The Valar (angels or gods for the elves):
Manwë King of the Valar and his wife Varda (Elbereth) Queen of the stars
Tulkas Champion of the Valar and his wife Nessa the Dancer (sister of Oromë)
Namo (Mandos) the Doomsman of the Valar and his wife Vairë the Weaver
Aulë the Smith and his wife Yavanna the Fruit-giver
Oromë the Huntsman and his wife Vana the Ever-young
Ulmo King of the Sea
Irmo Master of Dreams and his wife Estë, Healer of hurts and weariness
Nienna Lady of Pity and Mourning, sister of Namo and Irmo
Chapter 9 ended with:
"Well... Let's support and guide Emily in her alternate path," Nimmel said. "Let us hope the Valar will be compassionate and allow her to meet her mate shortly..."
"The Valar are very compassionate, Lady Nimmel," Mithrandir replied. "I would not worry for Emily. Her second path is already clearly defined, and her destiny is awaiting for her..."
Chapter 10 - A new life
Woodland Realm, Valinor, Year 132 of the Fourth Age (2 years later)
Legolas was carrying the carcass of the deer on the back of his horse, Oropher and Thranduil following him while discussing how easy hunting was in Valinor. The animals were less fearful and suspicious in Valinor than they were in Middle Earth. The ellyn were riding back to the palace after a good day of hunting and bonding between fathers and sons.
Legolas could already feel the delicate meat on his taste buds as it would be cooked for the feast that night, and it seemed his grandfather could too, as Oropher started talking about what other meals would be served that night. Thranduil snorted at the mention of some of the dishes that only Oropher appreciated, having been served these meals at home during all his childhood. Legolas made not comments during the argument that followed between his father and grandfather about some of the food that Lady Valarie had imported from her world, as he himself appreciated what they called pasta and french fries. He also liked the sushi, these rolls of rice and raw fish that needed to be served extremely fresh.
"... do you not think, Legolas?" Thranduil asked him.
Before Legolas could admit that he had not been listening, Oropher cut him: "Leave Legolas out of this! You should see how quickly his food disappears from his plate when he visits my family!"
Legolas noticed his father flinched slightly at that mention of Oropher's family. Thranduil still had difficulty dealing with the fact that Oropher considered Valerie and Haldir as his parents, and that all his siblings were as important to him than Legolas and Thranduil. If Oropher had noticed Thranduil's reaction, he did not show it and continued talking about his favourite food just to tease his son.
Oropher kept talking until they reached the small palace where both kings, the queen and Legolas lived in their woodland realm. Thranduil suddenly stopped when he entered the stables, seeing three unknown horses being taken care of by the stable grooms. Oropher entered next and immediately recognized the two stallions, while the mare was one of the many horses that belonged to his ada Haldir.
"Naneth and Gil-galad are here!" he cried, delighted. In a flash he was gone, leaving behind his stunned son and grandson.
"He is completely different than he used to be," sighed Thranduil. "He was much more formal, circumspect and cold..."
"Is it not a good thing that he changed? He is so pleasant to be with now," Legolas remarked, helping a stable boy bring down the deer from the back of his horse. He also requested that his stallion be thoroughly washed. He could already hear one of the cooks entering the stables, delighted to have deer meat to serve that same evening.
"I guess you could say that," Thranduil said, giving his horse to another stable boy. "My naneth seems much happier than I remember when we were in Middle Earth, before he died... Now let's go see which one of his numerous siblings has arrived with Valarie and Gil-galad..."
When they entered the main hall, they saw Oropher twirling around a red-haired elleth while Valerie, Gil-galad and Tialyn were laughing at the scene.
"It is about time that you come out of your retreat! I still cannot believe that you actually moved out of the house to go live by yourself! Do you know how much grief it caused to Naneth? Tialyn's delicate ears could not endure the complaints anymore, she almost became deaf!"
Valerie snorted while Tialyn pinched Oropher's arm. "I never said such things!"
"Lady Emily! What a pleasure to see you," Thranduil said gallantly to the unfortunate Marchwarden's daughter. He kissed her hand, looking at her with both curiosity and pity.
Emily barely concealed her annoyance. She was tired of everyone looking at her with sympathy. It was not helping her grieving process, and it was one of the reasons why she had moved out of her parents' manor to go live in her own little house in the east side of New Imladris.
Legolas came closer and kissed her hand like his father had done before. At least, Emily thought, he was not looking at her with pity. In fact, his gaze was slightly cold, if not indifferent. She wondered if the prince was unhappy about their visit. Why would he be? It had been at least a year since anyone from New Imladris had visited the Woodland Realm. Oropher and Tialyn were visiting their family so frequently that no one needed to travel to visit them in return.
"Do not listen to Oropher," Tialyn told her mother. "If I become deaf, it will be his fault!"
"Well, well, and here I was, thinking it was Thranduil's continuous irritation who would cause you to lose your hearing," Valerie replied saucily.
Oropher and Tialyn burst out laughing while Thranduil and Valerie were observing each other with something akin to defiance. They had their moments were they were getting along relatively well, but at other times, like that day, Valerie and Thranduil were remembering old grievances, in particular their first encounter in Lothlorien when the king had attempted to steal the infant Oropher from Valerie.
