Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter One
Author: Silmarien
Story: The Heart's True Home
Rating: PG
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Sunlit Exchanges
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The fabric was soft underneath her fingers as Valia brushed her hand lightly over the tiny bundle. She had placed it on her vanity, a place she was sure not to forget about it, as soon as she had unpacked all of her things. Now, as she stared down at the velvety black material, she felt a sudden urge to place it back in her trunk, shut the lid tightly, and promptly forget about it.
'If only,' she murmured to her empty room, stroking the fabric once more before picking up the bundle. She cradled it in the curve of her hand, letting one of the folds fall from the fabric to spill over her hand. She lifted the remaining fold, granting herself a last glimpse of the treasure that lay nestled in the protective layers of the rich fabric. The light streaming through her window quickly engulfed the darkness that had once replaced it, sending a dancing pattern of green and white light against Valia's skin as it hit the object within.
Darkness swallowed the object yet again as Valia quickly replaced the velvet covering and put the bundle into the large pocket of her dress, patting the outside of the pocket once she had slipped her hand out. She was determined to find Legolas and give it to him as soon as possible, though she was not exactly sure how she would find him.
Squaring her shoulders, she brushed the stray locks of hair that lay against her chest back over her shoulder, taking comfort in the familiar weight of them as they rested against her back. She could do this.
Help was not far away, as a knock came at her door and Cithien entered her sitting room, coming into her bedroom to straighten things up for the day. 'How are you this morning, Valia?' she asked cheerfully while she divested the bed of its fur blankets and silk sheets.
'Actually, I am looking for Prince Legolas. Have you seen him this morning?' Valia idly played with the leather cord that hung from around her waist to fall against her side, part of the accessory that went with the dress she was wearing.
'I think I heard one of the attendants say that he was heading towards the library this morning,' Cithien informed Valia, studiously ignoring the obvious signs of her mistress' nervous behavior. She folded the fur covers as she talked, placing them on the bench positioned at the end of the large bed. 'Did you need to see him for something in particular? I can send someone to go fetch him for you if he is not busy.'
'No, no,' objecting Valia, taking light steps towards her bedroom door. It had been several days since she had injured her ankle, and she was now able to walk around freely without the aid of a cane to support her. 'I must return a book I took from the library last night. I will go myself.'
Cithien opened her mouth to object, but as she turned she found that Valia had already moved into her sitting room, where she plucked up the leather bound book that lay on a table and swiftly exited her chambers entirely. Standing at her spot by the bed, Cithien stared through the doorway into the empty sitting room, sighing in frustration as she placed her hands on her slender hips.
So much for warning Valia about the other piece of information she had overheard that morning.
Unaware of anything that would hinder her from speaking with Legolas, Valia moved through the twisting halls of the palace that she was slowly becoming accustomed to. Early morning sunlight spilled onto the stone floors she walked over, pooling in vivid points that defied the season of the year. The sunshine infected everything it fell upon, including Valia, who found a placid smile covering her lips despite the task she was on. She clutched the book she carried closer to her chest as the library doors came into view. They were solid double doors that were crafted out of the sturdy trees that composed Laiquarille's forest.
Once she reached the library, she found closed doors separating her from the room. She frowned at the double doors, wondering why they were closed when she had always found them open before. Wrinkling her brow, she frowned down at the book she held against her. Her lips pursed into a thin line of determination as she grasped the cold metal of the shinning door handle.
It turned with hardly a sound as Valia pushed the door open and entered the small room with her gaze lowered. She had already treaded several steps into the cozy room, which sadly held about as many relics as it did books. Laiquarille's version of a library was something far different than Elrond's library was. The only advantage Valia found in the books that lined Laiquarille's sparse shelves was that she had not read some of them simply because they were volumes created by the elves of Mirkwood that had never been recopied before or ones that were made specifically for the royal family.
A voice came from somewhere ahead of her, and Valia lifted her lidded eyes to take in the room in front of her. She felt her face pale a shade or two when she discovered four sets of eyes fixed on her, three of which were so familiar as to make her already lightened skin tinge a faint shade of red.
King Thranduil and Legolas stood side by side, standing over a table that held an assortment of maps and rolled parchments that littered the surface. Both their eyes were trained on her, a dim look of surprise on their similar faces. Isondil stood at Legolas' left hand, arms clasped behind his back as he peered at her with a dark eyebrow that was obviously raised in amusement. The elf that stood at Thranduil's right was a stranger to Valia, but she was fairly certain that from the assemblage in front of her, his identity was probably the King's advisor. It was apparent that Valia had just interrupted a meeting.
'Lady Valia?' Thranduil questioned, pushing himself off the table where his arms were braced over a map. 'Did you need something?'
Valia shook her head furiously, feeling very much like a tiny elfling. 'I am sorry,' she apologized, backing out of the room slowly. 'I came to return a book. I did not realize meetings were held in here or I would not have opened the door. Forgive me your highness.' She made a rather stiff curtsey, turning nearly half way around to make good on her retreat when the King stopped her.
'Are you forgetting something, my lady?'
