Six Months Later
Life had found a rhythm, although it wasn't one that anyone had expected.
Escanor had established a home between Rivendell and Mirkwood, traveling between the two places, dividing his time so that he never left any of his beloveds feeling abandoned. It was exhausting, yes, but also profoundly rewarding.
And surprisingly, it worked.
It hadn't been easy. The first few months had been full of challenges, misunderstandings, and moments when it seemed like everything might fall apart. There were nights when Arwen had cried, wondering if she could really do this. There were days when Tauriel had felt such intense jealousy that she could barely breathe. And there were times when Escanor had doubted whether he was being selfish, whether he was asking for too much.
But each time, they had talked. Honestly, openly, painfully. And each time, they had found a way to move forward.
And something beautiful had begun to grow between them.
Arwen and Tauriel, against all expectations, had become friends. Not just friends, but sisters in every sense except blood. They wrote letters when they were apart. They visited each other when they could. And when they were together with Escanor, there was an ease between them that spoke of genuine respect and affection.
"I never thought I'd have this," Tauriel had said one night, the three of them sitting around a fire in Mirkwood. "A chosen family. People who see me completely and love me anyway."
"Neither do I," Arwen had replied, taking Tauriel's hand. "But now that I have it... I can't imagine my life without it."
Now, as Escanor stood on a balcony in Rivendell, gazing out over the valley bathed in the morning sun, he felt a peace he had never known before. Complete. Total. As if all the pieces of his life had finally fallen into place.
—You look thoughtful.
She turned to see Arwen approaching, dressed in a silver robe that caught the morning light. But there was something different about her today. A gleam in her eyes. A secret smile touching her lips.
"I'm always thoughtful when I'm with you," Escanor smiled, extending his hand. "Thinking about how lucky I am. How impossibly lucky."
"Lucky," Arwen repeated, taking his hand. "Interesting you say that. Because I have news. News that might make you feel even luckier. Or possibly terrified."
Escanor looked at her sharply, noticing the way her free hand rested on her abdomen. His heart raced.
—Arwen... are you...?
"Pregnant," she said, and her smile widened. "I'm going to have a child. We're going to have a child."
For a moment, Escanor couldn't speak. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. The weight of those words, the immensity of what they meant, completely overwhelmed him.
" A child?" she finally managed to whisper. "Are you sure?"
"The healers confirmed it this morning," Arwen laughed at his astonished expression. "Escanor, the mighty Dragon Slayer, left speechless by the news of fatherhood."
"I... you... we..." Escanor shook his head, trying to organize his thoughts. "How are you feeling? Are you scared? Happy? Both?"
"Both," Arwen admitted. "And so many other emotions I can't even name them all. But most of all... I'm happy. Escanor, we're going to be parents."
Escanor pulled her toward him, holding her tightly, marveling at the miracle of it. A child. His child. Part of him, part of Arwen, a new life he hadn't even considered possible.
"I love you," he whispered against her hair. "I love you so much. And I will love our child with every part of my being."
"I know," Arwen said, stepping back enough to look him in the eye. "And there's something else you need to know. Something the healers told me."
- That?
"We elves... we don't have children easily. Our pregnancies are rare, precious. And when we do conceive, it's usually because there's a deep, unbreakable bond between the parents." She cupped his face in her hands. "This child is proof, Escanor. Proof that our love is real. That what we share is so profound it can create life."
Escanor felt tears sting his eyes, something unusual for him.
—And Tauriel? Have you told her?
—Not yet. I wanted to tell you first. But we need to tell her soon. Together. Because she's part of this too. Part of our family.
"Then let's go to her," Escanor decided. "Now. Today. This news needs to be shared with both of them."
Black Forest, Three Days Later
Tauriel greeted them with joy that quickly turned to concern when she saw their serious expressions.
" What's wrong?" he asked immediately. "Is something the matter?"
"Nothing's wrong," Arwen quickly reassured him. "Everything's... fine. Better than fine. But we have news. Important news."
They sat in Tauriel's private chamber, the same place where they had had their first crucial conversation six months earlier. Escanor took Arwen's hand, offering her silent support.
"I'm pregnant," Arwen said simply. "Escanor and I are going to have a child."
