Authors Note: Thank you again to everyone who reviewed, every review I get
encourages me to write faster just to find out what you think of the next
chapter :)
Connie, I promise that Leggy will make a return in the near future.
Chapter Five
Aragorn made sure that both Tavaril and Elrohir were deep in conversation before he silently made is way out of the library, incidentally without the book he had been searching for, and into the empty corridor beyond. He had no wish to hear his nephew's thoughts about what he had just been told. He did not want to see the accusation in the young elf's eyes as he questioned how the human king could betray his wife and children for a chance to lay with a fair Mirkwood elf. But it had been so much more than that, so much more than anyone would ever truly know.
He continued to stumble down the seemingly endless passageway until he reached his own private chambers, ignoring the concerned looks he was being given by the servants that passed him.
Shutting his bedroom door firmly behind him he moved to collapse into a large, over stuffed arm chair by one of the open windows.
Maybe Elrohir was right, perhaps he should now be concentrating on the family he had left, well his children anyway. He did not blame Arwen for her disloyalty to him as he had betrayed her during his time spent with Legolas. But because she did not love any of the men she chose to lay with he felt that it was somewhat different to his own discrepancies.
He sighed and shook his head from side to side before looking up and across the large highly decorated room.
The hand crafted bow Legolas had made and given to him still hung on its mount above the dressing table. It had not been taken down since before his lover's death, not even for dusting. Legolas would be ashamed of how he had treated it and how he was treating himself.
Maybe it was time he put the past to rest.
~*~
"How.., how did they die?" Tavaril asked once he had regained the use of his voice. His human uncles reclusive attitude all seemed to make sense now. How would he feel if he lost both the one he loved and his unborn child? A shiver raced down his spine an indication of the horror that he believed Aragorn must have felt rather than from any change in the room's temperature.
"To be completely honest, no one really knows the truth about what happened." Elrohir raised his arm to grip his sons hand tightly in his in support for what he had just told him. "It is said that they were set upon by a group of orc's, but single orc's let alone groups or orc's were rare to be found after the war of the ring, most having been hunted down and destroyed. I was never allowed to see Legolas's body. That duty was left to Lord Elrond and King Thranduil."
"King Thranduil?" Tavaril exclaimed not really aware that he was interrupting.
"Yes, Legolas father insisted on examining the body for himself."
"So he was a prince of Mirkwood!"
Elrohir nodded but refused to change the course of the conversation, instead he continued where he had left off.
"The wounds that were described to me that were found on his body sounded far to neat and clean cut for orc's, they would have captured rather than slain an elf as fair as Legolas before killing him. They would have taunted and had their way with his body before allowing him to die." Elrohir spat out his words in disgust at the memories he had of the ways of orc's.
"What of the Dwarf's injuries?" Tavaril asked. He was unsure of how much he wanted to hear but he was unwilling to let his father become caught up in his past memories.
"Another suspicious incident his body was never recovered." He sighed loudly, his expression scornful. "I know well of the incompetence of most men but I do not believe that even the most ignorant of them could not find the unmoving body of a dwarf. They may not be tall in stature but they certainly fill up a lot of space it would be difficult in deed not to see it even if you were not directly searching for it."
"So, you do not believe that it was orc's that took their lives?" Tavaril questioned gripping his fathers hand supportively.
Elrohir breathed heavily and shook his head to indicate a negative. "I am afraid that I do not know what to believe, but unfortunately what was done is done and nothing now can change that, we must live in the now as anything thing could be lurking in our unforeseen futures." Elrohir reached out and drew his only child into his arms. "Just promise me that you take every day as it comes. Enjoy everything good and treat everything bad that happens as an experience to be learned from."
"I will Ada, I promise." Both held each other in a tight embrace for a few moments before letting go. It was only then that Tavaril's mind began to process all the information that he had been exposed to over the past few hours. "Ada."
"Yes?" Elrohir glanced up to meet his son's gaze.
"How rare is it to find a male elf capable of carrying infants?"
"Very." Elrohir smiled gently at what he believed to be his son's curiosity. "Most born with the ability will only every lie with females and so never find out that they are able to do so." Elrohir laughed softly. "I doubt that Legolas knew that he was able to bear children before it was too late and he discovered that he was already with child."
Tavaril seemed to consider this for a few moments before asking "Do elves and men often become lovers?"
"Lovers, yes" Elrohir spoke. "In the old days anyway but what I believe you are asking whether there were many permanent partnerships in which both elf and man loved each other deeply."
