With the outskirts of Rivendell less than a day away and visible on the
horizon, Saryn experienced morning sickness for the first time. She had
just thrown her rucksack over the horse's flank when her stomach began to
spasm. She had just enough time to step back from the horse before she
vomited just as neat as you please between her feet. She grimaced at the
bitter taste of bile in her throat. She heard Telvryn catch his breath in
surprise behind her.
"M'lady, are you alright?" he cried, rushing to her side.
"Yes, I'm alright," she said weakly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I think it's only morning sickness. May I have some water, please?"
He quickly unshouldered his canteen strap and handed it to her. "Here."
She took it gratefully and sipped the cool water, swishing it around and spitting it out to rid her mouth of the sour tang. When she was done, she handed the water back to him. "Thank you," she said, mounting her horse.
"M'lady," Telvryn called, scrambling to keep up with her, "even if it is only morning sickness, all this heavy traveling cannot be good for you or the child. You should reconsider this journey for both your sakes."
"You are quite right, Telvryn, but is a risk I must take. I fear that if Legolas tarries too long, the king will hatch a plot to do away with me."
"You think King Thranduil will have you killed?" he asked incredulously.
"No," she snorted in contempt. "More likely he would have me locked away in some tower and tell Legolas that I became ill with fever and died. He hasn't the stomach for murder. After a brief period of mourning, he would use his considerable wiles to induce his son into a new courtship. Damn Thranduil. I wouldn't be surprised if such a plan wasn't already in his mind when he sent Legolas away. No, I intend to stay far out of his reach for now."
They continued in companionable silence. Saryn mulled over the discussion between them in her mind as she admired the gorgeous plain stretching before her. Lush grasses waved in the mid-morning breeze. Here and there, clusters of verdant, fragrant trees dotted the landscape, some ringed with purple wildflowers. Overhead, cardinals darted through the crisp blue sky, tiny shafts of flying fire.
Yes, she mused as she rode along, the old king would gladly do away with me and not feel even a twinge of guilt. That much was certain. Many times over the past two hundred years, she had seen the king looking at her the way a jackal eyes a wounded gazelle just before the kill. No matter how happy she made Legolas, she would never be good enough for the king. Yet he dared not act for fear of enraging Legolas, his only son and heir. Legolas, it seemed, sensed his evil intent, for he never left her alone with his father, even for a moment. Yes, as dangerous as this trek surely was, it was far better than remaining in Mirkwood within reach of the jackal's hungry, powerful jaws.
"Look," said Telvryn, pointing to an archway on the horizon, "the gates of Rivendell."
The gigantic stone gates of Rivendell erupted from the earth like the bones of some long-dead leviathan poking out of their tomb. Built long before memory, only Gandalf, Saruman, and Elrond knew their origins. Behind those massive doors lie the great elven city of Rivendell, a place of peace and prosperity for all elves within its walls, a city ruled by the wisest and most just of all elves for more than three millennia. In front of the gates were two square-jawed sentries mounted upon beautiful roan stallions.
At the sight of them, Saryn urged Rhydon into a gallop. She suddenly felt giddy with excitement. Here at last she would find answers to her questions, questions that had festered in her mind for three weeks. She laughed, a high, tinkling sound, as the wind caressed her face. She was exhilarated, she was flying on the wings of her stallion. For a moment, just a moment, she was free again.
She pulled her steed to a skittering stop before the pair of stern guards blocking the gate and waited for Telvryn to catch up. The relaxed a little when they saw one of their own, but they still regarded her warily.
"Who are you, and what business have you in Rivendell?" the taller of the two demanded, lightly brandishing his blade.
"I am Lady Saryn, wife of Prince Legolas, and I wish to speak with King Elrond regarding family business," she said, sitting ramrod straight on the horse. "And for Valinor's sake, put that sword away."
The two sentries exchanged knowing glances, and the sentry who had questioned her sheathed his sword. Something in the way the guards had looked at each other caused a cramp of fear in Saryn's stomach, but she said nothing. The sentries bowed in deference. "Right this way, my lady," they said, standing aside so she could enter the great city.
