Chapter Six
Celemirë awoke the next day to find Legolas gone from her side. She put her face in his pillow and smiled, his woodland scent was still quite strong. She let it intoxicate her. Then she heard singing coming from a distant room. Celemirë rose and pulled on Legolas' cloak.

She followed the voice. It was elven, for the voice was very clear and fair. Through wide halls and corridors Celemirë passed until she emerged into a sunlit porch, and there she found Legolas. In his hand was a golden harp. She silently listened to him sing. When he ceased singing, she went to him and placed her hands over his eyes, planting a quick kiss on his lips.

"Celemirë!" he said softly, slipping his arms around her.

She removed her hands and smiled at him.

"Legolas, you have a wonderful voice. Tell me, what was the song you were singing? Father sometimes sang it to mother." she said.

"Did he? I do not doubt it. I sang the Lay of Lúthien Tinúviel, the most beautiful of all the Elf-maidens. She fell in love with a mortal, Beren, and was lost to the Elves, for she suffered mortality with him. That was her doom, Celemirë. She had dark hair and gray eyes, and her white face was fair and clear." Legolas said.

Celemirë was silent.

"Like my mother. I heard many Elves in Imladris whisper that she is sharing Lúthien's doom, that she is claimed the likeness of Lúthien come to earth again. They even said that to me, because I resemble my mother so closely. Yet in one thing I will not share with my mother and Lúthien, and that is their doom. I am mortal, and I shall die. Legolas, did you ever think of that before you wedded me?" she whispered sadly.

Legolas led her to a small bowl of water and asked her to look at her reflection. She pointed to a mark on her forehead, saying she had not noticed it before. It was small and silver, shaped like a jewel.

"Do you remember yesterday, when the light from the West fell on you? The Valar gave you immortal life. You are immortal now, but you are not an Elf. You will dwell with me forever, Celemirë." Legolas said.

"Ú-chenion, Legolas." Celemirë said.

"Your mother told me the night I rescued you that your grandsire, Lord Elrond, foresaw one of her children would desire to be an Elf. The Valar would grant her this, since your mother gave up her immortality to wed your sire. She would not become an Elf, but she would be immortal." Legolas said. "You are that child, meleth nín."

Celemirë was speechless. She looked back at her reflection and placed her hand on the mark. It was cool to the touch. Then she remembered her mother's words. They sounded strange to her that night:

"What grace was once given to me, let it pass onto my daughter."

"Henion, Legolas!" Celemirë exclaimed.

"Celemirë, your name means silver jewel in Sindarin. The mark on your forehead resembles a silver jewel. The Valar I think graced you this because of your other family: the Lady Galadriel. She has high honor in Valinor for her hard labor and toils." Legolas said. "They marked you with your name in honor of the Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond."

Celemirë choked back tears. Legolas pulled her into his arms.

"Come, you must get dressed. Your brother arrived early this morning with your clothes. They are here, in several trunks," he said. "Is it not lucky that our home is large enough?" he added teasingly.

Celemirë slapped him playfully across the face. Legolas caught her hand and bit it gently. Then they both went into the adjoining room. True to his word, there were five large trunks lined neatly against the wall.

"Oh, how kind of them! I was worried about clothes!" she said.

"Did you think I did not have anything ready for you?" Legolas asked in a mock hurt tone.

He led her back to their bedchamber and opened a large wardrobe. There were countless elvish dresses hanging, swaying lightly in the breeze. Legolas watched as Celemirë examined them.

"How did you know my sizing in dresses?" she asked.

"I asked your mother for a dress of yours and sent it with the messenger your father sent to my father." Legolas told her.

Celemirë smiled at Legolas.

'Edhil,' she thought. 'They always think of the slightest things.'

She picked out a cream-colored one. She let Legolas' cloak drop to the floor. A dark red spot on the floor directly beneath her caught her eyes. She saw Legolas' blue eyes widen with horror.

"You are still bleeding!" he cried.

Celemirë dropped the dress. She glanced down. True enough, there was a warm trickle of blood going down her right leg. She panicked.

"I am bearing his child!" she wailed.

Celemirë sank to her knees, burying her head in her hands. Legolas hesitated. How he wanted to tell her the truth about Moddyn! Again, he reminded himself of his promise to Aragorn.

'I cannot watch her being tormented, though!' he thought.

Heart breaking, Legolas swept Celemirë into his arms. He laid her onto the bed gently, then took a few leaves from a plant growing nearby in a pot and laid them between her legs, on her sweet spot. He watched her flinch slightly as the leaves made contact with her flesh.

"I am sorry, Celemirë. The leaves will heal your wound." Legolas said, wrapping his arms around her.

Celemirë breathed deeply. The leaves at first burned her, but now they were spreading a cool sensation. She saw Legolas, for the first time, shed silent tears. She looked at him, astonished.

"Do you think we Elves do not weep or shed tears? It has been some time since I have shed tears, since my mother died." Legolas said.

Celemirë raised herself so that she was sitting. Then she laid Legolas' head against her chest. She stroked his face. She felt him shake silently as he wept quietly. Celemirë was saddened by his grief.

"I am sorry. I did not mean for you to do this, Legolas. I was only surprised. I meant nothing wrong." she whispered.

Legolas kissed her. He wound her long dark curls around his finger and felt their silky strands with his chin. How he wanted to tell her.

