"Mumma?" I asked as I sat on her vanity.
"What is it, Leaf?" Mother asked as she brushed my hair.
"Why am I so little?" I asked in quiet childhood curiosity. She laughed softly.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Celebiathion and Lossenethir and Windarion and Maikalindë and Thalionlass and Guyaturion and Nilfacion are all taller than me. They make me feel like a tadpole with them towering over me," I said quietly looking at my hands as she continued to braid my hair.
"Well, Leaf, it is because they are much older than you. Not because you are just small," she said as she set me on the floor.
"How much older?" I asked.
"Well Celebiathion is about one thousand five hundred older than you. Take away one hundred years as your brothers get younger, that's how much older they are than you," she answered.
"Oh, o.k. Then. That's the only reason they're taller than me right?" I asked.
"Of course. I assure you it is," she said trying to keep a straight face.
"Thank you for clearing that up," I said as I walked to her door and stopped. "And thank you for braiding my hair."
"Anytime," she smiled.
* * *
"Guyaturion?" I inquired as I entered the library.
"What is it, little one?" Guyaturion asked as he looked up from his book. He was the only one to call me 'little one.' To the rest of my family I was 'Leaf' or 'Legolas.'
"How old are you?" I asked. I didn't know why but how old my brothers were seemed to interest me.
"About twenty three hundred years, why do you ask?"
"Because you're taller than me," I replied and he laughed.
"I am, but if you were taller than me, you would have to call me little one," he said as he pulled me onto his lap. "Would you like me to finish the tale of Feanor?"
"Yes please," I replied.
We sat in the library for quite sometime. His quite voice describing the tale of Feanor and the Silmarils. To this day it is my favourite tale. He loved to read and I loved it when he read to me. We were there from noon until three p.m. That was when my brothers found us.
"Guyaturion!" Celebiathion said coming into the library.
"Hello, Celebiathion," Guyaturion said as he placed the book from which he was reading to me down.
"Hello, Legolas," Lossenethir said as he sat on a table, cross-legged.
"Hello," I said as I slid from Guyaturion's lap.
"What brings you here?" Guyaturion asked.
"Hmm…" Celebiathion said in feigned pensiveness. "We had to tell him something didn't we?"
"Umm…. I think we did," Windarion said in the same way as Celebiathion.
"Umm…" Maikalindë and Thalionlass sighed.
"Well, it had to do with you, Guyaturion," Nilfacion said as he came around the corner with a book.
"Well, do you think I could know what it is?" Guyaturion asked, trying not to let his brothers' procrastination get to him.
"Oh, I think, I think someone is here," Celebiathion said in mock forgetfulness. Guyaturion was ready to punch his brothers.
"Well who?" He shouted.
"Umm…" Lossenethir put his head in his hands and leaned on the table. "Telep…"
"What?"
"Telepandúnêiel," Lossenethir said finally. He dragged out the name so long it took a moment
for it to settle in.
"What!"
"We saw her in the grand hall," Nilfacion said as he walked in a circle, he was never one to stand still for long.
"What?" Guyaturion asked again, he didn't believe them.
"Well, Guyaturion," Celebiathion smiled. "We saw Telepandúnêiel in the grand hall."
"What!" Guyaturion leaped to his feet. "It took you that long to tell me she was in the grand hall!"
At once, he bounded from the room. I turned to my brothers.
"What was that all about?" I asked. "And who is Telepandúnêiel?"
"Well, Legolas," Lossenethir said as he turned toward me. "Telepandúnêiel is Guyaturion's sweetheart."
"Sweetheart? You mean he likes her? Yuck!" I said, for at the time I did not care for females.
"Come on. Let's go see this joyous reunion," Lossenethir said as he quickly dashed from the library. The rest of us followed.
We ran down the corridor toward the grand hall. We reached it at the exact moment of when Telepandúnêiel rushed into Guyaturion's arms. They were crying and laughing and crying some more. They were also kissing. ("Yuck!" I whispered turning away.) They stood there in each other's arms, just taking each other in. Eventually, they made their way toward us.
"We have the most wonderful news!" Guyaturion said to us, while holding Telepandúnêiel's hand.
"Well, aren't you going to tell us?" Nilfacion asked.
"I am moving here to court," Telepandúnêiel smiled, not really looking at us. She kept her eyes on Guyaturion.
"That's wonderful!" Windarion said happily. Guyaturion and Telepandúnêiel were positively beaming.
