Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter One

Title: The Heart's True Home

Author: Silmarien

Rating: PG

A/N- It is a theory that elves heal differently than mortals do, largely due to the fact that they are not subject to sickness, are further advanced in medical skills, and know healing chants to speed on the process. Therefore, Valia will heal faster from her injury than is physically possible in our world.

Thanks go to my beta Davan for her wonderful work.

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Stilted Wings

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            Valia decided that if there had been anything good that had come from her fractured ankle, which the healers assured her would be fully healed in another two or three days, then it was that she had been dismissed from the obligation of dancing at the banquet that night. Much to Valia's chagrin, it appeared that Glorfindel had been correct in assuming that she would have several elves who wished for a dance with her. She had simply shaken her head sadly, and apologized to them, telling them that her injury prevented her from being able to have the honor of a dancing with them. They had not seemed too put out however. There were plenty of other ladies there that were more than happy to oblige them. Valia happily watched as they asked someone else for a dance and merrily twirled their new partner out into the midst of other spinning pairs.      

            A natural clearing in front of Valia had been designated for the large dance area. Tiny lanterns were strung throughout the surrounding trees, flickering like bright fireflies between the needles and leaves. Through the gauzy fabric that was draped in curtained tents over the eating tables, the lantern light dimmed into the soft light of the stars overhead. It blended the natural light from above with the ones hung closer to the ground. From either vantage point, Valia thought that her surroundings were enchanting.

Unlike the banquets of Earsilme, this one seemed to have no set schedule. Elves sat down at the long tables set up under white tents to eat whenever they wished. The food was kept piled high on silver platters by the unobtrusive attendants who would come and go quietly. Others who had already eaten, or were not yet hungry, formed different groupings on the extensive palace grounds, extending their merriment even as far as the city forest. There were circles where tales were being told and others where a particularly popular singer had a gathering of rapt listeners. There was dancing and laughter echoing all around Valia. She watched, on several occasions, in amusement as Glorfindel was led into a crowd of dancing elves several times by the insistence of one she-elf or another. She would have to make sure to tease him about it later.

            Valia would have been extremely bored, immobilized as she was, if it were not for Gandalf having shown up early on in the evening. Much to her delight, after he had greeted the King and Queen, and wished the Prince and Hadrielia a pleasant life together, he had sat down beside Valia. She was seated in a rather secluded corner where she could view the many happenings going on around her. Tall shrubs hedged a strategically placed bench nestled within the protection of the foliage, letting Valia observe the unbridled gaiety without feeling as if she were obligated to join in.

            When Gandalf had ambled over to her, his white robes billowing around him, Valia had made a move to stand with the help of a wooden cane that the healer's had given her to better enable her to walk about with until her ankle was healed. He had raised a hand to stop her, though, and rested his palm lightly on her shoulder when he was close enough.

            Scooting over on the spacious bench, Valia made plenty of room for the Istari who sank gratefully onto the seat, settling his robes around him while Valia turned to him, smiling in delight.

            'How have you been, my dear Lady Valia?' he asked her, looking up slowly as he pulled a pipe out from under his robes before he settled back comfortably against the backrest. 'It has been many years since I last saw you. You have changed much since then.' Valia followed his gaze as it suddenly shifted from her to the other elves. She was not sure what he was looking at until her eyes fell upon a familiar form, and she found emerald green eyes resting on her. They turned away as soon as she met them, and Valia blinked before turning back to Gandalf, who was lighting his pipe, a veiled smile on his face.

            'Well you have changed very little,' Valia observed, shifting the focus away from herself. 'Though one would be hard pressed to not notice any changes after so long an absence,' she could not help adding.

            Taking his pipe out of his mouth, Gandalf raised a bushy eyebrow and pursed his lips. 'Am I being accused of negligence, my lady?' The bright twinkle in his eyes made it clear that he was enjoying his chat far more than he was letting on.

            'Never,' Valia denied with a controlled grin. 'Although even you would be hard put to admit that over five centuries without one visit is a somewhat long span of time.'

            'And it seems that I have paid for my absence by missing much.' His eyes flitted away from her again, but she did not follow his gaze, and down at her dress instead.

            'Not as much as you would think,' Valia told him softly, her grin tempering into a wistful smile.

            Releasing a puff of smoke into the night air, Gandalf patted her reassuringly on the arm. 'Your beauty seems to have grown tremendously since I have last laid eyes on you. I was not aware that she-elves were known for continually blossoming into more radiant visions every time an old wizard was wont to turn his back on them.'

            Valia laughed gently, shaking her head in denial. 'Such flattery cannot be good for me, Gandalf. Besides, you owe this change to the shrewd manipulations of Elrond.'

            'Then I shall have to remember to thank him when next I pass through Earsilme,' he replied with a wink that caused Valia to laugh freely.

