Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter One
Title: The Heart's True Home
Author: Silmarien
Rating: PG
A/N- On plant life in Laiquarille: I know it seems fairly impossible for a willow tree to be growing in Laiquarille, where winters are harsh, but under the horticultural gifts of the elves, I assume that it would be plausible for a willow to be growing there.
Thanks to my wonderful beta Davan for putting up with so much from me.
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In Love and War
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Legolas let the tiny silver haired elfling burry herself closer to him as he settled against the trunk of the old willow where Valia was sitting close by with her own elfling tucked into her arms. He was sitting close enough to her that he could feel the heat from her skin on his own, a reminder to him of the feel of her nestled in his arms so long ago. He would have grinned at the sight, both of them sitting near each other with elflings surrounding them for story time, if he had not been extremely conscious of the band of silver that was circled around his index finger.
'What battles have you been in?' one of the younger elflings asked him while the child leaned his head on his hand and cocked his head up at Legolas.
Some of the older children exchanged looks of disbelief with each other before they fixed their wide eyes on their ignorant companion.
'Has your ada and naneth not told you that Prince Legolas was in the War of the Ring?'
'He was one of the Nine Walkers,' a blond haired boy added.
'And represented all the elves of Middle-Earth.'
'He was given a bow by Lady Galadriel!'
Valia watched with growing compassion as the little boy who dared to ask Legolas about his battle experience shrank smaller and smaller with every new piece of information that was thrown his way. An unmistakable shade of brilliant red heated the tips of his miniature ears as his tiny form folded into itself underneath the scorn of his peers. Lowering her head in displeasure, Valia wrapped an arm around Nynia and raised her eyes to where Legolas sat beside her, noticing that his brow also seemed to be wrinkled in displeasure at what was happening, though his gentle expression remained. She reached out, hesitating for only a moment before she rested her hand on his arm to gain his attention.
Legolas turned at the touch to find Valia's blue eyes filled with concern for the little elfling that mirrored his own worry. Nodding to her in understanding, he quickly turned back to the group to intervene. He felt her hand drop from his arm, turning his skin cold where her hand had rested. It left a strange sense of loss in him that he knew was not just due to the loss of warmth from her touch.
Ignoring the troublesome feeling, he focused his attention on the elflings in front of him, preparing to come to the rescue of the embarrassed elfling who had turned scarlet in childish mortification.
'He shot a Nazgul out of the air all by himself!' another elfling, this time a girl with graceful features, added.
'It was actually only the Nazgul's stead,' Legolas interjected, effectively bringing the attention back to him. 'And I am sure any elf who was gifted with a bow from the Lady of the Golden Wood would have been able to slay the beast as well.'
His words effectively put an end to the elflings showing their advanced knowledge of their Prince's life compared to the younger elfling.
'I actually have trouble keeping track of all the battles your Prince has been in,' Valia admitted, smiling warmly at the little brown head that was bowed in embarrassment when it peeked out from his drawn up legs. 'I am sure there are many battles he has been in that none of you have even heard of.'
There was a chorus of exclamations of childish wonder from the elflings as small eyes lighted with greater interest.
'What kinds of battles?'
'More battles than any of you have years to your names. Have you ever heard of the Battle of the Five Armies?' Valia asked. Nynia squirmed in protest from her resting place against Valia's chest at the noise before she sank her head down to rest on one of Valia's thighs. The tiny elfling blinked up at Valia with a determined look upon her face that made Valia laugh softly as Nynia fought off the sleep that threatened to rob her of her story. Stroking dark locks away from the child's alabaster skin, Valia waited for an answer to her question from the other elflings.
Little brows wrinkled in thought, but none seemed to have any knowledge of the battle Valia was referring to. All except for one tiny elfling. The boy who had been embarrassed only moments before suddenly looked up with a bright smile on his face and waved an excited hand in the air to get Legolas and Valia's attention.
'You know about the Battle of the Five Armies?' Legolas asked the boy, giving the elfling an impressed expression which made the child blush again.
'My grandfather was in the Battle. He told me all about it last week, but he never said you had been in it Prince Legolas.'
Valia bit her bottom lip to keep her laughter in as the elfling fixed an adoring gaze on Legolas that made the Prince squirm slightly in discomfort. 'Perhaps you can come sit up here and help us tell the others about it than,' Vaila suggested, patting the small space that remained between her and Legolas.
