Chapter 24: Reflection
"…Listen Florien, go home to Naneth. I will tell my father that you came but had an urgent private reason to return home… I will come by tonight…" Tonus could not cry in front of his son, he knew he had to be strong for his son after loosing Locien. Florien nodded and before leaving told Firelien that Cield wanted her.
Florien went home quickly. He passed through town, and although he wanted to get away from everything as soon as possible he halted in front of one of the little shops. The merchant gave him an angry look, not wanting to have the little thief near his goods.
"How much is that, sir?" Florien pointed to a wooden flute. Florien knew that if he could learn to play the flute, maybe people would pay him to play it. It would earn him more money for his family, well, for his mother and him, they no longer really where a family without Locien.
"That is one hundred silver pennies. Will you be paying for it, or do you expect me to turn around so you may steal it?" The merchant asked. Florien sighed.
"I will not steal it and I cannot afford it." Florien looked in his pocket. He had a few pennies, hardly enough to equal the price of the flute, and the pennies he had where to use on food, though there was not much he could buy with a few pennies.
Florien left the shops, still upset. He wondered how long it would take him to save up to afford the flute. He entered his home and Yáviel greeted him, giving her child an embrace.
"I told adar. He was not too upset, but he was clearly holding back his emotions. He looked ready to cry. Adar said to return home, he told me I could not work in my conditions." Florien said. Yáviel nodded.
"Go rest ion-nin, I will go make you a nice warm bath to relax in." Yáviel brought her child to his bed and Florien lay down as he was asked too.
"I'm going to miss him a lot. I did not really care about him when he was around but… He was always there for me. He was always trying to help me… If I did not understand my schoolwork he always tried to explain it. Whenever I got hurt he would rip his own tunic up to make a bandage for me, if it were necessary. And I hated him anyways. But I really loved him and now he'll never know that." Florien began to cry again.
"Florien, he knew how much you loved him. He did not need to here it from you, he knew." Yáviel said before she left to prepare a bath for her son.
Florien looked at everything around him. This morning a lot of what he saw was Locien's. He supposed he would keep some of it and what was not needed could be sold, such as Locien's bed.
Florien sat in thought about Locien just until his mother calling him for his bath pulled him out of thought.
Florien went up the stairs and entered the bathroom. In front of him was a bath, and what pleased him very much was the steam coming from the water. Usually Florien was forced to take cold, cold bathes because he had not the time to boil the bathwater.
"It will be hot Florien." Yáviel warned as her son dropped his leggings and pulled off his tunic. Yáviel did not allow him in yet, and whilst he stood waiting she added some bubbles. Then she forced Florien to wait until the water had cooled down a bit.
Florien stepped in the bath when his mother finally believed it was cool enough. Yáviel left to give her son privacy in his bath, and whilst Florien bathed Tonus came over. Florien was not planning on leaving the bath yet, but could hear his parents talking and crying.
"Florien has no siblings now… I feel so bad for him Tonus!" His mother cried.
"I feel as though we betrayed Locien. We adopted him and he died in our care." Tonus said, Florien hearing his father let out a soft sob.
Florien heard his mother say something about floor and bath, so he figured she must have said Florien is taking a bath.
Florien heard a knock on the door.
"Florien, it is adar… May I come in?" Tonus asked from outside.
"Yes." Florien replied softly. Tonus opened the door and sat near the bath, looking at Florien, who looked more relaxed than he did at the palace but still tense and upset.
"I know you must be devastated by your brother's passing… Is there anything I could give you to ease your pain?" Tonus asked. Florien thought about it, and all he wanted was that flute though it could not replace his brother, maybe his misery would be enough to get his father to buy it.
"N-no…" Florien said, though Tonus could tell from the boy's tone of voice that the lad was unsure.
"Anything, Florien. Is there something in the stores you have your eyes on?" Tonus asked. He could tell his son wanted something.
