Chapter IV: Unwelcome Visitor
I opened my eyes the next morning to find myself in my bed. Legolas was nowhere in sight. I ground my fists into my eyes, groaning. I gasped suddenly, "How did I find my way up here?" I quickly jumped from my bed and hurriedly donned a dress. I ran down the steps and skidded into the Dining Hall, looking for Legolas. Instead I found Uriens. "How did I get to my bed?", I asked. "Prince Legolas brought you back. It seemed that you fell asleep while on your walk.", he replied, laughing. My cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.
"One last thing, Tári, a visitor will be arriving for you tonight at supper-time.", Uriens said slowly. "Who?", asked a voice behind me. I spun on my foot to find Legolas behind me. My face flushed immediately on remembrance of last night. "Sir Lancelet and Lady Morgaine will be riding to bid you goodbye tonight at the feast.", Uriens explained. I frowned slightly, but did not say anything to suggest that I was displeased. Morgaine I wanted to see, but Lancelet?
I ate my breakfast in quiet, noticing Legolas' eyes find my face several times during the meal. I anxiously glanced down at my plate, feeling uncomfortable under his stare. Once I had left the dining hall, Legolas confronted me, "Is this the same Lancelet who was paramour to the High Queen?" "He still is, Legolas. Why are you so worried?", I asked. "From the emotions I felt from Uriens, it seems that I have a reason to worry.", he answered calmly, "Is there something you haven't told me?"
I looked down for a moment and slowly nodded my head, "Before you arrived, he asked to be my suitor several times. Always, my father refused. Recently, while I was in Camelot for Pentecost, he told me this and …he kissed me. But it meant nothing, for later that night I found him with Gwenhwyfar. He only wants that which he cannot have." I recalled the faerie woman's words carefully. "Tári, you would never go with him?", Legolas asked quietly. "Of course not!", I answered, appalled, "I am your betrothed, not his." Legolas smiled and touched his lips with mine for half a moment. "Thank you.", he whispered, gratitude dripping from his words.
"There is nothing to thank, really.", I chuckled, "Come, I want to show you something." "What do you wish to show me?", Legolas asked curiously. "You will have to be patient. We will need the horses.", I replied. He pouted slightly and began in the direction of the stables. On the way, we passed Uriens who called out, "Be back an hour before supper!" I agreed and passed the kitchens, gathering bread, meat, cheese and fruit for midday meal.
Legolas waited as I packed the food and together we proceeded for the stables. He saddled Arod as I tied a saddlebag onto Fey. Arrow whinnied in his stall. "Not this time, my pet.", I said softly. She grunted, clearly upset, but settled instantly. "Are we leaving yet?", teased Legolas, now sitting comfortably atop Arod. "I was just bidding goodbye to a friend, my impatient friend.", I retorted. He laughed as I quickly mounted Fey and nudged her into a trot. We rode out of the stables and through the grasslands.
"Will you tell me now where we are going?", he asked haughtily. "To the fey stones.", I yelled over the hoof beats of Arod and Fey. "Fey stones?", Legolas asked, not understanding. So there were things unique to this world that he did not know about. "I shall explain who the faerie folk are when we arrive.", I answered, laughing. Legolas did not seem so amused.
An hour later, we arrived at the stones. Legolas gave them a passing glance and said nothing. Apparently he was not impressed by their seemingly primitive architecture. I dismounted Fey and tied her reins to one of the stones. Legolas did the same with Arod. I leaned against one of the giant boulders and pointed to a carefully cut hole in its center. "Here is where the Evening Star rises each day.", I explained and moved over to another massive stone, "And these holes mark where the light of the sun hits. One can tell the time of day from them."
Legolas eyed the cut-holes with wide eyes. "These faerie people, they built this circle?", he asked. "It is not clear who built them- the Druids, the faeries, the Picts, or the Goddess herself. But there are many others like this, all over Briton. The largest would be at the Glastonbury Tor.", I explained. "And the faerie people come here to watch the skies?", he asked. "Yes and to give offerings to the Goddess, their Mother. And when they do meet with men, they do it most often in these stone rings.", I continued, not telling him of my meeting with the faerie woman on the previous night.
