Chapter 33
The White Wedding
Author's Note:
...
Peeks around the corner...
Hi everyone! I know I took this lovely year long hiatus, but I have a perfectly valid explanation for this! First, there was National Novel Writing Month 2019 that I participated in. Didn't finish the thing (of course, but what else is new!), but progress was made! Then a strange, yet wonderful thing occurred that derailed everything. I got pregnant with my first child. So, months later and a small little being came dramatically into the world and has since then taken up a good portion of my free time. Inspiration was dismal during the pregnancy and COVID (which you'd think would have motivated me to update more often) also contributed to killing it.
Now, I know what y'all are going to say. "Sionna, it's literally been a year since you last updated. I don't know if you know this, but National Novel Writing Month is next month. Aren't you just going to disappear on us again?" This I say to you! No! I will not because I have a very special thing planned for y'all next month. I'm going to enter this bloody fanfiction into NaNoWriMo and work on finally finishing the sucker. The aim will be a chapter a day at the most or a chapter every two days at the latest. I want this sucker finished or as close to being finished as I can manage. I don't think I can bring myself to finishing anything else until this behemoth has been laid to rest.
See you Nov 1st, peeps :3!
A few warnings:
1) I engage in some pseudo-science and fantasy magic regarding reproductive... stuff. If this info is too TMI for you, feel free to skip over that paragraph.
2) I am well aware of how inaccurate this wedding scene is. I pulled from things I like and NOT things that are canon to the LOTR-verse. From what I could find, the information is relatively sketchy on how the ceremonies are conducted, so I went on ahead and made something else up to better suit Brianna's world instead of ME's.
3) I know the elves aren't part of a Judeo-Christian religion; however, if you're of the opinion that Iluvatar/Eru isn't based on the Christian God's concept then I really can't help you. Does that mean they follow Christianity, Islam or Judaism? No, of course not! My elves don't even follow those religions as - in the words of my elflore - those religions are for humans. The fact that my elves refer to THE God as The Triune is indicative of that. While they acknowledge the Trinity, they have a very different understanding of it. The hymns used in the wedding aren't technically part of the elven religion. I am not a poet; therefore, Christian Hymns (perfectly good bits of music in my opinion) are used.
4) Tolkien is probably rolling over in his grave at the very existence of fan fiction, so I would like to apologize to sempai for the existence of this one.
Did I cover my bases? Great!
January 20th - Lothlorien.
Three days into the week before what was dubbed "The White Wedding" by Professor Moruni's brand of morbid humor found Brianna Davis, no, Aracasse ven Aldura surrounded by yards and yards of lace and patterns and pressure. A shift and bodice were already made in the traditional white that humans had decided meant purity for some odd reason and left Aracasse with the task of figuring out the patterns and style of the outer layers. She'd attempted to complain of the elaborate nature of the prospective dress, but Lady Galadriel - who was donating her rather skilled hand to the making of the thing - had very pointedly told her of the necessity she look the part of an elven queen. Hence, the ostentatious dress and crown the smiths were working on for her under the direction of the professor. Aragorn would get one as well to be placed on his head by the professor as Aracasse swore him into the royal line.
"I hate silk and lace and jewelry," Brianna muttered darkly.
She didn't see the smirk on Professor Moruni's face as she slipped fully into her liege's room. Brianna fidgeted with the velvet powder blue dress as she glared at the offending pieces of white idiocy that threatened to drive her completely batty.
"I'd believe you if I hadn't known you during the eighties. Remember? The Vampire of the Opera and that ridiculous favor your dear aunt cashed in? You embraced your inner diva if I remember correctly," Professor Moruni said.
Brianna glared at her and moved to sit on the stool that was set out for her day long task, "Don't go confusing me with the past. It's rude."
"Of course."
In the silence that followed, Brianna picked up a cutting of lace and another cutting of silk and matched them together. The intricate pattern on the lace laid across the white material under it like a watery plain. She squinted at them, comparing the silver with the white, and held them up to light then shadow. A sigh escaped her a moment later and she slumped in defeat.
