Chapter 12 ended with:
Legolas had been oblivious to both events. His son might be a great warrior, but was far less experienced than his father when it came to assess threats of a psychological or emotional nature. He would have to warn him that Elladan and Haldir were to be watched.
Chapter 13 – Archers in skirts
The sun was high in a cloudless sky, a perfect day to train after many days of pouring rain. The earth was damp with puddles of water everywhere, but it didn't stop many warriors from taking this golden opportunity to organize an impromptu archery tournament. They were at the training grounds when the princess and her three elflings arrived. Assuming the new members of the royal family were simply visiting the various parts of the realm, they were surprised when the family stopped in front of a target located at the far end of the field. The young ellyn put the metal cases they had been carrying on the grass near their mother, and the princess quickly opened the cases, taking out bows made of metal instead of wood. Their astonishment peaked when they saw her hand the smaller bow to Princess Phoebe while Prince Liam was helping the little elleth put a quiver full of metal arrows on her back. By the time Princess Valerie walked to the end of the field with Prince Sean to bring closer an archery target, none of the warriors were still paying attention to their tournament. Would they finally have a confirmation that the rumor was true? Was the young elleth really the warrior of the prophecy?
In the line of archers watching the scene with curiosity, Elladan was probably the most enthusiastic ellon. He would finally see the truth about his future mate. Phoebe knew how to use a bow, his grandmother had already informed him of that fact. But was she a good archer already, at only five years old? The child looked pleased with a bow in her small hands, and she waved impatiently at her mother and brother in an obvious gesture requesting them to hurry. When he saw a Greenwood warrior walk briskly in Sean and Valerie's direction and offer to help carry the target to a closer spot in front of Phoebe, he regretted not having thought of helping them himself. It would have been a great way to get closer to the family.
Valerie thought the wooden target was heavier than the one she used to own in her world, and when she heard an ellon's voice behind her offer to carry it for them, she gladly accepted. The warrior was golden haired and blue eyed, like many people in Greenwood, but he had an air and assurance that told her he had an important position in the realm. He introduced himself as Thinor while he carried the target at a distance that was now a challenge for Phoebe. Although her daughter only had a few months of archery experience, Legolas' daily lessons and an incredible natural talent had rapidly made her an impressive child archer. Valerie and the warrior stopped walking when Phoebe asked them to leave the target where they currently standing. The distance between the target and Phoebe was at least twice what she usually considered challenging. Sean ran back to his siblings to watch the target from their viewpoint.
"Are you sure? This is really far!" Valerie yelled to her daughter, shocking everyone on the training grounds with her poor manners.
"Yes, I can clearly see the target!" the daughter replied in the same tone. The witnesses considered that her age was an excuse for her behavior. Her mother did not have such a good one.
Thinor looked at Valerie, waiting for her instructions.
"It is true, Mom," Liam shouted. "We can clearly see it from here!"
"Leave the target here, please," she told the warrior. "This is much further away than her usual distance. I do not understand why she wants to try it. Maybe we should step aside, just to be cautious. I would not want one of us to be hit by her arrow..."
At this point, all warriors were immobile and observing the scene with little discretion. Valerie and the warrior moved away from the target. Phoebe nocked an arrow and took her time to aim. Her position was good although it still was not perfect and natural for her. She released the arrow and it hit the target right in the center. Liam and Sean clapped their hands while Valerie yelled her congratulations to her daughter. The warrior, stunned for a moment, walked to the target and moved it back again on a longer distance than Valerie would have moved it. But although Phoebe's second arrow did not hit the center of the target, she still hit one of the inner rings.
"This is strange, it seems her performance is improved here," Valerie murmured, thoughtful. "I have to try it myself."
"You are an archer also, my Lady?" the warrior asked.
"Yes, I am."
"You want to try this distance?"
"If my daughter can hit an inner ring from this current distance, I will try it from further away. Would you mind moving the target again, Thinor?"
"Absolutely not, Lady Valerie. You can join your children, I will move the target for you."
Valerie walked back to her children, wondering how Phoebe could have improved so much if she had not practiced since their arrival in Middle Earth. But as she got closer to them, she realized that her eyesight was incredible and that she could clearly see the target where the ellon had positioned it. This was more than recent Olympics performance, this was simply impossible for a human being!
Valerie stood beside Liam, who was drawing something on a parchment, hiding it from his sister.
"Liam, we thought our eyesight had improved, but I think we underestimated by how much."
