Chapter 14 ended with:

The Marchwarden would understand that Valerie was out of his reach, for eternity. Legolas went back to bed, gathering Valerie in his arms while planning how he would make the Marchwarden pay for his unacceptable behavior without spilling his blood.

Chapter 15 - Lake-town

Allison opened her eyes, wondering if it was dawn yet. In the excitement of the trip to Lake-town, she had woken many times during the night, stressed that she would oversleep and miss the departure. Which was absolutely silly, since she knew Valerie would never leave without her. A second security net was sleeping beside her. Glorfindel was also part of the travellers, and he would not have left without her either.

Relieved that dawn was still some time away, she let her eyes get used to the dark, and observed him with interest. The Captain of the Imladris army was sleeping on his stomach, his head turned in her direction. His long blonde hair was braided, a hairstyle she was actually jealous of. She wished she had such silky, golden hair. Her own semi-long brown hair was absolutely boring in comparison. She loved his straight, patrician nose, his full, pink lips and his long golden eye lashes. It was something that she could not get tired of – how the male elves looked stunning with some delicate features but still looked very manly, deadly even, in the case of the warriors. She had thought Legolas was the most handsome male she had ever seen, but since her arrival in Greenwood, she had to admit that many ellyn were very close to winning that title over him, Glorfindel being one of them.

She had fallen head over heels the very first time she had met him, at the feast to celebrate their arrival. He had found his way to her bed within the week, and he had slept in her suite since then. She tried not to mull over the fact that after their return from Lake-town, the Imladris people would go home, with Glorfindel leading them. They only had two weeks left together at the most.

"Why this sadness in your eyes, my love?" the warrior asked her. He was awake, watching her with his piercing blue eyes.

"You will be leaving for Imladris soon... The thought saddens me greatly."

"Allison, have you not decided to bind yourself to me?" he enquired, lifting his upper body with his elbows to observe her more closely.

"Glorfindel... I wish things were so simple..." she sighed, turning her head to escape his stare.

"When I asked you a few days ago to bind yourself to me and to come live in Imladris, I had assumed that you were in agreement. Only now am I realizing that you have not clearly given me an answer. It was silly of me to take your smile and tears for a consent." His bitter tone and trembling lips broke her heart.

"Glorfindel, I cannot leave my family. With Valerie pregnant, I have to be here for her... And the children, I cannot leave them behind either."

The warrior sat on the bed, desperate to plead his case one more time. "Please think about the possibility some more... We are fëa-mates, Allison, you feel it as much as I do. You cannot ignore this, you cannot push this fact away like it is a matter of little importance! We will love each other for ever, please do not condemn us to a life of despair and longing..."

"I want to bind with you, Glorfindel! I have been waiting for you all my life! But I have to be with Valerie too! Could you not stay here in Greenwood?"

"It is not possible, certainly you realize that. The Valar sent me back to Middle Earth to protect Lord Elrond's family. It is my duty. I was chosen by our gods!"

"We have reached an impasse then."

"Promise me to take a few more days to think about it..."

Allison was torn between the immediate, overwhelming love she felt for him, and her love for her little sister, whom she had protected all her life. She was not blind. She knew that Thranduil and Valerie did not get along at all, and that Legolas was stuck between them. She also knew that Valerie's strangeness in the eyes of the Greenwood population would be an obstacle for her acceptance.

Valerie needed her. Glorfindel needed her. And she needed the both of them.

She put her arms around his neck, holding him as close as she could, looking for comfort in this unbearable dilemma.

OoOoO

"My Lady? My lord?" a servant asked, waking them up as gently as she could. Celeborn opened his eyes first, and tenderly shook the love of his life laying next to him.

"Yes?"

"Prince Legolas would like to see you. He says it is a pressing matter."

"Is it dawn already?"

"Not before another hour, my Lord. But the prince says he must speak to you before the travelers leave for Lake-town."

"Please give us a few moments," Galadriel asked the servant. They both came out of bed and washed their hands and faces with the water the servant had left before leaving.

"Any idea what this is about?"

"I am afraid I do, but I hope I am mistaken," she sighed. "Haldir has been having... terrible thoughts lately."

"By the Valar, no, please tell me he did not do anything that will break the tiny progress we have made here in the past weeks!"

"I know not, my love. Let us hear what the prince has to say."

They went to their small boudoir and waited for Legolas, who joined them a few minutes later, his countenance cold and tense. The prince was fully dressed with rich garments that identified him as a member of the royal family. Celeborn briefly wondered why the prince would wear such clothing on a regular day. Legolas cut his musing by asking for their forgiveness for waking them at such an early hour.

"I am sure you would not have woken us up if there were no dire circumstances, my Prince," Galadriel gracefully replied.

"You are right, my Lady. I am afraid I am here to make a request, one that I am expecting you to acquiesce to without hesitation." Legolas looked at them seriously, informing them with this action that he really expected them to accept his terms or the consequences would be drastic.

"You will certainly understand that we cannot agree without knowing in advance what you are expecting from us," Celeborn said prudently.

"Your Marchwarden is in his room, preparing for the trip to Lake-town. I will not allow him to go. His door is being guarded by four of my warriors. He will remain in his room until the travelers depart at dawn."

