A/N: Akumu Angel - Rid - e - a is how it is pronounced. Well that's how I
would pronounce it anyway, but however you pronounce it would be fine.
It's been a while since I updated, so seeing as this Chapter is really long, I hope that you aren't all that angry.
Thanks for all the reviews everyone!
Disclaimer: Anything associated with Lord of the Rings is property of J.R.R Tolkien and is copyrighted to him.
Chapter 32: The Feast
Back in her room, Celebfaer found a bath in the room that connected to her bedroom. The bath was filled with hot water, so she undressed and sat in the bath, thinking of how lovely it was to be back in the peaceful presence of Elves once more. She had almost forgotten the way that they made all their visitors feel - calm and at ease with the world. A stay with the Elves, for no matter how short a time, always left a person feeling regenerated and refreshed.
After the bath Celebfaer started to prepare herself for the feast that night.
Celebfaer searched through the little clothing that she had brought and decided to wear the best clothes that she had. The clothes were not supposed to be worn she and Mildred came back into the fairy realm, as a matter of ceremony, but Celebfaer knew that the King would expect them to look their best.
She wore a silver dress styled in the manner of the fairies, and over the top, she wore a hoodless white cloak that had the sleeves, bodice and collar embroided with silver threads that shone as brightly as mithril. Her hair, she left in the fashion of the fairies - half up in order to keep it out of her face, with curls at the tips where the two sides joined at the back.
When she was ready, Celebfaer went to Mildred's room. He was also ready for the feast but when she saw him she shook her head.
He was wearing the best clothes that he had brought with him, and as she had entered, Mildred had been placing the blue sapphire into the hole in the lobe of his left ear once more. The mark of the Queen's guard, that he had removed as soon as they had left the realm. They had wanted to keep a low profile, and any that knew what to look for would know that a sapphire studded into the left ear would mark a fairy that was a member of the Queen's guard.
"Mildred, a cloak will be necessary or else the elves will think I am impolite by not showing my wings also. Your wings are beautiful and intricate whereas mine are tattered and ugly. Then we shall have to explain why my wings are different and I for one do not wish to." She said, then she went to the wardrobe where she noticed he had finally hung his clothes.
Celebfaer searched for a few seconds until she found what she was looking for. The cloak was almost identical to the one that Celebfaer was wearing herself. It was white with the same silver embroidery along the cuffs of his sleeves and the collar.
"This is not to be worn until......."
"Wear it or the King will think he is not worthy of the presence of Fairies and you would start a feud that even my mother would not be able to negotiate her way out of." Celebfaer said firmly, pausing slightly so that he understood. "Elves are very easily offended if they are not treated with the right amount of glamour or respect that they deserve and once they are offended, they do not easily forget." She added thinking of how Lurien had hated her because she was in high favour of the Lady and then later on because Legolas had enjoyed Celebfaer's company over Lurien's.
"Yes my lady." He said through gritted teeth, then he donned the cloak and looked very much like a king himself. Celebfaer could not believe the air of nobility that the cloak brought Mildred, and her shock at his appearance caused him to smile. "I am worthy of being your partner for life Rydia I may not act it some times but I am honored to have you think so highly of me above all the other Fairies." He said and she smiled back at him.
"Mildred you are sweeter than all other Fairies and although you are younger than myself, if not by much, I am able to learn a great deal from you." She replied and he took her hand then brought it up to his lips, kissing the top of it gently.
"When your wings are cleansed you will out shine all beings and not just Fairies in your beauty and the whole of Middle Earth shall know your name." He said and she laughed.
"You are too kind." She said, reaching up to touch the sapphire that was in his left ear. "And one day that shall become a diamond." Celebfaer told him softly, looking into his eyes and seeing him smile.
An diamond in the left ear was the symbol of the King of Fairies, which if she and Mildred were wedded and when he mother decided to hand the throne over to her would be true of Mildred.
Mildred was still smiling at Celebfaer knowing that no other would ever capture his heart if he failed in his quest to bring her back to the realm, with her wings back to their original shape. He truly did love her, even if he did say some things to her that were harsh. Mildred was the kind that easily became jealous and he did not like the effect that Legolas had on Celebfaer when she had seen him in the court the day before. Mildred did not know what he would do if she tried to deny him and refused to return to the realm with him. All he knew was that he would be lost without her.
Seeing, the happiness in her eyes, Mildred decided to tell Celebfaer some of what he was thinking, when suddenly there came a knock on the door. They separated slightly so as not to look as though they had been disturbed, then Mildred called for the person to enter, as Celebfaer fixed his collar, smiling proudly at him.
