NOTE: I hope you like this chapter, it seems terrible to me, but whatever.

Chapter Nine: Unexpected Love

Now that they were settled in their new home, Síriel began to feel the pain of childbearing. It was due more than anything to the fact that she was about five months into her gestation period, and that she did not have anything to occupy her mind as she did when she was travelling, than anything else. She spent her days in the company of her loyal friend and handmaiden, Celebrindal, sewing in the drawing room, singing or playing the harp in the music room, or reading in the large library. In the evenings it was customary for her to go for lengthy strolls with her husband. They hardly spoke during this time, being content with each other's company. At times their entire household would join them outside for a meal beneath Ithilien's trees. Síriel enjoyed these outside excursions with their household very much. She was not used to the fact that her word was the law of the house. Her memory of being ridiculed, mocked, and belittled was not far from her mind, and so she did not think of her household members as slaves or servants, but rather as equals to her, with rights and feelings, too. She did not consider herself above them, even though Legolas wedded her and she was now their lady.

During this time she wrote lengthy letters to her sire, telling him of everything that occurred. She managed to conceal her homesickness and pining for her sire from Legolas, whom she did not want to burden. Only Celebrindal knew how much she pined for her home and sire, and comforted her friend as best as she could. To her, Síriel was very grateful, and would endlessly inform her this.

"I do not know what I would do without you." she would tell her.

Celebrindal would laugh softly and shake her head.

"You always say that." the handmaiden would reply.

"Do you doubt me?" Síriel would respond.

"How could I? I know you speak the truth. Consider it a little thing done for the sake of our friendship."

"Yet I feel our friendship is changed."

"How?"

Síriel bit her lip before saying:

"You have not changed, but I. Before, I was a simple maiden, a mere river-rafter. Yet now, now I am the wife of Legolas, your lady."

Celebrindal took hold of Síriel's bronzed hands.

"You spoke the truth, to a certain extent. You did indeed change, but it is only your status that has changed. Other than that, you are the same; you are still the simple Síriel you were in Eryn Lasgalen. The other members of the household even noticed that. They assumed that now that you are Legolas' wife, you would change, and would hurl abuse and insults at them to take revenge and get even. Why only yesterday they were speaking of this matter and said how they admire and love you. Do you hear that, Síriel, love you? You are not only the queen of Legolas and his land here, edhellen (elven) Ithilien, but their hearts as well." she said.

Síriel's emerald eyes glistened with tears.

"Ai, what wonderful news this is! I never knew they thought of me in this way, and I never thought to hurt them at all! I do not hurt others unless there is a dire need to do so." she whispered.

Celebrindal knelt and wiped her friend's tears away.

"And for this I love you even more. There is no difference in your treatment to me now than it was before. It is my pleasure to attend to you, Síriel. Where others may see it as a disgrace and humiliation, I do not. You do not treat me as if I am nothing, but with love and kindness. Why do you think I agreed to be your handmaiden? No one else would understand you as I do, and we cannot be parted. I would have gone mad if I had not come with you here." she told her.

Later that night, as Síriel lay in bed with Legolas, she informed him of everything Celebrindal had told her that day.

"I love her, Legolas, and cannot live without her." she said to him.

He smiled.

"It is indeed as Celebrindal said, the household members do love you. I heard it myself today. They came and told me. I knew this would happen. To win the hearts of people, one must love everyone, and that is what you have done. Once they were isolated from the others at home and all those poisonous lies, and they saw you as you truly are, they began to question themselves and everything they had heard. As the days went by and they observed you even more, they slowly began to realize that what is said about you is not true, but festering lies. It was a lack of knowledge, Síriel, a lack of education that fed their ignorance.

"It was similar between Gimli and me. We both believed the stories of old concerning each other. Yet, when we spent more and more time with each other, we realized that we have much in common. To me, the Fellowship was a necessary union of all the races of Middle-earth. In the face of the same danger, we realized that despite our different cultures and backgrounds, we shared a common enemy, and so our goal, to destroy the Dark Lord, bonded us. Granted, it took some time before we overcame our suspicion of each other, but once it was done, we became more than friends. Our relationship is indescribable.

"My main indication is this: a lack of knowledge leads to ignorance. Only through knowledge can ignorance be overcome. And this we both know: you from Celebrindal informing you about our household members and I from my friendship with Gimli." Legolas said.

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The following morning, after the morning meal, Síriel asked the household members to remain seated after they finished eating. She glanced around at them individually before speaking.

"I pray this day has began well for you." she said to them.

They all nodded.

"Indeed it has, híril (lady)." they told her.

She smiled softly.

"I remember before Legolas wedded me, when we were all still in Eryn Lasgalen, the rumors that circulated about me. I remember the many names I was called, the humiliation I received. And never once did I defend myself, never once did I say a word. I always smiled politely at whomever it was insulting me, yet deep within me I was grievously hurt. Do you recall the rumor saying that I bewitched Legolas to love me? It goes to show just how much ignorance can lead people astray.

"Indeed, it is ignorance. Everyone of you was ignorant." Síriel said, making her household shift uncomfortably in their seats. "Yet now you are not, and it gladdens me to know now that you respect me."

She paused and smiled at them before continuing:

"Celebrindal and Legolas informed me. It pleases me, my friends, to learn that you realize your fault. Am I now right in saying that it was ignorance about me on your behalf that made you believe those lies?"

They nodded.

"We sincerely apologize. We know now that we were wrong in our assumptions about you. And for this reason, we place our lives in your eternal service. We swear to serve you faithfully." they told her.

Síriel inclined her head.

"I know you speak the truth, and it makes me glad. Go now, and may the Valar bless you." she said to them warmly.