"Please tell me what my Marchwarden has done to deserve such treatment?" Celeborn asked, insulted. How dare the prince was treating Haldir like a prisoner!

"I am requesting that you stay out of it until my wife has left the fortress. Then, I will have enough time to explain my reasons -"

"I cannot agree to this!" Celeborn replied with little patience. He was stopped in his tirade by Galadriel's hand on his forearm.

"Prince Legolas, we will agree. My husband and I will be in the yard at dawn to bid farewell to the travelers, and then, we will discuss Haldir's case with you."

"Thank you," Legolas said, standing quickly. "I have to go back to my wife. I will see you soon."

"Why did you agree to this?" Celeborn asked his wife as soon as the prince was gone from their boudoir and out of earshot.

"I was not able to read much in the prince's mind, but if what little I have seen really took place... Haldir committed a terrible indiscretion."

An hour later, the travelers were ready to leave. The ladies and Liam were in the middle of warriors armed to the teeth. Valerie had her bow and quiver on her back, just in case. But glancing at the warriors around her, she seriously doubted that she would use them.

Legolas kissed her hand, the protocol not allowing them to kiss passionately in front of the entire realm. Their private goodbyes had been interesting enough earlier not to make her regret a last kiss.

Phoebe was talking to Elladan, bidding him to come back soon so they could play again. "I will miss you," she told him. She gave him a parchment, which he took reverently. When he opened it, there was a colorful drawing of two elves, one tall dark-haired, one much smaller and red-haired. "It is us," she told him. "I did not want you to forget me. So I made a drawing of us – if you feel that you are forgetting me, just look at my drawing and you will remember."

Elladan folded the parchment carefully and put it in a pocket inside his tunic. "I would never forget you, Phoebe. We are... friends forever."

The elfling put her arms around his neck and hugged him.

Nearby, Thranduil looked pointedly at Elrond. "We need to talk, Elrond," was all the king said. He turned to his granddaughter. "Phoebe, come with me. Let Lord Elladan mount on horse, otherwise everyone will leave without him."

Phoebe gave a quick kiss on Elladan's cheek and went to stand beside her grandfather.

"Where is Haldir?" Glorfindel asked. "Was he not supposed to join us?"

"Haldir will remain here," Galadriel said. "I cannot spare my Marchwarden for a few days, Glorfindel." Many people had surprised looks on their faces, but no one questioned the Lady of Light when she spoke.

The travelers waived goodbye one last time and passed the great gate. Slowly, all the elves that had attended their departure went back to their occupations. But Thranduil, Legolas, Celeborn, Galadriel and Elrond all went to the king's private office. They all sat down while Legolas started pacing in front of them. No one broke the silence until the prince was ready to speak.

"The Marchwarden has greatly offended my mate and I. I am afraid I will have to ask you to send him back to Lothlorien before Valerie comes back from Lake-town."

"My Lord, his offense cannot be so great that you would like to send him away alone for a two weeks journey!" Lord Celeborn said, unable to comprehend why the prince would make such a harsh request. "Pray tell, what has Haldir done to deserve such cruelty!"

"I am certain that my son would not make such a request without a valid reason," Thranduil said. "Why don't we let him explain what offense Haldir has committed?"

"I do not wish to give you all the details as this was a very personal situation. The Marchwarden stayed in our private living room last night after everyone had left, and when my mate decided to go watch the forest at night, as it has been her habit for many a night, he decided not to signal his presence and elected to hide in the dark to observe her without her knowledge."

"Surely, this is not such offense that -" Lord Celeborn started, before being interrupted by his wife.

"My love, let the prince finish describing the events," Lady Galadriel said. By the expression on her visage, it was clear that she had seen the whole scene in the prince's mind.

"When I entered the room to join her, I never noticed his presence, as I never imagined such trespassing on the private life on the royal family would be attempted. My wife and I were.. intimate, might I say, when I realized his presence. He was watching her... watching my mate... with an expression -" Legolas stared at the fire, looking absolutely livid and took a few deep breaths to calm down. "This ellon does not respect the purity of fëa-mate bonds. This is... intolerable."

"May I inquire about how the princess reacted to this offense?" Thranduil asked, calling Valerie princess only when it suited him. Calling her princess only added to the offense that Haldir had committed. He could easily understand his son's outrage. He himself now wanted Haldir to leave his fortress as soon as it would be possible. Unlike his son, blinded by his rage, he knew Haldir could not make the journey back to Lothlorien alone. It meant that Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel would probably leave Greenwood the next day, along with the entire Lothlorien delegation.

"My mate... never realized the event. I asked Haldir to leave the room a first time. He did not obey my command. I had to request his departure a second time before he complied."

"How did you...if Lady Valerie did not notice?"

"Believe me, my commands, although unspoken, were very clear. Haldir knew what was expected of him."

"I am... appalled by what I just heard," Lord Celeborn said. "I cannot think of any argument to excuse Haldir's behavior. This is so out of character for him!"