Valia shifted back to face the room, with a single glance taking in the glimmer in Thranduil's sapphire eyes and the twitch at the corners of his mouth. She lowered her gaze to the polished floor beneath her slipper clad feet before she met the King's look with a furrowed brow.
'My lord?'
'Your book, my lady,' he filled in, gesturing a hand toward the book she gripped to her chest. 'You came to return it did you not?'
There was a moment of heavy silence as Valia shifted her weight from one foot to the other. 'I do not wish to interrupt, King Thranduil.'
Thranduil gave a wave of dismissal. 'We are not making any progress here anyway,' he explained with a pointed look at his companions which Valia did not fully understand. 'Please do not let us hinder you. Feel free to look around if you wish.'
Just as quickly as she found herself the center of attention, her presence was ignored as Thrauduil called his son's attention back to the maps. Valia glanced surreptitiously at the Prince, whose golden head was bent over a pile of parchments that he leafed through. She was apparently completely forgotten, and the rigid lines her shoulders were set in melted into a softer curve as she moved to the shelves of books set up along the far corner of the room. Finding the spot where she had found the book she was holding, she placed it back with the other books, running her fingers along the spines made of leather as her eyes roamed the titles.
She was contemplating just leaving without another book, as she felt extremely uncomfortable being in the room when the King and Prince were holding a meeting. However, their discussion was easily heard by her in the small room, and she found herself feigning to look at the books in front of her while listening to their conversation.
Thranduil was frustrated on all accounts. While the agricultural research Legolas had brought back with him from Earsilme increased the crop yield of the land tremendously, the farmers had not found a suitable system of irrigation for their new fields yet. It was making farming difficult for Thranduil's people, who had turned to him for help. Yet none of the suggestions he had been given by his advisor or his son had been suitable yet.
'There is a problem with that idea as well, Legolas,' he told his son, tapping the map in front of him in frustration. There were many rivers that ran through Laiquarille, but the farmlands lay on both sides of a long hill named Dol Sil, named after the white flowers that flourished on the hill, making it difficult to provide water to both areas. 'If we divert this river to the farmland, it will only provide a source of water for the farms located on the left side of Dol Sil. There is still the problem of getting water to the farms on the other side of the hill, and that is where most of the larger farms are at.' Thranduil cast aside the map he was studying to look over the more detailed one underneath it.
'Is there a way to tunnel through Dol Sil?' Isondil asked. 'If we diverted the water to the right side of Dol Sil, we could create a tunnel to the other side to provide water to the smaller farms.'
'A possibility, perhaps, but I would rather find a way to divert water there directly. This hill is one of the larger ones in Laiquarille and would take at least three or four years of heavy work to dig a tunnel from one side to the other.'
'And what is wrong with this river, my lord?' Legolas questioned his father, pointing to a larger river that came down from the Pelori and tracing its path along the valley between the hill in question and another. 'The Malnen would certainly hold enough water for all the farmlands that need it.'
'Yet it is fed by the melting snow from the Pelori,' a voice Valia did not recognize interrupted. She assumed it was the elf standing to Thranduil's right who spoke. 'There are seasons when the river does not run as high as others. What if there is less snowfall during year and not enough water for the farms? We would stand to lose a whole season of crops.'
A thick silence settled on the group, and Valia found that the rustling of her skirts had become obnoxiously loud without the noise of speaking to filter out her quiet movements. She stilled in mid reach for a book, but it was too late for her presence to go ignored again.
'Earsilme has an extensive irrigation system does it not?' Thranduil asked, raising his voice a little louder so Valia was sure to hear. Isondil and Legolas shared a look before a small smile tweaked the corners of Isondil's mouth upwards.
'They do indeed,' Legolas informed his father, watching as the King's eyes flitted to the inconspicuous form of Valia in the corner before they returned to the map. 'They are not anywhere near the high mountains of the Pelori either,' he added pointedly.
Valia knew exactly where the conversation was heading and was not about to get tangled up in with the governing of King Thranduil's kingdom. As her heart began to beat faster, she picked a random book off the shelf in front of her and began a hasty retreat out of the room, sticking close to the edge of the room and praying to the Valar that she would be able to make it out of the room. She reached the double doors without interruption, and was starting to breath easier until a voice stopped her.
'I hope you have found a book to your liking, Lady Valia.' He watched her pause, hovering between the freedom of escape and staying behind. She turned to face him slowly, and he had to restrain his amused smile as she fixed a smile on her strained face.
'Yes,' she replied.
'I know Laiquarille cannot begin to compare to Lord Elrond's library, but I think we have a few books here that you have never seen before.' He stepped around the table and approached her, watching as she took a step backwards.
'I am sure I will enjoy this very much,' she answered, gesturing to the book in her hand that she had no idea the content of. She just wanted to make it back to the safety of her room without further incident.
'Well I am happy you were able to find something to you liking. May I have a look?' he asked, taking the book from her when she handed it to him.
Thranduil sent her a strange look when he glanced down at the book in his hands, before he opened it and leafed through the pages. He closed the book after flipping through it, and was unable to hide from Valia the laughter that glittered in his eyes like starlight. 'An interesting selection, Lady. 'The Journeys of Legolas, Prince of Eryn Lasgalen.'' He read the title on the front, watching Valia as her eyes widened slightly and she went as red as the breast of the Robin's that made their nests in the trees outside the palace. 'I hope you enjoy it, though I find that talking to the elf in question about his journeys is much more satisfying then reading the book.'
