𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 | 𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐑

Chapter 32

Finally, that same evening at Edoras, in the Golden Hall of Meduseld, Éowyn brings Théoden a cup, Adán and Éomer standing proudly next to him. The king raises the cup and prepares to address a quiet crowd. Aragorn leads the men in standing, and we all followed. "Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!"

"Hail!" Everyone shouts after the king, I hesitate for a few moments, before finally drinking from the mug. Acay burped, making the men around us chuckle a bit, as the party started in the great hall, Adán passed the time with Éomer while Acay and Ágo sat next to me, Legolas and Gimli. The only one missing was our warg Aesigir, but she was too tired to continue. But the tranquility in our group vanishes as Éomer instructs a group, including Gimli and Legolas. "No pauses, no spills." Legolas and Gimli are handed mugs of ale as we stared with widened eyes. "And no regurgitation." Gimli continues.

"So it's a drinking game?" Legolas asks, and Acay nods. "Last one standing wins. Good luck." Everyone cheers as Gimli started to sip from his drink, Ágo facepalms. "I'll go to bed, good night! Tell me who won!" I smiled and patted her back as she walked away. Legolas takes a small sip from his drink while Gimli chugs his drink.

'Who do you think will win?' Asks Acay, glancing at me, I shake my head slightly. 'I always heard elves aren't intoxicated by the alcohol, we'll find out.'

Acay nods and we both cheered with our mugs of beer, drinking it, at least until I glanced around the room and saw Éowyn approaching Aragorn. Aragorn takes a goblet from Éowyn, who watches him with the same shining eyes as Arwen, smiling. She whispers to him something and drinks from the goblet as they stared so profoundly at each other, Aragorn bows his hands and returns the cup and walks away to the crowd slowly.

"God cousin. For somebody that doesn't like the ranger you surely look sad to see him with another woman..." Acay mutters and I gaze at him, sighing deeply. "What have I done to deserve this...?" I asked, suddenly Adán comes from my empty side, sitting next to us. "Maybe it's not you, maybe it's just Eru trying to teach you something."

"You mean, like believing in love again." Acay says as the both of them bring their faces closer to mine while I drink my beer in silence. Gimli and Legolas continue their drinking contest, the dwarf catches our attention by, once again, grabbing for another drink. "Here, here. It's the dwarves that go swimming with little hairy women."

I wanted to snort at him but it's best I don't, Legolas examines his fingers, looking worried. "I feel something."

My cousins and I stared at the elf, who looked a lot more concerned than I thought. "A slight tingling in my fingers. I think it's... I think it's affecting me, lady (Y/N)." He says as he looks at us, I cheer my beer at him. "Welcome to the world of men, my dear elf." I shouted at him. "What did I say? He can't hold his liquor!"

The dwarf stops his movements, and Gimli passes out next to Acay's chair, Legolas looks smugly at us. "Game over." We chuckled at him and invite him to a few rounds as we watched Merry and Pippin dance on a tabletop to the amusement of onlookers.