Chapter 8
AN: sorry its been so long. Its all entirely my fault! (and by "my" I mean kayleigh) I have been so freakin busy!! SORRY!
Recap: men just left on hunting trip and Legolas left Elladan's letter under Maranwe's pillow
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The men were all sat around the campfire laughing and telling tales. Ale had been flowing freely these past few hours and the men no longer cared for hunting. The sky was getting dark and their prey were cooking nicely.
"All right all right." Aragorn took another swig of his ale and, trying not to laugh, leaned closer in to the circle. The other men followed and copied him, waiting with anticipation for what he would say.
"Arwen likes it when I-" he could barely keep a straight face as he then spoke shyly, "--dress up in my old ranger clothes." His already rosy cheeks flushed more so. Legolas snorted in to his mug, trying not to laugh so hard. All the men roared loudly, clapped their hands, and cheered their King's bedroom antics. Eldarion cringed slightly and tried to shake the thought of his parents "play" from his head.
The only way to do this was to think of his own wife. He laughed as he thought of her, causing the other men to turn on him, waiting for his own admission.
"Well Ithiliwen likes it when..well...lets just say she is a very dominative woman."
The men laughed even harder and clinked their mugs together. Faramir placed a hand on Eldarion's shoulder, thinking if Eowyn and swaying from all the ale. "Tell me about it!"
Another roar filled the night air and Eldarion's head fell against his father's shoulder as he could no longer sit up. Legolas laughed with them all, being the only Elf there, and decided to join in.
"Galadwen really likes it when I-"
He was cut of by the fierce scowl he was receiving from Aragorn, like a lion about to attack.
Legolas stammered for a moment before managing to cover. "-Leave her alone and let her sleep."
Eldarion sat up again and leaned over to Faramir, nodding to his father. "How does he think she got pregnant in the first place?" Aragorn heard this and turned on his son.
Eldarion thinking that now was as good a time as any stood up, swaying as he went. He took several deep breaths whilst the others looked up at him with anticipation.
"My wife is knocked up!" He laughed and fell back to the ground with a thud.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ithiliwen watched Silmai and her daughter play together; she smiled thinking of the one growing inside of her. She had already told Galadwen, who of course was overjoyed at having someone go through it with her.
She was sat with Luthien and Astald on a blanket, the disappointment on his face was clear. He had desperately wanted to go on this hunting trip but was content enough in Luthien's arms.
"Will you be healed enough for the journey home?" Ithiliwen asked a touch of concern in her voice.
"The healer said I should be able to ride." He nodded.
Ithiliwen turned to Luthien. "Where is your mother? I thought we were to eat lunch together."
"She is taking a nap, I think it best to leave her." Luthien looked a little coy as she spoke.
"I do not think she sleeps as well when my father is away."
Ithiliwen noticed that there was something in Astald's eyes, a worry perhaps. She cast it aside; he had always seemed to be worried about something for as long as she had known him. He was extremely quiet in comparison to the other men of the family. Perhaps that was why he and Luthien made such a good couple.
Silmai came running over to her sister and leapt in to her arms. "I made a daisy chain for Maranwe but I can not find her, so you can have it if you want."
Luthien laughed and took the flowers, placing them as a crown upon her head.
"How do I look?" She smiled at her little sister.
"Beautiful." Astald's soft voice informed her.
Ithiliwen left them to go and stop her daughter from eating a worm. Once it was just the three of them, Luthien turned to face Astald. "What troubles you?"
He smiled at her, wishing he could shake the dream he had had about Arwen. Every so often, he would have flashes of it. Arwen lying on a stone slab, Arwen veiled in black and Arwen ablaze with fire.
He loved Arwen like a mother, and though Luthien had managed to ease his worries a little, he could not help but think on it.
"I was just thinking, you know how I am."
She smiled at him and leaned forward to press a kiss to his mouth.
Silmai screwed up her face and made a "yucky" sound before standing up. "Must you?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maranwe ran a brush through her long hair and tied it loosely back in to a braid. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. What did Elladan possibly see in her? Over-sized green eyes, messy hair, barely any curve to her muscled body. She closed her eyes tightly, reassuring herself that there was nothing wrong with her. She just wished he would go away, she wished that he would take it all back and ask to be her friend once more. Why did he have to ruin everything?
