"You said you were adopted. Do you remember your real parents at all?" he
inquired.
"Sadly, no. My adopted parents found me in a field as a child. I was lost and scared. They were a childless human couple and they cared for me as if I was their own." I explained.
"This couple named you Eloria then?" Lord Elrond asked.
"No sir. They found my name sewed into the clothing I wore." I explained.
Elrond looked at me and smiled. "When I first heard your name, I wasn't sure, but now that I look at you I know it must be true." He beckoned me over to him. "Many years ago a daughter was born to me before Arwen."
I looked at Lord Elrond as I walked nearer to him. I wondered where he was going with his words and what they had to do with me.
"That daughter was stolen from us a few years after she was born. The thief was caught but my daughter was never found. That daughter's name was Eloria." He held his hand out to me. "Welcome home my long lost daughter."
Lord Elrond wrapped me up in a loving embrace. When he hugged me tighter I winced in pain, the bruises on my back were still very fresh. I jumped back from him and the shawl I had wrapped around my shoulders fell to the ground. The hideousness of my back was revealed to everyone in the room.
I heard gasps of surprise, and silent whispers. I grabbed my shawl and ran back to my room. I threw open the door and slammed it shut behind me. I was embarrassed of my scars and bruises and I didn't want anyone to pity me because of them. I was ashamed of my past life with Orgath and everything he had done to me. I cried for a while, feeling ugly and unworthy of this beautiful city of Rivendell.
When I had run out of tears there was a knock at the door. "Can I come in?" It was Legolas.
I sat up and wiped the tears from my face. "Yes."
Legolas came in and sat down next to me. "Are you all right?" he asked.
"No. I am embarrassed because I look hideous. Everyone saw my scars and bruises." I sniffed.
"There is no reason to feel this way. You were stuck in a situation you couldn't control." Legolas tried to comfort me. "Your sister Arwen sent some elvish salve for your back. It will help to heal the open sores on your back and make the scars fade." He held up a small jar.
I sat down next to Legolas and turned my back to him. I lowered my dress so my back was exposed to him. He spread the salve gently onto my back. It felt cool and soothing.
"It must have been hard for you to get through all that pain you suffered." Legolas pulled my dress back up over my shoulders.
"There were times when I wanted to just give up. I had no family, no one who loved me, but then I would remember my parents and their love and vowed to be free." I looked at him.
"Does your back feel better now?" Legolas asked.
"Yes, thank you. I must remember to thank Arwen for sending the salve." I smiled.
"Why don't we get some dinner then?" He suggested.
"All right, let's go!" I stood up and grabbed his hand.
We walked to the dining hall together. When we arrived everyone was waiting to eat. There were two seats next to Lord Elrond so we went and sat in them.
"I am sorry for my behavior earlier, Lord Elrond." I looked at him.
"Do not trouble yourself over it. Rest assured the orc who left those marks on your back will be found and punished." Elrond smiled at me.
We ate our dinner and talked about our family. Lord Elrond and Arwen told me things about our family that I had missed growing up. It was all very fascinating. After dinner Legolas escorted me back to my room.
"Goodnight Eloria. Perhaps I can show you more of Rivendell tomorrow?" he asked.
"I would like that very much. Goodnight Legolas and thank you again for the medicine." I stood up on my tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.
"Goodnight then." Legolas bowed and left.
I was about to walk into my room and shut the door when Elrond and Arwen appeared. I invited them into my room and we all sat down.
"It is so good to have you home Eloria." Elrond smiled.
"Yes! It will be wonderful to have a sister!" Arwen hugged me softly.
"Legolas has promised to show me around Rivendell tomorrow." I looked at Arwen. "Perhaps you and Aragorn would like to join us?"
"That sounds like fun! I am sure we could join you for a little while." Arwen smiled.
"Its late and I must return to my chambers. If you need anything at all Eloria, just ask." Elrond stood up.
"I will. Good night father." I smiled at him as the word left my lips.
"Goodnight daughter." He smiled and left the room.
"I should go too but lets talk for awhile first." Arwen sat down next to me.
"What do you know of Legolas?" I asked her. "He seems so nice. He's barely left my side since I arrived here. I wonder why that is?"
"Legolas is wonderful. His father, Thorundil, is King of Mirkwood and he raised Legolas well. Legolas is very close to our family he would do anything for us. I prefer Aragorn though." Arwen swooned.
"Yes, I can't wait to meet this Aragorn of yours. I must see what all of the fuss is about." I smiled.
"Father once told me that Mirkwood and Rivendell was to be merged with a marriage between our families. You and Legolas were betrothed at birth." Arwen explained.
"We must be the same age then." I thought out loud.
"Don't worry though. Father would never force you into marriage now. He is much too happy having you home to spoil it with any arguments." Arwen smiled.