"Emily, would you like to rest before dinner?" asked Tialyn.
"Tia, I have not napped since I was five years old," Emily replied. "I will probably just go walk in the forest, if you do not mind."
"Can I have someone join you, sister?" asked Oropher. "I would feel more comfortable knowing that someone that knows our forest is with you, just to make sure that you do not get lost. After all, we are having a feast tonight, and my warriors would prefer to celebrate with everyone instead of searching for you in the woods after nightfall..."
"As you wish, Oropher," Emily sighed. She knew he was right. She was not familiar with the woods and she could easily get lost. "Just ask anyone, I am not in the mood to talk much."
"Legolas, will you please go with my sister?"
Surprised, Legolas looked at his grandfather. "But... I was supposed to meet with-"
"You can meet whichever lover you were planning to see this afternoon tomorrow. My sister is more important than one of your flirts."
Legolas blushed violently, but bowed to his grandfather nevertheless. He held his arm for Emily to take, and they both left the room silently.
"Oropher, your subtlety amazes me every time!" Gil-galad laughed, hitting his brother's shoulder.
"Why did you have to make this situation awkward by mentioning his lovers, Oropher?" Tialyn asked.
"Legolas is young and unattached," Valerie said to her friend. "This is nothing we are not used to see. We can hardly keep-up with the lovers of Adam and Gil-galad, Legolas cannot be worse!"
"He is competing with them, believe me," Tialyn said to Valerie, pulling her towards her private sitting room. "I had no idea my grandson was such a ladies' ellon."
"Legolas was not known for this, back in Middle Earth," Valerie replied. "In fact, I do not recall ever seeing him with an elleth."
"I guess he was discreet back then. Nowadays, he would put Adam to shame."
"How odd! What are Oropher and Thranduil thinking of it?"
"Oropher believes Legolas is still young, that he needs to experience before settling down. Thranduil on the other hand... He wants Legolas to get married and give him grandchildren."
"Why is this not surprising me?" Valerie commented with sarcasm.
"Hush! Thranduil is not as bad as you make it sound! He simply wants to see his son happy with an elleth."
"Can he not wait for Legolas to meet his fëa-mate?"
"My dear, we are despairing that he will ever meet her. He has probably met every unbounded elleth in Middle Earth and Valinor by now, and he did not meet her. What if, like Erestor's true fëa-mate, his mate will remain forever in the Halls of Mandos? Should he remain single, never have elflings? Do you not think a marriage of convenience, with a funny, spiritual and beautiful elleth, would satisfy him for the rest of eternity instead of living an eternity of despair?"
"We have witnessed a marriage of elves that were not fëa-mates, Tia. Surely, you do not wish the same thing for Legolas?"
"Erestor and Emily were frustrated and resentful about their mistake. But if an ellon and an elleth know they are entering a marriage of convenience, and they find enough advantages in this binding, they can be happy. History is full of these marriages, and most of them worked..."
"If you say so, Tia... Now, show me this dress you wrote me about. I cannot believe Narwen would have designed something so revealing... Is Oropher actually allowing you to wear this in public?"
OoOoO
They had been walking in the forest for at least half an hour, and the only thing Legolas had said was "Be cautious", "Do not walk on this branch" and "Slightly lift the bottom of your dress or you will stain it on this humid moss." He was not holding her arm anymore. In fact, he was walking slightly behind her and was avoiding to cross her gaze. She wondered what she had done to merit this kind of treatment. She had always been nice to him in the past. Of course, she had neglected him because of her mourning, but she had treated him no differently than any other acquaintance or friend. His attitude could only be explained by his disappointment not to meet whoever he had been supposed to meet that day.
"I am sorry... I did not mean to destroy your plans for the afternoon," Emily said, breaking the silence.
"Do not worry," Legolas replied stiffly. "It was not an important appointment."
They continued walking for a while. Emily decided to break the silence again by asking a question that would probably make Legolas more talkative.
"Where is Gimli? He was not at the manor when we arrived."
"Gimli is spending a few weeks with the hobbits in Valimar."
"How is he doing?"
"Good."
So much for Legolas being talkative when talking about his friend. How dare he be so rude to her? Although she had been annoyed with people that had been too nice with her because of her loss, she could not accept such rudeness when she did not deserve it. She stopped walking, and he bumped into her. He jumped backwards as if she had burnt him.
"Legolas!" she cried. "If you are going to be so disrespectful, you can go back to the palace. I will find my way back by myself."
"I will remain with you, for your own safety."
"Then immediately cease to be so cold and uncaring! We used to be friends, what happened to you?"
Legolas started walking in front of her, and she had no choice but to follow him. He seemed deep in thoughts after her last comment. He suddenly stopped, and it was her who bumped into him this time. He caught her before she fell, holding her arm until she regained her balance.
"You are right, Emily. I have been a brute. Will you forgive me?"
"Only if you tell me why you were acting like this!"
"I have... I have had some problems in the past few years. My life has not been easy."
"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked compassionately.
He suddenly had this strange look on his face, but it disappeared so quickly that Emily was not sure she had actually seen it.
"No, thank you for asking. I would not want to burden you with my issues. But I swear I will try to be more amicable," he said with a smile that was slightly fake.
