The world has changed. I can feel it in the waters. I can breathe it in the
Earth. I smell it in the air. Much that was once is lost, for none now
live remember it.
The times have changed indeed. No more is the name Voldemort feared by all. He is merely a name in History books.But in my time was he all powerful. Nevermore never more. Nothing lasts forever. Which few in this day of age come to understand. Happily ever after, That's how they want you to think it will be, But it's not, Not at all in reality. The deaths, the tears, the fears, the falls, Through it all we still go on. The broken hearts, The cheating friends, So much pain that never ends. The fake smiles that seem to make everything ok, But no for you, because you know the pain won't go away. Bright and cheery, but oh so weary, Because inside your heart is breaking in two.
It is time everyone had an awakening, of what life is really like. The life of Nimue apt Ban former High Queen of the British Elves. My story.
I sat in one of the many parlors, the Blendel Castle held, with Rosamunde and Flora as my handmaidens. They always were the ones who took care of me when I was young and my parents were elsewhere. Which was often. They sat talking about the latest castle gossip while I played with my wooden solider figurines that I had received when I was born. I was six with not a care in the world. My mother Elaine, the queen at that time, was sitting in her chambers doing who knows what. When I asked Rosamunde what ever she did with her time, she replied that she had important matters to attend to. Although when she said it she sounded if the possibility of that was highly unlikely. But as I was a child still, I believed her every word. My father Ban was the king of the Southern elves of Britain and had hardly any free time to spend with me. When I say Southern elves, I mean that literally. Back in my father's day. Britain was divided into three separate groups of Elves. Northern, Central, and Southern, each with separate kings, or queens in some cases. We, elves are always a bickering bunch especially about matters when it comes to land or politics. Northern and Central elves had been having an ongoing war for years. But to a six-year-old elfish girl, none of that mattered. It only mattered to people who were important corrupt politicians. I learned that form Flora. Thinking that it was just a position someone held. "Mathias there is a dragon attacking the town of Credgon. What ever shall we do?" "Don't worry, I shall slay the beast!"
I pretended that my Mathias figurine saddled up his horse. (Which really wasn't there. It was invisible.) "But Oh Sir Mathias what if you shall be injured?" This was princess Bell speaking. She was another one of my wooden figures. "Don't worry No Dragon could beat me!" I put on the biggest voice I could, as if nothing could destroy me, or more particularly Mathias. "Here take my scarf to remember me by." I watched Mathias receive the scarf from Bell. "Thank you. Farewell my dear!" And then Mathias rode away on his horse into the sunset.
I smiled and sighed. I loved my Mathais and Bell figurines. Now all I needed to find to continue with their saga, was something I could use as a dragon. I looked around the parlor to see if there was something in the room I could use. The parlor was made out of all wood intertwining with each other creating spiral columns to hold up a dome type roof. There were windows between each of the columns, with no glass. They looked out into the bright forest with sunlight streaming in. The floor was made out of solid stone. With a few carpets here and there. All of them made of leaves that never dried out. I frowned, nowhere in this room was there something that resembled a dragon. The chairs were way to big. Leaves resembled too much like leaves. Rocks looked too much like rocks. And so on. Maybe Flora or Rosamunde would help me find something I can use for my dragon. I got up from my corner form the room and walked over to them, carrying my Mathias and Bell dolls with me. "Well as I was saying before, that woman has no conscience in her whatsoever. And I mean that. " That was Flora speaking, and she sounded absolutely disgusted. Rosamunde sighed. "What did the wicked witch do this time?" I didn't want to listen to this; I had more important things to do, like find my dragon. "Rosamunde, Flora, do you know where I can find something to use for my dragon? I interrupted. They looked down at me, disgruntled. I had disturbed their important conversation. But what was more important than finding my dragon? And besides they were my handmaidens they were supposed to serve me. "We don't know Nimue, why not use a rock or something." Flora said, speaking for both of them. A rock. A lousy rock was all they could think of. That wasn't creative at all. I scowled at them. "A rock does not look like a dragon!" I told them, stating it like it was obvious. "Well you can use you imagination." "There isn't enough imagination in the world to make a rock look like a Dragon." I pouted." Use magic to make it look like a dragon if you want me to use my imagination." They stared at me and sighed. "Nimue for Pete's sake, you know that all elves don't have transfiguration powers, we're not blessed like that, not even you, Highness. My frown already etched into my face deepened. I knew that of course, but I still thought they should have tried that. I stomped away back to my corner frustrated. Why did they always have to be the people who took care of me?