The door opened and one of the King's servants stood there then bowed to the two Fairies in the room.
"My lord, my lady, dinner is ready." He said and Mildred nodded.
"Thank you. Lead us to the dinning hall." He said to the servant and the servant nodded then bowed once more.
"Right this way my lord." He said and Mildred turned to Celebfaer.
"My love?" Mildred said, offering her his arm and her heart sank as she took it because she realised that she could never really love him as much as he loved her. However, she knew that with time she could learn to love him that much. She would have to, or she would be very lonely for the rest of her days on Middle Earth. So, she took his arm and allowed him to lead them after the servant.
'Mildred?' She sent when they were walking through the corridors of the palace towards the dinning hall and he smiled then looked at her.
'Yes?'
'Remember among the Elves my name is Celebfaer.'
'As you wish my love.' He replied and would have bowed if there had been no one else around.
She smiled then and they arrived at the dinning hall, so the servant went in first to announce that they had arrived to the rest of the guests.
"The Lord Mildred and the Lady Celebfaer." The servant said then the king nodded and they entered the room, to see that most of the kingdom was present and seated in the hall.
All the elves were looking at the two newcomers. Only Thranduil's councilors had been present in the court, so none other than them knew of what they were. But the Elves were looking at Mildred and Celebfaer with curiosity. All the attention they were receiving from the elves scared her a little so she squeezed Mildred's arm a little tighter.
'Scared Rydia?' He sent to her, humor in his voice.
'I have never had to be in the presence of so many Elves before. This kingdom is far larger than the one of Lothlorien. But do as I do and we should not offend any.' She sent back.
"Welcome Mildred, may your stay in Eryn Lasgalen help you to understand the way of the Elves and some of our cultures." Thranduil said to Mildred first, then he turned slightly to address Celebfaer. "Welcome Celebfaer, may your stay in Eryn Lasgalen be peaceful and soothing. And may we learn from both of you, as your presence is a blessing to this forest." Thranduil said and Celebfaer released her arm from Mildred's and bowed, mentioning for Mildred to do the same.
"We thank you for your kind offer my lord." She said then they rose and she took Mildred's arm once more then they walked around to their seats.
Celebfaer avoided looking at Legolas the whole time and she allowed Mildred to pull her chair out for her and wait for her to be seated before he sat down himself; the perfect fairy and gentleman in every way. She knew then that she would need to accept her predicament and honor Mildred so that he would not be disgraced when they returned to the Fairy Realm. She would have to deny any feelings that she had for Legolas and tell him that they could be nothing more than friends now.
When the two fairies were seated, the servants started serving up the feast that consisted of every Elven delicacy that was imaginable.
Thranduil was seated at the top of the table with Legolas on his right and his younger son on his left. Celebfaer was seated next to Thranduil's youngest son and Mildred sat next to her.
Throughout the feast Thranduil asked her and Mildred many questions, though not too much about their folk as he could not risk any more elves knowing of what they were or they would not be left in peace. Towards the end of the meal, Thranduil started to ask them about their travels; where they wished to go and why they were so far north, traveling through his wood.
"We are headed to Withered Heath in the Grey Mountains." Mildred said taking over, as most decisions about the quest were his to make.
Upon hearing where they were headed, Thranduil paused in his eating, as did his younger son, both wondering if Mildred were serious or not. Legolas simply looked at Celebfaer, realising why she had been so interested in his home when they had met, then he continued eating as though nothing were out of the ordinary.
"Withered Heath is a place that we wood-elves do not often travel too. There is a foul air at the foot of the mountains that leads up to Withered Heath and any elf that has ventured up there has never returned." Thranduil said and his youngest son nodded.
"Surely if an Elf cannot return from a journey such as that then two beings such as yourself would not have much of a chance." He said and then Thranduil turned to Legolas, waiting for him to say something on the matter but he did not.
"Legolas? You have been rather quiet during this meal would you care to tell us what you think about a journey to Withered Heath?" Thranduil asked him and Legolas looked at Celebfaer, then his eyes drifted to Mildred, considering the male fairy briefly, before he turned his attention back to his father and nodded.
"One does what one will in order to do what must be done." Legolas said and Celebfaer looked up at Legolas, recognising the words he had just said. "A friend taught me that on the journey with the Fellowship father. I think that these two will journey up there even if it is against your counsel father." He said and a silence fell over the table as Legolas looked at Celebfaer and she looked back at him, before dropping her eyes away.
