Happy Christmas everyone, I got you something, an extra chapter this week.
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6. Dancing Around the Issues
"You are late my daughter." Elrond said with a soft smile, drawing Arwen's hand to his arm and escorting her across the hall.
"I apologize, father." she replied "I needed to change my gown." He looked from his daughter, defiantly refusing to make eye contact with anyone in the room, to Haldir who looked very much as if he had just swallowed a live frog. What in arda was wrong with that elf?
"I had thought that Haldir was escorting you to the ball." he said in a low voice.
"I am sure he has better things to do with his time." she said, forcing a smile. "Shall we dance Ada?"
"Perhaps you would dance with someone closer to your own age." he hinted. That wretched headache was building again and he rubbed his forehead absently. He glanced down at his daughter, wrestling back a groan of frustration. Why did he never have any idea what was going on in his own house?
Legolas watched their exchange, cringing inwardly. He had known Arwen long enough to tell when she was upset but it seemed to be a skill her father lacked. She appeared to be only moments from a complete breakdown and Elrond was too busy hunting a future son-in-law to notice. He cursed the Elf Lord under his breath considering for a moment letting the whole fiasco blow up in his face. He sighed in resignation, it would never do.
"Undomiel!" he said brightly, slipping up beside her. "You are not dancing."
"I noticed." she replied. Her voice was warm but her sparkling eyes dripped venom. It was time he took the situation into his own hands before some elf ended up missing an arm.
"My Lord, might I beg the company of your daughter?" Elrond gave a nod and Legolas swept Arwen onto the dance floor.
"Thank you." she whispered softly, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Dare I ask what happened?" Legolas whispered back.
"Trust me," Arwen sighed "You would rather not know and I would rather not tell you." He drew her closer, letting his lips brush her cheek. He knew she would think nothing of it and he cared very little who else might notice them dancing so intimately.
"Undomiel," he frowned, "I am your protector, tell me what you want me to do and you know I will not hesitate." She tilted her head to look into his eyes, tears threatening to spill at any moment.
"Dance with me as if you loved me." she pleaded.
"I do love you." he said gently. "You are my dearest friend."
"No Legolas," She whispered, a single tear falling, "Dance with me as if I were Luthien and you were Beren and in all Arda no one will ever be loved as you love me." Legolas kissed her forehead, drawing his arms around her possessively, his breath soft against her ear.
If his Undomiel wanted her fantasy then, by the Valar, she would have it.
**********************************************************
"That one is not so bad." Rumil said, nodding in the direction of a blonde elleth who was scanning the crowd with a sense of urgency. Elladan let out a groan.
"That is Eirien." he said, his lips pulling back in a grimace, he brightened suddenly turning to the Lorien elf. "Do you like her? I would make the introduction but you must promise to wed her and take her back to Caras Galadhon."
"Why are you so keen to rid yourself of the flower?" Rumil asked suspiciously.
"She fancies Elladan." Elrohir replied with a heart heavy sigh, staring after the maiden "But he will have nothing of her."
"She is too young." he said practically "I do not understand why she will not pursue you, brother, you seem quite smitten."
"Aye." Elrohir sighed, his eyes never leaving her.
"She must be two hundred." Rumil frowned, "Exactly how old do you want them?"
"Old enough to exhibit a little maturity." Elladan said with a dark frown.
"You are one to talk!" Orophin snorted. "I would much rather have them young, it gives me the chance to break them in before they get strange ideas about telling me where to leave my boots or hang my bow."
"Indelin should be more to your liking then." Elladan replied, nodding in the direction of a dark haired elleth, wringing her hands nervously in a corner.
"That is not an elleth, it is a child." Orophin shook his head, Elladan gave him a mischievous smile. "I would like them at least old enough to dress themselves." he added drily.
"Who cares." Rumil said with a grin "It is how quickly they can undress themselves that counts.
At that moment Haldir strode into the hall a look of grim determination on his face as the twins continued to inspect the crowd, Orophin gripped his brother by the back of the neck, turning him to watch.