The boy wasted no time in jumping up and leaping over his playmates as he waded through the mass of bodies to get to the front of the group. He happily plopped down between Legolas and Valia, squirming in delight as he made himself comfortable between them. Valia could not resist, and reach out to tickle the brown haired elfling under the chin. He giggled, and after a few moments, managed to push her hand away as he retreated into Legolas' side for protection. The Prince obliged him by releasing one of his arms that was already wrapped around the elfling that was in his lap, and encompassing his new charge in the protection of his arm.
Burying his tiny face into Legolas' side while his frame still shook with squeals of protest and laughter, the boy wrapped his arms as far around Legolas' waist as they were able to go, while clinging tightly to the elven Prince. Legolas looked at Valia, whose eyes were filled with merriment that made the silver strands that streaked her blue orbs dance. They shared a genuine smile with each other before Valia stopped tickling and the elfling relaxed against Legolas.
A brown eye peaked out at Valia from the safety of Legolas' tunic, and she smiled at the elfling. A grin of his own spread across his face which he revealed to her, his white teeth flashing happily under the moonlight that was filtering through the wispy bows of the willow tree.
'And what is your name?' she asked him, brushing a stray curl of brown hair away from his small face as he peered up at her from his position against the Prince.
'Elrebrinduil,' he told her softly, a faint dusting of pink coating his white cheeks again as he snuggled further into Legolas' frame.
'That is an awfully big name for such a little elfling,' Valia told him, 'but you will grow into your name some day,' she added, running her fingers over his cheek before pulling her hand away.
He beamed up at her with the praise. 'My naneth sometimes calls me El,' he informed her seriously, or as seriously as he could be for an elfling who had not seen more than five or six winters pass before his eyes. 'You can call me El if you want to,' he continued, fixing her with an endearing expression that made her heart swell.
'Than that is what I shall call you,' she told him with an affectionate smile. 'Now, can you tell everyone else who the five armies were that fought in the Battle?'
El nodded and turned to the other elflings, who grew suddenly quiet as their story that they had patiently waited for was now about to begin. 'The five armies were men, dwarves, goblins, eagles, and elves,' El listed, pointing to a finger each time a new army was named. He looked up at Legolas anxiously once he was done, and smiled happily when Legolas nodded to him with a wink. Settling back against his Prince, El let Legolas continue the impromptu history lesson that the elflings had traded for a story, though from the keen interest on each of their faces, they did not seem to mind the change too much.
'Very well done, El,' Legolas told the elfling before he began addressing the rest of the group. 'The goblins fought against the armies of men, dwarves, eagles, and elves, though the Battle should probably have been called the Battle of Six Armies. Do you know why El?'
The elfling looked up at Legolas with a wrinkled brow before he turned to Valia and gave her a small smile. Valia bit her tongue and a strangled snort escaped her mouth at the conspiratorial glimmer in El's eye. She motioned with her head for him to come closer and she whispered softly into his ear so that not even Legolas could hear what she said. El squirmed as her breath tickled his ear and he giggled against her neck before sitting down and fixing Legolas with a grin, letting the Prince know that he knew the answer now.
'There were two armies of Dwarves,' El spoke in succinct words, while bobbing his head up and down with each word.
'You certainly know a lot about the Battle of the Five Armies,' Valia praised, delighted when he looked up at her as if she had just given him his own star. She gently squeezed the leg that stuck out from underneath his small body, and turned to the other elflings who were looking at their tiny companion with a new appreciation. 'Do any of you know what goblins are?'
'I saw a picture of them in a book once,' one of the older girls answered. 'They looked mean. My ada says that they were small orcs that lived in the mountains and did not like elves.'
'Goblins hated elves,' Legolas confirmed. 'A huge army of them came and fought with us. They rode on great beasts called wolves that had sharp fangs, and black bats hovered in the air around their army.' There were a few gasps of fright from the group and some of the younger elflings latched onto the older ones who grudgingly put their arms around little forms. They were more than happy to accept any means of comfort, while all the while Legolas continued his story. 'The fight lasted till nightfall when the orcs were defeated. I had never seen so many goblins in one place before. By the end of the battle, the dead ones covered the ground so that I could barely see the grass and dirt beneath them.'
The elfling boys showed their amazement and pleasure at Legolas' tale with gasps of delight and soft murmurs amongst themselves at the remarkable feats of their Prince. The girls thought of the details of the battle in a different light however, wrinkling their noses in disgust. A few of the younger elfling's eyes grew wide with fear and they huddled even closer to their older companions.
Nynia stirred in Valia's arms, raising her brown head and leaning her weight into Valia as she reached out and tugged on Legolas' tunic. 'Were lots of elves hurt?' she asked, her voice rising above its normal childish pitch that stood testament to her alarm.
