Awry
Chapter 2
Luthiel came slowly awake, noticing the rain was still pattering at her window unabated. She let out a sigh. She and Eldarion had not stayed long on the Tower, as the wind grew too chill in the damp air. They had retreated to a room lower in the Tower that was more sheltered from the elements, and had talked long into the night.
Eldarion had not said as much, but she very much suspected that this would all be easier for him to cope with if Elfwine were here to stand steadily alongside him. Elfwine had always been able to calm and reassure his friend in a way that no one else could, and he was missing that just now.
Certainly Luthiel could not fault him desiring that. She, too, was anxious to have Dariel arrive. Her friend had gone through all of this before her and would help settle her nerves. She would one day be queen also, and she would know how to help Luthiel come to terms with that idea. But, more than that, she understood the situation, and Luthiel, as none other did. Her mother and queen Arwen had done the best they could, but they were not in precisely the position she found herself. Somehow she thought only Dariel could truly understand. She very much hoped the rain would not prevent her arriving in time for the wedding.
With another sigh, she rose and began to dress. This was the final day of preparation – and waiting. Tomorrow afternoon she would stand beside Eldarion and become his wife. Were the weather not so miserable, likely she would have gone for a long ride to occupy her mind for awhile. But she did not want to risk taking a chill, so she was forced to resort to reading as an occupation, which did not entirely serve its purpose.
By late afternoon, she felt as though she could have climbed the walls. There were last minute dress fittings, and various people came to visit and wish her well, but none of it truly held her attention, and she felt the trepidation gnawing at her insides constantly.
She dressed early for the pre-wedding family supper, then wandered to the room of her soon-to-be sisters, Tuilwen and Belinzel. The twins were still in a state of undress, and apparently not very concerned about hurrying along. They flitted about the room, chatting breezily with Luthiel as they prepared for the meal. If they noticed the uncharacteristically quiet demeanor of their brother's betrothed, they did not comment on it.
Tuilwen stood in front of her looking glass, holding various ribbons up next to her hair and dress, trying to choose which would look best. Casually, she said, "I suppose Eldarion has never told you about the first council meeting he attended with Father."
Belinzil's eyes sparked at the comment, knowing where this was leading, and she added, "He was but fourteen months of age at the time, though Father was eager to show off his son and heir to the council members, as well as get a bit of time with him."
Tuilwen picked up the story again, and the two began the intricate dance they did in talking back and forth between them, as if they were a single person speaking, their words blending seamlessly together. "Naturally, it did not take long for Eldarion to begin fidgeting at being held…"
"So Father set him on the floor by the window with a few toys…"
"But Eldarion soon lost interest in playing – and in wearing his diaper…"
"He despised wearing them, and had become very adept at slithering out of them…"
"So when he sought Father's attention, he stood there quite naked!"
"Father was most embarrassed, but could not help thinking it amusing…"
"He lifted Eldarion onto his lap to cuddle him a moment, before having someone take the child to his mother…"
"In the blink of an eye, Eldarion began to spout – he wet all over Father!"
"The council just sat staring aghast at this disruption, and this heinous behavior of Gondor's heir – to show such blatant disrespect for the king…"
"But Father began to chuckle, and soon was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes!"
"The council had to take a break while Father went to change clothing, and have Eldarion attended…"
"Needless to say, it was a very long time before Eldarion was allowed at another council meeting!" Belinzel finished triumphantly, as both girls turned to watch Luthiel's reaction.
Her earlier trepidation was momentarily forgotten. All Luthiel could do was focus on the mental image she had formed of this scenario as they described it. A snicker escaped her, then a chuckle. An instant later, she was doubled over with laughter and wiping at her eyes. Tuilwen and Belinzel had quickly joined her, quite aware of the change their story had wrought in Luthiel's frame of mind.
