A/N: Ahhh! I hadn't realized that I had this chapter stored in my computer all ready to post up!! Without further ado, here's the chapter!!
Disclaimer: If I owned Legolas, I would be elsewhere, doing things I'm probably not supposed to do. All I own is Larien and Laimë...and a few bushes here and there. =)
Chapter 17: The Blessing
Around midday, Thranduil called his son to his study. Larien was walking around in the gardens, and she had the promise of Legolas that he would make the meeting with his father as short as possible.
When Legolas entered the study, Thranduil rose out of his chair to meet him. He hugged his son, before gesturing for him with a wave of his hand to sit down across from him.
"My son, how do you fare?" Thranduil asked as Legolas settled himself in one of the comfortable chairs. He was gazing at his father with mixed emotions... a combination of anticipation and resent.
"I am fine," he replied curtly.
"I am glad to hear it, for I have a question for you." Thranduil told him, his mind flitting back to the previous night. "Tell me, have you taken Larien into your bed?" He asked seriously.
Legolas was surprised at the question. "She's slept in my bed, if that's what you mean."
"No, son. I mean, have you slept with her," He replied, slightly uncomfortably.
"Oooh..." Legolas replied in understanding. "No, I have not lain with her, only next to her. Why do you ask?"
"I heard moans coming from your bedroom..." Thranduil muttered, uncomfortable that he had to reveal his eavesdropping.
Legolas' cheeks reddened. "Last night, we were both feeling extremely guilty... we both lost our heads, and we came close to it..." he told his father, staring at his feet.
"Legolas, do not be ashamed of telling me this. I am your father, and you can tell me anything. You are no longer an elfling, and I understand you." He said sympathetically. "Which leads me to my second topic." He started.
"Yes?"
"I have decided," he paused dramatically, "I give my blessing for your marriage to Larien." He told his son happily.
"You do?" Legolas nearly shouted. He leaped up and hugged his father tightly. "Diolla lle, Ada! (thank you, daddy)" he said. He leant back, and composed himself.
Thranduil raised an eyebrow at his son, who was now rocking back and forth on his toes with his arms behind his back, in case there was anything else that he needed to be told. "What do you think you are doing, son? Go and tell her!" he grinned. Legolas dashed out of the office and tore his way past several elves, knocking them off balance. They yelled at him to slow down, but he did not. He ran all the way to the gardens, where Larien was. She was sitting on a bench, humming to herself and looking at the surrounding gardens. Wooden beams supported a roof of vines, and the springtime sun was warming the shaded area. She heard him dashing to her, and scooted over to let him sit next to her.
But he didn't. He scooped her up and twirled her around. Larien giggled as Legolas set her on her feet, he immediately descended onto her lips and kissed her rigorously.
She giggled. "Why are you all of a sudden so happy? What has made my prince's attitude to take such a dramatic upswing?" she asked. Legolas kissed her again.
"My father gave his blessing to our marriage!" he announced happily.
"He did?!" she squealed. She kissed him again and flung herself against her lover. "That...is the best... news I've heard... all day." She told him between kisses.
"I presume that father will announce it tonight at dinner." Legolas told her. "In the meantime, let's find some food and eat! You haven't eaten all day!"
"Alright!" she agreed, and they walked arm in arm into the palace together.
An elf stepped out from behind one of the hedges, where she had been observing the couple closely. She paused, before sitting down. Who was that she-elf who was marrying Legolas? As far as she knew, the elf was a new fancy of Legolas'. Yet for some reason, she looked very familiar... as if she knew her already.
She would find out soon enough.
"Very well, Legolas. I will be here or in the stables with Florida when you get back." She kissed him goodbye, and started to wander the gardens.
"Vedui, arwen en amin." An elf spoke behind her.
"Mae govannen." Larien replied, smiling at the she-elf in front of her. She had long, straight blonde hair, which went down to her waist, and she had dark blue, almost grey eyes. "My name is Larien Calafalas." She told her.
"Laimë, many call me." The elf replied. There was something very familiar to this elf, she was sure that she had met her before.
"Will you walk with me?" Larien offered. "I would like to talk with you."
"Surely," Laimë accepted. So the two she-elves wandered down and up the paths of the gardens together.
"Do you want to go to the stables?" Laimë offered, once they had strolled the gardens quietly for a while.
"That sounds lovely, yet unless my memory deceives me, there are no stables. Only a large paddock!" Larien laughed.
"Yes, but all the same," she chuckled. "It means the like. Do you have a horse?"
"Yes, a white female." Larien answered, as they made their way casually to the large enclosure. "And you?"
"A gray female," Laimë replied. She slipped under one of the beams and approached a gray horse. Larien followed her, but instead of walking to Florida, she whistled. Florida came running to her, and stopped at her side.
"You have her well trained, I must point out." Laimë complimented.
"Diolla lle," Larien replied gratefully, stroking the raven mane of her horse. "This horse is one of my only good friends. She will do anything I tell her to, it is a shame that horses are not immortal."
"I agree. What is her name?" Laimë inquired. "I would be grateful to learn the name of such a magnificent horse."
"Florida," Larien answered. "It means-"
"Land of flowers..." Laimë murmured. They both simultaneously clapped a hand to their mouths in shock.
"How do you know that?" Larien asked, dumbfounded. How would another elf know that? She had only told Legolas and Galadriel about Florida's name, and only then she had told them that it meant 'flower'. She dismounted and walked over to the she-elf, placing a hand on her shoulders. She prodded through the elf's thoughts and read her mind. .
Suddenly she realized who this was.
A/N: Muah ha ha. Can you guess who it is? I love cliffies... =D I'm sorry if I got the tidbit of Spanish wrong in the chapter, I'm only an amateur! I didn't update sooner, but I lost most of my next chapter, (scratch that, all of it!) and that kind of discouraged me. But no more! Don't worry!
Just a note. I've started writing a prequel to this story. Its about Larien/Lauren and her travels with the Fellowship, and a lot of what the fifty years before the War of the Ring were like for her. I'm not going to post it until its finished, but be prepared for that!!
Shivvers is my beta. Be nice to her. She is cool. Go read her stuff. (the S.M.I.S. need some more jacuzzi partners, girl! Don't forget the margarita mix and cookie dough!!)
The Hobbit Ivy