            'Are you staying very long for the celebrations?' she asked, her gaze following one of his smoke rings until it dispersed in midair.

            'Only till tomorrow morning. This is only a short detour on the journey I am currently taking. I could not very well miss the betrothal of the Prince of Laiquarille, though,' he told her with a wink.

            'It seems that none of us can,' Valia observed, doing an admirable job of keeping her face straight.

            'I had heard,' Gandalf began, fixing his keen eyes back on Valia, 'that his attentions had once tended to favor a different lady than the one who now wears his silver ring.'

            'Listening to gossip again, Gandalf?' Valia glanced at him sidelong before crossing her legs and leaning an elbow on her knee to cradle her head in a hand. 'You are almost as bad as Elrond.'

            That won her a chuckle. 'Elrond is very wise, my dear. He long ago learned that there is always some grain of truth that can be learned from rumors.'

            'Perhaps,' Valia conceded, taking an offered glass of wine from a passing attendant and holding it in the hand that her head had just rested upon moments ago. 'However, one must be smart enough to deduce what that particular truth is.'

            'Quite so,' was her companion's response, before they both turned their attention onto the crowd of merry elves. 'Why are you not out there dancing with everyone else, Valia?' Gandalf asked as he observed the elves about them twirling with shining eyes and mirthful smiles. .

            'You can blame that on my injured ankle. I fractured it yesterday, or so I am told, and the healer said that I cannot put my entire weight on my foot yet. Not for another two or three days,' Valia explained, holding up her cane for emphasis.

            'Well there is always the masked dance I hear King Thranduil is going to throw the last week. You should be completely healed by then and can dance the night away as you elves like to do so much.' Gandalf nodded to himself, and placed his pipe back in his mouth.

            'Masked dance? I had not heard that there was going to be one. I did not bring anything to wear for such an event. Perhaps I can simply escape to the library to read a book instead?' Valia asked in teasing question. She set her goblet of wine down on the grass beside the bench after taking a sip, knowing that an attendant would find it later and pick it up.

            'Mmm,' Gandalf hummed to himself in soft contemplation. 'Things have apparently not changed as much as I thought,' he commented around his pipe. 'Tell me Valia, when are you going to trade the company of books for a husband?'

            If it were anyone else who was asking her such a thing, Valia would have been highly offended. However Gandalf had always reminded her of a grandfatherly figure that she had loved in her favorite children's stories, and so she merely smiled at him. 'Why would I wish to exchange such pleasant company as my books for a husband that I would need to take care of? I would gain the responsibility of having an entire household to run if I married. It seems like an awfully unfair trade to me.'

            'But if you married the right elf, you would not have to concern yourself with attending to his home. He would provide attendants for you to look after your home.' Gandalf gave her a pointed look, which she chose to ignore. 'Would you not agree with me Queen Elowen?' he asked, and Valia turned in surprise to see that the King's wife standing patiently in front of them.

            'I have faith in her that when the right elf asks for her hand, she will know what to do,' Elowen answered with a soft smile. The dark haired lady stepped back as Gandalf stood and excused himself, saying that it was time to gather some of the fireworks he had brought for the celebration. He winked at Valia as he left, and she watched him until he melted into the crowd of merry elves before turning to Elowen who had taken the seat Gandalf had just vacated.

            'How are you this eve, Valia?' she asked of her. 'I hope your ankle is not causing you too much trouble tonight.'

            'I am perfectly well,' she assured.

            'It is a pity you injured your ankle on the night of the official banquet. I overheard several elves making inquiries about the fair headed maiden in the Earsilme party before tonight.'

'I dare say they long forgot about me when they saw all the other beautiful she-elves dancing under the stars.'

'By the number of dance partners you have turned down tonight, I would say that that is not the case.' Valia had the good grace to blush as she shifted in genuine discomfort. 'But there is always the masquerade in two weeks. Your ankle should be perfectly fine well before that time.'

'Yes, Gandalf has just informed me that there was to be one. I had not heard of it until tonight. We never had such festivities in Imladris or Earsilme. I was under the impression that such events are more common for the Second Born. I read a book on the subject once. It was rather fascinating, thinking of dancing with others all night and never knowing who ones partner is. I had not realized our woodland kindred practiced such traditions.'

Elowen nodded with a knowing smile and settled against the bench, maintaining an air of grace about her even upon reclining. 'But that is largely due to our estrangement. Even before I sailed west to come to Valinor, Mirkwood had already darkened. Few elves that were not of our woods traveled to our lands anymore. The breech was widened by the Last Alliance, and it has only been since coming to the Blessed Realm that the rift has begun to mend once more. Our people took on many different customs during the ages of separation,' Elowen explained, 'masked dances being one of them. You shall enjoy yourself, I am sure. It is always fun to guess who it is you are talking to, though many times couples will tell each other what will be dressed as so that they can find one another during the night. It is always a merry event to be at.'

