Chapter Five: The Truth
Foska and Anasetta met with Arwen and Aragorn at the castle's garden. The wee hobbits were playing at the courtyard. "Ah Lady Foska, nice to see you," Aragorn said kissing her hand. "How are you little Anasetta?"
The little girl stared and smiled. Foska hadn't introduced them yet. "Sette, this is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. He is Arwen's love."
She smiled and said, "So you are the Heir to the Throne of Gondor, sir Aragorn." The Man smiled and she hugged him. Aragorn complemented her astounding intelligence. Foska blushed and said humbly that it is not from her…but from Legolas.
"Is it?" Arwen mused. "Aragorn here told me that he holds great knowledge of ancient Elven history and origins. I was not to wonder how a cheerful Elf could know such things."
"Neither did I, Ms. Arwen," a hobbit voice said from behind. "Good morning! Samwise Gamgee here from the Shire." He shook hands with Foska and smiled at Anasetta. "Mr. Legolas, did show great skill. None of us knew he could be so wise."
"Nay!" another one popped. This time, it was Merry. "What a beautiful little lass! Hmmm…Lady Foska, are you?" he asked. She nodded and addressed her little girl. "Can you let her play with us. We do promise you no harm."
"Alright then, Merry," Foska laughed. She pulled him close and whispered, "If you do upset her, watch out for Elven arrows. It is from Legolas." With a chuckle, Merry held Anasetta by the hand and trotted to the yard.
The Elven princess, the Man and the Faery talked and talked until lunch. The Company was called upon to share a meal with the others. Legolas offered the seat beside him to Foska, which she complied. Annasetta, whom grown delighted with the Hobbits sat in between Pippin and Frodo. Thranduil was happy about Legolas' return and what he thought was Foska's and his son's reconciliation.
"Friends and Family," King Thranduil said over lemon pudding dessert. "I have gathered you here to spend lunch heartily. The Fellowship of the Ring had visited along with my son, Legolas." The others clapped. "Also, I would want you to know that…you are welcome here upon anytime you want."
After the lunchtime, Anasetta was not to be found. Foska was worried. The Hobbits told her she was just playing by the roses. Then Boromir told her, "I saw Legolas carrying a little Elf girl. They were on their way to the back garden."
Foska was relieved. "Thank you, Boromir," she said to him. She started to the back garden and she paused to say, "Boromir, she is an Elvish Faery. Thank you again!"
Before she could reach the clearing, Anasetta ran joyfully to her with Legolas nowhere in sight. She was eating some sweets. "Mother!" she cried. "Prince Legolas gave these to me! He told me that I am wise…and he said that he still wants to be with you. Mother, do you love him? Because if you do, I'd be happy!"
Her mother smiled. "Yes, I do, Sette." Then tears flowed down her cheeks. "Sette, I have to tell you something…very important."
"What is it?" the little Elvish Faery said. "I'm all ears!" She wiggled her Elven ears.
"I guess, I'll have to tell you in our room, my sweetling," her mother answered picking her up and taking a bite off a pasty. "These are good."
"The Prince said they were from Lothlorien," Anasetta said. "He has more."
Once they were in the room, Foska started crying. "Mother, what is it?"
"I am so sorry, my love," Foska sobbed. "I have robbed your from the truth. I mean, for five years I have hid this from you. I am so sorry!"
"Mother, what is it?" Anasetta asked beginning to get worried. "Is it about my father? My Elven father?" Tears also formed into her eyes. "Oh mother, please don't cry. Answer me!"
"Yes, it is," Foska said hugging her little daughter. "Do you wonder why the Prince is very fond of you all of the sudden? Why is he asking for my hand and everything?"
"No, not at all, mother. I have been trying to ask him too, though, he does not answer me," the little girl uttered. "I guessed that, he was just fond of having a little girl in his castle."
Foska smiled. "'Tis true that Legolas is fond of little children. He told this to me when we met fifteen years ago. We dreamt of having our own." She sighed as she felt her child hold on tighter waiting for more. "We were in love. Madly in love to that point we were ready to die together. It happened in just one night. One night of love and lust in this very room…on this very bed."
"The month after, I knew I was carrying you. I was so happy, yet he is not," she continued. Anasetta was anxiously waiting and listening intently. "He told me that he could not keep the responsibility. It is due to the old policy between my kind and his kind. We could not wed until the 400th year of the late Fordertonal's, Lord of Faeries death. And his father found someone for him."
"What did you tell him, mother?" Anasetta said looking up to her.
"I could not do anything. I was against ancient belief and the King. If I don't follow, exile to Mordor will await me. So Legolas avoided me. He left for Rivendell without any word to me."
"Then, I had you on the same date of his birthday. I sent to the wind my message that you've been brought forth to this world on the same date as he was. And I sent my deepest love. For another five years, there was nothing of him. The Ring of Power…that was the cause of his departure. Up to now, it is in existence. In a few weeks, he'll journey to Mordor again."
"Mother…what did he say back about me?" the little girl asked. Foska shook her head. She sobbed.
"But I am certain that he loves you," Foska comforted. "On your third birthday, he sent you the anonymous arrow with the Elven inscription of your name. On Legolas could make it so perfect."
Anasetta reached under her bed and recovered a long box. The inside was lined with royal velvet and silken gold. Upon it was the arrow with Anasetta's name whittled on it. "So this was from him…my father…Prince Legolas. I hadn't had the chance to thank him for this."
"Yes, it is," Foska cried. "It was from his heart. Nothing I have seen of this good quality. Someone very special. I have one too. Are you mad at me?"