"Our Marchwarden was a possible ellon of the prophecy," Lady Galadriel reminded them. "It is likely that Lady Valerie could have been his mate also, and therefore, he is attracted to her just as much as you were when you first met her. He must greatly regret his choice..."

"He declined the opportunity, and now, Valerie and I are in love. She is my mate." Legolas' tone changed when he pronounced the last words, putting all the emphasis he could on them, making a clear statement of possession.

"No one will argue with that, my Prince. Haldir will be sent back to Lothlorien as you wish. But we will need to leave with him. I was hoping that you would find the strength to forgive his offense, and allow all of us to remain until the return of the travelers. You see, my granddaughter Arwen was to come to Lothlorien with us, and leaving now would not allow her to join us as we had promised her." Lady Galadriel's plea was genuine. She would not condemn Haldir to certain death by sending him alone on the journey back. But she did not wish to leave Greenwood without Arwen.

Legolas did not even turn to look at the lady, but his knuckles turned white as he gripped the mantel of the chimney with his hands, showing that his stress level was high.

"You are right," he whispered with a controlled voice. "Lady Arwen is a very sweet elleth who does not deserve to lose such an opportunity to visit her grandparents. And I certainly do not wish to deprive you of her presence in Lothlorien. I am sorry to have made such a request. Please excuse me, I must... go."

On these words, Legolas bowed deeply to the ruling couple of Lothlorien, glanced at his father and left the room in a hurry, the tension sky rocketing. He left behind him the rulers of the elven realms in a difficult situation. The prince of Greenwood had been severely offended, but had accepted, although with great reluctance, to disregard the offense in order to give Galadriel and Celeborn the opportunity to spend time with their beloved granddaughter.

"I assure you, my son is generally of a more cheerful disposition," Thranduil commented. "Have you noticed how possessive he is of her? Their bond is very recent, and he does not cope well with his relationship being challenged by an ellon whom he knows could very well be another possible fëa-mate for her."

"It is understandable. I am appalled by Haldir's behavior. Please understand that Haldir is also going through difficult times, for the same reason. He now sees what he missed, he is probably very attracted to Lady Valerie, and cannot control his reactions. Once he will have recovered from the shock, he will come back to his normal self, just like Legolas will settle in his bond and come back to his usual personality," Galadriel said.

"May I make a suggestion?" Lord Elrond said, participating for the first time in the conversation. He had remained an observer, and quite frankly, found that Prince Legolas had been very reasonable for a recently bonded ellon being challenged. He deserved to be accommodated too. "Haldir should not meet Lady Valerie in person again before a few years, until the bond between the prince and the princess is secured enough that no external threat will be perceived by Legolas. I suggest that Haldir remains in his quarters without permission to come out until the time of your departure. Then, I am sure that the king can find an excuse for Lady Valerie not to be able to attend the departure of the Lothlorien delegation..."

OoOoO

"I have made an important decision," Valerie told Brethilon, who was riding beside her. There was no reaction. The warrior was simply emotionless. She silently swore that she would get a reaction by the end of their first day of travel. She was slowly getting used to her bodyguards, but so far, she preferred Cadworon to his grim brother Brethilon.

"You see, your brother and you are now my bodyguards, which means you will protect me from harm. But imagine if I am in danger and that I cry for your help. What would I scream? Brethilon! Cadworon!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Everyone around laughed except the Greenwood warriors, who were nevertheless listening to their princess' babbling. They knew she could be quite entertaining, if the rumors were true.

"As you can see, your names are not easy to call, especially if I am panicking. And if I make a mistake in your names, would you come to my aid or would you not recognize yourselves and leave me to die a horrible death?"

More snickers. Brethilon was still looking straight ahead, but she could definitely feel Cadworon's gaze in her back.

"Soooo... I thought of new names for you."

Brethilon's head finally turned in her direction. "I bed your pardon, my Lady?"

A reaction at last! "I think you heard me quite well. But worry not, these are not completely new names, although I must admit, I toyed with that idea. Your brother has the face of a Henry while Georges would definitely suit you more."

"Alfred would also be a good one..." Liam continued, laughing with his mother.

"Alfred?" Brethilon repeated, outraged.

Valerie smiled, happy with his shocked reaction. She would never get along well with some stuck up bodyguards. "Luckily, I changed my mind quite quickly. I decided to give you nicknames instead, based on your actual names."

Brethilon went back to watching the horizon, his jaw tense.

"From now on, your brother will be Cad, and you will be Bret. It will be easier for me to call for you, with the additional advantage that I am quite fond of short names. So we will all be happy with this perfect solution."

Brethilon had no reaction, except for a light throat clearing. Valerie smiled again. Elves did not get sick, there was no reason for his throat clearing other than his annoyance.

"Princess Phoebe calls me Nina and she calls Miniel Mini," Lady Ninaelil said, hoping to make this easier for the two brothers. She knew the princess was teasing them, but she had had time to interact with Lady Valerie many times and got used to her strange sense of humor. It was quite different for the warriors around them.

"See?" Valerie said, leaning towards Brethilon. "This is a token of affection. You should be honored."

"I will take Cad a thousand times over Henry!" Cadworon's voice said behind her.

"You see, Bret? Cad already embraced his new short name. Maybe you should do the same."