Legolas smiled down at the girl and tucked his fingers underneath her chin, lifting her head from Valia's chest till he was looking directly at her. 'There are no orcs in Valinor, little one. They cannot hurt you here.'
His assurances calmed Nynia, enough so that when she laid her head against Valia's chest again, she sighed drowsily and smiled when Valia wrapped her arms around her slender form.
'Were you at the Battle of the Five Armies, Lady Valia?' an older girl asked.
There were several murmurs of interest before someone yelled out that she-elf's did not fight in battles and wars.
'I was not there at the time. I was in Imladris with Lord Elrond and my family, but there were she-elves who saw the Battle. They traveled with Prince Legolas' army and watched the Battle from safety, tending to the wounded when they came away from the fighting.'
'They were very brave,' El commented. 'My grandfather told me that he was scared when he was fighting the Goblins.' El combed his short fingers through the blades of grass beside him as he spoke, picking a long blade and clumsily twirling it between his fingers.
'We were all scared,' Legolas informed the elflings, whose eyes grew wide at their Prince's admission.
'You were scared?' a tiny voice asked in wonder.
'But you are the Prince,' another voice added in protest. After all, this was Prince Legolas they were talking about. Surely he could never be scared of anything.
'Even Princes can get scared,' Legolas admitted, cradling the tiny elfling who had fallen asleep in his arms. 'What is important is that we do not let our fears control us. We can be brave even if we are scared.'
There was a moment of profound silence that descended on the small clustering of tiny bodies as they thought over the Prince's words.
'Does that mean I should help my naneth clean out the attic even if I am scared to go up there?' someone whispered loudly to their neighbor.
Valia tried to keep her laughter in, but failed miserably. Instead, she allowed herself the benefit of laughing freely, tilting her head towards the sky as the sweet melody of notes flew from her mouth. She was joined a few moments later by a deeper, richer laugh from Legolas as several other voices that came from the curtain of branches circling the willow joined in. Valia suddenly noticed the several attendants that stood unobtrusively at the back of the group of elflings.
'Yes Sylad, that means that you should help your mother. Than you shall be brave just like Prince Legolas is,' a golden haired lady spoke, dipping into a curtsey after she finished in deference to her Prince and lady companion. 'If you are done with your story my lord and lady, it is time for these elflings to return to the palace for snacks before they rest.'
At the promise of snacks, the groaning at the approach of bedtime was effectively kept to a minimum from the elflings. Legolas nodded his head in assent and attendants quickly had the tiny heard of elflings up and moving towards the palace. Valia placed a kiss on the top of Nynia's dark locks before she surrendered the half asleep elfling to the arms of an attendant. Nynia curled into the warmth of her new holder, but still managed to say a farewell before she was whisked away.
'Goodnight Lady Valia,' her slumber filled words came out softly.
'Quel kaima, Nynia,' she told the girl before the elfling was toted off into the woods, curled comfortably into the arms of the attendant.
El threw his arms around Valia's neck almost as soon as Nynia left, giving her a small squeeze and kiss on the cheek before he ran off after the others, his brown strands of hair dancing against his back in rhythm with the patter of his tiny feet.
Legolas and Valia found themselves suddenly inundated with a silence that was almost oppressive in its magnitude. They were both acutely aware that no one else was there anymore to distract them from each other and Valia reverted to clenching and unclenching her fists that she had placed in her empty lap.
'They are inquisitive little ones, are they not?' Legolas suddenly asked, startling Valia into breathing sharply.
'Yes,' she replied with amazing ease, smiling at the lingering warmth she could still feel in her arms from Nynia. 'They are darling.'
'They seemed to like you extremely well. It is not every day a new elf comes to Laiquarille and is able to win their hearts as easily as you did.'
'They are all sweet,' replied Valia, trying to keep the wistful tone out of her voice. Simply being around elflings made her long for a family of her own and while she would have pushed the idea aside with a derisive laugh, labeling it impossible four hundred years ago, she was not entirely sure now. The elf that was sitting beside her had made her unsure of entirely too many things, leaving her with the feeling that she was exposed, and for Valia, exposure had come to mean vulnerability that could lead to pain. Valinor had healed her of many of the hurts that had been inflected on her body and soul in Middle-Earth, but it had yet to touch her deepest injury.
Above all else, Valia still felt the fear of being hurt again if she opened herself to someone.
A slender hand suddenly appeared in Valia's field of vision, and she blinked at it in incomprehension several times before she lifted her head to find Legolas bending down in front of her, an amused expression dancing in his green eyes.