The silence that followed was long. Tauriel watched them, her expression flashing through a dozen emotions in seconds. Surprise. Joy. And then, inevitably, pain.
"That's... that's wonderful," she finally said, her voice only trembling slightly. "Congratulations to both of you."
"Tauriel," Escanor began, seeing the pain in her eyes.
"No," she raised her hand. "Don't apologize. Don't make it seem less than it is. This is beautiful. A child. A new beginning. I just..." Her voice broke. "I need a moment."
"Tauriel," Arwen moved to sit beside her, taking her hand. "I know how you're feeling. And it's okay to feel that way. It's okay to be happy for us and sad for yourself too. Those two things can exist at the same time."
" Are you?" Tauriel looked at her. "Because it feels like... like you two have something I'll never have. Like you're suddenly more family to each other than I am to any of you."
"That's not true," Escanor said, kneeling before her. "Tauriel, you are as much a part of this family as Arwen. As I am. This child... will be your nephew. He will be loved by you as much as we are."
" What if I want children too?" Tauriel whispered. "What if I want what she has?"
"Then you will have them," Escanor said firmly. "Tauriel, this isn't a competition. It's not a race. Arwen got pregnant first, yes. But that doesn't mean you can't have children too. It doesn't mean your time with her is any less valuable."
"He's right," Arwen said gently. "And Tauriel… honestly, I hoped you'd want children someday too. And when that day comes, I'll be as happy for you as I hope you are for me now."
Tauriel looked at them both, tears in her eyes.
—I am. Happy for you. It's just... difficult. Difficult not to feel jealous. Difficult not to wonder if I'm enough.
"You are more than enough," Escanor said, embracing her. "You are essential. And one day, when you are ready, we will have our own children. And I will love them as much as I love the child Arwen carries now."
"Do you promise?" Tauriel asked against his chest.
"I promise," Escanor said. "On my pride, on my honor, on everything I am. I promise."
Tauriel stepped back, wiping her eyes, and then, surprisingly, laughed.
—May the Valar help us. Escanor as a father. The children will never have a chance to be normal.
" Who would want to be normal?" Arwen smiled. "Normal is boring."
"That's right," Tauriel agreed. "So... when is the baby due?"
"Eight months," Arwen said. "Elven pregnancies are long. Enough time to prepare. To make plans. To…"
"To panic properly," Escanor finished, making them both laugh.
" Scared?" Tauriel provoked him. "You killed a dragon but you're afraid of a baby."
"Dragons are simple," Escanor replied. "Either you kill them or they kill you. Baby dragons are much more complicated."
"True," Arwen agreed. "But we'll figure it out together. The three of us. Like we do with everything else."
"Together," Tauriel repeated, and this time her smile was genuine. "Yes. I like the sound of that."
Two Years Later
The child was born on a spring day in Rivendell, under a sky so clear it seemed the Valar themselves were celebrating. It was a difficult birth, as Elven labors often are, but Arwen was strong, and when she finally held her son, all the hours of pain were instantly forgotten.
"He's perfect," she whispered, gazing at the baby in amazement. "Completely perfect."
Escanor sat beside her, his hand trembling slightly as he touched the baby's soft cheek.
—What name shall we give it?
"Eldarion," Arwen said. "It means 'son of the Eldar.' But it's also something more. Something of you."
"Solaris," Escanor suggested. "By the sun. Eldarion Solaris."
—Perfect—Arwen smiled—. Our little sunshine.
Tauriel arrived the next day, having ridden from Mirkwood as soon as she received the news. When she saw the baby, her face softened with a tenderness that Escanor had rarely witnessed.
"Can I hold it ?" she asked timidly.
"Of course," Arwen said, carefully handing it to her. "You're his aunt, after all."
Tauriel cradled him, gazing into those small eyes that already showed flashes of gold, and felt her heart expand with a love she didn't know she was capable of feeling.
"Hello, little Eldarion," she whispered. "I'm your aunt Tauriel. And I'm going to teach you all about being brave, and strong, and how to shoot a bow before you can even walk properly."
"May the Valar help us," Escanor murmured, but he was smiling.