Valerie gave a winning smile to Cadworon and moved her horse away from Brethilon to ride beside Allison.

"How much do you want to bet that the minute we are back, they will be begging Legolas to relieve them from that horrible duty that guarding my little person is."

"I doubt it," Glorfindel replied, riding beside Allison. "No warrior would refuse such an honor. I have been protecting Lord Elrond's children for millennia, and have put up with more than you can imagine. Yet – I am still here – but without a short name!"

"Would you like one, my dear Fin?" Elladan asked seriously.

"Glorfindel has been through more than you can imagine. We have not been quite obedient and good during our childhood," Elrohir told Valerie.

"You have done everything but put the house on fire!" Arwen laughed. She stopped laughing when she saw the glance exchanged between the twins and Glorfindel. "No! Where?"

"The library," Elladan said succinctly. "You were not born yet."

"Erestor is still mourning the loss of some old books from Gondolin," Glorfindel added.

The conversation continued, animated for most of the day, until Valerie had to finally admit to everyone that she was about to fall off her horse. Not only was she tired, but her bottom ached terribly. The warriors stopped and started to set up the tents in the valley. In Valerie's state, it had been decided to ride at a leisurely pace and stop for the night in the middle of the way instead of galloping for one full day. After a quick dinner of bread and fruits, Valerie fell asleep on her cot in the tent she was sharing with Liam and Allison while the rest of the group were talking around the fire.

OoOoO

Haldir was standing stiffly in front of his lord and lady, absolutely ashamed and ready to resign from his Marchwarden position.

"I cannot explain what went through my mind – why I did not make my presence known to the princess in the first place. And when the prince entered the room... I was trapped. I knew he would think that I had been spying on her -"

"Was it not what you were doing?" Celeborn cut in the middle of Haldir's explanation.

Haldir stayed silent for a few moments. "Yes, I guess... this is exactly what I was doing. I was spying on her. When Lord Legolas entered the room, I hoped that they would leave. I would have gone back to my rooms immediately. But he stayed..."

"And they made love..." Lady Galadriel said. "Like a husband and wife can expect to do in their own home, in their private apartments... And you stayed... watched... enjoyed... until the prince discovered your presence..."

Her blunt description of what had happened made him feel sick. How could he have done such a thing? He had failed and shamed Lothlorien in the most vile manner. The only possible punishment would be to strip him from his title and send him to Valinor on the next ship so he could forget the extent of his downfall.

"This is a bit extreme, Haldir," Galadriel said, reading his mind. "Fortunately, your offense will remain a secret. The prince does not want his people to know about the events that took place last night. Not even his wife, who did not realize your presence in the room."

Haldir looked at them, unable to believe his good fortune.

"Only the king, the prince, Elrond and the three of us know of your indiscretion," Celeborn said. "But it does not mean that there will be no consequences. For one, we will be forced to depart immediately after Arwen's return."

Haldir swallowed with difficulty. The rulers of Lothlorien were forced to leave Greenwood because of him, earlier than they had expected. At least, they would still get to bring Arwen with them to their realm. "What are the other conditions?"

"You shall not have the right to come out of your rooms. The prince does not wish to see you or hear about you until our departure, and you will not see his wife again either."

"I shall never see Lady Valerie again?"

"Give him a few years, Haldir. Only when your fever will have died and their bond settled should you see her again. Not before," Galadriel said with compassion.

"In the meantime, once we are back in Lothlorien, you will concentrate on your duty to banish from your fëa all thoughts of Lady Valerie. You will remain at the borders and not come back to Caras Galadhon until you are yourself again, Haldir. Should you deviate from that line of conduct, the title of Marchwarden will pass to your brother Rumil, who has always been a very capable captain during your absences. I hope I am clear, Haldir?" Lord Celeborn was extremely serious, and would not hesitate to enforce his threat.

Haldir bowed. He was given another chance, but he was realistic. Only his flawless records were allowing him this second chance. There would be no more after what he had done.

OoOoO

Thranduil had worked very late, and it was quiet in the royal aisle, with everyone already asleep but him. No sounds could be heard in the rest of the fortress, except for the noises made by the servants finally going to bed in the other aisles. He was slowly walking in the hallway in the direction of his private rooms when he heard the soft click of a door opening. Curious, he hid in the darkness between two torches, waiting to see if Legolas was coming out of his apartment. But it was not Legolas' door that was slowly opening, but the door of the apartment shared by Liam and Sean. Since Liam had gone to Lake-town with his mother, Sean was alone and Thranduil wondered what the child was still doing up so late in the evening.

Sean quickly looked around but did not see the king in his dark spot. He started to walk away, as if he was leaving the royal aisle to go in another part of the fortress.

"Sean?" Thranduil called, making sure that the child would not wander in the fortress while almost everyone was asleep.