'I have no arguments to that,' assured Valia. 'To be honest, I have always wanted to attend one before, but I have not brought anything with me from Earsilme since I knew nothing of it.'

'Yes, but we made sure Elrond knew of it. If you ask Cithien, I am sure that she set aside an outfit for you when she unpacked your trunk.'

Valia tried to recall the night she had helped her attendant hang up her many dresses, but could not remember seeing a dress for a masquerade, though she certainly had not been looking for one in particular at the time. 'I shall have to ask her about it,' Valia replied, hoping that Elrond had indeed had the foresight to prepare something for her. Otherwise, she would have to go out and purchase something on her own.

'I would ask you something, Valia, and I would have you be honest with me.' A sober tone crept into the cheerful lilt with which she had been speaking before, putting Valia on edge.

Valia turned to look at the Queen, observing the profile of her face that was turned on the dancing elves. She had a serious expression resting on her fair features, and the wisdom of her many years in the lands of Arda was clearly seen in her eyes.

'I shall do my best to answer whatever it is you wish to know.'

'Tell me, were you acquainted with Lady Hadrielia in Earsilme?'

Valia dropped her gaze in surprise. Running her tongue over dry lips, she formed them into a thin line as she looked out over the lawn and woods, spying the sight of Hadrielia dancing too close to an elf who was not her betrothed to be considered proper. Valia was now able to recognize the subtle displeasure in the lines of Elowen's face out of the corner of her eye.

'I was acquainted with her, yes,' Valia conceded.

The soft fluttering of Elowen's elegant dress, of green gossamer fabric draped over a snugger fitting under layer of black, rustled as she shifted towards Valia, casting her intelligent eyes towards the younger lady beside her. 'Will you tell me your opinion of her? When Thranduil and I chose her as a fitting partner for our son we had thought that…'

Valia shifted uncomfortably, causing Elowen's words to taper of gently, like the stilling of leaves after the wind has passed through them. The elder lady paused before she lightly rested a hand on Valia's arm and leaned further towards her.  'I do not mean to make you uncomfortable with my questioning. I will stop if it bothers you so much.'

'No it is fine,' Valia assured. 'I only wonder that you would be…' Here is was Valia who paused, as she pondered on what words she wished to say. 'That you would be questioning her character,' she continued, soon after she stopped. 'If that is what you are even doing,' she added hastily.

The pressure on her arm increased before it went slack and Elowen's hand fell from Valia's arm. 'When we first chose Lady Hadrielia for our son, she gave us no reason to worry about her character. She seemed to be a well bred lady, always mannered, kind, and soft spoken when we were around her, not to mention her easily recognizable beauty. She seemed to be the perfect choice for our son, in addition to the fact that she would bring the wealth of her family with her to Laiquarille. She would improve trading and relations between Earsilme with this marriage. The perfect choice on all accounts. We only hoped that Legolas would like her as much as we did. We told him who she was when we decided, and he apparently had met her when he traveled to Earsilme for his research. He made no objection to the match and told us that if she was our choice for him, then he would do nothing but agree with us. My fears for his happiness were allayed by his ready acceptance. I had assumed that he was pleased with our choice.'

The tone in her voice told Valia that Legolas had been anything but pleased, even if he now pretended to be so. 'Did he object to her at a later time?' Valia asked, trying to keep the hopeful lilt out of her words.

'Not vocally, but his actions spoke readily enough for his lack of words. He only kept company with her in public once she came to Laiquarille for the family betrothal feast. She has stayed with us since than, with her mother and sisters. They will remain until the wedding, but that is not what I wished to discuss with you. Forgive me.'

'It is fine.'

Elowen inclined her head in thanks. 'Thranduil and I were at a complete loss to explain his aloof behavior. We had hoped that he would spend more time with her to get to know his future bride before they were married. Lady Galadriel summoned him to her realm two weeks after their official betrothal and he left with promise to return well before the time of his wedding.'

Sighing, the Queen adjusted her position on the bench and turned a rueful smile on Valia. 'Hadrielia changed after he left. It was only subtle differences, but they were enough for me to notice the changes. An attendant accidentally broke a vase of flowers in her room one day. I was passing through the hall when it happened, and I was able to hear the harsh words Hadrielia spoke to the attendant. They were severe and unpleasant, unlike anything I had yet to hear come from her mouth and hardly appropriate given the circumstance.'

'And now…' Elowen let her gaze drift to her son's betrothed again, watching as she danced closely with yet another elf. 'She shows indiscretions that worry me,' Elowen admitted. 'She is not the same lady we thought her to be when we asked her to marry Legolas. These changes in her bother me. We have not known each other for many days Valia, but that my son should trust you speaks well of you to me. I simply desire to hear from someone who was acquainted with her in Earsilme of what she is like. Were you friends with her?'

