RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
48.
Legolas stood looking at himself in the mirror, his closest friends gathered 'round him. He wore the green velvet robes of Mirkwood – the same that he had worn on his wedding day a thousand years before. "This is crazy," he said, "Why is this so important to her?"
David chuckled and shrugged. "Perhaps it is not so important to her, Legolas, though I know that she wishes to exchange vows with you in the Christian tradition. But it means a lot to us, her friends. We never got to see her married, and we all want to."
"It seems silly now to take time for this," said the prince.
"I know," said David, "But it's not really. None of us knows what the day after tomorrow will bring. They all want to see this come to pass before they risk their lives."
***
The wedding gown was the most beautiful thing that Elenath had ever worn. She was taken aback by the silken fragility of it, amazed that it had survived a thousand years. Its low neckline and the hem of its full skirt were embroidered with gold and flecked with diamonds. The long train was adorned in the same way, and her long sleeves fit tightly from shoulder to elbow and then flared prettily to golden points that nearly touched the floor. From the perfectly fitted bodice to the diamond-encrusted slippers it was obvious that the ensemble had been made especially for her.
Just when she thought that she was fully dressed and ready, Kara brought forth a full-length veil and draped it gently over her head. "This is new," said Kara. "The Elves thought the veil was a charming tradition when I told them about it, so they made this for you."
The sheer circle of white fabric was studded with tiny diamonds and bordered with the same embroidery as her gown. It covered her from head to toe, giving her the surreal, gauzy appearance of some magical creature, and Kara secured it in place with the princess's bejeweled golden circlet. She smiled at the affect. "There," she said, "You're a masterpiece!"
And in fact, Elenath did feel as if she were a work of art on exhibit. Everyone stared at her in awe, her mother wiping away a few stray tears. When the princess finally turned to look in the mirror, she gasped. "Wow."
"Yeah, wow!" said Susan as she slipped her green velvet dress over her head. "You look gorgeous!"
"I feel gorgeous," replied Elenath, unable to take her eyes off of her reflection. The emotions that filled her at that moment were a little overwhelming. How long had she dreamed of this day? She was a bride! And when she thought of the Elf who would be waiting for her at the altar, tears of joy threatened to spill down her cheeks. "Thanks you guys. Thanks so much! You don't know how much this means to me."
"It means a lot to us too, El," said Susan, "and don't you dare cry or you'll get us all started!"
They had all dressed in elaborate green velvet gowns, a far cry from the armor they'd worn only an hour before. Elenath was just beginning to admire and compliment them all when a light tap sounded on the door. When the maidservant opened it, Elrond stood there with a handful of Elite Mirkwood warriors – the very Elves who usually guarded the King. They were heavily armed and seemed to have the attitude that this was the most important mission of their lives. So serious was the air that surrounded them that for a moment Elenath feared there was something wrong.
"Ah, Elenath," said Elrond, seemingly speechless for a moment, his smile lighting up the room, "Vanimle sila tiri (Your beauty shines bright). Legolas will be more than pleased with his bride."
Elenath could not stop the blush that crept into her cheeks. "What thinks Legolas of this surprise, Grandfather?"
He chuckled. "He does not understand, Lirimaer (Lovely One), but that will not matter in the least once he sees you. I doubt he will understand, or even care to understand, much of anything once he sees you coming toward him. Now come. Legolas awaits." He offered his arm, which she took with a smile.
They followed the bridal attendants out into the corridor just behind little Rebecca. Elenath was surprised when the guards surrounded them, weapons drawn in their defense.
"Should I be worried?" Elenath asked her grandfather and she noted that a guard or two seemed to be fighting smiles.
"No, Lirimaer. This is simply an Elven tradition. The bride is heavily guarded to prevent her from being stolen by-"
At that moment, David and Raion dashed into the corridor with a band of Elves who surrounded the bride and her bodyguards as if trying to kidnap her.
There was an awkward moment of silence when they first saw her, and Elenath heard David suck in his breath as if wounded. She met his eyes for a moment and almost fell to her knees with the pain she saw there. The pain of one who could never have what he desired above all else; an all-encompassing pain that came and went in the blink of an eye. Before she had time to register the feelings that assaulted her heart, his whole demeanor changed and he was coaxing and taunting her with the rest of the Elves, trying to reach through the bodyguards to kidnap her, and she was laughing along with his merriment.
"Come with us," they said, "And we will save you from the horrible prince Legolas!"
"Do not answer them, whatever you do," Elrond whispered in her ear. "It will only make things worse." He was grinning ear to ear as Raion promised her a much grander palace than Mirkwood's if Elenath would but marry him instead of Prince Legolas.
The walk to the Great Hall took twice as long as usual as the groom's attendants tried their best to sway the bride with compliments and poetry, sonnets and songs that would have made any self-respecting woman melt into a puddle at their feet. Estel surprised the princess with a sonnet of such tenderness that she found herself wondering if he really meant it. Even Marcus was in on the action. "Yo, hot momma!" he hollered, "Come over here and let me show ya a good time!" Many of the princess' own attendants were blushing wildly by the time they reached the doors of the Great Hall and the "attackers" finally relented and joined Legolas at the altar.
The bridal party stood far enough back that Elenath was not in sight of anyone within the great hall, so she turned to the guards who were lowering their weapons and smiled. "You were all very brave to protect me from those ruffians. Lle ume quel, belegohtarea (You did well, mighty warriors)!" With that she kissed each one lightly on the cheek through her veil. "Thank you."
Their leader answered for them all. "If such kisses were payment for the employ of our swords and bows, then we would travel anywhere at any time for you, Princess."
She smiled at them as they disappeared into the Great Hall.
