Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Lord of the Rings.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Luinuial. Luinuial, child. Wake up." I shut my eyes tighter , but opened them when I felt my mother's gentle hands pull my dark hair out of my face.
"Luinuial. It's time for you to go."
"Yes, mother."I stood and took the traveling gown from her hands, and the light violet satin cloak that went over it.
My mother looked me up and down when I was done. Her eyes began to brim with tears and she pulled me into a hug. "Make me proud, my daughter."
I nodded gravely and left the room ere it became too difficult for me to leave.
Outside of my flet, I paused and carefully took in my surroundings. Never again would I come to the fair Lothlorien, never again would I walk beneath the mellryn trees and see their leaves turn golden in the spring, contrasting their silver bark.
I swallowed and walked down the great stairs leading to the forest ground. I forced a smile onto my face, for I was determined as ever to make this marriage work. One of the sentries of the forest, Orophin, lead my horse to me.
"Milady." He bowed his head. I nodded back to him, and swung onto my horse.
"How has he been this morning, sentry?" I asked, ever arrogant yet smiling at the same time.
"Lomion has been well behaved, milady, though I suspect it is because he's still half asleep."
I laughed. "Aren't we all, Orophin?"
He laughed back, and placed a consoling hand on my shoulder. "Good luck with the Prince, milady. You're going to need it."
I rolled my eyes. "Well, thank you for your vote of confidence, old friend."
Orophin's eyes were not on me, though. As he backed away and bowed, I caught sight of Lord Celeborn, and bowed my head.
"My lord. It's an honor to see you."
The lord of Lothlorien smiled at me. "Luinuial, child, I came to wish you luck-"
"This would be more comforting is everyone wouldn't wish me luck, milord."
He smiled and continued. "May I ask you a favor, child?'
"Of course, milord."
He pulled out a piece of parchment, sealed with wax and the emblem of Lothlorien. "I wish you would give this letter to my kinsman, Thranduil. It needs to be delivered directly into his hands."
I nodded my head. "Yes, milord."
"It's time for you to leave, Luinuial. The sun rises. Orophin will be your companion on your way to your new home. He shall stay with you for a week or so while you get situated, than return alone."
He nodded to Orophin, then to me, and began to leave.
"Uh, milord." He turned to look at me once more. "Um. Where is my father?"
The lord of Lothlorien looked grave. "My lady, your father was unable to come see you off this morning. He asked me to wish you-" He paused and smile consolingly at me. "Luck."
With that the Lord of the Wood left.
I turned back to Orophin. "Luck? I'm beginning to despise that word."
Orophin only smiled and bowed. "Milady, if you'll excuse me, I must go and get my horse. I will be back shortly."
"I can come with you, Orophin."
"I'd prefer not, milady. You should stay here and have some time to yourself. You won't get much of that anymore. You should prepare yourself to meet the Prince." And he walked away.
"Orophin!" the sentry kept walking. "Orophin! By the Valar! Is there something about this man I don't know?"
I sighed. What a stupid question. I know nothing about this Prince of Mirkwood. Correction. I know that his name is Legolas, he's Thranduil's son- thus a kinsman of my lord, and he tried to burn my hair as a child. That's a bit too little to know about the man you're going to spend your life with.
And whoever asked me if I wanted to spend my life with this spoiled brat? I had no say in the matter- if I had this betrothal never would have happened. But my father believed it to be the best.
Until recently I had nearly forgotten and it was no longer reality, and believed my father had done so also. But it was all in futile hope. One night a week ago he informed me over one of the rare family dinners that I would be heading to Mirkwood to wed Prince Legolas.
The news was like a slap in the face, but the court manners I had been brought up with didn't fail me. I plastered one of the faux court smiles onto my face- my pride was with my ability to look truly pleased, I could do that much better than the noble-born ladies- curtsied politely, told my father what an honor it was (lying through my teeth- a noble is always a hypocrite) and asked to be excused from dinner to prepare for my trip.
I shook my head, and my thoughts came back into the living world as Orophin rode up beside me.
"Milady? Are you ready to begin the trip." Orophin asked softly.
I faked yet another smile. "As ready as I'll ever be."
I nudged Lomion into a trot and rode out of the wood, never once looking back at my home.
Soon even the forest of Lothlorien had faded into the horizon as Orophin and I made our way through the a pass in the Misty Mountains. Once we had reached the other side, Lothlorien was no more than a memory.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Luinuial. Luinuial, child. Wake up." I shut my eyes tighter , but opened them when I felt my mother's gentle hands pull my dark hair out of my face.
