Chapter 3
Laurelin couldn't remember ever being more delighted in her entire life. She sighed happily and stepped out on her balcony to her bedroom. She glanced down at the garden beneath her. White roses bloomed to their fullest extent, giving off a radiance of light that would be blinding to human eyes. The moon shone clearly through the darkness, casting soft rays on her fair face.
She could not believe her luck. "And here I thought Thranduil would think me too common to rule," she said to herself. "I guess Elf-kings can just surprise you at the greatest of times!" Unable to control her merriment any longer, she decided she had to tell someone her wonderful news. "Retkia and Lizule!" she said, thinking of her two best friends. "I bet they would love to know!" The three friends had been together ever since they had been born. Retkia was the eldest, followed by Laurelin and Lizule. They all were known for their intelligence, especially Retkia, who was very smart and wanted to become a master of Elvish-lore. Laurelin could not wait to tell her friends. She started to leave the balcony, when a soft voice stopped her.
"Don't leave just yet, my bride to be." Laurelin's face lit up. She turned around to see Legolas behind her, holding a single white rose. He was wearing a blue tunic, with a long grey cloak. On his head was a sliver crown, and he glowed like a spark of pearl and white. He gave the rose to Laurelin, smiling all the while. She gently stroked the petals. "This rose stands for a promise I wish to make to you," Legolas said. Laurelin felt her throat clog up with tears.
"Yes?" she whispered. Legolas scanned the horizon, as if looking for something. She followed his gaze, but could not see anything.
"What is it?" Legolas motioned for her to come to the edge of the balcony. He pointed down at the garden of white roses. "I promise that I will love you for the rest of eternity. The rose you are holding stands for this. If something happens to me, the rose will wither and fade." Legolas took a breath. "This world is more dangerous than you might think. It is risky to love someone too much, especially when they might be going off to war."
Laurelin gasped. "NO!" she cried. "You can't go! I won't let you!"
"Shhhh. Calm down. There is no talk of war at all. And even if there was a war, I doubt I would be going. Totholain would probably be in charge, with no use for me." He gently stroked her hair. "It'll work out in the end. If there is an end."
Laurelin closed her eyes and took a couple deep breaths. When she opened them, he was still standing over her, watching her attentively. Moonlight reflected off his face, making him look like a god.
She slowly raised her right hand with her left hand holding the flower. She ran her hand along his crown, and then touched his face, making sure he was real, that all of this was real. It was. He caught her hand and then kissed her. She had no idea how long they were out there, but it felt like heaven. He kissed her for the longest time, tenderly holding her and comforting her. She wondered if there could be any more bliss in her life.
Totholain, who had been fixing the curtains in his window, saw the two young lovers out on the balcony in a lip lock. His eyes clouded, but he blinked the unwanted tears away. He had never cried in the 30,000 years of his life and he wasn't going to start now. He hastily shut the curtains and went to bed, his heart in the gutter, for he knew of the two Elves' fate.
****
The sun rose early, setting morning light that spread throughout Mirkwood. Laurelin woke to sunshine streaming through her window. She groaned and rolled over. "Why, oh why, did the sun have to ruin my dream?" she thought. Stuffing her head under a pillow, she tried to get back to her reverie. It didn't work. Sighing, she tumbled out of bed and put on her favorite gown, a light blue one. She did her hair in the traditional Elvish fashion as she pondered about her dream.
"It was such a good dream! All of the little Elf children and Legolas and I sitting on our thrones, looking like gods and goddesses. We didn't have to worry about moody generals or wars. It was so perfect." She yanked a not out of her hair and laid her brush back down on the table.
She studied herself in the mirror. Blue eyes, blond hair, fair complexion, and high cheekbones. Laurelin knew she wasn't ugly, but did she deserve someone so great and gorgeous as Legolas? Elves like him didn't come around every day. He was smart, funny, brave, loving, perilous, and a deadly assassin to his enemies. What more could she want? "I would never imagine that he would pick ME," she said to herself.
A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. "Excuse me, My Lady, but I believe someone is here to see you," her maid, Saris, said.
"Show them in," Laurelin said.
"Yes, Miss."
Totholain strode in and stopped at her door. Laurelin cautiously turned around to meet his gaze. He looked terribly upset.