"I don't know what I want," she whispered more to herself than to her uninvited guest.
Professor Moruni sighed and placed a hand on Brianna's shoulder, "You never thought this day would come, did you?"
"No. I never really dreamed about weddings, or dresses, or, well, anything of a romantic nature happening for me. Not after everything else. It seemed so... pointless," she said.
"My advice to you," the professor said after a long moment, "is to remember who you are. Despite the haste, give yourself the wedding fit for a queen."
Brianna stared at the lace for a moment longer before nodding to herself, grabbing the bunch and tossing it across the room. She reached for the sheer, white fabric then held it up to the ivory silk she'd selected earlier in the day. With a nod, Brianna stood and walked to her study table and began sketching her ideas with a stick of charcoal on the thick parchment paper provided. From the corner of her eye, Brianna noted that Professor Moruni had settled herself in the corner of the room to silently observe. Once Brianna had finished etching the idea on paper, she showed it to her mentor who glanced at it and nodded her approval.
"I think that will do. It's a bit more updated than the original designs, but it works in a pinch," she said.
Brianna smiled and placed the paper on a pile of lists and things she'd compiled for the upcoming wedding. Her maid would fetch the paper later.
"Now, believe it or not, the wedding ceremony isn't why I came," Professor Moruni said.
Brianna raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"
"I'm here to explain the finer points of elven maidenhood and what will happen when you become a matron."
The silence that followed was deafening. Brianna felt the blush start at her chest and travel up her necks, through her cheeks, to finally end at the tips of her ears. Of all the things she didn't want to talk about, sex and reproduction was one of them. It brought too many recent musings about what she'd like to do to Aragorn to the forefront of her mind not to mention the very recent idea that he was more than willing to return the favor. While she may have been a virgin, Brianna hadn't been the picture of chaste in the past. Artemis, for instance, had made sure her sexual education had been thorough and had an old witch give her young novices a very detailed and unappealing explanation of the matter. Alyan had been the first to kiss her. He had been the first person she'd ever dreamed of courting and he'd certainly fought to catch not only her attention but her regard as well. Those years had been blissfully beautiful and loving as the passions of young love were cultivated. Had it not been for Ba'al, Brianna would have married him. The point; however, was that she and Alyan had experimented with pleasure a few times while never over stepping the boundaries of virginity. Those memories were sweet and old, during what seemed another time, and tainted by the evil end which befell him. Even with that taint, the current subject matter at hand still thoroughly embarrassed her.
"I already know how sex works, professor," Brianna muttered.
The elder elf before her, merely looked amused at her remark. Brianna mentally cursed as she realized that, apparently, there was more to be imparted that she hadn't already learned. Professor Moruni pulled up a chair and gracefully sank into it.
"Of course you do; however, I doubt anyone's taught you how to control the reproductive organs in your body so that you won't conceive until you want to. A pregnancy during a war is quite unappealing, is it not?" The professor asked, one fiery brow raised.
Brianna pulled a face. No, she didn't know anything about that. There hadn't been a reason for her to learn in the past and the one time she'd come close nothing ever came of it. Brianna sank into her desk chair with a very put upon expression marring her face. Professor Moruni grinned.
"Try not to pass out from embarrassment. This information is very important," she said in a gleeful voice.
Inwardly, Brianna groaned and wished the floor beneath her would rot, crack, and collapse under her. As the tree was held by Lady Galadriel's magic, it didn't budge. The professor laughed and began.
"The most basic trick to preventing pregnancy is to be aware of your body. Be mindful of when your cycle begins, when your best days for fertility are, and when they are not. Now, you can become pregnant on most days of the month in one way or another, but there's an extra step we, as elves, take to ensure prevention. Humans, as you know, take all manner of hormones and concoctions to avoid the cycle. We don't need to. We, through some extra practice, can thicken and/or thin the uterine lining and make sure nothing sticks," she said and sat straight up in her chair so she could point at her flat stomach. "In the beginning, you'll need to close your eyes and use your own elements to seek out the make up of your body. You have the advantage of using enith gilthaes as I do, so take a moment and do that."