Dinner as always for us was in the Twine Hall. The hall was a huge structure that can be defined as both inside and outside. The entire hall was made out of trees still exactly the way they were born. But because of the charming spells my ancestors put on the hall it looked as if the trees were all bending and intertwining with each other and finally the leaves came together on the highest branches and formed a roof over our head. While at the same time vines came down from the bottom of the leaf-roof ending right above our tables. Each of the vines held lightning bugs that came together in the evening and lighted up our meals. The windows were much like the ones in the parlors. They didn't have any glass but instead of wood they where made out of variety of wall plants, and ivy vines with spring flowers lightly sprinkled throughout the surface. The tables where the only things made out of stone in the room. Although where stone was usually hard and cold and dirty, the table was made out of sand stone and was so smooth it felt like brushing against a cloud, and the table was so clean you could see your reflection in it. This was where all of the important people ate, or that's what my mother said. That only important people ate in that dinning hall. Servants ate in the kitchen for that was all they deserved. I saw people I knew to be servants in the hall everyday eating their meals; my father said it made no difference where people ate as long is they ate somewhere. So I found that I didn't care either. But perhaps it was the reason mother never ate in the halls for any meal. She spent all her time in her chambers, I had seen her so few times, and I wasn't sure what she looked like anymore. There were four tables positioned in the hall, all of them round. The table where I sat was in the middle of the room, and it was held in the highest glory. My father always sat in the middle of the table, facing the door. Mine was to the left of him, and my mother's seat was to the right. It was saved incase she ever showed up. Then the seats all around us were for my father's councilors and generals. I ran to my father who had just entered the dinning hall. It was traditional for all in the hall to stand when the king entered, and then sit when he sat at his place. But I didn't care about some stupid practice; it was the first time I got to see my father all day, he was in the Council Chamber all through breakfast and lunch. "Papa!" I squealed, running into his embrace. "Nini, my sweet girl!" he picked me up and hugged me. Nini was his nickname for me. He sat me down in my seat before he sat down. I absolutely glowed with pleasure. I had missed my daddy, and now he was here with me. "Guess what I did today?" I said this, with absolutely the silliest grin on my face. "What did you do with yourself? He asked smiling down at me. I told him all about me and Mathias and Bell and how I couldn't find a Dragon. "Sounds like you had a busy day!" He commented laughing. "Yes I sure did!"
Another tradition, though only shared by my father and me was that we would spend quality time after supper on Friday and occasionally Saturday nights. Sometimes he would tell me stories, other times we would play hide and seek or tag. Or other nights he would give me drawing lessons. Tonight was a story night. "What story would you like Nini?" He asked as he settled me onto his lap with a warm blanket wrapped around me. We were in my fathers lounge, sitting in his favorite old leather chair in front of the stone fireplace, with a crackling fire in it. "Tell me the story of the rings." I always asked for that one. Perhaps because it had the person who I awed the most. Galadriel. Her woods were in now present day France. And even though I had never met her, I still worshiped her from all the tales I heard about her. And the role she had in the ring of power, hundreds of years ago. "Alright, although you probably don't need me to recite it, you probably have it memorized." He winked down at me where I snuggled in my blanket. He sighed and flipped through the book, and shook out his throat and began the tale of the rings and the one ring of power. "It began with the forging of the Rings of Power. Three were given to the Elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven were given to the Dwarves, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else desire power. For within these rings was bound the power and the will to rule each race. But they were all of them deceived, for deep in the land of Mordor, the Dark Lord Sauron forged another ring, a master ring, and into this ring he poured all his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate every living thing. One ring to rule them all. One by one, the free peoples of Middle Earth fell to the power of the Ring, but there were some who resisted. A last alliance of men and elves marched against the armies of Mordor, and on the very slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle-Earth. Victory was near, but the power of the ring could not be undone. Sauron appears and kills many of our people. The ring glowing as if it were alive itself on his cold dark finger. It was in this moment, when all hope had faded, that Isildur, son of the king, took up his father's sword. He slashed the ring off the Evil lord's finger. And Sauron crumbled at his feet. And Sauron, enemy of the free peoples of Middle-Earth, was defeated. The Ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy, evil forever, but the hearts of men are easily corrupted. And the ring of power has a will of its own. It betrayed Isildur, to his death. Isildur is murdered by the own scum of his kind, and the ring is lost in the water. And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. For two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, the ring ensnared another bearer. The ring came to the creature Gollum, who took it deep into the tunnels under the Misty Mountains, and there it consumed him. The ring gave to Gollum unnatural long life. For five hundred years it poisoned his mind, and in the gloom of Gollum's cave it waited. Darkness crept back into the forests of the world. Rumor grew of a shadow in the East, whispers of a nameless fear, and the Ring of Power perceived that its time had come. It abandoned Gollum, but then something happened that the Ring did not intend. It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable. A hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, of the Shire.For the time will soon come when hobbits will shape the fortunes of all."