The King cleared his throat, uncomfortably. He had seen the look that had passed between his son and Celebfaer and as he had wondered the day before, he wondered once more, what had been the nature of their relationship. "Well." The king said looking at his eldest son. "We shall talk more on this subject later." He added, then he changed the subject, hoping to lift the mood at the table.
So, they finished their meal talking about more pleasant things and as the servants came to take the plates away a band of elves started to play music, so the elves got up to dance.
Soon Legolas's cousin came and demanded he dance with her, so he stood up with a quick look at Celebfaer then danced with his cousin, while his brother went to find another she-elf to dance with.
When they were gone the King turned to Celebfaer, glad that both his sons were gone and that his advisors were talking among themselves or with Mildred.
"Celebfaer, if you would care to join me in my study tomorrow, we shall discuss more about your quest and I will give counsel that I can. However, it will be up to you as to whether you heed any advice that I can give you." He said and Celebfaer nodded.
"I will consider your counsel, though this quest is of great importance to me, so we must continue on, whether we know if we shall succeed or fail." She said.
Before the King could respond, one of his advisors came over from the direction of the door and he whispered something into the King's ear that Celebfaer did not catch. The expression on Thranduil's face did not change, as the elf spoke to him and when he was finished, Thranduil addressed Celebfaer.
"Excuse me, my lady, but some pressing matters have come up that I must tend to now. Please do enjoy the night and I shall be back as soon as the Valar wills it." He said and Celebfaer nodded as he stood up then followed the male elf from the room.
The Elf sitting next to Mildred had needed to leave also, so Mildred turned and watched the dancers, as did Celebfaer.
'They are not much different to the way that a Fairy dances.' Mildred sent to her after a few songs had passed and she nodded.
'Yes, except that we Fairies cannot hold each other as close as they, or the wings will be crushed.' She replied and Mildred laughed.
'Let me show you a thing or two about dancing, my lady, if you will permit it.' He added, with a smile on his face as he stood up. Celebfaer sighed, then took his hand and stood up also, hoping it would not be too difficult to dance.
'I have never danced before Mildred, so do not make me look a fool.' She sent to him nervously and he laughed once more.
'Never would I make you look a fool Rydia. Never in a thousand years.' He replied, taking her hand and leading her out to where the elves were dancing.
He led her to the edge of where the elves were dancing and for the first time in her long life, Celebfaer danced. Mildred was instructing her how to do it through telepathy and leading her confidently, so to all the elves they looked like they both knew what they were doing. Quite a few times, she almost fell but Mildred caught her before it was noticeable and she actually started to enjoy herself.
When the song finished though Mildred looked at her once more in question, but she shook her head.
"No. I think I need to recover from that." She said to him, then she smiled and sent 'Though I do thank you Mildred, for that was the first time ever that I have danced and it was quite enjoyable.'
So the two walked off the dancing area and a few minutes later a she-elf approached them, complimented Mildred on his dancing, then asked him if he would join her.
He looked to Celebfaer for permission and she nodded, so Mildred went out and the she-elf started to teach him a few of the dances of Eryn Lasgalen.
Celebfaer was watching them with a smile on her face, glad to see that Mildred was enjoying himself and fitting in with the rest of the Elves. So, when a voice spoke behind her she was quite surprised.
"I thought you said you did not dance." It said and she turned around to see Legolas standing there.
"Believe it or not Master Greenleaf, that was the first time ever that I had danced."
"Well then, would you give me the honor of teaching you some dances of my people?" He asked her, bowing slightly as he offered his hand to her, wanting her to take it. She smiled at him then nodded, placing her hand in his.
"I would like it if you taught me Legolas, but if you crush my wings you will live to regret it." Celebfaer said softly and he laughed then led her out into the large number of elves that were already dancing, so that she could dance with him.
He held her lightly as Mildred had but she knew that somehow she felt at home in his arms and Legolas himself felt comfortable with her in his arms. For the first few seconds, she looked as though she was concentrating hard, but Legolas told her to relax. When she couldn't he started to talk to her, telling her about the mischief the hobbits had gotten up to after the War of the Ring, and he succeeded in making her laugh. She was enjoying his company because it had been a time since she had been in the presence of people that did not know that she was an heir to the throne and they treated her for herself and not her title.
After a few dances, Celebfaer noticed that quite a few Elves were watching them, giving them queer looks, so she told Legolas that she was tired and wished to retire, knowing what those looks meant.
"You may need an escort to your room, my lady, to wander around Eryn Lasgalen alone and defenseless as yourself is not wise, even though we are trying to drive the evil from her borders completely." He said and she realised that he had not noticed what she had noticed, so she smiled at him then bowed.
