The Lost Princess of Lorien
"You're going to have to run faster than that to beat me!" She yelled over her shoulder.
"We'll see" he hollered to her.
"Ha, I win!" she laughed
"It was a once in a lifetime event."
"You've been saying that for the past thousand years and repeating it does not make it any more true."
"I know something that is true, your parents will have your head for being late again!"
"Oh no, my mother will kill me, thanks a lot for telling me sooner, some friend you are, Haldir!"
Telpealire was the youngest daughter of Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien. She was every bit like her brothers and one of her best friends Haldir, her parents would constantly try to turn her into a proper princess and she could fake it when necessary to make her parents happy but they knew they could never bend her will so they got her the best instructors they knew. She was the best in swordsmenship and hand-to-hand combat in the city but her specialty was archery. As allowing as they were about her training they forbade her from leaving the haven. They thought it too dangerous for a princess and this tortured Telpealire for she had never been outside the boarders of the woods.
Though much of the world was unknown to her the world has quite familiar with stories of her and her infonaut beauty and skill though most believed them as myths.
This would be the 3rd ball she was late for in the last 2 months, and now she knew her mother wouldn't let her see Haldir for a while… no thanks to him. After Telpealire dressed in a beautiful white gown with a thin black band around the waist she went to the great hall were after her grand entrance she was greeted by her other best friend, Lady Adelaid. "Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!"
"I know I'm sorry, I was racing with Haldir." "Have my parents said anything?"
"They've been asking me if I've seen you. You do know you're in for it right?"
"Adelaid, please don't be my mother now. Oh, who is that?"
She looked across the room and saw a very handsome elf she had never seen before. He was tall, with long blonde hair, piercing blue eyes like hers and was well built. He reminded Telpealire a lot of her father.
"Lire! This ball is to celebrate the arrival of the royal court of Mirkwood. That is King Thranduil's son, Legolas Greenleaf."
"Oh… soooorry."
"You know you think he's cute." She said slyly.
"Yeah, and?" Telpealire said.
Through the night Telpealire danced and socialized with others, including many members of the Mirkwood royals but she never did get to meet Legolas, but she knew there would be plenty of chances while he was here. After she had prepared for bed, Galadriel came to her chambers for a mother to daughter talk.
"You were late again Telpealire, we've talked about this. If you can't keep your promises then we'd stop your training."
"Mother that's not fair, you know I'm as good as any elf why would you want to stop that?"
"Because you are an elf maiden, you are supposed to accept your pampered life, fall in love and take responsibility, like your niece."
"Mother don't even bring Arwen into this, yes she has fallen in love but with a man, Elrond certainly isn't happy about that. He needs to give Aragorn a chance; he's a wonderful person. And what responsibility has she accepted? She still refuses to leave Aragorn behind when it is her time to go to the Grey Havens.Arwen is older than me, she is a millennia old and has had more time than I. Besides, you talk as if I don't want love, that is what I want most but not because I'm what you make me."
"Telpealire someday you will inherit powers beyond anyone. More powerful than myself and you'll be able to control them when you accept them and embrace them."
Her mother would never understand, Telpealire didn't want those things, she didn't want to be the most powerful elf in Middle Earth, She wanted to get away from the life her parents had surrounded her with.
Galadriel could see that a lecture would not sway her daughter, they never did. She will always be freespirited and wild. She changed the topic.
"So, I saw Prince Legolas's eyes wander in your direction more than once tonight."
Telpealire smiled "He is very handsome and I am looking forward to actually meeting him."
They talked a while more then Galadriel left Telpealire to sleep and when she woke she decided it was a good morning for drills. She dressed in a dark green, short sleeved shirt with a brown leather lace-up vest and brown slacks with a slanted leather skirt that came to a point at one knee. Boots and arm guards with Lothlorien leaves and vine patterns on them. Haldir was her swordsmenship instructor but she was quickly teaching him and he helped her practice. Her sword, Varya which means "protection", was her pride, it was made of the lightest elven steel and had protection spells carved into the handle. She was graceful and deadly with Varya in her hands.
The Face-off
Block. Thrust. Duck. Turn. Block. Turn. Jump. Block. Over and over in her mind. Focus. This may only be practice but the swords were still real. Besides this was child's play to Telpealire but still hard work. If anyone was struggling it was Haldir. "He'll learn." She joked to herself.