Valia laughed aloud at the thought, the light sound of her merriment drifting out from the tiny alcove they sat in. 'I would hardly call myself her friend. We were only ever acquaintances, and reluctant ones at that,' Valia admitted, trying to keep her strong dislike for the she-elf out of her response.

'You two did not get along?' the Queen questioned.

'Not at all,' Valia replied with a lopsided smile and a shake of her head, sending her unbound hair, mingled with braided strands, swaying against her back. 'Though I must admit, there are few unmarried maidens who I keep company with.'

'Are their pursuits not to your liking?' Elowen asked in amusement.

'I admit that our differences often cause a rift that is not easily bridged, but many of them are fine maidens, nonetheless.'

'But not Hadrielia?'

Valia dropped her eyes.

'I ask for your opinion on the matter freely, Valia. You were close to my son. Do you think she will make him a suitable wife?'

'That is not for me to decide,' Valia replied, trying to skirt around the answer for as long as she could. She was proud of herself for showing enough restraint not to make an instant avowal of her considerable objection to the lady. If it was up to her, Valia would declare that Hadrielia was unsuitable for a match with every elf that she had ever known.

'You do not wish to condemn her,' Elowen interrupted her thoughts in understanding. Valia looked at the Queen to find her emerald green eyes capturing her blue orbs in a gaze that searched her eyes for the correctness of her statement.

After a moment, Elowen nodded to herself. 'Your silence says enough.' Sighing softly, the Queen clasped her hands in her lap, then almost immediately released them again and braced them on either side of her. 'I am concerned for Legolas, that he has so readily accepted this betrothal when he already seemed to know what Hadrielia's true nature was. If she continues to exhibit such behavior after she marries Legolas, it will not put Legolas or Laiquarille in a good light.'

'I am sure all will work out well in the end,' Valia sympathized.

'As do I, my dear. But I wish that it was not the heart of my son that was at stake.'

Valia gave Elowen a fake smile as the Queen stood up and excused herself to go and find her husband. However, as Valia watched her leave, she noticed Legolas intercept his mother and guide her into a dancing group of elves not far off. Leaning against the wooden backrest, Valia let out a frustrated sigh and kicked her good foot against the ground with a low growl. She did not know how much longer she could stand all this talk about Legolas.

It was one thing to come to Laiquarille, for she had prepared herself for all the well wishing and praise she had expected would be doled out about, and to, the Prince. She was not been prepared, however, for all these intense discussions about whether his choice of a bride was an intelligent one or not. That was an entirely different topic of conversation than she had not steeled herself for, and one she had hoped to avoid. It opened wounds that were just now beginning to heal, adding salt to the already festering pain.

Her mind took a tentative step down a path that she had done her utmost to block, momentarily wondering if it would not have been better to have simply accepted his offered proposal and thereby, spared herself all the grief she was now forced to endure. That was a perilous trail to turn down, though, the path of if only. She had long ago learned that it was better to dismiss such ideas. But the thought that by this time, she could have been Legolas' wife for four centuries of blissful happiness, dangled like a prize before her eyes, agonizingly close, yet forever out of her reach.

Such sweet torture…

Valia decided, with no small amount of irony, that she was starting to display masochistic tendencies.  Shutting the door to the tantalizing path she had danced before, Valia pursed her lips, and in a fit of indecision, plucked one of the winter blossoms from off one of the shrubs that hedged her in.  She twirled the tiny white blossom in her fingers, brushing the soft petals against her lips before smelling its sweet fragrance.

Her fascination with the flower was short lived though, and she dropped the snow white blossom onto the now vacant bench space beside her.

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused her to start, making her realize with a faint tinge of red warming her cheeks that she had not been paying attention to her surroundings. She pulled her gaze away from the flower and turned to see Glorfindel and Cithien standing amidst a small group of about two dozen elflings that had managed to gather around them like a living sea.

From her swift glance over the tiny faces, Valia guessed them to range from about five to ten years of age, a mixing of boys and girls with bright eyes and an overwhelming majority of blond heads. Valia raised a questioning eyebrow at Glorfindel and Cithien when she saw the barely restrained excitement taking form in wide grins and wiggling among the elflings.

'Glorfindel,' Valia spoke his name, edging her eyebrow up further as he started to fidget along with the elflings that stood waist high around him. She tried to stop her amusement from showing in the form of a smirk, when a pale dusting of pink appeared across his own features.

'We have brought you a group of admirers Valia,' Glorfindel told her, motioning with his head to the elflings that surrounded him.

'Admirers?' Valia asked, turning her attention back to the tiny heads that had begun to bob up and down.

