Sequel 13
Ginny's POV
Even now I don't know exactly why I made that phone call – it's not like I'm even technically biologically their daughter anymore.
God, how callous was that?
Maybe I wanted to reach out to them last time, for my own 'closure'.
I'm not sure if even I will ever be able to fully answer that.
The next few days is a rather weird experience for me – I'm happy for Ellie and her adopted parents that they've be able to see each other again, but when I see them together, there always some part of me that's wishing for them to go away or for my own parents to be here in their place
All in all, I'm relieved when we part company at the end of the week; at least we can all go back to how we were before.
Hopefully, the next time we see them, things will be slightly less of an ordeal for all of us.
It's so good to be friends with those who have major contacts in the fair/re-enactment world – at Josselin, we don't stay in the big hotel, we get to stay with the Duke of Rohan in his own house: the Chateau Josselin.
This is a far better prospect all round, especially for the cats as they get to run around the grounds as opposed to being shut up indoors all the time.
Being the charming host he is, the Duke of Rohan insists on welcoming us with a proper black-tie dinner. We girls all squeal delightedly when we're told this as it means we get to wear gorgeous, figure enhancing gowns.
I'm not sure what the men-folk think of the prospect when they realise they will have to wear bow-ties and dinner jackets. If what Thanduil, Celeborn, and Adindel look like in ordinary suits is anything to go by, then they will all look rather appealing.
A smart suit always does something for a man I've discovered – it gives him a certain je ne sais quoi. Then there are the evening gowns worn by us girls, I've always held myself slightly differently when wearing a floor-length gown and heels, of course the whole effect is enhanced by our elfin grace.
All our dresses are gorgeously elegant, haute couture creations. My own is made of dark gold silk, has a love-heart neckline, and a small train. The decoration on the dress is a sort of starburst in paler, glittery gold on my left-hand side, level with my waist. Similarly coloured gold piping radiates out from the star all over the front of the dress.
My shoes match my dress, but I secure my hair with silver pins. My jewellery also doesn't match my dress, instead the necklace, earrings, and bracelet are made of silver weaved into delicate filigree designs and embedded with minute rubies.
We all congregate in one of the upper sitting rooms while Ellie makes her way downstairs.
She returns a few minutes later with our host; I very much doubt that I'm the only female in the room with her mouth ever so slightly open.
The Duke is GORGEOUS; in fact he's so hot that he's virtually steaming!
I lean over and whisper in Valya's ear,
"If I wasn't barred by circumstances, then I don't think I'd turn him down if he asked for my hand in marriage." I say this in Quenya, just to make sure the Duke doesn't hear it. Of course any elves within earshot can understand whatever language I speak, so maybe that's why Ada's head jerks slightly in our direction.
The Duke is probably all too aware of his good looks, which is the most likely reason for his flirtatious manner when he's introduced to us girls, even the ones who make it quite plain that they are married (probably to remind themselves of the fact as much as anything).
I do notice that the Duke's eyes light up ever so slightly when he's introduced to Valya and I, us being the only two single girls in the room.
"Enchanté, Ma Belle," he says seductively, before kissing my hand.
I smile and incline my head slightly, aware that all eyes in the room are fixed upon us.
We all chat for a while as we wait for the Mayor to arrive. The Duke, although he pays every female the same amount of attention, manages to stay by my side as though we were joined at the hip.
I must admit that I probably flirted with the Duke more than I was supposed to, but what's wrong with that? He's the first male to show me any such attention in quite a long while and I intend to enjoy every minute of it.
The Mayor arrives a little while later and we presently descend to the magnificent great hall.
The Duke and I go first, and then the Mayor and Valya, then all the couples, and those males who don't have a female to escort bring up the rear.
The Duke sits at the head of the carved, oak table and everyone else sits boy girl on either side.
The meal, well banquet really, is utterly splendid and lasts for quite a few hours.
Once the meal was finally over and all the coffee and liqueurs had been removed, all the females with a husband were whisked away at an amusingly fast pace – all were wearing seductively gorgeous dresses.
This makes mine and Valya's situation slightly awkward as we're now the only two females left and the Duke has a twinkle in his eye which suggests he wants to follow in the footsteps of Ellie and co.