"You of all people know that I am far from defenseless." She whispered looking at him.
"But it is not proper for a female to wander around by herself." He whispered back.
"I shan't be alone." She replied and then she walked off in search of Mildred.
He had been standing there watching her and now when she walked away from Legolas, Mildred sensed that it was not because she wanted to, but because she had become uncomfortable, so he spoke to her telepathically.
'What is the matter Rydia?' He sent, looking at the Elf, wondering what had passed between them and Celebfaer looked up then met his eyes from across the dance floor as she headed in his direction.
'Nothing. It is time to retire to our rooms, you shall have to accompany me.' She said, then she finished walking the distance between them and he looked at her.
"My lady?" He asked her and she smiled.
"Mildred it appears that we have been riding a little harder than I thought and it is taking its toll." She said and he nodded.
"Yes, I do believe that I am starting to feel the effects of the ride also, shall we retire?" He asked and she nodded.
"Thank you." She said, then she took his arm and he led her from the hall.
When they were out of earshot of the Elves and far enough away from the hall, Mildred stopped to look at her. Somehow she appeared changed and he knew it had something to do with the Elven prince. Mildred had seen them dancing, and the way they had looked at each other as they danced, was not the way a friend looked at another friend. That Celebfaer would look at another being that way surprised him for she had never looked at him like that before and it made him jealous.
'What was the friendship you had with that Elf?' He sent to her and she looked at him briefly then sighed, knowing he wanted a mental argument so that no elves could hear it.
'A friendship, that was all.' She replied and Mildred stared at her, his eyes becoming angry.
'Do not lie to me Rydia!' He sent angrily and it was as though he was yelling inside her head. 'I think the majority of Elves in there could see the way he was looking at you and it suggested that there was more than just a friendship.' He added a little more calmly now.
'Well, there wasn't. I do have friends that aren't of the Fairy folk Mildred.'
'And you don't have many among the Fairies do you? Everyone assumed that you were dead and your younger sister was all ready to take the throne. She had been trained in the correct way and everyone was willing to let her succeed your mother when the time came. Then your mother herself disappeared for two days and came back saying that she knew where you were. So a search party was sent out and they found you and you regained your position as heir though you were under trained in the day to day running of a kingdom and the rest of your abilities. There are some that do not believe you should succeed your mother. And you would never get the chance if it were known that you had an affair with an Elf!' He sent angrily and she glared at him this time.
'How dare you Mildred!? If my mother had not sent me out to call the water spirit that day you would not have had a chance to court me.' She shot back. 'I do not have to take this from you of all Fairies.' She added, then she turned around trying to walk back to her room.
"Rydia, you underestimate me. When your mother hears of this incident you will be thrown out of the dwelling." He said out loud.
"There is no incident to tell about Mildred, that is what I am trying to get through to you." She said, not managing to lie to him as well as she thought, but Mildred took a step towards her the anger flaring in his eyes.
"In abilities I am far greater in power than you are Rydia. You are still stumbling about like a child, so do not defy me or you will suffer." He said and the look in his eyes had scared her, so while he had said those words, she quietly mumbled something under her breath and Mildred stopped dead in his advancing towards her, unable to move. "What is this? What have you done to me?" He called out in dismay.
"My teachers still teach me as though I am but a child, but I am almost 3000 years old and the Elves are able to teach things that Fairies cannot. Most of my abilities I keep hidden Mildred and it would be wise of you to never cross me again, or you shall have to ask Legolas what happened to the cave troll that angered me." She said, then she walked off to her room before she commanded that the inivisible wind that held him be released.
In her room she sat and the hopelessness of her situation hit her. Before she had left the realm to call the water spirit as were her mothers wishes, she had been promised to Sabin. He had been perfect in every way and before she left she had fantasized about living with him and spoken to the spirits about him and she knew he felt the same way. The two were to be wedded in the year Celebfaer turned 1100. Or he would have wedded her, until they assumed that she was dead. Now Sabin had wedded her sister, who was younger than him by seven hundred years.
Celebfaer got a little upset when she thought about it and if none of it had happened, she would never have met Legolas, never have damaged her wings and she would not have been there with Mildred.
When the Fairies had heard of the proposal put to Mildred, many looked upon him as though he was dead already. Not many Fairies that had gone to cleanse their wings returned. But Mildred was determined and that was what she liked about him.
Mildred on the other hand, once he was released he walked briskly back to his room, not believing the things that he had accused her of, or what he had been about to do. He felt terrible, but he came to the conclusion that he would not give up on her that easily. He would fight back and he would win her heart from the Elf, whether it killed him to do it.