"Where is Arwen?" Rumil asked with a low voice.
"Where ever she is, she is not with Haldir." Orophin replied, panic building in his chest. There was a nasty look forming on Elrond's face, one he found frightening and a bit disturbing.
"Sweet Elbereth, what was she thinking?" Elrohir hissed. His eyes were locked on the doors and in a moment the Lorien brothers understood why. Arwen stood on the dais at the top of the stairs, glittering like of vision of the Valar. The light cascading off her gown and the diamonds that graced her raven hair. She was beyond beautiful and even the Lorien brothers were having a hard time keeping themselves in check.
"Look at my sister like that again Rumil, and I will cut your heart out." Elladan said casually. Rumil snapped his jaw shut, shaking his head vigorously. The twins were watching Arwen like a pair of cobras guarding a nest but the two younger elves were watching their brother who looked nearly ill as Legolas drew the lady onto the dance floor.
"Things are not progressing as we had planned." Orophin whispered to his brother, his face contorting in a pained expression as he watched Haldir. Rumil cringed, their older brother was standing as still as stone on the other side of the hall, watching Arwen turn on the dance floor in the arms of the Mirkwood prince.
"I believe our plan has backfired." Rumil shook his head.
"It seems Legolas has picked his flower." Elladan chuckled. "He will have a very lonely night if he continues to dance with her like that."
"Aye," Elrohir agreed with a grin "No other elleth will touch him now." Rumil and Orophin stared at Arwen and Legolas with open mouths and exchanged petrified glances before slipping a few paces away.
"Do you think she has pledged to Legolas?" Rumil asked, his voice a bit higher than normal.
"Aye," Orophin nodded, "so it would seem. But I do not think her family suspects."
"Well, we must break them up!" Rumil insisted with a hint of panic. "Haldir will fade, you know he will!"
"We cannot force her!" Orophin replied, struggling to keep his voice down.
"We only have to keep her from binding to him." Rumil hissed "Haldir can follow her around for the next ten thousand years working up his courage, once she is wed all hope is lost!"
"Aye," Orophin agreed in resignation "but we can tell no one, If Elladan and Elrohir hear of it then there will be another kin slaying." Rumil nodded in agreement. As the youngest, Rumil was fiercely loyal to Haldir. He had no memory at all of their parents and as far as he was concerned there was no greater elf in all Middle-Earth than his oldest brother. Orophin worried for Haldir but he worried just as much for Rumil if anything should happen to his hero.
"What we need," Rumil whispered, scanning the crowd. "Is a little distraction."
*******************************************************
"Celeborn, faer nin" Galadriel whispered softly as they danced.
"What is it, meleth nin?" he asked with a smile.
"I fear something is wrong."
"Is this like the time you thought your mirror showed orcs in Lothlorien and instead it was only Haldir and his brothers covered in mud from playing in the forrest all day?
"I will thank you kindly not to repeat that again." she said crossly "and you must admit that those three elflings were always so filthy that it was an easy mistake."
"Aye," he smiled, trying not to laugh. "I did not know an elf could be so graceless."
"Haldir was not graceless," Galadriel replied, smiling in spite of herself "He was an elfling himself, and far too young to be raising children."
"Especially those two children." Celeborn chuckled.
"Do you think we were wrong to allow it?" she asked hesitantly, it was seldom that she second guessed herself and only when it involved those she loved. "There were many who would have taken them to foster."
"Haldir had our guidance." Celeborn pointed out. In truth, he and Galadriel had as much a hand in raising Rumil and Orophin as Haldir had, "It would have been wrong to part them, you know this. You should not fret over it, I think they turned out quite well." Galadriel smiled, watching the two young elves with her grandsons.
"Something will happen this night." Galadriel whispered, her voice growing low, "Something that will at first appear small, but its power will grow and it will stretch across middle-earth."
"You are certain?" he asked, she nodded against his shoulder. "Then there remains but one question, do we help it or hinder it?"