"Luinuial. It's time for you to go."
"Yes, mother."I stood and took the traveling gown from her hands, and the light violet satin cloak that went over it.
My mother looked me up and down when I was done. Her eyes began to brim with tears and she pulled me into a hug. "Make me proud, my daughter."
I nodded gravely and left the room ere it became too difficult for me to leave.
Outside of my flet, I paused and carefully took in my surroundings. Never again would I come to the fair Lothlorien, never again would I walk beneath the mellryn trees and see their leaves turn golden in the spring, contrasting their silver bark.
I swallowed and walked down the great stairs leading to the forest ground. I forced a smile onto my face, for I was determined as ever to make this marriage work. One of the sentries of the forest, Orophin, lead my horse to me.
"Milady." He bowed his head. I nodded back to him, and swung onto my horse.
"How has he been this morning, sentry?" I asked, ever arrogant yet smiling at the same time.
"Lomion has been well behaved, milady, though I suspect it is because he's still half asleep."
I laughed. "Aren't we all, Orophin?"
He laughed back, and placed a consoling hand on my shoulder. "Good luck with the Prince, milady. You're going to need it."
I rolled my eyes. "Well, thank you for your vote of confidence, old friend."
Orophin's eyes were not on me, though. As he backed away and bowed, I caught sight of Lord Celeborn, and bowed my head.
"My lord. It's an honor to see you."
The lord of Lothlorien smiled at me. "Luinuial, child, I came to wish you luck-"
"This would be more comforting is everyone wouldn't wish me luck, milord."
He smiled and continued. "May I ask you a favor, child?'
"Of course, milord."
He pulled out a piece of parchment, sealed with wax and the emblem of Lothlorien. "I wish you would give this letter to my kinsman, Thranduil. It needs to be delivered directly into his hands."
I nodded my head. "Yes, milord."
"It's time for you to leave, Luinuial. The sun rises. Orophin will be your companion on your way to your new home. He shall stay with you for a week or so while you get situated, than return alone."
He nodded to Orophin, then to me, and began to leave.
"Uh, milord." He turned to look at me once more. "Um. Where is my father?"
The lord of Lothlorien looked grave. "My lady, your father was unable to come see you off this morning. He asked me to wish you-" He paused and smile consolingly at me. "Luck."
With that the Lord of the Wood left.
I turned back to Orophin. "Luck? I'm beginning to despise that word."
Orophin only smiled and bowed. "Milady, if you'll excuse me, I must go and get my horse. I will be back shortly."
"I can come with you, Orophin."
"I'd prefer not, milady. You should stay here and have some time to yourself. You won't get much of that anymore. You should prepare yourself to meet the Prince." And he walked away.
"Orophin!" the sentry kept walking. "Orophin! By the Valar! Is there something about this man I don't know?"
I sighed. What a stupid question. I know nothing about this Prince of Mirkwood. Correction. I know that his name is Legolas, he's Thranduil's son- thus a kinsman of my lord, and he tried to burn my hair as a child. That's a bit too little to know about the man you're going to spend your life with.
And whoever asked me if I wanted to spend my life with this spoiled brat? I had no say in the matter- if I had this betrothal never would have happened. But my father believed it to be the best.
Until recently I had nearly forgotten and it was no longer reality, and believed my father had done so also. But it was all in futile hope. One night a week ago he informed me over one of the rare family dinners that I would be heading to Mirkwood to wed Prince Legolas.
The news was like a slap in the face, but the court manners I had been brought up with didn't fail me. I plastered one of the faux court smiles onto my face- my pride was with my ability to look truly pleased, I could do that much better than the noble-born ladies- curtsied politely, told my father what an honor it was (lying through my teeth- a noble is always a hypocrite) and asked to be excused from dinner to prepare for my trip.
I shook my head, and my thoughts came back into the living world as Orophin rode up beside me.
"Milady? Are you ready to begin the trip." Orophin asked softly.
I faked yet another smile. "As ready as I'll ever be."
I nudged Lomion into a trot and rode out of the wood, never once looking back at my home.
Soon even the forest of Lothlorien had faded into the horizon as Orophin and I made our way through the a pass in the Misty Mountains. Once we had reached the other side, Lothlorien was no more than a memory.
