27. Cob Lob and Jumble

"Is our package delivered?" Rumil asked in a low voice as his brother emerged from the door behind him on silent feet.

"I left it with her morning mail." Orophin replied with a wide grin as they hurried down the corridor. "She will think it came with her regular post."

"What do you suppose she will do when she reads it?" Rumil asked, pausing with a frown.

"You know how elleths are." Orophin shrugged, "It is not elves they love, it is romance. There are a hundred elves more fair and charming than I in Imladris, yet none of them have had more admirers."

"Yes well, do not fret brother." Rumil grinned cheekily "All elves can not have my beauty."

"Or vanity." Orophin added, giving him a jab in the ribs.

"Aye, well, you are right." Rumil nodded "When the lady reads our love letter she will likely give her heart to him out of the romantic nonsense of it all."

"We have only to wait and be patient." Orophin said with a satisfied smile.

************************

"Hurry, we do not wish to be found here." Elrohir whispered to his twin, he stood guard at the open doorway as Elladan scurried into the room, leaving their letter with the others in the middle of Glorfindel's desk before hurrying back out again. They eased the door shut with a click and grinned at each other like madd fools.

"All too easy." Elladan said, clapping a hand on his brother's shoulder and leading him toward the great hall and breakfast.

***********************

Legolas stared at Arwen as he picked absently at the food on his plate. She was happy beyond all reason this morning and it was beginning to worry him just a very little. She laughed and joked, gracing him with that sweet smile of hers and a mischievous twinkle in her eye. It could only mean one thing. She was hiding something.

It was not that he cared so very much what she might do. Her schemes had only rarely been at his expense. No, his real worry was whether or not she planned to involve him in her plot, and more to the point, what he would be blamed for.

"Mellon, do you not feel well? You have hardly touched your breakfast." she said gently.

"I am too distracted wondering what fell deeds await me this day." he said with a smirk "You are entirely to happy, what have you done?"

"Oh Legolas," she laughed, "Why must you always think that if I am happy I must have done something wicked?"

"Because there is no joy like a well plotted prank." he replied, causing her to laugh again. "Tell me, do your dear brothers still have all their hair?"

"Still firmly rooted in place." she giggled.

"It is the proper color?" Legolas teased "It is not blue?"

"No"

"Green?"

"No!"

"Red?"

"Legolas!" She crinkled her nose, pulling a face at him and making him chuckle.

"They have not eaten any form of rodent... again?" He asked hesitantly.

"Really!" she scowled in irritation. "Why must you all keep bringing that up?" Legolas looked at the sausage speared on the end of his fork with a furrowed brow.

"Undomiel, what is in the sausage?" he asked uneasily. His question was met with a rather stinging slap to his arm and he chuckled as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"I liked you far better when you were not so..."

"Cautious, wary, prudent?" Legolas offered helpfully.

"Cynical." she said with a frown. He met her glare with one of equal determination and they stared at each other in silence as the moments passed. Finally they both burst into laughter.

"Only swear that you will not drag me into anything for which your Adar will wish to strangle me... again." Legolas chuckled.

"I shall not do a thing you will be in trouble for." Arwen giggled, taking his hand. He looked down at her small delicate hand in his, a tender smile forming on his face.

"You will not tell me your secret?" he asked gently.

"You will know my secret soon enough." she replied giving him a playful squeeze, "When have I ever kept a secret from you for long?"

"Speaking of secrets, Undomiel." he said, drawing in a deep steadying breath. "There is something I really must tell you."

"Lady Arwen?"

Legolas sighed miserably as she turned away from him at the sound of her name.

"Indelin!" Arwen said with a delighted smile, rushing to draw the younger elleth into a firm embrace before holding her out at arms length. "I am sorry I have not had the chance to see you since I returned. Oh, you look so grown up."

"I did not wish to interrupt." Indelin apologized, blushing slightly at the annoyed expression on Legolas's face. "I was on my way to my room to collect a letter for my parents. The courier is leaving for Mithlond and Erestor asked me to see if you had a letter for your Naneth."

"Oh, dear Valar! I forgot." Arwen said, she turned apologetically to Legolas "I have to go, the courier will not wait."

"We should go hunting!" Legolas suggested quickly.