"I do not know." she whispered. Celeborn smiled down at the top of her delicate head. Even now, after countless millennia, she could make his heart flutter. He longed to kiss her, passionately, tenderly, a kiss that would set all Imladris on its ear. He would not do that to her, for all her power he knew that deep inside she was a shy little elleth who would die of embarrassment if he took such a liberty in public. Still, it was tempting.
"You will know it when you see it, Meleth nin." he soothed, "You will know what to do."
**********************************************************
Indelin hid behind one of the pillars, biting her fingers nervously as she peered out at Orophin. The handsome elf was conversing in low tones with his brother, apparently upset by something happening in the hall. She didn't have any idea what could have happened to make them frown so fiercely but she took it as a bad sign.
"Columns do not dance, Indelin." Eirien giggled, creeping up beside her and peeking around the other side at Elladan.
"Eirien, this is a horrible idea." Indelin said in despair. "I might just as well content myself to be a maiden forever. I can not approach him!"
"Nonsense." Meril snapped, pausing behind them and folding her arms over her chest angrily as she glared at the back of Arwen's head. She had not planned on competing with the Evenstar and from the looks of things something would have to be done about the situation quickly. "We will accept no excuses this time Indelin."
"You will march over there and you will ask for a dance." Eirien added, grabbing her arm and giving a tug.
"No, but.... wait!" Indelin stammered as she dug in her heels. Meril gave her a firm shove and before she could stop herself she was following Eirien in the direction of the Lorien wardens and the twins.
"Now." Meril whispered, her eyes narrowing, "to business."
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faer nin - my soul
meleth nin - my love
*******************************************************
This chapter really ran away with me on length so I had to cut it in two. That means there are now two chapters to go before the much anticipated meeting of Arwen and Aragorn. Sorry all, author's prerogative.
Kath - thanks for the review, sorry about the unsigned block, I'm new at this, At 20 I figured Aragorn was probably just as naive as the rest of us. After all, he's in his nineties by the time LOTR takes place, most men manage to grow up given 60 or 70 years.
Converted - sleep is good, get some. Seriously, did Aragorn come off nervous and clueless or was it just bad dialog?
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6. Dancing Around the Issues
"You are late my daughter." Elrond said with a soft smile, drawing Arwen's hand to his arm and escorting her across the hall.
"I apologize, father." she replied "I needed to change my gown." He looked from his daughter, defiantly refusing to make eye contact with anyone in the room, to Haldir who looked very much as if he had just swallowed a live frog. What in arda was wrong with that elf?
"I had thought that Haldir was escorting you to the ball." he said in a low voice.
"I am sure he has better things to do with his time." she said, forcing a smile. "Shall we dance Ada?"
"Perhaps you would dance with someone closer to your own age." he hinted. That wretched headache was building again and he rubbed his forehead absently. He glanced down at his daughter, wrestling back a groan of frustration. Why did he never have any idea what was going on in his own house?
Legolas watched their exchange, cringing inwardly. He had known Arwen long enough to tell when she was upset but it seemed to be a skill her father lacked. She appeared to be only moments from a complete breakdown and Elrond was too busy hunting a future son-in-law to notice. He cursed the Elf Lord under his breath considering for a moment letting the whole fiasco blow up in his face. He sighed in resignation, it would never do.
"Undomiel!" he said brightly, slipping up beside her. "You are not dancing."
"I noticed." she replied. Her voice was warm but her sparkling eyes dripped venom. It was time he took the situation into his own hands before some elf ended up missing an arm.
"My Lord, might I beg the company of your daughter?" Elrond gave a nod and Legolas swept Arwen onto the dance floor.
"Thank you." she whispered softly, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Dare I ask what happened?" Legolas whispered back.
"Trust me," Arwen sighed "You would rather not know and I would rather not tell you." He drew her closer, letting his lips brush her cheek. He knew she would think nothing of it and he cared very little who else might notice them dancing so intimately.
"Undomiel," he frowned, "I am your protector, tell me what you want me to do and you know I will not hesitate." She tilted her head to look into his eyes, tears threatening to spill at any moment.
"Dance with me as if you loved me." she pleaded.