Tavaril nodded silently.
"No. Most men see elves as creatures to be worshiped and protected." He sighed loudly. "Elves who dared to love humans would soon come to despise the restrictions their lovers would place upon them in order to keep them from harm. As you know we need our freedom we can not live trapped especially by the ones that are supposed to love us in return." Elrohir sat up straight suddenly wondering where this conversation was headed. "Have you fallen in love with a human?" He asked slightly fearful of what the answer could be although he did not let it show.
Stunned at the question Tavaril glanced up to meet his father's gaze.
"No, of course not!" He choked. "I was merely curious father I was not asking for any personal reason!"
"That is a relief, not that I would speak against you if you did love a human I just..."
"Shh, Ada I know what you mean." Tavaril grinned. "I know that you would never think ill of me no matter what I did."
"Oh I doubt that Tavaril!" He laughed loudly, the noise echoing around the quiet room. "You may be my only child but that does not mean I will allow you to get away with what ever you wish without some form of punishment!"
Tavaril chuckled with him, pushing against his fathers arm playfully.
"Uncle Elladan would protect me." He laughed trying to sound as indignant as possible which did not work at all well due to the grin that refused to leave delicate elven his features.
Elrohir snorted. "That I doubt." He laughed again. "He would probably join in organising your punishment and enjoy every moment of it."
Tavaril pulled a worried expression but did not speak causing them both to fall in to silence. The only sounds came from outside, coming in through the large open window behind them, both contemplating their earlier conversation.
"Ada." Tavaril finally broke the room's peace.
"Hmm?" Elrohir turned back to face his son from gazing out of the large window and out across his foster brothers extensive palace grounds.
"Do you believe that the dwarf could have survived the attack?"
"I honestly do not know." He sighed heavily, sounding slightly weary. "Although if he did then I would have hoped that he would have returned to declare that fact to us, especially Aragorn as both were great friends indeed at one time."
"So you..."
The conversation stopped as the sound of a forced cough to gain their attention came from the direction of the entrance way.
"My Lords." A simply dressed young human maid stood just inside the door. She smiled at them before continuing. "Evening meal is currently being served in the main dinning hall my Lord's and your presence has been requested by the Lady Arwen."
"Thank you." Elrohir smiled back courteously. "Tell the Lady Arwen that we will join her in a few moments."
The maid nodded before curtsying and moving back out of the library.
"This conversation will have to wait Tavaril." He grinned. "For my dear sister has need of us, come we must not keep her waiting."
~*~
Aranel carefully emptied all her belongings on the small, but comfortable bed in a little bedroom Gwen had offered her to sleep in for the duration of her stay. It was sparkly decorated, with little furniture to speak of. There was a small window above the wooden headboard of the bed but it did not let in much light. A candle stood on a small table next to the bed increasing the amount of light in the small room.
She sighed loudly wishing she had saved enough money to buy a new tunic, she only had one other than the one she currently wore and she feared that it was far to fancy to wear whist working in a kitchen. She picked up the delicate pale blue material of the tunic, running it gently through her fingers before unfolding it and holding it up to inspect its condition. Its silky material gleamed in the dimly lit room. The small, intricate decoration on the bottom of the material reflecting the candle light, causing it to sparkle gently.
Aranel frowned as she noticed that one or two beads were missing from the small detail along the bottom. Laying it across the back of the wooden chair that sat beside the bed she turned back quickly spreading out her belongings in search of the tiny beads.
Finally her fingers settled upon one of the missing items, carefully picking it up she placed it on the seat of the chair where it could be easily seen against the dark wood.
Turning back to the bed she slowly began to place the larger of her possessions, such as her dagger back into the leather sack, making sure to leave out her leather bound journal. Both the journal and the blue tunic had been given to her as gifts from Gimli on celebrating her birthing days.
On finding another of the beads she placed everything else back into her bag and put it down to rest on the floor next to the chair. Gwen had promised to call for her if she had need of her, but had also shooed Aranel from the door stairs kitchen demanding that she find some rest, if only for a short while.
Aranel smiled remembering Gwen's motherly actions before toeing off her boots and moving to lay down across the blanket covered bed. Picking up her journal she began flicking through it, she had not written in it since Gimli's death, maybe it was time to begin once again.
But as she settled down her thoughts drifted back to the strange conversation she had had with Tavaril earlier that day. He had seemed so interested in her past and present situation. What had the mysterious dark haired elf been thinking as he accepted her answers.
