Disclaimer: Any and all places, people, etc. recognizable from Tolkien's work do not belong to me. I am not making money off of this story; it is simply for my own pleasure and that of my readers.
A/N: I just wanted to let everyone know that some of this story, though it will be minor parts, is based loosely on events that happen in Cassia and Siobhan's The Mellon Chronicles, a series of LotR fanfics that I highly recommend. It is from their stories that I got the nickname 'Dari' for Eldarion. Also, the names of Aragorn's daughters and how I have developed them as characters, and nay other characters you do no recognize from the Tolkien universe, belong to me. Please do no use them without my persmission. With that said, enjoy the story!
Legolas watched silently as the candle flame melted the solid red wax, transforming it before his eyes into a pool of scarlet liquid. Nearing the end of the letter, his hands quickly formed the last graceful strokes of the elven characters as he finished. Blowing on the ink to dry it, the elf carefully folded the letter and reached for the melted wax, pouring a small amount where the edges of the parchment met to seal it.
A silent figure hidden in the shadows of the quiet library watched him intently, their eyes never straying from the desk at which he sat. Shifting ever so slightly, the figure waited as the elf placed his letter gently aside, anticipating the moment of attack. Before the figure could make its move, however, the elf spoke.
"Since when have the heirs of Gondor taken to skulking in the shadows?" he asked lightly, his gaze never leaving the window through which he now looked.
Eleniel shook her head as she moved out of the shadows and into the fading light of evening, a small smile on her face. Legolas had given absolutely no indication that he had taken notice of her presence! With a light laugh, Eleniel moved to sit on the elf's lap, giving him a warm hug as she did so.
"Since one of them has been determined to sneak up on an elf if it kills her. I didn't even know you'd heard me!" she cried, gazing at the blond elf ruefully.
Legolas laughed and returned the hug, grinning at the young human before him. "I very nearly did not. You, young one, are becoming almost as skilled as your father. I believe you will manage to take one of my kind by surprise yet."
Eleniel grinned at his words, her eyes alight. "I hope so. I've been training what seems like endlessly with Garrell on this and that and everything under the stars! Obviously, all of it isn't useless if I nearly managed to catch you unawares." She rolled her eyes, but the smile evident in them proved the comment a jest only. Changing the subject as her eyes fell on the sealed letter lying neatly on the desk, she asked, "Who were you writing to? You seemed almost...sad as you wrote."
Legolas sighed, but smiled at the young woman. "Perhaps I was a bit sad, but there is nothing to worry about, Elli. I was writing to my father."
Picking up the letter, Eleniel ran a finger over the smooth wax seal before turning her questioning gaze to Legolas. "How can you be writing to your father? I thought Lord Thranduil had sailed."
He nodded, his gaze lingering on the letter for a moment before returning to the human girl. "He has sailed, Eleniel. He sailed a number of years ago. I write to him when I have things on my mind and your father is too busy to talk."
"Father is always too busy to talk these days," Eleniel murmured, a vague emotion creeping into the edges of her voice. Turning her face from the elf, she swiped angrily at the tears that had quite suddenly and unwittingly fallen, creating a glistening, silver path down her cheek. Legolas, surprised to see the usually bright and smiling young woman quite suddenly turn sullen, gently placed a finger under Eleniel's chin, turning her face back to his so he could see it clearly.
"Eleniel...what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Concern laced his voice as he watched another tear slide slowly down her cheek. Clearly, something had been bothering the girl, but she'd let no one know or even guess that there was a problem.
Rising slowly from his lap, Eleniel moved to stand in front of the large picture window that faced the western edge of the city. Fading rays of sunlight cast a warm glow over her features as the sun slowly began to set, painting them a soft orange. With a sigh, she began to speak, keeping her gaze fixed on some distant point on the horizon. "I don't know, Uncle Legolas. I feel as if I'm acting like a little girl, crying because her father can't be by her side to watch her learn new things. I know that he's busy with important affairs of state, he has an entire city and more to rule, after all, but sometimes it seems as if he doesn't care. I'm making so much progress in my lessons and I want to be able to show him, to let him see how far I've come. Garrell has said countless times that I'm nearly ready to go out on my own, but I want to be able to take my first journey as a Ranger with my father. I want to prove to him that I can follow in his footsteps." She paused, letting out a soft sigh before turning to face the elf. "Do you think I'm being foolish?"
