Mother and daughter made their way through the little kingdom of Mirkwood they called home. Mother a vision in blue silk, daughter gorgeous in red velvet. "So what was it I walked in upon between you and Legolas?"
Aunorey's cheeks burned a bit. "I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how."
"Tell me what, exactly? Hmm.."
"Well, you see," she paused, unsure of how to put it. "Legolas and I are in love!" She blurted it out, not to loud though so no one would hear. She was still unsure of circumstances and how things would work out. Though they did seem to be heading towards the better...
"I figured as much. Did it happen when he found you?"
"Well, sort of. I fought him off at first, then.... I don't know mother, things happened, one thing lead to another, and then this happened..." Aunorey shoved away the fabric of the long, droopy sleeves and brought up her left hand where she was wearing Legolas's ring that had his family crest on it. "I was wearing it on a necklace for a while... but I figured it'd be more safe here." She reached up and rubbed it with her right hand, then looked at her mother, who caught her hand before she could put it back down. They stopped, and Varione brought the ring up to her face. "The Gods, Aunorey, isn't that his family crest?"
Aunorey nodded weakly.
"I never would have guessed it would happen between you two, considering how things went with you two while growing up."
Aunorey laughed, and they began their slow march up the steps again. "Yes, believe me, I know. But mother..."
"Yes?"
"Mum, I've got something to tell you."
They turned the corner, a huge waterfall that fell from the top of the cliff to an underground lake beneath the canyons where they were located came into view. Before Varione could ask what, Aunorey said, "I'm pregnant."
Varione stopped right where she was for exactly five seconds, her face going deathly pale. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Oh, dear..."
"Yes..."
"We can't talk about this now," Varione shook her head, "But darling, I will try and be the optimist and say, if Legolas loves you as much as I think he does, it will all work out for the better. Plus, we haven't got time to worry about this now..." Varione said the last words quietly, and she shoved the thought to the back of her mind.
But Gods, she thought, her daughter about to have the next prince or princess of Mirkwood. Legolas better come through, she thought, and pasted a smile on her beautiful face.
Aunorey nodded and they made it to the main building in the square of the kingdom, which had been there since it was first forming.
The main building, which might be considered the meeting place of the kingdom, was a rather large, square shaped, open building, with huge, carved arches leading inside on all sides.
Aunorey walked through the main entrance, and all chatter stopped. She stood at the top of the steps at the front, and a large knot formed in her chest and made it's way up to her throat.
Everyone here she knew - all men who had been around as she was growing up, all men she regarded as brothers or fathers or uncles or some kind of family, because they'd always been around.
They all looked tired and weary, and she felt terrible. She felt Varione brush past her to sit on the steps with the soldiers. They all looked at her expectantly.
"Dear brethren," brethren being the first to come to mind because those men there felt exactly like brothers to her at the moment, she wrung her hands in front of her, then dropped them to her side. Her brow creased and she fought not to cry at the thought of making these men, who did look more than a little irritated with her also, she noted, so weary. "I apologize for setting you on a chase," she said, "It didn't go exactly as I planned, my little escape from here." She paused, cleared her throat. "And I truly apologize for taking you away from your families and your homes to follow after me through Middle Earth. I'm sorry for the worry I've caused you all, and the inconvenience. And I promise," she stated, "It will never happen again." She saw a figure move in the background. Legolas was at the back, arms folded over chest as he leaned against the gigantic arch entrance at the back. "And I would like to thank Legolas Greenleaf, for being the one who found me, and persuaded me to come home."
Legolas smiled at her, but didn't say anything.
She nodded her head at everyone in the room. One by one, the irritation left their faces, and they stood, forming a line and walking past her to go home, some kissing her on the cheek, all shaking or kissing her hand, all accepting her apology.
By the time Amras, one she had known since she was two feet tall, so many years and year ago, came and kissed her hand, she was crying. She apologized to him again, and he just smiled and went on his way home.
Legolas came to her last, took her in his arms and hugged her, kissed her forehead. "It's alright. You did what you had to do. They understand."
Aunorey nodded. She felt true remorse for causing those men an inconvenience and taking them away from home, but she was also crying for herself. What Mariu had done, that this caused her to remember, and for her condition now.
