A/N: Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I HAVE A HUNDRED REVIEWS!!!!!!!!
Thank you all sooooo much for your support, couldn't have done it without
ya. I remember the days when I had barely twenty... ::sighs::
Ok everyone, here's the next chapter. Sorry, but I'm pretty sure you'll find this one rather boring. No, no smut in this one, nothing even close. It's just a kind of filler to get to some other things I plan to write. So if you find that this chapter is poorer than the others, know that it is because I'm so impatient to get to the more interesting events... sorry, but I doubt it will be what you're thinking. It will be better though, promise!
Chapter Twenty-one:
Legolas stomped with a surrounding aura of frustration into his father's study again, and when he saw Thranduil sitting behind his desk with a rather large smile lighting his face, he demanded, "What is it, Father? What is so important that you had to call me away from my love when you well know what I was planning to do?"
The King cleared his throat. "Yes, Legolas, I know what you were probably doing when Tarem arrived to give you my message, and that is why I sent for you in the first place."
The Prince let out his breath in exasperation. "You know what I meant, Father. I was proposing to Calathi. What if Tarem had interrupted just when I was asking her? That would definitely ruin the mood."
"So he didn't interrupt when you were proposing?" Thranduil asked slyly. "What, then, did he interrupt?" Legolas blushed faintly.
"Nothing that really concerns you."
"Oh?" Thranduil looked slightly amused. "Never mind, I will come to that in a moment. What of the proposal? Will I be a grandfather soon?"
"Not if this keeps up," Legolas muttered. When the King raised an eyebrow, a stern look on his ageless face, the Prince suspected he had heard his little comment and hastily continued. "Yes. She has accepted."
"Wonderful!" Thranduil yelled, jumping up to congratulate his son. "I am so glad that you have finally found your bride. When will the wedding be? Shall I announce the engagement to the court at the festival tomorrow night?"
"I must speak to Calathi first. We haven't decided those things yet. Besides, you didn't exactly give me much time to discuss it with her."
"Ah, I see," Thranduil said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Yet you had time to-"
"Father!" Legolas interrupted. "That is not the point. You should leave me to my own affairs."
"Legolas, I only do this to preserve her reputation - and yours. If the heir to Mirkwood were conceived before you two were married, the child's life and your reign would be marred before they had a chance to begin. You know it is improper..."
The Prince shut his ears to the rest of what his father was saying. He trusted his own judgment and did not need to hear Thranduil's advice - advice that he had already heard before. But if his father wanted it to be that way so badly, he would at least *try* to keep himself off Calathi. For the moment, however, all he wanted to do was be with her again. Abruptly he stood. "...and furthermore-"
"Please, Father, may I go now? If you want to find out when we will have the wedding, you must allow me time to decide with her."
"Very well, son. Just remember what I said."
The Prince grinned inwardly. "I will." Then he left the room and made his way down the hallway.
* * * * *
Calathi stared down at the blank parchment in front of her, the pen and jar of ink on the table beside it. *What should I write?* "Dear Mother and Father," she began aloud, "I hated you for sending me away, but now I am grateful because I met Prince Legolas and we're in love and he proposed to me so now we're engaged and I want you to be at the wedding..." *Well,* she thought with a laugh, *that would definitely be a shock to them.*
Almost immediately after Legolas had been called away, Calathi had left her room to go to the library. She knew that it was high time that she sent a letter home. Her parents must be extremely worried about her, especially after the battle with the goblins. They sure would be surprised to discover that she was betrothed already, and to the Prince of Mirkwood at that. How should she tell them? Where could she possible begin?
*
Dear Mother and Father, I am well and living happily at King Thranduil's court.
*
Here she paused. Should she tell them that she fought in the recent battle against the goblins? Her father had, after all, sent her away so that she would be safe from war. Well, they would probably find out anyway if they hadn't already, so she decided to inform them of what happened.
*
I am sure that by now you have heard of our encounter with goblins. The King allowed me to train as a warrior and help fight the battle, and though I was injured I am fine now.
*
She could leave out the gruesome details.
*
I know that you sent me to find a mate, and though it may surprise you, I have found my future husband. There is no easy way to tell you this, but rest assured that we are very much in love. He has proposed, and I gladly accepted. It is my great wish for you to attend the wedding. I would like you to be there to see me crowned as Princess of Mirkwood, for I am to wed Prince Legolas Greenleaf.
Though I do not know when the wedding will be, it will most likely be held soon. I will send you a formal invitation when the date is decided. Please send my regards to everyone in Ilinar. I look forward to your visit.
Your Daughter, Calathi
*
Calathi reread her letter and stuck out her tongue. The way she told them about her engagement was abrupt, but she could think of no better way to reveal it, so she rolled up the parchment, sealed it, and tied it with a ribbon.
Quite suddenly she stopped, her numb fingers dropping the end of the bow as she remembered an important matter.
Meron.
How could she forget him? He had been so accepting and kind to her from the very first time she met him. He wouldn't be angry with her for not writing, would he? She cared so much about him that she couldn't bear that thought. Now that she knew that she didn't love him as she did Legolas, all she wanted to do was tell him everything as she used to - excluding, of course, the matter of her mixed feelings for him...
Quickly she laid out another parchment and began writing. This was much easier, since she couldn't tell him what she wanted to on paper. She had to see him and speak in person.
*
Dear Meron, How are you? I'm very sorry that I didn't write you before this. A lot has been going on at court lately. I really need to see you again and tell you a few things. Please, could you come and visit the palace soon? It would mean a lot to me. You are such a great friend, and I miss you dearly.
Calathi.
*
*All right,* she thought as she read over the letter. *This one isn't much better than the other one, but I hope it will be enough to convince him to come.*
****And so another chapter ends. You thought it was boring, didn't you? HA! I know what you're thinking, you can't hide it from me... Sorry again, I'll try to update soon though!