Valia's brow furrowed, but she pushed her wariness aside. Taking a hold of her cane which lay near her, she slipped her free hand into the one Legolas offered her, watching as his long fingers curled over the back of her hand. His grip tightened around her, tugging her up gently and wrapping her hand around his arm as soon as she was standing so that he was able to support her weight.
He walked them out from underneath the willow, spreading the curtain of branches for her as he led them out. The moonlight shined brighter on the pair once they were out from under the willow's thick covering, and the light played over the grass and leaves, softening colors till they blended together, one after the other.
She raised an eyebrow and looked up at him as he continued to guide her silently towards a less concentrated area of merrymakers, realizing it to be the wrong move after it was already too late for her to to do anything about it.
The light of the moon played softly across his face, creating light shadows under his high cheekbones that reminded Valia of his royal bearing. His skin had taken on less of a flesh color, turning a shade that made his skin appear to glow to Valia. Yet it was his hair that was the most stunning under the soft light. His normally blond locks now had a decidedly silver sheen to them that contrasted startling with his eyes, bringing out the vivid emerald in them.
Valia could only guess what she looked like to him as he turned his lidded eyes on her, raising dark lashes after a moment's hesitation to reveal a piercing look that sent a shiver down her spine. Under his gaze, she felt exposed and stripped of all her pretenses. She was only vaguely aware of drawing near a large circle of elves that were dancing to a haunting melody that reminded Valia of years spent in Middle-Earth.
Of their own will, they both stopped just at the edge of the firelight, neither willing to break the semblance of acceptance that seemed to have grown between them. Acceptance of what, Legolas and Valia were not sure, but both were glad for it though neither was aware that their thoughts tended in the same direction.
It was Legolas who made the first move. He took a step into the warm glow of the firelight that changed his appearance in an instant from ethereal to earthy. Valia remained in the shadows, the hem of her skirt barely catching the light of the fire, as she rested her weight on the wooden cane she was suddenly glad she had, and not for the sake of her injury either. Her knees, she found, were shaking in a most disturbing manner.
Legolas knew it would be better if he never acted on the impulse inside him. It was a dangerous game he played, with consequences that could hurt him far worse than playing with the fire that was licking greedily at the logs in the center of the clearing. Dangerous but intensely tempting, he realized. Especially when she was hovering like a frightened doe before him, standing as she was just on the edge of the firelight. He did not want her running away from him again, however, and quickly made up his mind.
'A dance, my lady?' he asked her, extending a hand into the shadows she remained in.
She swallowed in response, running her tongue over suddenly dry lips as she fiddled nervously with the skirts on her dress. He always made her feel like a foolish elfling when she was around him, not the adult that she was. 'My ankle,' she offered in lame protest, feebly gesturing to the lower recesses of her body.
His eyes never followed the movement, remaining determinedly on her face instead. 'I will support you.' He leaned further into the shadows, his entire arm covered in the moonlight now, instead of the merrily dancing flames of the fire.
She blatantly ignored all the hidden meanings she could have deduced from such a comment. Whether it was from her time with the elflings or merely the overwhelming weariness she felt from constantly running away, she did not know. She took in a shaky breath of air, filling her lungs with the crisp breeze from the winter night, before she placed her hand in his for the second time.
It is only one dance, they simultaneously allayed the warnings in their mind.
Legolas smiled down at her, making her cheeks flush hot at the peculiar look in his eyes. She was glad that the lighting and night air would hide the telltale signs of her misgivings and still considerable reaction to his touch. He carefully pulled her into the firelight, his smile growing as the glow from the flames managed to melt away all traces of rigidity in her posture and aloofness in her eyes. Taking the cane from her hands, he propped it against a tree before guiding her farther into the clearing and drawing her into the circle of his arms.
'You did not have to stay for the story,' Valia blurted out, choosing to cover the troubling silence with inane conversation.
A frown tugged Legolas' lips down, and Valia lowered her gaze, clearing her dry throat when he did not answer right away. He pulled her closer towards him and began to dance with her, slowing the intricate movements for her sake so that their dance looked more like walking around in a complicated circle. 'I am well aware that I did not have to, but I find that elflings are very hard to turn down when they ask you something. Would you not agree?'
His lighthearted response eased Valia and she allowed herself the pleasure of a small smile. 'Thank you for your help.'
'It was my pleasure.' Legolas' lips formed a thin ribbon of red as he looked down at her and tentatively reached out to move a honey lock of hair that fell across her brow like a bright ray of golden sun. He clenched his fist just before he touched her, pulling his fingers away from her skin before it was too late.