They were escorted to Elrond.
8
Saryn's reaction to the great city and magnificent castle was little different from that of her husband. She goggled in unabashed wonder at the unrivaled majesty of Rivendell and its lush, ivy-choked forests. The thunderous roar of a waterfall could be heard as the same elf who had delivered Legolas to his fate led them through a labyrinthine maze up musty staircases and moldering corridors to the sanctuary of King Elrond's private chambers. He opened the polished obsidian door with a flourish. "My lady, the king," he said, bowing low and hurrying away.
Saryn and Telvryn entered the large room to find the king seated in front of a roaring fire. Behind him loomed a behemoth four-poster bed of the finest cherry, topped with a white silk canopy. Opposite him was a spacious balcony accessed by two glass doors. Through them, the waterfall could be seen, the roiling, churning white water cascading down over its precipitous lip to crash upon the jagged rocks below with an anguished bellow. It was at this that the king was presently directing his gaze. He seemed not to notice their presence at all.
"King Elrond?" she ventured at last, taking a tentative step forward.
He started in surprise. "Saryn, what an unexpected surprise! Come, niece!"
She came to stand before him and knelt for a moment before rising again. "Your Majesty, I have come on an errand of dire importance. I must speak with you."
"I believe I know already the cause for your visit, but come, let us sit on the balcony while we speak," he answered, ushering them onto the wide marble balcony. From here, the spray from the waterfall misted on their faces. He gestured to a red velvet divan and they sat. The king sat across from them in his eiderdown chair. He looked at her expectantly.
"Your Majesty, I have come in search of Legolas. I must find him.
Elrond gave a slight nod. "Mmm, alas, that I cannot tell you."
"But why not?" she pleaded. "Surely you must know."
"It is not a question of knowledge, but rather of necessity," he conceded.
"But Your Majesty, I have a right to be with him, and I mean to claim it," she countered, cheeks flushing angrily.
"By what right do you demand this knowledge?" he asked, intrigued by her obstinacy.
"I am with child, sire."
"Indeed," he mused, caught off guard. "Congratulations."
"Thank you, sire. Now do you see why I must go to him?"
"Under normal circumstances, you would be right; I would be compelled to grant what you seek. But these are not normal times, and I will not tell you."
"What do you mean? I demand an answer," she said, her voice rising.
"AND I WILL NOT GIVE IT!" he thundered, leaping from his seat. The reaction was so unexpected that both she and Telvryn cringed for an instant.
"AND I WILL SIT HERE UNTIL YOU DO!" she howled back, all royal protocol forgotten in the fight for her husband.
They locked eyes for a moment in a battle of wills. Finally Elrond's shoulders slumped. "Would the Lords of Elbereth that I could tell you, but I cannot. It is better that you do not know. I beg of you, return to Mirkwood to King Thranduil. You will be safe there until Legolas returns," he beseeched her.
"You know that is not so," she countered. "Even now he plots for my undoing."
"Untrue," he spat, but he could not meet her eyes as he said it, and she knew he was lying.
"If I return to Mirkwood, I shall never been seen again."
"My brother is a good man. His only downfall is that he meddles exceedingly in the affairs of his son's heart," admitted Elrond.
"He is blind to all but his own wishes. Only with my husband will I be safe. You KNOW this."
"Yes, but I cannot let you go to him. Especially not now. A woman in your condition would never survive Mordor-"
Realizing what he'd just said, Elrond's face grew grave and miserable. "And now that you know where he is, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave. Guards," he called, and two slender elves appeared in an instant. "Take Lady Saryn to the guest tower. Give her all that she desires, but she is not to leave her room for any reason. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," they said in unison. Without a word, they grabbed her by they arms and began leading her away. She resisted but a moment before surprised grief overtook her and she burst into miserable sobs.