~*~
TBC...
Please review, tell me what you think so far :)
Connie, I promise that Leggy will make a return in the near future.
Chapter Five
Aragorn made sure that both Tavaril and Elrohir were deep in conversation before he silently made is way out of the library, incidentally without the book he had been searching for, and into the empty corridor beyond. He had no wish to hear his nephew's thoughts about what he had just been told. He did not want to see the accusation in the young elf's eyes as he questioned how the human king could betray his wife and children for a chance to lay with a fair Mirkwood elf. But it had been so much more than that, so much more than anyone would ever truly know.
He continued to stumble down the seemingly endless passageway until he reached his own private chambers, ignoring the concerned looks he was being given by the servants that passed him.
Shutting his bedroom door firmly behind him he moved to collapse into a large, over stuffed arm chair by one of the open windows.
Maybe Elrohir was right, perhaps he should now be concentrating on the family he had left, well his children anyway. He did not blame Arwen for her disloyalty to him as he had betrayed her during his time spent with Legolas. But because she did not love any of the men she chose to lay with he felt that it was somewhat different to his own discrepancies.
He sighed and shook his head from side to side before looking up and across the large highly decorated room.
The hand crafted bow Legolas had made and given to him still hung on its mount above the dressing table. It had not been taken down since before his lover's death, not even for dusting. Legolas would be ashamed of how he had treated it and how he was treating himself.
Maybe it was time he put the past to rest.
~*~
"How.., how did they die?" Tavaril asked once he had regained the use of his voice. His human uncles reclusive attitude all seemed to make sense now. How would he feel if he lost both the one he loved and his unborn child? A shiver raced down his spine an indication of the horror that he believed Aragorn must have felt rather than from any change in the room's temperature.
"To be completely honest, no one really knows the truth about what happened." Elrohir raised his arm to grip his sons hand tightly in his in support for what he had just told him. "It is said that they were set upon by a group of orc's, but single orc's let alone groups or orc's were rare to be found after the war of the ring, most having been hunted down and destroyed. I was never allowed to see Legolas's body. That duty was left to Lord Elrond and King Thranduil."
"King Thranduil?" Tavaril exclaimed not really aware that he was interrupting.
"Yes, Legolas father insisted on examining the body for himself."
"So he was a prince of Mirkwood!"
Elrohir nodded but refused to change the course of the conversation, instead he continued where he had left off.
"The wounds that were described to me that were found on his body sounded far to neat and clean cut for orc's, they would have captured rather than slain an elf as fair as Legolas before killing him. They would have taunted and had their way with his body before allowing him to die." Elrohir spat out his words in disgust at the memories he had of the ways of orc's.
"What of the Dwarf's injuries?" Tavaril asked. He was unsure of how much he wanted to hear but he was unwilling to let his father become caught up in his past memories.
"Another suspicious incident his body was never recovered." He sighed loudly, his expression scornful. "I know well of the incompetence of most men but I do not believe that even the most ignorant of them could not find the unmoving body of a dwarf. They may not be tall in stature but they certainly fill up a lot of space it would be difficult in deed not to see it even if you were not directly searching for it."
"So, you do not believe that it was orc's that took their lives?" Tavaril questioned gripping his fathers hand supportively.
Elrohir breathed heavily and shook his head to indicate a negative. "I am afraid that I do not know what to believe, but unfortunately what was done is done and nothing now can change that, we must live in the now as anything thing could be lurking in our unforeseen futures." Elrohir reached out and drew his only child into his arms. "Just promise me that you take every day as it comes. Enjoy everything good and treat everything bad that happens as an experience to be learned from."
"I will Ada, I promise." Both held each other in a tight embrace for a few moments before letting go. It was only then that Tavaril's mind began to process all the information that he had been exposed to over the past few hours. "Ada."
"Yes?" Elrohir glanced up to meet his son's gaze.
"How rare is it to find a male elf capable of carrying infants?"
"Very." Elrohir smiled gently at what he believed to be his son's curiosity. "Most born with the ability will only every lie with females and so never find out that they are able to do so." Elrohir laughed softly. "I doubt that Legolas knew that he was able to bear children before it was too late and he discovered that he was already with child."
Tavaril seemed to consider this for a few moments before asking "Do elves and men often become lovers?"
"Lovers, yes" Elrohir spoke. "In the old days anyway but what I believe you are asking whether there were many permanent partnerships in which both elf and man loved each other deeply."
Tavaril nodded silently.