* * *
The months passed without any interruption. The seasons changed and brought beautiful sun, rain, magnificent colours or snow. The months turned to years. Guyaturion and Telepandúnêiel's relationship grew and grew. I was then 1800 years old. Guyaturion was nearing his two thousand four hundred and fiftieth begotten day. When that happened, he and Telepandúnêiel would be wed.
The entire palace was in an uproar from preparations. A dress needed to be made, meals to be prepared, guests to be invited, but people seemed to forget that this was about Guyaturion and Telepandúnêiel.
* * *
"Guys, I am so scared," Guyaturion whispered as we all sat in a small sitting room. It was just the eight of us. It had hardly been so, for quite a long time, since the engagement.
"You'll be fine. It's only one day," Maikalindë said quietly, staring at the fire.
"It's not just the wedding I'm afraid of. It's the entire marriage. It's becoming a dad. It's everything," Guyaturion said looking to all of us for help.
"Like Maika said, you'll be fine," Lossenethir said placing a comforting hand on Guyaturion's shoulder. "Your marriage will last forever, it will be full of love and you will have four elflings."
"You guys say it will be fine, but just you wait until the seven of you have to go through this and I will be the only one who'll know what you're going through! Especially the second of us to be married," Guyaturion laughed. Lossenethir cast a long glance at Nilfacion.
"Listen," Celebiathion said quietly. "We'll be there for you, on the day and for the rest of eternity. We'll be there for brotherly advice and such."
"Thanks, you guys, so much," Guyaturion whispered. He was on the verge of tears but he would not let them fall. "I don't know what I'd do without my brothers."
* * *
I awoke in my room the day of the wedding. One could feel the excitement in the air. I looked over at my brother, who was still asleep. We had shared a room for as long as I can remember, but that night was the last time. I couldn't help but feel a little sad. We had spent many times talking long into the night. Laughing and yes, even sometimes, crying. But I was happy that Guyaturion would be with Telepandúnêiel. I had grown close with her, as a future relative should, in the past four hundred years. She was one of my best friends, aside from Guyaturion and the rest of my brothers.
I was so tired; I had been up half the night. It is tradition for the brothers of the bridegroom to decorate the marriage bed. (The bed in which the marriage will be consummated.) We had a time putting the flowers on right. I do not know why it is tradition for the brothers to do this but it is. Perhaps it is the sister's job but seeing as Guyaturion doesn't have any it was up to us. I was the one who was going on and on about how lovely the flowers were and how it should look to the newly weds. My brothers told me to shut up and that I was too romantic for my own good.
Plus, for the past few weeks, my brothers and I have been trying to help Guyaturion memorize the elven pledge of marriage. We had a terrible time with that. My brothers usually ended up passed out on the floor (don't ask), while I sat up with Guyaturion saying what Telepandúnêiel would soon be saying. Eventually he memorized it quite well, thanks to me of course!
Quietly, I made my way over to Guyaturion and pounced on him. He woke immediately, and nearly threw me off.
"Whoa!" I laughed. "It's the big day!"
"I know," Guyaturion said groggily.
"Well you have to get up!" I pointed out. "The ceremony starts at noon and it is ten. You need to get cleaned up and dressed. You have to go over the pledge once more, too!"
"I know. I know," he said again as he climbed out of bed.
"Well come on no time to waste!"
I dragged him toward the baths. He was sort of trudging behind me, so when we got to the baths I walked as close to the edge of the pool as I could and then threw him in. This woke him up and made him angry. But I could take some of the Guyaturion rage right now, I was very happy.
"Are you awake then?" I laughed.
"Unfortunately," He grumbled as he threw his wet nightclothes at me.
"Thanks!" I laughed. "I'll get you some suitable clothes until the wedding and then the fun begins!"
Oh, I do believed he was how do you say, 'pissed' with me at that point. I hate to use such words but sometimes it is the only way to best describe a situation. So, I left him in the bathing room and went in search of the other six of my brothers.
I first stopped in Celebiathion's room. He was just as pleased to get up as Guyaturion was. I found Lossenethir clipping the small garden on the balcony of his room. Maikalindë and Thalionlass were asleep in their rooms but were happy to be up. Nilfacion was wide-awake in his room; he was rummaging through his clothes looking for something. Windarion was in the kitchen with Iriador going over last minute preparations. After they all knew the happy bridegroom was awake, I made my way back toward my room in search of some decent clothes for the soon-to-be-wed Guyaturion.