Valia raised her blue eyes to meet his while his hand still hovered in the air between them, loosely curled into a fist. He watched in fascination as one of her dark eyebrows arched upwards and her head slightly tilted, sending the strand of hair falling further onto her skin.
'I have missed you, Valia.' The words slipped out of his mouth with little regard to what his mind was screaming at them. It could have been a number of things that caused his sudden reaction to her, the feel of her in his arms again, the need to have someone other than Isondil that he could confide in, or perhaps the strong wine that he had drank that night. He looked on with something akin to pure shock as his hand slowly uncurled and reached back out, cupping Valia's cheek briefly before brushing aside the stray lock of hair.
Her words came out as quickly as his own had, as swiftly as the river water in the spring when the melting snow swelled the banks of the river and sent the water roaring downstream. 'I know that I have hurt you, Legolas. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to have all your letters returned unopened. I did what I though was best at the time. If I had…' She trailed off in frustration, her brow wrinkling into lines as she bit down on her tongue.
'Valia, I did not say that to illicit an apology from you,' he tried to explain.
She cut him off before he could continue further or she knew that she would loose her courage. 'I know you did not, Legolas. I just… I simply want to say that I am sorry for all the pain that I have caused you,' she chanced a glance up at him and found a small measure of comfort in his attentive look. 'I never meant for things to turn out the way that they did.' She gave a helpless shrug, vaguely aware that they had stopped dancing and were now standing on the outskirts of the group of merrymakers, immobile figures on the edge of a moving sea of bodies.
All caution now given up as impossible, Legolas caught his fingers underneath her chin and lifted her head so he could fully look at her. 'I am sure neither of us meant for this to happen, Valia, but we are not children anymore, and we both know that you cannot always have what you want. Your apology is not needed, but it lightens my heart all the same.'
Valia offered a sad smile before pulling her chin out of his hand. 'We play a dangerous game Legolas.'
'I am all too aware of that,' he replied, a faint edge creeping into his voice. 'I find that I want things to be well between us, and yet I wonder how that can be so when my heart still longs for an impossible dream.' He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers before looping her arm through his and guiding her closer to the palace, making sure that he grabbed her cane before they left the small party of dancers. Her silent pauses were making him nervous. Her very nearness was affecting him in strange ways and he moved them through less crowded areas in case the crowds were the cause of her hesitancy to speak.
Valia found it difficult to swallow the lump that materialized in her throat at his confession. She let him guide her away from the dancing while she made a concerted effort to regain control of her speech to respond to him. 'Is even friendship impossible between us?' The laughter that followed was derisive, a sharp contrast to the joyful sounds that were floating on the night air.
'Impossible?' he asked. 'No, I should hope not.' He squeezed the slender hand that rested in the crook of his elbow as the sounds of the main gathering of elves grew louder as they walked further away from the group behind them.
'I wonder if Hadrielia knows how lucky she truly is,' Valia mussed, tightening her grip around Legolas' arm for a moment. He gave her a strange look, before a lopsided grin pulled his lips upwards.
'Flattery, Valia?'
'No.' She shook her head, smiling to herself before lifting her head to look around the large clearing they had entered. Elves roamed across the palace lawn, some eating, others dancing, singing, or telling stories, but all obviously having a wonderful time.
'Look,' she pointed somewhere. 'Isondil and Silia are over there.'
Legolas followed the general direction her finger was pointed, and it took him only a few moments to spot Silia and Isondil sitting at a round table with food in front of them. 'Shall we join them?' he asked Valia.
'Yes. I have not eaten since breakfast,' Valia exclaimed.
'You should have told me,' Legolas admonished. 'You must be famished.'
Valia laughed as he guided her along the outskirts of the clearing, weaving through the groups of elves to avoiding disrupting their activities. 'I do not think it has gotten quite that severe yet.'
Isondil and Silia noticed the two approaching their table before Legolas and Valia reached it, and husband and wife waved at their friends.
'We were beginning to think we would not see you two at all tonight,' Isondil told them when they finally made their way to the table. 'And certainly not together,' he added, glancing pointedly at Valia's hand on Legolas' arm.
'Isondil!' Silia cried, fixing her husband with a look that had him immediately leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek.
Legolas and Valia moved away from each other in the time that it took for the married couple to look back at them. Bracing herself on her cane, Valia felt her face instantly warm in an irritating manner that should have ended centuries ago. She pressed the back of her hand, cooled from the night air, to her cheeks before she dared to raise her eyes again.
