Chapter 13
xxxxxxxx – passage of time
italics – thoughts or memories
(Haldir)
"So brothers, will you join us at the Lord and Lady's feast tonight?" I asked.
"Of course brother! Have you ever heard of there being a party and us not being there?" exclaimed Rumil. "What a question to ask!"
"Me and Rumil will be there." assured Orophin smiling.
"Now, what were we doing before we met up with Haldir and Elenna, Orophin?" Rumil said turning to Orophin.
"I can't quite recall…"
"Oh right, the blacksmith, come Orophin." replied Rumil, answering his own question. At this he dragged Orophin down the path the way we came.
"We'll leave you two alone for the rest of the afternoon!" Rumil called over his shoulder as they disappeared around the bend.
"They better." I muttered under my breath. Beside me, Elenna laughed again.
"Have you no sympathy, Ranaew?" I asked darkly.
"No." she said. Then, without further explanation, she continued walking, leaving me staring after her.
After walking some ways, she stopped and turned back to face me.
"Shall I continue this walk alone?" she asked, her head tilted to one side as she always did when she was in a mood to joke. I smiled at her.
"If it pleases my Lady, after all, she has no sympathy, so, neither do I." I said.
"Very well." she said and continued walking. I smiled. Such spirit she has. I silently ran up behind her and pulled her into my embrace.
"Thought you could escape me, did you?" I whispered into her ear.
"Why would I want that?" she replied.
"You're probably right, because you can't escape me anyhow." I said, smiling. "You are my wife."
She smiled shyly up at me. "And what would my Lord have me do?" she asked.
"Such obedience, Elenna! Whatever happened to "I obey no one"?" I said smiling at her surrender.
"I only asked. I never said I was going to comply." she said slyly.
"I thought there was more to that." I said. "But this is an order you cannot refuse."
"Oh?" she said with a look of mock astonishment.
"Kiss me." I whispered in her ear. She looked up at me with her white-grey eyes.
Then, tentatively, she placed a chaste kiss on my cheek and retreated.
"I'm afraid that's not good enough Ranaew." I said, smiling at the gesture. She was silent for a moment. Then she lifted her face to mine again, but this time she brought her lips to mine and kissed me full on the mouth.
I gave an inward moan; her lips were so soft and warm. I placed my hands on the small of her back and drew her to me, deepening our kiss.
As we drew apart, her eyes looked at me, as if she was awaiting an answer of some sort. I still revelled in the small moment of pleasantness, and said nothing.
"Was that to milord's liking?" she said finally.
"Very much." I replied, smiling. "It was very much to my liking."
Once again, she gave me a shy smile. I smiled back at her and gathered her hands in mine. She was still the innocent Ranaew, so childlike and chaste, nothing seemed to change that.
"Come," I said to her, "I want to show you something."
She looked at me curiously, with her old habit of tilting her head slightly to the right.
"Come." I said again, pulling her along gently. We descended through the city's winding and twisting pathways, until at last we reached the tall green gates of Caras Galadhon.
I nodded at the guards on duty, who readily opened the gates for us, and we stepped out into the golden forest of Lothlorien.
"Follow me." I said to her, leading her through the golden leaved trees, branches rustling ever so slightly in the gentle spring breeze. I led her on familiar paths through the forest, ever winding forward into the vast forest of gold, when we finally arrived at the place I sought to take her.
Sky reflected on a pond of bluest water. Whether the blue was from the pond or the sky, you could not tell. The surface of the water was still as glass, not a single ripple disturbed its surface. Around it, the proud golden Mellyrn stood tall, framing the pond with an edge of gold. This was my special place.
Elenna gasped, and then laughed. "This is the place, is it not?" she asked "The place that we dreamt of."
"It is." I replied. "This is the place in the world where I feel most at home, I often visit this place in my dreams at night."
"It is beautiful." she said in reverence. "Yet that does not seem to describe it either."
"No." I admitted. "There are no words for its beauty."
Then, as in our dream, she gathered my hands in hers and pulled me into a dance of joy. I laughed at her antics and spun her about me while she laughed along with me.
Finally, having grown dizzy at the twirling, I collapsed with her onto the soft earth that was carpeted with golden leaves of the Mellyrn. I looked into the shining silver eyes like stars sparkling with laughter below me.
"Are we still dreaming, Haldir?" she asked me. "This surely must be a dream."
"Maybe we are, Ranaew." I whispered softly to her. "Maybe we are still dreaming."