"I do love you." he said gently. "You are my dearest friend."
"No Legolas," She whispered, a single tear falling, "Dance with me as if I were Luthien and you were Beren and in all Arda no one will ever be loved as you love me." Legolas kissed her forehead, drawing his arms around her possessively, his breath soft against her ear.
If his Undomiel wanted her fantasy then, by the Valar, she would have it.
**********************************************************
"That one is not so bad." Rumil said, nodding in the direction of a blonde elleth who was scanning the crowd with a sense of urgency. Elladan let out a groan.
"That is Eirien." he said, his lips pulling back in a grimace, he brightened suddenly turning to the Lorien elf. "Do you like her? I would make the introduction but you must promise to wed her and take her back to Caras Galadhon."
"Why are you so keen to rid yourself of the flower?" Rumil asked suspiciously.
"She fancies Elladan." Elrohir replied with a heart heavy sigh, staring after the maiden "But he will have nothing of her."
"She is too young." he said practically "I do not understand why she will not pursue you, brother, you seem quite smitten."
"Aye." Elrohir sighed, his eyes never leaving her.
"She must be two hundred." Rumil frowned, "Exactly how old do you want them?"
"Old enough to exhibit a little maturity." Elladan said with a dark frown.
"You are one to talk!" Orophin snorted. "I would much rather have them young, it gives me the chance to break them in before they get strange ideas about telling me where to leave my boots or hang my bow."
"Indelin should be more to your liking then." Elladan replied, nodding in the direction of a dark haired elleth, wringing her hands nervously in a corner.
"That is not an elleth, it is a child." Orophin shook his head, Elladan gave him a mischievous smile. "I would like them at least old enough to dress themselves." he added drily.
"Who cares." Rumil said with a grin "It is how quickly they can undress themselves that counts.
At that moment Haldir strode into the hall a look of grim determination on his face as the twins continued to inspect the crowd, Orophin gripped his brother by the back of the neck, turning him to watch.
"Where is Arwen?" Rumil asked with a low voice.
"Where ever she is, she is not with Haldir." Orophin replied, panic building in his chest. There was a nasty look forming on Elrond's face, one he found frightening and a bit disturbing.
"Sweet Elbereth, what was she thinking?" Elrohir hissed. His eyes were locked on the doors and in a moment the Lorien brothers understood why. Arwen stood on the dais at the top of the stairs, glittering like of vision of the Valar. The light cascading off her gown and the diamonds that graced her raven hair. She was beyond beautiful and even the Lorien brothers were having a hard time keeping themselves in check.
"Look at my sister like that again Rumil, and I will cut your heart out." Elladan said casually. Rumil snapped his jaw shut, shaking his head vigorously. The twins were watching Arwen like a pair of cobras guarding a nest but the two younger elves were watching their brother who looked nearly ill as Legolas drew the lady onto the dance floor.
"Things are not progressing as we had planned." Orophin whispered to his brother, his face contorting in a pained expression as he watched Haldir. Rumil cringed, their older brother was standing as still as stone on the other side of the hall, watching Arwen turn on the dance floor in the arms of the Mirkwood prince.
"I believe our plan has backfired." Rumil shook his head.
"It seems Legolas has picked his flower." Elladan chuckled. "He will have a very lonely night if he continues to dance with her like that."
"Aye," Elrohir agreed with a grin "No other elleth will touch him now." Rumil and Orophin stared at Arwen and Legolas with open mouths and exchanged petrified glances before slipping a few paces away.
"Do you think she has pledged to Legolas?" Rumil asked, his voice a bit higher than normal.
"Aye," Orophin nodded, "so it would seem. But I do not think her family suspects."
"Well, we must break them up!" Rumil insisted with a hint of panic. "Haldir will fade, you know he will!"
"We cannot force her!" Orophin replied, struggling to keep his voice down.
"We only have to keep her from binding to him." Rumil hissed "Haldir can follow her around for the next ten thousand years working up his courage, once she is wed all hope is lost!"