The ellon looked away from his drawing. "I know! This is incredible! What are you waiting for, Mom? Try it!"
"It seems too easy!" Valerie protested, gesturing for the warrior to move the target again until she had to force her eyes to see it clearly.
"Let's try this," she mumbled, nocking an arrow and concentrating on the target. Her position had changed slightly with her pregnancy, her balance center being different with her growing stomach. She released the arrow and hit the target in the center. The whispers on the field informed her that her performance had been unexpected. The warrior moved the target again and stepped aside. He did this many times until Valerie's last arrow hit the outer rings of the target.
The Greenwood soldiers were looking at her in awe. Of course, her performance could not be compared to an elven warrior's. But not only was she an elleth, she also was a better archer than any human had ever been. Thinor walked back to them and bowed.
"I am the master archer of Greenwood," he introduced himself. "I was the prince's teacher when he was an elfling."
"Thank you for your help, Thinor. It was very appreciated," Valerie replied, extending her hand for a handshake. The ellon took her hand, and to Valerie's dismay, kissed it respectfully. She blushed uncomfortably, and the ellon, with his thousands of years of experience, realized that she was not used to such gestures.
"I am sorry if I troubled you, my Lady. It was not my intent. I believe that you will get used to... our way of expressing our respect for the royal family. Are your sons archers as well?" he asked, changing the subject.
"No, they are not. Liam spends most of his time reading books and designing and building various objects, while Sean can usually be found playing one of his instruments."
Thinor looked at the drawing that Liam had been working on while his mother was practicing. "What is this?" he asked, curious.
"It is a structure in which children play," Liam explained. "They can climb, slide, do all sorts of activities. Phoebe used to love going to the park, and there are no parks here! And I am sure that my future brothers would like it too. I just wish I could build one myself! But it is so big and I would require a lot of material!"
"Maybe you cannot do it yourself, but I can have you meet with someone who will be quite interested by your project. Would you like that?" Thinor called a warrior when Liam accepted, and asked him to bring the prince to the smithy. Extremely excited, Liam left his mother and siblings without a look back. Valerie knew she would not see him frequently until his project was complete.
"With your permission, I would like to teach your daughter when I am at the fortress, my Lady. It would be an honor for me to teach another generation of King Oropher's line."
Valerie remembered Oropher had been Legolas' grandfather. She didn't tell the archery master that Phoebe was not of Oropher's line, as it seemed everyone considered that her children were of Legolas' blood despite the evidence. Only Thranduil was not. The king took every opportunity to remind her regularly that she was a stranger and that her children were her own, and hers only.
"I will speak to my husband, since he has been her instructor for a few months now. We never discussed what would happen once we arrived here. But I myself would certainly appreciate your teaching. You can probably understand that... I would not want to be coached by my own mate. It could put a strain on our relationship and undue performance pressure on me, which would be unhealthy."
"I have never been married, I am in no position to comment on that," the ellon replied, obviously at a loss to understand what she was implying. "I can guide you when you need counsel, but it is clear to me that you have a natural talent, and many years of experience in archery, which is unusual for an elleth. Although... if the prince and the king agree... which I doubt, but a miracle is always possible... have you ever tried to shoot while riding a horse?"
"No! Why would I do that?"
"This is a skill of the utmost importance when living in Greenwood! We need this skill in battle, of course! Shooting enemies while on your mount is a complex training, one every good archer must excel at. I doubt you will ever see a battle... but if you are looking for a challenge, this would be the thing for you."
"I did not ride for more than ten years." She had practiced horseback riding in school but had stopped after her graduation.
"Well... If you wish to learn, please come see me once you will feel comfortable again on a horse. But please make sure either the king or the prince do give me permission to train you. I would never risk displeasing one of them. I care greatly for my title of Master Archer, and want to make sure that I do not lose it before your future children become formidable archers."
He bowed again and went back to his own target while Valerie and Phoebe kept practicing side by side for an hour. Valerie noticed that one of the sons of Elrond was also practicing nearby, but that he was also watching Phoebe with insistence. Legolas had told her that Imladris elves were extremely polite and discreet. Obviously, the education of Elrond's son was lacking!
OoOoO
"Your wife and daughter spent a long time at the archery range earlier today," Thranduil mentioned in passing. Father and son had spent the last hour discussing the need for an expedition to Lake-town.
"So I heard. I also heard Thinor approached them and offered to train Phoebe when he is at the fortress."