'Will you tell us a story?' one of the older girls asked. She tilted her blond head to the side, sending her thick braids of hair swaying back and forth across her shoulders. Clasping her hands behind her back, she looked at Valia questioningly with pleading brown eyes the color of rich earth.

'Glorfindel told us that you know lots of stories and that you could tell us one about anything we wished to hear,' a younger boy with dark hair explained. He ducked his head as soon as he had finished speaking, but Valia caught his shy embarrassment before his face disappeared from view as he began fiddling with his green tunic.

Smiling warmly, Valia grabbed her cane and stood after Glorfindel came over to assist her. 'I think that Glorfindel has been telling you small fibs,' she informed the elflings. 'I am not a great story teller like he told you I am.'

Two dozen excited faces fell in dejection and shoulders slumped noticeably at her admission. The air of disappointment that radiated around the elflings was clearly palpable, even without the disillusioned sighs that a few of them made.

An insistent yank on her skirts made her look down at the spot next to her to find a tiny elfling girl that could not have been more than five years old. The little one clutched at her skirts and peered up at her with pleading eyes that were a deep shade of brown. 'Please?' was all she said in a pleading voice that trembled slightly with the threat of unshed tears.

Valia sighed and the large eyes of all the elflings were immediately turned on her in pleading and the beseeching looks that descended on the upturned faces of the tiny elves tugged at Valia's heart. She had planned on telling them a story as soon as the first girl had asked her for one, and even if she had not intended to, the hope filled gazes fixed on her would have sealed her fate. 

'Very well,' she relented with a small smile

Her agreement to their request was met with squeals of delight and enthusiastic jumping as she took the arm Glorfindel offered her. She could not help but laugh as the little girl who still clung to her skirts wrapped her arms around her legs and squeezed them in a tiny hug of thanks, burying her curly head of hair deep in Valia's skirts as Glorfindel took her cane and held it for her.

Reaching down, she brushed her hands over the little girl's soft hair before taking one of her tiny hands in her own and gently coaxing her off her leg so that they could walk to somewhere that would be a better place to tell her story at.

'And how are you this evening Cithien?' she asked the elf maid who had fallen into step beside Glorfindel. Her attendant was wearing a much more elaborate dress than the ones she normally donned from day to day, and by the stolen glances Glorfindel continued to take of her, Valia could tell that the change was being appropriately admired.

Valia smiled to herself, observing a sight she never thought she would be present to see: a smitten Lord Glorfindel.

'I am well, my lady,' Cithien answered. 'How are you? I trust that your ankle is not troubling you?'

'With the kind offer of Glorfindel's arm? No, I am quite fine.' She watched in amusement as two faces flushed a light rose color that was unmistakable even in the moonlight. 

Valia was grateful to find that Cithien managed the heard of elflings well, and when they finally reached what Valia supposed was their destination; her attendant was easily able to get the children to agree to seat themselves around an enormous willow tree.

While all the children busied themselves talking together and the tiny elfling who had latched onto her arm seated herself contentedly at her newfound friend's feet, Valia turned to Glorfindel and Cithien.

'You owe me for this Glorfindel,' Valia told him, raising an imperious brow over her blue eyes.

'O, come Valia. You know you enjoy it,' Glorfindel quickly shot back, sending a pointed glance to the happily chatting elflings.

'I do not know what I am going to do with you Glorfindel,' she sighed in mock exasperation. 'Do keep an eye on him for me tonight, Cithien,' she instructed her attendant after she shifted her attention to the elf maiden who was standing silently behind Glorfindel. Cithien gave Valia a timid smile, bobbing her head up and down as her cheeks suddenly boasted a cheery shade of red.

'And you stay out of trouble tonight,' she directed Glorfindel.

'Thank you Valia,' he replied, humoring her motherly brooding that seemed to assert itself amongst the tiny herd of elflings gathered around her. He pulled her into an impulsive hug and a grin found its way onto Valia's lips.

Whispering in his ear, Valia made sure that Cithien did not hear her words. 'Go and dance with her Glorfindel, and I will consider us even.'

She watched as he jerked back slightly in surprise, with a stunned expression momentarily flitting across his face, though it disappeared as quickly as an illusive deer running through the forest. Shaking her head at him, she leaned over and kissed his cheek before taking her cane out of his hand, supporting her own weight before pushing Glorfindel towards Cithien.

'You two have fun,' she called after them as Glorfindel whispered something into Cithien's ear and they sprinted away hand in hand.

For some reason, Valia felt her jaw tense as she watched the two make a quick retreat from her, leaving her alone with her gathering of elflings. The dull sting of pain that crept into her heart was ruthlessly shoved aside only by sheer determination. She was happy for Glorfindel. She really was.

Now if only I could find someone that makes me smile the way those two do at each other.

