Chapter 2
"How was your ride, my Lady?" asked the head groom of the stables. Laurelin swung down from atop Galada, careful not to get her gown caught in the saddle.
"Fine, thank you. It was a very nice day for a ride." Laurelin handed the reins to the groom. He bowed, and led Galada inside the stables.
Laurelin went out into the palace's courtyard, which was flecked with Elves wandering around. Scanning the place for a familiar face, she finally found one.
"Totholain!" she cried, waving her arms frantically. The Elf-lord looked up from the piece of paper he was holding and smiled weakly. Laurelin ran over to him and embraced him in a hug. "I didn't know you were coming home so soon!" Laurelin said, trying to control her happiness. "I have missed you so much!"
"And you too, my little one," he said. "What have you been up to?" Laurelin quickly filled him in on the latest details. As she told him her account, she noticed that the usually sparkling general looked extremely tired.
His ageless face, which always used to carry joy, was now laden with sorrow and grief. His dark-grey eyes seemed to tell a story of their own, a story Laurelin was not sure she would like to know of. When she finished her tale, Totholain looked even more tired, like the news was an extra burden.
"I am glad that you have been so happy," Totholain said. "We need more love around this place."
"Totholain, what is it?" Laurelin asked. She hated to see the Elf in such a state as this. It was not like him. Totholain shrugged, and shook his dark- haired head.
"Nothing. You need not worry sweetheart. Just the day in the life of a General, I guess."
Laurelin knew he was not telling her the truth, but she decided not to press the issue further. Totholain obviously did not want to talk about it, and she did not want to get him even more upset.
"So why are you back here so early? Weren't you out patrolling the southern part of our woods?"
"Aye, yes, I was, for a short while. But my men got weary of the task, and there seemed to be no danger present. So we came back, earlier than expected, but there is no trouble at hand."
"Well, that is good," Laurelin commented. They continued to talk about the forests and the gardens of Mirkwood when an Elf servant interrupted them.
"Excuse me, my Lady, but King Thranduil requests your presence in his halls." Laurelin nodded to him. "Tell him I will be there." The servant bowed, and raced back through the palace gates.
Laurelin turned to Totholain. "Sorry, my Lord, but I must take your leave. I am glad you are back." She placed a kiss on his cheek as he gave her another hug. "I am also glad to be back," he said. Laurelin smiled fondly at the Elf as he left, remembering how he had taught her archery when she was a child.
"I wish I could sometime go back to those days," she thought. "But you can't live in the past. So I must make the best out of my future."
Flinging her long blond hair over her shoulder, she made her way up to the castle gates.
****
"My daughter, please, come in," Thranduil said. Laurelin stepped into the halls of the Elven-king. No matter how many times she entered that room, she was still marveled at its beauty. A long red rug wound itself up to two thrones, Thranduil's and Legolas's. Gold plates decorated the walls, and bright sunshine peeked through the open windows. The two royal Elves sat in silence in their chairs, staring at her.
Legolas rested his blue eyes on Laurelin. She could feel her face burning.
Remembering her manners, though, she bowed low to both of the Elves and said,
"My Lords, I am at your most humble service." Thranduil dismissed her actions with a wave of his hand. He beckoned for Laurelin to come forward. She could feel Legolas's gaze travel through her body and pierce her heart. "What is it about him?" she wondered. "It's not like I have never had a grown male Elf gaze at me." But for some reason, Legolas was just. different. He was remarkably handsome, but that was not unusual for Elves. She could not put her finger on it, but she knew that they were meant to be together. She just knew it. Thranduil smiled at Laurelin as she came up to him and bowed again.
"My Lord, I was requested to be in your presence. How may I be of help to you and your son?" Thranduil chuckled deeply. "At least he is not depressed like Totholain," she thought. "I was beginning to believe no one was happy around here."
"My daughter, your father, Legolas, Totholain, and I have had a very serious discussion. Legolas proposed the idea of marriage, which I supported. But then he told me that he wanted to choose his wife. I told him it was acceptable, just as long as she was an Elf and of Mirkwood kind. Imagine my surprise when he suggested of all people. you." Laurelin winced. Thranduil did not sound happy. "So, this is what I did."
Thranduil retrieved a white velvet box from within his tunic. He opened it and showed Laurelin what was inside. She gasped. In the box was a beautiful ring made of mithril and diamonds. It reflected the light of the room into hundreds of thousands of tiny particles. "I could not be happier that you would be my daughter-in-law." Laurelin stood, stunned and motionless. She was to get married to Legolas. The one dream that she never thought would come true was going to right now, at this very moment.
All she managed to croak was, " What did Totholain think about it?" Thranduil averted his eyes and looked at his son. Legolas cleared his throat. "He was opposed to it for some weird reason. I suggested seeking his council, since he is the wisest Elf in Mirkwood. He did not like the idea of me marrying you, or getting married at all. He also hinted that I should stay here and never leave Mirkwood. Very strange, if I can say so myself."
Laurelin wondered what was wrong with Totholain. Since when did he have a say in her future? It wasn't like she was marrying an Orc. This was Legolas, son of Thranduil and one of the bravest Elves ever. She made a mental note to talk to Totholain later. "Even though he did not like the idea, he gave is approval and prayed that we would have unlimited happiness." Laurelin nodded. At least he did not restrict their wedding.
"So, do you accept?" Thranduil asked the daughter of his Chief Guard. Laurelin saw her life flash before her eyes. Now, she would have a royal title, a title of a Princess. She would be married to the most gorgeous Elf ever, and get to savor his unconditional love. How could she say no? This was what she wanted more than the whole world. She gazed deeply into Legolas's eyes, and saw only devotion and trust. She took a deep breath. "I accept."