The little Elvish Faery shook her head ferociously. "Am not! Mother, let's go to Prince…I mean father now!" Without more words, the two went to Legolas' room.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Foska and Anasetta met with Arwen and Aragorn at the castle's garden. The wee hobbits were playing at the courtyard. "Ah Lady Foska, nice to see you," Aragorn said kissing her hand. "How are you little Anasetta?"
The little girl stared and smiled. Foska hadn't introduced them yet. "Sette, this is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. He is Arwen's love."
She smiled and said, "So you are the Heir to the Throne of Gondor, sir Aragorn." The Man smiled and she hugged him. Aragorn complemented her astounding intelligence. Foska blushed and said humbly that it is not from her…but from Legolas.
"Is it?" Arwen mused. "Aragorn here told me that he holds great knowledge of ancient Elven history and origins. I was not to wonder how a cheerful Elf could know such things."
"Neither did I, Ms. Arwen," a hobbit voice said from behind. "Good morning! Samwise Gamgee here from the Shire." He shook hands with Foska and smiled at Anasetta. "Mr. Legolas, did show great skill. None of us knew he could be so wise."
"Nay!" another one popped. This time, it was Merry. "What a beautiful little lass! Hmmm…Lady Foska, are you?" he asked. She nodded and addressed her little girl. "Can you let her play with us. We do promise you no harm."
"Alright then, Merry," Foska laughed. She pulled him close and whispered, "If you do upset her, watch out for Elven arrows. It is from Legolas." With a chuckle, Merry held Anasetta by the hand and trotted to the yard.
The Elven princess, the Man and the Faery talked and talked until lunch. The Company was called upon to share a meal with the others. Legolas offered the seat beside him to Foska, which she complied. Annasetta, whom grown delighted with the Hobbits sat in between Pippin and Frodo. Thranduil was happy about Legolas' return and what he thought was Foska's and his son's reconciliation.
"Friends and Family," King Thranduil said over lemon pudding dessert. "I have gathered you here to spend lunch heartily. The Fellowship of the Ring had visited along with my son, Legolas." The others clapped. "Also, I would want you to know that…you are welcome here upon anytime you want."
After the lunchtime, Anasetta was not to be found. Foska was worried. The Hobbits told her she was just playing by the roses. Then Boromir told her, "I saw Legolas carrying a little Elf girl. They were on their way to the back garden."
Foska was relieved. "Thank you, Boromir," she said to him. She started to the back garden and she paused to say, "Boromir, she is an Elvish Faery. Thank you again!"
Before she could reach the clearing, Anasetta ran joyfully to her with Legolas nowhere in sight. She was eating some sweets. "Mother!" she cried. "Prince Legolas gave these to me! He told me that I am wise…and he said that he still wants to be with you. Mother, do you love him? Because if you do, I'd be happy!"
Her mother smiled. "Yes, I do, Sette." Then tears flowed down her cheeks. "Sette, I have to tell you something…very important."
"What is it?" the little Elvish Faery said. "I'm all ears!" She wiggled her Elven ears.
"I guess, I'll have to tell you in our room, my sweetling," her mother answered picking her up and taking a bite off a pasty. "These are good."
"The Prince said they were from Lothlorien," Anasetta said. "He has more."
Once they were in the room, Foska started crying. "Mother, what is it?"
"I am so sorry, my love," Foska sobbed. "I have robbed your from the truth. I mean, for five years I have hid this from you. I am so sorry!"
"Mother, what is it?" Anasetta asked beginning to get worried. "Is it about my father? My Elven father?" Tears also formed into her eyes. "Oh mother, please don't cry. Answer me!"
"Yes, it is," Foska said hugging her little daughter. "Do you wonder why the Prince is very fond of you all of the sudden? Why is he asking for my hand and everything?"
"No, not at all, mother. I have been trying to ask him too, though, he does not answer me," the little girl uttered. "I guessed that, he was just fond of having a little girl in his castle."
Foska smiled. "'Tis true that Legolas is fond of little children. He told this to me when we met fifteen years ago. We dreamt of having our own." She sighed as she felt her child hold on tighter waiting for more. "We were in love. Madly in love to that point we were ready to die together. It happened in just one night. One night of love and lust in this very room…on this very bed."
"The month after, I knew I was carrying you. I was so happy, yet he is not," she continued. Anasetta was anxiously waiting and listening intently. "He told me that he could not keep the responsibility. It is due to the old policy between my kind and his kind. We could not wed until the 400th year of the late Fordertonal's, Lord of Faeries death. And his father found someone for him."
"What did you tell him, mother?" Anasetta said looking up to her.
"I could not do anything. I was against ancient belief and the King. If I don't follow, exile to Mordor will await me. So Legolas avoided me. He left for Rivendell without any word to me."
"Then, I had you on the same date of his birthday. I sent to the wind my message that you've been brought forth to this world on the same date as he was. And I sent my deepest love. For another five years, there was nothing of him. The Ring of Power…that was the cause of his departure. Up to now, it is in existence. In a few weeks, he'll journey to Mordor again."
"Mother…what did he say back about me?" the little girl asked. Foska shook her head. She sobbed.
"But I am certain that he loves you," Foska comforted. "On your third birthday, he sent you the anonymous arrow with the Elven inscription of your name. On Legolas could make it so perfect."
Anasetta reached under her bed and recovered a long box. The inside was lined with royal velvet and silken gold. Upon it was the arrow with Anasetta's name whittled on it. "So this was from him…my father…Prince Legolas. I hadn't had the chance to thank him for this."
"Yes, it is," Foska cried. "It was from his heart. Nothing I have seen of this good quality. Someone very special. I have one too. Are you mad at me?"
The little Elvish Faery shook her head ferociously. "Am not! Mother, let's go to Prince…I mean father now!" Without more words, the two went to Legolas' room.
* * * * * * * * * * * *