My father than continued to tell about the shire and the discovery of ring of Power yet again, and ended the story with the council of Elrond. Rivendale still exists today yet in present day terms, it is located in Austria. "A little more story please da?" I asked him. My eyelids were drooping but I didn't want him to get the impression that I was tired. Only little babies get tired and I defiantly wasn't a little baby, also I just wanted more story. "You look as if you were going to fall asleep right here in my lap baby girl." He said gently. "I am not a baby girl!" "No your are my sweet grown up daughter is that it?" "Yes, im a grownup." I said stifling a yawn "A grownup baby girl who is tired." I quit protesting. I wanted to fall asleep right there. He carried me off to my bedchambers and left me with Flora and Rosamunde to help me get ready for bed.
I sat in front of my mirror while Flora brushed out my hair. Behind me I heard flora pulling back my sheets. I looked at my reflection in my mirror and two sleepy grey eyes looked back at me. I could see Flora brushing out my long black hair. And the cream-colored nightgown I was wearing matched my pale complexion and it emphasized the sprinkling of the brown freckles dotted across my hooked nose. Flora had by then finished pleating one side of my hair and was now working on my other side while she brushed my teeth without using any of her own hands. Magic, according to Flora this was elf magic.
Then I went to bed
I opened my eyes the next morning to the chirping of birds and the sunlight streaming through my bedroom windows. It was a beautiful morning. I rolled over on my bed and quickly got up. I stood and waited for Rosamunde or Flora to come with my tea and to help me get ready. My bedroom looked like many of the rooms in our castle. It was made out of wood but mine was not intertwined. It looked almost French like. The wood was solid Oak with a mural depicting the four Greatest Elves ever known painted on the ceiling. Galadriel, Elrond, my Grandfather Dern, and Arwin, mother of the great race of man and wife of Aragorn. Two of these elves are still alive. Since we Elves are immortal. Arwin gave up her immortality for Aragorn and my Grandfather was killed in battle. The door rattled, as Flora came in carrying a silver tray with my tea on it and set it down on my dresser. "Good morning dear!" She said cheerfully and went to my closet to find a dress. "Morning Flora," I smiled. : Get out my spring dress please I want to go play outside today in the orchards." " Yes, They are picking apples today from the Harvest." She said laying my dress down on the bed. The dress was a spring green in color with a high collar with lace around the edge. It buttoned down to my waste where it parted revealing a white under coat. Since it was fall, I was also wearing my black boots to keep my feet warm. Flora quickly took off my nightgown and placed me in my dress. Then with nimble fingers she French braided my hair with cream-colored ribbons. And put it into two plaits. Then she made me drink my tea and eat a few scones before I went outside. She told me she would be down in a second and that I should be ok for a few minutes without her as a chaperone and handed me my brown cloak. I raced outside to the orchard and saw men and women and children climbing trees and eating apples, and sorting them. All of these people were from the houses surrounding our castle. The town of Blendel capital of the South. "Can I help?" I asked a man standing by a basket of apples. He looked down at me and smiled. "Well we've been wondering when you would show up to eat all the apples Highness." I blushed, as he continued "Of course you can help, see those children over there?" He pointed to where a group of village kids who were picking up all the apples and throwing them into baskets that the adults had shaken from the trees. I nodded at the man. "Go help them gather the apples." I ran to them, watching with fascination, as the pickers with just a wave of their hand were able to shake a tree once and would free it of all its apples. "Hello" I told them all, when I got over there. They nodded and said their hellos. It was a little awkward at first, picking apples with people I didn't know, but soon, as the morning progressed I became well acquainted with two boys. Their names were Gregory, and Aris, they were brothers, only a year apart. And boy, were they goofballs. Each of them had blond hair and black eyes that sparkled with amusement and laughter. What fun we had trying to see who could fit the most apple peels they could in their mouths. By lunchtime we were so stuffed with apple shreds that we could barely get up. "Do you want to get some lunch?" Aris asked, patting his stomach. "How can you be hungry?" I asked. "I'm so stuffed I can barely move "Easy." he grinned. "I'm always hungry." "Me too." said Gregory. I sighed and got to my feet. "Alright lets get some lunch, just no more apples ok?" I smiled. " We can eat lunch at my place." Their eyes widened. "Your place? The castle? Cool! " We can cut through my mother's gardens, she's never out there anyway." When we got to the garden. I didn't even think to look to see if anyone was in there. Technically I wasn't supposed to be in mother's gardens since it was part of her chambers. But she never used it, and it was a nice shortcut to get into the castle kitchen. We had a race through them, running in and out of the many flowered bushes. All of us not noticing the mud build up on our shoes. I felt the wind whipping through my hair as I smelled the fragrant odors of roses, daises, Lily's and many