The good humor lasted her the entire night, and by the time Luthiel retired to her bed, she was very grateful for what the twins had done to distract her. Now if she could only get through tomorrow morning…
xx
They had been traveling for an hour, when Elfwine rode up alongside the carriage. Through the window, he told the ladies, "I do not know if we will make it in time at this rate." His eyes met Dariel's and they did not have to speak of what they both knew – that they would be as disappointed as Eldarion and Luthiel were they to miss the wedding.
Lothiriel eyed the two of them, then suggested, "What if Dariel joins you on horseback and you ride on ahead? I can keep Arawine with me. At least then the two of you would be there, whether the rest of us arrived in time or not."
"I could not burden you with Arawine," Dariel protested, though she was sorely tempted with this offer.
"Nonsense," Lothiriel chided. "I can manage the twins just fine, and I have Miren here to help. He will not even notice you are gone. Do not miss this, dearest. I know how much you wish to be there, and you both should be. It is important to them as well as to you."
Dariel glanced at her husband who gave her an encouraging nod. As it happened, she was wearing her riding outfit already, as were Lothiriel and Miren. The shorter skirt worked better wading through mud than their usual dresses, and being a split skirt it was considerably warmer than a dress in the chill weather. Elfwine recognized the look of acquiescence on her face, and said, "I will have Hobbit saddled for you and return in a moment."
The carriage came to a halt while preparations were taking place. As they waited, a thought occurred to Dariel, "I will not be able to take my dress…"
"It is not so important as getting you there. I am sure Luthiel can find something for you to wear, and we will be along with your clothes soon."
Elfwine had returned, so Dariel turned to her son and said, "Sweetest, you behave for Grandmother. I will see you in a little while." She kissed his cheek but he did not look up from playing with Theodred, and Dariel grinned in amusement. Softly she murmured, "Try not to miss me too much!"
Lothiriel chuckled at her comment, then helped her get positioned in the door so she could mount without stepping down into the mud. As soon as she was in the saddle, the queen passed her cloak to her and she was quickly enveloped in it, protected as much as possible from the still falling rain. It had been decided for them to ride on ahead with just the King's Escort in attendance. The main party was accompanied by one of Elfhelm's eoreds from Aldburg, as King Elessar had requested Eomer bring an eored along in case they were needed in dealing with the Haradrim.
And then the two were away, riding as swiftly as Dariel could manage. They stopped to rest several times in the shelter of trees, since Dariel did not have the stamina on horseback that the others did. Still, they were making progress and, just before noon, they spotted Minas Tirith, another hour's ride away. They hastily ate a quick bite, remaining mounted, and then were underway once more.
They rode straight to the seventh level, where Kialmar took their horses for them as they hurried inside to dry off. Luthiel and Eldarion were waiting anxiously in the foyer, having been alerted to their arrival. "You made it!" Luthiel exclaimed, rushing into Dariel's arms, and hugging her friend tightly.
Elfwine and Eldarion embraced as well, while Elfwine explained, "The rest are still on the road and will be here as soon as they can manage. We feared it would not be in time, so we rode on ahead. We did not want to miss being here with you."
"Thank you," Eldarion told them sincerely. "That means a great deal to us. Though we do hope your family arrives in time also."
The visitors were hustled off to their room, where dry clothing was provided for them. Once they were changed, each ventured off to have time with their respective friend before the wedding, and Luthiel and Dariel spent it sprawled on Luthiel's bed talking about everything.
At length, Luthiel let out a relieved sigh. "I am so pleased you were able to make it! I do not know how I would have survived this without you!"
Dariel smiled in amusement. "You would have managed – I am sure of it. You love him, and you would not have let anything, including your own nerves, interfere with your being joined to him."