She shook the pitying thought aside and turned her attention back to the children who were now beginning to grow restless at her feet. Using her cane, she carefully lowered herself onto the soft ground and stretched her injured ankle out in front of her while using the large trunk of the willow as a backrest. The elflings seemed to sense her readiness at the same time, and they all turned to face her from their seats in tight clusters and fixed her with expectant eyes. Valia could not stop the grin from spreading across her face even if she had been ordered to do so by Varda herself.

'What sort of story would you like to hear?' she began, trying to keep her grin from growing too large when she saw their eyes light brightly.

'Adventure!' a small boy shouted with enthusiasm, grinning at the other boys around him who shook their heads in agreement.

'With a strong elven prince who fights the enemy,' another elfling added, eyes shining so brightly that Valia could tell he was already envisioning himself as the hero in the story. 

'And lots of battles,' one of the other boys requested.

A cry of protest was issued forth from the girls in the group, who fixed dark looks on their male counterparts.

'What about a beautiful maiden?' a quiet looking girl asked with a soft smile on her face. Valia smiled back at her, instantly recognizing the girl to be a dreamer and remembering how she herself loved reading about the she-elves in the story the best when she was little.

'Yeah!' all the girls chorused in unison, sticking their tongues out at the protesting boys who were muttering darkly at the mention of any female entering the story.

'The Prince has to fall in love with her,' one of the girls added.

'And they have to share a kiss in the end,' another girl reminded. A dusting of pink spread over the young she-elf's pert features as the words came out.

All the girls nodded in agreement, but there was a universal cry of protest from the boys again.

'A kiss!' one of the older boys objected with a scowl. 'That will ruin the entire story. Who wants to hear about maidens and love anyway?' he demanded.

'Anyone knows that the best stories end with the Prince marrying the beautiful Lady,' the girl who requested that a maiden be in the story countered, glaring back at the boy completely undaunted.

Valia barely managed to stop her chuckle as the two genders started to glower at each other. Shaking her head in mirth, Valia realized that she would have to calm the situation before it was able to grow out of hand.

'I am sure I can think of a story that will satisfy all your requests, from battles to beautiful maidens alike.' She was pleased when the young faces smoothed into passivity as the elflings turned their attention away from each other and back to her.

The girl who had attached herself to Valia's skirts earlier, scooted closer to Valia and tentatively tugged on Valia's dress sleeve. Looking down at the little one, who crawled unabashedly into Valia's lap when she saw that she had her attention, she sat down happily and grinned up at Valia with a sweet smile that sent a pang of ache through Valia.

'Can the maiden be as pretty as you?' the little one asked, wide eyes staring up at her in childish innocence.

Valia felt the air rush from her lungs and an annoying prickling sensation that was far too familiar over the past week begin to sting against her eyes. 'Even prettier,' Valia assured, which caused the smile fixed on her to widen into a full fledged grin before the tiny form of the girl nestled against Valia's chest.

Blinking several times, Valia tried to regain control of her emotions as she automatically shifted her body to better accommodate the small child in her lap.

'What is your name, sweet?' she asked her softly, running her finger's through the girls thick curls of brown.

'Nynia,' the girl replied unabashedly, willingly snuggling even closer into Valia's warmth.

-~~*~~-

Legolas was not in a good mood. The entire evening had been an enormous test of the level of his patience, and it was still early on in the evening. If he had to don one more fake smile and pretend to delightedly thank another well wisher on his betrothal, he was going to do something drastic. He could feel it in the way his muscles had tensed in the back of his neck, sending an unpleasant sensation of tension rippling through him.

Absentmindedly, he reached up to kneed the flesh at the nape of his neck, muttering inaudibly as he strode through the endless number of elves milling about everywhere, singing, dancing, and enjoying the relatively mild winter weather.

He realized that it must have been obvious that he was in a foul mood by the way elves moved out of his path when they saw him approaching. He did not care, however. He was too frustrated to care anymore.

The evening had started out well enough. Hadrielia had decided to be somewhat civil early on in evening and he was able to bear her company on his arm as he greeted guests, and he had even danced with her once or twice.

That was until he saw her. She was seated in a small alcove on a wooden bench, chatting amiably with Gandalf. It was the smile on her face that had first drawn his attention. Her full lips were curved upwards in a generous arch that lit her whole face. He became painfully aware of the rest of her soon afterwards. She was dressed in the colors of Laiquarille, though Legolas was sure she did not mean to be so, or even know that she was. No doubt, she would have attended the banquet and festivities in attendants clothing, rather than knowingly wear Laiquarille's colors.

But she was, and he was extremely conscious of the fact that she looked stunning in the colors. Her emerald green of her dress brought out the honey sheen of her loose hair, held back by only a tiny mixing of braids, and the gold embroidery on the fabric made the silver in her eyes fairly glitter. He could tell that even from the considerable distance he was standing from her. Though the form fitting bodice of the gown was not aiding Legolas' attempts to ignore her either. It accentuated the soft curves of her body that he had come to know so well a few centuries ago, and drove him nearer the edge of his increasingly shortened limits as the night continued on.