Legolas was quiet for a moment before responding. "Foolish, no, but perhaps a bit quick to judge your father. I know it may seem as if the affairs of state are more important to your father than his family, but I can assure you that there is nothing farther from the truth. His family is everything to him, and trust me when I say that being unable to spend time with his children is weighing heavily on his mind and his heart." Beckoning the young woman forward, he gently pulled her back onto his lap and smiled, turning her to face him fully. "You and your brother and sister mean more to Aragorn than anything in this world and I know that he could not be prouder of any of you. He knows how hard you've worked and how far you've come, Elli. Do you not think that he talks to Garrell often, keeping track of your progress and accomplishments?"
Eleniel looked at him wide-eyed. "He asks after me? To see how I'm doing? But Garrell never mentioned-"
"Garrell never mentioned anything because your father asked that he not." Legolas shook his head slightly, a small smile gracing his features at the memories his next comment brought about. "He didn't want you to think that, by checking up on you, he was indicating a lack of faith in your skills or your ability to take care of yourself."
The young woman was silent for a moment before finally letting a small grin turn up the corners of her mouth. "You may not think so, but it sure seems to me that I've been foolish. It's just..." she paused as she searched for the words, "hard sometimes. I never know if I'm going to find Aragorn the king or Aragorn the father when I go to talk to him."
"Being a ruler is a difficult and demanding position to fill. I grew up knowing that one day I would likely have to take up my father's throne when he sailed. I attended briefings and assemblies of every sort in order to learn all I could. I did not begrudge my father his responsibilities, though."
Nodding, Eleniel let out a soft sigh. "I understand that it's a difficult job to do and I was too quick to judge him, I think. I've just been missing my ada these days. Hopefully these proceedings will be over soon so I can have him back for a little while. "
Glancing at the sundial, Legolas nudged the girl on his lap until she stood. Standing too, he picked up his letter and turned to look at Eleniel. "Your father should be done with his meetings by now. What say you go get him and I'll meet you down at the practice yards? Then you can show us both what you've learned."
"All right," Eleniel said brightly before making her way towards the door nearest them. Pausing, she turned and ran back to the elf, giving him a warm hug. "Thanks," she murmured, pressing her face briefly into the soft material of his tunic as she had when she was younger, feeling the strength of Legolas's arms around her shoulders as he returned the hug. No matter what was wrong or how she was feeling, Eleniel had always been comforted by the elf her father had long called brother. Releasing him, she walked back to the door and out into the hallway, calling back to the elf over her shoulder as she walked. "I'll meet you in the practice yards in ten minutes!"
Legolas stood quietly for a moment, briefly wondering where the time had gone. It seemed only yesterday that Eleniel had been but a child, carefree and energetic. With the way the firstborn reckoned time, he guessed it was close enough. Humans always grew up too fast. Making his way across the library, Legolas exited through another door that would take him to his quarters where he could leave his letter and change clothes before meeting Eleniel and Aragorn in the practice yards.
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With a heavy sigh, the King of Gondor lay down the scroll he was looking over and rubbed a hand over his weary eyes. Today's meetings had not ended much in his favor. It seemed that there were still factions located in a small town just to the southwest of the city rebelling against their overseers. Despite the fact that Aragorn knew in his mind that it was impossible to be a king liked and respected by all his subjects, his heart longed to fix the problems...to heal them. Often his compassionate, healing nature served him well as a king, but in this particular case, it hindered him. Determined to appease the rebels rather than quell them, he had tried every peaceful tactic he knew but none had prevailed.
"Why..." Aragorn whispered, holding his forehead in his hand as he thought, "why couldn't they stop fighting?" Faced with no other options, he had been pushed to order a military intervention. No longer could he try to stop the insurgents peacefully if it meant more innocent lives would be lost. Shifting, he rubbed his burning eyes again, willing the ache in them to go away. Preoccupied as he was with his thoughts and the protests of his weary body, Aragorn didn't hear his youngest as she ran down the hallway to his study.
Barreling into the room, Eleniel rushed to the desk at which her father sat, heedless of the exhausted tilt of his shoulders or the tense silence that had fallen in the room. "Ada!" She cried, overjoyed to have found him no longer in meetings. Talking quickly in her excitement, she addressed her father. "Ada, I'm so glad that I found you. Legolas suggested you come out to the practice yards so that I can show you-"
Already on edge with worry and startled out of his sleepy daze, Aragorn jumped and turned an angry glare on his daughter. It was like a dam had burst, releasing all the tension, frustration, and worry that had been building up in his mind and heart throughout the day. Before he could stop to think about what he was doing, Aragorn found himself snapping waspishly at his youngest daughter. "Eleniel! If I have told you once, I have told you a thousand times: knock before you enter my study!" Vaguely realizing his daughter had been asking him to go somewhere with her, he waved a hand in irritation. "I'm sorry, but I do not have time to do anything with you nor do I have the patience to handle your enthusiasm, at present."