"My Lord, what is wrong?" Totholain swallowed hard. How could he tell her? It would break her heart, and she would probably die of grief at the helplessness of the situation. But if he didn't tell her, her fate will be the same. He thought back to what Elbereth had told him so very long ago, what she had told him about Laurelin. He shook his head, attempting to rid himself of those memories. He was Thranduil's General. That was his identity. Totholain sighed. There was no way he could tell her.
Totholain put on a fake smile and said,
"Nothing, my little one. I just wanted to congratulate you on your marriage to Prince Legolas. You will both make a fine couple."
Laurelin knew her friend was lying. His eyes were giving him away. Totholain had always protected Laurelin, for he had assisted raising her when she was a child, but now he was lying to her? The Elf-lord had always been honest with her, even if he knew it would hurt her feelings. He had never lied to her in her entire life. Laurelin felt her heart drop. His face was set as stone, but his eyes. she had never seen them like that. His negative body energy was slowly suffocating her.
"Totholain," she gasped. "Why do you lie?" The Elf-lord's eyes flashed a blazing red. Laurelin started to shake uncontrollably as her image blurred. She sat down to steady herself.
"Totholain, please. you have always been a father to me. Why are you so distraught?" Totholain had backed himself into a corner. He didn't want to physically hurt her. but he had to.
He tried to tell her, but could not open his mouth. "Oh Elbereth, do not do this to me, not yet!" he shouted in his mind. The Valar goddess was striking him dumb, so that he couldn't speak. Totholain gripped the door handle so hard that he broke it. His face went livid.
Laurelin screamed and fell over her vanity. "Totholain, what are you doing?" she cried. The Elf-lord was glowing.
The light from him hit her so hard that she collapsed on the floor. Totholain let out a strangled cry, but Elbereth held him. He stood there for several minutes until he was released. He then ran to the maiden and picked her up in his arms.
Saris, who had gone for a walk in the garden, had heard the fight and had run up to Laurelin's chambers. She came in to see Totholain holding the unconscious Elf and attempting to wake her from her spell. Totholain motioned for her to get the King and the Prince. Saris nodded, and bolted towards the palace.
"Oh, Laurelin, I am so sorry. I never meant to do that to you," he whispered. The only response he got was her shallow breathing.
Laurelin couldn't remember ever being more delighted in her entire life. She sighed happily and stepped out on her balcony to her bedroom. She glanced down at the garden beneath her. White roses bloomed to their fullest extent, giving off a radiance of light that would be blinding to human eyes. The moon shone clearly through the darkness, casting soft rays on her fair face.
She could not believe her luck. "And here I thought Thranduil would think me too common to rule," she said to herself. "I guess Elf-kings can just surprise you at the greatest of times!" Unable to control her merriment any longer, she decided she had to tell someone her wonderful news. "Retkia and Lizule!" she said, thinking of her two best friends. "I bet they would love to know!" The three friends had been together ever since they had been born. Retkia was the eldest, followed by Laurelin and Lizule. They all were known for their intelligence, especially Retkia, who was very smart and wanted to become a master of Elvish-lore. Laurelin could not wait to tell her friends. She started to leave the balcony, when a soft voice stopped her.
"Don't leave just yet, my bride to be." Laurelin's face lit up. She turned around to see Legolas behind her, holding a single white rose. He was wearing a blue tunic, with a long grey cloak. On his head was a sliver crown, and he glowed like a spark of pearl and white. He gave the rose to Laurelin, smiling all the while. She gently stroked the petals. "This rose stands for a promise I wish to make to you," Legolas said. Laurelin felt her throat clog up with tears.
"Yes?" she whispered. Legolas scanned the horizon, as if looking for something. She followed his gaze, but could not see anything.
"What is it?" Legolas motioned for her to come to the edge of the balcony. He pointed down at the garden of white roses. "I promise that I will love you for the rest of eternity. The rose you are holding stands for this. If something happens to me, the rose will wither and fade." Legolas took a breath. "This world is more dangerous than you might think. It is risky to love someone too much, especially when they might be going off to war."
Laurelin gasped. "NO!" she cried. "You can't go! I won't let you!"
"Shhhh. Calm down. There is no talk of war at all. And even if there was a war, I doubt I would be going. Totholain would probably be in charge, with no use for me." He gently stroked her hair. "It'll work out in the end. If there is an end."