Emily looked at him for a while, and decided that even if he was pretending to be in a good mood, it was better than having his grim face in front of hers all the time. And he looked so much better when he smiled!
"Alright, I forgive you. Now tell me how Gimli is really doing. Why is he spending so much time with the hobbits? Is it because of your foul mood?"
OoOoO
A few days later, she was translating a book in the garden when Legolas suddenly appeared beside her and asked if he could sit with her.
"Of course!" she allowed, pleased that he was looking for her company. Every day that passed saw him being more open with her, and it would only be a matter of a few days before she could say their former friendship had been fully restored.
"What are you working on?" he asked, trying to look at the book she was holding in one hand.
"Another book on history. This one is about transportation. You want to take a look?"
Legolas curiously looked at these machines and Emily explained in details how big they were and how they worked. She suddenly stopped on a page showing a machine with two wheels and one seat.
"This is a motorcycle," she explained. She flipped a few pages, and showed him another motorcycle that was smaller and more colorful. "And this is a racer. It is a motorcycle that goes extremely fast. My father... my real father... killed himself riding one of these."
"I am sorry to hear that."
"My mother... she did not know that in was in the stairs when the policemen arrived home and told her her husband had been killed in an accident. I was young, I understood my father had been hurt, but not that I would never see him again... My mother was so strong! She never cried in front of us. She went back to work after a month, and she supported Thomas and I through our grief. Adam was too young, he never realized our father was dead."
"Your naneth has always been strong. Or she would never have accomplished everything she did since she arrived here."
"It puts me to shame."
"What puts you to shame?"
"How long my grieving process is! I am not strong like my mother!"
"You should not compare yourself to her, Emily. Everyone sees a difference between how you are today and how you were just a few months ago. You are smiling again, you started working again, and you left New Imladris to visit your brother!"
"Yes, you are right," she sighed.
"One day, you will find love again. A companion that will give you the support that you require, feeble elleth that you are!"
She laughed but punched him lightly. She became serious shortly after. "Legolas? Do you think... it is right for me to find love again? To forget Erestor?"
Legolas did not reply immediately, pondering his answer to ensure he did not mislead her.
"I think that you will never forget Erestor. Nor should you. He has been a part of your life for most of it, and although your marriage was not a happy one for many decades, in the end, you found a compromise and lived happily with him. These decades where you lived in peace with him forged your character, changed you deeply, and you became a different person, more prudent, more patient... It made you the elleth that you are today, one that everyone in New Imladris loves... Your family is devoted to you, and you deserve all their attention and love. You will never forget Erestor. But... you should be open to falling in love again. One day, when you are ready..."
Emily thought about his words, understanding what he was saying. Her entire family had told her the same, but it was different to hear it from someone who had nothing at stake in this matter.
"Thank you, Legolas," she said, taking his hand. "You are a true friend."
OoOoO
Haldir was leaning on a column, observing his wife who was sleeping on a bench in her garden. She had a blanket covering her, as the sun was not hot enough in early spring to warm her up completely. Her fiery hair was long enough to flow on the ground, like a waterfall of fire under the sunlight. She had not changed at all since she had followed him in this world. She was still the most beautiful elleth he had ever seen. He loved everything about her. Her visage, her emerald green eyes, her smile, her pout, her delicate hands that were strong enough to fight with twin blades. Her body still unchanged after so many pregnancies, thanks to her half-elvishness. No, her body had not changed at all. But her character had. It had started slowly, and Haldir had not noticed it at first. But once the change had become obvious to him, he realized it had been a process much longer than he had originally thought.
Valerie was not happy. Or rather, she was less happy than she used to be. It was subtle, and he wondered if he was the only one who had noticed it.
He started when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw the ellith standing beside him, looking at him worriedly.
"Naneth, Narwen," he welcomed his mother and youngest daughter.
"Ada, you are not the only one who has noticed that Naneth is not doing very well," Narwen said.
"She is bored, Haldir," Nimmel continued. "She has always been very active, all her life, in her world, in Middle Earth... When you arrived here, she built New Imladris with Lord Elrond... But it has been decades that nothing really happened in her life."
"She tried to do new activities," Haldir argued.
Narwen snorted. "You think gardening, painting and translating books are enough for her?"
"I am not sure that I know what she needs."
"Ada, you know perfectly well what she needs! You can read it in her as well as I can!"
"Yes... You are right... I know what she needs but..."
"But what, son?" asked Nimmel after Haldir had remained silent for a few moments.
"Will it ever end, you think?"
"And what if it does not?" asked Nimmel. "She is half-elven, Haldir. She does not think like the other ellith. But you are the perfect ellon to support her in this."
"I know. I am also worried... What would Emily say?" Haldir asked them.
"Your concern honors you, Haldir," Nimmel praised.
"Emily would be surprised, but she loves Naneth too much to make her feel guilty," Narwen stated.
"Think about it, Haldir," Nimmel suggested. "And worry not about the opinion of strangers. The family will always accept her like she is, and love her even more for it."
"I will think about it," he promised.
"I will try to buy you time," Narwen said mysteriously.
OoOoO
"Follow me," Thomas said as he was leading a blindfolded Valerie in the hallway.
"It better be a good surprise," Valerie mumbled half-petulantly. "I was about to go for a ride with Narwen, she will be waiting for me!"
