Chapter 17: The Wedding Night
c/w: sex & intimacy
Under the tree, Legolas and Lossrilleth stood in a close embrace. She lifted her hand, stroking his hair down to the nape of his neck, making him shiver. "How much do you know about this part, meleth nin?" she asked quietly.
"Now our bodies and spirits come together in unity," he said. "The first part you may know better than I… although I did walk in on my parents in the act once when I was young." Lossrilleth chuckled – that was quite an image. "I'm not so sure," she replied. "Nothing about living in an elven body feels the same as being human, I doubt this would be any different." She leaned into him, letting her breath hit his ear as she whispered, "Although I do have some ideas." She felt his body shudder in her arms.
Legolas followed his curiosity, allowing himself to touch her in places he would never have dared before. One arm held her firmly by the waist while his other hand wandered over her. She kissed his neck down to his collar, feeling gratified as he sucked in a breath in through his teeth. Her hands worked at the belt that held his tunic in place, then lifted the outer garment over his head, letting it drop to the ground. Teasing his shirt free, she slid warm hands up his bare chest. She let them wander behind him and pulled him towards her, kissing him firmly on the mouth.
Lossrilleth noticed with wonder that they were beginning to be able to feel each other's sensations as well as their own. After all she had lived through and seen alone, the feeling of her being opening to another's felt unnerving. Humanity did not experience this. A sliver of fear arose in her that she would be consumed and disappear. For this joining, he was better prepared than she. He invited her fea into his by bringing forth feelings of safety, comfort, and friendliness. With his whole heart, he shined forth acceptance and care for all that she was. Her resistance melted, and she let her own feelings of goodwill and love for him flow freely, allowing their two spirits to come close. Faintly, she could feel him as though he were an extension of herself – like a new limb of her own body.
Tuning into his sensations, she could tell that their physical attentions had been too much too soon. His breath sounded forced, and he felt tense. She eased back, honoring his need to go more slowly. They rested their faces against each other's, and he closed his eyes, grateful for her sensitivity and for a moment to breathe.
"Listen to the rain," she said, prompting him to place his attention on something outside their bodies to re-balance. As they were becoming more in tune, she wondered if she could offer help by cultivating calm in herself that he could draw on. She prayed silently, "By the grace of the Valar, let my heart be peaceful and steady." Her mind was turned to the white noise sound of the rain around them, bringing a soothing feeling that she passed through to him. She felt him take in a deep breath, finding calm.
She stepped back from him, letting the feeling of the cool air wash over her. She took her traveling cloak from their belongings and laid it on the ground between two enormous tree roots, inviting him to join her there. Before laying down, she slipped her dress off her shoulders and stepped out of it as simply as she could, imagining her own nakedness as a kind of innocence. She thought she was starting to understand what this lover needed from her right now – not seduction, not hot passion or jagged nerves – but calmness, love, and beauty.
He took in the sight of her with appreciation. The centered feeling she projected through their fledgling bond called him into her. He removed his own clothing and joined her on the ground. He reached for her and she gladly moved in close, but let him set the pace. He explored her body, learning that he delighted in coaxing reactions out of her, and finding that he could stay balanced by letting his own sensations flow over and through him like a river, as she did.
He took her face in his hand and smiled warmly down at her, looking into the hazel eyes that Eru had given her to memorialize her unique life. "I am ready, are you?" he asked. "Yes, my love," she replied. Once again he allowed all of his love and appreciation for her to emanate through his fea, inviting her into union. Her own spirit responded passionately – a miniature sun burning with gratitude and affection for all that he was. Their spirits pressed hard into each other as he moved over her and finally, they joined. The boundaries between their souls dissolved as the lovers took the long night to explore their shared pleasure and the feeling of their spirits united.