Legolas, on the other hand, took it all in stride, irking Valia with his ability to remain calm under the most embarrassing of circumstances. His brow rose as he glanced sideways at her when she pulled away, an unmistakable glimmer of amusement dancing in his emerald eyes. The indifferent expression remained on his face though, something he contributed to far too many hours in his role as the Prince of his father's kingdom. One learned to appear neutral under almost every circumstance no matter the emotions they felt bubbling inside them.
'Valia is hungry. Do you mind if we join you?' Legolas asked, ignoring the subtle smirk that Isondil sent his way. He would deal with his friend and councilor later.
'Of course you can,' Silia answered, patting the padded chair next to her which Valia sank into gratefully. She stretched out her legs to relieve some of the throbbing that had begun to heat her injured ankle and sighed happily, sending a thankful grin to her pregnant friend.
Legolas took the only seat that was left, another padded chair between Isondil and Valia. The table was a small one, rounded and set out for the specific purpose of accommodating smaller groups of elves who wished for a more intimate place to talk. It was perfect for their little group. While Valia leaned over to whisper something to Silia as she caressed her friend's distended belly, Legolas got up and filled two plates of food for him and her. He did not know what she wanted, and so he chose to merely put a little of everything on her plate, happily ignoring the way the pile grew larger and larger.
'When will you be leaving, Valia?' Legolas heard Isondil ask as he returned to the table, setting a plate of food in front of Valia before sitting down in front of his own.
'Thank you,' Valia murmured, looking hungrily over the wide variety of fruits, vegetables, bread, and meat heaped on her plate.
The others at the small table noticed the generous portion of food as well. 'Where do you expect her to put all that food, Legolas?' Isondil asked in amused incredulity.
'I did not know what she wanted,' Legolas glowered in answer, stabbing a piece of fruit with his fork. He frowned at the skewered food before putting it in his mouth and setting his fork down.
Valia managed to keep the laughter down, though it fluttered around in her stomach where it was trapped. It was a sensation she had not experienced often in the time that had elapsed after Legolas left Earsilme, and she realized that she had missed it. 'I do not know when I will be leaving,' Valia answered Isondil's earlier question, effectively dispelling the banter between the Prince and his councilor. 'I suppose I shall wait till Glorfindel wishes to leave.' She picked up a slice of white bread and took a bite, enjoying the way it almost melted on her tongue.
At the mention of that particular elven lord, Valia gained the complete attention of Legolas, who looked at her sharply. She was focused on Isondil and Silia, however, and missed the intense expression that glittered in his eyes.
'Then we will simply have to convince Glorfindel to stay longer,' Silia retorted in a matter of fact tone. 'Speaking of which,' Silia leaned closer into the table and looked at her friends, 'there have been rumors spreading around about who Glorfindel has been keeping company with lately.'
'You mean someone other than Valia?' Isondil was now thoroughly interested and propped an elbow on the table as he cocked his head at his wife. Legolas could not resist his keen interest as well, though he was less forward in displaying his desire for Silia to continue. He allowed himself to sit up straighter in his chair and move forward to eat more of his food, but above that he refused to let himself go.
'The gossip is rife in every public place, and I am sure there must be some sort of truth to it all. You must tell us who she is, Valia,' Silia insisted, turning pleading eyes on her friend.
'She?' Legolas asked aloud, not sure if he has heard correctly. Was Glorfindel interested in someone other than Valia? Not that it should matter to him, he reminded himself.
'I do not know what you are talking about, Silia,' Valia replied airily, putting on a mask of innocence as she attacked the meat on her plate with fork and knife. It was not a complete lie, she decided. After all, Silia had never directly said anything in particular. She did not know if Glorfindel would take too kindly to her offering up information about his new relationship with Cithien either.
'Do not play innocent with me, Valia,' Silia retorted, placing her hands on her hips as she glared at her friend. 'Who is she?'
'Glorfindel would not,' Valia began, shaking her head in protest.
'O, Glorfindel will not mind, not when there are already rumors spreading,' Isondil interrupted. He motioned to her with a wave of his hand. 'Do share with us.'
'There is nothing to share,' Valia exclaimed in exasperation. 'Honestly, you are all acting like you are ten years old!' She shoved a bite of deer meat into her mouth as eyes narrowed and lips thinned around her.
'O fine!' Valia conceded, throwing a hand up in the air in defeat. 'Cithien is her name, and she is my attendant while I stay at the palace. She loves to listen to Glorfindel's stories as much as he loves to tell them. There is nothing more to say about it.'