Elrond looked at her in guilty compassion. "I know, and I am sorry, believe me. One day you will understand and forgive me," he soothed, wiping away her tears. He nodded to the guards, and they led her away.
To Telvryn he said, "Dismissed."
"M'lady, are you alright?" he cried, rushing to her side.
"Yes, I'm alright," she said weakly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I think it's only morning sickness. May I have some water, please?"
He quickly unshouldered his canteen strap and handed it to her. "Here."
She took it gratefully and sipped the cool water, swishing it around and spitting it out to rid her mouth of the sour tang. When she was done, she handed the water back to him. "Thank you," she said, mounting her horse.
"M'lady," Telvryn called, scrambling to keep up with her, "even if it is only morning sickness, all this heavy traveling cannot be good for you or the child. You should reconsider this journey for both your sakes."
"You are quite right, Telvryn, but is a risk I must take. I fear that if Legolas tarries too long, the king will hatch a plot to do away with me."
"You think King Thranduil will have you killed?" he asked incredulously.
"No," she snorted in contempt. "More likely he would have me locked away in some tower and tell Legolas that I became ill with fever and died. He hasn't the stomach for murder. After a brief period of mourning, he would use his considerable wiles to induce his son into a new courtship. Damn Thranduil. I wouldn't be surprised if such a plan wasn't already in his mind when he sent Legolas away. No, I intend to stay far out of his reach for now."
They continued in companionable silence. Saryn mulled over the discussion between them in her mind as she admired the gorgeous plain stretching before her. Lush grasses waved in the mid-morning breeze. Here and there, clusters of verdant, fragrant trees dotted the landscape, some ringed with purple wildflowers. Overhead, cardinals darted through the crisp blue sky, tiny shafts of flying fire.
Yes, she mused as she rode along, the old king would gladly do away with me and not feel even a twinge of guilt. That much was certain. Many times over the past two hundred years, she had seen the king looking at her the way a jackal eyes a wounded gazelle just before the kill. No matter how happy she made Legolas, she would never be good enough for the king. Yet he dared not act for fear of enraging Legolas, his only son and heir. Legolas, it seemed, sensed his evil intent, for he never left her alone with his father, even for a moment. Yes, as dangerous as this trek surely was, it was far better than remaining in Mirkwood within reach of the jackal's hungry, powerful jaws.
"Look," said Telvryn, pointing to an archway on the horizon, "the gates of Rivendell."
The gigantic stone gates of Rivendell erupted from the earth like the bones of some long-dead leviathan poking out of their tomb. Built long before memory, only Gandalf, Saruman, and Elrond knew their origins. Behind those massive doors lie the great elven city of Rivendell, a place of peace and prosperity for all elves within its walls, a city ruled by the wisest and most just of all elves for more than three millennia. In front of the gates were two square-jawed sentries mounted upon beautiful roan stallions.
At the sight of them, Saryn urged Rhydon into a gallop. She suddenly felt giddy with excitement. Here at last she would find answers to her questions, questions that had festered in her mind for three weeks. She laughed, a high, tinkling sound, as the wind caressed her face. She was exhilarated, she was flying on the wings of her stallion. For a moment, just a moment, she was free again.
She pulled her steed to a skittering stop before the pair of stern guards blocking the gate and waited for Telvryn to catch up. The relaxed a little when they saw one of their own, but they still regarded her warily.
"Who are you, and what business have you in Rivendell?" the taller of the two demanded, lightly brandishing his blade.
"I am Lady Saryn, wife of Prince Legolas, and I wish to speak with King Elrond regarding family business," she said, sitting ramrod straight on the horse. "And for Valinor's sake, put that sword away."
The two sentries exchanged knowing glances, and the sentry who had questioned her sheathed his sword. Something in the way the guards had looked at each other caused a cramp of fear in Saryn's stomach, but she said nothing. The sentries bowed in deference. "Right this way, my lady," they said, standing aside so she could enter the great city.
They were escorted to Elrond.
