AN: So hopefully this chapter clears up a few things about the progressing theme but do not worry, lots more to unfold yet ;) Please, please leave a review as it makes all the difference when I hear from you noble readers :) x
Legolas POV
Legolas was happily running his hands through Tauriel's auburn hair in the pre-dawn light of their chambers. He loved the way it flowed like water through his fingers. The Prince pulled Tauriel up closer to his chest, never wanting to let her go and buried his nose in her smell of summer sun and flowers. Not wanting to surrender his moment of happiness, he let his mind drift back into a semi-unconscious state, on the very edge of his dreams.
Nuzzled in his happy place, he did not want to let Tauriel get up and leave and half-dreamed ludicrous reasons why she simply must stay in his bed.
No. Tauriel must stay here in my arms. Really, it is the only place for her. Yes, I must make Ada decree that she is too mischievous to be allowed to wander about the Kingdom.
Legolas smiled to himself as Tauriel's waking movements brought him out of his dreaming.
Tauriel shifted into sitting in an upright position and brushed her long hair out of her dazzling eyes. Legolas loved it when she did that for the whole world suddenly appeared in slow-motion. Tauriel was completely oblivious to the effect it had upon him and was looking at him with a questioning expression. He tried to remain focussed but it was rather difficult when she was just there lounging in his bed. He swallowed audibly and twitched his covers. Fortunately, or unfortunately as Legolas later decided, Tauriel's mind was definitely elsewhere when she deployed her sombre Captain's face.
'Legolas, there is something I need to tell you.' Her green eyes were serious.
Here we go again.
Tauriel began telling Legolas a rather odd tale about finding a flower on his Father's balcony and getting screamed at to get out by the Elven-King. He frowned slightly at his Father's behaviour but did not really see what Tauriel was so worked up about.
'It was like he was afraid, Legolas, as though he was terrified of something. And he looked so sad. That flower, it brought back terrible memories, I know it. I am concerned he…he could fade!' Tauriel now had her fists clenched in the sheets and was staring at him fervently.
Legolas snorted. 'Tauriel, my Ada is not going to fade, I promise you. Not after all of these years and certainly not because of a flower.' He wrinkled his nose and gave her an odd expression.
'But where did it come from, Legolas? It is your Mother's flower, I remember you telling me what Lady Celebrían had said about it being her symbol.'
Legolas looked sadly at his wife, whose eyes were glimmering with their green fire and sighed. It still hurt to talk about his Mother, even to Tauriel.
She is really passionate about this. I know she really cares for Thranduil.
'I do not know where the flower came from. Yes, I admit it is not from these lands and that I do not believe Ada had it when he arrived. You know as well as I do Tauriel that there are other powers that could have brought the flower to the King. Maybe it was from my Naneth, I do not know. I do not know that that could be possible. In the small possibility that somehow it was, from what you described it only made the King sad, although I believe it would have been sent in love.'
Tauriel looked a bit crestfallen at his words. 'You should have heard him scream at me to get out Legolas. I have never seen him like that.'
'Ada should not have treated you like that. He probably feels bad about the whole situation.' Legolas was pleased when Tauriel seemed to take comfort at his words.
Legolas lent forwards and kissed Tauriel's temple, brushing her hair back from her face at the same time. 'Next time, just do not go around poking the King's possessions.' He said in a quiet voice.
The sheets shifted again and Legolas felt the Captain blush from where he had his lips against his cheek.
Tauriel chuckled but Legolas sensed her sleuthing was not quite over yet.
Tauriel POV
In the days that passed news spread that the Queen Arwen had been safely delivered of a second child, a little girl.
Tauriel was going to see the child tomorrow with Legolas when he got back from a patrol with Faramir and was for now making do with some quality time with Serilla, who was working in the healers' wing.
Talk of Queen Arwen's child was heavy in the air and perhaps that is why Tauriel found herself leaning over a white granite counter, telling Serilla everything that had happened since that night in Thranduil's chambers.
The healer listened patiently as she crushed some unidentified substance with a mortar and pestle.
After Tauriel had finished recounting Serilla finally spoke. 'I think you should listen to Legolas.'
Tauriel lent her head on her hands, gazing at Serilla's crushing powers.
'I knew the Queen. Not well' Serilla added after apparently satisfied that her ingredients were finer than grains of sand, glancing at Tauriel's shocked expression, 'but yes, I was there in the Kingdom when she was murdered. It was awful.' Serilla looked away.