"Sadly, no. My adopted parents found me in a field as a child. I was lost and scared. They were a childless human couple and they cared for me as if I was their own." I explained.
"This couple named you Eloria then?" Lord Elrond asked.
"No sir. They found my name sewed into the clothing I wore." I explained.
Elrond looked at me and smiled. "When I first heard your name, I wasn't sure, but now that I look at you I know it must be true." He beckoned me over to him. "Many years ago a daughter was born to me before Arwen."
I looked at Lord Elrond as I walked nearer to him. I wondered where he was going with his words and what they had to do with me.
"That daughter was stolen from us a few years after she was born. The thief was caught but my daughter was never found. That daughter's name was Eloria." He held his hand out to me. "Welcome home my long lost daughter."
Lord Elrond wrapped me up in a loving embrace. When he hugged me tighter I winced in pain, the bruises on my back were still very fresh. I jumped back from him and the shawl I had wrapped around my shoulders fell to the ground. The hideousness of my back was revealed to everyone in the room.
I heard gasps of surprise, and silent whispers. I grabbed my shawl and ran back to my room. I threw open the door and slammed it shut behind me. I was embarrassed of my scars and bruises and I didn't want anyone to pity me because of them. I was ashamed of my past life with Orgath and everything he had done to me. I cried for a while, feeling ugly and unworthy of this beautiful city of Rivendell.
When I had run out of tears there was a knock at the door. "Can I come in?" It was Legolas.
I sat up and wiped the tears from my face. "Yes."
Legolas came in and sat down next to me. "Are you all right?" he asked.
"No. I am embarrassed because I look hideous. Everyone saw my scars and bruises." I sniffed.
"There is no reason to feel this way. You were stuck in a situation you couldn't control." Legolas tried to comfort me. "Your sister Arwen sent some elvish salve for your back. It will help to heal the open sores on your back and make the scars fade." He held up a small jar.
I sat down next to Legolas and turned my back to him. I lowered my dress so my back was exposed to him. He spread the salve gently onto my back. It felt cool and soothing.
"It must have been hard for you to get through all that pain you suffered." Legolas pulled my dress back up over my shoulders.
"There were times when I wanted to just give up. I had no family, no one who loved me, but then I would remember my parents and their love and vowed to be free." I looked at him.
"Does your back feel better now?" Legolas asked.
"Yes, thank you. I must remember to thank Arwen for sending the salve." I smiled.
"Why don't we get some dinner then?" He suggested.
"All right, let's go!" I stood up and grabbed his hand.
We walked to the dining hall together. When we arrived everyone was waiting to eat. There were two seats next to Lord Elrond so we went and sat in them.
"I am sorry for my behavior earlier, Lord Elrond." I looked at him.
"Do not trouble yourself over it. Rest assured the orc who left those marks on your back will be found and punished." Elrond smiled at me.
We ate our dinner and talked about our family. Lord Elrond and Arwen told me things about our family that I had missed growing up. It was all very fascinating. After dinner Legolas escorted me back to my room.
"Goodnight Eloria. Perhaps I can show you more of Rivendell tomorrow?" he asked.
"I would like that very much. Goodnight Legolas and thank you again for the medicine." I stood up on my tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.
"Goodnight then." Legolas bowed and left.
I was about to walk into my room and shut the door when Elrond and Arwen appeared. I invited them into my room and we all sat down.
"It is so good to have you home Eloria." Elrond smiled.
"Yes! It will be wonderful to have a sister!" Arwen hugged me softly.
"Legolas has promised to show me around Rivendell tomorrow." I looked at Arwen. "Perhaps you and Aragorn would like to join us?"
"That sounds like fun! I am sure we could join you for a little while." Arwen smiled.
"Its late and I must return to my chambers. If you need anything at all Eloria, just ask." Elrond stood up.
"I will. Good night father." I smiled at him as the word left my lips.
"Goodnight daughter." He smiled and left the room.
"I should go too but lets talk for awhile first." Arwen sat down next to me.
"What do you know of Legolas?" I asked her. "He seems so nice. He's barely left my side since I arrived here. I wonder why that is?"
"Legolas is wonderful. His father, Thorundil, is King of Mirkwood and he raised Legolas well. Legolas is very close to our family he would do anything for us. I prefer Aragorn though." Arwen swooned.
"Yes, I can't wait to meet this Aragorn of yours. I must see what all of the fuss is about." I smiled.
"Father once told me that Mirkwood and Rivendell was to be merged with a marriage between our families. You and Legolas were betrothed at birth." Arwen explained.
"We must be the same age then." I thought out loud.
"Don't worry though. Father would never force you into marriage now. He is much too happy having you home to spoil it with any arguments." Arwen smiled.