A sound, something between a gull squawking and a dog barking came drifting through her open window. She dropped her brush and walked over to the window to see what in Middle-Earth was dying. She gasped at what she saw.
Elladan was standing beneath her window, his arms stretched out to her filled with flowers. Oh Valar no! He was singing. The sound was almost unbearable, Maranwe was sure she had been told that all Elves had sweet voices.
"She is not fair to outward view
As many maidens be
Her loveliness I never knew
Until she smiled on me
O then I saw her eye was bright
A well of love a spring of light."
Elladan knew that his poem was dreadful but at least he had written it himself. He sung with all the feeling he had inside for the stubborn Half-Elf.
Maranwe listened to the words and rolled her eyes, she knew him too well, she knew Elrohir to well, she also knew that Elladan had never written poetry in his life, no it was far easier to steal his brother's.
He gazed up at her as he continued to sing with all of his heart.
"There be none of beauty's daughters
With a magic like thee
And like music on the waters
Is they sweet voice to meeeeeEEEEEEE OW!"
Elladan was cut of by the feel of something heavy hitting him on the head. He stumbled backward and fell to the floor, picking up the heavy silver brush. He squinted up at Maranwe in time to see her close the window. She was even harder to woe then he had expected, but he would not give up, she would be his wife wherever she liked it or not!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maranwe closed the window, floods of tears streaking her pale face. She sobbed openly wishing he would just leave her alone and stop playing with her. Why was she crying? Would she cry so if she did not return his affections? Were his affections even real? She felt as though she was slowly going mad and it was all his doing. She needed to tell Arwen, she needed to know if his affections were true.
She walked over to her bed and flung herself down, burying her face in the soft pillow. If only she could stay there forever, in the softness and warmth. She nuzzled in to it further, bringing her hands underneath to clasp it to her face. She pulled up her head from the pillow as she felt an envelope under it. Sitting up she slowly wiped her tears, trying to see the writing through her wet and bleary eyes.
This was certainly Elladan's hand writing, it must be the letter that Legolas was trying to give to her. She thought about going over to the window and tossing it out at him, but something stopped her, something made her open it slowly and pull out the parchment inside. For some reason, and she knew not why, she smelt the paper, perhaps seeing if it smelt like him. Her shaking fingers gently unfolded it and she took several deep breaths before she began to read.
My dear friend Legolas~
I apologize for this letter straight out, it is not fair of me to burden you with my grief but then nothing about this is fair. It has finally happened, I am in love! You are laughing now I have no doubt, and I blame you not, for long have I had this coming. Perhaps this is my punishment, to love someone the way I made all those maidens love me. It is a cruel thing love and I would not wish it on any. If you have stopped laughing then it is time for you to start again, you see the one whom has captured my heart is the one who has long been nothing but a friend to me all these long years.
I am in love with Maranwe!
It feels good to write it, to get it out and share it with someone. Not even Elrohir knows of my love, for I was too shamed in to confessing. My second theory was to write to Estel, but nay that would be true folly. He would speak to my sister and then all would be lost. My blood burns with a fever, a fire that that makes me weak and ache. This must be how a mortal sickness feels. I long for nothing more then to strip naked, jump in to the waterfalls of this place and scream from the top of my lungs. How could this have happened? How could I fall for one I never looked twice at? What is happening to me?
Oh to kiss her would sooth the fire inside of me, to fell her full lips on mine. I close my eyes and imagine her curves underneath my fingertips. A heavenly pain runs through my body at the thought of holding her so close, feeling her heart beat against my chest.
I fear her love has made me mad old friend, I no longer think with any rationality. Beautiful maidens walk by, they smile at me and I turn away. I think to myself "what is wrong with you? She is the most beautiful creature you have ever seen" then I think on it and realize that she isn't at all, for she is not Maranwe, and no other could mean anything to me ever again. I would like to rip out my heart for betraying me in such a way, my life was good, my life was fun, now all I know is the agony of loving her, of needing her and wanting her.
Again, I am sorry to have burdened you with my woes. Alas I must go now, those waterfalls are looking more and more tempting.
Farewell Legolas of Mirkwood, I pray we meet again before the madness undoes me and I no longer recognize your face.
~Elladan the love fool.
Maranwe's tears fell on the sheet of paper in large drops. She laid it down on her bed and covered her eyes, sobbing harder and harder then ever before. He loved her, he truly loved her.