Valia cleared her throat, finding that her eyes were inextricably traveling past the King to seek out the figure of his son, though she wanted nothing more than to avoid ever seeing him again. She was mortified beyond belief. What were the chances that of all the books in the library, she had reached for that one? She stopped the upward sweep of her eyes before they rose to meet the Prince's, and pursed her lips as she focused on the clasping at the front of Legolas' robes. 'I am sure the book will provide me with all the information I would ever want to know,' Valia managed to reply, taking the book back when Thranduil offered it to her, although she would rather have left without the thing.
'Legolas has told me that you are rather close to Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrian,' Thranduil commented, abruptly changing the topic as he walked forward and threaded her arm through his to effectively end any thoughts she had of escaping.
'They are like another set of parents to me,' she admitted, aware that the intense heat in her cheeks was beginning to abate somewhat. Now if only she could avoid the Prince until the end of Arda she would be perfectly fine.
'Perhaps you would be willing to take a look at something than, if you have a spare moment of course,' Thranduil added, stopping her in front of the table.
Valia pursed her lips, her nose wrinkling slightly as she glanced down at the maps and parchments strewn across the table at odd angles that were a reflection of the frustration of Laiquarille's ruler. One of Legolas' hands rested atop a detailed map of Laiquarille, with colors that highlighted different regions of the land. His long fingers drummed against the map and whether it was intentional or not, Valia felt his tension creep into her. She shifted, tucking the humiliating book closer to her.
Thranduil took her free arm and wove it through his arm again. 'I seem to have a problem that no one who should be able to help me with has been able to.'
The drumming fingers stopped, removing themselves to a slim hip in silent annoyance. Legolas watched Valia closely, who was diligently avoiding him. If he was not aggravated with his father for the clear chastisement, he would have smiled at the soft blush that still stained the ivory coloring of her cheeks. It was quite apparent to everyone in the room that Valia had no idea what the book was about before his father so graciously pointed it out to her, but he was not about to tell her that. He moved over, making just enough room for her and the King, as his father guided her to the other side of the table. Thranduil positioned her between himself and his son. Apparently, he either wanted to ensure that she was as uncomfortable as possible, or make sure that she had no way of escape.
'I will simply assume that you heard what we were discussing earlier, Valia.' She gave him a nod of assent before he continued. 'All the better,' he assured her when he saw the heightened color in her face. 'That means I do not have to waste any more time discussing the problem further. Legolas tells me that Earsilme has an excellent irrigation system for its farmland. Perhaps with your knowledge working in the library and living in Earsilme, you will be able to suggest something no one else has.'
'I do not know that I will be any more of a help than your other councilors, my lord. I have no experience dealing with such matters.' She was well aware that she was not stupid, but what if she suggested something that was entirely unfeasible. Or worse yet, the King might actually use her idea. She did not want to think of the consequences if her suggestion utterly failed the kingdom. That was a weight she simply did not wish to carry on her shoulders.
'O nonsense,' Thranduil dismissed, casting aside any of her doubts or fears as if the possibilities would never occur. 'I think you are more than capable of offering a decent suggestion, at the very least. Besides, the opinion of a sensible lady may be all the new perspective that we need. Do you not agree?' He plucked the book from her hand before she had time to protest and turned his gaze towards the maps, clearly refusing to hear anymore of her protests.
Valia narrowed her eyes, not only at his refusal to let her slip away to the obscurity of her room, but also because of the latent flattery that he had implemented. She had to give him credit for his stubborn persistence, a trait that she could relate to rather easily since she exhibited her fair share of it.
'Very well,' she conceded, 'though I warn you that I only make suggestions. It is upon your head, whatever you do with them. I do not wish to be held accountable if they fail.' She may not have been above manipulation, but she refused to be foolish.
The room fell silent for a moment, as everyone turned to glance at her sudden display of assertiveness, and to the King no less. Thranduil did not seem to mind though, for not a moment latter his shoulders began to shake before rich laughter spilled from his mouth that produced smiles and a few bursts of laughter from the rest.
'You hide a very fiery spirit behind your demure nature, Lady Valia.' Thranduil brushed a hand over his eyes before calming the laughter into submission. 'But you are very wise.' He stood straight, pushing back his many layers of formal robes to reveal a comfortable looking tunic and leggings underneath that looked much like Legolas' own did. Thranduil rested his hand on his hip. 'I assure you that I take full responsibility for any project or order that I put my seal on.'
Valia could not help but smile as he winked at her and gestured back to the maps. 'May I look through them?' she asked.
'By all means,' answered Thranduil, starting to sift through a pile that was in front of him. Nothing but the sound of rustling paper was heard for a while afterwards as everyone began to leaf through the piles of maps and parchments along with Valia. All seemed to remain silent, waiting for some forthcoming suggestion from her that did not come right away. At first, Valia found Legolas' presence to be too much of a distraction for her to think of anything as mundane as irrigation, especially when they kept brushing against one another as they searched through the piles of maps. An arm brushing against her, the momentary touch of shoulders, his hand brushing hers all sent her into fits of agitation that had her wondering if he was doing it to her on purpose.