'So there is a chance that you will not be leaving Laiquarille for some time then?' Isondil asked.
Valia answered his question with a dark scowl.
She was saved from further interrogation when a lively song broke out in the clearing, followed by the distinct ringing of laughter that everyone at the table was familiar with. Four heads turned in unison to peer out into the crowd, instantly settling on the willowy figure of Prince Legolas' betrothed, walking arm in arm with an elf onto the dance floor.
Valia felt, more than saw, Legolas tense from his place beside her as Hadrielia was pulled into the arms of the dark haired elf, obviously enjoying the attention she was receiving. A chill air suddenly descended amidst their small group and when Valia glanced sidelong at Legolas, she found him clutching his chair, long fingers turned white from his tight grip.
Legolas' jaw tensed as Hadrielia craned her head upwards to whisper something in her partner's ear, making him laugh. He swiveled around in his chair to face his companions. 'If you will excuse me,' he told them, standing up quickly and pushing his chair in, 'I think I will speak with Hadrielia.' He left before anyone had a chance to respond, weaving his way through the other dancers and smoothly cutting in so that he was dancing with Hadrielia.
Looking down into her lap, Valia turned towards Silia and Isondil, clenching her hands till they were as white as Legolas' had been. An unpleasant sensation had rippled through Valia's stomach at the sight of Hadrielia with Legolas. The feeling disturbed her, not only because it should not have mattered to her if Legolas danced with his betrothed or not, but also because it meant that as much as she tried to deny it, she was still attracted to the Prince.
'I hope Hadrielia knows what she is dealing with,' Isondil broke into her contemplation, his narrowed eyes still trained on the dancing couple.
'If Hadrielia really knew Legolas, she would not have been so friendly with her dance partner,' Silia stated, keeping her eyes on the couple as well. 'When they marry, she is going to quickly learn that Legolas expects more of her as a wife than for her to just simply look pretty for him. I have no idea how those two are capable of creating a happy state of married life. You remember how she was in Earsilme, Valia.'
Valia raised a brow, giving a soft snort of acknowledgement. 'It is funny, you know,' she told them, 'but I feel like all of this is my fault in a way.'
Isondil and Silia exchanged a glance with each other before Silia spoke. 'What are you talking about, Valia?'
Shrugging helplessly, Valia played with her fingers. 'Obviously none of this would have happened if I would have accepted him in the first place.' Valia cringed at the self pity that could surely be construed from her words. 'Lets forget I ever said that,' she was quick to add, offering her friends a smile before she resolutely turned her attention to the mountain of food that still remained on her plate. While she worked on reducing the pile of fruit on her plate, Valia did her best to ignore the dancing elves to her back, and two of them in particular. She was doing quite well, and even managed to enjoy hearing about the preparations that Silia and Isondil had underway as they continued to prepare for their newest addition to their family. That was until she was reminded of Legolas again.
'That cannot be good,' Isondil commented suddenly. He motioned back towards the dancing elves, where Legolas and Hadrielia had stopped dancing though the music had not ended. Legolas was holding Hadrielia's forearm, guiding her through the churning maze of intricate steps his kinsman were executing. They stopped under the shade of a nearby large tree, their forms obscured by the low branches that hung just over their heads, littered with rich green leaves.
Valia had a perfect view of them, however. While Isondil and Silia continued to talk, their words became only hushed whispers to Valia who was intently focused on the conversation taking place under the leafy tree in the distance. She knew without a doubt that Legolas was angry, for while his posture and expression gave nothing away, the calm mask that he wore did. He was entirely too calm.
Hadrielia, on the other hand, did not posses the ability to wear a mask the way her betrothed did. When Legolas said something to her at last, she cocked her head to the side, raising one of her finely shaped eyebrows as her blond curtain of hair fell over one of her shoulders. Valia watched with complete interest, never having seen the two interact together as a couple. Hadrielia replied to whatever Legolas had told her, placing one of her hands on Legolas' chest and taking a step towards him to close the considerable gap he had put between them when they first went under the tree.
Glancing down at his chest where Hadrielia's fingers were splayed, Valia's eyes widened slightly as Legolas reached up and grasped his betrothed's wrist. He pulled her hand away from him, letting her arm drop to her side as his calm demeanor momentarily broke and he frowned at her, rapidly saying something to her. A slow smile formed on Hadrielia's lips in response, and with a speed that was admirable, she reached up and twined her arms around Legolas' neck. The entire space between them was closed when she brought his head down and pressed her lips to his.
