again, and she could feel the hole from being away from him fill up gradually. It was an amazing feeling, and Vera had missed it too much. She didn't know if Legolas knew she was there but he hasn't said anything in the long while she had been standing there.
So, she chooses to speak up.
"Did you miss me?"
Vera was rather surprised to hear him reply back smoothly.
"More than you know."
She smiled. He turned around. Her smile widened.
"I missed you, too."
She pushes herself off the frame. She walks over. He meets her halfway.
"Took you long enough."
He wrapped his arms around her. She leans closer into him. Their eyes connect.
"I am sorry, dear prince of mine, but running a Kingdom is quite the task."
He pulls her closer. She beams.
"I would suppose."
He leans towards her.
"But it is worth it because I see you now."
She whispers. She leans closer, too.
He doesn't answer.
He connects their lips.
And soon, they were entertwined with one another again, the fire of their bond burning brighter than ever as they passionately connected once more. They could feel the love in the air, and the beating of their hearts, and the feeling of their touch, and the pleasure of their spirit. The heat and the passion mixed with long nights of misery and frustrated days of missing one another is the equivalent to a night that is fiercely burning. Vera missed him. And he missed her.
And being together washed away the worry and dark thoughts plaguing their minds.
"I love you."
"And I love you."