As they fought, another person, ready to train joined the crowd, sword drawn, waiting. Telpealire was able to push Haldir's blade away from her and she twirled to get to an open spot at his side and before she got all the way around her blade caught another's and stopped her. She looked up to see who had interrupted her training. Legolas' eyes meet hers.
"Good Morning" he said with what Telpealire thought was the sweetest smile she's ever seen.
"So you want to play too?" She teased
"I hear you have some skill, I've come to see if the stories are true."
"I would but I wouldn't want to scratch your royal face." she said, she hated when people, especially boys thought they could beat her.
"If I were you I'd be more worried about your royal face than mine" now he was teasing her.
Now he'd done it, she was pissed. She brought her sword down and toward his face so fast that people in the crowd almost missed it but Legolas didn't he blocked it just in time. They went back and forth through the courtyard, both getting very tired but not showing any signs of quitting. After a few more agonizing minutes they had each other pinned, swords crossed over their heads trying to throw each other's balance off. Finally, His muscle over powered hers. She fell to the ground. She lost. She'd actually lost. The only other person that could beat Telpealire was Aragorn, the best swordsmen she'd ever seen. After she gotten over the initial shock of losing she realized that she didn't care. All she wanted was for Legolas to hold out his hand and help her up. To know the feel of his hand would make her a winner.
"Sorry", he said, he held his hand out to help her. She took it appreciatively.
"Thank You"
A snicker squeaked faintly through the crowd and Telpealire shot Haldir a sour glance. This first time in a long time she was embarrassed at how she looked like a ruffian in front of him.
"Might I ask your accompaniment on a walk in the gardens, once I'm presentable of course." She said politely
"It would be and honor, princess but freshening up is not necessary, you strike awe into all that see you" he said with his beautiful smile.
"Just the same, why wear training gear when one is not training?" with that she turned to go to her quarters and Adelaid followed.
"Sly, that is the only word I can think of. Sly." Adelaid laughed, while helping Telpealire change
"Yeah, but it worked didn't it? Not meeting him had been bugging me all night. You of all people know that I'm not one to sit back when I see something I want." She said
"Or in this case someone you want." Adelaid teased
"I don't know that yet, that is the point of this meeting, to get to know each other."
Try as he might, Legolas couldn't help but stare when Telpealire descended the stairs. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back braids done in different places. Her slender gray dress with a slit in the front that showed rippled white fabric created a small train behind her steps. The borders around the long billowy sleeves were of silver vines and a simple silver chain around her neck. She was stunning. She couldn't help but smile, people usually stared but this was the first time she'd ever really noticed.
"I'm glad you decided to join me, to give us a chance to talk." She started when the entered the garden, She was tired of the awkward silence.
"Well first I believe we must be properly introduced seeing as how that hasn't happened yet." He said
"Yes. If you would care to begin." She said.
"Ah yes. My name is Prince Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil, Prince of Mirkwood, and 1st envoy of the woodland realm to the Council of Elrond." He laughed after a long breath.
"Your turn"
"Pleased to meet you Prince Legolas, I am Princess Telpealire Silversong, daughter of Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadrial, Lady of Light, Princess of Lothlorien, and no envoy to the council of Elrond but I wish I was." Also taking a big breath
"Why do elves feel the need to have such long titles, it's quite annoying." She asked
"I know, but its always been that way, can't argue with culture right?" he replied
"No matter how hard you try."
They talked for hours about this and that, friends and family until it was late and they could walk no further in the dark. So they sat on a bench and talked some more. Galadrial and Celeborn watched them from their balcony, both thinking and hoping the same thing, Something's happening. Maybe this was it. Maybe this was the answer to getting Telpealire to settle down and act like a princess should. They both wanted so desperately to believe it but all they really wanted was for their youngest daughter to be happy.
Coming Together
For the next week Telpealire and Legolas were inseparable, To her parents dismay Lire still practiced everyday only now Legolas practiced with her and it was a welcome challenge. When they were not practicing they were walking together or eating meals together, the only time they were not together is when they went to sleep. Legolas knew what was happening; he realized it when he couldn't stop thinking about her, how everytime he saw her his stomach did flips. He loved her. He had no idea if she felt the same way he did but he hoped so. Telpealire thought a lot about Legolas and confided in Adelaid not to tell anyone especially her parents. She couldn't be in love. Not Telpealire. Not the princess no man could challenge. Well, almost no man, Legolas was the acceptation. For the next 2 days Telpealire avoided Legolas, she couldn't face him she needed to think but she knew it was her own fault, she wanted to get to know him and she did… to the point were she fell for him. One the 3rd day Adelaid came running into Lire's chamber.
