Chapter 32
Legolas's POV
I waited in the main hall for my father that morning. Adette was being fitted for a new dress for that evening's party. My father had invited all of Mirkwood to attend so that everyone could welcome Adette and I back home. We had agreed that that night we would make the announcement about the heir Adette was expecting. I had told her I hoped that she would grow a very pregnant belly. She, in turn, had thrown me out of the room.
My father and I had some catching up to do and in that past week we had both been busy and hadn't gotten a chance to do so. We had decided to hike through the forest that morning and he was running late.
I turned as I heard footsteps rushing down the stairs. My father was dressed in his usual attire. He wore long, faded brown robes with emerald green cuffs and a matching robe clasped at the shoulders. Around his forehead was a brown circlet encrusted with emerald jewels and small, golden chips. His silvery-brown hair fell to his shoulders and was combed so that his pointed ears stuck out from beneath it.
"Legolas are you ready?" He asked, straightening one of his cuffs. He paused in front of me, catching his breath from hurrying down the stairs. I smirked, shaking my head but not speaking a word as I started for the doors. When we were outside I offered him my arm, of which he accepted.
"How has the forest fared father?" I asked him as we began our hike. I relished in the small things around me, for example, the feeling of soil beneath my feet instead of the crunch of rocks.
"Besides the occasional band of Uruk-" He stopped suddenly, and I stopped as well. I frowned when he simply stared at me.
"Father, you do not have to handle me delicately."
"Legolas after what happened to Adette you did not handle talk of Uruk-hai so well. I only look out for you son." He then started walking again although he did not resume his talk of the forest. "En laes's eithel im estel?"
(The baby's well I trust?)
He said it so nonchalantly it shocked me. What shocked me even more was the fact that he had known. Adette's belly had not grown yet and we had only spoken of the baby behind closed doors. He muse have seen the look of shock on my face for he laughed.
"When Adette and I embraced when she returned I felt the warmth from her womb. Whenever your mother and I would be close when she was with child, I could feel a tingling, heated feeling that seemed to sink through her skin and soak into mine." He then frowned, coming out of his pleasant mood. "Legolas, remember what happened the last time?"
By this time we had gotten far enough away from the elves that lived in the village surrounding the castle. We stopped walking and my father had a seat on a large rock while I stood a few feet away.
Everyone in Mirkwood had known about the miscarriage and all had been heartbroken about it. Many had vowed that if a Uruk dared to cross paths with them, they would die cruelly and painfully.
"Lord Elrond foresaw her life and she was well. She lives father." At my words he raised an eyebrow.
"She?"
I blushed. I had not meant to refer to the baby in such a way out loud.
"Yes, Arwen told us it was a girl. Her name will be Eruanna."
"A fitting name." He nodded, a smile making its way onto his face.
My father used to be a very joyous, happy man when my mother was alive. However when she passed on, his heart grew dark and he no longer was the same person he had been. He stopped laughing and smiling and had grown fond of leaving Mirkwood for long periods of time. But over time his heart had mended with the healing of time and with help from Adette. Having a woman around seemed to help him greatly.
Before I could stop myself I began to spill out my feelings to him. I had not been one to open up to my father about such personal things but that morning I did.
"I felt her father. I could feel her jump from within Adette against my hand. Oh at such an early stage it seems so…" My voice trailed off as I caught my father's frozen smile. I became embarrassed and scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. "It is an amazing feeling."
"Did I ever tell you about the first time you responded to me?" He asked after a time. I felt my brow furrow and sat down cross legged on the ground beside the rock.
"No father."
"Your mother had been carrying you for six months to the day. That day we decided to go for a walk through the forest, just as we did today. I had one arm wrapped around her waist, my hand was splayed out over her stomach, when we passed a group of elves practicing archery. All of a sudden I felt something against my hand. It felt as though your mother had suddenly moved. She gasped and I thought something was wrong but she smiled and I realized that you had responded to me. From then on whenever we would happen to witness archery you would jump again."
Something about my father's story brought tears to my eyes although a grin was spread out across my face. When my father turned his head towards me I saw tears in his eyes as well and it troubled me. I had not seen him cry in a very long time.
"Father," I quickly brushed away tears that had escaped, "I don't know how to…"
He suddenly pulled me against him in a hug. This only made more of my tears break through my attempts to blink them away. I felt tears against my shoulder as my father pulled me closer. I returned his embrace.
"Díheno anim en té nin dimb prestannen mín." He apologized. When he did I pulled away from him, one hand still on his shoulder as one of his lingered on mine.
(Forgive me for the way my sadness affected us.)
"There is nothing to forgive father. I never stopped loving you because I understood that you were in pain when nana died."
"Im míl le nin iond." He squeezed my shoulder.
(I love you my son.)
"Im míl le ada." I replied, slowly letting go of his shoulder. He shook me, and we both laughed as we dried our tears. I had waited years for my father to tell me that he loved me again, for I had not heard it since my mother had died. Perhaps life would turn out after all.
(I love you daddy.)
Adette's POV
"Take a deep breath." Celebriän instructed. I gripped the bed frame for support as I sucked in even more air. I felt her pulling harder on the strings and nearly exhaled. I could feel my face growing red and was about to give up when suddenly she patted my shoulder. "Alright it's tied."
I let out the breath I had been holding and turned to face Celebriän. She stepped back to overlook her work, nodding in satisfaction. She then reached for the brush and began to work with my hair.
The dress was made of a royal blue color with a shine to it. The bodice was of the same color and at the top it was embroidered with a very intricate design used with a black material. Beads added to the design but it cut off at the puffy sleeves. The skirts of the dress rippled down in layers. A few inches from the bottom more of the black material circled the dress with added beads as well.