The child stood still, and slowly turned around to stare at the king. He had always suspected that Sean was slightly afraid of him, and was now convinced of this fact just by the way the elfling was observing him warily, as if he was expecting to be harshly punished. The king was considering that the child had done nothing wrong that deserved a punishment of some sort. He realized that he had become very close to Phoebe, who knew exactly how to manipulate him in order to get what she wanted. Liam had a surprising self assurance for his age, and had spoken to him numerous times, asking questions about various subjects and taking notes all the time. But Sean was a quiet child, always hiding behind his mother when Thranduil was around. At least, quiet when his sister was not driving him insane with her constant banter and nagging. Legolas was certifying that Sean was quite a talkative child when he was with his family, something Miniel had confirmed when he had inquired about the progress of the children in Sindarin. It might be time for him to discover this side of Sean that was still unknown to him. And was there a more effective way to reach this goal than approaching the child when his mother was not around to antagonize him until they ended fighting, something that made the children uncomfortable?

"Where are you going?" he inquired, walking closer to the elfling.

"To see Mini," Sean replied with a little voice, walking backwards to slowly escape. His feet were naked on the cold floor and he was shivering in his sleep pants and shirt.

"Why?"

"I want to be with her."

It occurred to him that the child might be afraid, alone in his apartment for the first time in weeks. Phoebe was sleeping in a room next to Legolas and would not have the same fear. He wondered if he should let the child go sleep in the same room than his governess, but then remembered that Miniel's mate was back from guard duty for two weeks and that the presence of the child would certainly be unwelcome. He had two choices left. Either he brought Sean to Legolas and asked his son to take of his own son, or... he took care of Sean himself.

"You must let Miniel sleep, my child. She needs to rest and cannot take care of you day and night. I could... stay with you if you wish."

The idea of spending the night with the child was not appealing to Thranduil, especially when said child did not look more enthusiastic with the idea than he was. Phoebe would have eagerly accepted his invitation by now, no, she would already be in his private rooms, looking for a place to sleep! But Sean was going to be more difficult to approach.

"Maybe you would prefer to come in my room?" he tentatively offered.

"Phoebe says that you have a painting of Ada's mother in your room," the child murmured.

"Yes, I do. Her name was Derenil. Would you like to see her?"

The child nodded, and Thranduil led him to his private apartment, expecting the elfling to flee at any time, but they finally made it to his bedroom where the painting of his wife was located. Sean stood in front of it, watching his beloved mate for long moments.

"She was very beautiful," Sean said reverently.

"Yes, she was. The most beautiful elleth of all Greenwood."

"Ada looks more like you than like his mother. I heard my mother tell Allison once that your only quality is that you look like Legolas."

Thranduil did not reply. He himself was not too fond of his daughter-in-law.

"Ada says your wife was attacked on her way to Lake-town."

"Yes."

"My mother is going to Lake-town. Will she be attacked too?" Sean asked with a trembling voice. He must have been thinking about this all evening to make up his mind to share his fear with his cold and remote grandfather.

Thranduil knelt in front of him. "Your mother went with the best warriors of Greenwood, with three great soldiers from Imladris. They will not let her get hurt." He froze when the elfling slowly put his small arms around his neck, looking for reassurance. He is freezing, the king thought. How many times had he heard Valerie complain that the fortress was humid and frigid and that her family needed warmer clothes and stronger fires in their rooms? Since elves did not feel the cold, he had expected that the half elven family would not be submitted to such unpleasant temperatures.

"Come in my bed, it will be warmer for you," he told the child, leading him to his immense bed and tucking him in. "I will go change and come back soon."

Sean remained immobile in the bed, still sad and worried about his mother. He had been wondering if he was the only one who realized that his mother was going to the same town where Legolas' mother had been killed by foul beasts called orcs. His life revolved around his mother, and he could not imagine his life without her. He would not relax until she was back in the fortress, protected by his adar, listening to his music while caressing her bulging stomach where his little brothers were growing.

Sean moved into fetal position, trying to keep his warmth without success. Thranduil's bed was colder than his own with its thin bed sheet. At least, his own bed had two comforters to keep him warm. Since Thranduil was hardly acting as a grandfather but for Phoebe, Sean knew he would be alone in the cold bed, that the king would probably sleep in a comfortable chair. Going to his father was out of the question, since his sister would guess that he was scared and would tease him endlessly. He was much older than she was, but she definitely had more courage and determination than he did. With a little chance, she would never know that he had spent the night in Thranduil's room.

The king entered the room in his sleep wear, and Sean observed him with undisguised surprise, seeing the king as a simple ellon for the first time. He was not wearing an ornate tunic or his crown, but only thin dark green leggings and a long shirt that was open on his chest. They watched each other warily, the child lying in the bed and the ellon standing beside it. Thranduil decided that he was too tired to sleep in the chair by the hearth and joined the elfling in the bed. Immediately, Sean did what he always did when he had the chance of sharing someone's bed. He put his frozen feet on Thranduil's calves.

The king almost jumped out of his skin and bit his tongue to control the negative remark he had been about to make. He decided to meet with the seamstress the next day, ordering the new clothing that would need to be ready before the winter. If the children were already cold at that time of the year, what would it be when the snow started falling on Greenwood?