"No. Most men see elves as creatures to be worshiped and protected." He sighed loudly. "Elves who dared to love humans would soon come to despise the restrictions their lovers would place upon them in order to keep them from harm. As you know we need our freedom we can not live trapped especially by the ones that are supposed to love us in return." Elrohir sat up straight suddenly wondering where this conversation was headed. "Have you fallen in love with a human?" He asked slightly fearful of what the answer could be although he did not let it show.
Stunned at the question Tavaril glanced up to meet his father's gaze.
"No, of course not!" He choked. "I was merely curious father I was not asking for any personal reason!"
"That is a relief, not that I would speak against you if you did love a human I just..."
"Shh, Ada I know what you mean." Tavaril grinned. "I know that you would never think ill of me no matter what I did."
"Oh I doubt that Tavaril!" He laughed loudly, the noise echoing around the quiet room. "You may be my only child but that does not mean I will allow you to get away with what ever you wish without some form of punishment!"
Tavaril chuckled with him, pushing against his fathers arm playfully.
"Uncle Elladan would protect me." He laughed trying to sound as indignant as possible which did not work at all well due to the grin that refused to leave delicate elven his features.
Elrohir snorted. "That I doubt." He laughed again. "He would probably join in organising your punishment and enjoy every moment of it."
Tavaril pulled a worried expression but did not speak causing them both to fall in to silence. The only sounds came from outside, coming in through the large open window behind them, both contemplating their earlier conversation.
"Ada." Tavaril finally broke the room's peace.
"Hmm?" Elrohir turned back to face his son from gazing out of the large window and out across his foster brothers extensive palace grounds.
"Do you believe that the dwarf could have survived the attack?"
"I honestly do not know." He sighed heavily, sounding slightly weary. "Although if he did then I would have hoped that he would have returned to declare that fact to us, especially Aragorn as both were great friends indeed at one time."
"So you..."
The conversation stopped as the sound of a forced cough to gain their attention came from the direction of the entrance way.
"My Lords." A simply dressed young human maid stood just inside the door. She smiled at them before continuing. "Evening meal is currently being served in the main dinning hall my Lord's and your presence has been requested by the Lady Arwen."
"Thank you." Elrohir smiled back courteously. "Tell the Lady Arwen that we will join her in a few moments."
The maid nodded before curtsying and moving back out of the library.
"This conversation will have to wait Tavaril." He grinned. "For my dear sister has need of us, come we must not keep her waiting."
~*~
Aranel carefully emptied all her belongings on the small, but comfortable bed in a little bedroom Gwen had offered her to sleep in for the duration of her stay. It was sparkly decorated, with little furniture to speak of. There was a small window above the wooden headboard of the bed but it did not let in much light. A candle stood on a small table next to the bed increasing the amount of light in the small room.
She sighed loudly wishing she had saved enough money to buy a new tunic, she only had one other than the one she currently wore and she feared that it was far to fancy to wear whist working in a kitchen. She picked up the delicate pale blue material of the tunic, running it gently through her fingers before unfolding it and holding it up to inspect its condition. Its silky material gleamed in the dimly lit room. The small, intricate decoration on the bottom of the material reflecting the candle light, causing it to sparkle gently.
Aranel frowned as she noticed that one or two beads were missing from the small detail along the bottom. Laying it across the back of the wooden chair that sat beside the bed she turned back quickly spreading out her belongings in search of the tiny beads.
Finally her fingers settled upon one of the missing items, carefully picking it up she placed it on the seat of the chair where it could be easily seen against the dark wood.
Turning back to the bed she slowly began to place the larger of her possessions, such as her dagger back into the leather sack, making sure to leave out her leather bound journal. Both the journal and the blue tunic had been given to her as gifts from Gimli on celebrating her birthing days.
On finding another of the beads she placed everything else back into her bag and put it down to rest on the floor next to the chair. Gwen had promised to call for her if she had need of her, but had also shooed Aranel from the door stairs kitchen demanding that she find some rest, if only for a short while.
Aranel smiled remembering Gwen's motherly actions before toeing off her boots and moving to lay down across the blanket covered bed. Picking up her journal she began flicking through it, she had not written in it since Gimli's death, maybe it was time to begin once again.
But as she settled down her thoughts drifted back to the strange conversation she had had with Tavaril earlier that day. He had seemed so interested in her past and present situation. What had the mysterious dark haired elf been thinking as he accepted her answers.
~*~
TBC...
Please review, tell me what you think so far :)