other flowers I could not name. At the far end of the garden was a patio, with sitting chairs and tables to eat and drink upon. I never expected to see my mother sitting there among her handmaidens. If a person could die of shock, I believe I would have then. I stood there motionless, watching her, with the utmost fear. The few times I've actually seen her and for more or less talk to her were not pleasant. She was not a warm person, in fact as far as I was concerned she was an icicle. To make matters worse, much much worse, Aris and Gregory appeared. They came to a crashing halt spraying mud everywhere, Including on my mother. The mud splattered all over the white dress she was wearing. I gasped, not because the dress was dirty, that was easy to fix. I gasped because I had never seen my mother look so frightening before. It was remarkable how much she looked like a fire breathing dragon, when most of the time she looked like an angel sent from God. With her white blond hair, pale complexion, and forest green eyes, it was hard not to compare her to a heavenly being. My mother looked nothing like me. I was the complete opposite. Her green eyes were slits, as she peered down under her dark black eyelashes. "What were you doing here in my garden Nimue?" She whispered in a deadly tone. I gulped, and stepped a step back. I could here both brothers doing the same thing. " I was going to the kitchens with Aris and Gregory, we were going to eat lunch." Even as hard as I tried , I could not make my voice calm. Instead it quavered as if it would break in any second. "So you thought you could cut through my gardens, without asking any permission whatsoever?" Her voice was still lethal sounding. "Well I just thought, since your never out here-." "Don't you dare talk back to me! It does not matter if I am in this garden or not, you had no permission to come in her and destroy this garden with your romping around and foolishness!" She interrupted. I stepped another step back, and felt the shaking of my legs underneath my skirt. Her eyes glided over me to where Aris and Gregory stood. "Especially" she continued " With a pair of uncivilized country folk." "They are not!" burst out of my lips before I had a chance to catch my tongue. I slapped a hand over my mouth. "Scat!" She told my friends. I heard the sounds of their feet hitting the pavement as they ran. She towered over me. Her face looked more menacing then ever before. "You have a tongue growing faster than the rest of you child." She said in a voice that chilled the bone. She raised her hand and slapped me clear across the face. I screamed. I fell to the ground clutching my left cheek. Tears streamed down my face. She slapped me. My mother had hit me! How could she? Queen Elaine turned back to her women, with not a second glance at me. " Hattie take the princess to her chambers without lunch, for punishment. She can wait till dinner." She directed. The lady Hattie hoisted me up, and walked me inside to the kitchen and out of my mother's eyesight, where she took hold of my hand and handed me a loaf of bread. I was no longer up to lunch. "Oh dear," Hattie sighed, and took a tissue out of her pocket and attempted to dry my tears. "Be still angel, everything will be alright." At this I cried even more. No it wouldn't be. A person I loved, had hit me. My own mother hated me enough to hit me! I was sorry I went into her garden. I was sorry for whatever I did to her in the past! Is that why she never left her chambers? Because she hated the sight of me? It was all my fault. By the time dinner rolled around, Hattie had fixed my face so now red mark was left. But the tear strains she could not make disappear. No magic would ever do so.
At dinner that night, Father could tell something was wrong, but I was to ashamed to tell him. I was to ashamed to tell him that my own mother hated me. I was not good enough of a child to please her. I never would be. This much she had indicated, when she slapped me in the garden. The entire week I dwelled on it. Not smiling at anyone, not even to father. Finally on Friday night, he took me to his study and set me down on his lap. "Nini" he said firmly. His hand resting on my cheek. "What is wrong lovely?" I looked down. "Nothing is wrong papa." I told him quietly. I could not see his face but I could tell he was looking at me intently. "Tell me that to my face then." I tried with all my might to look at him. But instead I burst out in tears. "Mother hates me!" I screamed. Then buried my head in my hands. I felt his arms wrap around me, and his head lay on top of my own. Soft and steady words were coming from his lips. To quiet to hear but yet soothing. I found myself telling him what happened that day in the garden. With Aris and Gregory, and why mother slapped me. "She was right to slap me. I was the reason for her pain. That's why she won't come to dinner anymore!" I finished, still crying in his shirt. "Nini, my sweet child, no , don't ever think that." I looked up at him through the tears still sliding down, trough my eyes. His face was a mixture of emotions. Angry, comforting and gentle. He put a hand to my eyes and quickly dried them of my tears. "Nimue listen to me, Your mother loves you beyond anything, and everything. She would never hurt you intentionally." "Then why did she hit me if she doesn't hate me?" I asked. My father sighed inwardly. " I guess it is time to tell you the truth, your old enough to understand, I believe." I was confused. I'm old enough to understand what? I wondered. "Nini look at me." I did so. "Elaine is not your real mother, your mother died giving birth to you."