At one point, they had both reached for a map at the same time and Valia found her hand comfortably encased in the hand of the Prince. Everything seemed to stop for a brief passage of time while her hand lay protected under his larger one, sending a strange feeling of contentment through her that was inextricably mingled with the panic that grew like a wildfire in a parched field at their touch. It brought back unbidden memories to taunt her that were not easily captured and shoved back into the dark corner they had come from ever after he had released her hand and mumbled some incoherent apology.
After that incident, they both made sure to avoid any further brushes with one another, which thankfully allowed Valia to settle her nerves enough to focus on the task at hand. It was not until she held what she deemed to be the most detailed map of Laiquarille's river systems in her hands and had studied it for several minutes that she felt confident enough in the plan that she had formulated to say anything.
'I think I have found a solution to your problem,' she voiced, setting the map in the center of the table as everyone else cast aside their respective papers to focus on hers. 'The Malnen should provide you with all the water you would need for your farmlands.' Valia traced the start of the river high up in the Pelori, following it as it wound its way into the hills below.
'Legolas already suggested as much,' Thranduil replied. 'But Elioril pointed out that the snow melt can be unpredictable at times.' Valia assumed that Elioril was Thranduil's advisor who was standing stoically to the King's right.
'That is true,' Valia agreed, 'but I do not think it has to stop you from using the river for irrigation anyway. What if you built a reservoir to hold the water before it reached the farmlands?' Valia tapped her finger on an area of map just above Dol Sil. 'The land above the hill climbs steadily upwards as it meets the Pelori. If you dug a lake a few leagues above Dol Sil in this area of flat land, you would create a reservoir of water for the farmlands below. There is already a natural dip in the center of the area. You would only have to deepen it after you made sure the land would hold the water. I cannot see the actually digging taking you more than a year, two at the most.'
'That would solve the threat of lack of water in the summer, but what about the actual irrigation?' Elioril pointed out.
'That part would be easy enough,' interjected Isondil. 'All that would be left to do would be to divert the water to both sides of Dol Sil.'
Legolas shifted beside Valia, making her all too aware of his presence again as he leaned over, brushing his arm against her shoulder for a better look at the map and overwhelming her with his familiar warmth and scent in the process. She involuntarily scooted closer to the King, missing the look he cast over her head to Isondil.
'We could even create a dam to control the amount of water we feed to both sides of Dol Sil,' Legolas added. 'That way we could manage the amount of water that remains in the reservoir.'
The low ringing of a bell vibrated through the air almost immediately after Legolas stopped speaking and everyone in the room straightened at the familiar sound. Thranduil settled his robes back around his form, engulfing the leggings and tunic he wore in layers of formal fabric. 'Not only have you managed to solve our problem for us, but you have managed to do it all before the call for lunch. I may not let you go back to Earsilme after this,' Thranduil teased.
'I think the novelty of having me around would quickly wear off,' returned Valia, placing a hand over her stomach which had decided that it was suddenly hungry and let her know through soft rumbles of protest.
'Shall we all go to lunch than?' Isondil questioned, happy that the ongoing problem was finally solved, which would allow him more time with his pregnant wife.
'Yes, but I wish to speak with you and Elioril a moment longer. Would you mind escorting Valia to the dinning hall Legolas?' asked Thranduil, gathering a pile of maps in front of him.
Legolas sent a questioning look past Valia, who had begun to fidget with the folds of her skirt, to his father. His father was completely aware of Legolas' past relationship with Valia, making Legolas wonder what his father was doing by sending him to lunch with Valia. If Legolas escorted Valia to the dinning hall upon Thranduil's request, Legolas knew that it was also an unspoken request that he eat with her until the King arrived for lunch as well. Showing up with only Valia at his side for the meal would only fan the whispers that were all ready beginning to spread into full fledged rumors. Surely his father was aware of that, and did not want gossip to grow when it came to Legolas' betrothal and wedding.
Thranduil knew his son was looking at him, and only cast him a glance that conveyed that now was not the time to question his motives.
'As you wish, my lord,' Legolas replied to the commanding look he had received countless times in the past from the King. 'Shall we, Valia?' he asked, offering his arm to her. He thought for a moment that she would refuse the contact, as her restless fingers stilled against her skirts and buried themselves deep into the folds of the fabric. The action irritated him, causing the muscles to tighten in his neck.
It surprised him, therefore, when he felt her slim hand slip into the crook of his elbow, nestling perfectly into the curve. It was not until he felt Isondil burry his elbow into his side that Legolas realized that he had gone entirely still and Valia was looking up at him questioningly. He blinked, a smile easily slipping onto his face to cover his distraction as he swiftly guided her around the table and out of the room.
Everyone left in the room watched the two leave arm in arm, a thick silence of speculation following their leave which was only broken by Thranduil's continual shuffling of the maps and parchments.
Elioril caught Isondil sending him a curious look, but was only able to answer him with a small shrug of his shoulders, having no idea what the King wanted with them either, though he suspected it had something to do with the couple that just left. 'It is a relief to have the irrigation dilemma solved, is it not my lord?' Elioril asked.
