A/N: Ello! Did you miss me? I've had a great summer... how about you all?
Big thank you to Shivvers, who edited this chapter TWICE! Love ya, girl!
Disclaimer: NYAAAH! Larien and Julia are MINE. AMIN. Stay away from them!!! growls
Chapter 18: The AnnouncementThud. Another arrow sped by, whistling into the center of the target. Legolas instantaneously whipped another arrow out of the quiver on his back and he tensed his bow again. Beside him was Anarion, who tensed his own bow and sent an arrow flying into the target as well, splitting Legolas' arrow in two.
"You have improved much, Anarion." Legolas complimented as he went to pick up the two split pieces of his arrow.
"Thank you. Serving as a guard has helped my skills improve greatly." Anarion smiled. It had been a long time since the pair of them had matched their skills against each other. They had spent years only seeing glimpses of each other, only time enough for brief 'hellos', and rarely time enough for whole conversations. Legolas handed Anarion's arrow back to him. Anarion changed the subject onto Larien. "My friend, you are full of mysteries. You loved, and said nothing. You nearly fade, but you are not bound." Anarion threw a questioning look at Legolas as he shot another deadly arrow into the target. "You aren't bound...are you?" He asked suddenly.
"No, I am not." Legolas chuckled. "But I nearly faded because Larien loves me. She has a power unknown to most, and she has Eru on her side. Eru has seen her love for me, and though we have not lain together, we are bound in many ways I cannot even comprehend." Legolas thoughtfully concluded.
Anarion was amazed at the depth of his friend's words. "But what do you mean 'she has a power unknown to most'? How does she have Eru on her side?" asked the confused elf, looking across at his friend, who was gazing pensively at the target.
"She is the one the legend speaks of." Legolas answered, sending two arrows into the target at once, each landing an inch above the bull's eye and below it. "The legend of the immortal human."
"Then you are very lucky, my friend; to have such a beautiful spirit bound to you is an honor." Anarion complimented, peering deep into his friend's eyes, and seeing nothing but his passion for Larien there.
"I guess I am..."
Larien understood who this was. She seemed to understand as well, for her eyes were wide in comprehension.
"Lauren?" she whispered. "Oh, Eru, is that you?"
"Julia?" Larien whispered. "It is I. I am here!" Julia squealed loudly, throwing herself into her friend's arms and hugging her tightly.
"I've missed you so much!" Larien said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I never thought I would see you again!"
"I know... oh god... I know..." Julia replied tearfully. They were still hugging tightly. When they let go of each other, both of their eyes were shining with tears.
"You're beautiful! And you're getting married!" Julia squealed, picking up her friend's hand and running her thumb over the emeralds on the ring.
"Ride with me. I want to tell you so much, and I want to hear everything, as well!" Larien offered, mounting Florida again and gesturing for her friend to mount her own horse. "But first, I want to tell Legolas where we are going..."
"Alright." Laimë, or Julia, agreed, mounting her gray horse.
Larien searched for Legolas mentally. He was with Anarion at the archery pitch... wherever that was. "Julia, where are the archery ranges?" she asked sheepishly, turning to face her friend.
"This way." She said, nudging her horse in front of Larien's. She led her around the palace, and immediately in front of them was the biggest pitch Larien had ever seen. It had to be half the size of a football field, or maybe a bit bigger, with targets everywhere around the edges of the vicinity. There were a few lessons going on, and in the near corner stood Legolas and Anarion, both firing arrows at an amazing speed.
Larien rode quickly to her lover and he turned around. "Meleth nín?" she asked. "Laimë and I have decided to go riding, and she wishes to show me more of the grounds."
"Alright, go have fun." He told her, standing on his toes to kiss her.
'She is a very good friend of mine, I will explain later.' "We'll try and be back for dinner tonight." She said, the first portion of her words in waves through Legolas' head.
"Goodbye, my love." Legolas kissed her again, before turning back to his friend and continuing chatting. Larien turned her horse around. Julia caught up with her.
"Let's just jump to it, shall we? When did you get here?" Larien asked, as they turned onto a path leading into the forest.
"I got here about fifteen years after you had died." Julia replied sadly.
"Wait a minute, I'm dead?" Larien asked, stunned.
"Yes. You 'died' after that man had raped you." Julia answered. "The doctors said that it was either because of blood loss or the shock of the rape. Obviously, you aren't dead now. There was a funeral and everything."
"No, I'm actually quite alive." Larien joked, trying to make light of the situation. 'My parents think I'm dead...' she thought.
