Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters or settings from Lord of the Rings or Xena the Warrior Princess
Author's Note:
This is a LegoRomance (slow-burn)
~ XXIX: Farewell supper at the Hall of Fire ~
Imladris, 3018 TA, December 23
Later that evening, Xena found herself standing on the fringes of the Hall of Fire, far away from the elfish crowd. She was quite content with her position, as she was conversing with Gimli about her days of absence. Across the Hall, she could see the elf looking this way, and she shrank further into the shadows. She had no idea how to deal with the elf after their last encounter.
"The summons us for a farewell dinner and they don't provide meat," the dwarf grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest.
Xena gave a quick look to the elf before responding, "It's something they've been doing from the first day I've been here!"
"The elves have no idea how valuable dwarfs are or how much meat they need," Gimli complained. He saw the human staring at the elf and she ended up averting her eyes with a flushed face, perplexed.
Xena grinned and gave a nod "Complain not; no one here is eating meat. We were all piled high with green food."
The dwarf examined her for a long period before reminding her, "At the very least, you had your steak a while ago!"
For a brief while, the human forgot about the elf in order to respond to Gimli. "Then you're associating with the wrong people, Gimli. You owe it to the hobbits to spend more time with them... they have the meat."
Gimli ended up agreeing with her after chuckling at her clever statement. Then he glared daggers at Legolas, who had arrived a few moments before, and the human acted strangely each time she caught a glimpse of him. "What business do you and the elf have?" he eventually inquired.
Something pricked her consciousness, and she turned to face the dwarf, feeling her face boil. It was not, however, the dwarf's fault, but rather the early moment between her and Legolas in the showers. "Nothing happened!" she said, her gaze avoiding Gimli's.
"I'm not convinced, lass," Gimli said. "I've talked with you often enough to be aware of your emotions. And shyness is not one of them."
"It's nothing," she repeated, more for her own convenience than for Gimli's.
"Speaking about the issue, lass, is preferable to convincing yourself that it does not exist," Gimli said.
"Everyone knows that," Xena conceded as she debated whether or not to inform Gimli of what had happened. Normally, the human would not discuss her private affairs, but Gimli had developed a deep friendship with her, a companion in whom she could confide. "If you must know. Today, I entered the showers and discovered an elf who had neglected to shut the door." she delivered.
Gimli cocked his head and watched Xena and then the elf. "And?" he said, anticipating her continuation of the narrative.
"And..." squealed Xena, "he was... nude... and I was... as well..."
"Ah," Gimli nodded sympathetically, "now it makes sense why you're avoiding eye contact."
Xena seemed perplexed; she was expecting Gimli to complain about the situation, but he just commented on their discomfort. "Is that all there is?" Xena inquired, raising an eyebrow as she observed the dwarf.
"Lass, your face is intact, but his nose is bruised," Gimli chuckled. "You have dealt with the tree-humper. Take pride in yourself!"
Xena smiled as Gimli's perspective on Legolas assuaged her worries: "Yup, I have!"
Across from the human in the northern reaches of the Hall of Fire stood a huge gathering of Imladris Elves, standing tall and dressed in magnificent robes, chatting about the comings and goings. The elf had been looking at the human for a while now, admiring her beautiful dark blue gown with silver decorations on the breast and long sleeves. Her dark hair was partly pulled back in a hair bun, leaving a few loose curls to fall.
It was a lovely gown, and the adaneth wore it differently than usual as if she were a fine woman. He was still surprised that this was the same adaneth who had broken his nose hours earlier, the same adaneth who had ended up nude inside the showers. It was at this point that the term nude took on a more sinister connotation, and the prince remembered her naked body. He eventually dropped his eyes and became aware of the presence of another maiden standing next to him.
Aeariel spoke first, breaking the silence. Her tone matched the annoyance she was experiencing; the prince had been looking at the human since he entered the Hall of Fire. "The human seems to be thoughtful. What is she thinking?"
He stayed in the same stance, still, but his eyes were now directed at her. "Lady Aeariel, I would not know," his answer was polite and brief.
"It may interest the lady more than knowing that someone was rudely observing her for the majority of the evening," her remarks were not just a query, but also an annoyance over the prince's recent rudeness toward her.
Legolas averted his eyes as the elleth talked, displeased with her tone and words. "I do not know!" The prince of the woodland realm attempted to maintain his composure; he took a step back and gave a short bow before withdrawing.
Aeariel stood alone, watching him approach Aragorn, Arwen, and the twins. Once again, she realised that, like his father, the prince could be icy and ruthless when he was upset. He was most definitely not in the mood to play royal, nor was he in the mood to conform. Legolas was many things, but he was never impolite.
"Elrohir compiled a list of prospective wives," Elladan informed them, "and our Grand-Aunt Aeariel was number five on the list."
"Yes, Elladan, we are aware," Arwen laughed, remembering the day her brother attempted to compile a list of all the elleth who want to marry Legolas.
"I was temporarily insane," Elrohir murmured. "Until Aunt Aeariel discovered it and I was forced to change her to number one."
"She must be the first option. There are no other possible explanations. We are related by blood," Elladan teased. "She was an entirely acceptable aunt until she reached marriageable age."
"No," Arwen corrected him, "it was when she discovered the Prince of Mirkwood was spending his days in Imladris."
"So this is all my fault?" Legolas said abruptly as he appeared, "You should have warned me back then!"
"Yes, but she was not possessed by this marital fervour until you arrived," Arwen said. "She was, after all, my favourite aunt."