I gasped.
The times have changed indeed. No more is the name Voldemort feared by all. He is merely a name in History books.But in my time was he all powerful. Nevermore never more. Nothing lasts forever. Which few in this day of age come to understand. Happily ever after, That's how they want you to think it will be, But it's not, Not at all in reality. The deaths, the tears, the fears, the falls, Through it all we still go on. The broken hearts, The cheating friends, So much pain that never ends. The fake smiles that seem to make everything ok, But no for you, because you know the pain won't go away. Bright and cheery, but oh so weary, Because inside your heart is breaking in two.
It is time everyone had an awakening, of what life is really like. The life of Nimue apt Ban former High Queen of the British Elves. My story.
I sat in one of the many parlors, the Blendel Castle held, with Rosamunde and Flora as my handmaidens. They always were the ones who took care of me when I was young and my parents were elsewhere. Which was often. They sat talking about the latest castle gossip while I played with my wooden solider figurines that I had received when I was born. I was six with not a care in the world. My mother Elaine, the queen at that time, was sitting in her chambers doing who knows what. When I asked Rosamunde what ever she did with her time, she replied that she had important matters to attend to. Although when she said it she sounded if the possibility of that was highly unlikely. But as I was a child still, I believed her every word. My father Ban was the king of the Southern elves of Britain and had hardly any free time to spend with me. When I say Southern elves, I mean that literally. Back in my father's day. Britain was divided into three separate groups of Elves. Northern, Central, and Southern, each with separate kings, or queens in some cases. We, elves are always a bickering bunch especially about matters when it comes to land or politics. Northern and Central elves had been having an ongoing war for years. But to a six-year-old elfish girl, none of that mattered. It only mattered to people who were important corrupt politicians. I learned that form Flora. Thinking that it was just a position someone held. "Mathias there is a dragon attacking the town of Credgon. What ever shall we do?" "Don't worry, I shall slay the beast!"
I pretended that my Mathias figurine saddled up his horse. (Which really wasn't there. It was invisible.) "But Oh Sir Mathias what if you shall be injured?" This was princess Bell speaking. She was another one of my wooden figures. "Don't worry No Dragon could beat me!" I put on the biggest voice I could, as if nothing could destroy me, or more particularly Mathias. "Here take my scarf to remember me by." I watched Mathias receive the scarf from Bell. "Thank you. Farewell my dear!" And then Mathias rode away on his horse into the sunset.
I smiled and sighed. I loved my Mathais and Bell figurines. Now all I needed to find to continue with their saga, was something I could use as a dragon. I looked around the parlor to see if there was something in the room I could use. The parlor was made out of all wood intertwining with each other creating spiral columns to hold up a dome type roof. There were windows between each of the columns, with no glass. They looked out into the bright forest with sunlight streaming in. The floor was made out of solid stone. With a few carpets here and there. All of them made of leaves that never dried out. I frowned, nowhere in this room was there something that resembled a dragon. The chairs were way to big. Leaves resembled too much like leaves. Rocks looked too much like rocks. And so on. Maybe Flora or Rosamunde would help me find something I can use for my dragon. I got up from my corner form the room and walked over to them, carrying my Mathias and Bell dolls with me. "Well as I was saying before, that woman has no conscience in her whatsoever. And I mean that. " That was Flora speaking, and she sounded absolutely disgusted. Rosamunde sighed. "What did the wicked witch do this time?" I didn't want to listen to this; I had more important things to do, like find my dragon. "Rosamunde, Flora, do you know where I can find something to use for my dragon? I interrupted. They looked down at me, disgruntled. I had disturbed their important conversation. But what was more important than finding my dragon? And besides they were my handmaidens they were supposed to serve me. "We don't know Nimue, why not use a rock or something." Flora said, speaking for both of them. A rock. A lousy rock was all they could think of. That wasn't creative at all. I scowled at them. "A rock does not look like a dragon!" I told them, stating it like it was obvious. "Well you can use you imagination." "There isn't enough imagination in the world to make a rock look like a Dragon." I pouted." Use magic to make it look like a dragon if you want me to use my imagination." They stared at me and sighed. "Nimue for Pete's sake, you know that all elves don't have transfiguration powers, we're not blessed like that, not even you, Highness. My frown already etched into my face deepened. I knew that of course, but I still thought they should have tried that. I stomped away back to my corner frustrated. Why did they always have to be the people who took care of me?