It's been a while since I updated, so seeing as this Chapter is really long, I hope that you aren't all that angry.
Thanks for all the reviews everyone!
Disclaimer: Anything associated with Lord of the Rings is property of J.R.R Tolkien and is copyrighted to him.
Chapter 32: The Feast
Back in her room, Celebfaer found a bath in the room that connected to her bedroom. The bath was filled with hot water, so she undressed and sat in the bath, thinking of how lovely it was to be back in the peaceful presence of Elves once more. She had almost forgotten the way that they made all their visitors feel - calm and at ease with the world. A stay with the Elves, for no matter how short a time, always left a person feeling regenerated and refreshed.
After the bath Celebfaer started to prepare herself for the feast that night.
Celebfaer searched through the little clothing that she had brought and decided to wear the best clothes that she had. The clothes were not supposed to be worn she and Mildred came back into the fairy realm, as a matter of ceremony, but Celebfaer knew that the King would expect them to look their best.
She wore a silver dress styled in the manner of the fairies, and over the top, she wore a hoodless white cloak that had the sleeves, bodice and collar embroided with silver threads that shone as brightly as mithril. Her hair, she left in the fashion of the fairies - half up in order to keep it out of her face, with curls at the tips where the two sides joined at the back.
When she was ready, Celebfaer went to Mildred's room. He was also ready for the feast but when she saw him she shook her head.
He was wearing the best clothes that he had brought with him, and as she had entered, Mildred had been placing the blue sapphire into the hole in the lobe of his left ear once more. The mark of the Queen's guard, that he had removed as soon as they had left the realm. They had wanted to keep a low profile, and any that knew what to look for would know that a sapphire studded into the left ear would mark a fairy that was a member of the Queen's guard.
"Mildred, a cloak will be necessary or else the elves will think I am impolite by not showing my wings also. Your wings are beautiful and intricate whereas mine are tattered and ugly. Then we shall have to explain why my wings are different and I for one do not wish to." She said, then she went to the wardrobe where she noticed he had finally hung his clothes.
Celebfaer searched for a few seconds until she found what she was looking for. The cloak was almost identical to the one that Celebfaer was wearing herself. It was white with the same silver embroidery along the cuffs of his sleeves and the collar.
"This is not to be worn until......."
"Wear it or the King will think he is not worthy of the presence of Fairies and you would start a feud that even my mother would not be able to negotiate her way out of." Celebfaer said firmly, pausing slightly so that he understood. "Elves are very easily offended if they are not treated with the right amount of glamour or respect that they deserve and once they are offended, they do not easily forget." She added thinking of how Lurien had hated her because she was in high favour of the Lady and then later on because Legolas had enjoyed Celebfaer's company over Lurien's.
"Yes my lady." He said through gritted teeth, then he donned the cloak and looked very much like a king himself. Celebfaer could not believe the air of nobility that the cloak brought Mildred, and her shock at his appearance caused him to smile. "I am worthy of being your partner for life Rydia I may not act it some times but I am honored to have you think so highly of me above all the other Fairies." He said and she smiled back at him.
"Mildred you are sweeter than all other Fairies and although you are younger than myself, if not by much, I am able to learn a great deal from you." She replied and he took her hand then brought it up to his lips, kissing the top of it gently.
"When your wings are cleansed you will out shine all beings and not just Fairies in your beauty and the whole of Middle Earth shall know your name." He said and she laughed.
"You are too kind." She said, reaching up to touch the sapphire that was in his left ear. "And one day that shall become a diamond." Celebfaer told him softly, looking into his eyes and seeing him smile.
An diamond in the left ear was the symbol of the King of Fairies, which if she and Mildred were wedded and when he mother decided to hand the throne over to her would be true of Mildred.
Mildred was still smiling at Celebfaer knowing that no other would ever capture his heart if he failed in his quest to bring her back to the realm, with her wings back to their original shape. He truly did love her, even if he did say some things to her that were harsh. Mildred was the kind that easily became jealous and he did not like the effect that Legolas had on Celebfaer when she had seen him in the court the day before. Mildred did not know what he would do if she tried to deny him and refused to return to the realm with him. All he knew was that he would be lost without her.
Seeing, the happiness in her eyes, Mildred decided to tell Celebfaer some of what he was thinking, when suddenly there came a knock on the door. They separated slightly so as not to look as though they had been disturbed, then Mildred called for the person to enter, as Celebfaer fixed his collar, smiling proudly at him.