"Narwen can wait, she is always late at every dinner or gathering that you organize."
"It certainly does not mean that I should do the same. One day, she will learn of the word punctuality."
"I know for a fact that you will learn the expressions reality check, disappointment and motherly unrealistic expectations before then."
"Stop talking, and concentrate on making sure I do not hit my toes on a piece of furniture!"
"So little trust in your most responsible son!"
"Who is her most responsible son?" asked Haldir as they entered the music room.
"Me, of course!" Thomas replied, leading his mother to a seat near Haldir.
"Can I remove the blindfold?" asked Valerie, impatient to know what the surprise was.
"Yes, you can," Thomas said, standing beside a piece of furniture that was covered by a white sheet.
"What are you hiding underneath this?" Valerie asked with curiosity. The object was massive. In fact, Thomas had had to move some of his instruments in the other corners of the room to make space for it.
"It is... my new invention!"
"What is it? What did you recreate this time?" Valerie asked. Thomas smiled to his parents, and pulled the sheet to reveal... a piano.
"Oh Valar!" Valerie cried. "You did it? You were able to build a grand piano?"
"Yes!" Thomas say proudly. "Well... I still need to work on improvements, but I am mostly done. I believe I am very close to a real one from our world! Narwen insisted that I should present it to both of you now."
"Where were you keeping it?"
"At Lord Elrond's manor, in Norin's apartment. Elrohir is glad it was moved here! He said it was taking too much space!"
"Can I try it?" Valerie asked eagerly. She had played when she was a child, and wanted to try Thomas' new instrument.
"Of course! Actually, I was hoping that you would help me a little... I never actually learned how to play the piano, and although I have this book that explains everything about pianos, I do not know how the keys are supposed to feel, if the acoustic is proper... I have so many questions!"
Valerie sat on the stool, smiling to her son with such pride that Thomas felt himself blush. Being the only male musician of the family, he sometimes felt like he had to prove himself as compared to his warrior brothers. He had little possibilities of impressing his family, but the look his mother gave him reassured him that she was as proud of him as she was of his brothers.
As Haldir was going to stand beside Valerie, Thomas stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Narwen wants me to tell you that this should buy you a couple of months. Care to explain?"
"I would rather not," Haldir replied stiffly. Noticing his father's reaction, Thomas lost his smile. "Do not worry, you know your sister and her shenanigans!" Haldir replied, trying to correct the impact of his slip up. Thomas recovered quickly, knowing Narwen was probably interfering again and that his ada was annoyed.
Valerie was caressing the keys delicately, noticing that they were in sanded wood without a plastic covering. "The white keys will stain quickly," she said, loving nevertheless the feel of the wood on her fingertips.
"I know," replied Thomas. "Celithilil polishes them every week."
"Exactly how many people knew about this?" Valerie asked.
"A few..." he answered evasively.
"Who? Anyone that has ears living in the manor?"
"Mother, we did not mean..." He stopped when he saw his mother's mischievous smile. "Well? We are impatiently waiting!"
"I have not touched a piano since I left my parents' house... A century and half ago..." she said, uncertainty clear in her behavior. "Maybe I am not the best person..."
"Meleth – love," Haldir said, "you might not be a great piano player, but... you are the only one we have. So we'll make do!"
"You are lucky I am in a good mood, Haldir Finalfinion. Or you would sleep in a guest room tonight," she replied in a fake, haughty tone. She positioned the stool properly in front of the piano, and put her hands on the keys, testing the feel. Frowning, she tried a few more keys, making Thomas worry that something was very wrong.
"It is... different. Not unpleasant, but different than in my memories." Valerie tried every single key, one by one, and smiled. "Almost perfectly in tune, Thomas. I am very impressed. It will not take too much time to have a perfect instrument." Only Haldir could tell it was not so perfectly in tune as Valerie had said, he could feel it in her mind, but she wanted to please Thomas. After all, he had built this with the carpenter and his musician friends using a single book about pianos. Quite an achievement.
"Something simple," Valerie mumbled. She started a song that was obviously a lullaby. "I am a little rusty, sorry," she winced, after having missed a few notes.
"Go slower, Mother. There is no pressure. No one is listening," Thomas pretended, already hearing the people that were home coming to the music room to listen to Valerie playing with this new instrument Thomas had built. There were no secrets in this house.
OoOoO
Haldir was carefully maneuvering the Lady of the Sea V on the river near New Imladris. Nowadays, he like sailing alone, spending hours deep in his thoughts, needing the loneliness to sort out his thoughts and emotions.
The piano had bought him a year. A year of observation and deliberation, carefully thinking about the future of his family, and the impact his decision would have on all their lives. In the end, every time he thought about it, the benefits always outweighed the disadvantages. It was his fear of the unknown that had stopped him all this time. It was like opening a Pandora's box, as Valerie had once told him about. Once you opened it, so many things could be released, things you would lose control over. And Haldir liked being in control.
On the other hand, he remembered a few times when Valerie had been in control of some decisions in the past, and he had to admit that she rarely made mistakes. He recalled that negotiation for horses in Rohan, when Valerie had decided to hide the fact that she was married to Haldir in front of King Theoden. Or when she had overruled his decision to send his family to the Grey Havens during the war, and had kept their children in Lothlorien instead, under the protection of the Mirkwood warriors.