Thranduil pulled the elfling closer to his chest, taking in the scent of the child. He recognized the familiar smell of the soap Phoebe used in Sean's hair, and started caressing the little red head. Sean smiled, blossoming under the attention, even if the king was a little grumpy. It was the first time that Thranduil was acting like a grandfather, at least with him. He had secretly been jealous that Phoebe was getting all the attention. It was now his turn... Sean moved closer to Thranduil, enjoying the warm presence and fell asleep almost immediately while the king was watching him attentively under the dim light of the fire. This child was very close to Valerie, who always gave him the special attention he required. He was only coming out of his cocoon when he played music and only then people paid attention to him. His close relatives really were the only ones who knew him and had gained his trust.

This child needed a grandfather like Phoebe did. Legolas had told him that the children never really had a male presence in their lives, except for an indifferent grandfather and an absent uncle. They had adopted Legolas very early on except for Liam, who was of a distrustful nature. And Thranduil could be the grandfather they never really had. Would Valerie be opposed to a growing relationship between Sean and him? And what if she was? It would be a great way to annoy her while it made the child happy...

Thranduil fell asleep quickly, the child tightly enclosed in his arms and a sarcastic grin on his face, wishing Valerie could see him...

OoOoO

They made it to Lake-town late in the afternoon the next day. The city was in the Middle of the Long Lake, its streets a bit like Venice was in Valerie's world. The high walls and the water were providing a security that many other human towns did not have. It had been rebuilt after a dragon had destroyed it decades ago, and was now called Esgaroth. When they entered the great gate, Valerie looked everywhere with interest. It was exactly what she had imagined a Middle Ages town would look like. Small streets with houses in rows, no basic principles of hygiene being respected, with people abandoning their garbage right in the streets. Was the effort of pushing them in the water too much for them? In some streets, the smell was barely tolerable to their elven noses. All the people were watching them with weary eyes, wondering why elves were visiting their town after such a long time. Most of them had never seen elves in person, only the older citizens recalled have seen such a procession before.

They were introduced in the house of the Master of the city, an old man with no hair but a long, gray beard. Ninaelil spoke to him in Westron for a long time, explaining the reason for their presence. Once he was convinced that all these warriors were only there to protect the few ladies who wanted to visit his town and make a few purchases, he asked his wife to bring refreshments to their elven visitors. She offered them wine, and everyone accepted but Valerie, who preferred water. The Greenwood elves were drinking a lot of wine, and being pregnant, she preferred to drink less alcohol and more juices and water.

Once the Master's wife was done distributing the glasses, she turned to Greenwood's housekeeper.

"Lady Ninaelil," she said in Westron. Surprised, Ninaelil answered in the same language, only to look stunned when the old woman replied.

"Lady Ninaelil, what is going on?" Valerie asked.

"I did not recognize her. I just cannot get used to... how they age..." Ninaelil replied in Sindarin.

"Who is she?"

"She is the daughter of the draper I was meeting here fifty years ago. She was a young child back then... Her father died twenty years ago, in his sleep."

The Master spoke to Ninaelil for a long time, and reverentially, he turned to Valerie and bowed deeply.

"Princess... honored..." he said with difficulty in Sindarin. She smiled to him and to his wife who was curtsying in front of her. The woman then pointed to Valerie's stomach and spoke for a long time.

"She wants to know if you wish to go to the inn or remain here, in their house. She suspects that you are tired after such a long ride, in your state," Ninaelil explained.

"What is best?"

"You would be more comfortable here, if only because she will be taking great care of you. They certainly do not want to you tell the king that you were neglected when you stayed in their town. But there is not enough room for our entire escort..."

"Then the Imladris people will go the inn," Glorfindel decided.

"We are staying with the princess," Brethilon said, speaking for his brother also. "The rest of the escort can go to the inn. We will only need a few guards at the door at all times."

"Thank you, Bret!" Valerie said, in high spirits now that a meal and a bed were promised to her. The warrior barely cringed this time. He was getting used to it. "My son will stay with me. And you, Allison?"

Her sister was obviously torn between staying with her sister and staying with her lover. Valerie watched her debate with herself, before she decided to help her. "I do not think there is enough rooms here, between my guards, Ninaelil and Liam. Maybe you would be better at the inn. The house is very small here..."

"You think so?" Allison asked, unaware of Glorfindel's content expression behind her.

"Yes. Go! I will see you tomorrow morning. We have some shopping to do!"

Valerie took a bath in lukewarm water before dinner. How she missed her hot showers! How could she not have realized back then how great hot water was! But despite the goosebumps, she felt clean. She had dinner with the Master and his wife, Ninaelil being a good translator, and she went to bed early, absolutely exhausted. Liam slept in her bed, enjoying the privilege without admitting it to his mother. He was getting too old to publicly admit such weaknesses!

The next day, Valerie spent most of her time buying thick fabrics that would be warmer in the cold caves for her half-elven family. The elves did not feel the cold of the winter and the excessive warmth of the summer, their body temperature being constant at all times. Disappointingly, this wonderful aptitude had not be transmitted to them during their transformation from mortal to half-elven beings.

Valerie also bought some jewelry and ate a lot of sweets at the cake shop. When she came out of the shop, nauseous and ready to burst, she noticed a child in rags, a small boy of Phoebe's age. He looked so thin, and hungry! She called him, but he hid immediately behind a wall. Where were his parents? Maybe she could give them some money?

