Dawnstar and Friend chapter 35
Eleanor's POV
Today was the big day that I am sure Elrond has been dreading.
Arwen and Aragorn's wedding day.
Due to lack of elfin tradition, it is mostly Gondorian in style.
Ginny and I notice some interesting similarities to those of home ones, as well as some differences. Ginny is particularly paying attention as she may actually need them in the next few months, if the way she and a certain, unnamed prince are getting on together is anything to go by.
You'll never guess who got selected as Arwen's attendant!
Well, considering she is supposed to be escorted by her family (which just happens to be the same as Aragorn's) that means me.
Ginny and Miriel acts as maids of honour, or the Gondorian equivalent, but Galadriel, Elrond, and I are also there.
The twins, Legolas, and Gimli support Aragorn.
The tradition of white dresses has not been invented yet so Arwen is in a pale blue dress with silver embroidery and sapphires.
She looks absolutely lovely, and well deserving of her reputation as one of the paramount beauties of Middle Earth.
I have to admit that the insecure part of me feels really rather ugly next to her, though I know that I have been blessed in the looks department as well.
Aragorn looks both nervous and the neatest I think I have ever seen the man.
Gandalf is the one presiding over the ceremony. Both Ginny and I find it a little weird for there not to be a priest, though he is at least wearing robes.
When they reach the equivalent of an alter, just a raised platform really, the two are stood either side of the Maia, with their families/support behind them.
Gandalf first does what is probably statutory preaching, much like the stuff in our own world, all about the joys of marriage and whatever (I generally turn off during preaching and find more interesting things to do – like stare at my absolutely gorgeous beloved).
The happy pair then exchange their silver betrothal rings for gold wedding rings.
Through the rings is a red chord which is tied round the hands of those wearing the rings and the two make some vows, similar to the ones we know.
I can't remember exactly what they were, but they involved chastity, many children, and sticking by each other. I did notice that there was no requirement for love in the vows though; it looks like love is something Gondorians – at least the ones who invented the vows – are not too bothered about.
After they had taken the vows, the chord was untied again and they were allowed to kiss.
Obviously, everyone cheered.
I couldn't work out if the soppy look on Elrond's face was from grief at finally well and truly having lost Arwen to mortality or from happiness, I am not sure he ever really accepted that love.
After that we all proceed into Merethrond, the big hall in the citadel, the wedding having taken place in the packed courtyard outside.
In Merethrond there is another feast and ball.
The musicians have obviously been practicing elfin pieces of music while we were gone because they turn up several times.
The elves also decide to drop me in it again, and because it is such an important occasion, I favour them with a few songs.
I explain that all the songs I am singing for them are love songs from a musical, give a quick explanation of what of the musical is then start.
I don't have any accompaniment and am very quickly thankful for the vastly increased vocal range of the elves as two of the songs are technically bloke's songs.
The songs are 'Wonder of Wonders, Miracles of Miracles', then 'Now I Have Everything' and finally 'Far From the Home I Love', all from Fiddler on the Roof.
That is a musical I have always loved and despite everything else like it being a royal wedding and stuff, these songs seem appropriate. I dedicate the last one to Elrond, which definitely fits the situation. I wonder if he listened to the words and understood what I was trying to convey.
After the performance, I beg off and go outside.
By the time I am actually outside my legs stop shaking, a little known fact being that I have the worst stage fright and am almost unable to stand while performing.
I lean against the walls of the citadel in the shadows, for the first time in a very long time actually, thinking back to the little family I had back in that other world.
For the first time I wonder about what happened to them, what happened when we left, were we missed?
I hope my departure didn't cause too much trouble. I suddenly feel both melancholy and a little mournful, what would I have been like if I had stayed there?
I also wonder about the politics, have they changed? Hey, I am a politics graduate!
After a while, there is another presence beside me.
I look, beside me is Elrond, much to my surprise.
He is silent for a while before speaking.
"You said those songs were from a story? What was the situation behind that last song?"
Yes I did get his attention then.
"The girl singing is betrothed to a man who is a social revolutionary in a country where the monarchy is corrupt and is persecuting the social minority that both characters came from. He has been arrested and sent to a place called Siberia which is a frozen wasteland that all inconvenient people were sent to for detention. She is following him there to help him and marry him and whatever. She is explaining to her father why she is leaving to go somewhere so horrible, know she will never see any of her family again, for a man who probably will never be able to give her a good life that is secure, it is not a good match socially speaking, but she loves him and he loves her."
He nods at me and is silent for a while longer.
"Do they ever see each other again?" he asks quietly.
"No, the Tsar, that is the Russian king, decides to have all the Jewish people evicted off their land and told to leave, so her family all leave for another continent to resettle." He looks at me shocked.
"That's the story of the Jewish people throughout time. For some unknown reason people have always had something against the Jews, probably because they are hard working and successful. They take up a disproportionate section of the higher intelligence professions like healing and it is scientifically proven that the race has a higher average intelligence, probably because the stupid ones didn't survive the millennia of racism." I sigh. I may not have been a Jew, but I do feel for them, I think the way people feel about them is rather unjustified to say the least.