Brianna pulled a face, straightened from her slouched posture, and closed her eyes. Like an old friend, enith gilthaes welcomed her with open arms as she plunged into its depths. Unlike before, she didn't remain with it and took just a little to flush throughout her body. Her senses flared to life and the sensation of feeling everything nearly overwhelmed her. She could feel her lips part in surprise and feel the vibrations of her vocal chords as a startled noise escaped her. When she heard that noise in return, the sound was both soft and deafening. Without needing to be told, Brianna focused the enith gilthaes on her reproductive organs and began to use it to study their function. After a while, she determined that her prime days would fall along the day of the wedding and she began to thin the walls of her uterus in response. Once she was finished, Brianna pulled back and looked expectantly at the professor who nodded her approval.
"Good. That was the prevention method. There are other things you can do as well," she said.
Brianna's brows furrowed, but she leaned forward with interest as the professor began to explain the wonders of intercourse and the various kinks that accompanied it. When she was finally finished and gone, Brianna sat in her chair and gazed into the nothingness before her as she tried to process everything the professor had told her.
January 23rd - Lothlorien
Aragorn inspected the rings he had made with a critical eye. They were flawlessly molded together with a plain, silver-gold band for him and a more elaborate ring for his soon to be bride. A stone of blue gleamed in its center nestled in gold and silver leaves. The band resembled vines and branches that weaved through each other. Once he was certain everything was in order, Aragorn smiled at the elf who had forged them and bowed low.
"Thank for your kindness," he said.
"You are very much welcome, Estel. What the Lady wishes, she receives, and we are glad to do it," the elf responded.
Aragorn left flanked by Legolas and Boromir with the rings nestled in a green velvet pouch. He caressed the velvet absently with his thumb as the teeth of his nerves began to gnaw at him once more. The week had given him much to prepare for, but it also meant separation from his beloved. He'd known this when he agreed to marry her in such a short time, but he hadn't thought it would be a difficult as he later discovered. The best he could do was to take time for preparations and hope that his heart temporarily forgot the need for his love and the grief that still lingered in his heart at Gandalf's passing.
Boromir's sharp slap on Aragorn's back startled him from his thoughts. He looked at the man whose eyes still held the heavy shadow of Gandalf's passing. Even so, a spark of joy glimmered in their depths and Aragorn began to understand that this wedding - ill timed as it was - served many a purpose.
"We have the rings, your cloak and tunic, and the quarters to begin your married life prepared! With the daylight waning and the night still to us, let us make merriment of your coming union! Gimli and I have acquired for ourselves the elvish wine that is in such high regard. We will see what we can make of it!" Boromir said.
Aragorn chuckled as Legolas set his attention on Boromir with a severe expression on his brow, "Careful, Boromir my friend, that you don't drink too much of the elven wine. We make it stronger than anything humans and dwarves could hope to match. I will keep careful watch of everyone who partakes."
Boromir waved off Legolas' concerns and replied, "Do not concern yourself with drunkenness! It is tradition of our race to make the bridegroom too drunk to stand in the night before his wedding!"
"It is not the way of the elves," Legolas said gravely, "and Aragorn has more to do than marry my little niece. He must take time to prepare for the moment of his crowning for he will take oaths of kingship of my people."
Aragorn decided to interject before the two continued the argument of the day before, "I will make merry with the Fellowship, but Legolas is right in voicing his concerns. I will need to step away and prepare for that alone. There will be little sleep for me tonight."
"Well," said Boromir with an indignant sniff, "at least that tradition will remain the same!"