She went back in the shop and purchased more cakes. She placed them on a plate near the door, knowing the child was still watching her from afar. He would probably eat her cakes the minute she left the area. Leaving food like this felt like she was feeding an animal. But what else could she do since he had refused to come to her!

"Poor child," she mumbled, near tears.

"I can ask the Master's wife about him," Ninaelil said.

"Yes, please do. Cad, will you please stay behind and let me know if he ate the cakes? I would feel a bit better knowing this."

"Yes, my Lady."

Later that evening, Ninaelil told her that the child was an orphan called Hadrian. The Master and his wife were feeding him when he showed up at their door, which usually happened when he had not eaten for days. People here employ him when they need help, paying him with food.

"I hate seeing this. How can no one adopt him? Can you imagine Phoebe in the same situation?"

"This is a reality in mortal towns, my Lady. No one wants an extra mouth to feed. But they are taking care of him... in their own way..."

When they left the next morning, Valerie didn't see the child again. With Ninaelil as a translator, she asked the Master's wife to keep an eye on him. The woman told Valerie that she would do as much as she could until he became an adult or until she passed away. Valerie hoped the Master's wife would live a long life...

She would not forget the poor child for many months to come... He would be on her conscience, almost every day. She would be wondering if he was hungry, if he was cold... while she was living as a princess in Greenwood...

OoOoO

They only had a few hours left before arriving to the fortress when the scouts came back, shouting that they had seen an important troop of orcs riding in their direction right ahead. Immediately, Glorfindel took charge, and the pleasant trip back from Lake-town became a preparation for an assault.

Liam came closer to Valerie. "Mom? Are the orcs the dangerous creatures Ada was mentioning when we were back home?"

"Yes, sweetie."

"I am scared!"

"I am sure the warriors will take care of them quickly, and then we will be on our way back home in a moment's time. Go with Aunt Allison, Liam, I need to speak with Cad."

Liam led his horse near Allison's, and his aunt held his hand. "I am sure your mother is right. It will be just a little skirmish." But her voice was shaking slightly, and the elfling noticed it immediately. Arwen was speaking to her brothers, begging them to be cautious. She then joined Liam and Allison, and even Lady Ninaelil came closer to their group, looking for comfort. She had gone to Lake-town many times over the last centuries, but had never met orcs before. She was now regretting her decision of joining the princess during her trip. Would they all end up like Queen Derenil and her escort? In multiple pieces on spikes all the way between Greenwood and Lake-town? She had a thought for Bronadon, her fëa-mate, who would not see her for millennia until she was reborn in Valinor... A sob escaped her lips, and Allison and Liam, seeing the usually calm housekeeper lose her composure, started to cry also.

"How bad is it?" Valerie whispered to Cadworon, who was standing beside his brother after Glorfindel had given them his commands.

"Bad. We are fifteen warriors, while the scouts counted almost 300 orcs."

The number was far above Valerie's wildest expectations. Her heart froze and she was speechless for a while. Brethilon looked at her with kindness. "Be courageous, my Lady."

"What is the plan?"

"Most warriors have twenty arrows in their quiver. For the rest... it will be sword fight."

Valerie imagined the scene for a little while. "What should I do?" she eventually asked.

"What do you mean?" Cadworon was hoping the princess was not seriously considering fighting with them.

"I have my bow. I can fight. At least from afar."

"This is not a good idea. Prince Legolas would disallow it adamantly -"

"There will be nothing left for him to disapprove if we all die, now, right?"

"You can protect your son and your sister should we... fail."

Valerie nodded. She understood their reluctance about letting her fight, and she was also horribly frightened. She accepted the secondary role with gratitude. She rode back to Liam, Allison and Ninaelil, telling them to remain behind the wall of warriors. They started hearing the sounds of orcs running and screaming, and a few minutes later, they saw the hundreds of orcs moving in their direction. Valerie moved in front of her family, her bow ready, arrow nocked.

In front of her, the warriors started to shoot arrows after arrows, and orcs were falling to the ground by the dozens. But soon enough, the elves ran out of arrows and they took out their swords or twin blades. In two waves, the warriors attacked the orcs on horseback, and Valerie watched with horror as some warriors were falling off their mounts, wounded by orc blades. Glorfindel was screaming commands, organizing the attack, trying to send warriors to the left side of the orcish army. One of Elrond's son was riding around, trying to attack from the back, but an orc cut the tendons of his stallion, and she saw him fall but did not see him again, as he was swallowed by the mass of beasts.

"Elrohir!" Arwen yelled behind Valerie, half mad now that one of her brothers had fallen.

There were screams, of anger and of pain, the smell of the creatures was horrible, and as far as Valerie could tell, these beasts were the most vile living things you could imagine. Their numbers had greatly decreased, but there were still enough of them of kill all the elves in the valley.

Cadworon and Brethilon were standing close to Valerie and Liam, their quivers empty, watching their brothers in arms fight and fall.

"Go!" Valerie yelled at them. "You cannot just stay here, protecting me and letting them die! We will all die if you do not help them!"