Dinner as always for us was in the Twine Hall. The hall was a huge structure that can be defined as both inside and outside. The entire hall was made out of trees still exactly the way they were born. But because of the charming spells my ancestors put on the hall it looked as if the trees were all bending and intertwining with each other and finally the leaves came together on the highest branches and formed a roof over our head. While at the same time vines came down from the bottom of the leaf-roof ending right above our tables. Each of the vines held lightning bugs that came together in the evening and lighted up our meals. The windows were much like the ones in the parlors. They didn't have any glass but instead of wood they where made out of variety of wall plants, and ivy vines with spring flowers lightly sprinkled throughout the surface. The tables where the only things made out of stone in the room. Although where stone was usually hard and cold and dirty, the table was made out of sand stone and was so smooth it felt like brushing against a cloud, and the table was so clean you could see your reflection in it. This was where all of the important people ate, or that's what my mother said. That only important people ate in that dinning hall. Servants ate in the kitchen for that was all they deserved. I saw people I knew to be servants in the hall everyday eating their meals; my father said it made no difference where people ate as long is they ate somewhere. So I found that I didn't care either. But perhaps it was the reason mother never ate in the halls for any meal. She spent all her time in her chambers, I had seen her so few times, and I wasn't sure what she looked like anymore. There were four tables positioned in the hall, all of them round. The table where I sat was in the middle of the room, and it was held in the highest glory. My father always sat in the middle of the table, facing the door. Mine was to the left of him, and my mother's seat was to the right. It was saved incase she ever showed up. Then the seats all around us were for my father's councilors and generals. I ran to my father who had just entered the dinning hall. It was traditional for all in the hall to stand when the king entered, and then sit when he sat at his place. But I didn't care about some stupid practice; it was the first time I got to see my father all day, he was in the Council Chamber all through breakfast and lunch. "Papa!" I squealed, running into his embrace. "Nini, my sweet girl!" he picked me up and hugged me. Nini was his nickname for me. He sat me down in my seat before he sat down. I absolutely glowed with pleasure. I had missed my daddy, and now he was here with me. "Guess what I did today?" I said this, with absolutely the silliest grin on my face. "What did you do with yourself? He asked smiling down at me. I told him all about me and Mathias and Bell and how I couldn't find a Dragon. "Sounds like you had a busy day!" He commented laughing. "Yes I sure did!"
Another tradition, though only shared by my father and me was that we would spend quality time after supper on Friday and occasionally Saturday nights. Sometimes he would tell me stories, other times we would play hide and seek or tag. Or other nights he would give me drawing lessons. Tonight was a story night. "What story would you like Nini?" He asked as he settled me onto his lap with a warm blanket wrapped around me. We were in my fathers lounge, sitting in his favorite old leather chair in front of the stone fireplace, with a crackling fire in it. "Tell me the story of the rings." I always asked for that one. Perhaps because it had the person who I awed the most. Galadriel. Her woods were in now present day France. And even though I had never met her, I still worshiped her from all the tales I heard about her. And the role she had in the ring of power, hundreds of years ago. "Alright, although you probably don't need me to recite it, you probably have it memorized." He winked down at me where I snuggled in my blanket. He sighed and flipped through the book, and shook out his throat and began the tale of the rings and the one ring of power. "It began with the forging of the Rings of Power. Three were given to the Elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven were given to the Dwarves, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else desire power. For within these rings was bound the power and the will to rule each race. But they were all of them deceived, for deep in the land of Mordor, the Dark Lord Sauron forged another ring, a master ring, and into this ring he poured all his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate every living thing. One ring to rule them all. One by one, the free peoples of Middle Earth fell to the power of the Ring, but there were some who resisted. A last alliance of men and elves marched against the armies of Mordor, and on the very slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle-Earth. Victory was near, but the power of the ring could not be undone. Sauron appears and kills many of our people. The ring glowing as if it were alive itself on his cold dark finger. It was in this moment, when all hope had faded, that Isildur, son of the king, took up his father's sword. He slashed the ring off the Evil lord's finger. And Sauron crumbled at his feet. And Sauron, enemy of the free peoples of Middle-Earth, was defeated. The Ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy, evil forever, but the hearts of men are easily corrupted. And the ring of power has a will of its own. It betrayed Isildur, to his death. Isildur is murdered by the own scum of his kind, and the ring is lost in the water. And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. For two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, the ring ensnared another bearer. The ring came to the creature Gollum, who took it deep into the tunnels under the Misty Mountains, and there it consumed him. The ring gave to Gollum unnatural long life. For five hundred years it poisoned his mind, and in the gloom of Gollum's cave it waited. Darkness crept back into the forests of the world. Rumor grew of a shadow in the East, whispers of a nameless fear, and the Ring of Power perceived that its time had come. It abandoned Gollum, but then something happened that the Ring did not intend. It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable. A hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, of the Shire.For the time will soon come when hobbits will shape the fortunes of all."