"Are you in agreement with this?"
"Yes, Ada, I am. I will soon have to spend time in the forest and will not be able to continue Phoebe's training. The reports I have heard from Hadron and a few other warriors are worrisome."
"How long will you be gone?"
"Probably more than a month."
"You just arrived... Your family..."
Legolas stood and walked to the fire, contemplating the flames pensively. "My mate knew she was marrying the captain of an army when we bonded."
"They have been here less than two weeks..."
"I will remain another week or so, just to ensure they are settling in. And then, I will have to sacrifice some of my own happiness and theirs for the sake of our people. Our people are their people now, they must quickly learn to think of the greater good of Greenwood."
"Should Thinor remain at the fortress until you are back? He would provide distraction to your wife and daughter."
"Yes, I will make sure he remains here to train Phoebe. Valerie will not be requiring lessons from him. Have you seen her today when she was training?" Legolas did not have to turn around to know his father had blushed. Thranduil's private office was one of the few rooms in the fortress that had a window. It was directly overlooking the training grounds.
"You are mistaken, my son."
"You did not observe her this morning?" Legolas asked, turning around to face his father.
"I did look at them. Once you are able to overlook the strong feeling of wrongness when seeing an elleth with a weapon in her hand, which by the way will be an issue for many ellyn, you can easily admit that your wife would be an asset as a warrior. And that your daughter... is better than you were at the equivalent elven age, which is giving us an idea of how deadly she will be one day."
"Why did you say earlier that I was mistaken then?"
"I meant that there is one archery training that Valerie never had and that Thinor could teach her."
"Absolutely not!" Legolas cried, banging his fist on his father's desk.
"Please tell me your mate's lack of self control is not rubbing off on you, Legolas."
Legolas looked stricken for a moment. "I am so sorry, Ada," he finally replied, shocked, sitting down in front of his father. "I do not know why the thought of Valerie learning to shoot while riding is unbearable to me. I would simply never let her be in a situation where she could be in need of this particular skill!"
"This is what I also thought, before your mother and her suite got massacred by orcs on their way to Lake-town."
"She will never be facing such a threat!"
"Will you keep her locked in the fortress?"
"The other ellith do!"
"The other ellith will not be giving birth to reborn elven heroes and traveling in Middle Earth to show them around and create alliances with the other races. Do not be mistaken, my son, your wife will travel more over the next few years than most of us did in our entire existence. She will need to go to Lothlorien and Imladris for a start, and then probably to Rohan, Gondor, even to the Bay of Belfalas where the princes of Dol Amroth live."
"But I cannot travel with her in such far away realms! I must protect Greenwood!"
"Then she will need to travel with our best warriors. Hadron certainly. I could probably leave Greenwood for the first time in centuries and go visit some of these realms with her... But Legolas, although it is distasteful to you, it is very important that she knows how to protect herself when she will be traveling. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"It would also be best if she got used to having some... protection at all times. Warriors she could learn to trust, who will follow her each time she leaves the fortress, whether to go a few hours to Lake-town or travel for months to Dol Amroth..."
"Valerie will hate that. She will think we are trying to control her. Who would you propose?"
"We need warriors whose mates have already sailed to Valinor. Ellyn who had had elflings before, who will easily adapt to the presence of many elflings."
"Do you think Lennor would be a good candidate?" Legolas suggested.
"I was thinking of Cadworon and Brethilon."
"Not a bad choice. Two brothers, their mates and daughters in Valinor, their sons warriors like them..."
"And they both are very calm and remain unimpressed under all circumstances. They will not mind the breaches to the protocol they will witness on a daily basis..."
"She does not realize that she cannot yell from one side of the training grounds to the other..." Legolas sighed. The rumor had reached his ears quickly that morning. "I know you wish I had married an elleth-"
"Lady Arwen would have been a wonderful princess and a respectable queen one day."
"Ada, Lady Arwen is in love with Estel, Elrond's adoptive son who still hides as a Dunedain ranger. And... I love Valerie. She is my fëa-mate, my destiny... Her education is faultless for her world, I already explained this. She just needs to understand our customs... But please, be patient with her. I know she is testing your patience, and that you like to torment her. You two might think you are subtle, but I am not blind. I love her, Father," he insisted once more. "I will accept no less than you treating her as your daughter and my children as your grandchildren."
Thranduil sighed. "Please give me time..."
"We have plenty of time! You will soon find her delightful, and everyone will wish to have a daughter-in-law such as yours!"