I held her to me, and we lay below that expanse of blue sky with the golden Mellyrn reaching up above into its cerulean heights, watching wordlessly. We did not move from our place on the carpet of golden leaves for a long while. The hours passed by us, but they seemed no more than minutes. Here, time had no meaning. Here, it was just us, and eternity stretching before us as far as the eye can see.
We did not speak again, but I heard the three little words she had said, in our dream of this place. It surrounded us and enclosed us in its cloak. So much said in so little words…
"I love you..."
(Elenna)
How long we laid there under the blue sky, I did not know, but at last, the sun disappeared over the treetops and the sky turned a shade of violet and pink.
"We should return to the city," he said, breaking our silence. "Our feast starts at nightfall."
I did not answer him. I watched as he rose to his feet and then reached out his hand for me. I gave him it and he pulled me to my feet.
"Come Elenna," he said, "We do not want to be late for a feast that is in our honour." I nodded and followed him back through the wood to Caras Galadhon.
At the gates, we parted, he making his way to his talan and I to mine. We had little time to prepare for the feast, the light grows dimmer by the minute. Night was falling already.
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I was almost at the door of my talan when Nimloth came running up behind me.
"Milady!" she exclaimed. "It is good you are back. The feast is almost starting, we must get you dressed."
"Would not what I am wearing now not do?" I asked, "I was only coming here to adjust my hair, I fear it has gotten tangled in the wind."
"No milady, that would hardly do!" she said in exasperation. "This is your wedding feast! The Lady sent with me a dress for the occasion."
She handed me a carefully wrapped bundle. I untied the string about it and unfolded it to reveal an exquisite dress of the softest fabric that seemed to shimmer this way that in the light. The color was the most extraordinary feature of all. It seemed to be white and grey at the same time. Delicate embroidery adorned the neck and branched down to the hemline of the gown. The wide flowing sleeves were hemmed with more embroidery.
"It is too much." I said quietly.
"There is one more thing that the Lady wished to give you." Nimloth said. I looked at her in disbelief. She held out a silver diadem, a fine, intricately twisted mithril chain that bore a single small but magnificent white jewel on its front. It sparkled like a star in the heavens.
"This cannot be for me, Nimloth." I said to her.
"But it is." she replied, her voice faint with wonder as mine. "She told me specifically to give it to you, I jest you not."
"But it is only fitting for royalty to wear such adornment." I whispered.
"Maybe the Lady is trying to tell you something milady." she said to me.
We were silent for a few moments, simply staring at the radiant jewel. Finally Nimloth came to her senses.
"Come milady, time is short, we must get you ready for the feast!" she exclaimed.
She helped me slip on the silver dress, which fitted my every curve, and lace up the ties at the back. I sat still on the recliner as she pulled a comb through my hair and arranged my hair in a style a little more complicated than my usual fashion, securing it with tiny clasps.
Finally she held out the mithril diadem reverently to me. For a moment, I could only stare at it, but Nimloth nudged me gently with her foot. I took it from her and slowly encircled it about my head. Nimloth helped me secure it from the back.
Our work done, Nimloth pulled me in front of a mirror.
"Milady you look like a star that fell from the heavens." she whispered.
I laughed at this.
"So poetic, Nimloth!." I said smiling. But even I could not recognize the elleth staring back at me from the mirror.
"Let us go milady," Nimloth said to me. "The feast will have started by now."
I nodded in agreement and we made our way to the west hall of banquet.
(Haldir)
I barely had time to rebraid my hair and change into a tunic suitable for the occasion, when the sun relinquished its final rays of light. Lanterns glowing with soft light lit the pathways as I hurried along them to the West Hall, greeted by well-wishers on the way.
As I reached the entrance to the hall, I was pulled inside abruptly by my brothers.
"You're late." they said in unison.
"I am well aware of that." I replied irritably.
"Where is Elenna?" asked Orophin.
"Yes where is she?" added Rumil. "Was she not supposed to come with you?"
"She is in her talan." I replied, "She will probably be along later."
"You did not wait for her?" Rumil said, raising an eyebrow.
"No…" I said rather sheepishly. Orophin shook his head in disgust.
"Well, since you are here already, we may as well get you to your seat." Rumil said, steering me purposefully to the table at the head of the banquet hall, where the Lord and the Lady already presided at.
"Join us Haldir." said the Lady, gesturing to the seat beside her and smiling graciously.
I sat down. An elleth I recognized as one of the Lady's maidens filled the cup before me with wine. I surveyed the banquet hall; it was quickly filling up with merrymakers coming to enjoy a good party. Still there was no sign of Elenna. Could she have gotten lost? I mentally kicked myself for not going to collect her.