Eldarion's early years were filled with joy. The child was bright, curious, and had a natural affinity for light. When he was barely six months old, his laughter could literally light up rooms, his childlike power manifesting in small but undeniable ways.
"He's like you," Arwen told Escanor one night, watching her son make tiny motes of light dance above his crib. "He carries your power. Your essence."
"But he also carries your grace," Escanor replied. "Your wisdom. Look at him. You can already see the way he observes the world. With wonder, yes, but also with an understanding beyond his years."
"A mix of the two of us," Arwen smiled. "The best of both of us, I hope."
When Eldarion was one year old, Tauriel came to visit them with news of her own.
"I'm pregnant," she announced, and her smile was so bright it could have rivaled Escanor's power.
Arwen screamed with joy, hugging Tauriel tightly. Escanor simply stood there for a moment, overwhelmed with emotion, before joining the embrace.
"A son," she said, her voice filled with wonder. "Our son."
"Our son," Tauriel confirmed. "And if they're twin elves, our daughters. The healers think it could be twins. Apparently, it's more common with powerful couples."
—Twins—Escanor blinked. —I'm... fine. Fine then. Twins.
"Breathe," Arwen laughed. "You'll find out. You're already a wonderful father to Eldarion. You'll be just as wonderful to Tauriel's child."
—Children—Tauriel corrected—. Definitely plural if they are twins.
Eight months later, in Mirkwood, Tauriel gave birth. And the healers had been right.
Twins.
Two perfect little girls, identical except for their eyes. One had green eyes like her mother. The other had golden eyes like her father.
—Aelindë—Tauriel named the one with green eyes—. It means "elven lake." And Aurëlindë for the one with golden eyes. "Golden lake."
"Beautiful names," Escanor whispered, holding both babies, one in each arm, marveling at their miracle. "Beautiful daughters."
"Our daughters," Tauriel corrected. "Yours, mine, and Arwen's too. Because we're family. All of us."
Arwen, who had traveled to Mirkwood for the birth, bent down to kiss the foreheads of both babies.
"My nieces," she said gently. "Welcome to the world, little ones. You have a strange, wonderful, completely unconventional family waiting for you."
Three Years Later
The family had grown again.
Arwen had given birth to her second child, a boy they named Caladorn, which means "green hero." He had his mother's dark hair and his father's golden eyes, and a laugh that could light up entire rooms.
And Tauriel, too, had had a second pregnancy. This time, a single child. A robust boy they named Taurohtar, "master of the forest." He had his mother's red hair and a ferocity even in childhood that promised great things.
Now, as the two families gathered in a neutral clearing between Rivendell and Mirkwood, watching the children play together, Escanor felt a sense of fulfillment he had never imagined possible.
Eldarion, now five years old, was teaching his younger siblings how to make tiny lights dance in their hands. Three-year-olds Aelindë and Aurëlindë were trying to imitate their older brother with adorable concentration. Caladorn, barely two years old, mostly just clapped his hands with delight at the light displays. And little Taurohtar, barely a baby, slept peacefully in his mother's arms.
"Look what we've created," Arwen said softly, standing beside Escanor and Tauriel. "A family. A real, true family, even if it doesn't resemble any other."
"It's perfect," Tauriel agreed. "Chaotic, complicated, but perfect."
"Like us," Escanor smiled, putting his arms around them both. "Chaotic, complicated, but perfect."
" Did you ever have any doubts?" Arwen asked. "Did you ever look back and think we should have chosen differently?"
"Every day," Escanor admitted honestly. "I have doubts every day. I wonder if I'm asking too much of them. If the children will suffer from having such an unconventional family. If I'm being selfish."
—So ? —Tauriel urged him.
"And then I look at all of you," Escanor continued. "At you, Arwen, so strong and wise. At you, Tauriel, so fierce and kind. At our children, growing up surrounded by so much love. And I realize that no, I don't regret it. Not for a moment. Because this… this is real. This is true. And this is ours."
"Ours," both elves repeated, and there was deep satisfaction in the word.
A shout from Eldarion snapped them out of their moment.
—Father ! Look! I made a sun! A real sun!
They turned to see their eldest son holding a golden sphere of light on his palm, no bigger than an apple, but undeniably real, undeniably solar power manifested.