"Well, I lived on, I made new friends and I tried to remember all the good times, like when anyone dies. When I was 27, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I couldn't bear the thought of life when I heard it had spread. One night, a being, looking like an angel without wings came to me. She asked me if I wanted a life, and if I wanted to see you again. I immediately accepted, and before I could react, I was sent here, to Mirkwood. I did my best to remember what elves acted like during the Lord of the Rings movies, and all of a sudden, learning Elvish paid off." She grinned cheekily. "That was about 150 years ago. Now nobody knows the difference between me and anyone else, except you." She concluded. "And what about you? You've been living in Lothlorien...have you bedded every elf you can get your hands on?" she joked, wondering if Lauren had decided to mirror her ways of her old life in Middle Earth.
Larien thought pensively for a moment. "Actually, now that I think of it, I have not had sex with anyone since I left Earth." Julia gasped.
"What the hell? I had no idea you were so different from the way you used to be!" she gasped, falling back into her earthen language.
"Being raped and coming here made me realize how ungrateful and rather stupid I was when I was young."
"My god, I feel like I don't even know you anymore!"
"I wouldn't know myself, either." She admitted to her friend.
"But what about your story? You were raped that night you were walking to my house...then what?" Julia gabbled, open-mouthed.
Larien launched into an explanation of all that had happened. She explained about being in the war of the Ring, then she told of how she fell for the Prince, himself, and after that she mentioned Galadriel training her for using her powers correctly. She was about to start on Legolas' proposal, when Julia cut her off.
"You have powers." Was all that she said.
"Yes. I have powers. Let me demonstrate." She stopped her horse, and Julia stopped hers as well. "Kindly dismount, my good friend." She said sweetly, and Julia did so, throwing questioning glances at her good friend. Larien lifted a finger and her friend squealed as she rose off the ground and back onto the horse.
"Definitely powers..." she mumbled, dumbstruck, readjusting her seating position. "But why do you have these powers? Aren't you supposed to be a witch to have powers?"
"You read too much Harry Potter, Julia..." Larien mumbled. "I guess not! But the whole reason I do have them is because of Eru. He gave me them when I became immortal, for the next Great War. I have to bear a child and he will be the one who will slay the evil to come. It was written in a legend." She explained. Their horses started moving again.
The two of them chatted about a lot of things for at least two more hours. They touched the subject of Lauren's funeral, her mother and father, Julia's career (she became a teacher and she taught literature), and then also they talked about Legolas.
"Do you remember how infatuated with Legolas we were?" Julia wondered aloud, as they brought the subject up.
"Past tense? Naw...I'm still infatuated with him." Lauren grinned.
Julia threw a playful glare at her. "No, I mean, that was a bit stupid... he wasn't real. Was not real, I didn't say is not!" she defended as she ducked a bunch of leaves thrown at her.
"Well, I remember you always wondering what it was like to kiss him..." Julia boldly bounded on. "So...what is it like?" she asked, grinning at the tinge of red that had appeared on her friend's cheeks.
"It is..." Lauren thought. "It's so different than any kiss I received on Earth. Earthen kisses were always quite forced, or, they were to me. They always seemed to convey a message that the giver wanted more than he could get. Legolas is sweet, slow, and he knows what I like, and what I don't." she said sweetly.
"Sounds like you've made love at least once." Julia sniggered.
"What did I say earlier?" Lauren accused. "We've come close, but in the end Legolas regained his sense." Lauren sighed. "We agreed that we would see each other's naked body until we were married...although he's seen me nude before." She giggled.
"What? Are you stupid?" Julia laughed.
"Not stupid, just...I don't know." Lauren pondered, while Julia continued to chatter away. "It's just seems so different than any other time I've fallen in love, and anything that I experienced on Earth couldn't compare to what I feel now."
"It sounds like you really want to do it with him." Julia said, still quite amazed at her friend's promise.
"Julia, we're adults. You don't have to use 'it' to talk about love." Lauren scolded lightly.
"We may be adults, but I'm still a virgin!" she complained. "You were always the bad-ass, alcoholic, smoking addicted, sex goddess, not me! I wanted to wait until I was married, and that never happened. So here I am, 250-something years old, and still a virgin." She sighed.
"Well you need to fix that." Lauren laughed. "Get yourself a guy and fall in love... there's no harm in it!"
"I guess...ah, well. Let's go back. I believe that if I keep you away from your fiancé too long, he'll murder me." She giggled. "With that sexy bow he's got!" Julia added.
"Ah, that sexy bow..." Lauren laughed, reminiscing about their teenage years. They had given the bow that nickname when they were at the peak of their obsession with the blonde elf. "You know, the bow really is quite nice..." Lauren smirked.
