Chapter 32
The day of his arrival arose. Tally woke up remembering Lilael's first words the day before and then sank back into the covers groaning. Malia bustled into her room in her normal way. She took one look at Tally and said,
"My lady, do not let today affect you. If you do not love him as you expressly remind me quite frequently lately then show him that. Leave him in no doubt your emotions are changed and that you have indeed walked your path alone and have succeeded all the way."
"You are right Malia. I think I'll wear that dress there," she said pointing to a low-cut one she usually saved for evening wear,
"Are you sure my lady? It is more of an evening dress. Save it till the feast tonight. Why don't you just wear this one," she held up a pink robe, "It shows off your figure well." Malia had realised the plan, even if Tally hadn't.
"Good idea, Malia. Thank you."
Tally dressed and ate a bit of breakfast. She had an unsettled feeling in her stomach that didn't permit her to eat more than a slice of toast. At noon, everyone gathered outside and Legolas' party rode in. Many females rejoiced at the return of the elves and men they had missed greatly over the many years. Tally shrank back. Naela squeezed her hand in support and Tally shot her a puzzled look. Naela just smiled and looked expectantly at the arriving party. A figure Tally knew all too well jumped off his horse and strode towards them. Legolas bowed to Elrond who said,
"Legolas, King of Mirkwood, welcome back to the Sanctuary. We hope you find everyone you visited well."
"Yes, thank you Lord Elrond. I bring many messages for you from the last homes of Elves on the Earth. It is good to return." This welcome was in the traditional formal style. He moved down the line bowing and hugging friends he had not seen for years. Legolas reached Tally and his smile faded. Tally rallied herself and curtseyed,
"King Legolas, welcome back. I trust you had a safe and informative journey." Tally was all politeness and no smiles. She looked him in the eye and she saw regret there. Tally found she could still sense his feelings. They were full of remorse and she could hear him apologising to her in his head, "We are glad indeed that you grace us with your presence for the happy forthcoming event." Tally reverted to formal language to get her point across. Everyone was watching them warily and eager to know his feeling towards her. They were all well aware of Tally's feelings.
"Tally, it is good to see you," he whispered and hugged her. Tally remained rigid, not returning it, "I have missed you."
"Well it was your choice to go away." Tally couldn't help but let that slip out. She immediately regretted letting her emotions show. Legolas moved along and wished Kaelira and Ghilad all the happiness in the world and then he was whisked inside. Tally didn't follow, she went at sat in the Memorial Garden for the Last Battle, as it had become known. The garden had been let to grow a little wild. Tally had her own shears and she tended it a little, cutting back some of the more wild plants to let the others grow through. She liked to think she helped nature rather than hinder it. Tally began to tackle a particularly wild corner which she had left deliberately not wanting to start a job she knew she could not finish. However, she needed something to engage her and Tally picked up some larger cutters from the Gardeners and set to work. There was one stubborn bush which she could not cut as no matter how hard she tried. Tally grunted as she tried to force the blades together and cut the branch. "Oh come here you stupid, stupid, plant!"
"Here, let me." A voice said behind her. It was Talin. He cut the branch easily, "He is asking after you Tally. He wants to make amends." She knew exactly who Talin meant,
"I cannot allow myself to be cast aside and then picked up again at the whim of a spoilt little boy."
"Tally you have to understand, he grew up the only son of a great King. Of course he was spoilt. He lost his mother young and never learnt the meaning of true love, the type of love which bridges all time, the type of love you have for each other." His voice dropped at the end of his sentence. Tally turned round to face him, "Tally we all see it. You may have convinced yourself, but not us. Tally," he took hold of her shoulders, "don't let him go again. Make him stay. Make him realise how foolish he has been to miss out the past seventeen years of your life." Talin walked off and Tally sat down on a nearby bench, letting the breeze cool her red cheeks. She sighed long and deep, then picked up the shears and headed back inside. A queen should call upon a visiting king should she not?
Tally went inside and washed the mud off her hands and then re-did her hair. She made sure her neck and hands were bare so he could see she no longer wore her necklace and that she wore only the ring of Gondor on her hand. Tally walked to Legolas' rooms. She had not been there for years, they had been shut up while he was gone, but still she knew the way blindfolded, even after she had switched rooms. The elves outside bowed as she approached and went inside to announce her arrival. She was bid inside.