The door opened and one of the King's servants stood there then bowed to the two Fairies in the room.
"My lord, my lady, dinner is ready." He said and Mildred nodded.
"Thank you. Lead us to the dinning hall." He said to the servant and the servant nodded then bowed once more.
"Right this way my lord." He said and Mildred turned to Celebfaer.
"My love?" Mildred said, offering her his arm and her heart sank as she took it because she realised that she could never really love him as much as he loved her. However, she knew that with time she could learn to love him that much. She would have to, or she would be very lonely for the rest of her days on Middle Earth. So, she took his arm and allowed him to lead them after the servant.
'Mildred?' She sent when they were walking through the corridors of the palace towards the dinning hall and he smiled then looked at her.
'Yes?'
'Remember among the Elves my name is Celebfaer.'
'As you wish my love.' He replied and would have bowed if there had been no one else around.
She smiled then and they arrived at the dinning hall, so the servant went in first to announce that they had arrived to the rest of the guests.
"The Lord Mildred and the Lady Celebfaer." The servant said then the king nodded and they entered the room, to see that most of the kingdom was present and seated in the hall.
All the elves were looking at the two newcomers. Only Thranduil's councilors had been present in the court, so none other than them knew of what they were. But the Elves were looking at Mildred and Celebfaer with curiosity. All the attention they were receiving from the elves scared her a little so she squeezed Mildred's arm a little tighter.
'Scared Rydia?' He sent to her, humor in his voice.
'I have never had to be in the presence of so many Elves before. This kingdom is far larger than the one of Lothlorien. But do as I do and we should not offend any.' She sent back.
"Welcome Mildred, may your stay in Eryn Lasgalen help you to understand the way of the Elves and some of our cultures." Thranduil said to Mildred first, then he turned slightly to address Celebfaer. "Welcome Celebfaer, may your stay in Eryn Lasgalen be peaceful and soothing. And may we learn from both of you, as your presence is a blessing to this forest." Thranduil said and Celebfaer released her arm from Mildred's and bowed, mentioning for Mildred to do the same.
"We thank you for your kind offer my lord." She said then they rose and she took Mildred's arm once more then they walked around to their seats.
Celebfaer avoided looking at Legolas the whole time and she allowed Mildred to pull her chair out for her and wait for her to be seated before he sat down himself; the perfect fairy and gentleman in every way. She knew then that she would need to accept her predicament and honor Mildred so that he would not be disgraced when they returned to the Fairy Realm. She would have to deny any feelings that she had for Legolas and tell him that they could be nothing more than friends now.
When the two fairies were seated, the servants started serving up the feast that consisted of every Elven delicacy that was imaginable.
Thranduil was seated at the top of the table with Legolas on his right and his younger son on his left. Celebfaer was seated next to Thranduil's youngest son and Mildred sat next to her.
Throughout the feast Thranduil asked her and Mildred many questions, though not too much about their folk as he could not risk any more elves knowing of what they were or they would not be left in peace. Towards the end of the meal, Thranduil started to ask them about their travels; where they wished to go and why they were so far north, traveling through his wood.
"We are headed to Withered Heath in the Grey Mountains." Mildred said taking over, as most decisions about the quest were his to make.
Upon hearing where they were headed, Thranduil paused in his eating, as did his younger son, both wondering if Mildred were serious or not. Legolas simply looked at Celebfaer, realising why she had been so interested in his home when they had met, then he continued eating as though nothing were out of the ordinary.
"Withered Heath is a place that we wood-elves do not often travel too. There is a foul air at the foot of the mountains that leads up to Withered Heath and any elf that has ventured up there has never returned." Thranduil said and his youngest son nodded.
"Surely if an Elf cannot return from a journey such as that then two beings such as yourself would not have much of a chance." He said and then Thranduil turned to Legolas, waiting for him to say something on the matter but he did not.
"Legolas? You have been rather quiet during this meal would you care to tell us what you think about a journey to Withered Heath?" Thranduil asked him and Legolas looked at Celebfaer, then his eyes drifted to Mildred, considering the male fairy briefly, before he turned his attention back to his father and nodded.
"One does what one will in order to do what must be done." Legolas said and Celebfaer looked up at Legolas, recognising the words he had just said. "A friend taught me that on the journey with the Fellowship father. I think that these two will journey up there even if it is against your counsel father." He said and a silence fell over the table as Legolas looked at Celebfaer and she looked back at him, before dropping her eyes away.
The King cleared his throat, uncomfortably. He had seen the look that had passed between his son and Celebfaer and as he had wondered the day before, he wondered once more, what had been the nature of their relationship. "Well." The king said looking at his eldest son. "We shall talk more on this subject later." He added, then he changed the subject, hoping to lift the mood at the table.