When they joined the rest of the Fellowship, Aragorn discovered that the Hobbits and Gimli had already made ready their little tent for the coming merriment. Food littered cloth covered long tables and three barrels of the elven wine rested on the ground. Upon seeing the amount of wine Boromir and Gimli had acquired Aragorn met Legolas' gaze and mouthed "water down my glass" to him. The elf inclined his head and moved to help Gimli dispense the drink.
It didn't take long for the hobbits, Gimli, and Boromir to feel the warmth of the elven wine. Merry and Pippin soon stood and began singing cheerful tavern songs and Gimli, already deep into his cups, began waxing poetry about the wife he'd left in the Lonely Mountain. Aragorn listened silently to his friend while he sipped the watered down wine. Next to him sat Frodo who looked on laughing with Merry and Pippin at poor Sam's expense.
The day passed into night and the moon rose high into the sky. Aragorn kept careful watch of the time as his friends continued to descend further into their drunken merriment until, one-by-one, each drifted off into hazy dreams. Frodo, having not imbibed quite as much as the rest, stole away to his pallet when it grew late enough. Boromir and Gimli drank themselves to sleep. The three hobbits, whose constitutions surprised Aragorn, called it a night once they took note of their sleeping companions.
Midnight passed as did the first and second hours of the new day. Aragorn looked once again at the position of the moon and counted thirty minutes until the third hour. With a nod to Legolas, Aragorn rose from his seat and walked into the woods. Distant elven song that permeated the deep night slowly grew distant the further he left Caras Galadhon. The lights of the city left him and darkness blanketed him in its embrace. He passed Cerin Amroth and journeyed further into the woods until the lonely song of the Nimrodel met his ears. There, next to the pure waters of the brook, Aragorn knelt and long pondered the coming day and what it would mean for him to be crowned elven king.
January 24th - Lothlorien - Late Afternoon
Brianna gazed at her reflection in the tall mirror provided to her by Lady Galadriel. Initially, her room had been furnished with a modest-sized mirror meant to aid in preparing hair styles and check for concerning creases and indecent neckline errors, but the Lady had thought something taller would be best in the current circumstances. The white and silver of Brianna's wedding gown gleamed on the silvery surface. Truly, the Lady and her maids outdid themselves with the intricate embroidery and stitching. Should any of her children she bare be as short and shapely as she, the dress could easily be passed to them and any grandchildren and great-grandchildren after. A sigh escaped her and she reached for the circlet and veil she would wear during the marriage ceremony. Professor Moruni had implied that a queenly crown was in her possession, though Brianna wasn't sure how she'd come to acquire it. The elder elf had been very tight-lipped with the details. Behind her, Arwen sat with a soft smile gracing her red lips. She wore a pretty royal blue dress and her raven hair was tied back into a single braid.
"You look very queenly," she said softly.
Brianna chuckled despite the butterflies of nervousness fluttering around in her stomach, "Thank you, it was a joint effort."
Queenliness aside, Brianna still felt as if she was a child playing at her mother's game. The circlet, the white, the stateliness of her garb seemed as if they were meant for someone else. The years she'd spent running away from the throne caught up with here and now she felt an imposter. The crown shouldn't be her's. She wasn't worthy of the title.
Brianna closed her eyes and took in a deep breath in an effort to calm her persistent nerves. Every concern, every fear, was for naught. She was marrying a man whose purpose was to go to the land of his forefathers and claim his ancestral throne. Aragorn would be king and she would be queen. There was no getting around it like there was no getting around the fact that she was elven queen and would be crowning her soon-to-be husband elven king once the marriage ceremony ended. There was no more time to run. No more excuses. No more giving into the fear that plagued her heart every day.
"It's time," Arwen said.
Brianna nodded and draped the sheer white veil over her head and the crown that adorned it before allowing Arwen and the Professor to guide her to the small garden the ceremony was to take place. To Brianna's surprise, when the small procession group neared the garden the sounds of singing met her ears.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye of sinful man they glory may not see,
Only though art holy; there is none beside thee
Perfect in pow'r, in love, and purity.