"Speaking of envying..." Thranduil started, wanting to warn his son about what he had noticed about Haldir and Elladan. "The other night, during the feast..."
"Glorfindel was trying to seduce Allison! I had never imagined that she would have success this quickly. To be honest, I was even wondering if she would ever find an ellon to mate with!"
"I must admit that the Imladris Captain was very quick to make his move. He must have felt an immediate connection with her."
"Allison is an adult. She can make her own decisions, you should not get involved in this, Ada!"
Thranduil thought Legolas seemed quite amused by Allison's possible relationship with the Lord of the Golden Flower. He would soon lose his smile after he heard what Thranduil had to say next. "But I was not speaking of Allison when I talked about ellyn envying us..."
"No? Who were you talking about?"
With whom should he start? Maybe Legolas' reaction would be milder about Phoebe? "I noticed that night that Lord Elladan was barely keeping his eyes off... Phoebe."
"Yes, many people were watching her. In fact, everyone in the room was looking at the children. It has been so long since an elfling has been born in an elven realm!"
"Legolas! I can tell the difference between curious looks... and hopeful, possessive looks. And everyone else around his table were looking at him worriedly and whispering to him to stop staring at her. Did you not notice his father and grandparents were keeping your attention on their conversation, no doubt hoping you would not notice Elladan's behavior?"
Legolas kept hearing the word possessive in his head. "You think... he believes Phoebe is his fëa-mate?"
"It is hard to tell. Phoebe did not interact differently with him than with anyone else. But she is too young to be able to acknowledge or even realize that she shares a connection with him."
"He cannot make any claims!" Legolas said, instantly turning to his new protective father mode. "Phoebe is our daughter, she will remain with us!" he cried, referring to an old elven custom in which a child fëa-mate could be raised by their adult mate's family.
"Of course she will remain here!" Thranduil said forcefully to calm down his son. Truthfully, he did not expect Lord Elrond to make that kind of claim, not with the Greenwood royal family involved. "I suggest we wait and see what they will say, if they will say anything. They might depart and only come back once Phoebe is of age..."
"I am not planning to inform Valerie of this. Her reaction would be... unpredictable and... probably excessive."
"I will not say a word to your wife." Now, how to tackle the next warning...
"You look troubled, Ada. What makes you so upset? We will keep Elladan away from Phoebe if that is required to give us peace of mind."
"Elladan was not the only ellon watching intently the ellith of our family."
Legolas wondered what his father meant. The only unmatched elleth around their table that night had been Phoebe. No ellon would covet an elleth who was already mated with her fëa-mate. It would be unprecedented, and Legolas could not even conceive it had happened. His father must be talking about another future suitor for Phoebe.
"Who was also interested in Phoebe?"
"Not interested in your daughter... in your mate."
"Valerie? I cannot believe you! You must be jesting!"
"I know it is hard to believe, but I am not jesting, Legolas. An ellon was watching Valerie with the eyes of a male intending to seduce the only elleth worth his notice in attendance at the feast. Just like Glorfindel was watching Allison."
"Who?" Legolas was thinking of all the warriors who had attended the feast, and could not believe any of his soldiers would do such a shameful thing.
"It was the Marchwarden..."
Instantly, Legolas was back on his feet and pacing in front of his father, uncontrollable anger rising in his mind. How dare Haldir was contemplating seducing his mate? Haldir could regret for the rest of his eternal life to have declined the opportunity of going to Valerie's world, Legolas could not care less. He could go to Mordor with his desires! Or alternatively, go back to Lothlorien! Immediately!
"I want Haldir to leave our realm at dawn tomorrow!"
"Legolas, the most basic rules of diplomacy dictate that we wait and see if he will make a move before we create an incident that could have disastrous consequences for both our realms."
"I cannot accept that answer!"
"Legolas, you will stop acting like an elfling protecting his favorite toy! Chances are Haldir will only watch her from afar without even speaking to her until he takes his leave with his lord and lady. Furthermore, your wife loves you, Legolas. It is very apparent in the way she looks at you and talks to you. And may I add that I am convinced that Valerie knows how to deal with inopportune suitors and undesired advances?"
"She does. But... we have only been mates for a few months... I am still... feeling the newness of our bond and I am not ready to see it being tested," he admitted with shame.
"Do not be ashamed, son. Your bond will take at least a year to settle in your fëa. If you do not think you can leave him wander alone... then maybe Valerie should never be alone."