"Aye," Orophin agreed in resignation "but we can tell no one, If Elladan and Elrohir hear of it then there will be another kin slaying." Rumil nodded in agreement. As the youngest, Rumil was fiercely loyal to Haldir. He had no memory at all of their parents and as far as he was concerned there was no greater elf in all Middle-Earth than his oldest brother. Orophin worried for Haldir but he worried just as much for Rumil if anything should happen to his hero.
"What we need," Rumil whispered, scanning the crowd. "Is a little distraction."
*******************************************************
"Celeborn, faer nin" Galadriel whispered softly as they danced.
"What is it, meleth nin?" he asked with a smile.
"I fear something is wrong."
"Is this like the time you thought your mirror showed orcs in Lothlorien and instead it was only Haldir and his brothers covered in mud from playing in the forrest all day?
"I will thank you kindly not to repeat that again." she said crossly "and you must admit that those three elflings were always so filthy that it was an easy mistake."
"Aye," he smiled, trying not to laugh. "I did not know an elf could be so graceless."
"Haldir was not graceless," Galadriel replied, smiling in spite of herself "He was an elfling himself, and far too young to be raising children."
"Especially those two children." Celeborn chuckled.
"Do you think we were wrong to allow it?" she asked hesitantly, it was seldom that she second guessed herself and only when it involved those she loved. "There were many who would have taken them to foster."
"Haldir had our guidance." Celeborn pointed out. In truth, he and Galadriel had as much a hand in raising Rumil and Orophin as Haldir had, "It would have been wrong to part them, you know this. You should not fret over it, I think they turned out quite well." Galadriel smiled, watching the two young elves with her grandsons.
"Something will happen this night." Galadriel whispered, her voice growing low, "Something that will at first appear small, but its power will grow and it will stretch across middle-earth."
"You are certain?" he asked, she nodded against his shoulder. "Then there remains but one question, do we help it or hinder it?"
"I do not know." she whispered. Celeborn smiled down at the top of her delicate head. Even now, after countless millennia, she could make his heart flutter. He longed to kiss her, passionately, tenderly, a kiss that would set all Imladris on its ear. He would not do that to her, for all her power he knew that deep inside she was a shy little elleth who would die of embarrassment if he took such a liberty in public. Still, it was tempting.
"You will know it when you see it, Meleth nin." he soothed, "You will know what to do."
**********************************************************
Indelin hid behind one of the pillars, biting her fingers nervously as she peered out at Orophin. The handsome elf was conversing in low tones with his brother, apparently upset by something happening in the hall. She didn't have any idea what could have happened to make them frown so fiercely but she took it as a bad sign.
"Columns do not dance, Indelin." Eirien giggled, creeping up beside her and peeking around the other side at Elladan.
"Eirien, this is a horrible idea." Indelin said in despair. "I might just as well content myself to be a maiden forever. I can not approach him!"
"Nonsense." Meril snapped, pausing behind them and folding her arms over her chest angrily as she glared at the back of Arwen's head. She had not planned on competing with the Evenstar and from the looks of things something would have to be done about the situation quickly. "We will accept no excuses this time Indelin."
"You will march over there and you will ask for a dance." Eirien added, grabbing her arm and giving a tug.
"No, but.... wait!" Indelin stammered as she dug in her heels. Meril gave her a firm shove and before she could stop herself she was following Eirien in the direction of the Lorien wardens and the twins.
"Now." Meril whispered, her eyes narrowing, "to business."
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faer nin - my soul
meleth nin - my love
*******************************************************
This chapter really ran away with me on length so I had to cut it in two. That means there are now two chapters to go before the much anticipated meeting of Arwen and Aragorn. Sorry all, author's prerogative.
Kath - thanks for the review, sorry about the unsigned block, I'm new at this, At 20 I figured Aragorn was probably just as naive as the rest of us. After all, he's in his nineties by the time LOTR takes place, most men manage to grow up given 60 or 70 years.
Converted - sleep is good, get some. Seriously, did Aragorn come off nervous and clueless or was it just bad dialog?
