Eldarion had inherited from his father the knack of getting into trouble. He also inherited Aragorn’s big brown eyes which gave him help with getting out of trouble. On top of that his uncle Elladan and Elrohir gave him a couple of hints on how to annoy… whoever.

At the front door, where the Steward and his family were expected presently, he set up a bucket of water so that if any one walked through the door, they would get a soaking. Unfortunately, Eldarion’s grandfather, the lord Elrond came first. His hair, done perfectly at first, was now a complete mess; and his purple robes were now a few shades darker for their wetness. As soon as Eldarion realized what happened, his big brown eyes got bigger and browner. When the elf-lord started to yell at him, his lower lip trembled ever so slightly. Elrond sighed.

“It’s impossible to stay angry at you, you little rascal,” he said. He then hugged his grandson. Soon afterward Arwen and Aragorn came in, and seeing Elrond looking so wet questioned their son about it.

“He might have tripped and fell into a puddle?” he replied innocently. Arwen and Aragorn exchanged glances, both knowing exactly what he had done. They both smiled.

Arwen then asked her father whether her twin brothers had come. She was quite hopeful at first (hoping they hadn’t), but Elrond said, “Yes, they’re here. They’re just unloading the horses.” Very soon they could hear the brothers talking to each other as they came up the path toward the house.
Faramir and his family arrived soon after. As she entered, Faramir’s eldest child stuck her tongue out at the young prince. Faramir smiled at this, but told his daughter that she shouldn’t do that, at least not to a prince.

Arwen decided that she, her husband, Eowyn, Faramir, and her father should go on a picnic the next day. That, of course, meant leaving her brothers to look after the children. The picnickers left early the next morning.

As soon as they left, Eldarion crept up to the room where his uncle, Elrohir was still asleep. Silently he tiptoed toward the sleeping figure, and then threw a water balloon filled with paint at him. Woken suddenly, Elrohir started to shout at the boy. Elladan, hearing the yells, ran upstairs. Seeing his brother dripping with a lovely splotch of… purple paint, Elladan burst out laughing. His grumpy twin did not, however, see anything funny in this. Then the innocent-looking Eldarion looked up into Elrohir’s face, his big brown eyes forcing the elf to forgive him.

They (Eldarion, Elrohir, Elladan, and Miriel) then went for a walk in the palace gardens. Eldarion previously had dug and filled a large pit full of mud. As they walked past it, Eldarion and Miriel (who was in on the plot too) pushed both elves into it, and then ran back to the house, screaming in delight.

When the twins recovered from their… fall, they went back to the house, had baths, and got into new clothes. They then walked into the lounge, where they saw Eldarion and Miriel playing cards. Eldarion looked up and said innocently, “I don’t know why you bother changing.” The twins exchanged scared glances.

Is it the end?
How ’bout now?
Now?