"Lire, Lire, wake up, LIRE, WAKEUP!" she yelled
"What?" Lire moaned "what is so important?"
"They're leaving!" Adelaid gasped
"Who's leaving?"
"Legolas and his family, the Mirkwood Royalties are leaving for home."
"What?!?!?!" Telpealire screamed
"They're going home in an half an hour!" said Adelaide
"No." she whispered to herself
Telpealire dressed hastily, in a plain square-neck white dressand ran to the gate. In the time it took her to run from her room to the gate the Mirkwood elves were walking out.
"Legolas!" she screamed, tears were streaming down her face now, she couldn't let him leave.
"Telpealire?" said Legolas as he turned to see you had called him. When he saw the tearstained princess he started to walk toward her but stopped when he reached the inside of the gate.
All of the commotion had caught everyone's attention. A sendoff party had started to disperse but the yelling princess rallied them again. Telpaelire ran down the sweeping staircase toward him. He opened his arms to her and she continued to run gratefully into them. All she did for about 2 minutes was hold him and cry into his chest.
"You can't leave… I love you." She said as she cried some more into his chest.
"And I love you, more than anything but I cannot stay. I must return to my home to help take care of the kingdom." He said to her. Holding her ever more tightly.
"Will we ever see each other again?" she asked
"With all my heart I hope so." He whispered into her ear.
"That's not nearly soon enough." she sobbed
"But I will think of you every minute of every day until that time, I must go, I love you so much, I believe we will find each other again." He said as a farewell to his love.
"I will never give up on that belief, and I will never stop loving you." She said, tears still rolling down her face.
He brushed them away, they kissed and he turned to join his family and they walked off. When the gate closed and they were gone Telpealire collapsed to the ground and cried. For hours Adelaid and Galadriel sat beside her on the ground to comfort her. For weeks Telpealire didn't leave her room, not even for training, She refused most meals and her parents were terribly afraid for her. You see there are only 3 ways an elf can die, they chose to die if they have nothing to look forward to in the Undying Lands, they are slain, or in Telpealire's case they die of a broken heart. One of their daughters had passed to the Undying Lands and they were afraid that death would take the other.
The Myth Takes Flight
After a while Telpealire became herself more and more but instead of walking and conversing with friends after training now spent those remaining hours in the library pouring over books of Middle Earth lore and maps. She became an expert at more than combat. She knew the name of almost every monarch, wizard and villain in history. She knew every legend and path and she never trained so hard as those months after Legolas left. Adelaid and Haldir saw it in her eyes, she had a plan but they couldn't figure it out. What was Telpealire playing at? Was she just looking for things to take her mind off the prince or was there something else at work? They got their answer one rainy night.
Telpealire, dressed in her training gear, put on a black cloak, packed some Lembas and an elven rope and maps of Middle Earth, strapped Varya to her side, a quiver of arrows and a bow to her back. She opened to doors of the balcony and jumped to the courtyard below. She was too fast for most of the guards to see or catch and the ones that tried to stop her, failed, she didn't kill them, never would she slay an elf but she slowed them down. She had finally rid herself of the haven or the prison as she now referred to it.
"I'll never go back," she thought to herself. Her parents kept her there and she'd never give them the opportunity to do it again.
By morning word traveled around the city, the princess is gone, fled in the night. Some said she was kidnapped. But her friends and family knew the truth; she was fleeing to Mirkwood to be with Legolas. There was no use sending scouts after her, she'd get away, they knew that more than likely none of them would ever see her again. Her parents only prayed she would get to him safely.
In the end Telpealire did get to Mirkwood where her and Legolas were reunited and they stayed together forever. She didn't keep the promise to herself though, she did return to Lorien with Legolas, and eight other companions, she was with the envoy to Elrond's council to determine how to deal with the ring. She became the 10th member of the Fellowship of the Ring, which is when she came back, when they passed through and again when Frodo was healing. When Aragorn was crowned king of Gondor Legolas and Telpealire where married and King and Queen of Mirkwood. Before the fellowship almost all of middle earth had heard about this princess, word escaped Lothlorien and the story was an unhappy princess fell in love with a handsome prince but was kidnapped by Morian orcs, taken to the depths of the Misty Mountains. When she became queen everyone knew the truth, but whether they believed the truth or the myth Princess Telpealire SilverSong will always be known as "The Lost Princess of Lorien."