"I have many councils with my lieutenants and with Bronadon over the next few days... And when I leave for the forest... who will ensure she is never alone with the Marchwarden?"
"Although I hate that we have to come to this, I only see two solutions that could suit your desire. Either we speak to Lord Celeborn and ask him to ensure his captain remains away from the temptation that Valerie represents, or we speak to Cadworon and Brethilon and have them start their new duties tomorrow. Valerie would always be with them on the training grounds, leaving Haldir no chance to speak to her in private. And when she is in the fortress, she mostly remains in the royal aisle, an area inaccessible for Haldir unless he is directly invited. I strongly suggest the second option, but I will let you make the decision. You are the one with an unsettled bond and you know what kind of challenge you can tolerate. And you know better than I do what Valerie will say about Cadworon and Brethilon."
"She will not like the idea of being followed outside the fortress, even if it is for her own protection." Legolas thought for long moments about his wife, about Haldir, and about himself. He could not create a diplomatic incident because Haldir had watched a little too longingly at his mate. Requesting his immediate departure when his displeasure was only based on suspicions was not acceptable and was as base as a mortal man's jealously. Instead, Legolas would have to ensure Haldir would stay away from Valerie, and have the determination to leave for his duty in the forest even if the Lothlorien Marchwarden was still in Greenwood and could potentially use this opportunity to try to seduce her.
Cadworon and Brethilon it would be.
OoOoO
Valerie was looking at the two warriors who looked alike, with their high cheekbones, browns eyes and thin lips. They certainly did not look like they had an affable temper and a fantastic sense of humor. They both had their sword and bow in the fortress, which was highly unusual as the warriors usually left their weapons in their rooms. They were standing in front of Legolas and her, immobile as if they were undergoing a military inspection, their eyes looking straight ahead.
"Did you actually say you wanted them to be my bodyguards?" she asked in English, disbelieving and determined to avoid this at all costs. Why would she need bodyguards when most of the ellyn living in the fortress were warriors? Was that another very subtle "let's irritate Valerie and see if she will break something" initiative from her beloved father-in-law?
She eyed them again, impressed by their presence. Although most of the Greenwood warriors she had met looked dangerous, these two brothers looked absolutely lethal. She had no doubt that they could protect her. But she did not consider that she needed protection, and she obviously could not count on them for entertainment. Or babysitting. Or even for carrying her bags when she would go shopping in Lake-town, something she was planning to do very shortly. The fortress was an incredible work of architecture but unfortunately, it was dark and humid, and the newly half-elven population of Greenwood was suffering from the bone-chilling cold and humidity. Valerie was planning to go to Lake-town to buy some heavier fabrics for the upcoming fall and winter. And also get a few new dresses that would cover her shoulders, as her father-in-law had casually mentioned at least twenty times since the feast that her evening dresses were inappropriate.
"Yes, I want them to protect you at all times," Legolas replied, also in English. He knew he was being inconsiderate by speaking in a language the brothers did not understand, but he certainly did not want them to know his wife was questioning his commands. Although he had no doubt that Cadworon and Brethilon were absolutely discreet, he did not want any of his warriors to witness a scene that could have an impact on his reputation as their captain.
"This is absurd! It not only is absurd, it is outrageous! I do not need protection, I am in no danger whatsoever! Thank you for your concern, Legolas. You can send Abbott and Costello back to the forest guard where they obviously belong."
"Vanima, if not for your own good, do it for the children!"
"My love," she quietly replied, trying to make him see sense, "our children do not need protection either. I can feel there is something else you are hiding, something that you think is justifying that strange decision of yours. You can keep your secret. But I will not accept to be imposed a decision without knowing the validity of its true reason. I refuse to have bodyguards."
"You are dismissed!" Legolas told the two warriors in Sindarin, knowing he would need a long time to convince his rebelling wife. He certainly would not do that in front of them.
"Captain?" one of the warriors asked Legolas. "Does the princess have doubts about our ability to protect her adequately?" It was very bold of him to ask that question, but again, Thranduil had selected them because they did not obey blindly, but would question Valerie and keep her in line should she take too much risks when traveling in Middle Earth.
"The princess does not like to be spoken of as if she was not present," Valerie said, watching the warrior with a sarcastic grin.
"Our past history speaks for itself, Captain," the second warrior said to Legolas. "The princess would be guarded at all times and her security our first priority. You can rely on us, your mate will be safe under our watch."