They turned their horses around and urged them into a gallop. They were back at the palace grounds in less than half the time it had taken them to get there. The sun was sinking rapidly over the treetops, and candles were rapidly being lit in the palace windows. She and Julia walked back inside where Legolas was waiting, an impatient, rather cute, look on his face.
"Hello Legolas," she said silkily as he snaked an arm around her waist and kissed her. "This is Laimë. She and I have been very good friends. Her name used to be Julia, but she changed it." Larien introduced them.
"A pleasure to meet you, milord." Julia bowed, and he kissed her hand.
"The pleasure is all mine," Legolas said as he resumed his place beside his beloved. "Both names fit you well, milady. Why ever did you change it?" he questioned.
"She is rather like me...in many ways. One more than others." Larien informed Legolas. She sent a message shooting through his head, which caused his confused look to leave.
'She was sent here, as well, 150 years ago...she was a human, and was my best friend.' Was the message.
"Oh...then, it would be a pleasure for you to join us for dinner. You may sit with us and our guests at the high table, if you wish." He offered kindly.
Julia's eyes lit up. "Oh! It would be an honor!" she almost squealed. "I'm going to go and get ready!" she scampered off. "Bye Lauren!" she called as she darted down a hallway.
"Legolas, who are the guests?" she asked as Legolas took her hand and led them back to their rooms.
"The twin sons of Elrond. Surely you know them," he said, a twinkle in his eyes.
"Of course I know them. They became my good friends when they were in Lorien." She told Legolas. "I must say, they do justice to the saying 'partners in crime'." She laughed, reminiscing.
"They certainly do." He said as they reached her door. He kissed her.
"Now remember our agreement." She warned. "Don't be sneaking in on me." She said, almost as if she dared him to.
"Yes, Meleth nín..." he said obediently, disappearing into his own bedroom.
A maid came in and fixed Larien's hair (as well as changing her mind about every dress Larien put on, finally agreeing on a green one with gold lacings all over it), and then she shooed her off to the dining hall. The problem was, Larien still wasn't sure how to get there! And so she decided to have a wander, hoping that the impressive entrance doors to that desired place would be round the next corner. Finally, she found her way back to the huge dining hall and waited patiently for Legolas. He emerged from the same side hallway in a fancy tunic of a darker shade of forest green. He kissed her hand and led her into the dining hall.
Butterflies were starting to flutter uncomfortably around her stomach. Legolas squeezed her hand reassuringly.
"Don't be nervous, Meleth nín." He whispered soothingly into her ear. A noise from behind them caused them both to turn around. Laimë was running towards them, looking as disheveled as always, even as an elf.
"Slow down, mellon nín!" Larien warned her. "You will hurt yourself!"
"Sure..." Laimë answered. "I didn't want to be late if I'm dining with the Elvenking, though!"
"If you are late, then so are we!" Legolas smiled. "Come, let us eat!" he continued. Larien waved her friend in front of her. Laimë composed herself and smoothed her blue dress down.
"Let us go!" Larien said. Legolas led the way into the hall first. All talking stopped, and all the elves stood up as they passed. Larien followed him, and Julia was right behind her. As people sat down, Thranduil stood up and addressed the community.
"As you all know, my son has recently been ill, but he has recovered splendidly." Legolas stood next to his father, smiling at the crowd. Larien took her place next to him, and Julia next to her. Beside Julia were Elrohir and Elladan. Larien was about to sit down, when Legolas took her hand and held it just above shoulder height, his fingers entwined in hers. It was he, instead of his father that spoke next.
His voice rang across the hall like a bell, quite in the manner of his father's. It demanded attention, yet it was smooth and quite pleasant to the ear. "I apologize for my absence with all my heart. It was bad news that befell you a minute ago, but now I deliver news of celebration! I have fallen in love. My people, meet your new Princess." He kissed one of her knuckles. "Larien Calafalas." He held her hand higher and everyone applauded. They were happy to see that their prince had found someone at last.
The dinner started, and everybody started talking amongst themselves. Thranduil and Legolas were talking about the when and where the wedding should be held. Julia was chatting lightly with the twins.
Throughout the dinner, Larien noticed Elrohir's eyes didn't seem to look anywhere else but at Julia. Larien felt quite left out, to be honest. After a minute of gazing at the ceiling, she thought of something funny.
She waited for one of the twins to return to their food. Elladan finally picked up his fork, and made to stab one of his fruits. Larien made the fruit move out of the way. Elladan tried to stab it again. Larien made it move. This went on for at least a minute, before Elladan put down his fork and glared at her.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"Don't think that Grandmother hasn't informed us of anything in the last couple years, Larien." He smiled. "Now can I eat?" he asked. Larien mentally picked up the fork and speared the fruit, shoving it in Elladan's mouth.