Fortunately, I'm not the only one to have noticed as Ada and Gil-galad both rise in unison with the Duke.
Ada offers me his hand.
"Thank you, Monsieur, but I will escort my ... sister back to her room." I could tell he was about to say 'daughter' – thank God he stopped himself otherwise we would be facing a lot of uncomfortable questions, especially as Ada and I look about the same age.
The Duke's eyes flicker slightly, but he bows.
Thanduil, evidently worried that his grand-daughter would receive similar treatment from either the Duke or the Mayor, quickly follows Ada's lead.
The next day we girls all dress up in gorgeous flowing dresses and the boys in tunic and hose.
All the males are noticeably more comfortable with this get up than what they were last night. This makes them all seem rather more attractive.
We ride in two carriages – all of us in gorgeous flowing dresses ride inside, whilst all the males balance on the outside; Thanduil and Celeborn do the driving.
Upon arrival, Elladan and Gil-galad jump down, open the doors, and help us girls down.
Once he's opened the fair, the Duke offers me his arm and escorts me to the stalls. Gil-galad insists on following us; I think this somewhat annoys the Duke, not that he was ever going to try anything more than flirt as Ada's manner last night was more than enough to warn anyone off.
After the stalls, he takes me to a central open area where there is dancing as well as sword fighting.
As I'm in another silken creation, which is incidentally white and the palest shade of lilac imaginable, I decide against proving my skills with a sword, instead opting to be shown a few traditional dance moves.
I partner the Duke at first, but for some reason this seems to annoy Gil-galad and he insists on partnering me for the next dance.
I'm rather tired after the dance with Gil-galad as it was quite a fast, complicated number so we wander over to the food area and sip some homemade lemonade before wandering back to the open area where a jousting demonstration is being set up.
The Duke did offer me wine, but I declined. I may be an Elf with an alcohol tolerance that goes up to the clouds, but that doesn't mean to say I will willingly drink the stuff anymore than I have to.
There is already quite a large crowd jostling around the edge of the jousting area, so we three stand to one side and begin chatting. Well, the Duke begins chatting – he begins to relate his family history.
It starts off interesting enough, but then it begins to go on and on and on...
You know the feeling you get when you're just so saturated with information that your brain cries out for a rest? Well, it was getting to that point when we're all distracted in a way that none of us expected.
I'm nodding vaguely, trying to look interested as the Duke enters the eighteenth century when, out of the corner my eye, I notice a very tall, blonde male coming straight towards us.
I've barely begun to turn in his direction when I find myself pulled into said male's arms and his lips planted on mine passionately.
IT was at that point that I lost all coherency.
Eleanor's POV
Approximately a week later, we left for Josselin.
When we left there was much hugging, kissing, and the extracting of promises from my human parents.
The main promise was to be back in that part of Brittany for the festivals, like the Fillet Bleu. This would be translated from French as the Festival of the Blue Nets, which was a celebration that happened every summer in Concarneau and is always great fun.
Though I wouldn't eat the food served on the street, not after last time.
Also bring baby wipes; there is a lack of hygienic loos.
Anyway, off the problems suffered before at that fun little festival.
When we got to Josselin, we actually stayed in another posh house, which I am sure was one hell of a lot more comfortable than the nearest hotel.
We have arrived there a day or so early to get our bearings and whatever before the main fair thingy.
I have to admit I enjoy running round the town even more than I did last time, partly because of the spell that means I don't have to learn French because, whatever language I speak, the person I am talking to understands and vice versa. It also applies to reading things, which is very useful.
This is to be a rather different than before at Bodiam as the Chateau Josselin is still inhabited by the Rohan family.
The aforementioned family head wanted to meet us the night beforehand with the Mayor of Josselin, as the fair was originally organised by the town and then the elf people were called in as the professionals.
There was a proper dinner party organised in the great hall area and we got out smart clothes.
That is, the guys were in suits which they were trying not to look uncomfortable in and us girls were revelling in beautiful haute couture evening gowns, one of the joys of being stinking rich this time round.