This time around, she had not even asked him anything, because she knew it was inconceivable that it would be accepted by the people of Valinor, and maybe even by her own family. She had blocked these thoughts from him like in the good old days when she was training to become a warrior. But after almost 150 years of marriage, he knew exactly where the weaknesses of her mental shields were, and could read through them with a little bit of effort.
He did not find it inconceivable. He was the best one to understand her half-elven mind. Their three half-elven children were closer to elves mentally, having been raised as elves since childhood. Valerie had been an adult for many years before she had become half-elven, and her mortal mentality had been strongly developed when she had crossed the portal to join him in Middle Earth.
He loved Valerie. He loved everything about her. Almost everything, he corrected himself. There was the slightly inconvenient matter that she snored when very tired. And her unpredictable character. Her stubbornness and argumentative nature. But no one else would keep him on his toes in such a way. And he knew many ellyn envied him for how different his mate was. Valerie. His lover, his wife, his attentive companion, the mother of his children, the thorn in his side!
She deserved to be happy, and he could give her what she wanted, because it would make him happy too. His decision finally taken, he could not wait to be back home and let her know about it.
OoOoO
She was close, he knew it, and it was now or never.
"Oh gods, yes!" she whimpered, arching her back underneath him. She felt his momentary hesitation, and grabbed his buttocks to encourage him to continue the thrusting that was making her feel such wondrous bliss.
Haldir complied with her silent request, and thrust harder than before, until he could feel the pleasure build up in his groin, and he hoped he could hold this rhythm until she peaked. Valerie was observing him from half-closed eyelids, her cheeks pink and her mouth slightly open. He bent his head to kiss her deeply, and she eagerly replied to his kiss, their tongues caressing each other for long moments before she moved away to breathe.
"Haldir!" she cried, and she started moaning and trashing in his arms as the pleasure was taking her to heights rarely attained before. Haldir finally let himself go, making his wish at the same time, and he came immediately after his mate, feeling the pleasure flowing from his groin to all his limbs, shivering against the warm body of the love of his life.
Once he came down from his peak, said love of his life was watching him with what could only be described as astonishment.
"Haldir? What did you do?" she asked him, frozen in his embrace.
He did not reply and simply started trailing open-mouthed kisses on her neck. He lifted himself on his forearms when he felt she was trashing underneath his body, trying to move up to remove him from her body. Sighing, he slowly unsheathed himself and lay on his side, watching her as she sprang out of the bed like a wild animal. You could always count on Valerie to make a scene in such a moment.
She was now standing in front of him, completely naked, her skin milky white under the moonlight, her breasts hidden by her curly hair. Her arms were crossed and she was watching him with both fear and anger.
"Haldir! What have you done!"
"You know what I have done. You wished it too."
"But... We never talked about it!"
"There was nothing to talk about," he replied with patience.
She looked like a fish for a few moments, her mouth opening and closing on words that could not come out. He unsuccessfully tried to hide his hilarity, but she read it immediately on his face and in their link. She screamed in frustration, and grabbed a cushion from a nearby couch and threw it at him with unexpected force. He avoided the first cushion and the following ones until she had no more cushions to throw in his direction.
Before she found something more dangerous to use as a projectile, he wiped the grin off his face and stood from the bed, walking to her with his hands up in surrender.
"Meleth..."
"Don't you meleth me, Haldir Finalfinion! You just made me pregnant without my permission, you son of an orc!"
"You wanted it, Val," he replied more seriously. She had crossed a line when she had insulted him. "You have been thinking about it for years, do not try to deny it!"
"I am not denying it, although I wonder how you would know that. I guess I will have to have another talk with Narwen."
"Leave our daughter out if this! I do not need her to read your deepest and most secret desires! The twins are 135 years old, it is normal for you to start thinking about another child."
"And so you decided to just get me pregnant, without discussing it with me first and without thinking of the consequences it would have on our family?"
"What dire consequences would it have on our family? Which one of our children still needs their naneth to take care of them?" he challenged her.
He was right, and she knew it, he could read it in her defeated expression. There were no real consequences to this, nothing that they could not fix with a few changes in their lives. He started walking to her again, and she stopped him with a hand on his chest.
"Stay back, I am still cross with you!"
"Well, I have a big day tomorrow, and I need to sleep before. Good night, my love," he said, turning his back on her and going back to bed. Once he was comfortable on his usual side of the bed, he risked looking at her. She was watching him with hostility. She groaned, and stormed out of the room to get a blanket. She came back by the bed to pick up a cushion, and this time, he did not have time to move before she hit him with the cushion right behind his head.
"Are you done now?" he asked philosophically. He knew his calm was driving her more insane than if he actually fought with her.
"Yes!" she screamed. She hit him one more time before she went to lie on the couch with the blanket and the cushion. She turned her back on him, sulking in her corner of the room.
He opened the link between them, and read the storm of emotions that was taking over her fëa. Underneath the anger and frustration, there were amazement, hope and love.
"I love you, Valerie Thompson," he whispered at her back.
She gave him the finger.
"I love you even when you are a painful harpy. You are my fiery storm, remember?"
"Let me sleep, for the Valar's sake!"