"Of course." She sweetly said. Elladan rolled his eyes in a quite un-lordly way, and took the fork out of his mouth. When Larien turned back to her own plate, she found Legolas staring at the back of her head. He was smiling.
"Having fun?" he asked.
"Define fun..." she muttered.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked instead. She pushed a piece of meat around on her plate.
"Honestly, I don't know what's come over me. I should be happy that I've found my best friend, and I should be happy that I'm marrying the most handsome elf in all of Middle Earth," she paused to kiss the prince, "and I should also feel like the luckiest girl in Middle Earth, but somehow..."
"You don't." Legolas finished for her. He leaned in to whisper something into her ear. "Come with me." He said fondly, kissing her lobe and pulling her up. Still holding his hand, she let him guide her into the hall.
"I'm going to take you to a place that always cheered me up when I was upset." Legolas said. He led her through the hallways, past rich tapestries and vivid paintings depicting many elf-lords. At the end of the hallway, there was a lovely tapestry depicting Ilúvatar creating the Ainur at the beginning of time. They both stood there for a minute.
"It's lovely," Larien said, wondering what they were doing there.
"Yes. My grandmother made it." Legolas said. "She's in the havens now. I'm sure that you would love to meet her. But this isn't what I wanted to show you." Legolas pulled the tapestry back from the wall, (Larien noticed that it was firmly hung at the top) and behind it was a door. Legolas opened the door and led the way into the room.
It was musty, and it had quite a layer of dust piled on each surface; but it was wonderful. Larien lit up the candles, and when she could properly see the entire space, she gasped. It was what seemed to be a room full of everything. It was enormous! There was a shelved wall at the back with countless volumes of old books. There was a great fireplace, with a mantle also littered with small statues and prizes. An enormous painting of an elf-maiden was on the right wall. It looked like a sitting room, or an entertaining room, and it reminded her of many of the castle rooms she had been dragged into when visiting England when she was 10. (Then she reminded herself that she was in a palace).
"What is this room?" she whispered, bending over to examine a dusty statue, about 12 inches high or so of a valiant archer. She ran two fingers over it, leaving two dusty lines over the black stone surface.
"I think this used to be the study of one of my ancestors. There's a desk over there," he pointed to a slightly shadowed corner, "and it's got a lot of papers in it. I don't know that anybody in the palace knows about it, and if they do, they don't come here often. When I was a young elfling, I would come in here and I would read, or I would look at the pictures. This was my hideout for when Father was angry at me, or when I was sad."
"It's amazing, Legolas." Larien said. "I love it."
"So do I." Legolas said fondly. "I thought that you would enjoy it."
"I do. A lot." Larien added. There were two squishy armchairs in front of the fire. With a quick thought, she lit the fire, and soon it was blazing happily. She receded into one of the chairs, folding her legs underneath her. Legolas sat down in the chair next to her.
"Tell me about your afternoon. What did you speak of with Julia?" he said, scooting the chair he was in closer to Larien and placing his hand over hers. Larien started to tell him of the news that she had received from her friend, of how she got here and the circumstances in which she had come. She finally came to the part where Julia had told her that she was dead. She paused.
"Legolas, there's something else that is really bothering me."
"Yes?" Legolas' eyes were deepened with worry.
"Julia brought news of what happened to me. You know that an attacker raped me?" Tears were starting to roll down her face at the memory of pain. Legolas wiped the tears away with his thumbs.
"Yes, my love. I know." He replied. He felt Larien's pain starting to radiate from her body, and he wanted to comfort her.
"Julia said that...that I'd died from that attack. She said that until she was twenty-seven, when she was diagnosed with cancer, that she believed I was truly dead. I didn't know that." She finished.
"Meleth nín, you couldn't have known that! But you are not dead. You are alive, and here." Legolas whispered to her.
"Legolas, my poor parents had yelled at me that night! I had taken their car without their permission, and I bet they were feeling really guilty. I might not have cared then, but now I do! I realized that they were only trying to help me by shutting me up in my room, and I disobeyed them by sneaking out. I can't do anything now, because they're dead. They're gone. My brothers, my parents, they all believed I was dead... you don't know how that feels..." she said. She was crying. Legolas stood up and helped her do the same. He wrapped his comforting arms around her and let her cry. From the little he knew about her past, he could understand that this meant a lot to her now, and he had to be there for her.
He would always be there for her.
A/N: Aww... you just gotta love our Leggy!! Next chapter: "Dreams and Plans" Well... toodles for now! You can expect to see the next chapter coming soon!
The Hobbit Ivy