Luthiel shifted position to rest her head against Dariel's as they lay side by side. "Still, I am glad you are here. I feel much calmer now. I think I shall enjoy my wedding much more than I would have without you." They lay there in silence for several minutes and then Luthiel observed, "You are the only one I know who has been in this position. Mother has told me something of the adjustment she had to make, in marrying Father and becoming the wife of the steward, and Princess of Ithilien. Though she had served her uncle in the court of Rohan, it was not quite the same as taking up such a responsible position in Gondor. Still, it does not entirely reflect my own situation…"
Dariel considered her comments, then answered, "We are somewhat unique, you and I. My mother, and mother-in-law, married men who were already king. They were immediately thrust into that position of responsibility you speak of, but we wed only knowing that someday it will come to us. Mother had an Elf's lifetime of experience to draw upon, and queen Lothiriel was raised in a royal court, the daughter of a Prince and ruling beside her brother in their father's absence during the War. Each in their own way was prepared for the role they were to fill when they married."
She rolled onto her side to look at Luthiel and continued, "We do not have that. We have lived in the household of those who rule, and certainly learned something from that experience, but it is not really of much practical use for us on our wedding day. If there is anything I would tell you, it is this: forget about being queen someday. That will happen no matter what you do or do not do. Your task now is simply to love your husband, and come to know him even better than he knows himself, so that when he is king and you stand at his side, you will know how to strengthen him, guide him, protect him, encourage him and, most of all, be his refuge from the rigors of his office. I have discovered that queen Lothiriel is most generous in teaching me her tricks for supporting her husband, and easing his burden, and I am sure my mother will be the same with you. Watch her closely and you will see things you never imagined, things you never took the time to notice before."
Luthiel pondered this and then nodded, feeling much more at peace than she had earlier. Things did not seem nearly so overwhelming now that Dariel had helped her gain perspective. With a grin, she asked teasingly, "Do you truly think a wild child of Ithilien will survive in the courts of Gondor?"
Dariel laughed. "Only if she wishes to! Remember, an Elf from the woods of Rivendell and a wild shieldmaiden of Rohan have done so before you. You will do it if you make up your mind to succeed."
Luthiel leaned and pressed a kiss to her cheek, then settled back alongside her friend to stare up at the ceiling. "Thank you," she whispered.
Meanwhile, Elfwine was in Eldarion's room listening to the litany of woes that had befallen him in the past week, and commiserating with him about it all. When he finished, Eldarion eyed his friend and said fervently, "I am glad you are here, Elfwine. I am not sure I could manage this without you. I envy you your calm. Even on your own wedding day you showed no sign of nerves."
Elfwine chuckled. "That is not so! I was nervous, but I hid it well. Still, I knew I loved her, and wanted her for my wife. That thought made it possible to endure everything else. Perhaps that is your problem. You are worrying too much about the details and not enough about what is most important – Luthiel. So long as she shows up, stands at your side and accepts you as her husband, nothing else truly matters."
Blinking in surprise, Eldarion frowned. He had thought that his efforts were part of being solely focused on Luthiel, but now that Elfwine put it that way, they all seemed superfluous. Maybe it really was as simple as Elfwine said; concentrate on Luthiel and not worry about the rest of it. With her at his side, he could weather anything. Slowly a grin spread over his face as he reached that conclusion, and he gave Elfwine a slight nod of gratitude. His friend did not need more to be said to understand that Eldarion had taken his meaning quite clearly.
Soon enough, their attendants appeared to help get the bride and groom ready. Arwen and Eowyn knew better than to allow the entourage to buzz around Luthiel right up until the ceremony, so they arrived a half hour before and shooed everyone out of the room except Dariel, and the three of them put the finishing touches on Luthiel's preparations. Luthiel felt as though her head had been under water, and only once everyone left could she breathe again. The mothers and her best friend soon had her laughing, and any worries she might be feeling could not surface in the face of their good cheer and camaraderie.
And then Faramir was at the door, advising that it was time. The party from Rohan still had not come, but since they could not be certain they would, it had been decided to proceed on schedule. Taking her father's arm, Luthiel let him lead her to the main hall where the guests and her betrothed awaited.