"Will you talk to me tomorrow?"
"No."
"I cannot sleep when you are not in bed. It is too big for me."
"Gods, you can be such a nag!"
"You know the couch is not comfortable. You will hurt your back."
"Will you shut your mouth if I come back to bed?"
"Yes. Promise."
His mate sighed and she came back to bed, turning her back to him again. Haldir smiled. He knew he was already forgiven. He had wanted to give her a surprise present, and it had turned out that she liked the present, but not the fact that it was a surprise. He would give her a few hours to sulk, and then they would talk about it. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She did not even protest.
When he woke up the next day, Valerie was asleep with her head on his shoulder. He knew she had stayed awake for a few hours while he slept, because all the cushions that had been thrown at him had been picked up from the floor, and the blanket on the couch had been folded. She had probably taken a bath to wash herself after they had made love, since she smelled like her favorite soap. She had had time to think, and she had come back to bed to be close to him. Everything would be all right.
He slowly moved out of the bed, trying not to wake her up. He had heard the front door open, and he knew Narwen would soon knock on their door if he did not stop her in time.
He quickly dressed and when he entered the dining room, he saw that Elros, Gil-galad, Thomas and Celithilil, Finalfin and Nimmel were having breakfast while Narwen was arranging the flowers in the vase in the middle of the table.
"Good morning," he said to everyone, and a servant entered with a breakfast plate for him.
"Where is Naneth? We were supposed to go for a ride this morning," Narwen said.
"Your naneth will not be riding with you this morning, she did not sleep well last night."
"Oh! Maybe we can go tomorrow instead!"
"She will not be riding tomorrow either. Unless you make sure that it is a quiet ride, not one of your insane races in the woods."
Narwen stopped rearranging the bunch of flowers and looked at him sharply. "Sweet Elbereth! You did it! I cannot believe you finally did it!"
"What did he do?" Elros asked, puzzled.
"Can I tell them, Ada?" Narwen insisted, jumping up and down in excitement like an elfling.
"Yes," Haldir said, starting his breakfast without paying attention to her.
"We will soon have a baby!"
"A baby?" Finalfin repeated.
"Narwen, you will have a baby?" asked Elros, confused.
"No, idiot! Naneth is pregnant again!"
The silence in the room became uncomfortable. Haldir could not ignore it anymore, and looked at everyone with calm. "Anyone has a problem with that?"
"Well, it is a bit unexpected..." Celithilil said.
"Not to me," Nimmel said. "She is half-elven, and will permanently be at the age where mortal women crave for children."
"That is right! It might not have happened if one of you had decided to give us grandchildren," Haldir added with a malicious smile.
Narwen snorted. "None of us are ready to have elflings yet," she said, knowing she was speaking for Norin, Celithilil and herself. Both Tialyn and Nimmel already had sons and did not wish to have more children.
Haldir looked at everyone around the table. Other than Narwen and Nimmel, who had already been aware of Valerie's desire, all seemed to be shocked.
"Listen, you all are grown now. It will simply be a new infant, a new life to welcome in our family. We will all love this little ellon or elleth with all our hearts."
"But will you stop there?" Elros asked, curious.
"I cannot answer that at this point. And so what if she want an elfling every 300 years? It is not like we will create an overpopulation in Valinor because of this."
"This place will get a bit crowded," Gil-galad mumbled.
"Maybe some of you should move out of here!" Narwen laughed.
"Says the elleth who lives in her father-in-law's house," Thomas replied.
"No one is moving out!" Haldir sighed. "For now, this is just one child. One. We have plenty of room in this house to accommodate this elfling."
"I cannot wait to tell Norin and Emily!" Narwen exclaimed, gathering her riding leather gloves, ready to leave.
"Let me speak to Emily," Nimmel insisted. She knew Emily could take that news either very well or very badly, and she wanted to make sure she heard it from a compassionate ear. Compassion and empathy were not Narwen's greatest strengths.
"Fine! I will go speak to Norin, and then we will write to Adam and Tialyn!"
Narwen left the room, quickly followed by Nimmel, who wanted to make sure that she would be at Emily's little house before the rumor started spreading in New Imladris. Thomas and Celithilil followed, having an appointment with other musicians that morning.
Only Haldir, Elros, Gil-galad and Finalfin were left around the breakfast table.
"Listen," Haldir started, feeling the need to explain, "I want you to know that-"
"There is no need to explain anything, my son," Finalfin said, speaking for the first time. "We all understand. We have all been raised by Naneth. Our second childhood was spent basking in the light of her love. She was the most motherly person in Middle Earth and in Valinor! The Valar have chosen her to be the mother of the biggest elven family that ever existed, and that is because her capacity for raising and loving children is unparallelled. Although it is coming as a bit of a shock, a warning would probably have been appreciated," he mentioned, "I am sure that we all understand why you did it. She is your mate, and you will always give her what she desires."
"You are right, Finalfin," Elros said. "Ada, we did not mean to make you feel like we are unhappy about your decision. It was just the shock. You can count on our support, because there will be remarks about this in all of Valinor."
"People can talk, for all I care," Haldir replied. "Our family is used to it."
"If it is a boy, I am the one who will train him to be a warrior," decided Gil-galad.