My father than continued to tell about the shire and the discovery of ring of Power yet again, and ended the story with the council of Elrond. Rivendale still exists today yet in present day terms, it is located in Austria. "A little more story please da?" I asked him. My eyelids were drooping but I didn't want him to get the impression that I was tired. Only little babies get tired and I defiantly wasn't a little baby, also I just wanted more story. "You look as if you were going to fall asleep right here in my lap baby girl." He said gently. "I am not a baby girl!" "No your are my sweet grown up daughter is that it?" "Yes, im a grownup." I said stifling a yawn "A grownup baby girl who is tired." I quit protesting. I wanted to fall asleep right there. He carried me off to my bedchambers and left me with Flora and Rosamunde to help me get ready for bed.
I sat in front of my mirror while Flora brushed out my hair. Behind me I heard flora pulling back my sheets. I looked at my reflection in my mirror and two sleepy grey eyes looked back at me. I could see Flora brushing out my long black hair. And the cream-colored nightgown I was wearing matched my pale complexion and it emphasized the sprinkling of the brown freckles dotted across my hooked nose. Flora had by then finished pleating one side of my hair and was now working on my other side while she brushed my teeth without using any of her own hands. Magic, according to Flora this was elf magic.
Then I went to bed
I opened my eyes the next morning to the chirping of birds and the sunlight streaming through my bedroom windows. It was a beautiful morning. I rolled over on my bed and quickly got up. I stood and waited for Rosamunde or Flora to come with my tea and to help me get ready. My bedroom looked like many of the rooms in our castle. It was made out of wood but mine was not intertwined. It looked almost French like. The wood was solid Oak with a mural depicting the four Greatest Elves ever known painted on the ceiling. Galadriel, Elrond, my Grandfather Dern, and Arwin, mother of the great race of man and wife of Aragorn. Two of these elves are still alive. Since we Elves are immortal. Arwin gave up her immortality for Aragorn and my Grandfather was killed in battle. The door rattled, as Flora came in carrying a silver tray with my tea on it and set it down on my dresser. "Good morning dear!" She said cheerfully and went to my closet to find a dress. "Morning Flora," I smiled. : Get out my spring dress please I want to go play outside today in the orchards." " Yes, They are picking apples today from the Harvest." She said laying my dress down on the bed. The dress was a spring green in color with a high collar with lace around the edge. It buttoned down to my waste where it parted revealing a white under coat. Since it was fall, I was also wearing my black boots to keep my feet warm. Flora quickly took off my nightgown and placed me in my dress. Then with nimble fingers she French braided my hair with cream-colored ribbons. And put it into two plaits. Then she made me drink my tea and eat a few scones before I went outside. She told me she would be down in a second and that I should be ok for a few minutes without her as a chaperone and handed me my brown cloak. I raced outside to the orchard and saw men and women and children climbing trees and eating apples, and sorting them. All of these people were from the houses surrounding our castle. The town of Blendel capital of the South. "Can I help?" I asked a man standing by a basket of apples. He looked down at me and smiled. "Well we've been wondering when you would show up to eat all the apples Highness." I blushed, as he continued "Of course you can help, see those children over there?" He pointed to where a group of village kids who were picking up all the apples and throwing them into baskets that the adults had shaken from the trees. I nodded at the man. "Go help them gather the apples." I ran to them, watching with fascination, as the pickers with just a wave of their hand were able to shake a tree once and would free it of all its apples. "Hello" I told them all, when I got over there. They nodded and said their hellos. It was a little awkward at first, picking apples with people I didn't know, but soon, as the morning progressed I became well acquainted with two boys. Their names were Gregory, and Aris, they were brothers, only a year apart. And boy, were they goofballs. Each of them had blond hair and black eyes that sparkled with amusement and laughter. What fun we had trying to see who could fit the most apple peels they could in their mouths. By lunchtime we were so stuffed with apple shreds that we could barely get up. "Do you want to get some lunch?" Aris asked, patting his stomach. "How can you be hungry?" I asked. "I'm so stuffed I can barely move "Easy." he grinned. "I'm always hungry." "Me too." said Gregory. I sighed and got to my feet. "Alright lets get some lunch, just no more apples ok?" I smiled. " We can eat lunch at my place." Their eyes widened. "Your place? The castle? Cool! " We can cut through my mother's gardens, she's never out there anyway." When we got to the garden. I didn't even think to look to see if anyone was in there. Technically I wasn't supposed to be in mother's gardens since it was part of her chambers. But she never used it, and it was a nice shortcut to get into the castle kitchen. We had a race through them, running in and out of the many flowered bushes. All of us not noticing the mud build up on our shoes. I felt the wind whipping through my hair as I smelled the fragrant odors of roses, daises, Lily's and many other