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)
~ LXXXVII: Family Perception ~
Caras Galadhon, 3019 TA, April 16th
It was becoming quiet in the Golden Woods of Lothlórien, which were the fairest of all the dwellings of my the Eldar. Paths of branches of huge mallorn-trees around them shielded them from the worst of the evening wind, but little whirls kept the smaller branches snapping fitfully, and stirred the leaves which shifted against each other as though whispering secrets.
"What's your point?" Xena asked. She had followed Galadriel, her so-called grandmother, for a long talk, while haking through the Golden Forest. Their conversation was long, longer than the Warrior Princess wanted it to be. Perhaps being an elf, left them with a lot of free time to discuss, but she was not in the mood.
"If you stayed, you would have become a target for all those who hate Elrond, and of the enemy needed something to humiliate him, saying that you were the offspring of his mate and some beast. That you are not! And you would learn things a child should never know." the Princess of the Ñoldor answered in a melodic voice while gazing at her with affection and care as she did with all her grandchildren.
"I would become like me!" she ensured her. "After all, it was not that while sending me to another world, to another family that my life was easy. It was not!" the words split ut of her lips dryly "I was thorough enough of darkness and pain in that life, how different would be here?"
"You should have been raised as our own." Galadriel agreed "Perhaps it would not be much different."
"You have missed your chance," Xena said without a second thought. There was no remorse in her words, and she would not give them a chance to make amends, at least not until she would be ready to accept what was said to her.
"You do not grasp. The time allotted to you is infinite. To forgive and comprehend Elrond. However, you must possess an open heart, my child." The Lady of the Galadhrim said while putting her hand gently on Xena's shoulder.
"Again? What's your point?" Xena asked being a bit more annoyed now.
"Eldar are immune to illness and not subject to age after we reach our prime. We can be killed only in violence or by extreme despair." Galadriel said "You are a warrior, and being killed will not come easy. And I am not sure how despair would affect your own fëa. You might have a long span of life. For how long are you going to avoid us?"
"Avoid you?" Xena scoffed "I am not avoiding you! I do not wish to meet with you."
"You are hiding from everyone," the lady of light noted "You will have eventually to accept the truth. After all, you would have done the same. Have you not once abandoned your son, in fear he might take after you? Did you not wish for his safety first?"
"I have," she admitted in sorrow "and I understand the reasons Elrond would have to follow that path. I would have done the same. But that doesn't mean, I can simply accept what you said. I need time. Time to process, all this!"
"You will have all the time you need, Aduialeth[Second-Twilight] ," Galadriel answered "Though you are not required to avoid them. Notably, your siblings who were in the same state of bewilderment as you and who were unaware of the reality."
"Are you telling me this for my good- or yours?" Xena asked. They both had stopped walking and Xena glared at her, slowly losing her patience with her.
"For all of us. Reconsider and take your time, but do not forget us, we are family after all," she continued "most of the elves are slowly leaving Middle Earth, our time here is ending and only a few will remain. You should not ignore the time that was given to you."
"When you had the choice to keep me here, you choose to send me away. Now, it's my turn to decide, and perhaps I would choose to stay away," Xena said her eyes meeting Galadriel's, and a small moment was silence rose between them.
The Lady Galadriel said no word but looked long upon her face. "Nay, there was no change of counsel. Elrond had to decide at once you were born. Gandalf the Grey, and I had given him counsel days before you were born, and it was agreed to send you away." insisted Galadriel, her voice was clear and musical but had a depth that most women would not. "Alas, do not forsake your kin for a mistake done by the need to keep you safe."
"Some things can't simply be forgotten and some need time to be accepted." Xena found herself saying, the tone of Galadriel had somehow calmed her down, and she believed now that there were some special powers hidden or magic in that voice of hers.
"You will not be rushed into accepting anything that you do not wish to," she promised "An open heart and understanding is enough for the time being. You will find your way eventually."
"I cannot promise you anything, but you have my word that I will try," she offered calmer than before, and with a promise left that she would give it a try, after some time.
"You are now known to us, but you will not hear to speak of it more openly. Yet not in vain will it prove, maybe, that you seek our air and counsel whenever you wish. And whenever you are ready to accept, who you are, we will then no longer hold it as a secret." Galadriel promised her and a smile formed on her face that made the lady of light shine like the sun in midsummer.
Xena nodded, taken back a bit from the pureness of her voice and the beaming of her skin. "But know my plan hasn't changed. I'm still gonna get you out of here," she told her in case she had some strange ideas to keep her behind as Elrond had offered.
"Do not let your heart be troubled," Galadriel answered "You wish to be near your friends. And I know that you will follow him. But know, child, the path he decided to take is not an easy one. He will need you along the way, do not forsake him when he is fallen into despair!"
Xena assumed that Galadriel was speaking about Legolas, and she was right. The Lady of Lórien had already seen inside of their hearts and knew that those two were sharing a deeper bond that the one of friendship that they wanted to believe. "I would never turn my back on him! He has my trust and my support, and me his!" Xena confirmed.
"Go now rest child, we have many more days to converse," Galadriel said and pulled away from Xena getting ready to take the west path to Caras Galadhon as they had walked for a great distance. She suddenly stopped and turned and gazed at her with a smile a bit more mischievous than it was, "And I would recommend keeping the volume down and your private interactions with Legolas under control."
Xena was puzzled and nodded while hiking away being torn between confusion and anger. What on earth should she do with immortality in this strange world? How was she supposed now to react as a sister to a few friendly faces? Those things need time and a clear mind. And she did not possess any of that at this moment.
