Chapter Four
Flora grabbed her towel off the floor and dried herself off in a hurry, she was still furious with Nilhisie and the jealousy was eating at her heart. A knock on the door broke her out of her fury and she kicked a few pillows before trying to compose herself before answering the door.
"Yes?" Flora opened the door to find Larowen standing outside.
"I heard yelling and I just though maybe you'd like someone to talk to." Larowen offered politely. Flora was about to thank her and kindly decline but the tears started flowing and she nearly collapsed in Larowen's arms.
"Oh, come, come, let's sit down." Larowen led the sobbing Flora inside her room and shut the door behind them, "There, there." Larowen held Flora in her arms and patted her back while she sobbed, "Tell me what's wrong, just spill all your feelings and cry as much as you need to, I'm here for you." Larowen sat on the bed and put her arm around Flora.
"Legolas." Nilhisie stood in the door of Legolas's room.
"You need to talk?" Legolas guessed correctly.
"Yes." Nilhisie shuffled into the room and stood in a daze for a moment.
"I'm guessing you told Flora about her then?" Legolas sat in a chair and waited for the quiet Nilhisie to speak up.
"Well, I didn't get to tell her much. I told her I meet someone and she just lost it." Nilhisie recalled Flora's angry shouts and sat across from Legolas, "But, you know, she said that she had met someone too." Nilhisie said defensively.
"But, she lost everything she had, Nilhisie, you can't expect her not to seek comfort in someone." Legolas pointed out so diligently.
"That's not the point!" Nilhisie exclaimed. Legolas sat in silence, Nilhisie was obviously still too upset over the matter to act rationally at the moment, "She left me here, with our two sons and she expected me not to look for someone else either?" Nilhisie sulked.
"I know. It's tough for both of you. The thing you need to ask yourself is, do you still care for her?" Legolas asked.
"Of course I care about her, she is the mother of my sons." Nilhisie sighed.
"That's not what I meant, do you care about her for her?"
"I care about her. It's just," Nilhisie paused, "things have changed. She's changed."
"She's changed? How?" Legolas pushed Nilhisie for information.
"She looks older." Nilhisie tried to explain, "I saw her today and at first I was so glad she was back but then I realized that she is a mortal, in just one year she has changed so much and I just saw her changing like that for the next 70 years or so until she is dead." Nilhisie put his head in his hands and sighed once more, "I don't think I can deal with that. The death." Nilhisie looked up at Legolas.
"I understand." Legolas nodded.
"Are you feeling a little better now?" Larowen asked after Flora had explained the complicated situation to Larowen about her previous trip to Mirkwood and the tragedy that ended the happiest time in her life.
"A little." Flora nodded.
"So, tomorrow you are going to talk to Nilhisie then?" Larowen wiped the few last tears from Flora's face.
"Yes, I will tell him that I left the man I met when I came here and I want to stay here if I'm allowed and be with my sons and hopefully with him." Flora said defiantly.
"Good, now let's lay down and try to relax so you can get some rest." Larowen blew out the candles next to the bed and snuggled under the covers next to Flora.
"Thanks, Larowen, you're a good friend." Flora gave Larowen's hand a friendly squeeze before closing her eyes to try and fall asleep.
"I'm glad you think so." Larowen whispered into the dark room and closed her own eyes.
"What do you think Thranduil?" Sauros asked as he paced back and forth in front of a roaring fire.
"I'm glad she is back, I just think it is too soon and emotions are still high from the tragedies of that summer." Thranduil sat thoughtfully in his chair.
"And this new girl, Larowen?" Sauros turned to face Thranduil.
"I don't know. I just don't know." Thranduil shook his head.
"Where is she from? Do we know?" Sauros asked thoughtfully.
"I thought she was from the same town as Flora?"
"No, Flora said she showed up at her home one day, I think she is from somewhere else." Sauros sat next to Thranduil in front of the fire.
"I just hope we don't have another case of unplanned parenting. And gods forbid it be with someone else in this palace, especially my son Legolas."
"You think Legolas has feelings for Larowen?"
"No, no feelings." Thranduil shook his head, "Not yet at least. I think he just may start seeking female companionship again, especially now that Flora has returned to Nilhisie."
"Well now, Nilhisie did have a busy summer romancing some of the maidens." Sauros pointed out.
"Yes, but I think it was to stop the pain from having Flora gone." Thranduil took a sip of his wine, there were far too many things going on in his kingdom that he did not like. Far too much activity for his taste. And mortals running around causing a ruckus didn't help things at all.