She was crying so hard she couldn't say a word to Legolas.
But he would need to know.
She just wouldn't tell him now.
Tonight, after supper, she decided. Tonight.
**
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly.
For supper, Aunorey changed into a white gown encrusted in tiny diamonds and pearls. It was tight around the top, with a V-neck, and long, flowing, open sleeves much like the flowing skirt of the gown.
Her hair was taken down and then all of it put up into a large bun of more messy curls and twists and a sheen of white glitter was put on her cheeks, so when she turned a certain way her cheeks glistened.
As she was tightening the laces on her white slippers, Varione came in and excused the handmaids, then closed the doors behind them, resting her back on it. "Darling, you need to tell him. I can't get it off my mind."
"Have you told father?"
"No, I thought I would leave that up to you."
Aunorey gave a small frown, then went back to tying her shoes. "I was going to tell Legolas after the meeting tonight, is that all right?"
"Yes, dear." Varione moved and kneeled in front of her daughter, the emerald velvet on her large skirt billowing around her. She took Aunorey's face in her hands, "Will you be alright?"
Aunorey nodded, "I'm terrified, though."
"It's always scary. Especially when you aren't married." She paused, "You understand that you must marry now."
Aunorey looked away, "Yes. Or I could go out to Aunt Larien's, I'm sure she would take the-.."
"No. Don't even consider that as a possibility yet. Not so soon." Varione shook her head, and Aunorey studied the headpiece she was wearing. It was silver, and carved into it were intricate little flower buds and blossoming flowers. "It'll be okay," she kissed her daughter's cheek. "It will."
Aunorey nodded and looked up when Arion knocked and let himself in. "Are you ready? Oh, are you both ready?" He corrected himself with a smile, completely missing the solemn looks on both their faces.
"Yes, I was just helping Aunorey with a ribbon on her slipper. It needed a new one." Varione looked at Aunorey with wide eyes and finished tying the slipper Aunorey had half done.
"Ah, okay. I will be downstairs."
Varione looked at Aunorey, gave a small smile, then kissed her daughter's cheek. She reached up and grabbed Aunorey's hand and gave it a small squeeze, then got up and made her way out.
All would work itself out in it's own time.
**
Aunorey's cheeks burned a bit. "I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how."
"Tell me what, exactly? Hmm.."
"Well, you see," she paused, unsure of how to put it. "Legolas and I are in love!" She blurted it out, not to loud though so no one would hear. She was still unsure of circumstances and how things would work out. Though they did seem to be heading towards the better...
"I figured as much. Did it happen when he found you?"
"Well, sort of. I fought him off at first, then.... I don't know mother, things happened, one thing lead to another, and then this happened..." Aunorey shoved away the fabric of the long, droopy sleeves and brought up her left hand where she was wearing Legolas's ring that had his family crest on it. "I was wearing it on a necklace for a while... but I figured it'd be more safe here." She reached up and rubbed it with her right hand, then looked at her mother, who caught her hand before she could put it back down. They stopped, and Varione brought the ring up to her face. "The Gods, Aunorey, isn't that his family crest?"
Aunorey nodded weakly.
"I never would have guessed it would happen between you two, considering how things went with you two while growing up."
Aunorey laughed, and they began their slow march up the steps again. "Yes, believe me, I know. But mother..."
"Yes?"
"Mum, I've got something to tell you."
They turned the corner, a huge waterfall that fell from the top of the cliff to an underground lake beneath the canyons where they were located came into view. Before Varione could ask what, Aunorey said, "I'm pregnant."
Varione stopped right where she was for exactly five seconds, her face going deathly pale. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Oh, dear..."
"Yes..."
"We can't talk about this now," Varione shook her head, "But darling, I will try and be the optimist and say, if Legolas loves you as much as I think he does, it will all work out for the better. Plus, we haven't got time to worry about this now..." Varione said the last words quietly, and she shoved the thought to the back of her mind.
But Gods, she thought, her daughter about to have the next prince or princess of Mirkwood. Legolas better come through, she thought, and pasted a smile on her beautiful face.
Aunorey nodded and they made it to the main building in the square of the kingdom, which had been there since it was first forming.