"The princess does not doubt that you are competent and extremely deadly," Valerie replied, watching them coldly. If they were discourteous enough not to talk to her directly, she could be as indelicate and speak at the third person. "But the princess thinks she does not need protection. She would like to thank you for applying for the position and will let you know if there are any openings in the near future. She wishes you all the best in your future endeavors."
"Vanima!" groaned Legolas, wondering if his pride would ever survive this moment. But to his surprise, the brothers were no longer watching him. Their gazes were fixed on Valerie, with something akin to interest in their eyes.
"My Lady," Cadworon said, still observing her with a twinkle in his eye, "with all the respect due to your person, Captain Legolas and King Thranduil are right to worry about your safety. The fortress is safe, but just passing the main gate is a risk for an elleth and her children. We guard the forest road, stopping creatures that are trying to get to the northern part of Greenwood, but we can never be sure that we stop them all, and some could slip through our net and be roaming between Lake-town and our caves."
"I am an archer. I can defend myself should I meet one of these creatures."
"We have greatly admired your talent yesterday, my Lady," Brethilon continued. "We were in attendance when you were training with your daughter. I must warn you: when facing a band of orcs, absolutely repulsive, vicious and merciless, even the greatest warrior feels fear in his soul. Our presence would ensure that you would at least have some time to recover from the shock of your first sighting of orcs or goblins."
"Your presence will not be necessary. I am only planning a quick round trip to Lake-town," Valerie replied. "I am told it is quite close."
"It is close when compared to the other realms, Vanima!" Legolas sighed. "Lothlorien is the nearest elven realm and it is a two weeks ride! Lake-town, with its one full day of intense riding, is quite near in comparison. But you need to spend the night at an inn and come back the next day! You think I will let you ride there alone?"
Valerie had not quite realized how far Lake-town really was. She didn't even know she would need to spend the night in a different town, a human, Middle Ages-like town. She could not decide if the thought intrigued or scared her. She had only been awake for a few days and was still mostly staying in the royal aisle with her children. Would she really go for a two-days trip so early after her arrival just because she was curious and wanted to go shopping? She wondered if Legolas would spare her the annoyance of having bodyguards if she told him she would not go to Lake-town. And as she was about to change her mind... she caught a strange look between the brothers standing in front of her. She was probably paranoid, but she interpreted it as them being sure she would give up her project now that it was more complicated than she had expected.
"Very well," she said, standing gracefully, and surprising the three ellyn with her determination. "We shall leave in a few days. I would appreciate if you could make the necessary arrangements for our safe travel. My son and my sister will be coming as well."
"We will do as you wish, my Lady. My brother and I are honored to be your official protectors," Brethilon continued.
"You are dismissed," Legolas told them quite abruptly, and the brothers left the room without another word.
"What is wrong with you?" Valerie asked him, annoyed at how rude her husband had just been with the two ellyn whose presence he was imposing on her.
"Are you out of your mind?" Legolas asked her, none too gently. "You want to go to Lake-town in a few days, with Liam no less, while you are pregnant? Do you know how dangerous it is?" His tone was now more aggressive and he was, doubtlessly, being heard by everyone currently located in the royal aisle, servants included.
"Yes, I realize it now. This is why I am traveling with my two new best friends, thanks to you!" The tone and sound of her voice perfectly matched his, and she felt some wicked satisfaction knowing everyone would also hear that she could hold her ground.
"Do you even know how to ride?" he asked, sounding insulting to her annoyed ears.
"I rode... years ago," she admitted. "But if you would be kind enough to tell me where the stables are, I could find a horse and practice a little before I leave." She hoped riding was like bicycling, one never forgot how to do that!
"You really do not realize what Middle Earth is, do you?"
"You are the one who brought me here! You can be sure I will not be spending my entire life in these caves, even if they are beautiful. If it means you have to compromise and just let me do as I wish sometimes, then so be it!"
Legolas glared at her for a long time, but she held his gaze steadily. If he had expected that she would suddenly become quiet, shy and easily impressed like most ellith seemed to be here, he was in for a big surprise. Her half-elven transformation was purely physical and did not modify her character. Legolas bowed to her coldly and left the room, without one last glance in her direction.
OoOoO
The door opened quietly, and Thranduil lifted his gaze to see why the servant had not knocked and waited for his permission before entering. He was absolutely speechless to see Valerie's daughter enter his private office, carrying a bag that seemed full and too heavy for her. The little elleth smiled and walked to his desk, obviously intending to remain in his office when she dropped her pack right beside his chair.