Shocked into silence, Eleniel stood in front of her father's desk for a moment, mouth agape and eyes filling quickly with tears. Never could she remember her father raising his voice at her. He had always had a soft, gentle voice full of laughter and compassion; this new, harsh tone sounded alien to the princess's ears. Choking back a sob, Eleniel turned abruptly and ran from the study, holding a shaking hand over her mouth. Realizing a moment too late that he had unintentionally directed his anger over the day's proceedings at his daughter, Aragorn looked up as the shocked expression crossed Eleniel's features before she ran from the room. Rising quickly in his chair, he called after her, but she ignored him, unable to hold back her sobs as she ran blindly down the corridor, tears streaming down her face.
The sound of his daughter's sobs tore at his heart, a fiery ache spreading through his chest as anger and guilt overtook him. Slamming his fist down on the polished surface of the desk, he fisted his hands in his hair, gritting his teeth against the angry cry that tried to force its way past his lips. What had he done? Never in all of his daughter's 18 years had he taken such a tone with her. Letting his head slowly fall, he rested it on one arm, swiping quickly at the tears that slid down his cheeks. What had he done?
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When Eleniel woke, the last of the suns rays had left the sky leaving cool, silver moonbeams to shine in their place. Her eyes felt heavy and sore, her throat scratchy. Gently pressing the heel of her hand to her eyes, she sat, ignoring the ache that was quickly spreading through her head. Remembering that she was supposed to have met Legolas at the practice yards, she swore quietly and got up, intending to go apologize to the elf before the reason she had not met him came back to her. Eleniel fought the lump rising in her throat, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. Legolas had said her father was proud of her. He had said that he wanted to be involved in her training. Obviously, Legolas was wrong. Her father didn't have the time for her. He didn't care. Well, if he didn't care then neither did she. Grabbing her pack, she wrenched her drawers open and began stuffing clothes into it haphazardly, grabbing the first things her fingers touched. What things she didn't have in her room, such as food and other useful materials like rope, she would get from the kitchen and the storerooms. Picking up her belt, she buckled it hastily around her waste, shoving her dagger in its hilt. Lastly, grabbing her cloak, quiver, and bow, Eleniel walked quietly but determinedly out of her room and headed for the kitchens. She would prove to her father how much she needed him, of that she was certain.
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"You want to do what!?"
Eleniel cringed slightly as her sister's voice reached a new caliber of high and screechy. With a sigh, she tugged anxiously on a wayward curl that had escaped her braid while waiting for her sister to calm down. She had known this was going to be hard when she'd thought of it.
"Are you out of your mind, Eleniel? Not only are you too young, but you are untried and of all the people to take with you, you pick me? Me!" Anoriel threw her hands up in exasperation and started pacing the length of her room. Every once in a while she'd turn to her younger sister and open her mouth as if to say something, but always ended up closing it with a frustrated growl. If the situation at present hadn't been quite so serious, Eleniel would have laughed. As it was, laughter was the last thing her sister needed to hear.
"Please, Nori. I have to do this. Garrell has said plenty of times that there is very little left that he can teach me and-"
"Very little implies that there's still something left he should be teaching you, Eleniel," Anoriel snapped, turning a glare on her sister.
Glaring right back, Eleniel stood silently for a moment, steeling herself. She hadn't wanted it to come to this. She didn't want to use this particular tactic, but her sister left her with no other choice. "I'll tell Ada and Nana about that time you snuck ou-"
"You wouldn't dare!" Anoriel shrieked, her face draining of most of its color.
Flinching only slightly at her sister's temper, she stuck her chin out stubbornly. "Are you willing to bet on that?" Eleniel fought the grin that threatened to spread across her face as she watched her sister mouth wordlessly for a moment looking every bit like a fish out of water. After a few moments, Anoriel turned abruptly and sat on the edge of her bed, leaning down to place her head in her hands.
"This isn't a good idea, Elli," she whispered, turning a worried gaze to her sister.
Eleniel moved to sit next to her sister, leaning her head down to rest on the older girl's shoulder. "We'll be fine, Nori. I promise. We can even take Laeryn with us as long as he doesn't tell Ada...or Dari," she added as an afterthought. "I don't want Ada to know anything about this." She couldn't help the bitterness that crept into her voice and she knew her sister would hear it. "Please, will you come?"