"By all the Valar ," Arwen whispered. "She's only five years old. She shouldn't be able to..."
"He's my son," Escanor said proudly. "Of course he can."
He approached Eldarion, kneeling down to be at the child's eye level.
"That's very impressive," he said seriously. "But remember what I taught you. Power is a responsibility, not a toy. Understood?"
"Understood, Father." Eldarion nodded solemnly, then smiled. "But may I show it to Aelindë and Aurëlindë? They'll be so impressed!"
"Go ahead," Escanor laughed. "But be careful. Don't accidentally burn anything."
As Eldarion ran to show his sisters, Escanor felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Tauriel looking at him with a serious expression.
"He needs training," he said. "Real training. His power is manifesting faster than expected. If he doesn't learn control..."
"He could hurt himself. Or hurt others," Escanor finished. "I know. I've been thinking the same thing."
"Then teach him," Arwen joined them. "Teach him what it means to wield such power. Not just how to use it, but when. And more importantly, when not to use it."
"I will," Escanor promised. "All of them. When they're old enough. I'll teach them everything I know. About power, about responsibility, about what it means to be strong yet gentle, powerful yet humble."
"You'll teach them to be like you," Tauriel smiled. "And there's no better teacher."
That night
After the children were put to bed, after the fires were extinguished and night settled over the clearing, the three sat together under the stars.
It was a tradition they had maintained for years. No matter how busy their lives were, they always found time for this. To sit together, talk, simply be.
"I have a confession," Arwen said in the darkness.
" What?" Escanor asked.
—When you first said you loved me, Tauriel... when you asked for this impossible arrangement... I thought it would never work. I thought it was beautiful in theory but impossible in practice.
" And now?" Tauriel asked.
"Now I know I was wrong," Arwen said softly. "This doesn't just work. It's perfect. It's exactly what it was meant to be. And I can't imagine my life any other way."
"Me neither," Tauriel agreed. "And you know what's the strangest thing ? I don't just love Escanor. I love you both. You, Arwen, as a sister, as a friend, as family. And sometimes I wonder if, without Escanor as our common bond, you and I would still have found each other. Would we still have loved each other in our own way."
"I think so," Arwen said. "I believe our souls were destined to meet, no matter what. Escanor was just the catalyst."
"I love you both," Escanor said, his voice filled with emotion. "More than words can express. And thank you. For giving me a chance. For being brave enough to try this. For creating this family with me."
"Thank you," Tauriel said. "For being honest. For not forcing us to choose. For showing us that love doesn't have to be limited."
They sat in silence for a long time, each lost in thought, each aware of how improbable all this was, how precious.
" What comes next?" Arwen finally asked. "We have our children. We have our family. But there's a wider world out there. And a growing darkness."
"I know," Escanor said grimly. "I feel it. Stronger every day. Something is stirring in the east. Something terrible."
—Sauron—Tauriel whispered the name.
"Yes," Escanor nodded. "And when it finally moves, when the war comes... I will have to fight. I will have to leave you, our children, and risk everything."
"Then we will fight you," Arwen said firmly.
—We can't both...
"No," Tauriel interrupted. "But one of us can. And one of us can stay with the children. We'll take turns. Wherever you go, you'll never go alone."
"And when the final battle comes," Arwen added, "when you face whatever fate has in store... you'll know you have a reason to return. Five reasons. Our children. And us."
"I will always return," Escanor promised. "No matter what. No matter the cost. I will return to you."
"It's better that way," Tauriel said, but her voice trembled. "Because if you die and leave me to raise these children alone..."
"He will not die," Arwen said with conviction. "He is the Lion of the Sun. The Dragonslayer. And he has too much to live for."
"You're right," Escanor smiled, embracing them both. "I have too much to live for. And I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon."
But even as she spoke the words, she felt a chill. As if fate itself were listening. As if the universe were taking note of her promise.
And somewhere, in the depths of Dol Guldur, an ancient darkness stirred.
The plans were underway.
War was coming.
And Escanor, the Lion of the Sun, would have a role to play in it.
A role that would take him to the very brink of death.
And beyond.
But that was for the future.
For now, she had her family. Her love. Her home.
And that was enough.
For now, it was more than enough.
That was it.
End of Chapter 17