flowers I could not name. At the far end of the garden was a patio, with sitting chairs and tables to eat and drink upon. I never expected to see my mother sitting there among her handmaidens. If a person could die of shock, I believe I would have then. I stood there motionless, watching her, with the utmost fear. The few times I've actually seen her and for more or less talk to her were not pleasant. She was not a warm person, in fact as far as I was concerned she was an icicle. To make matters worse, much much worse, Aris and Gregory appeared. They came to a crashing halt spraying mud everywhere, Including on my mother. The mud splattered all over the white dress she was wearing. I gasped, not because the dress was dirty, that was easy to fix. I gasped because I had never seen my mother look so frightening before. It was remarkable how much she looked like a fire breathing dragon, when most of the time she looked like an angel sent from God. With her white blond hair, pale complexion, and forest green eyes, it was hard not to compare her to a heavenly being. My mother looked nothing like me. I was the complete opposite. Her green eyes were slits, as she peered down under her dark black eyelashes. "What were you doing here in my garden Nimue?" She whispered in a deadly tone. I gulped, and stepped a step back. I could here both brothers doing the same thing. " I was going to the kitchens with Aris and Gregory, we were going to eat lunch." Even as hard as I tried , I could not make my voice calm. Instead it quavered as if it would break in any second. "So you thought you could cut through my gardens, without asking any permission whatsoever?" Her voice was still lethal sounding. "Well I just thought, since your never out here-." "Don't you dare talk back to me! It does not matter if I am in this garden or not, you had no permission to come in her and destroy this garden with your romping around and foolishness!" She interrupted. I stepped another step back, and felt the shaking of my legs underneath my skirt. Her eyes glided over me to where Aris and Gregory stood. "Especially" she continued " With a pair of uncivilized country folk." "They are not!" burst out of my lips before I had a chance to catch my tongue. I slapped a hand over my mouth. "Scat!" She told my friends. I heard the sounds of their feet hitting the pavement as they ran. She towered over me. Her face looked more menacing then ever before. "You have a tongue growing faster than the rest of you child." She said in a voice that chilled the bone. She raised her hand and slapped me clear across the face. I screamed. I fell to the ground clutching my left cheek. Tears streamed down my face. She slapped me. My mother had hit me! How could she? Queen Elaine turned back to her women, with not a second glance at me. " Hattie take the princess to her chambers without lunch, for punishment. She can wait till dinner." She directed. The lady Hattie hoisted me up, and walked me inside to the kitchen and out of my mother's eyesight, where she took hold of my hand and handed me a loaf of bread. I was no longer up to lunch. "Oh dear," Hattie sighed, and took a tissue out of her pocket and attempted to dry my tears. "Be still angel, everything will be alright." At this I cried even more. No it wouldn't be. A person I loved, had hit me. My own mother hated me enough to hit me! I was sorry I went into her garden. I was sorry for whatever I did to her in the past! Is that why she never left her chambers? Because she hated the sight of me? It was all my fault. By the time dinner rolled around, Hattie had fixed my face so now red mark was left. But the tear strains she could not make disappear. No magic would ever do so.
At dinner that night, Father could tell something was wrong, but I was to ashamed to tell him. I was to ashamed to tell him that my own mother hated me. I was not good enough of a child to please her. I never would be. This much she had indicated, when she slapped me in the garden. The entire week I dwelled on it. Not smiling at anyone, not even to father. Finally on Friday night, he took me to his study and set me down on his lap. "Nini" he said firmly. His hand resting on my cheek. "What is wrong lovely?" I looked down. "Nothing is wrong papa." I told him quietly. I could not see his face but I could tell he was looking at me intently. "Tell me that to my face then." I tried with all my might to look at him. But instead I burst out in tears. "Mother hates me!" I screamed. Then buried my head in my hands. I felt his arms wrap around me, and his head lay on top of my own. Soft and steady words were coming from his lips. To quiet to hear but yet soothing. I found myself telling him what happened that day in the garden. With Aris and Gregory, and why mother slapped me. "She was right to slap me. I was the reason for her pain. That's why she won't come to dinner anymore!" I finished, still crying in his shirt. "Nini, my sweet child, no , don't ever think that." I looked up at him through the tears still sliding down, trough my eyes. His face was a mixture of emotions. Angry, comforting and gentle. He put a hand to my eyes and quickly dried them of my tears. "Nimue listen to me, Your mother loves you beyond anything, and everything. She would never hurt you intentionally." "Then why did she hit me if she doesn't hate me?" I asked. My father sighed inwardly. " I guess it is time to tell you the truth, your old enough to understand, I believe." I was confused. I'm old enough to understand what? I wondered. "Nini look at me." I did so. "Elaine is not your real mother, your mother died giving birth to you."
I gasped.