The shuffling stopped momentarily, only to be resumed soon after. 'And yet I find that there are still more pressing problems I wish would have been solved already,' Thranduil replied, not trying to hide his sweeping glance towards the empty doorway.
'Some problems work themselves out without outside interference,' offered Elioril, following Isondil's lead and beginning to roll up parchments to return to their leather casings.
'And what say you about the matter Isondil? You remain noticeably silent about this matter, and yet you have more knowledge about it than most.' Thranduil looked at Isondil, who was pushing a rolled map into its casing with movements that spoke more of his wisdom than his words could have.
'I think that Legolas will do whatever he thinks is best for Laiquarille, my lord' was his enigmatic answer to the King.
'Which is what I fear the most,' Thranduil admitted, abandoning the table of maps and moving a few steps to where one corner of the room had been furnished with plush chairs. He sat down, adjusting his robes around him while he waited for Elioril and Isondil to find their way into their own seats. Twining his fingers together, Thranduil reclined back, the king in him melting to give way to merely the elf who was a husband and father. 'I think that Legolas has confused duty with marriage.'
'You must admit that there is a fine line between the two, King Thranduil,' Isondil rose to Legolas' defense.
'Yet it is a distinct one as well,' Elioril pointed out. 'If Legolas is not happy in his choice of a bride, he can hardly expect the marriage to be a joyous one, let alone tolerable. And if it is not tolerable for him, Laiquarille will suffer as well.'
'Which is why I am worried, in part,' confessed Thranduil. 'Of course Laiquarille is always a concern, but Legolas does not need to marry for the sake of Laiquarille, or to please me.'
'He is the Prince. Duty will always be a high priority in his life.' Isondil shifted into a more comfortable position, though his muscles remained taunt by the subject of the conversation. Legolas and he had always been friends, and Isondil had defended him numerous times over the long centuries of their friendship, but lately Isondil was having to speak on the Prince's behalf to almost everyone he came in contact with.
'But it should not be the highest,' Thranduil stated firmly. 'He has a duty to himself as well, does he not?' Thranduil propped an elbow on one of the arm rests and leaned his head in his hand. He constantly struggled with the same fight that Legolas did, finding a balance between his life and his duty. At times the two seemed to be almost the same, yet he knew from centuries of living and learning, that they were not.
Standing up suddenly, Thranduil settled his robes around him and glanced from one advisor to the other. 'I believe that this conversation is beginning to go round in circles, and both of you are as hungry as I am, no doubt. We should all go eat before we try to discuss this, or anything else, any further.'
Elioril and Isondil needed no more promptings than that. They were quickly out of their seats and ready to follow their King to food, which also came with the promise of a break from royal matters. Passing the table he had stood at earlier, Thranduil chuckled, tapping the book that lay on the top, looking out of place amidst the sea of maps surrounding it.
'I do not think that Lady Valia was too fond of her choice in reading material,' Thranduil commented.
Isondil and Elioril shared a glance behind his back.
'I do not think that I would be fond of it either after the mortification the poor lady must have suffered,' whispered Elioril. Isondil heartily agreed, smiling as he remembered the stain of red that had warmed Valia's pale skin.
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Valia had taken to nibbling at her bottom lip, driving Legolas to the point of squirming uncomfortably at her behavior, though she did not seem to notice the awkward way he kept pulling on the collar of his tunic. With each step that he made closer to the dinning hall, he was also taking a step away from the library where he seemed to have left his confidence. In a strange twist of the unexpected, Valia appeared to have more confidence than him for once, even though she continued to bite her lip.
The sun was high overhead as they made their way to the dinning hall. Light filtered through the arched windows that lined the outer corridors, allowing the warmth of nature to soften the stones and wooden planks that made the palace. If it were not for the way a chill in the air nipped at his nose and cheeks or the way Valia seemed to walk closer beside him, Legolas would have thought that the golden beams were the first herald of the approach of spring.
The enchanting aspect of the whole thing for Legolas; however, was the way the light danced around them as they walked through it. It fell in demure pools upon the stone floor as he observed it from a few paces away, but when Valia and he walked into a waterfall of light, it seemed to suddenly transform. The air almost shimmered, and the light that appeared to be nearly sedate when he looked at it, abruptly turned into something living, clinging to their skin and hair like water to cast them both in a golden bath.
He was so captivated by the simple display of nature, that he entirely neglected Valia until he felt a tentative squeeze on his arm, hardly anything that would normally have warranted a response, but enough to make him aware of her presence again. The open look she was giving him when he glanced down at her was a welcome change from the hooded eyes she had turned on him before. Though he was fairly certain that if she kept looking at him with such an unguarded expression, he would have a difficult time keeping all his emotions behind the walls he had erected to hold them in check.
'I am sorry. Were you saying something?' Legolas asked, grateful that the manners his father and mother had instilled in him since he was a tiny elfling with an impish grin and sticky fingers took over now.
He watched as she lowered her eyes, and with a slight shifting of her body, rapidly turned uncertain before his eyes. 'I wished to speak with you before we go to lunch, if you have a moment to spare,' she explained. Her hand roamed restlessly along the leather belt tied at her waist, fingers aimlessly exploring its textured length.
