"I do not want to leave bed," Web murmured from his warm place against Zionel in his room.
Zionel yawned. "Why not? It is morning. And you are about to officially become my little brother!" He kissed the top of the curly pate before him.
Web curled tighter and rested his cheek on his hand. Zionel could not see his face but, if he could have, he would have been surprised at the misery and lines of worry he saw there.
"I know," Web said, in tones that betrayed him.
Zionel started. He raised himself up on an elbow and leaned down to look at Web's face. "My parents would not adopt you, Web, unless they loved you as they do me and Ilune."
"It is not that," Web said, rolling over and looking up into Zionel's eyes. "I-I am afraid they will treat me like you."
Zionel blinked as he lay down on his side beside the elfling. "Ada and naneth treat me well, Web. They are not mean to me. And they will treat you no different."
"That is the trouble," Web said, his voice trembling. "I-I cannot cut wood."
It might have been hilariously comical but Zionel did not laugh for he knew it would hurt Web's feelings.
"Laugh," Web said warily. "I know you want to."
"No, no," Zionel said, as he reached for Web's hand. "It is not funny and I understand your feelings. But, Web, ada and naneth will not ask you to do anymore then you are capable of. And you are not yet ready to cut wood. Ada knows that."
"When did you start?" Web asked.
"When I was about your age," Zionel answered.
Web looked dismayed as he rolled onto his side. "I-I do not know if I want to do this. What if—what if they start viewing me as a useless lump of flesh? I do not know much about how families work but—but—I do know everyone has to do their fair share and . . ."
Zionel encircled Web in a hug. "It is all right, Web. You do not need to worry about doing your fair share; ada and naneth will not ask you to more then you can. And if there is anything you do not understand, you can come to me and I will explain it."
"But you were already cutting wood at my age," Web began.
"Yes, but I had not spent practically all of my life locked up down cellar with an abusive father who popped down to thrash me on a written schedule," Zionel said, the words coming out with more intensity then he meant. He felt Web shiver. "You still have to recover from the years of abuse and regain strength you never had a chance to develop. You will get to cut wood but not until then. Do you want to cut wood now?" he added.
Web shook his head, twisting in the warm embrace. "No. I was afraid I would have to and I know I am too weak . . . are you sure they will not throw me out?"
"They would not do that to me or Ilune," Zionel said stoutly. "So they will not do it to you."
"But I am not related by blood," Web began.
"You are in spirit," Zionel interrupted. "And that is all that matters. I know you are worried now that the day is here; the jet of happiness in the beginning is over, but it will be fine. Nothing will change from the way you experienced while living with his. Except naneth might ask you to do a few things for her," he ended with a thoughtful expression.
Web squirmed and Zionel let him go as he tossed off the blankets and jumped out of bed. Zionel rushed into his clothes and made the bed while Web dressed more slowly.
Zionel stood at the door and waited for Web to come stand beside him. As he opened the door, Web lingered behind him.
A loud knock on the front door of the house sounded and Galleon left the easy chair to answer it. Web's heart lurched. This must be the official who would legalize the adoption.
Galleon opened the door, prepared to receive the person beyond but his composure broke as four identical elflings bounced past him into the room.
"King Thranduil!" Galleon said, standing frozen with the door still open. He glanced at the quadruplets and received four bows in unison.
Anialia shot out of the kitchen. "What? Him? Here?" She looked down at her floury apron with a dismayed expression.
Thranduil smiled. "Yes. I have the adoption papers with me. May I come in? This is my wife, Cinwe."
"Hmm, yes, I have heard all about her." And Galleon glanced at Anialia as he stood to the side, and hoped his wife would not blow up at the sight of her old rival.
Cinwe breezed into the room with her head in the air. Anialia frowned.
"You are too kind," she said. "But really, there was no need to go through all the trouble. Your hair must have taken hours to do and the silk . . . was unnecessary."
Galleon slapped a hand to his forehead and Thranduil looked past him with a concerned expression. Mykar folded his arms and addressed his mother.
"I told you it was a stupid thing to do," he announced haughtily.
"If you must pass ridiculous and rude comments, you can get out and say them to the trees!" Cinwe snapped, jabbing a finger toward the door.
Mykar blinked. He held out his hands. "Hey, I was just saying!"
"Keep it zipped from now on," Cinwe said, running a finger across her lips.
Anialia sniffed. "I would not worry, Cinwe, dear. I am not going to steal your husband so there is no need to be so overprotective."
Cinwe tossed her head. "What nonsense. I did not come to protect my husband. As if!"
Thranduil took Galleon by the arm and sidled to the table, casting worried looks at the tense atmosphere between the two women. Galleon sank into a seat and stared at the sheaf of papers Thranduil slapped down before him.
"Years and jealousy still explodes on sight between them," he grumbled, flipping through the file. "It is not as if we act that way! Have they no sense?"
Thranduil looked at his wife. "Apparently not. Now, where is Web?"
Galleon turned and held out his arm to Web, lingering in the shadows of the bedroom door. Web came to him with a hesitant expression and leaned against him, his head on Galleon's shoulder.
Zionel came to stand behind the quadruplets, his arms folded across his chest. Brenen looked up with a grin and tugged on his sleeve. "So, Zionel, how have you been?"
"Well enough," Zionel replied. "Still sore from our last wrestle?"
"Not on your defeat!" Brenen replied with his eyes closed.
"How has fire-bending been?" Zionel asked.
"Your house would succumb to my fury in a second!" Brenen replied.
Zionel lapsed into silence, his eyes on Web but occasionally sliding to look at his mother's indignant face.
"I told her getting into her best dress and doing up her hair and putting on jewels would only be grounds for furious argument," Mykar said with an I-told-you-so expression.
"Be quiet," Realn said.
"I know you family personally," Thranduil said, "So there is no need for you to undergo the entire financial and personal investigation. All you need to do is sign your names on these lines and . . . Web will be your son." He smiled at the elfling, noticing how much more color had come into his cheeks.
Galleon took the pen and put his name to the paper. He handed it to Web and watched him scratch out the letters to his name with care. Then the woodcutter looked at his wife.
"You are needed, dear," he said.
Anialia flung the spoon in her hand behind her into the kitchen and sauntered past Cinwe to take up the pen. "You will have to excuse me, your royal highness! I have got important royal duties to attend to!"
"Hah!" said Cinwe.
"I want to stay," Legolas began as Anialia leaned down to sign her name.
Thranduil took Cinwe by the arm and shook his head. "No, I think we should be on our way. We will come back later after the family reunion is done and the air has cleared up a bit." He took up a copy of the papers on the table. "I will leave the other one with you. Farewell."
"Goodbye, Anialia, darling!" Cinwe called. "I think your bread is burning!"
The door shut. The house stood in silence.
Zionel was the first to move. He grabbed Web and hugged him to his chest. "How does it feel to be one of us, little brother?"
"It feels good," Web replied.
Zionel headed for the door. "Come with me outside. We will be back later, ada . . . naneth."
As soon as the two brothers were outside, Galleon turned on his wife. "What is with you? It is not as if you and Cinwe have anything to fight about now! You are both married, for valar's sake!"
But Anialia's only reply was, "That woman has never baked a loaf of bread in her life!" And she retired to the kitchen to find Ilune flinging her bread dough across the room, skating in flour, and giggling with delight.
Second to last chapter! I am so excited! The next in the Nin Chronicles will be up soon, featuring two lovely Elrondions known as Elladan and Elrohir!