Legolas looked once more around the stones and sat down gently at the edge of the circle, leaning against a boulder. I had sat in that very same place not one full day ago! I quickly joined him, leaning against the boulder next to him. "The faerie people were originally bodiless spirits. When men first came to Briton, the faeries were awed by their physical bodies and created bodies for themselves very much like those of men. The fey folk, however, appear shorter and more fragile. Their eyes, hair and skin are all quite dark. When you meet Morgaine, you will see.", I explained. "Is she a faerie?", asked Legolas. I laughed and said, "No. But she has some of the blood in her, as does her half-cousin Lancelet, though not so much in him."
Legolas tensed visibly at the mention of Lancelet. "There is nothing to worry about melamin.", I comforted him. Melamin? Where had I learned that word? Had Legolas taught it to me? I didn't think so… "Tári, you're starting to remember the language.", Legolas said with a fond smile. "Yes, but what does melamin mean?", I asked. "It means 'my love'. It was one of your favorite names for me.", he explained. I felt my cheeks warm and glow a light pink. "Do not be embarrassed.", he whispered, stroking my reddened cheeks with his fingertips.
"I'm not. I'm just… yes, I'm embarrassed, I suppose.", I admitted. Legolas chuckled softly and traced his fingers over my jaw line, chin, and nose. His hand paused as it returned to my cheek. "Amin mela lle,Tári.", he whispered slowly. I know that phrase! "I love you too, Legolas.", I said automatically. He glowed with pride, "You understand." But just as quickly, his face darkened as if he was thinking about something unpleasant.
"Are you unhappy with me? I thought you would be pleased that I am remembering our language.", I asked, confused. "Yes, I am happy that you are remembering. I just did not count on you remembering so much so soon. Do you have any memories of us or of our home?", he asked. "No. I'm sorry.", I answered quietly. "You have nothing to be sorry for, meleth nin.", he said, his face brightening. Is there something that he has not told me? I will remember to ask later.
"The sun is high in the sky. We should eat.", I suggested. Legolas agreed hastily and I went to Fey's saddlebag to retrieve our meal. Legolas rose from his place on the ground and walked up to me. As I was turning around with bread in hand, he wrapped his arms around my stomach and leaned into my kiss my cheeks. I jumped slightly in mild surprise. "Did you miss me?", I jested. He did not answer and chose instead to bury his face into my hair and squeeze me tighter. I tensed slightly, unused to this physical contact.
A moment later, Legolas relented and pulled away from me. I walked back into the stones and set down the food on a circle of cloth. We both ate in comfortable silence, saving a portion as an offering to the fey folk. When he had finished, Legolas smiled broadly and stretched out on the ground. I lay down beside him, the dry summer grass cushioning the rocky ground. We both lay like that for several moments, inhaling the sweet smell of dried grass and staring up at the clouds.
I interrupted the peaceful silence with a frank question, "Will I keep my human memories after I transform?" "Yes, I believe that you will. Why do you ask?", he asked, rolling onto his stomach to look at me. "I never wish to forget this place.", I sighed. "I doubt you could. These worlds are tied. The Merlin sent some of your men into the battle of the Ring, and we would do the same for Briton. I do not think that this will be the last you see of this world.", he answered, thoughtfully.
The sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky. It was mid-afternoon. "We should return.", Legolas noted. I sighed and picked myself up from the ground. While Legolas packed Fey's saddlebags, I said a quiet thank you to the faerie woman who had counselled me the night before. Bowing my head, I backed out respectfully before mounting Fey.
"You have great reverence for the faerie people.", Legolas observed. "They have aided me in the past and I owe them my respect.", I answered simply, not wanting to give him too much information. "It is much the same in our world. The humans there hold great respect for the Elves, and we hold great respect for the older Elves, who in turn pay great respect to the Valar who created us all.", he explained. "So there are many humans in Middle Earth?", I asked. "There are more men than Elves. Most of the Elves have departed Middle Earth for the Grey Havens, where we will live for eternity.", answered.