'Of course,' Legolas answered her, her restless behavior not lost on him in the way his was to her. 'What is it that you need to discuss?' he asked seriously, losing interest in the sunlight spilling through the windows.
'Is there somewhere we could go that is a bit more private?' she questioned, glancing down the hallway. Legolas followed her gaze, finding that they were sharing the corridor with more than just the sunlight. A couple walked down the hall a little way ahead of them, herding a tiny elfling between them who was busy hopping up and down between his parents, dark braids bouncing up and down in his enthusiasm. And they were not the only ones who shared the hall with Legolas and Valia. An attendant was walking towards them with an armful of sheets, looking rather dull after the bouncing form of the elfling.
'The private gardens should do,' Legolas told her, making a turn down a wider hall that they came too. It did not take long to reach their destination, and Legolas was soon leading Valia through an arched doorway that opened to an indoor garden.
The small gasp of wonder that emitted from Valia produced a smile on Legolas' face as she slipped her hand from his arm and ventured further into the garden. He trailed after her, content to watch her for a while as she wandered around the enclosed garden, occasionally reaching out to brush a leaf or blooming flower with delicate fingers. While winter sent most of the native plants outside the palace into a fitful winter sleep till spring came to waken them once more, the frosty touch of winter did not lay cold fingers on the indoor garden. Plants flowered and branches dipped heavily with lush leaves and flowers that cast a heady scent into the air.
'It is beautiful,' Valia whispered at last, sitting down on a bench she had found near the center of the garden. 'I have not seen some of these plants and flowers in centuries. It is almost like stepping into Middle-earth again.' Valia stroked the furry top of a soft leafed plant that had flourished in the high cliffs above Imladris.
Legolas sat down beside her, looking around at the mixture of plants, some that were found in Aman and others that heralded from across the sea. 'My mothers brought some of her favorite plants with her when she sailed to Valinor. I can remember when I was an elfling. If I ever wanted to find my naneth and she was not in our wing of the caves, I knew that she was probably out in her gardens. My favorite times were when nana would let me help her in her garden. She always gave me a little area of dirt that I could play in. I would pull out weeds and dig for bugs while she worked.'
A tender smile stilled his lips briefly, softening his eyes and revealing a shadowed dimple in one of his cheeks. 'I brought several things with me when I sailed here with Gimli.' The smile was replaced with laughter at a past memory that would have faded past remembrance if not for his elvish memory. 'Master Gimli did not cease to complain about the strange ways of the elves when I insisted on bringing several saplings and seeds with us. He insisted that the space they took up on the boat would be better used if it was filled with jewels or weapons or something more useful. 'There will be plenty of trees in the Blessed Realm to suit your elvish fancy. I doubt that you need to bring any more with you,' Gimli used to say over and over. I endured his teasing though, and it was more than worth it when I saw the joy on my mother's face when I showed her the saplings I had brought with me.'
'It sounds like Master Gimli was a very interesting companion. I wish I would have been able to have met him.'
'He could grow tiresome at times, or perhaps it was only my patience that wore thin. I will not deny you that, especially when he insisted on doing things the 'dwarvish way,' as he liked to say, because the dwarvish way had never failed before. But I have never met anyone as loyal as he was, either. I am sure that he would have gladly given his life if it meant he could save mine, and I would have done the same for him.'
'Then you were truly blessed in your choice of friends, for I am sure that you could not have found a better one,' Valia told him, not daring to say anything more for fear of somehow adding to his grief.
His smile never faltered though. 'I am sure he would have liked you very much.'
Valia did not know what to say to such a statement, so she merely smiled her thanks before turning her gaze to the green foliage surrounding her.
It was a little while later, after they both had sat in companionable silence that, that either one spoke. 'You needed to tell me something?' he asked her, shifting slightly on the bench to face her as fully as the bench would allow.
Her hand dropped to her pocket, slipping between the folds of fabric to pull out the bundle she had placed there earlier. It rested heavily in her cupped palms as she placed her hands in her lap, much heavier than its actual weight. 'I am not sure what the appropriate thing to say under such circumstances is,' she admitted, though her words were enigmatic to Legolas, revealing nothing of the approaching storm clouds looming tall and dark in his near future.
'Perhaps no words are needed,' Legolas suggested, his eyes falling to the velvet bundle that was nestled in her lap.
'Perhaps not.' She held out the bundle to him, waiting for him to take it from her, after which she rose and moved off a few paces down the pebbled pathway. She kept her back to him, only turning her head enough to see that he stared at the black velvet before tugging the folds away from the object that lay beneath.
The glimmer that erupted in bright shades of white and emerald as the sun hit the object situated within, danced before Legolas' eyes. The shifting light disguised the object as well as the black velvet had, but only briefly. It was with a mere shift of his hand that the glimmering dance of light faded, revealing a hairpin studded with an emerald jewel and diamonds laying against the sea of black.
Four hundred years he had not seen the pin that now rested in his palm, yet he recognized the hair piece immediately. And he had been right, for he did not need any words of explanation. Understanding pierced him as he looked at the crafted jewels, stabbing him with the wound of reality. He could not remember many wounds he had received on the battlefield that ached more than the one inflicted upon him by his present circumstances.