Legolas took a snort. "Excuse my lack of compassion. I recall receiving the list." They nodded in agreement, and he said "Thranduil also recalled it. Pursuing me about the list and if I am of age to marry."
"And were you?" the ranger enquired behind Arwen, grinning.
"Nothing for certain," Legolas responded angrily to his friend's remarks. "After all, bachelor's present a unique set of difficulties. And she's been threatening to remind me of it recently."
"What is the difficulty in marrying her?" Elladan inquired, panting for air between stifled chuckles.
Legolas gave him a look and nodded. Since he arrived in Imladris, he had spotted Aeariel attempting to capture his attention. The prince, on the other hand, was uninterested in weddings or finding his mate. He wanted to get away from that, and the last thing he needed was to return to Mirkwood and accept the role of the prince.
Elrohir's grin became wider. "I brought mine with me."
"You didn't!" Arwen exclaimed, extending her palm in front of her lips.
"He did," Elladan said, "but it was a shortlist, with Xena at the top."
"You cannot, Elrohir. Father is going to murder you. This is a send-off supper " Arwen adjusted and faced him squarely. There was already tension over her desire for a human, and now her brother would add fuel to the flames.
"How come only my lovely sister has such interests?" Elrohir beamed a devilishly wicked smile. "I am depending on you!"
"You may depend on us, brother, but you will be assaulted by her if she finds out," Elladan remarked, smacking his brother on the arm, "ask Legolas, who once again earned a broken nose from her."
Legolas rolled his dark grey eyes and tilted his head in an ominous sign of impatience. As the youngest member of the gang, he was often ridiculed by the twins. That made no difference to him. However, learning that the adaneth had already attracted Elrohir's notice began to grate.
"Inform me of your thoughts. I'm sure you'll get a barrage of harsh responses." Elrohir enquired and delivered the list to the elf prince.
Legolas unfurled the parchment and gazed down at Sindarin's exquisite calligraphy. Elrohir has enumerated eight females. Seven elf maiden who was very eligible and the human. "Exactly what I anticipated," he whispered, his brows arched. "However, why the human!"
"To grate on your nerves," Elrohir said as he snatched up the list and strode away from the living Legolas, who was gazing at him with a very perplexing expression.
A vast table sat in the centre of the Hall of Fire, where Elrond, Gandalf, and the majority of the visitors were seated and dining. "That truth will never be exposed completely. You may have to bear it for the rest of your life " the Grey magician pointed out.
"And yet, to have come this far while still carrying her history, the human has shown incredible endurance to her former life," Elrond sighed. "However, the truth should be disclosed in due course, Gandalf, when she is ready to embrace who she is."
Gandalf agreed "It is an obligation she should never have to face. We made a mistake in sending her away."
"Gandalf, the enemy was aware, and we needed to get her as far away as possible. Sauron's darkness is deepening, and hope for her return has dwindled." Concerned described the Half-elven.
"As you are aware, his deceit extends farther. Saruman is on the prowl for the Ring and for her," the wizard revealed.
"This depravity is impervious to concealment. The ring must be destroyed, and she must choose her own course of action." Master Elrond responded, his gaze resting on the human. "As soon as she accepts her fortune."
"You astonished me, old friend, by allowing her to join the quest," Gandalf said earnestly.
"She must forge her own path in this narrative," Elrond said. "Will you promise me, Gandalf, that you will keep an eye on her?"
"I shall do so," the grey magician assured.
Everyone felt a sense of connection with those with whom they dined that night since it is a basic indication of family and tribe acceptance. Having a seat at the table was a statement of safety and welcome. And they were all welcome at Elrond's home; elves, humans, and dwarves were all invited to bid goodbye to the fellowship, which would leave the next day.
Finally, their journey would begin.
((Upcoming Chapter Thirty))
Thank you for taking the time to read this! Feel free to Review - Follow - Favorite!
'Ellon' == Elf or He-Elf
'Elleth' == She-Elf
'Adaneth' == Human-female
I'd want to express my gratitude to everyone who continues to read and review the novel. I haven't posted comments in a long, and I will only respond after a few chapters.
AudoUnique: Yes, and I am planning to keep writing. I love the characters and hope that this FanFinction can grow into something readable that people can enjoy. ^_^
amyunder: Glad you like it. ^_^
Guest: Indeed I had said before that adding a canon from another universe can complicate the story. It takes a lot of effort to manage to keep close to the canon. OCs are easier written. ^_^
20554712: My dear reader, Thranduil will be in this FanFinction, I will try to include a few chapters here and there during the War of the Ring, but he will see him mostly after the war. He is one of my favourite characters, I am glad he is one of yours as well. ^_^
thenoneandonly: Indeed I try to unfold the story without rushing it. But I believe is about time for the adventure to begin. ^_^
Guest: Same here, I grow up with her show! ^_^
comingGoings: I admit that I have done that in one of my stories. But I want to take my time writing this and see the characters grow and mature. ^_^
LAMBERTS-C: My friend, dwarves are amazing creatures and they will be great friends if the story takes us there.
MilkA1Baby: Thank you for all the comments. Constructive Criticism is encouraged. I agree a few of the chapters need editing. I return and edit when I notice something wrong. ^_^
enjoli3: The fellowship will depart I believe in the next chapter. ^_^
Guest: They are okay! I am not going to kill my leading Characters, at least not yet! ^_^
MD: Thank you! ^_^