With a sigh, Anoriel regarded her sister with a sharp eye for a few moments before nodding. Laughing lightly as the younger girl hugged her enthusiastically, Anoriel added, "Only if Laeryn comes, too."
"Agreed!" Eleniel replied as she got up to help her sister pack her things.
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The large stone hallways of Minas Tirith were oddly deserted as Eleniel, Anoriel, and Laeryn made their way quietly toward one of the lesser used east entrances. Keeping both her companions within her line of vision, Eleniel slowly slid the large wooden doors at the end of the corridor open, peeking around its edge to see if the guards stood duty there tonight. With a sigh of relief, she realized that they'd been stationed not directly at the door, but down at the eastern gate. Turning over her shoulder to look at her two companions, she motioned silently for them to follow and to be silent as they did so.
Eleniel was actually quite surprised with both Laeryn and Anoriel's skill thus far. Laeryn made virtually no noise at all when walking, a testament to that fact that he was best friend's with Eldarion and had trained with Dari and their father. Anoriel was, of course, noisier when she walked, but only by a little. Apparently, she hadn't quite forgotten all the sneaking around she had done with her siblings as children. Now that they were outside the main palace itself, however, and nearing the eastern gate of the city, the three travelers had no need for such secrecy. Stopping, Eleniel turned to the others with a smile.
"You two are much quieter than I would have expected. I am certain we got out completely undetected and you didn't tell Eldarion or Father, right?" She asked, leveling her gaze on Laeryn.
Laeryn grinned slightly, the moonlight casting blue shadows on his handsome face. "Elli, your confidence in me is astounding. Of course I didn't tell your brother or your father. In all technicality, I am fully allowed to lead a hunting party out anytime I wish as long as Garrell is informed prior to the outing. I told Garrell, of course, but for some very strange reason I was momentarily struck with the worst case of amnesia and couldn't possibly remember who I was taking with me." His grin widened as the two girls laughed. "Well, old Garrell already thinks I'm slightly touched in the head, so naturally he let it pass and just told me to make sure that whoever I was taking came back in once piece. He can't afford to loose any of his soldiers, after all."
"I don't know whether to be shocked or amused," Anoriel murmured, turning a perplexed gaze on Laeryn.
Laeryn laughed, putting an arm around Anoriel's shoulders and pulling her close. "Oh come now, Princess. Certainly my handsome face and award-winning smile outshine my sordid ways? I would hate to think that such a lovely lady as yourself thinks badly of me." He grinned, every bit the rogue, and tugged lightly on the end of Anoriel's long braid.
Anoriel rolled her eyes with a laugh and shoved Laeryn's arm off her shoulder. Eleniel being the keen observer she was, however, even in the moonlight did not miss the lovely flush the reddened Anoriel's cheeks. 'Hm...' Eleniel thought with an inward grin. 'This trip should turn out to be rather interesting.' Adding a light laugh of her own to the jovial atmosphere, Eleniel resettled her pack on her shoulders and made sure her bow, quiver, and dagger were all in easy reach. "So my fellow adventurers, dawn approaches and the wide world awaits. Shall we be off?"
"I think we shall," Laeryn replied, checking his pack and weapons as Eleniel had done. "You two had better put your hoods up. The guards won't question my presence or the presence of two soldiers in my company, but I can imagine they'd throw a right fit if they found out the two soldiers were actually Gondor's princesses."
With a nod, Eleniel and Anoriel pulled up the large hoods of their traveling cloaks, sufficiently obscuring their features as they followed Laeryn out of the eastern gate and down into the forests beyond. Eleniel's nerves vibrated with excitement as she watched the sun just barely kiss the eastern horizon. Unable to contain her enthusiasm, Eleniel let out a quiet whoop and elbowed her sister, grinning. Anoriel elbowed her back, a slight grin spreading across her own features. Laeryn fell back once they were out of sight of the gate and threw an arm over each of the girls' shoulders. All three companions were in high spirits as they set out to encounter whatever adventures that awaited them. As the sun brushed the treetops around them with gold and adrenaline rushed quickly through their veins, it never occurred to them that perhaps they'd find a bit more adventure then they'd bargained for.
A/N: Well, that's it for chapter one! Please review. I don't care whether you tell me you like it or hate it, I'd just like some feedback from my readers! However, be aware that flames will be used to toast marshmallows. Thanks!
Tears-of-crystal