Picking the pin up, the fabric slipped through his fingers, falling in a black pool of velvet on the ground as he stood and made his way to stand beside Valia. The jagged set of her jaw revealed to Legolas what her lidded eyes would not.
'Do not give this back to me, Valia.'
'I cannot keep it, Legolas.' She focused her gaze on a moth that must have flown through one of the numerous windows in the ceiling. It now fluttered frantically against the glass, searching for a way of escape.
Legolas clasped his fingers around the pin, feeling the rough edges of the jewels resting cool against his skin. He peered through the dense mixing of leaves and branched in front of him, finding it easier to look at them than at her when he spoke. 'Then you would lay this burden upon me as well?'
Her brow furrowed over her cerulean eyes. 'I never meant to hurt you, Legolas.'
Her skin warmed his hand as he cupped her cheek in his palm and guided her face towards him. 'I will not deny the love I felt for you by taking this back, Valia. I will not deny us by agreeing to keep this.' His hand moved back, fingers burying themselves in the loose tendrils of her hair.
'You will not take it back?' she asked. She looked up at him with pleading eyes, something he did not expect from her. He was used to her running from him, not beseeching him.
Legolas moved the tips of his fingers on her skin in small circles, messaging the flesh. He needed to make her understand. 'There are times when the weight of immortality weighs heavily upon my heart, Valia. Do you ever feel it as well?' He curled a tendril of honey hair around his fingers as he could deny himself no longer and curled an arm and her waist, pulling her gently against him.
She remained stiff for a moment, obviously stunned by his open display. Legolas tightened his arm around her, fearing that she would pull away from him like he had thought she would earlier.
The feel of her head dropping in resignation to rest against his chest gave him a strange sense of assurance after the initial surprise at her actions dissipated. 'To be so close, yet forever out of my grasp,' he whispered against her hair, laying a cheek atop her head.
They stood together for several moments, the fear of being discovered somehow unimportant against the comfort the received from each other. It was Legolas who was the first to pull back, though he remained close to her after his hand fell from her back.
'It seems that I am forever causing you pain,' Valia told him, the strain of her words evident in her tone. 'Very well, then. I shall keep the pin if it would lessen the grief I have caused you.'
His hand came to her cheek once more, gently coaxing her face upwards till he could see into her blue eyes. 'What are these words that you use to speak of yourself? Grief? Pain? Do you not realize that you have been the source of love and joy for me as well? Grief and pain and will always be apart of our lives, and I have gladly accepted their presence in my life, for it means that there has also been happiness and love between us.'
A single tear spilled from her lower lid, trailing down her cheek till it met Legolas' finger.
'I do not know why I was blessed to receive your love, Legolas, but I want you to know that I did treasure it,' Valia admitted. 'I do treasure it,' she corrected.
'Then know that you shall always have it,' Legolas whispered, bending down to touch his lips to her forehead. He pulled away, leaving both experiencing the loss of a much desired and cherished warmth. Neither cared that it was not acceptable at the time. They would leave regret for later contemplation.
'You will keep it then?' Legolas asked, holding up his hand between them in which the jewels still rested.
Valia looked down at his open palm, a sudden wave of indecision washing over her. 'What if someone sees it?'
'Then they see it. It cannot be helped if someone accidentally discovers it, but I would not have either you or me feeling as if we need to make excuses for our past. I will not make apologies for the fact that I love you. You should not feel like you have to either.' He held his hand further out to her, further spanning the short distance between them.
The slip that he made, though Valia was not sure whether it was one or not, left her feeling like there was not nearly enough air in the room. Had he just said that he loved her? Said it like nothing was more natural than for him to be professing to love her while betrothed to another?
Her senses were so focused that she jumped when she heard the door to the garden swing open. They both took a step back, and while Legolas was able to appear as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, a dim shadow of rose blossomed in Valia's cheeks.
'There you are Legolas! I have been searching all over the palace for you.' While the speaker's voice was far from irritating, Valia cringed at the familiar tone that quickly neared her. Of all the elves! If it was not for the fact that she was so angry at being pushed aside, Valia would have rolled her eyes at the way Hadrielia stepped between Legolas and her in demand for the attention of the Prince.
'You promised me we would eat lunch together. I have been waiting for nearly…' The words that followed faded in her throat, not even loud enough for Valia and Legolas' elven ears to understand.
It took all of Legolas' strength not to clench his fingers protectively around the pin, hiding his closed fist behind his back, when Hadrielia's gaze dropped to his still extended hand.
'How exquisite, Legolas,' she breathed, reaching up and taking the hairpin from his hand.
While Hadrielia had made a point to ignore Valia's presence beside the look of distain she had first cast her before shoving her way between Legolas and Valia, the Prince was well aware that she had been making a silent retreat from them. Her form began to melt into the shadows that the sunlight created beneath the thick fronds and large leaves of plants and trees. Her quiet blending into the shadows was not nearly adept enough to go unnoticed by Legolas, and he found his muscles quickly stiffening in reaction to her glittering eyes that she cast upon Hadrielia when the she-elf picked up the pin. Valia took a step from the blessed invisibility of the shadows, not willing to disappear entirely till the scene played out before her. Not when such a treasured item was part of the game, anyway.