So, they finished their meal talking about more pleasant things and as the servants came to take the plates away a band of elves started to play music, so the elves got up to dance.
Soon Legolas's cousin came and demanded he dance with her, so he stood up with a quick look at Celebfaer then danced with his cousin, while his brother went to find another she-elf to dance with.
When they were gone the King turned to Celebfaer, glad that both his sons were gone and that his advisors were talking among themselves or with Mildred.
"Celebfaer, if you would care to join me in my study tomorrow, we shall discuss more about your quest and I will give counsel that I can. However, it will be up to you as to whether you heed any advice that I can give you." He said and Celebfaer nodded.
"I will consider your counsel, though this quest is of great importance to me, so we must continue on, whether we know if we shall succeed or fail." She said.
Before the King could respond, one of his advisors came over from the direction of the door and he whispered something into the King's ear that Celebfaer did not catch. The expression on Thranduil's face did not change, as the elf spoke to him and when he was finished, Thranduil addressed Celebfaer.
"Excuse me, my lady, but some pressing matters have come up that I must tend to now. Please do enjoy the night and I shall be back as soon as the Valar wills it." He said and Celebfaer nodded as he stood up then followed the male elf from the room.
The Elf sitting next to Mildred had needed to leave also, so Mildred turned and watched the dancers, as did Celebfaer.
'They are not much different to the way that a Fairy dances.' Mildred sent to her after a few songs had passed and she nodded.
'Yes, except that we Fairies cannot hold each other as close as they, or the wings will be crushed.' She replied and Mildred laughed.
'Let me show you a thing or two about dancing, my lady, if you will permit it.' He added, with a smile on his face as he stood up. Celebfaer sighed, then took his hand and stood up also, hoping it would not be too difficult to dance.
'I have never danced before Mildred, so do not make me look a fool.' She sent to him nervously and he laughed once more.
'Never would I make you look a fool Rydia. Never in a thousand years.' He replied, taking her hand and leading her out to where the elves were dancing.
He led her to the edge of where the elves were dancing and for the first time in her long life, Celebfaer danced. Mildred was instructing her how to do it through telepathy and leading her confidently, so to all the elves they looked like they both knew what they were doing. Quite a few times, she almost fell but Mildred caught her before it was noticeable and she actually started to enjoy herself.
When the song finished though Mildred looked at her once more in question, but she shook her head.
"No. I think I need to recover from that." She said to him, then she smiled and sent 'Though I do thank you Mildred, for that was the first time ever that I have danced and it was quite enjoyable.'
So the two walked off the dancing area and a few minutes later a she-elf approached them, complimented Mildred on his dancing, then asked him if he would join her.
He looked to Celebfaer for permission and she nodded, so Mildred went out and the she-elf started to teach him a few of the dances of Eryn Lasgalen.
Celebfaer was watching them with a smile on her face, glad to see that Mildred was enjoying himself and fitting in with the rest of the Elves. So, when a voice spoke behind her she was quite surprised.
"I thought you said you did not dance." It said and she turned around to see Legolas standing there.
"Believe it or not Master Greenleaf, that was the first time ever that I had danced."
"Well then, would you give me the honor of teaching you some dances of my people?" He asked her, bowing slightly as he offered his hand to her, wanting her to take it. She smiled at him then nodded, placing her hand in his.
"I would like it if you taught me Legolas, but if you crush my wings you will live to regret it." Celebfaer said softly and he laughed then led her out into the large number of elves that were already dancing, so that she could dance with him.
He held her lightly as Mildred had but she knew that somehow she felt at home in his arms and Legolas himself felt comfortable with her in his arms. For the first few seconds, she looked as though she was concentrating hard, but Legolas told her to relax. When she couldn't he started to talk to her, telling her about the mischief the hobbits had gotten up to after the War of the Ring, and he succeeded in making her laugh. She was enjoying his company because it had been a time since she had been in the presence of people that did not know that she was an heir to the throne and they treated her for herself and not her title.
After a few dances, Celebfaer noticed that quite a few Elves were watching them, giving them queer looks, so she told Legolas that she was tired and wished to retire, knowing what those looks meant.
"You may need an escort to your room, my lady, to wander around Eryn Lasgalen alone and defenseless as yourself is not wise, even though we are trying to drive the evil from her borders completely." He said and she realised that he had not noticed what she had noticed, so she smiled at him then bowed.
"You of all people know that I am far from defenseless." She whispered looking at him.