"Tally, how are you?" Legolas rushed up to her, taking both her hands. Tally pulled away,
"I am very well thank you, your Highness. I trust you found my people in the other Homes safe and well. Tell me is there news of them?"
"Tally you need not be so formal with me!" He took her in a hug and again she pulled away,
"Your are a visiting King, and therefore I treat you as such." She said sharply. Legolas was taken aback at her tone of voice. He stuttered, not knowing what to say,
"I.I bring you letters from many of your people. They are yet to be unpacked. I will bring them to you later. There is much for us to talk about."
"Do not trouble yourself, you majesty. I will send someone for them in an hour or so." And Tally rose, curtseyed and left. She went straight to the kitchens for some chocolate. They now ran regular trips into a city for luxuries. Tally made sure a good amount of chocolate was brought back each time. She's also introduced the Sanctuary to powdered hot chocolate, but no one really took to it. She was left to drink it. Tally took a mug of it and a bar of chocolate back to her rooms so she could settle down with a book and try and calm the feelings in her stomach. Tally didn't go to lunch. She wasn't hungry. She read her correspondence, wrote to two families to end a feud over a set of rooms and then decided to order the Gardeners to prune the corner of the Memorial Garden that she couldn't tackle on her own. She was about to write them a note when there was a knock at the door. Tally looked up from behind her desk and said, "Come in," it was Legolas.
"Lady Natalia," at least he'd learnt how to address her, she thought, "I have carried these letters for many years now. They are in the order in which I received them. I also bring gifts from the four Houses I visited. I regret these are yet to arrive as they are in the slow moving wagon which Gandalf is escorting." Legolas bowed and left quickly. Tally sat down to read the letters. Many just contained congratulations for her coronation and expressed gratitude that she had bound the darkness. Some contained details of long-standing legal disputes for her to settle, being the highest power they could appeal to, and there were a selection of incredibly sweet letters from children telling her about themselves. She set them all aside intending to reply as soon as the wedding was over. The wedding! She had a meeting to be at with Kaelira.
The day of his arrival arose. Tally woke up remembering Lilael's first words the day before and then sank back into the covers groaning. Malia bustled into her room in her normal way. She took one look at Tally and said,
"My lady, do not let today affect you. If you do not love him as you expressly remind me quite frequently lately then show him that. Leave him in no doubt your emotions are changed and that you have indeed walked your path alone and have succeeded all the way."
"You are right Malia. I think I'll wear that dress there," she said pointing to a low-cut one she usually saved for evening wear,
"Are you sure my lady? It is more of an evening dress. Save it till the feast tonight. Why don't you just wear this one," she held up a pink robe, "It shows off your figure well." Malia had realised the plan, even if Tally hadn't.
"Good idea, Malia. Thank you."
Tally dressed and ate a bit of breakfast. She had an unsettled feeling in her stomach that didn't permit her to eat more than a slice of toast. At noon, everyone gathered outside and Legolas' party rode in. Many females rejoiced at the return of the elves and men they had missed greatly over the many years. Tally shrank back. Naela squeezed her hand in support and Tally shot her a puzzled look. Naela just smiled and looked expectantly at the arriving party. A figure Tally knew all too well jumped off his horse and strode towards them. Legolas bowed to Elrond who said,
"Legolas, King of Mirkwood, welcome back to the Sanctuary. We hope you find everyone you visited well."
"Yes, thank you Lord Elrond. I bring many messages for you from the last homes of Elves on the Earth. It is good to return." This welcome was in the traditional formal style. He moved down the line bowing and hugging friends he had not seen for years. Legolas reached Tally and his smile faded. Tally rallied herself and curtseyed,
"King Legolas, welcome back. I trust you had a safe and informative journey." Tally was all politeness and no smiles. She looked him in the eye and she saw regret there. Tally found she could still sense his feelings. They were full of remorse and she could hear him apologising to her in his head, "We are glad indeed that you grace us with your presence for the happy forthcoming event." Tally reverted to formal language to get her point across. Everyone was watching them warily and eager to know his feeling towards her. They were all well aware of Tally's feelings.