"We will all train him," Haldir said, rolling his eyes. He suddenly noticed Valerie leaning against the door frame, watching them discuss the training of a potential warrior that had been conceived the night before.
He smiled sheepishly. "Good morning, love of my life. Did you wish to have breakfast?"
Finalfin stood and pulled out a chair beside him for his naneth.
"Do you want some bread with strawberry jam?" Gil-galad asked, already preparing the slice of bread.
"Do you not have anything to offer, Elros?" Valerie asked the only male who had not solicitously offered to help her with something trivial.
"I know better than to treat you like a child because you are with child, Naneth," the ellon replied with wisdom.
Sitting down beside Finalfin, Valerie took a fruit and started cutting it into slices.
"How is everyone taking the news?" she asked, a bit unsure.
"Everyone is happy," Haldir said. "Narwen and Norin will write to Adam and Tialyn. I would not be surprised if Oropher and Tialyn do not arrive this week to congratulate us in person."
"Nimmel went to speak to Emily," Finalfin added.
Valerie dropped her knife, the loud noise surprising everyone. She looked at Haldir, terrified.
"Emily! She will... Oh Valar!" Valerie realized, somehow tardily, that her oldest daughter might not react well to that pregnancy, after having lost a child 3 years before.
OoOoO
"Lieutenant?"
Adam stopped reading the letter his sister Narwen had sent him and looked at the soldier standing in front of him.
"Lord Tulkas would like to see you in his private quarters."
"Immediately?"
"Yes. He is waiting for you."
"Thank you. You can return to your post."
Once the soldier had left his office, Adam took just a few seconds to finish reading the letter. He was silently laughing, both amazed and speechless to learn that his parents had decided to have another child. Narwen was finishing her letter with her usual wishes for his good health, but this time begging him to forgive her for the disappointment she had caused him with her inappropriate behavior when she bound herself to Elladan. His youngest sister thought that a new addition to the family was reason enough to forget past grievances, and become close like they used to be, for the sake of that new life that would require peace in the family. Narwen's plea in itself was reason enough for a visit, but Adam also wanted to see his mother to congratulate her, and tease his ada for his prolificity.
Neatly folding the letter and putting it in his drawer, Adam resolved to ask the Vala Tulkas for a permission to visit his family. After all, he had not seen them in the past years, his duties as one of Lord Tulkas' lieutenants keeping him fully occupied and without any moments to think of personal matters.
While walking to the private quarters of the Vala, Adam remembered the past decades being at the service of the Champion of the Valar. How Lord Tulkas seemed to always require more from him than from the other guards. How he would train him for hours at a time, without any pause or any pity for his tiredness, while the other ellyn were entitled to breaks. Adam had never complained at the treatment, but he had often wondered if Lord Tulkas did not dislike him and made him suffer on purpose. Did the Vala regret to have recruited him in his regiment?
He stopped when he faced the heavy wooden door leading to the room where Lord Tulkas was waiting for him. Listening intently, Adam could hear his lord's booming voice with the faint whispers of a female. Adam assumed that the Vala was with his wife Lady Nessa, and wondered why he was called for a meeting if the couple was sharing a private moment. Knowing Lord Tulkas hated waiting, Adam knocked on the door, making his presence known to the Vala and his wife.
"Enter, Lieutenant!"
Adam entered the receiving room of their quarters, and saw that Lord Tulkas was sitting on a chair, with a beautiful elleth beside him, one he vaguely recognized without being able to pinpoint where he had seen her before.
"You wanted to speak to me, my Lord?" Adam asked after having bowed respectfully to the pair.
"Yes. Adam, I would like to introduce you to my dear friend, Lady Nienna."
Adam studied the sublime elleth that was watching him with beautiful, sad eyes. He knew he was meeting the Lady of Pity and Mourning, the queen of the Valar that felt the pain and suffering of all the elves that lived in Valinor. The sister of the Valar Namo and Irmo was the only unmarried Valier, and she was living alone in her halls, on the western side of Valinor. Adam suddenly remembered when he had met her before. It had been at the hearing when the Valar had decided to let his parents raise the prophecy children instead of giving them back to their original parents. Lady Nienna had cried during that hearing, feeling all the pain Valerie had gone through while she thought she would lose Oropher.
"Lady Nienna, it is a pleasure to meet you again," Adam said to the goddess who nodded in return. She was wearing a black dress that made her milky skin look even paler. Her blue eyes were not crying at the moment, which meant that she was not currently channeling the sorrow of a random suffering elf. In fact, since all the elves had left Middle Earth, Lady Nienna's constant state of mourning had been replaced by periods of sadness and relative calm. Joy was nevertheless rarely present in her fëa. Adam thought it was a shame. Such a beautiful lady should be allowed to be happy, at least once in a while.
"Your family's grief has been great in the past, Adam Connely Haldirion. In particular, your sister Emily has been distressed for many years."
"Yes, my Lady. Emily's life has not been easy. She often wonders why she is not entitled to happiness like the rest of us."
"She went through great suffering, but great joys are now to come. Do not despair. Your sister will find her true path and then, I will cease to mourn with her."
"Thank you. I will relay the message, it will be a great comfort to her."