Hadrielia decided to forsake him for other company early on in the evening, but it did not bother him at all. It was only her forward behavior with a few of her dance partners that caused him a moment's consideration. She was not the primary lady on his mind though, and he chose to ignore the flirtatious behavior of his betrothed as he had another lady plaguing his own thoughts.

He watched Gandalf through hooded eyes as he talked with her and a low growl began to resonate in the back of his throat when he caught her airy laughter drifting over the noise of the merriment around him as she apparently laughed at something Gandalf had said.

He was jealous. The thought struck him with almost the same force as a physical blow and his visage darkened as Gandalf suddenly turned knowing eyes on him. The wizard's perceptive gaze returned to his partner a few moments later, but Legolas found that the price he had to pay for the relief was far worse than enduring Gandalf's weighty gaze.

Valia had suddenly arrested his attention, fixing her pools of deep blue on him and effectively scattering all coherent ideas from his mind. He wanted to know how she did that to him, made him forget about everything else around him with just a simple glance. He hated her for her ability to do that, hated her as much as he loved her for it.

She blinked and turned away from him to talk to Gandalf again, and the action destroyed the hazy web she had unknowingly woven over him. Grunting, Legolas had ruthlessly shoved all thoughts of her out of his mind, or tried to as best as he could. He knew he should not be feeling the things he was. After all, what did it matter anymore whom she talked to or what she did with her time or how utterly beautiful she was to him sitting under the starlight with that green dress on?

None of that mattered anymore, he reminded himself, spinning away from her in disgust that he had allowed such thoughts about her to surface and that she had facilitated it. He walked through the milling groups of elves, taking a glass of wine that an attendant offered him and quickly drank it before thrusting it back at the attendant. The strong vintage helped soothe his frazzled nerves enough to at least pretend to enjoy the evening.

Though his eyes still managed to flit back from time to time to the alcove where Valia sat. When he saw his mother sitting with the Lady, a sober expression on both their faces, his feet were drawn that way again. He could tell that whatever his mother was telling Valia was making Valia highly agitated. He had become accustomed to learning her body signs when he was in Earsilme and by the way she was playing with the skirts of her dress, he knew instinctively that she was uncomfortable.   

Legolas made his way towards his mother as soon as he saw her take leave of Valia. Elowen smiled at her son's approach, and stretching out a hand, she let him lead her into the midst of dancing elves, easily joining in the movements around them.

'What troubles you, ion-nin?' she asked him when the silence between them became a heavy burden. She brushed her hand over his tensed jaw, observing the way his brow furrowed just like his father's when he was upset.

'It is nothing naneth,' Legolas replied, bending down to place a kiss on his mother's cheek, only pulling away when he was able to gain a mastery over his face so that even she would be deceived by the soft smile that was hiding his foul mood.

A faint flicker of understanding lighted Elowen's features, but she chose to not press the issue.

'Are you enjoying yourself this evening, Legolas?' she questioned him, letting him lead her towards the edge of the dancing elves where there was less of a crowd as they continued to sway to the soft strands of music carried lightly through the air like the whispering of leaves when a soft wind plays through them.

'As much as is possible.' His answer was purposefully cryptic. He had no desire to enumerate on the many ways in which the evening was not to his liking.

'You cannot lie to your naneth Legolas. What is bothering you?' She brushed a loose wisp of hair behind his ear before patting his cheek for good measure, ignoring the fact that he was long ago grown and no longer her little elfling. She did not care what any others said about the matter. Legolas would always be her tiny child.

'Too many things,' Legolas admitted, dropping his chin down to rest on his mother's shoulder.

'You know, when you were a child, you used to sit on my lap and listen to me sing for hours at a time.' Legolas quelled the confusion within him, and simply listened to his mother's voice, knowing that she would explain herself when she was ready, and not before. 'You were never truly happy until I would scoop you up into my arms and sing for you. If I somehow missed our daily singing times together, you would grow restless. Other things would pacify you, but your discontented fidgeting would never stop until we sang together.'

'I can remember there was a time when you grew to an age when you thought you were too old for something as silly as singing with your naneth. You were all of about five years old and your stubborn side decided to assert itself in your blood. You refused to have me sing to you, and instead, played sullenly in my study all day while I wrote letters. I waited all day for you to ask me to sing to you but you never did, and I can remember you went to bed pouting that night.'

Legolas smiled at the tale and waited for her to say more, but she grew silent as she continued to dance with her son. 'I am not sure that I understand what you are saying,' he admitted finally.

Pulling away so that she could see him, Elowen caught his chin in one of her hands and looked him in the eyes. 'Never trade your dreams for something less than what you want ion-nin, especially when it is right in front of you. Do not be foolish to think that you can content yourself with something less than what your heart truly desires.'