"Tally, it is good to see you," he whispered and hugged her. Tally remained rigid, not returning it, "I have missed you."
"Well it was your choice to go away." Tally couldn't help but let that slip out. She immediately regretted letting her emotions show. Legolas moved along and wished Kaelira and Ghilad all the happiness in the world and then he was whisked inside. Tally didn't follow, she went at sat in the Memorial Garden for the Last Battle, as it had become known. The garden had been let to grow a little wild. Tally had her own shears and she tended it a little, cutting back some of the more wild plants to let the others grow through. She liked to think she helped nature rather than hinder it. Tally began to tackle a particularly wild corner which she had left deliberately not wanting to start a job she knew she could not finish. However, she needed something to engage her and Tally picked up some larger cutters from the Gardeners and set to work. There was one stubborn bush which she could not cut as no matter how hard she tried. Tally grunted as she tried to force the blades together and cut the branch. "Oh come here you stupid, stupid, plant!"
"Here, let me." A voice said behind her. It was Talin. He cut the branch easily, "He is asking after you Tally. He wants to make amends." She knew exactly who Talin meant,
"I cannot allow myself to be cast aside and then picked up again at the whim of a spoilt little boy."
"Tally you have to understand, he grew up the only son of a great King. Of course he was spoilt. He lost his mother young and never learnt the meaning of true love, the type of love which bridges all time, the type of love you have for each other." His voice dropped at the end of his sentence. Tally turned round to face him, "Tally we all see it. You may have convinced yourself, but not us. Tally," he took hold of her shoulders, "don't let him go again. Make him stay. Make him realise how foolish he has been to miss out the past seventeen years of your life." Talin walked off and Tally sat down on a nearby bench, letting the breeze cool her red cheeks. She sighed long and deep, then picked up the shears and headed back inside. A queen should call upon a visiting king should she not?
Tally went inside and washed the mud off her hands and then re-did her hair. She made sure her neck and hands were bare so he could see she no longer wore her necklace and that she wore only the ring of Gondor on her hand. Tally walked to Legolas' rooms. She had not been there for years, they had been shut up while he was gone, but still she knew the way blindfolded, even after she had switched rooms. The elves outside bowed as she approached and went inside to announce her arrival. She was bid inside.
"Tally, how are you?" Legolas rushed up to her, taking both her hands. Tally pulled away,
"I am very well thank you, your Highness. I trust you found my people in the other Homes safe and well. Tell me is there news of them?"
"Tally you need not be so formal with me!" He took her in a hug and again she pulled away,
"Your are a visiting King, and therefore I treat you as such." She said sharply. Legolas was taken aback at her tone of voice. He stuttered, not knowing what to say,
"I.I bring you letters from many of your people. They are yet to be unpacked. I will bring them to you later. There is much for us to talk about."
"Do not trouble yourself, you majesty. I will send someone for them in an hour or so." And Tally rose, curtseyed and left. She went straight to the kitchens for some chocolate. They now ran regular trips into a city for luxuries. Tally made sure a good amount of chocolate was brought back each time. She's also introduced the Sanctuary to powdered hot chocolate, but no one really took to it. She was left to drink it. Tally took a mug of it and a bar of chocolate back to her rooms so she could settle down with a book and try and calm the feelings in her stomach. Tally didn't go to lunch. She wasn't hungry. She read her correspondence, wrote to two families to end a feud over a set of rooms and then decided to order the Gardeners to prune the corner of the Memorial Garden that she couldn't tackle on her own. She was about to write them a note when there was a knock at the door. Tally looked up from behind her desk and said, "Come in," it was Legolas.
"Lady Natalia," at least he'd learnt how to address her, she thought, "I have carried these letters for many years now. They are in the order in which I received them. I also bring gifts from the four Houses I visited. I regret these are yet to arrive as they are in the slow moving wagon which Gandalf is escorting." Legolas bowed and left quickly. Tally sat down to read the letters. Many just contained congratulations for her coronation and expressed gratitude that she had bound the darkness. Some contained details of long-standing legal disputes for her to settle, being the highest power they could appeal to, and there were a selection of incredibly sweet letters from children telling her about themselves. She set them all aside intending to reply as soon as the wedding was over. The wedding! She had a meeting to be at with Kaelira.