She looked up at him and waited for him to say something.
"What can I do for you, child?" he asked, not ungentle since Phoebe was the person he preferred of all the people his son had brought back from the other world. He had to admit, she really was a good-looking young elleth, with her big, green eyes, her little pointy nose and her perfect teeth. Her thick, red hair was in a ponytail on the top of her head, which seemed to be her favorite hairstyle. She was wearing some leggings and tunic like a male elfling would do instead of an appropriate dress, but Legolas had been adamant that Phoebe was used to wearing leggings, and that wearing a dress would be detrimental to her archery training.
"I wanted to play with you." She gave him a winning smile, convinced that he would drop all the work he had to do because she wanted to play with him. And right then, he had a glimpse of all the broken hearts she would leave behind her trail. She would become an outstanding elleth, just like her mother, whom he had heard yelling at Legolas from their private suite a few moments before. Both ellith would bring chaos to Greenwood, but Phoebe was still young enough to be trained on royal etiquette. He knew he would never have such issues with Liam and Sean, who seemed quiet enough when their sister was not around to tease them.
Deciding that etiquette lessons were not on that day's schedule, he turned his gaze back to the parchments in front of him. "As you can see, Phoebe, I have a lot of work to do. Maybe you can go play with your brothers?"
"Liam is with the smithy again!" she whined, even though everyone knew her brother was helping to build some gigantic metallic and wooden toys for her. Where Legolas had authorized Liam to install these slides and ladders was none of his concern, as long as it was not in his beloved wife's garden.
"Then you can play with Sean."
"Sean is practicing his violin, do you not hear him?"
It was true. Since his arrival, Valerie's second son had been playing almost constantly on his strange musical instruments, and after a few days of getting used to the sonority of these instruments, Thranduil had to admit that he rather liked the violin and the piano. The guitar was another story. He did not like at all the sort of songs Sean was playing on this instrument.
"Yes, I do hear him," Thranduil sighed.
"Play with me!" she requested again impatiently, stomping her foot on the floor.
"Stop it right now, young lady!" Thranduil said irately, dropping his quill. "I will never accept such behavior from a princess, is that clear?"
"Yes," she replied, immediately dropping her impatient tone. "But if you do not want to play with me, can I at least stay here with you? Please? Grandpa?"
Stunned by the use of a word he had only heard coming out of her mouth once before, Thranduil did not reply immediately. Phoebe thought he was considering her request, and she started promising to be quiet as a ghost. She even guarantied he would barely notice her presence, which was obviously a lie.
Knowing his plans for a quiet afternoon had just been thrown out the window, he simply accepted with a gesture of his hand, and she pulled her bag away from his desk. He attempted to keep working even if he knew he was in no way going to be able to concentrate properly with the child in his office. He continued reading the document while watching distractedly the child as she was taking out multiple toys from her bag. She took one violently blue toy in a material they called plastic in English since there was no equivalent word in Sindarin. Plastic simply did not exist in Middle Earth. She was holding the toy in her hand and aiming at a vase. Suddenly, a tiny and soft object came out of the blue toy, hitting the vase right in its center but somehow it remained stuck in the vase. Phoebe then turned around, and aiming at a painting on the wall, hit it dead center again by throwing another soft object to it.
"What is it?" he asked her, interested.
"It is a toy gun, why?"
"Can I see it?"
"I have two! Do you want to play with me?" she asked enthusiastically, taking another blue toy out of her bag. She put it on his lap and started explaining how it worked.
"You aim at your opponent, and then you push the trigger here," she said, pointing another part of the toy. "It releases the dart bullet. But it is not a real bullet, you cannot hurt someone or break something with them, they are made in a soft material. It is called foam and see? The bullet has a sucker at one end, so it can stick on a wall." Phoebe was speaking in Sindarin, using English words when there were no equivalent again. Valerie and her children were bringing a whole new set of words in Greenwood!
Thranduil looked at the toy attentively. He had immediately understood what this was. This was a toy version of a weapon that existed in Valerie's world. Make the gun and bullets in metal, and this could become lethal. He wondered at what distance could these guns shoot their bullets. Further than the best archer could shoot an arrow? And how many bullets could be released and at what speed? Faster than the best archer again?