Tauriel straightened from where she had been leaning over the counter watching Serilla make, well whatever it was she was making.
Wait, Serilla knew the Queen? How old is she?! I just assumed she was around the same age as Legolas and Ranadir. It is always so hard to tell with our kind!
'Serilla, how old are you exactly?' Tauriel squinted her eyes at the healer as if she could figure it out by sight alone.
I cannot believe I have never asked her this before.
Serilla tossed her beautiful honey tresses over her shoulder before turning her dove grey eyes onto Tauriel and for the first time, the Captain appreciated that the healer had seen much more of the passing of the world than she ever had.
Serilla gave her a small, sly grin. 'I am one thousand, nine hundred and eighty-four.'
Well that puts my seven hundred and seventy-nine into perspective.
Unconcerned, Serilla chose a different bowl and selected a bundle of thyme sprigs and began plucking them before crushing them into a fine powder to replenish one of her stone herb jars.
'As I was saying, I know the danger of someone fading. I have seen it. Thranduil would have faded quickly had it not been for Legolas, of that I am nearly certain. Centuries have passed and the King is still here, Tauriel. He is not going to fade just because of some aerangis flower, despite what emotions it may have awoken. As long as he has Legolas, he is anchored irrevocably to this world.'
Tauriel felt reassured by having a second opinion but something still irked her curiosity.
Testing Serilla's patience and her luck for the second time, Tauriel pressed on with her enquiry. 'Legolas was pretty certain Thranduil did not have the flower when he arrived, for we saw him taking special care of it when he left. Aerangis is not native to Gondor, do you know where it could have come from?'
Serilla dusted her hands and placed them on her slim hips, over her grey healers robes.
'No I do not but you know as well as I that there are other forces at work in this world.'
'That is exactly what Legolas said.'
'Then you should listen to him. Whatever this is, it is not malevolent, I think the flower was meant as a symbol of love.'
'Hannon le, Serilla.' Tauriel chewed her lip thoughtfully and turned to take her leave of the healing wing.
Serilla's soft voice stopped her at the door. 'Tauriel. Do not press them on this matter.'
Their attention was interrupted by three little blurs shouting and running into the room and the sound of a crashing pot as they pushed each other into the counter play-fighting. The boys had knocked Serilla's pot of crushed something onto the floor.
A chestnut haired ellon untangled himself from the fray. 'Oh, goheno nin, Naneth.'
'Fin-galad! You should be in lessons, where is your Ada?' Serilla's voice dropped an octave as she narrowed her eyes at the three troublemakers who could apparently not be contained.
Tauriel gave a small smile and tilted her head in acknowledgement before leaving through the door. She did not feel guilty leaving as Serilla was more than capable of handling the ellons, and also glad because her son had not been implicated.
Probably the only reason being he is still to young to keep up with them.
Thinking of Thranadir, Tauriel wandered to the nursery, letting her thoughts digest what she had just heard.
Legolas seems to think that we should not worry about Thranduil and so does Serilla. Perhaps they are right and Thranduil simply overreacted to my invasion of his privacy. Nonetheless, I do not like how we said farewell. I will endeavour to make amends.
Spirits buoyed by her worries lessening, Tauriel went to the nursery to pick up Thranadir and also made a detour to pick up her always-stocked quiver and bow. She had to hold Thranadir tightly to her chest to stop him grasping for her red fletched arrows, his green eyes alight with curiosity over her shoulder at their feathered ends. Tauriel wandered to the edge of the tree line outside the main city and carefully sat Thranadir down on the softest of lush grass that she could find.
'Would you like to see Naneth outshoot Ada meleth nîn?' Tauriel notched an arrow and looked down at her little one.
Thranadir giggled in joy, his young elven mind now able to grasp what was happening. Tauriel smiled at him before letting loose arrow after arrow, perfectly hitting all of her targets from the tallest branch, to the smallest acorn. Thranadir waved his hands and laughed each time she met her target. All of her arrows spent, Tauriel sank down next to her child and opened her arms. Thranadir immediately threw himself into her green-clad lap and nestled into her chest. Tauriel stroked his silver locks and started humming a wordless tune that sprang to her mind.
At this angle, with his head snuggled against her, Thranadir looked like a tiny Legolas, or a tiny Thranduil. Tauriel smiled, she would make it up to her King, after all she felt in her heart of hearts that she did have love for Thranduil and she sensed that he had love for her too, in his own way.
Not that he would ever admit it.
AN: Gosh Tauriel, keep your weapons away from the baby!