Stunned wasn't the appropriate word to describe exactly how Brianna felt at that moment. She'd been expecting a small ceremony that would have been more like the elven ceremonies of Arda. But no, her aunt and the professor clearly saw fit to sneak something else in and she desperately wanted to know how they'd done it. Now wasn't the time to inquire after the surprise; however, as Professor Moruni nodded to Arwen and placed a firm hand on Brianna's shoulder, pulling her to a stop.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise they name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Arwen moved in front of her as the echoes of "Trinity" resounded through the air of that small alcove in Caras Galadhon. Brianna's heart thudded almost painfully in her chest as nerves began to finally catch up with her. She was getting married. By the Triune she was getting married!
"It's alright," whispered the Professor as Arwen stepped through the elaborate arch that acted as the entrance to the garden. "You've nothing to fear. Not here, not now, and certainly not in the future."
Brianna swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, but didn't make an attempt to reply. Aragorn had been right about the quick nature of the wedding. It hadn't allowed them time to court and get to know each other. She hadn't been allowed even a little bit of time to introduce herself to the people of Gondor or him to her people on Earth. Circumstances hadn't allowed for time she would have wanted for a courtship and an engagement. It would have to do.
Light footsteps startled her from her thoughts and Brianna looked up to see the golden blond form of Legolas - her apparent uncle - whose smile glowed with the brilliance of one thousand suns when he caught sight of her. Professor Moruni moved away from them and walked until she was just inside the garden entrance before stopping and waiting for them. Legolas held out his hand and Brianna shyly took it.
"Are you ready?" Legolas asked.
Brianna smiled and replied, "One can never be ready, but they can be prepared."
"Are you prepared?"
"Yes."
They turned to Professor Moruni who merely inclined her head to the both of them and stepped through the arch.
"Behold, the bride, the queen of elves, comes! Who presumes to receive her?" Called the professor.
Brianna didn't hear Aragorn's bold reply as her blood rushed to her ears and cut out all sound. She gripped Legolas' hand tightly and fought the darkness threatening to cause her to faint. Singing began once more.
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Legolas kindly prodded her forward after the first verse ended. Together, they entered the garden and she forced herself to regain her composure and be as regal as she possibly could.
Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heav'n along,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou rising morning, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice,
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
He led her down a winding stone path that slipped though beautiful blue, purple and white flowers. Sometimes hedges arched over them creating high halls. Sometimes Brianna stepped through a curtain of hanging vines. Her feet tread on moss and earth and rock. A natural stream trickled past her glittering with the lights of lazily floating fireflies. She allowed the song to wash over her and through her. A sense of peace settled on her heart and she found herself no longer requiring Legolas' continued support to push forward.
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light,
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
When at last the path ended and a thick blanket of grass began, Brianna looked to see the small group of people - mostly from Arda - gathered before a small table surrounded by white roses. The lord and lady of Lorien sat in chairs behind the table facing the small group. Both were dressed in green and white with a crown of laurel leaves resting on their heads. Standing directly behind the table was Professor Moruni. Before her and the altar and to the side was Aragorn.
He was dressed in a royal blue tunic and cloaked in silver and a blue so dark it was almost black. Brianna briefly caught the shining embroidered White Tree of Gondor shimmering in the late afternoon light when he turned from where he faced the Professor and the table to look down the parting pond of bodies to meet her gaze.
Everything else melted away and the present seemed a distant memory. All she saw was him as she stepped towards him. She barely registered Legolas' existence keeping her steps measured and not allowing her to hasten to Aragorn's side.
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, three in one,
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
As the song ended she and Legolas came to a stop before the table and Aragorn.
"Who comes before the Elders this day?" Professor Moruni asked.
"I, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, to take Elven Queen Aracasse ven Aldura, as my wife."
"Does Elven Queen Aracasse ven Aldura come before the Elders to make this union?"
"Yes. I, Aracasse ven Aldura, Queen of Elves, come before the Elders to make this union," Brianna found herself replying.