Valia's jaw went slack as she saw Legolas drop his hands to Hadrielia's waist, momentarily pulling her closer though Valia had not thought it possible. He held her at arms length the next second, brow furrowed low so that a shadowed valley formed down the center of his forehead. He fired a rapid torrent of words at his betrothed, whose jaw stuck out before she returned his fast barrage of words with her own.
As his hands fell to his side and his golden head lowered slightly in frustration, Valia felt his anger creep across the space that separated them like a rolling fog, slowly encasing her till her muscles tensed and she felt an uncomfortable knot form in her stomach. She was not sure if she should be happy that Hadrielia was no longer pressed against Legolas or be worried at the direction the conversation was turning.
No sooner was she reacting to his obvious anger, than Valia found emerald green eyes fixed on her. Bright green flashed at her when intermittent rays of starlight pierced the canopy of leaves he stood under. The light coalesced with his own, making his eyes and skin glow even more than usual. He looked as if he was trying to tell her something, but Valia was too transfixed by his weighty gaze to comprehend what it was. Transfixed and admittedly angry.
Why was he even looking at her? Why was he asking things of her that he had no right to with those eyes of his? And more importantly, why did she want to say yes?
He blinked, emerald jewels lidded for not even enough time for Valia to suck in a breath of cool air, but it was enough to break the spell that he held over her senses. Her head bowed, braided strands of honeyed hair giving into the pull of gravity and cascading over her slopped shoulders to conceal her face in shadows. Her vision was contracted to her white hands that lay in clenched fists along the green plains of her skirt.
When she glanced back up, all that was left for Valia to look at was the rustling of green leaves, as Legolas yanked Hadrielia deeper into the recesses that the forest provided. There was a glimmer of golden hair, a last testament to his presence before he disappeared into the shadows of the forest entirely.
'Valia?'
She blinked, though it did not make the figure of Legolas or Hadrielia reemerge from the obscuring darkness that lingered beneath the branches of Laiquarille. Instead, she heard her name asked in soft query again, and turned to find Isondil looking at her, his face filled with concern.
'Are you alright, Valia?' he questioned again, leaning forward in his chair from his spot across from her.
'I am sorry,' Valia replied, an amused grin spreading across her face that transformed her visage to that of a much younger elf. 'I was not paying attention.'
'We wanted to know if you were planning on attending the masquerade at the end of the betrothal celebrations,' explained Silia, reaching over to grasp her friend's hand for a moment, telling Valia she knew very well what held her friend's attention. 'I have not found a costume yet and wanted to know if you wished to accompany me through the market place. There are several shops along the main street that you would probably be interested in looking at. I stumbled upon a small bookshop last year. The owner does not keep a large variety of books, but I found some there that looked to be quite old. We could stop there on our way to find costumes.'
'Queen Elowen told me tonight that Elrond may have already sent a costume with me, but whether he did or not, how could I refuse spending time with my dear pregnant friend?' Valia asked, her tone laced with obvious mischief. 'And of course I would never pass up a shopping trip that included books.'
'You see what I am reduced to?' Silia made a wide gesture with her hands to her husband. A clearly hurt expression descended over her features that neither of her companions believed. 'I must bribe her to go shopping with me.'
'You do not,' Valia corrected, leaning back in her seat. 'Do I have to tell your husband of all the times I was dragged along on shopping adventures with you and had no hope of a bookstore in sight?'
Isondil laughed and leaned over to embrace his wife, placing a soft kiss on her temple. 'There is no need to tell me. I am well aware that Silia can be quite persuasive when she needs to be.'
His wife scowled, swatting her husband away, though there was obvious love shinning in her eyes. 'So you will come?' she questioned Valia.
'Yes.'
'Wonderful! I will send a note to you when I figure out what day will work.' Silia replied, looking absolutely delighted at the promise of a shopping day with her old friend, effectively making Valia forget about her problems with the Prince for awhile.
A song finished just then, replaced with a different sort of music as the lilting chatter of elvish mingled with singing and laughing from different groups. Isondil excused his wife and himself, claiming her for the next dance. He helped Silia out of her chair, supporting her extra weight that made even a mundane task such as standing more difficult. The two walked slowly together, fingers intertwined with Silia's head resting against Isondil's shoulders.
Valia closed her eyes, letting the first strands of music wash over her to charm the lingering tension into loosening its hold over her muscles. The sigh that fell from her lips was a soft testimony to her relaxed state as the strain fled her muscles to dissipate into the night that was slowly giving way to the light of dawn.
-~~*~~-
Quel kaima- Sleep well