"It is a shame what happened to your hair Princess Adette." She sighed, pulling my hair back. I felt her braiding it and sighing in frustration at the length. Without letting go of my braid she grabbed a ribbon from the wardrobe and tied the end of it. "There you are."
I slowly moved towards the mirror, staring in shock at the woman in the reflection. She was very flushed from lack of air and her breasts were pushed together, making them look much larger than they really were. Her waist looked inhumanely tiny. That was not me.
"Celebriän-" I reached behind me to reach for the ties.
"Ah, Prince Legolas is here Princess Adette." I then heard footsteps leave and another pair approach from behind. A hand went over my eyes while another laid right beneath my neck. Someone blew air out close to my ear.
"Guess who." Legolas chuckled. I moved his hands away with little effort and he frowned at the reflection, turning me around to face him. "I am not partial to this color of your skin dúlinn. Your corset should not be so tight."
"Well I couldn't tell Celebriän." I managed to say. He shook his head and moved his arms around me.
"You can barely speak dúlinn." He muttered against my neck as he untied the back of my dress. I felt a rush of air race through my body and sighed in relief. He carefully redid the knot so that it was no longer suffocating me. When he was finished he pulled away. "How does that feel?"
"Better thank you."
"I am sure she appreciates it." He motioned with his eyes to my stomach before frowning once again, his eyes looking past me at the reflection. I rolled my eyes.
"What is it now? Am I that ugly?"
His eyes widened in surprise at my words, his eyebrows arched high over them. He then slowly took the braid in his hands without taking his eyes from mine, and untied the ribbon.
"Not at all. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, however Celebriän does not do your hair like I do." Without another word he quickly pulled the usual two sections back and braided them, using the mirror behind me as his tool. "Now," he sighed when he finished, "will you tell my why you are upset?"
I moved away from Legolas and sat down on the edge of the bed. He moved after me, getting down on one knee before me. He took my hands into his and kissed them repeatedly, waiting for me to speak.
"When we tell everyone," I cleared my throat and he looked up from my hands to meet my eyes, "no one will think that she will live. They will all guess when I will miscarry again and I fear that they won't take it seriously. What if they don't think that an heir who is only partly elven is good enough? What-"
"Hush Adette, hush." He sat down beside me, pulling me close. "Don't upset yourself so, it isn't healthy for you or for the baby. Now listen, every elf in Mirkwood loves you dúlinn. They bow to you and they will bow to our daughter. As for anyone who dares to speak ill of you or our child, I will use them for target practice."
He kissed my forehead and pulled away, smiling down at me.
"Now let us go and enjoy ourselves." His eyes were filled with excitement and I knew it was because he just wanted so badly to spill the news to everyone. I was sure that if he could he would shout it out for all to hear from the tops of every tree in Mirkwood.
We then made our way to the great hall at the very heart of the castle. As we entered I saw that nearly every elf in Mirkwood was gathered. I didn't fret for too long because I spotted Lenwë and Dínendal. They saw me as well and I quickly flew across the room to hug them both.
"How are you Dínendal? Lenwë?" I asked after hugging them both. They were dressed identically, just as they almost always were. They wore emerald colored robes that reached the floor and covered their feet.
"We are fine Adette, just as we said we would be." Dínendal grinned. "Now where is my pendant?"
"Had I known you would be here I would have brought it with me."
"When did you return?" Legolas asked, joining us.
"Just this afternoon. We passed through Rohan and saw that all was returning to its normal activity." Lenwë said, sipping his wine. I licked my lips, envious that he was able to drink. Legolas suddenly excused himself.
"How is your brother Adette?" Dínendal asked.
"He is well. He and Arwen are engaged to be married and Arwen has asked me to be the maid of honor."
"I was wondering when those two would finally-"
"Speaking of which," I smiled mischievously, "how is Alassë?"
Dínendal spit up his wine back into his goblet, staring at me with wide eyes. Lenwë and I laughed at his expression to which he only glared at us. Soon Legolas returned with a goblet, handing it to me.
"Legolas," I tried to give it back, "I cannot."
"Don't worry dúlinn, there is very little alcohol." When I gave him a wary look he smiled. "I promise."
"What is going on?" Lenwë asked suspiciously.
"Nothing is going on Lenwë." I replied innocently, sipping my drink. It tasted like wine and I nearly jumped for joy. Legolas seemed to notice my look of thanks and chuckled.
We spent most of the night telling tales of our adventures, having a great time catching up with old friends. When the hour got late, Legolas's twinkling eyes met mine. Before he even stood I blushed heavily, hiding my face in my free hand.
"My friends, I have wonderful news to share with you." Legolas said, holding my hand tightly in his. I couldn't help but let out a small giggle at his giddiness. "Princess Adette is expecting a baby."
Nearly everyone gasped, but it was followed by cheering and applause. I saw Legolas exchange looks with his father and knew right away that he had already known. Dínendal and Lenwë, who sat across from me, both grinned.
"A little Legolas is going to be running around?" Lenwë asked.
"Actually," he told them as he sat back down, "it will be a little Adette."
As they continued to speak I felt the baby moving around inside of me. She continued to move about as if rolling. I could only guess, after Legolas had explained to me the connection between mother and child, that she felt my nervousness and happiness.
"Our daughter is restless." I whispered to Legolas. He halted conversation with Dínendal and Lenwë instantly. He turned to me, his expression confused. I rolled my eyes and placed his hand over my womb. "Feel."
Legolas's eyes widened as he felt her moving. His awe struck face made me feel even happier. His expression softened and his lips twitched into a smile after awhile. He did not remove his hand until she stopped moving.
"I think it's time for bed." He told me softly, stroking my cheek.
Our feelings must have been strong because soon after the baby ceased its movement I yawned. Legolas excused us and we left the guests to entertain themselves.