"And my father lives in the Grey Havens?", I asked. "Yes, with your mother. Elves go there when they die, or when they sail.", Legolas replied. I nodded my head and asked quietly, "Will we go to the Grey Havens, melamin?" "When it is our time, meleth nin.", he said just as quietly. It fell silent after this.
We reached the castle within the hour. Uriens was waiting, impatiently for us to arrive, "Come, come! Lancelet and Morgaine have already arrived." Legolas gripped my hand quickly, before letting go and walking with me into the Dining Hall. Morgaine rose at once to greet me. "Betrothed Rosalind? You failed to mention that on Pentecost!", she jested. I blushed and immediately looked downward. Lancelet was eyeing me with confusion. I disregarded his glance and sat between Morgaine and Legolas for supper.
"Excellent wine, Sir Uriens.", Lancelet complimented midway through the meal. "Thank you Lancelet, only the best for my daughter and her betrothed.", Uriens said. I felt Lancelet's eyes on me once more. I grew uncomfortable and asked permission to leave. Uriens frowned and said, "As you wish. But be back in time for the fruit and cake." Legolas grasped my hand in his as I was sitting up and asked quietly, "Do you wish for me to accompany you?" "No thank you.", I answered politely. He nodded and released my hand.
I walked briskly into the courtyard and say dismally on a bench. Did Lancelet have to look at me that way? I heard footsteps coming closer. Legolas? It was Lancelet. I should have allowed Legolas to accompany me.
"And so after our exchange of affections, you choose this French prince over me, why?", Lancelet implored. "I did not choose him for myself. My father chose him.", I answered, not bothering to hide my annoyance. "But I love you, Rosalind.", he confessed. I cringed at hearing my mortal name. "I do not love you, Lancelet any more than you love me. You love the High Queen.", I answered. "She is a child compared with you.", he insisted. "I saw you with her on Pentecost Eve.", I said abruptly.
Lancelet looked momentarily stunned, but recovered quickly. "It was nothing. She flung herself at me, as she does each time she sees me.", he argued. "I think not.", I began, "You love her because you only love that which you cannot have. You loved me when I would answer to no suitors as you love me now that I am betrothed. You are doomed to hopelessness, Lancelet."
"I have no hope left with you then?", he said slowly. "No.", I answered curtly. He sat down next to me, idling closer than I would have liked. "We could leave Briton together. Run to Avalon, to Ireland, beyond Hadrian's Wall- anywhere you wish. Ride with me, Rosalind. Be my bride and my love.", he begged. "Even if I wished to, I could not.", I said icily, moving away from him.
"So you truly have a heart of stone. The virgin wench of North Wales has no heart! She is betrothed to a foreign prince that she does not love and refuses the one man who could make her happy.", he proclaimed. "You do not make me happy, Lancelet. Only my betrothed makes me happy. And I do love him- with all of my virgin wench's heart!", I yelled at him.
He grabbed desperately for my wrists to stop me from leaving him. I whirled around to face him, filled with flaming rage. "I will always love you, Rosalind.", Lancelet yelled, pulling hard on my wrist, sending me crashing into him. Just as he was about to force his lips onto mine, I freed my arm and delivered a heavy blow to the side of his face. "Never again.", I spat through clenched teeth.
Livid with rage, I stormed away from him and back into the Dining Hall. The other feasters were quietly beginning their cakes as I entered. Legolas looked grateful to see me. "I was worried.", he said quietly, seeing the annoyed expression on my face. "You had right to be.", I answered. Turning to my father, I said loudly, "Lancelet should be sent back to Camelot as soon as possible. He has behaved very dishonourably this evening." Legolas looked to me immediately for an explanation. "I will tell you of the happenings at a later time.", I told him quietly. Uriens looked puzzled, but agreed to my request.
Lancelet did not show his face for the remainder of the evening. I cared not where he had gone. After the meal, Uriens went about the castle, insuring that everything was ready for my departure tomorrow morning.