However, the most important part was the part where Galadriel had spoken in riddles about Legolas. She would not know how accurate her words were, but the tone worried her. And knowing what would follow after the coronation of Aragorn only made her worry more. She totally ignored the part about Legolas and her personal encounters, and that her grandmother ended up knowing. Where they really that loud?
Arwen was on the verge of a nervous breakdown since she had not slept all night and instead spent it walking frantically about the area with the fountains while waiting for her twin brothers. She determined that Legolas did not appreciate her younger sister. How could he be so impolite as to entice her sister into bed and let the majority of Caras Galadhon overhear them?
It had begun as a harmless joke between her and the twins, that Legolas had been discovered with the human. Before she realized it was her younger sister, she thought it was only a crush and a fire. It sounded innocent and made her smile since it reminded her and Estel. She had not heard them until last night. Initially, she imagined it to be another pair of elves. Until her acute eyes saw Legolas kissing her, and her younger sister just accepted it.
Elladan and Elrohir had spent the night with her, reassuring her, and promised to discuss the situation with Legolas. However, the difficulty was that the act had already been performed; what should be done now? Her brothers were also bewildered. It was strangely disrespectful for them to have their little sister sleep with the Prince of Mirkwood. They understood that the elves of Mirkwood might be dangerous and less intelligent. It was common for Silvan Elves to have relationships without bonding, or just to be more receptive to their options.
Legolas, however, was a Sindar elf and a prince, and he had never shown such rude conduct. He could have flirted and played with other maidens as the prince, but he never did. Now he was sleeping with their sister, and they knew not how to handle the situation.
Arwen glared at them while standing in front of the fountain and said, "I was under the assumption that you were caring for our sister. After our father told us who Xena was, how have you allowed Legolas to get so close?"
Elladan groaned and attempted to conceal a smirk. "We had left her in competent and dependable care. Ultimately, Legolas was never interested in romantic games." He said while attempting to justify himself.
Arwen questioned, "Why wouldn't Legolas be attracted to her? Have you not seen how they interacted in Imladris?"
Elrohir said apprehensively, "Well, I've always suspected that Legolas would end up falling in love with the dwarf. And we were convinced Xena was secure." Elladan concurred.
"You are not serious!" Arwen grumbled at their preposterous justifications. "Acknowledge the gravity of the situation and the good fortune that our father did not see them."
"Yet," joked Elrohir, "he will ultimately find it if they continue their intimate contacts." Elladan motioned for him to cease the jest since it was making Arwen even more gloomy.
"You'd best hope he doesn't," Arwen stressed. "We shall have war with Mirkwood before the current one concludes."
"It seems that our beloved sister has forgotten how many times she enticed poor Aragorn in her own chamber," Elladan shrugged. "I did not imagine you would object to her spending time with Legolas."
Arwen had forgotten how furious she could get, and she struck Elladan on the head as a result. "If you must know, we spent the night chatting or kissing, but nothing else," she said after discovering how naive her brothers were. Arwen revealed to the twins that, out of the four buddies, Legolas was no longer the only one who was no longer a virgin.
Finally, this had an effect on the twins, who finally comprehended what their sister meant. "Where is Legolas currently?" Elladan requested Elrohir to go and retrieve him.
Legolas was quickly discovered returning from Xena's room, and he was trapped at the fountain by all three siblings. The problem was that he did not realize Xena was their sister. And all of a sudden, the notion that three knowledgeable and elderly elves were attempting to educate you how to act around a woman felt bizarre and absurd.
"Come now, Legolas; if not all of Caras Galadhon, at least half have heard you! You are fortunate that they never suspected it may be you since you were meant to be wounded and recuperating." Arwen whispered coaxingly, refusing to allow the elf to speak.
Legolas said, "I rested," perplexed by his sibling's conduct, believing they were playing a game with him. "And it was preferable to do it with a maiden than by oneself. You were correct, for so long nobody advised me to be more receptive!"
"You know your conduct is the worst, Legolas; how can you be so disrespectful to her?" Arwen said, gazing straight at him and denying him any opportunity to take a breath.
"I have not harmed her, as you know. We both agreed on the matter, I am not an animal." Legolas defended himself with a chuckle, speculating that there may have been times when they felt like animals, but he did not elaborate. "And you three have nothing to do with this problem!"
Elladan ended up skipping beside him and attempting to calm him down, saying, "Of course, we care about you. You might disrespect Xena," he shouted, and Elrohir intervened to keep the conversation cordial.
"Nothing can be done!" Arwen said, "What are your future plans?"
"Future?" Ironically, Legolas raised an eyebrow; he did not sure whether they would have a future. "We will accompany you to Minas Tirith before returning to Mirkwood to hunt orcs."
Long quiet reigned as the twins glanced at Arwen and then back at Legolas. "I meant your future intentions as a pair?" Arwen inquired again, attempting to maintain her composure.
"I'm sorry, Arwen, but we do not have the same objectives as you and Estel. I see no future," Legolas said coldly, as though for the first time his own words had any weight. "I do not know what is wrong with the three of you, but I would advise you to quit meddling," he said as he walked away bewildered.
Arwen and the twins debated what should be done for the remainder of the evening. No matter what they did, the fact remained that those two had already advanced, and they could only pray that no one else found out about their interactions. The siblings started to believe that locking Xena up on the tower would be the best way to keep her away from the wicked Prince of Mirkwood.
How much had their friend changed?
((Upcoming Chapter Eighty-Eight))
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