"She is not lost Haldir." the Lady said to me. "There is just a slight delay. Nimloth is with her, she will be along shortly."
"What could be taking her so long?" I asked, but the Lady merely smiled mysteriously.
"The minds of women are not for us to know, my friend." Lord Celeborn said to me with a serene smile. "Let them keep their secrets."
I nodded and fell silent, watching my brothers, who were sitting at the table nearest us, collecting wagers for a drinking game commencing later tonight. The hall was almost filled up, yet there was no Elenna. Guests came up to congratulate me, but I only listened half-heartedly and returned their sentiments while anxiously peering towards the door of the hall.
"She will come." the Lady assured me, as I checked the entrance for the millionth time. "Do not worry."
"Come Haldir! Who do you think will win the drinking contest tonight?" my brothers yelled to me from their table, surrounded by their friends from the guard. "Will it be Amdir or Bregalad?"
"Truly I do not know." I said a little wearily.
"Aw come now Haldir!" Rumil exclaimed. "It is your wedding feast. Have some fun with us!"
"I would say Amdir, Rumil." the Lady spoke suddenly beside me. We all looked to the Lady in surprise. "He can make a swift end to a barrel of finest Imladris cordial, if I recall correctly."
The Lady gave Amdir, the tall golden blond one in the middle, a knowing smile. The said elf in question flushed in embarrassment. The others roared in laughter.
"And how much would you wager on him, milady?" Rumil asked boldly. The Lady smiled again, but instead rose to her feet, looking at something at the entrance of the banquet hall. Everyone's eyes followed hers to the figure that presently appeared in the doorway of the hall.
My breath caught in my throat. Eru above, was this magnificent being truly Elenna?
A hush descended on the recently rowdy crowd of the banquet. Valar! It was Elenna,
but oh she was stunning! Clad in a flowing silver dress, hair pulled up in intricate interweaving strands, she was breathtaking. But what caught the eye was a silver diadem of mithril chains set with a brilliant white jewel that dazzled the eye. She looked like a star of the heavens. It was this curious diadem that set off an instant buzz of conversation.
The mark of royalty.
She smiled shyly at the guests and then caught my eye, smiling timidly, and started to slowly make her way through the hall to the high table where I sat with the Lord and Lady. Hushed whispers rippled through the hall.
"the Elemmirë…" "Star jewel…"
It seemed to take her ages to get to where I was standing.
"Elenna…" I breathed, taking her hands in mine. She looked a little frightened by all the people around us.
"We are glad you could join us, child." the Lady stepped forward to greet her warmly. Elenna suddenly dropped in a kneel, only to be stopped by the Lady.
"My Lady … these things… why?" she asked in a voice no more than a whisper. The Lady smiled but did not answer.
"Friends." the Lord Celeborn rose to address the crowd. "We gather here today to rejoice in the union of our loyal march warden, Haldir son of Beledir, to Elenna of the woods."
The crowd had ceased their murmurs and now cheered happily.
"We give the most precious jewel of Lothlorien to him for his keeping, our – Elemmirë." the Lord continued. At this, murmurs broke out again.
This time, it was the Lady who raised her hand for silence.
She spoke in a low voice not much above a whisper. "Most do not remember, but we do not forget." She took Elenna's hands in her own. Elenna had a look of bewilderment on her. The Lady then led her to the front of the table, placing her hand in mine. The Lord Celeborn smiled down kindly at her.
"We rejoice this night, of the union of Haldir son Beledir, to Elenna Elemmirë, daughter of Aranwë and of Nimbrethil, sister of Celebrían and daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel."
Notes –List of Names:
Amdir- random name, might not exist, not sure about meaning, if you do please enlighten me
Bregalad – 'Quickbeam' Sindarin (borrowed from LOTR , Ent name)
Beledir – another random name…hope you don't mind
Elemmirë -'Star-jewel' – Quenya
Elen -'star', mirë -'jewel'
One of the stars created by Varda in the beginning of days.
Aranwë –not sure about meaning but 'ar(a)' usually means 'high, noble, royal'
original character is an elf of Gondolin, father of Voronwë
(for more info, see "The Silmarillion")
You thought I'd never keep writing did you? well I'm sure I made up for ( what was it?) … 3? 4? months of not writing in this chapter. School was just getting in the way and I kind of got tired of writing…but anyways I hope to keep continuing during the summer. And the drama begins! I hope y'all enjoyed it. I don't think this particular AU has ever been written before… well at least not that I've read of.
I think this is actually the best chapter I've written! hahahah je suis très intelligente... haha there goes my french again. Enjoy!