Laurelin closed her eyes and took a couple deep breaths. When she opened them, he was still standing over her, watching her attentively. Moonlight reflected off his face, making him look like a god.
She slowly raised her right hand with her left hand holding the flower. She ran her hand along his crown, and then touched his face, making sure he was real, that all of this was real. It was. He caught her hand and then kissed her. She had no idea how long they were out there, but it felt like heaven. He kissed her for the longest time, tenderly holding her and comforting her. She wondered if there could be any more bliss in her life.
Totholain, who had been fixing the curtains in his window, saw the two young lovers out on the balcony in a lip lock. His eyes clouded, but he blinked the unwanted tears away. He had never cried in the 30,000 years of his life and he wasn't going to start now. He hastily shut the curtains and went to bed, his heart in the gutter, for he knew of the two Elves' fate.
****
The sun rose early, setting morning light that spread throughout Mirkwood. Laurelin woke to sunshine streaming through her window. She groaned and rolled over. "Why, oh why, did the sun have to ruin my dream?" she thought. Stuffing her head under a pillow, she tried to get back to her reverie. It didn't work. Sighing, she tumbled out of bed and put on her favorite gown, a light blue one. She did her hair in the traditional Elvish fashion as she pondered about her dream.
"It was such a good dream! All of the little Elf children and Legolas and I sitting on our thrones, looking like gods and goddesses. We didn't have to worry about moody generals or wars. It was so perfect." She yanked a not out of her hair and laid her brush back down on the table.
She studied herself in the mirror. Blue eyes, blond hair, fair complexion, and high cheekbones. Laurelin knew she wasn't ugly, but did she deserve someone so great and gorgeous as Legolas? Elves like him didn't come around every day. He was smart, funny, brave, loving, perilous, and a deadly assassin to his enemies. What more could she want? "I would never imagine that he would pick ME," she said to herself.
A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. "Excuse me, My Lady, but I believe someone is here to see you," her maid, Saris, said.
"Show them in," Laurelin said.
"Yes, Miss."
Totholain strode in and stopped at her door. Laurelin cautiously turned around to meet his gaze. He looked terribly upset.
"My Lord, what is wrong?" Totholain swallowed hard. How could he tell her? It would break her heart, and she would probably die of grief at the helplessness of the situation. But if he didn't tell her, her fate will be the same. He thought back to what Elbereth had told him so very long ago, what she had told him about Laurelin. He shook his head, attempting to rid himself of those memories. He was Thranduil's General. That was his identity. Totholain sighed. There was no way he could tell her.
Totholain put on a fake smile and said,
"Nothing, my little one. I just wanted to congratulate you on your marriage to Prince Legolas. You will both make a fine couple."
Laurelin knew her friend was lying. His eyes were giving him away. Totholain had always protected Laurelin, for he had assisted raising her when she was a child, but now he was lying to her? The Elf-lord had always been honest with her, even if he knew it would hurt her feelings. He had never lied to her in her entire life. Laurelin felt her heart drop. His face was set as stone, but his eyes. she had never seen them like that. His negative body energy was slowly suffocating her.
"Totholain," she gasped. "Why do you lie?" The Elf-lord's eyes flashed a blazing red. Laurelin started to shake uncontrollably as her image blurred. She sat down to steady herself.
"Totholain, please. you have always been a father to me. Why are you so distraught?" Totholain had backed himself into a corner. He didn't want to physically hurt her. but he had to.
He tried to tell her, but could not open his mouth. "Oh Elbereth, do not do this to me, not yet!" he shouted in his mind. The Valar goddess was striking him dumb, so that he couldn't speak. Totholain gripped the door handle so hard that he broke it. His face went livid.
Laurelin screamed and fell over her vanity. "Totholain, what are you doing?" she cried. The Elf-lord was glowing.
The light from him hit her so hard that she collapsed on the floor. Totholain let out a strangled cry, but Elbereth held him. He stood there for several minutes until he was released. He then ran to the maiden and picked her up in his arms.
Saris, who had gone for a walk in the garden, had heard the fight and had run up to Laurelin's chambers. She came in to see Totholain holding the unconscious Elf and attempting to wake her from her spell. Totholain motioned for her to get the King and the Prince. Saris nodded, and bolted towards the palace.
"Oh, Laurelin, I am so sorry. I never meant to do that to you," he whispered. The only response he got was her shallow breathing.