Around early evening I go out of the sitting room everyone is waiting in and begin to descend to the lower level of the house when the butler comes out of the entrance hall with a young-ish man in military uniform.
He is probably thirty something with French good looks.
Those being dark hair, slightly tanned skin, and dark eyes.
He looks rather delectable.
No, down brain!
Married!
He looks up at me with a look that says he is appreciating the slinky midnight-blue dress I am wearing with a daringly low neckline.
"May I enquire as to who you are, beautiful lady?" he says in smooth, rich sounding French that reminds me of exactly why they refer to French as the language of love.
"I am Eleanor, Aaron's daughter-in-law" That statement makes it absolutely clear I am off limits. I see his face flicker slightly when I say that, then the charming expression returns. He dismisses the butler and I lead the Duke, who I suspect is a bit of a playboy, to the sitting room.
My suspicions are increased when he is introduced to the other females in the room and he is complementary, to say the least, to all of them.
This time, his expression does not flicker when he is told most of us females are taken.
He does take to calling Ginny 'Ma Belle' though.
The first time he does I happen to be looking at a certain nutty High King. Well, I never realised that...
His expression actually flickered to what I am sure was jealousy.
Well that will make life interesting.
Our lovely Duke, in his smart, blue uniform, offers his arm to Ginny, who is wearing a strapless, gold satin dress which clings to her curves and enhances her now quite considerable height.
She, like all us elves, could now easily get a job as a model at 5' 11". She is still short for an elf, but for a human?
She takes his arm as Valya takes the arm of the considerably less attractive, but still nice Mayor who arrived a little later and the rest of us take the arms of our husbands.
The meal is suitably spectacular and provides all sorts of opportunities for flirtation that I am sure only a continental, preferably of the Latin nature, would think of.
Our French Duke definitely thought of them.
I noticed that he concentrated on Ginny, probably because, though we had not told him all of the relationships present, he knew that Valaráto was Valya's brother and my son was wearing a protective big brother look, never mind that he is technically younger if only by a few minutes.
It could also have been a matter of personal taste.
Whatever, when the meal was over, everyone seemed a little relieved.
I soon got this impression that the married males in the room had another reason to be relieved as all of them whisked off their wives, all dressed in slinky haute couture gowns, to the bedrooms.
I had a very entertaining night that night.
Legolas was very attentive.
The next morning, when I was very glad for the elfin constitution being way better than a human one, we got up and dressed medieval.
For a laugh we had arranged proper medieval style carriages to get to the fayre in the castle garden park.
The Duke greet us formally, he himself in tailored tunic and hose I am sure he had designed from one of the medieval portraits hanging around his ancestral home.
Then he announces in that beautiful French of his that the fayre is officially started.
It is strange to do this in France as we are in the place that William the Bastard, sorry William the Conqueror (to use his polite epithet), ruled first, well near it anyway.
It is really quite fun actually.
At one point I am with Thanduil, Legolas, Miriel, and Elrohir when Thanduil turns round and gasps.
He also goes just a bit white.
I try looking where he obviously has glanced and don't see anything.
What I do see is, a little way off, Ginny, the Duke, and a slightly possessive looking Gil-galad talking together.
Then Miriel gasps,
"Is that who I think it is?"
She seems more than a little shocked and has also gone slightly pale.
"Is what who you think it is?" I ask, just a little mystified.
She points to a tall figure in the crowd that has long blonde hair pulled back and covering their ears.
That person is far too tall to be female, even for an elf.
Uh-oh, I have a feeling I know who that is.
The blonde head turns slightly and looks towards Ginny.
That figure suddenly moves about as fast as it can through the crowd, which is not over enthusiastic about fast moving.
We also try to make our way to Ginny and co, some primal instinct tells us that there is about to be trouble.
As we get closer to them, I see that I was right.
Blondie would be Adindel.
"What the hell is he doing here? He was not supposed to be here until this evening!"
This is Thanduil's contribution to the proceedings.
Much to our amazement, Adindel went straight to Ginny.
He wasn't even sneering.
What the hell?
The Sindarin Prince then pulls her into his arms and kisses her senseless.
While we are all gaping, my eyes drift to Gil-galad.
He is glaring daggers at Adindel.