She guided his head down so she could place a kiss on his forehead before she excused herself to go find her husband, leaving a bewildered Legolas amidst dancing elves that were oblivious to the words that had been exchange between mother and son.

A frown marred the Prince's handsome features, as he walked away from the dancing couples and retreated into the less densely crowded forest areas where large trees grew.

He had just enough time to compose his thoughts and emotions, which calmed under the green bows and leaves that whispered comfort to him, when he heard a chorus of elfling voices drifting from under a giant willow that stood yet several paces ahead of him.

The leafy fingers of the willow gently caressed the ground, obscuring the elflings that he knew were underneath the branches. Smiling to himself, he glanced up into the night sky that was clear of all clouds and shined brightly with thousands of glittering start against the black velvet of the sky. He then walked to the willow and parted the curtain of thin branches, thick enough to make his view unclear even though there were no leaves on the branches during the winter.

He was not prepared for what he saw.

Valia sat amidst a heard of tiny elflings, a soft expression on her face as she listened to their eager chattering. The scene looked right to him. Valia fit perfectly among the little heads that bobbed up and down in excitement.

He did not have long to dwell on the idyllic scene though, since the children's excited suggestions quickly caught his attention. They were eagerly shouting out different requests to hear a story with adventure and romance. Legolas found that his feet were inextricably drawn towards the back of the group as one of the smaller elfling girls crawled into Valia's lap and made herself comfortable. He smiled softly as Valia immediately shifted to accommodate the little one in her lap while she easily continued to hold the attention of the other children around her.

They had just decided on what all was to be included in their tale, when one of the older boys noticed the tall figure standing behind them.

'Prince Legolas!' the elfling cried loudly, making Legolas wince as Valia's head snapped up his direction, her blue eyes traveling over him and obviously weighing the situation in her mind.

Two dozen pairs of eyes were now focused on the Prince, and it was easy for him to forget his foul mood when so many adorable faces beamed up at him with admiration.

'We want to hear a story about Prince Legolas!' one of the boys cried with excitement, visibly wiggling with joy at the mere thought of all the stories Valia would be able to tell them.

'Yes!' a chorus of enthusiastic agreements rippled through the sea of elflings like a rolling wave, mounting in their eagerness.

'He has been in lots of battles before,' another boy added. 'You have, right?' he asked the Prince, fixing his brown eyes on the tall form of Legolas as he stood above him.

'I have indeed been in many a battle, though I am not sure if Lady Valia would be able to tell you the specific part I played in each of them.' His eyes briefly met those of the said lady, before flickering back to the children at his feet.

'You can help her than,' a little girl with blond hair plaited into braids informed him, clearly oblivious to any of the tension present between the Prince and Valia.

An eruption of support quickly broke out at the suggestion.

'That is a great idea!'

'They can both tell the story!'

'This will be so much fun!'

'Will you please?'

Legolas smiled softly, glancing over the expectant faces fixed on him. 'I would gladly help tell the story if it is alright with Lady Valia.'

The attention swiftly shifted from him to Valia. He observed her as she took their pleading looks in stride, smiling calmly while she gently combed her fingers through the brown head of hair of the little one in her lap. She seemed to be at ease with the attention she was getting as well as with the children. He could not resist smiling as a few pleas for a yes from her were softly spoken from among the children as they waited for her answer.

Meeting his gaze briefly, Valia turned calm eyes on the elflings before her and smiled. 'It is fine with me,' she told them, and watched in delight as shouts of happiness broke out and a few eager elflings jumped up in their excitement and latched onto Legolas' arms. He took it well, she noticed, and smiled brightly at the elflings as he let them tug on him and direct him to the front of the group where Valia sat.

'Sit here,' a younger elfling directed, pointing to the spot right next to Valia and insistently tugging on Legolas' sleeve to guide him downwards. He succumbed to their requests, letting the weight of numerous tiny hands pull him downwards, positioning him near Valia. He chanced a glance her way, finding her staring back at him with an unreadable expression on her face.

That is when he suddenly realized that a little elfling was pushing her way into his own lap, and he gazed down to be confronted with a head of silver hair, illuminated brightly with the light of the moon adding a soft glow to the already silver sheen. The little one nestled unabashedly into his chest, raising grey eyes to him as she patiently awaited her promised story. He could not help but wrap his arms around her tiny form and drop a kiss on the top of her silver locks.

Feeling her gaze still on him, Legolas met Valia's eyes that were widened with a hazy quality, blending the blue and silver in them together.

A grin suddenly spread over his features, from he knew not where, as he turned back to the numerous eyes fixed on him in silent adoration.

            'So what would you like to hear?' he asked them.

-~~*~~-

ion-nin- my son

naneth- mother