'Wherever did you find such an amazing pin?' asked Hadrielia, turning the bejeweled object between her delicate fingers as she admired it. 'I have searched everywhere for something to wear in my hair for our wedding. This shall be the perfect match to my gown, melamin.' She curled her finger around the pin, bringing her hand to lie against her breast as her free hand snaked its way upwards to rest against Legolas' arm in an equally possessive gesture.
His already stiff muscles grew tighter, rivaling the tautness of his preferred weapon, though the expression on Legolas' face remained a placid one. He suspected that Hadrielia knew where he had 'obtained' the hairpin, just as surely as she knew Valia stood behind her unacknowledged.
'I am afraid you shall have to do with something else for your hair, Hadrielia, for the pin belongs to Lady Valia and she was only letting me look at it. I was returning it to her when you walked in.'
'O but surely she has no need for it,' Hadrielia protested immediately. 'Can you not convince her to relinquish her keep of it? It can hardly be of any value to her when she has nothing appropriate to where it to as I do. Surely she could use the money she would get for it on something more useful.'
'I do believe that that is for her to decide and not you,' Legolas corrected, shifting backwards in an attempt to loose her hold upon him. His effort was thwarted, however, when she simply followed him, taking a step towards him to stand closer than she had previously been.
A pretty pout tugged at her full lips, drawing her arched brows to collide together in displeasure. 'She is incredibly selfish and spiteful if she knows how happy it would make us, and is not willing to part with it. She hardly had need of it when she spends all her time among dusty books day in and out. They certainly do not care for her attempts to look decent.'
The sharp intake of breath that came from behind Hadrielia only furthered to deepen Legolas' disapproval of her behavior. There was only so much he could ignore of Hadrielia's uncouth manners. He could easily overlook her childish whining and manipulative ways, but he would not tolerate her hurting someone he cared for.
'You forget your place, my lady,' he told her evenly, grasping her arm to remove it from himself and steer her around. 'I believe that it is time for you to give Lady Valia back her pin so that she can go to lunch, just as soon as you offer her the apology you owe her for your inappropriate words.'
Hadrielia gasped in protest, but fell silent when Legolas tightened his grip on her arm, sending her a warning look that would have been best befitted upon an errant elfling under different circumstances. He pushed her forward, maintaining his hold on her as he waited for the apology that was not directly forthcoming.
Clenching her fists in anger, Hadrielia narrowed her eyes before a sweet smile slipped onto her lips, though it did little to disguise the malice shining in her eyes. 'Do forgive me for causing you any discomfort,' she clipped out before extending the pin to Valia.
Valia merely nodded, accepting the pin back and cradling it protectively in her palm for a moment before slipping it securely into her pocket. She derived no satisfaction out of the forced apology and refused to meet either of the burning gazes that were simultaneously searing her skin, causing the hairs at the back of her neck to stand on end.
'Very well,' Legolas stated, releasing his hold on his betrothed. 'Now if you do not mind, I will meet you in the dining hall in a few minutes for lunch.'
'You are not coming now?' Hadrielia burst out, entirely unpleased at being forced to apologize and go to the hall unaccompanied.
'No,' Legolas grit out, his calm demeanor slipping at her grating tone. He only resumed again once he was sure that he was able to speak evenly. 'I will be there shortly.'
His eyes carried the forewarning that his tone did not, sending Hadrielia walking rather rigidly past Valia, out of the garden and towards the dining hall alone.
Only after he was sure that they were by themselves did Legolas span the distance separating him from Valia. 'I feel that I must apologize for her behavior. It was entirely out of line.'
'You owe me no apology,' Valia told him sincerely. 'She is quite old enough to be held accountable for her actions. I am not angry with her. I feel only pity because she does not see how miserable she makes her life through jealousy and malevolence.'
'I am sorry all the same,' Legolas returned. 'It pains me to see you hurt.' He held his breath after the words spilled from his lips, prepared to see her pull away from him as she usually did when things scared her.
But instead, she left him utterly stunned when she boldly stood on tiptoe to place a kiss on his cheek. 'Do not worry about me. I can take care of myself,' she whispered against his cheek, pressing her lips to his skin once more before drawing away and quietly leaving the garden without looking back.
He sat down on the bench once she had left, not ready to face the crowd that would be assembled in the dinning hall yet. He needed time to collect his thoughts first, most of which centered upon the surprising behavior of Valia.
What had come over her? She was suddenly acting uncharacteristically open and forward with him. Perhaps it had been her way to cover up her earlier embarrassment about the book. He had forgotten that incident, though he did not think that in all likelihood that it had anything to do with her strange behavior. Whatever had spurned her on to such openness, he found that he liked it. If only he were not betrothed.
No. He refused to let himself walk down that treacherous rode. It had endangered countless others and put them in more perilous situations than any battle ever could.
He knew one thing for certain though; no matter what Valia told him or whether it was right or not, he worried for her. He worried because he still loved her.
-~~*~~-
Dol Sil- White Hill
Malnen- Golden water
melamin- my love (Sindarin)