The main building, which might be considered the meeting place of the kingdom, was a rather large, square shaped, open building, with huge, carved arches leading inside on all sides.
Aunorey walked through the main entrance, and all chatter stopped. She stood at the top of the steps at the front, and a large knot formed in her chest and made it's way up to her throat.
Everyone here she knew - all men who had been around as she was growing up, all men she regarded as brothers or fathers or uncles or some kind of family, because they'd always been around.
They all looked tired and weary, and she felt terrible. She felt Varione brush past her to sit on the steps with the soldiers. They all looked at her expectantly.
"Dear brethren," brethren being the first to come to mind because those men there felt exactly like brothers to her at the moment, she wrung her hands in front of her, then dropped them to her side. Her brow creased and she fought not to cry at the thought of making these men, who did look more than a little irritated with her also, she noted, so weary. "I apologize for setting you on a chase," she said, "It didn't go exactly as I planned, my little escape from here." She paused, cleared her throat. "And I truly apologize for taking you away from your families and your homes to follow after me through Middle Earth. I'm sorry for the worry I've caused you all, and the inconvenience. And I promise," she stated, "It will never happen again." She saw a figure move in the background. Legolas was at the back, arms folded over chest as he leaned against the gigantic arch entrance at the back. "And I would like to thank Legolas Greenleaf, for being the one who found me, and persuaded me to come home."
Legolas smiled at her, but didn't say anything.
She nodded her head at everyone in the room. One by one, the irritation left their faces, and they stood, forming a line and walking past her to go home, some kissing her on the cheek, all shaking or kissing her hand, all accepting her apology.
By the time Amras, one she had known since she was two feet tall, so many years and year ago, came and kissed her hand, she was crying. She apologized to him again, and he just smiled and went on his way home.
Legolas came to her last, took her in his arms and hugged her, kissed her forehead. "It's alright. You did what you had to do. They understand."
Aunorey nodded. She felt true remorse for causing those men an inconvenience and taking them away from home, but she was also crying for herself. What Mariu had done, that this caused her to remember, and for her condition now.
She was crying so hard she couldn't say a word to Legolas.
But he would need to know.
She just wouldn't tell him now.
Tonight, after supper, she decided. Tonight.
**
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly.
For supper, Aunorey changed into a white gown encrusted in tiny diamonds and pearls. It was tight around the top, with a V-neck, and long, flowing, open sleeves much like the flowing skirt of the gown.
Her hair was taken down and then all of it put up into a large bun of more messy curls and twists and a sheen of white glitter was put on her cheeks, so when she turned a certain way her cheeks glistened.
As she was tightening the laces on her white slippers, Varione came in and excused the handmaids, then closed the doors behind them, resting her back on it. "Darling, you need to tell him. I can't get it off my mind."
"Have you told father?"
"No, I thought I would leave that up to you."
Aunorey gave a small frown, then went back to tying her shoes. "I was going to tell Legolas after the meeting tonight, is that all right?"
"Yes, dear." Varione moved and kneeled in front of her daughter, the emerald velvet on her large skirt billowing around her. She took Aunorey's face in her hands, "Will you be alright?"
Aunorey nodded, "I'm terrified, though."
"It's always scary. Especially when you aren't married." She paused, "You understand that you must marry now."
Aunorey looked away, "Yes. Or I could go out to Aunt Larien's, I'm sure she would take the-.."
"No. Don't even consider that as a possibility yet. Not so soon." Varione shook her head, and Aunorey studied the headpiece she was wearing. It was silver, and carved into it were intricate little flower buds and blossoming flowers. "It'll be okay," she kissed her daughter's cheek. "It will."
Aunorey nodded and looked up when Arion knocked and let himself in. "Are you ready? Oh, are you both ready?" He corrected himself with a smile, completely missing the solemn looks on both their faces.
"Yes, I was just helping Aunorey with a ribbon on her slipper. It needed a new one." Varione looked at Aunorey with wide eyes and finished tying the slipper Aunorey had half done.
"Ah, okay. I will be downstairs."
Varione looked at Aunorey, gave a small smile, then kissed her daughter's cheek. She reached up and grabbed Aunorey's hand and gave it a small squeeze, then got up and made her way out.
All would work itself out in it's own time.
**