"Yes... but not today." She answered as if remembering something.

"Tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes, fine, tomorrow morning." Arwen agreed hastily, she paused on her way out, turning back to look at him. "Legolas, I am sorry." His only answer was a smile and to shoo her back into the house. Without another word she hurried off, taking Indelin with her.

As soon as she was gone Legolas let his head fall on the table with a sigh and a rattle of dishes. At this rate, by the time he had a chance to tell her they were supposed to be involved romantically she would have announced her betrothal to someone else.

***********************

Glorfindel hummed lightly to himself as he made his way to his study. It was a particularly fine morning for autumn and he considered leaving his paperwork for later and heading down to the ranges for a bit of recreation. As he entered his study he noticed the morning mail had been delivered and he collected it, flipping through it quickly until he came to a rather odd envelope. Or, rather, odd in the sense that it had come from an elleth.

The paper was quit obviously the sort favored by the fairer sex, embossed with flowers and inked in pastels. There was no address nor did the seal give any indication as to the writer. He found this puzzling, it could only mean that the writer of the letter must live in Imladris and he could think of no one, at least no female that should bother to write to him, much less one who could just as easily speak to him personally.
He broke the seal curiously and read the first few lines. He drew in a startled breath, coughing in surprise and his eyes quickly darted to the end of the letter and the signature.

Undomiel lin


He chuckled in spite of himself. Obviously the letter had been delivered to the wrong person. He folded it quickly, feeling rather guilty for having seen something so personal. Of course it was an honest mistake. He would simply offer his apologies and see that the letter was delivered to the proper elf.

************************

"I do appreciate you taking your time for this Indelin." Arwen said with a smile.

"It is no trouble." Indelin assured, "Your room is not so very far from mine, If I must take my own letter I might just as well take yours."

"How are you fairing on your own, now?" Arwen asked.

"Oh, not so very badly." Indelin shrugged "I have my friends, and your Adar was very good to promise my parents that I would be looked after."

"Ada is very fond of them both," Arwen said with a smile "He told me once that your Naneth was the finest healer he ever trained. I hear you are becoming quite a fine healer yourself." Indelin blushed at the compliment and Arwen giggled as both elleths entered her room. She went to her desk quickly and scooped up the letters.

"The post must be late this morning." she said with a frown, passing the small stack of letters to Indelin. "I was expecting a letter from Lorien."

"Lady Arwen," Indelin said hesitantly "might I ask you a question?"

"Indelin, you know you can ask me anything." Arwen said gently.

"How," she took a deep breath, looking at the floor "How do you know when you have romantic feelings for someone?"

"Indelin," Arwen said with a grin, "have you caught an elf's eye?"

"Well, no, that is, I am not certain." She sighed miserably "I thought we were just friends but now..." her voice trailed off uneasily. Arwen smiled softly, drawing an arm around her shoulders.

"I am afraid I am a poor one to give advice on that subject." she replied "Do you have any idea that he might return your feelings?"

"No," Indelin whispered softly "In fact, I think he is in love with someone else." Arwen was silent a moment before cupping a hand under Indelin's chin and meeting her gaze.

"If he loves another it will only break your heart." she said softly "I am sorry Indelin." The young elleth only nodded, clutching the letters tightly as she made her way to her room. She set the letters down on a stack of books as she rummaged through the drawer of her writing desk. A cool breeze drifted through the windows and she did not notice that it sent the top letter fluttering to her desk. She swept up the remaining letters placing hers on top and hurried from the room, never seeing the letter on her desk bearing the family crest of Haldir of Lorien.

************************

Arwen paused as she left her room, for some reason there seemed to be a heaviness in the corridor she could not explain. The feeling only seemed to increase as she made her way toward the terrace at the end of the hall and she paused at the edge of the sunlit doorway, peering anxiously around the corner.

"Estel?" she asked softly. He had hidden himself in a corner behind a trellis, sitting on a stone ledge. He closed his eyes, drawing in a shaky breath at the sound of her voice and when he opened them again he looked up at her with an almost wounded expression.

"Estel, whatever is the matter?" she asked, slipping into the alcove beside him and laying a hand on his face.