Eventually, Celemirë left the bed. She dressed herself in the cream-colored dress after wiping the blood from the floor. Legolas composed himself and escorted her to the dining hall. To her surprise, Celemirë found the table set and ready.

"We have servants, Celemirë." Legolas told her.

Several Elves came forward, smiling graciously and bowing. Celemirë recognized some of them as the maidens who had prepared her for her wedding. They smiled warmly at Celemirë.

"They asked to come and serve you, Celemirë." Legolas said.

The maidens then said softly:

"We are your hand-maidens."

Celemirë was dumbfounded. Legolas sent the Elves away. He took hold of Celemirë's hand in his and told her:

"I want to spend my time with you as much as possible. You are my wife, and a lady of Ithilien, a lady of the Elves of Ithilien. You are to be served and waited upon like a queen, for you are a queen, the queen of my heart and life." Legolas told her in Elvish.

Celemirë blushed. She did not know how to respond.

"All I can say, Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil, is that you Elves are truly gifted with words." Celemirë whispered.

Legolas seized Celemirë and dragged her out of her chair. He kissed her passionately, placing his arms around her neck very gently. Celemirë moaned softly, her eyes mesmerized in his. When he let her go, she sank weakly onto his lap, panting heavily.

"Legolas, I am coming to believe that Elves are much more passionate in love than we humans are. My breath is gone!" she said.

Legolas smiled.

"That is true. I fear I am too intense for you at times." he said.

Celemirë laughed. She rose shakily to her feet.

"Come now, and let us examine our house." Legolas said.

Celemirë linked her arm in his. He led her from the dining hall to the hallway. The entrance hall was to her right. A sitting room lay to her left. Both were very large and had intricate designs on the walls. The windows were without glass panes, and Celemirë could reach out her hands and touch the surrounding trees if she wished.

"Just like Imladris." she said.

Legolas only smiled. Then he led her past a library and other rooms. At the far end of the hallway was a porch.
"That is where you found me this morning." Legolas said.
Celemirë nodded.
She was aghast at all the rooms the house had. The house was divided into sections she learned. She and Legolas had a whole set of private rooms to themselves. The servants and maidens were in the opposite end of the house. There were even private chambers for guests.

"It is very large, Legolas. And very beautiful." Celemirë told her husband when they finished.

"As large as our home is, it cannot contain all of my love for you. My heart encompasses your love, and it is beyond measurement of Elves and Men." Legolas told her.

Celemirë stopped and looked up into his eyes. She tucked a stray strand of his blond hair behind his ear. She bit his shoulder gently.

"Once again, son of Thranduil, I am speechless." Celemirë said.

They had dinner with their servants and maids. There were three maidens that Celemirë liked the most, the ones she had already met on her wedding day when they prepared her. Their names were Elenath, Forfirith, and Amorith. Forfirith and Amorith were twin sisters with long blond hair and blue eyes. Elenath had silver hair and gray eyes. Celemirë felt immediately at ease with her maidens.

There were many male servants. Some were from Eryn Lasgalen, but the majority of the Elves were from Imladris. They had come with Elladan and Elrohir. Celemirë's uncles had gifted them to her. Legolas gave them their various duties, and appointed one of the Imladris Elves as his personal servant.

"There are bells stationed throughout the house, in each room. Whenever you desire something, Celemirë, just ring it. You will be served immediately." Legolas said.

Celemirë nodded.

Later that night, out on the porch, some of the Elves, who were gifted minstrels, played soft music. Legolas took Celemirë tenderly in his arms and danced with her. Celemirë was entranced by the music. She had never heard anything like it in her life.

'I am blessed to be living amongst Elves. How peaceful and happy they are. They are always smiling, always loving.' she thought.

They stayed late into the night on the porch. The minstrels did not tire of playing music. Celemirë was getting acquainted with the Elves of her household. They were delighted when she spoke to them in Sindarin. Celemirë felt that she had grown up with Elves. The Common Tongue seemed so plain and harsh to her now, as did the language her father spoke. She wondered how she had ever spoken anything but Sindarin.

Legolas rose and raised his hands. Everyone looked at him.

"It is time we rested. Maer fuin! Hodo mae!" he said.

Celemirë did not feel that she could sleep. She undressed and lay in bed, but could not sleep. Legolas lay beside her. He nuzzled her face. Then, suddenly, his eyes became glossy, his breathing slow and rhythmic. Celemirë smiled.

"So, this is how Elves rest?" she said aloud.

She ran her hand over his back. Legolas sighed. His eyes remained glossy. Celemirë kissed him gently on his neck.

"Hodo mae!" she whispered to him. "Elei velui!"

The moon cast its pale light on them. Celemirë watched Legolas resting beside her, his fair handsome face bathed in the moonlight. She traced his pointed elvish ears with her hand. They twitched slightly. She tweaked them gently; they twitched again. Celemirë laughed.

"Even while you rest you are alert, my dear Elf Prince." she said.

Legolas' hand moved to the area between her legs. Celemirë froze.

"Legolas, I greatly desire to have your children, but I cannot bring myself to forget him. He haunts me at night when I sleep. I feel guilty, Legolas. This is your right, your pleasure, and I am denying you this, as well as myself. Perhaps, Legolas, I will get over my fear. I know I will. I feel it. You must help me, though." Celemirë whispered. "You must."

Then she turned onto her side and wept herself to sleep.

Sindarin Translations:

Ú-chenion: I do not understand

Edhil: elves

Hodo mae: rest well

Elei velui: sweet dreams