He took the toy Phoebe had put on his lap and aimed at the door. He pressed the trigger and the bullet went straight to the door, sticking on the wood as Phoebe had predicted. He aimed at a painting, and had the same results. He was about to turn around to aim at another random item in his office when he noticed Phoebe was aiming her gun right to his chest.
"Give yourself up or I will shoot you!" she said, attempting to maintain a serious expression. After a few seconds, he realized she was expecting him to say something in reply. She wanted to enact a combat with him as a game? She was attempting to make him her prisoner? What a strange game! Were children in her world actually playing war? No elven child had ever done so. War was something that was against the true peaceful nature of elves, but elves could also turn into deadly beings when they had to defend themselves, their people or their values.
"I will never surrender?" he answered tentatively, more a question, in fact.
Her wicked smile told him he had said the right thing. He decided to test her. In a flash, he had jumped out of his seat and was hiding behind his desk. Almost as quickly, Phoebe was hiding behind another piece of furniture, and he saw that she was watching him every few seconds. The next time he took a look, she shot a bullet in his direction. He barely avoided getting it right on his forehead. He returned the courtesy, and she ran from one piece of furniture to another, attempting to get a better location to shoot him. Thranduil moved from his desk to his chair, still hiding as if he was being attacked by an enemy. He tried to shoot another bullet in her direction, but nothing happened.
"Phoebe?" he called, "my gun does not work anymore."
She walked to him and put her gun against his head. "Grandpa, a good soldier always makes sure his gun is full before going to battle. Surrender!"
"I surrender," he said as seriously as he could, holding his laughter. She had had all the right moves. And she had been right about checking your weapons. No soldier was going to battle with an empty quiver or a blunt blade.
"Your ransom will be high, since you are the king!" she said.
"I am sure Legolas will pay a royal ransom to get me back! He is a dutiful son."
"Yes, I think Ada will pay without negotiating too much. He cannot refuse me anything," she boasted. "Do you think he will allow me to eat pie for breakfast tomorrow?"
"This is my ransom? Pie for breakfast?" Ah, the pure innocence of children!
"Yes! I love blueberry pies. I would like to have some every day, but Mommy says we need to have a varied menu, otherwise we will not ingest all the vitamins necessary for us to grow."
"It makes sense. But I will pay my ransom myself. I will ask the kitchen staff to cook a blueberry pie for you tomorrow morning for breakfast."
"Just for me? My brothers will not have the right to have a piece?"
"It will be just for you. But... would it not be better to share with your brothers? Why would you want them to be sad while they watch you eat a wonderful meal without them?"
"Because they never want to play with me," she complained.
"Let's make a deal. Tomorrow, if you share your pie with your brothers, I will play with you again."
"When?"
"Whenever you want."
"Every day?" she asked, hopeful. It was obvious that she really liked when he played with her. Otherwise, why would she want to play with him every day? What did she find in him? He was just an overworked, over-worried king who was bitter most of the times. But she had found the way to his heart. Maybe... maybe he could come to love this strange little elleth with all his heart, just like he loved Legolas. She would, after all, need all his support in the future. She would become a warrior, and few elves would easily accept that. Her future would be much brighter if the king of Greenwood was behind her at all times, as a loving grandfather.
"Yes. Every day," he committed, not wondering if he would regret this promise, but rather when he would regret it. He gave himself a week.
She dropped her gun and literally threw herself in his arms, giving him kisses on the cheeks.
"Thank you, Grandpa!" she shouted in his ear.
He winced, regretting his promise already. It had taken him about ten seconds.
I am very sorry for the length of time between this chapter and the last. Real life has been busy, and my beta-reader has been unavailable. I am publishing this chapter without proof-read, hopefully it is not too bad.
It appears that many of you worry about Haldir. I am sorry to say that he will tremendously regret not having taken Valerie while he could – and will suffer much before I grant him redemption. But he will find happiness, I promise. I love too much this LOTR character to give him a sad destiny...
My usual thanks to the readers who take a minute to leave a review. I always enjoy reading your comments. Keep them coming! It gives me incentives to publish the next chapter quicker! :-)
Thank you to Aureleis, Paperlanterns86, Aralinn, Angel, KrystylSky, Legolas fan, Peridot Eyez, TheQueenofErynLasgasryn, Abbyforth, faye50free, KKK3, Glory Bee, Fi, Dorothea Blackmoor, carmynsorena, Manwathiel-Nanethiel, Estel Undomiel, LOTR-lover and world-classgeek.