"I can not be a king Arwen." he whispered "I know it is what everyone expects but I am not good enough. I am nothing like ada, if I am the hope of men then men have no hope at all."

"What has he said to you?" she asked gently, caressing his cheek.

"That Sauron will return, that if men will not unite then they will fall." he replied, swallowing hard. She took a deep breath, a sad smile forming on her face.

"What he says is true." she replied. She saw the tears in his eyes, though he refused to shed them and she wrapped her arms around his chest, laying her head on his shoulder.

"They are your people," Arwen said gently, "Would you not try to save them?"

"Arwen," he sighed miserably, holding her close. "Isildur was too weak to resist the One Ring. My own father was too weak to stand against the orcs. I am an arrogant fool if I think myself a better man than them."

"I think you a better man." Arwen replied, smoothing back his hair and planting a tender kiss on his cheek. "You are honest and true, wise beyond your years, compassionate. No man could ask for a better king."

"Arwen," he laid his hand over hers, pressing it against his cheek "what if I should fail?"

"Aragorn," she smiled, shaking her head "what if you should never try at all?"

************************

Legolas could not truthfully decide if he would rather scream in frustration or simply leave now while he still could. Any hope he had of telling Arwen of his conversation with her father seemed to be fading fast. The longer it continued the more likely she would be to be angry over it. He frowned as he made his way back into the house. On top of everything he was becoming more and more suspicious that she had developed feelings for someone, someone she felt her father would not approve of if her current behavior were any indication. Perhaps it would be simpler to drug her and take her back to Mirkwood until her good sense returned.

"Legolas?" he looked up to see Glorfindel leaning out of the doorway of his study.

"My Lord?" the prince replied.

"This was meant for you but I opened it by mistake with my own mail." the balrog slayer said, holding out a letter to him. "I do apologize."

"There is no need." Legolas said hastily, taking the letter from him "such things happen."

"I did not read beyond the first line." Glorfindel added. "I am sorry for the invasion of your privacy." Legolas assured him there was no need for worry and continued down the passage to his room, unfolding the letter.

"No." he stopped dead in the middle of the hall, his hand shaking ever so slightly as he stared at the parchment in his hand. His breath was coming in short gasps and he read the letter again to assure himself that he had read it correctly.


Mellon nin Mell,

I write to tell you that which I find I still cannot say but which my heart can no longer hold in silence. Long have you been my confidant, my friend, the one I have turned to for comfort, even since I was an elfling but it is not of our friendship that I wish to speak. The past has weighed heavy on my heart and though I sought comfort with my mothers kin it has not eased the sorrow. I had thought that I simply missed Imladris and my family but now that I am once more at home I find that it is not the company of my Adar and brothers that I have so keenly missed. It is you.
Perhaps Adar would not approve but I do not care. I cannot hide what I feel for you any longer. If I can have nothing more I would be content just have you hold me in your arms, only say that we shall not be parted. I shall remain forever...

Undomiel lin

Legolas leaned against the wall for support, hardly able to breath as he read the letter for the third time. If anything it only sounded worse and he rubbed his forehead as the passage began to sway around him.

It was an unqualified disaster! It was impossible! It was... clearly spelled out on the parchment now shaking madly in his hand.

"Dear Valar." he breathed, closing his eyes as the whole of Imladris seemed to close in on him.

There was no denying it. Arwen was in love with him.

************************

Author's note - Special thanks to Toni and Neume on this chapter for teaching me how to pass notes. Without their help this disaster would not have been possible.

************************

Undomiel lin - Your Undomiel

Mellon nin Mell - My dear friend


********************

dragonfly - I'm sure that answers your question

Yavanna - Erestor might come off as serious but he really is a terrible tease, he's just more subtle

daughter-of-faeries - he's hiding... but I guess you figured that out.

Cerridwen - Even more messy than you thought.

Converted - Meril and the roses will all be explained in due time....

Kath - Aragorn, and Isildur are his brothers heirs, his twin brother's heirs. To an elf they must all be like nephews. And to a twin they would be even closer. It is sad that none of this can really be expressed in film.

Jesla - one down, one to go... care to hazard a guess about letter two?

TSS - Oh oh.
grumpy - Aragorn is going to nurse his inferiority complex. I love Erestor too.