8
Saryn's reaction to the great city and magnificent castle was little different from that of her husband. She goggled in unabashed wonder at the unrivaled majesty of Rivendell and its lush, ivy-choked forests. The thunderous roar of a waterfall could be heard as the same elf who had delivered Legolas to his fate led them through a labyrinthine maze up musty staircases and moldering corridors to the sanctuary of King Elrond's private chambers. He opened the polished obsidian door with a flourish. "My lady, the king," he said, bowing low and hurrying away.
Saryn and Telvryn entered the large room to find the king seated in front of a roaring fire. Behind him loomed a behemoth four-poster bed of the finest cherry, topped with a white silk canopy. Opposite him was a spacious balcony accessed by two glass doors. Through them, the waterfall could be seen, the roiling, churning white water cascading down over its precipitous lip to crash upon the jagged rocks below with an anguished bellow. It was at this that the king was presently directing his gaze. He seemed not to notice their presence at all.
"King Elrond?" she ventured at last, taking a tentative step forward.
He started in surprise. "Saryn, what an unexpected surprise! Come, niece!"
She came to stand before him and knelt for a moment before rising again. "Your Majesty, I have come on an errand of dire importance. I must speak with you."
"I believe I know already the cause for your visit, but come, let us sit on the balcony while we speak," he answered, ushering them onto the wide marble balcony. From here, the spray from the waterfall misted on their faces. He gestured to a red velvet divan and they sat. The king sat across from them in his eiderdown chair. He looked at her expectantly.
"Your Majesty, I have come in search of Legolas. I must find him.
Elrond gave a slight nod. "Mmm, alas, that I cannot tell you."
"But why not?" she pleaded. "Surely you must know."
"It is not a question of knowledge, but rather of necessity," he conceded.
"But Your Majesty, I have a right to be with him, and I mean to claim it," she countered, cheeks flushing angrily.
"By what right do you demand this knowledge?" he asked, intrigued by her obstinacy.
"I am with child, sire."
"Indeed," he mused, caught off guard. "Congratulations."
"Thank you, sire. Now do you see why I must go to him?"
"Under normal circumstances, you would be right; I would be compelled to grant what you seek. But these are not normal times, and I will not tell you."
"What do you mean? I demand an answer," she said, her voice rising.
"AND I WILL NOT GIVE IT!" he thundered, leaping from his seat. The reaction was so unexpected that both she and Telvryn cringed for an instant.
"AND I WILL SIT HERE UNTIL YOU DO!" she howled back, all royal protocol forgotten in the fight for her husband.
They locked eyes for a moment in a battle of wills. Finally Elrond's shoulders slumped. "Would the Lords of Elbereth that I could tell you, but I cannot. It is better that you do not know. I beg of you, return to Mirkwood to King Thranduil. You will be safe there until Legolas returns," he beseeched her.
"You know that is not so," she countered. "Even now he plots for my undoing."
"Untrue," he spat, but he could not meet her eyes as he said it, and she knew he was lying.
"If I return to Mirkwood, I shall never been seen again."
"My brother is a good man. His only downfall is that he meddles exceedingly in the affairs of his son's heart," admitted Elrond.
"He is blind to all but his own wishes. Only with my husband will I be safe. You KNOW this."
"Yes, but I cannot let you go to him. Especially not now. A woman in your condition would never survive Mordor-"
Realizing what he'd just said, Elrond's face grew grave and miserable. "And now that you know where he is, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave. Guards," he called, and two slender elves appeared in an instant. "Take Lady Saryn to the guest tower. Give her all that she desires, but she is not to leave her room for any reason. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," they said in unison. Without a word, they grabbed her by they arms and began leading her away. She resisted but a moment before surprised grief overtook her and she burst into miserable sobs.
Elrond looked at her in guilty compassion. "I know, and I am sorry, believe me. One day you will understand and forgive me," he soothed, wiping away her tears. He nodded to the guards, and they led her away.
To Telvryn he said, "Dismissed."