"Hello, once again, grumpy," I said as Guyaturion came into the room.
"Hello, yourself," he said peeved. This was the only day in my entire being I had seen him like this. It was, however, completely understandable.
* * *
We got through the morning and soon it was time for the wedding. Guyaturion was beside himself. We were all trying to calm him down; I swear he was almost hyperventilating. Lossenethir was giving him a pep talk as we walked toward the great hall where the wedding would take place. We opened the doors for Guyaturion and the crowd of people looked directly at us. Guyaturion froze and nearly ran but we pushed him forward. The bridegroom in the ceremony isn't allowed to show emotion until the vows are exchanged, which didn't look like it was going to be too hard for Guyaturion, he was sort of dazed. We walked with him to the altar, which was under a big arch of ivy leaves.
Guyaturion was dressed in a dark green robe that showed his royal status as a prince. His hair was in tiny braids. His hands were shaking. His life crystal, that was blue, hung around his neck.
Life crystals are something given to the engaged couple by their parents. Mother and Father gave Guyaturion his and Telepandúnêiel's parents gave her, her life crystal that was a deep purple. At the end of the ceremony they exchange crystals and turn to the guests and vow their love.
But back to the ceremony, we awaited the arrival of the bride, her three sisters and four ladies-in-waiting. She needed ladies-in-waiting to match the amount of the groom's brothers.
After a few minutes of waiting, the doors opened wide and Telepandúnêiel entered. She was beautiful. She could rival Luthien. The dress she wore was perfect for her. It was a long flowing white gown that had a very long train but it was not ridiculously long like some of the ladies I've seen wed. The gown was simple, no absurd flowers or headdresses. She wore a small string of gems. Her tiara was a simple wire with a single pearl that hung on her forehead. She was so happy. She walked toward Guyaturion with her head held high, and wasn't afraid to meet his gaze.
The second Telepandúnêiel had entered Guyaturion seemed to have forgot his nervousness. She walked up beside him and he took her hand. Together, they walked up to the elven wedding overseer.
The elven wedding overseer put his hand over their clasped hands.
"This is truly a joyous occasion to witness the binding of two souls," he said to the guests, who murmured their agreement. He then returned his attention to the couple before him. "Are you prepared to be the wife of the elf you have chosen, for the rest of your life?"
"For all of eternity and beyond," Telepandúnêiel smiled.
"Are you prepared to be the husband to the she-elf you have chosen, for the rest of your life?"
"For all of eternity and beyond," Guyaturion answered solemnly.
"Now for the vows," the overseer said to the two. Guyaturion started the vows.
"You cannon possess me for I belong to myself."
"But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give," Telepandúnêiel said happily to Guyaturion.
"You cannon command me, for I am a free person."
"But I shall serve you in those ways you require."
"And the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand."
"I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in
the night
and the eyes into which I smile in the morning," she blushed at saying this.
"I pledge to you the first bite of my bread and the first drink from my cup."
"I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care."
"I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine."
"I shall not slander you, nor you me."
"I shall honor you above all others, and when we quarrel we shall do so in private and tell no strangers our grievances."
"This is my wedding vow to you."
"This is the marriage of equals," Guyaturion finished the vow and smiled broadly.
"Now for the exchanging of the life crystals," the overseer said.
Guyaturion lifted the crystal from his neck and Telepandúnêiel did the same. They both took a deep breath and placed the crystals around each other's neck. Then, they turned to the guests and said in unison.
"We swear by peace and love to stand, Heart to heart and hand to hand. Mark, O Illúvatar, and hear us now, Confirming this our Sacred Vow."
A cheer went up as the couple bowed to the guests. Then, they were bound.
Disclaimer: Tolkien owns a chunk of this. I own anything unknown.
A/N: Hello, I know it took me forever to get this up but I think it was worth it. I had to do a bunch of research with turned out fruitless. I hope you like this. I skipped ahead so far because nothing significant happened. Don't get me wrong; they won't stop having little adventures or anything. It's just now the first is married. I did a bit of foreshadowing, if anyone caught it. Hey, if you guys wanted me to update you on any of this or you wanted to contact me, just e-mail me @ prof_teiraneaux@excite.com o.k? Anyway, this took a while because I lost my inspiration but it is back! I've got another chapter on the go. If you have suggestions tell me in a review! Anyway, thank you so much for reading this and I hope you like it. Luv Gia