Ok everyone, here's the next chapter. Sorry, but I'm pretty sure you'll find this one rather boring. No, no smut in this one, nothing even close. It's just a kind of filler to get to some other things I plan to write. So if you find that this chapter is poorer than the others, know that it is because I'm so impatient to get to the more interesting events... sorry, but I doubt it will be what you're thinking. It will be better though, promise!
Chapter Twenty-one:
Legolas stomped with a surrounding aura of frustration into his father's study again, and when he saw Thranduil sitting behind his desk with a rather large smile lighting his face, he demanded, "What is it, Father? What is so important that you had to call me away from my love when you well know what I was planning to do?"
The King cleared his throat. "Yes, Legolas, I know what you were probably doing when Tarem arrived to give you my message, and that is why I sent for you in the first place."
The Prince let out his breath in exasperation. "You know what I meant, Father. I was proposing to Calathi. What if Tarem had interrupted just when I was asking her? That would definitely ruin the mood."
"So he didn't interrupt when you were proposing?" Thranduil asked slyly. "What, then, did he interrupt?" Legolas blushed faintly.
"Nothing that really concerns you."
"Oh?" Thranduil looked slightly amused. "Never mind, I will come to that in a moment. What of the proposal? Will I be a grandfather soon?"
"Not if this keeps up," Legolas muttered. When the King raised an eyebrow, a stern look on his ageless face, the Prince suspected he had heard his little comment and hastily continued. "Yes. She has accepted."
"Wonderful!" Thranduil yelled, jumping up to congratulate his son. "I am so glad that you have finally found your bride. When will the wedding be? Shall I announce the engagement to the court at the festival tomorrow night?"
"I must speak to Calathi first. We haven't decided those things yet. Besides, you didn't exactly give me much time to discuss it with her."
"Ah, I see," Thranduil said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Yet you had time to-"
"Father!" Legolas interrupted. "That is not the point. You should leave me to my own affairs."
"Legolas, I only do this to preserve her reputation - and yours. If the heir to Mirkwood were conceived before you two were married, the child's life and your reign would be marred before they had a chance to begin. You know it is improper..."
The Prince shut his ears to the rest of what his father was saying. He trusted his own judgment and did not need to hear Thranduil's advice - advice that he had already heard before. But if his father wanted it to be that way so badly, he would at least *try* to keep himself off Calathi. For the moment, however, all he wanted to do was be with her again. Abruptly he stood. "...and furthermore-"
"Please, Father, may I go now? If you want to find out when we will have the wedding, you must allow me time to decide with her."
"Very well, son. Just remember what I said."
The Prince grinned inwardly. "I will." Then he left the room and made his way down the hallway.
* * * * *
Calathi stared down at the blank parchment in front of her, the pen and jar of ink on the table beside it. *What should I write?* "Dear Mother and Father," she began aloud, "I hated you for sending me away, but now I am grateful because I met Prince Legolas and we're in love and he proposed to me so now we're engaged and I want you to be at the wedding..." *Well,* she thought with a laugh, *that would definitely be a shock to them.*
Almost immediately after Legolas had been called away, Calathi had left her room to go to the library. She knew that it was high time that she sent a letter home. Her parents must be extremely worried about her, especially after the battle with the goblins. They sure would be surprised to discover that she was betrothed already, and to the Prince of Mirkwood at that. How should she tell them? Where could she possible begin?
*
Dear Mother and Father, I am well and living happily at King Thranduil's court.
*
Here she paused. Should she tell them that she fought in the recent battle against the goblins? Her father had, after all, sent her away so that she would be safe from war. Well, they would probably find out anyway if they hadn't already, so she decided to inform them of what happened.
*
I am sure that by now you have heard of our encounter with goblins. The King allowed me to train as a warrior and help fight the battle, and though I was injured I am fine now.
*
She could leave out the gruesome details.
*
I know that you sent me to find a mate, and though it may surprise you, I have found my future husband. There is no easy way to tell you this, but rest assured that we are very much in love. He has proposed, and I gladly accepted. It is my great wish for you to attend the wedding. I would like you to be there to see me crowned as Princess of Mirkwood, for I am to wed Prince Legolas Greenleaf.
Though I do not know when the wedding will be, it will most likely be held soon. I will send you a formal invitation when the date is decided. Please send my regards to everyone in Ilinar. I look forward to your visit.
Your Daughter, Calathi
*
Calathi reread her letter and stuck out her tongue. The way she told them about her engagement was abrupt, but she could think of no better way to reveal it, so she rolled up the parchment, sealed it, and tied it with a ribbon.
Quite suddenly she stopped, her numb fingers dropping the end of the bow as she remembered an important matter.
Meron.
How could she forget him? He had been so accepting and kind to her from the very first time she met him. He wouldn't be angry with her for not writing, would he? She cared so much about him that she couldn't bear that thought. Now that she knew that she didn't love him as she did Legolas, all she wanted to do was tell him everything as she used to - excluding, of course, the matter of her mixed feelings for him...
Quickly she laid out another parchment and began writing. This was much easier, since she couldn't tell him what she wanted to on paper. She had to see him and speak in person.
*
Dear Meron, How are you? I'm very sorry that I didn't write you before this. A lot has been going on at court lately. I really need to see you again and tell you a few things. Please, could you come and visit the palace soon? It would mean a lot to me. You are such a great friend, and I miss you dearly.
Calathi.
*
*All right,* she thought as she read over the letter. *This one isn't much better than the other one, but I hope it will be enough to convince him to come.*
****And so another chapter ends. You thought it was boring, didn't you? HA! I know what you're thinking, you can't hide it from me... Sorry again, I'll try to update soon though!