"How was your ride, my Lady?" asked the head groom of the stables. Laurelin swung down from atop Galada, careful not to get her gown caught in the saddle.
"Fine, thank you. It was a very nice day for a ride." Laurelin handed the reins to the groom. He bowed, and led Galada inside the stables.
Laurelin went out into the palace's courtyard, which was flecked with Elves wandering around. Scanning the place for a familiar face, she finally found one.
"Totholain!" she cried, waving her arms frantically. The Elf-lord looked up from the piece of paper he was holding and smiled weakly. Laurelin ran over to him and embraced him in a hug. "I didn't know you were coming home so soon!" Laurelin said, trying to control her happiness. "I have missed you so much!"
"And you too, my little one," he said. "What have you been up to?" Laurelin quickly filled him in on the latest details. As she told him her account, she noticed that the usually sparkling general looked extremely tired.
His ageless face, which always used to carry joy, was now laden with sorrow and grief. His dark-grey eyes seemed to tell a story of their own, a story Laurelin was not sure she would like to know of. When she finished her tale, Totholain looked even more tired, like the news was an extra burden.
"I am glad that you have been so happy," Totholain said. "We need more love around this place."
"Totholain, what is it?" Laurelin asked. She hated to see the Elf in such a state as this. It was not like him. Totholain shrugged, and shook his dark- haired head.
"Nothing. You need not worry sweetheart. Just the day in the life of a General, I guess."
Laurelin knew he was not telling her the truth, but she decided not to press the issue further. Totholain obviously did not want to talk about it, and she did not want to get him even more upset.
"So why are you back here so early? Weren't you out patrolling the southern part of our woods?"
"Aye, yes, I was, for a short while. But my men got weary of the task, and there seemed to be no danger present. So we came back, earlier than expected, but there is no trouble at hand."
"Well, that is good," Laurelin commented. They continued to talk about the forests and the gardens of Mirkwood when an Elf servant interrupted them.
"Excuse me, my Lady, but King Thranduil requests your presence in his halls." Laurelin nodded to him. "Tell him I will be there." The servant bowed, and raced back through the palace gates.
Laurelin turned to Totholain. "Sorry, my Lord, but I must take your leave. I am glad you are back." She placed a kiss on his cheek as he gave her another hug. "I am also glad to be back," he said. Laurelin smiled fondly at the Elf as he left, remembering how he had taught her archery when she was a child.
"I wish I could sometime go back to those days," she thought. "But you can't live in the past. So I must make the best out of my future."
Flinging her long blond hair over her shoulder, she made her way up to the castle gates.
****
"My daughter, please, come in," Thranduil said. Laurelin stepped into the halls of the Elven-king. No matter how many times she entered that room, she was still marveled at its beauty. A long red rug wound itself up to two thrones, Thranduil's and Legolas's. Gold plates decorated the walls, and bright sunshine peeked through the open windows. The two royal Elves sat in silence in their chairs, staring at her.
Legolas rested his blue eyes on Laurelin. She could feel her face burning.
Remembering her manners, though, she bowed low to both of the Elves and said,
"My Lords, I am at your most humble service." Thranduil dismissed her actions with a wave of his hand. He beckoned for Laurelin to come forward. She could feel Legolas's gaze travel through her body and pierce her heart. "What is it about him?" she wondered. "It's not like I have never had a grown male Elf gaze at me." But for some reason, Legolas was just. different. He was remarkably handsome, but that was not unusual for Elves. She could not put her finger on it, but she knew that they were meant to be together. She just knew it. Thranduil smiled at Laurelin as she came up to him and bowed again.
"My Lord, I was requested to be in your presence. How may I be of help to you and your son?" Thranduil chuckled deeply. "At least he is not depressed like Totholain," she thought. "I was beginning to believe no one was happy around here."
"My daughter, your father, Legolas, Totholain, and I have had a very serious discussion. Legolas proposed the idea of marriage, which I supported. But then he told me that he wanted to choose his wife. I told him it was acceptable, just as long as she was an Elf and of Mirkwood kind. Imagine my surprise when he suggested of all people. you." Laurelin winced. Thranduil did not sound happy. "So, this is what I did."
Thranduil retrieved a white velvet box from within his tunic. He opened it and showed Laurelin what was inside. She gasped. In the box was a beautiful ring made of mithril and diamonds. It reflected the light of the room into hundreds of thousands of tiny particles. "I could not be happier that you would be my daughter-in-law." Laurelin stood, stunned and motionless. She was to get married to Legolas. The one dream that she never thought would come true was going to right now, at this very moment.
All she managed to croak was, " What did Totholain think about it?" Thranduil averted his eyes and looked at his son. Legolas cleared his throat. "He was opposed to it for some weird reason. I suggested seeking his council, since he is the wisest Elf in Mirkwood. He did not like the idea of me marrying you, or getting married at all. He also hinted that I should stay here and never leave Mirkwood. Very strange, if I can say so myself."
Laurelin wondered what was wrong with Totholain. Since when did he have a say in her future? It wasn't like she was marrying an Orc. This was Legolas, son of Thranduil and one of the bravest Elves ever. She made a mental note to talk to Totholain later. "Even though he did not like the idea, he gave is approval and prayed that we would have unlimited happiness." Laurelin nodded. At least he did not restrict their wedding.
"So, do you accept?" Thranduil asked the daughter of his Chief Guard. Laurelin saw her life flash before her eyes. Now, she would have a royal title, a title of a Princess. She would be married to the most gorgeous Elf ever, and get to savor his unconditional love. How could she say no? This was what she wanted more than the whole world. She gazed deeply into Legolas's eyes, and saw only devotion and trust. She took a deep breath. "I accept."