"Emily is not your only sister who is suffering. The young Narwen too. Although I understand your disappointment, your rejection of her peace offerings are making her greatly sad. I cry with her, after each visit that you do in New Imladris. I am greatly relieved that you have decided to finally forgive her right before you were summoned here."
Adam opened his mouth to say something, but not finding anything that would be appropriate, he closed it, looking at Lord Tulkas, who nodded to confirm that they were both aware of his thoughts as Adam had made his way to the private quarters of the lord.
"Adam, I have summoned you here to discuss your position here, in Valimar. Surely, you have noticed... No, let me rephrase that... I know you have noticed that you never received any special treatment during your duty here. If anything, your training has been harder than anyone else's."
"Yes, my Lord. I had noticed. But you will never hear me complain. I am at your service, and will accomplish my duty in the way that you deem appropriate."
"For many decades, I have watched you, Adam, observing the training the New Imladris Marchwarden was giving you. I watched you become a spectacular warrior, and I asked you to become part of my guard so I could further enhance that training. You have become the deadliest warrior alive except for me, child. You have made me very proud of you."
"Thank you, my Lord," Adam managed to say, looking at the Vala in the eyes with aplomb despite the butterflies in his stomach. Why was the Champion praising him as such, and in front of a queen?
"The captain of Nienna's regiment announced a few decades ago that he wanted to retire with his family in Alqualondë. Since then, I have been preparing his successor. The position is yours, Adam, if you want it. Lady Nienna is the only unmarried queen, and therefore, us Valar are expecting her captain to protect her with his life, like any of us would do with our wives. It is a position of great responsibility. But I know I can count on you. Will you accept, Adam Connely Haldirion?"
Adam looked at the elleth who was looking at him with interest. Her halls were far from New Imladris. He would see his family even less than before. But the honor was immense. Every warrior in Valinor dreamed of that position, since no lord with knowledge of war strategies was overseeing your plans. The captain of Lady Nienna's guards was on his own with his warriors, protecting the most fragile queen of the Valar, the one that was bearing the suffering of them all. He knew he was a deadly warrior, an unattached one, and his absence of mate and direct family made him an even better candidate, as the loneliness of West Valinor would not touch him as much as a warrior that had a mate living in another city.
His decision was made in an instant. "I accept, my Lord. My Lady, I am honored by your trust. Your safety will be my priority."
"Great. You are leaving tomorrow," decided Lord Tulkas.
Adam bowed, realizing he would not visit New Imladris soon. Like his ada before him, he was learning the meaning of duty the hard way.
"I will see you tomorrow then, Captain," Lady Nienna told him, holding out her hand. He took it, noticing how soft to the touch her skin was, he kissed it with respect.
As soon as his lips touched her skin, he felt a spark run through him. He looked up and by the way she pulled her hand suddenly, he realized she had also felt that spark. Fortunately for him, Lord Tulkas had been oblivious to the event, already giving to a servant orders for their departure the next day.
Adam bowed to the two Valar and left the room hurriedly. He needed time to think about these latest events. His life would be changing drastically as of the next day. He would hold the most prestigious position a warrior could have in Valinor, more respectable than being the Marchwarden of New Imladris or a lieutenant in Lord Tulkas' guard. But he would also hold the loneliest position of them all, exiled in West Valinor in the Halls of Lady Nienna, a place of sadness and grief. He could not help but wonder if the Valar had kept him single all this time for that sole purpose. He was now 148 years old, and had never found his fëa-mate. Did he even have one, in light of the recent events? Probably not. Adam could not help but feel deep sadness at the thought that his happiness had been sacrificed by the Valar, for the sole purpose of protecting one of their own.
Back in his room, he wrote a letter to his parents to congratulate them for the new life they had created, and announcing his promotion. He then wrote a letter to Narwen, telling her how he had missed her all these years, and finally forgiving her for the humiliation she had exposed the entire family to many decades before.
The next morning found him on his stallion, reviewing the maps and deciding which road they would take to go to Lady Nienna's Halls. The queen of the Valar was sitting in her coach, patiently waiting for him to make his decision and take the lead of her escort. He looked at her and saw that she was crying softly, wiping her tears with her handkerchief.
"You will get used to it, the Lady cries all the time," one of his new warriors told him. "There is always someone in pain somewhere in Valinor."
"She cries less than she used to," another whispered nearby. "I have even seen Lady Nienna smile once. It was a few weeks ago."
Adam gave them his directives, and went to stand beside the Lady's coach. She looked at him with sorrowful eyes.
"You are sad, Captain."
"You can read my mind very easily, my Lady. You know I am leaving much behind. But I have made peace with my destiny last night. I will be your most dedicated servant."
"Thank you, Captain. Now, let us go home."
Adam turned and took the lead of the escort, leading his Lady to the western part of Valinor where his new life would begin.
I have good news! There are 3 chapters left, plus the epilogue, and I wrote A LOT during the Holidays. As a result, the next 3 chapters are already written and only need a final review, so they should be published much quicker than usual. There will be a lot of action and love! I am pretty pleased with the result!
Panperlanterns86, Glory Bee, Celaniel, Fi and Eva Sirico have correctly guessed who Emily's true fëa-mate is (although I must admit, there were some pretty strong clues!).
Thanks to breneke87, Lady Minuialwen, faye50free and Peridot Eyez for their reviews of chapter 9.