We lapse into silence again before I walk off to the end of the keel.
While I'm standing out at the end of the keel, I sing 'Miracle of Miracles' again to myself. It is such a joyful song, and it was my brother's, well adopted brother's, favourite.
While there, I sing through several of my favourite songs.
"You still miss your home, don't you?"
I turn to see Thanduil standing there. It is a weird case of déjà vous. The situation is weirdly different from the time he asked me about that before.
We stand there and I sing some more songs, mostly English though some in other languages.
Eventually we return to the celebrations where Legolas immediately sweeps me into a dance.
I see across the room that Amrothos and Ginny are dancing, as are Miriel and Elrohir and, surprisingly, Elrond and Arwen. The last two are talking and I think Elrond and his daughter are finally talking in a way that was overdue 40 years ago.
Eventually I excuse myself and go back outside to think.
This time I walk along the walls of the citadel, once again singing to myself.
I love music, I really do.
This time I bump into Lothiriel, Prince Imrahil's daughter. That is one young lady I have never really got to know.
"Princess Caladhiel?" She asks. I forgot she had been introduced to me by my formal name, though most people know me as either Eleanor or Ellie.
"Eleanor, please. I am not a fan of the formal name." She looks at me confused; Eleanor is obviously not just a slight variation on the original. "Eleanor is a translation, though I am never sure if it is to or from. I only discovered that it was not my 'formal' name over a month after I arrived back in this world, so I still use the name I was given in that other world." She nods and accepts this explanation.
She is silent for a while before speaking again.
"My brothers tell me that your friend resisted Amrothos vigorously at first. Do you know why? She would be the first to offer any real resistance to any of them." I have to laugh at the question. She frowns at me.
"Sorry, it is just knowing the reason that makes the question amusing." She nods at me. "You realise that Ginny has the lifespan of a Númenorian, from the earliest period?" She shakes her head.
"So her objection was to the fact she would far outlive him?"
"Partly, she also ages much slower, so you can guess that she is older than she looks. She was brought up as a normal human and has trouble dealing with the age difference." Lothiriel nods.
Though I have not exactly told her that Ginny is 90 years older than her guy, at least the family have some little warning.
Ginny's POV
Midsummer's Day 3019 of the Third Age by the Hobbit Reckoning.
This is a date I'm sure no one, Elrond in particular, will forget in a hurry.
The Gondorians evidently place a whole lot more emphasis on wedding ceremonies than the elves, but then, you could hardly call a binding an actual ceremony, especially as elves really only need to sleep together once for them to be classed as married in the elfin culture.
This time, as I'm not a member of Arwen's family, I'm not one of her attendants. Although I, along with Miriel, act as a sort of 'Maid of Honour'.
"Don't forget to pay attention," Amrothos whispers just before the ceremony starts. He kisses me before going to take his seat.
Naneth, I suddenly notice, is sitting very close to us. She's acting as though she hasn't heard anything, but I know she has.
I do pay particular attention though; not only for the detail, but also for all the romance of the occasion. I especially like the bit with the red chord. The vows also are rather wonderful – to me, marriage vows always seem so final and 'sealing' as it were. I'm a bit stunned at the emphasis on lots of children, whilst 'love' barely features at all.
It's the kiss though that I'm really looking forward to – now that is the sealant!
After the ceremony, we all enter Merethrond and the feast and ball begin.
Virtually, everyone dances for the first dance and this means I get to dance with Amrothos as Ada is dancing with Naneth.
After the first dance, I extricate myself from Amrothos' arms and go over to Naneth.
"Naneth, could I just speak to you for a moment?" I lead her to a corner, far away from everybody.
Now I'm here, I really don't know how I'm going to begin.
"Amrothos and I... as you may have noticed... we're..."
"Betrothed?" Naneth finishes helpfully.
I nod.
"I thought so."
"Is it really that obvious?"
"Possibly not to those around you all the time, but I haven't seen you in a while and I've never seen Prince Amrothos before, so things sort of fell into place. Not that I think your guardian has noticed," she continues as I open my mouth to speak, "He's more preoccupied with your safety."
"I just want you to talk to Ada; don't say anything about the betrothal Amrothos still has to ask his permission, but just help to bring him round to the idea."
Naneth smiles,
"Don't worry, I know my husband; just leave it to me."
Later on, Ellie is persuaded to sing a few songs. Whilst she's singing 'Now I Have Everything', Amrothos wraps his arms around me and we stand there, swaying in time to the music.
There is a significant cough behind us – guess who it is.
"Prince Amrothos, may I have a private word?" Ada then leads Amrothos away.
I look over at Naneth; she looks back, smiles, and nods encouragingly.
Amrothos comes back a few minutes later – I'm rather apprehensive.
"What did Ada say?"
"He was just letting me know precisely what would happen to me if he ever finds a single hair on your head out of place. He's a very protective elf."
I smile slightly – if I hadn't been so apprehensive I would have noticed the significance of Amrothos' words...