"I saw a flute I really liked but… It could not replace Locien." Florien said. Tonus took his son by his shoulders and gently turned him so Tonus was facing his son's back.
"Ada, what are you doing?" Florien asked, looking behind him as his father put his hands on his shoulders.
"Hush, tell me if you like this… and about this flute, what was it's price?" Tonus asked.
Tonus rubbed Florien's shoulders and began to give his son a massage. Florien sighed and settled down.
"That feels nice. Thank you. It was one hundred silver pennies." Florien said. Tonus stopped massaging and gasped.
"That's a lot ion." Tonus said, continuing to rub his child's back.
"I know…" Florien sighed. "I miss Locien a lot ada." Florien whispered.
"I know you do. We all do…" Tonus whispered, ending his massage.
"That felt wonderful ada. Thank you." Florien was kissed on his cheek.
"I shall leave you in peace my son, I must talk to your mother." Tonus stood up and left the bathroom, heading to his bedroom where Yáviel was.
"I asked Florien if there was anything I could give him that would cheer him up, he said he would like a very expensive flute he saw today. Perhaps I can make him one similar to what he saw, though I am not too well with making instruments." Tonus admitted, sitting beside Yáviel.
"I think I know what might lighten him, Yáviel, but I will need your help in making this…" Tonus whispered in Yáviel's ear.
"What is this, Tonus?"
"Florien just lost his adopted brother… We could always get him another sibling, this time a real sibling." Tonus smiled. "He's in the bath, he'd never know what we where up to." The prince added with a sly grin.
Legolas sighed. He knew he must be in trouble; his father had called him to his study. The young prince went over everything in his head that he had done. Maybe ada found out it had been him who had thrown the tomato at his father's advisor two days ago.
Legolas pushed open the door to his father's study. Thranduil sat on his chair and had been waiting for Legolas.
"It took you some time to get here." Thranduil said.
"Sorry ada. I was delayed." Legolas spoke the truth, one of the servants had dropped a glass and he had been kind enough to help that servant clean up the broken pieces.
"I called you here to tell you that we will be having guests over soon. I expect they will arrive in a day or more." Thranduil said. Legolas was very relieved to find out he was not in trouble.
"Who are coming over, ada?" Legolas asked curiously.
"Lord Elrond and his children." Thranduil could not help but smile when Legolas grinned excitedly.
"Including Estel?" Legolas asked. Thranduil nodded.
"Including Estel. Now Legolas, they are here on a friendly visit and I do not want any disobedience whilst they are here, or it will result in punishment after they leave." Thranduil said before Legolas merrily skipped out of the room singing what sounded like the 'Estel is coming over' song.
Thranduil smiled and got back to his work. He had papers to fill out that had been delayed because this morning he had been playing with his granddaughter Malfinniel.
"Ada." Nenmir whispered, crawling into Thranduil's room. Again Thranduil was disturbed whilst working, but picked up the child anyhow. Nenmir look distressed.
"Ada?" Nenmir was ready to cry. Thranduil cooed to the little elfling.
"Let's go find your ada, alright Nenmir?"
"Nenmir me." Nenmir smiled, clutching his grandfather's robes as they walked down the halls in search of Cield.
"Ada, you found him!" Cield ran up to his father and grabbed Nenmir from his arms, kissing the elfling all over his face.
"Never scare me like that Nenmir!" Cield whispered.
"Where were you, Cield?" Thranduil asked.
"We where playing outside and I turned my back on his for a couple minutes and he was gone when I looked at him again!" Cield said, cuddling the elfling who giggled as his ada tickled him.
"Watch him better Cield. Where is Malfinniel?" Thranduil asked. Cield thought for a moment and gasped.
"Malfinniel!" Cield ran outside, recalling that he had left his daughter out in the courtyard unsupervised.
"Amateur father." Thranduil muttered as he followed Cield outside to make sure things where all right with his granddaughter.
To be continued…