DISCLAIMER: The characters from Lord of the Rings and their wonderful world are borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkien. The plotline and all other characters are copyright 2002 Emily (emi_kins@yahoo.com)
48.
Legolas stood looking at himself in the mirror, his closest friends gathered 'round him. He wore the green velvet robes of Mirkwood – the same that he had worn on his wedding day a thousand years before. "This is crazy," he said, "Why is this so important to her?"
David chuckled and shrugged. "Perhaps it is not so important to her, Legolas, though I know that she wishes to exchange vows with you in the Christian tradition. But it means a lot to us, her friends. We never got to see her married, and we all want to."
"It seems silly now to take time for this," said the prince.
"I know," said David, "But it's not really. None of us knows what the day after tomorrow will bring. They all want to see this come to pass before they risk their lives."
***
The wedding gown was the most beautiful thing that Elenath had ever worn. She was taken aback by the silken fragility of it, amazed that it had survived a thousand years. Its low neckline and the hem of its full skirt were embroidered with gold and flecked with diamonds. The long train was adorned in the same way, and her long sleeves fit tightly from shoulder to elbow and then flared prettily to golden points that nearly touched the floor. From the perfectly fitted bodice to the diamond-encrusted slippers it was obvious that the ensemble had been made especially for her.
Just when she thought that she was fully dressed and ready, Kara brought forth a full-length veil and draped it gently over her head. "This is new," said Kara. "The Elves thought the veil was a charming tradition when I told them about it, so they made this for you."
The sheer circle of white fabric was studded with tiny diamonds and bordered with the same embroidery as her gown. It covered her from head to toe, giving her the surreal, gauzy appearance of some magical creature, and Kara secured it in place with the princess's bejeweled golden circlet. She smiled at the affect. "There," she said, "You're a masterpiece!"
And in fact, Elenath did feel as if she were a work of art on exhibit. Everyone stared at her in awe, her mother wiping away a few stray tears. When the princess finally turned to look in the mirror, she gasped. "Wow."
"Yeah, wow!" said Susan as she slipped her green velvet dress over her head. "You look gorgeous!"
"I feel gorgeous," replied Elenath, unable to take her eyes off of her reflection. The emotions that filled her at that moment were a little overwhelming. How long had she dreamed of this day? She was a bride! And when she thought of the Elf who would be waiting for her at the altar, tears of joy threatened to spill down her cheeks. "Thanks you guys. Thanks so much! You don't know how much this means to me."
"It means a lot to us too, El," said Susan, "and don't you dare cry or you'll get us all started!"
They had all dressed in elaborate green velvet gowns, a far cry from the armor they'd worn only an hour before. Elenath was just beginning to admire and compliment them all when a light tap sounded on the door. When the maidservant opened it, Elrond stood there with a handful of Elite Mirkwood warriors – the very Elves who usually guarded the King. They were heavily armed and seemed to have the attitude that this was the most important mission of their lives. So serious was the air that surrounded them that for a moment Elenath feared there was something wrong.
"Ah, Elenath," said Elrond, seemingly speechless for a moment, his smile lighting up the room, "Vanimle sila tiri (Your beauty shines bright). Legolas will be more than pleased with his bride."
Elenath could not stop the blush that crept into her cheeks. "What thinks Legolas of this surprise, Grandfather?"
He chuckled. "He does not understand, Lirimaer (Lovely One), but that will not matter in the least once he sees you. I doubt he will understand, or even care to understand, much of anything once he sees you coming toward him. Now come. Legolas awaits." He offered his arm, which she took with a smile.
They followed the bridal attendants out into the corridor just behind little Rebecca. Elenath was surprised when the guards surrounded them, weapons drawn in their defense.
"Should I be worried?" Elenath asked her grandfather and she noted that a guard or two seemed to be fighting smiles.
"No, Lirimaer. This is simply an Elven tradition. The bride is heavily guarded to prevent her from being stolen by-"
At that moment, David and Raion dashed into the corridor with a band of Elves who surrounded the bride and her bodyguards as if trying to kidnap her.
There was an awkward moment of silence when they first saw her, and Elenath heard David suck in his breath as if wounded. She met his eyes for a moment and almost fell to her knees with the pain she saw there. The pain of one who could never have what he desired above all else; an all-encompassing pain that came and went in the blink of an eye. Before she had time to register the feelings that assaulted her heart, his whole demeanor changed and he was coaxing and taunting her with the rest of the Elves, trying to reach through the bodyguards to kidnap her, and she was laughing along with his merriment.
"Come with us," they said, "And we will save you from the horrible prince Legolas!"
"Do not answer them, whatever you do," Elrond whispered in her ear. "It will only make things worse." He was grinning ear to ear as Raion promised her a much grander palace than Mirkwood's if Elenath would but marry him instead of Prince Legolas.
The walk to the Great Hall took twice as long as usual as the groom's attendants tried their best to sway the bride with compliments and poetry, sonnets and songs that would have made any self-respecting woman melt into a puddle at their feet. Estel surprised the princess with a sonnet of such tenderness that she found herself wondering if he really meant it. Even Marcus was in on the action. "Yo, hot momma!" he hollered, "Come over here and let me show ya a good time!" Many of the princess' own attendants were blushing wildly by the time they reached the doors of the Great Hall and the "attackers" finally relented and joined Legolas at the altar.
The bridal party stood far enough back that Elenath was not in sight of anyone within the great hall, so she turned to the guards who were lowering their weapons and smiled. "You were all very brave to protect me from those ruffians. Lle ume quel, belegohtarea (You did well, mighty warriors)!" With that she kissed each one lightly on the cheek through her veil. "Thank you."
Their leader answered for them all. "If such kisses were payment for the employ of our swords and bows, then we would travel anywhere at any time for you, Princess."
She smiled at them as they disappeared into the Great Hall.