Elfwine was facing the back of the hall when Luthiel appeared in the door. His eyes flicked to Eldarion and he asked quietly, "Are you nervous?"
Eldarion cleared his throat with some effort and shrugged. "A bit."
"Do you love her?" Elfwine asked.
"With all my heart," Eldarion answered without hesitation.
A slow grin spread over Elfwine's face and he gestured toward the rear of the hall. "Then look at your bride and forget about everything else."
Eldarion wheeled around and stopped just short of gasping at the sight of Luthiel. In that moment, the guests who hadn't made it because of the weather, the skimpy arrangements of evergreen and worse-for-the-wear bouquets of flowers, and his own miserable appearance with black eye and bandaged hand all faded into oblivion. No, they did not truly matter. Only this exquisite creature walking toward him, and beaming at him with adoration, was of any consequence. Yes, a perfect wedding in a perfect setting would have been nice, but Luthiel gazing at him with such love in her eyes made everything perfect anyway.
Eldarion did not take in much of the ceremony, though Elfwine nudged him as needed to get him to give the appropriate responses.
Luthiel felt as though she was watching herself from a distance, and was relieved to see how confident and poised she appeared as she stood before the king of Gondor, taking her vows to lord and land.
Just before the final pronouncement and seal of approval by the king, there was a pause. As it lengthened into several minutes, Luthiel tore her eyes from Eldarion's to glance at the king, and Eldarion's gaze likewise questioningly shifted to his father. Elessar grinned knowingly at the two of them and nodded toward the back of the hall. Only then did they notice something of a disturbance, and turned to find a very wet and bedraggled group of travelers, from both Rohan and Dol Amroth, filing in and settling in seats in the back row. Once they were in, and the doors closed, Elessar completed the ceremony and presented the new princess to her family, friends and people.
Then the celebration began in earnest. Food and drink flowed plentifully, and all was a blur of music, dancing and well-wishing. At one point, the 'twins' from Rohan got into a tussle, wrestling about on the floor until they upset a table. That was when the respective mothers decided it was time for the two to find their beds and call it a day.
As he stood watching the petulant two-year-olds being escorted from the hall, his arm around his wife, Eldarion smiled and then broke into a laugh. Who needed perfection? All one needed was love and then everything was perfection, no matter the mishaps. He glanced down just as Luthiel looked up at him, and Eldarion took the opportunity to claim a quick kiss. Perhaps his plans had gone awry, but the most important detail of all had stood firm – Luthiel was now his forever.
THE END
9/6/06 – 9/9/06
Tuilwen & Belinzil, the younger twin sisters of Eldarion and Dariel - they are 15 in 25 IV
Eldarion & Luthiel married Mar, 25 IV – Eldarion is 25, Luthiel is 20
Eomer 54, Lothiriel 46, Elfwine 24, Theodwyn 17 (not yet in love with Freawine), Theomund 15, Morwen 11, Theodred 2, Arawine 2
Miren became Lothiriel's nurse to the children in 23 IV when Theodred was born, since Morwen was 9 by then and Daelwyn had retired. In 25 IV, Miren's kids are 9, 17 and 20 (the eldest is male, the others are female). The two eldest run their home and care for their little sister while Miren goes to M.T. with Lothiriel and Theodred. Kialmar, Miren's husband, is head of the King's Escort and is also on the trip, so the children are home alone, though their Aunt Lissa checks on them.
Eothain is Captain of the King's Guard and remains at Edoras to protect the city.
End note: It is not essential that you read the Elfwine Chronicles in the order they were written, but there is an advantage to doing so. The more of them that I wrote, the more likely I was to make reference to one of the previous ones and something that happened there. If you want to read them in order, go to the top of this page and click on my name (Deandra). That will take you to my profile page. Scroll down and you will find all the stories I have written. The Elfwine Chronicles are in order from bottom to top since ffn shows them in the order they were posted. A few were posted out of number order, but you can read them in posting order or number order since those few won't be affected in the story content.