She never tore her gaze from Aragorn, nor he hers. His blue eyes glimmered in the dimming light like twin sapphires. His hair was washed and combed. It hung free down to the top of his shoulders. A slight, warm breeze toyed with it making individual strands dance across his chin.
"Who of her family stands with the Queen of Elves before the Elders?"
"I, Prince Legolas, son of King Thranduil of the Greenwood and Elven Queen Athena ven Aldura, an uncle to the young Queen of Elves, stand with her this day before the Elders."
"And does this union have the blessing of family?"
"This family blesses the union of Aragorn and Aracasse."
"And does the Queen of Elves consent to this union before the Elders?"
"I consent," Brianna replied.
"Then may the bride's hand take the bridegroom's!"
Legolas stepped away from her and held out her hand, still grasped in his own, to Aragorn. Aragorn reached out, palm facing the sky, and waited while Legolas settled Brianna's hand into Aragorn's calloused palm. With that, Legolas withdrew and Brianna stepped up to Aragorn who eagerly took her offered free hand into his own.
They say that brides don't remember much about their wedding days. In reality, it isn't as if they don't remember them so much as the slower parts went by in a blur. Brianna didn't really hear what Professor Moruni said to them about marriage and what their union would mean. She was too busy drinking in the heated look in Aragorn's eyes and reveling at how good his calloused hands felt in hers. She was barely cognizant of the exchange of rings, but she remembered uttering the vows.
Her mind reentered reality at the pointed look from Professor Moruni as she turned her back to the momentarily and swung around with a large gold circlet in her hands. Brianna stepped away from Aragorn, feeling momentarily bereft as her hands left his, and stepped above him next to the professor. Her husband knelt before her and bowed his head. Brianna, closed her eyes and reached over to touch a particularly ornate charm that hung from her OLYMPUS-issued bracelet on her wrist. After a brief flash, a long slender sword decorated with jewels and elven steel settled in her hand.
Elves took oaths of honor and promise. Their society was structured around this idea that the oath was important. When rulers were crowned, the oaths they took were magically binding. To break an oath was to be forever cursed in the eyes of the Triune.
"You stand between the light and the dark, the day and the night. You are the shield and the sword. You hold the scales of righteous judgment. Do you understand the mantle you don tonight?"
Her voice, which had been breathless and starstruck, was severe. In the light of the Triune where the oaths of kingship were concerned, there was no room for the lighthearted clouds of a wedding. What happened this day sealed more fates than her own and it needed to be conducted with appropriately gravity.
"I do," Aragorn responded, voice loud and clear as it rang throughout Lorien's lands.
Aracasse ven Aldura felt those words in the very foundations of the elements themselves, and she knew the oath-taking had begun.
"Speak the Words, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and become the sovereign of my people," she said.
Without hesitation, Aragorn began. In the elvish of earth - a dialect so far removed from that of Arda's elven languages - that it was its own entity and had to be taught carefully to Aragorn. Professor Moruni had begun that journey and made sure that her eager new pupil didn't get too distracted by the rest of the language. Roughly, the words were translated to mean, "I am the hand of the Triune, by life and death I will serve to guard the mortal realms from those who seek to do them harm. I will rule justly, with honor and mercy, as king to my people. This I swear in the name of the Triune."
"Rise, Aragorn son of Arathorn, and take your place as King of Elves and Magic," she said and placed the circlet on hid brow.
Her husband stood and she fought the urge to gape. There was something extraordinarily grand about him this day that left her in constant awe of his presence. Was that love, or was it his natural state made more apparent by the acceptance of great responsibility and purpose? Aragorn's serious visage fell away as his grey eyes settled on her and a soft smile dusted away the frown on his lips which she answered with her own.
"Feel free to proceed to the adjoining festivities," Professor Moruni interjected and startling the two of them.
Aracasse and Aragorn linked arms and proceeded to lead the audience to the other side of the garden where the festivities were to be held.
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