"But it is not proper for a female to wander around by herself." He whispered back.
"I shan't be alone." She replied and then she walked off in search of Mildred.
He had been standing there watching her and now when she walked away from Legolas, Mildred sensed that it was not because she wanted to, but because she had become uncomfortable, so he spoke to her telepathically.
'What is the matter Rydia?' He sent, looking at the Elf, wondering what had passed between them and Celebfaer looked up then met his eyes from across the dance floor as she headed in his direction.
'Nothing. It is time to retire to our rooms, you shall have to accompany me.' She said, then she finished walking the distance between them and he looked at her.
"My lady?" He asked her and she smiled.
"Mildred it appears that we have been riding a little harder than I thought and it is taking its toll." She said and he nodded.
"Yes, I do believe that I am starting to feel the effects of the ride also, shall we retire?" He asked and she nodded.
"Thank you." She said, then she took his arm and he led her from the hall.
When they were out of earshot of the Elves and far enough away from the hall, Mildred stopped to look at her. Somehow she appeared changed and he knew it had something to do with the Elven prince. Mildred had seen them dancing, and the way they had looked at each other as they danced, was not the way a friend looked at another friend. That Celebfaer would look at another being that way surprised him for she had never looked at him like that before and it made him jealous.
'What was the friendship you had with that Elf?' He sent to her and she looked at him briefly then sighed, knowing he wanted a mental argument so that no elves could hear it.
'A friendship, that was all.' She replied and Mildred stared at her, his eyes becoming angry.
'Do not lie to me Rydia!' He sent angrily and it was as though he was yelling inside her head. 'I think the majority of Elves in there could see the way he was looking at you and it suggested that there was more than just a friendship.' He added a little more calmly now.
'Well, there wasn't. I do have friends that aren't of the Fairy folk Mildred.'
'And you don't have many among the Fairies do you? Everyone assumed that you were dead and your younger sister was all ready to take the throne. She had been trained in the correct way and everyone was willing to let her succeed your mother when the time came. Then your mother herself disappeared for two days and came back saying that she knew where you were. So a search party was sent out and they found you and you regained your position as heir though you were under trained in the day to day running of a kingdom and the rest of your abilities. There are some that do not believe you should succeed your mother. And you would never get the chance if it were known that you had an affair with an Elf!' He sent angrily and she glared at him this time.
'How dare you Mildred!? If my mother had not sent me out to call the water spirit that day you would not have had a chance to court me.' She shot back. 'I do not have to take this from you of all Fairies.' She added, then she turned around trying to walk back to her room.
"Rydia, you underestimate me. When your mother hears of this incident you will be thrown out of the dwelling." He said out loud.
"There is no incident to tell about Mildred, that is what I am trying to get through to you." She said, not managing to lie to him as well as she thought, but Mildred took a step towards her the anger flaring in his eyes.
"In abilities I am far greater in power than you are Rydia. You are still stumbling about like a child, so do not defy me or you will suffer." He said and the look in his eyes had scared her, so while he had said those words, she quietly mumbled something under her breath and Mildred stopped dead in his advancing towards her, unable to move. "What is this? What have you done to me?" He called out in dismay.
"My teachers still teach me as though I am but a child, but I am almost 3000 years old and the Elves are able to teach things that Fairies cannot. Most of my abilities I keep hidden Mildred and it would be wise of you to never cross me again, or you shall have to ask Legolas what happened to the cave troll that angered me." She said, then she walked off to her room before she commanded that the inivisible wind that held him be released.
In her room she sat and the hopelessness of her situation hit her. Before she had left the realm to call the water spirit as were her mothers wishes, she had been promised to Sabin. He had been perfect in every way and before she left she had fantasized about living with him and spoken to the spirits about him and she knew he felt the same way. The two were to be wedded in the year Celebfaer turned 1100. Or he would have wedded her, until they assumed that she was dead. Now Sabin had wedded her sister, who was younger than him by seven hundred years.
Celebfaer got a little upset when she thought about it and if none of it had happened, she would never have met Legolas, never have damaged her wings and she would not have been there with Mildred.
When the Fairies had heard of the proposal put to Mildred, many looked upon him as though he was dead already. Not many Fairies that had gone to cleanse their wings returned. But Mildred was determined and that was what she liked about him.
Mildred on the other hand, once he was released he walked briskly back to his room, not believing the things that he had accused her of, or what he had been about to do. He felt terrible, but he came to the conclusion that he would not give up on her that easily. He would fight back and he would win her heart from the Elf, whether it killed him to do it.