The two brothers looked at each other, and Cadworon took the twin blades attached in his back and gave them to Valerie, only keeping his sword for himself. "Arrows first. Only use the blades if they are close." On these last words, the brothers left to help the others.

Valerie was still sitting astride her horse, and the babies must have felt the rush of adrenaline because she could feel them move a lot. She had two more lives to protect. She could not let the little kings die before they were even born. It was their only chance at a second life, she had to make sure that they could safely draw their first breath.

Resolutely, she aimed at a random orc far away, and released an arrow. The orc fell backwards, the arrow embedded in his forehead. Valerie breathed deeply, unable to believe that she had killed a living being, even if it was a horrible beast.

"Val! Help Glorfindel!" Allison screamed behind her, pointing to her left. The captain of Imladris was in trouble, encircled by six orcs. He was fighting with his sword, making large movements that the creatures were trying to avoid. Valerie nocked another arrow and shot the orc that was the closest to Glorfindel. The warrior blinked, wondering where this miraculous arrow had come from, but soon realized that the only person that still had arrows on this battlefield was Valerie. He kept fighting while around him, Valerie was killing orc one by one. Once he was safe, she looked at the battlefield and shot some more arrows until she found her quiver empty. Panicked, she realized that in her desire of helping the warriors fighting for their lives, she had used all her arrows and now, she only had two blades to protect her son and the three other ellith.

Liam was now crying in fright, enclosed in Allison's arms. Her sister was crying also, and so was Lady Arwen. The elleth kept whispering the name of her fallen brother like a litany. Lady Ninaelil was watching Valerie, stunned that the princess had killed so many orcs with her arrows. She knew that her quiver was empty, and she watched in amazement when Valerie took in her hands Cadworon's blades and tested a few movements.

"My Lady, no!" she said, understanding that the princess was considering fighting the beasts up close.

"They will not take my son!" Valerie replied with determination. She looked at Liam. "I love you, baby!"

"Mommy!" Valerie turned her back on him, knowing she would lose all her courage if she looked at him once more. She did not feel comfortable using the blades sitting on her horse. She dismounted and hit her mare on the croup to make her move out of the way.

On the battlefield, the elven warriors were on the way to victory, despite the fact that many of them were wounded, some severely. There were a few lying on the blood-soaked grass, unmoving, probably dead. Valerie suddenly realized that two orcs had noticed her, and were slowly making their way in her direction. They were just horrible, with their dark, slimy skin, their huge mouths full of sharp, yellow teeth.

They were speaking to each other in a language she didn't know, but by the way they were looking at her, it was obvious their intentions were far from pure.

"Do not come closer!" Valerie screamed, holding her blades in front of her. The beasts laughed and didn't slow down their progress in her direction. She knew they could tell she had no idea how to use these blades, and were not scared of her in the least. She dropped one on the ground, holding a single blade with both her hands.

The orcs started running and Valerie started to scream, her heart beating wildly in her chest. She tried to dodge the first one, but the second orc hit her at full speed. Valerie fell heavily on her back, losing her blade in the movement. She remained immobile, groggy, until the two beasts appeared in her field of vision. They spoke to her, lightly hitting her with their feet as if she was a little animal dying on the grass. Did they really think she would let them kill her like this? It was not until one of them lifted her skirt with his foot that she understood what these beasts were probably planning to do with her and the three other ellith.

"Mommy!" Liam yelled, understanding what was happening despite his young age.

"Cad! Bret!" Allison screamed at the top of her lungs.

The beasts looked at them for an instant, and it was the second that she needed to grab her blade and slice the legs of the first orc with all her might. The blade must have been extremely sharp, because she almost cut his legs completely. He heavily fell on her, screaming in pain, his body crushing her legs. She heard a snapping noise that definitely was a bone breaking somewhere in her lower body, but she ignored it as the screaming orc, his fetid breath blowing in her face, was hitting her face with his fist. Valerie was stunned for a few seconds, and then received a second hit. Her face turned on the other side just in time to see Brethilon beheading the second orc before he could help his companion. His blood splashed everywhere around, while his head rolled dangerously close to Valerie and the orc who was crashing her under his weight.

She saw Cadworon trying to pull the orc away from her, but the beast fought him and pushed himself back down to finish her off. Valerie only had time to place her blade in front of her when the orc impaled himself on it. Cadworon grabbed the dead body before it crushed her again, but not fast enough for Valerie to avoid receiving in her face the important quantity of blood that came out of the orc's mouth.

Brethilon and Cadworon looked at Valerie while she looked on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She was a sight they would never forget. Bruises were already appearing on her cheeks, and she had a nose bleed. Her hair, her visage, her dress were soaked in black, stinky orc blood, and from the looks of it, she had had some in her mouth. She looked at them, shocked and speechless, and suddenly bent in two, vomiting on their feet.

Once she was done emptying her stomach, she started breathing quickly and moaning, realizing the extent of her injuries. "My leg!" she screamed, trying to lift her skirt to take a look at it.

"Please take care of her!" Cadworon commanded to Allison. She asked Ninaelil to watch over Liam and dismounted to examine her sister. She could see that the battle was over, but that the battlefield was not safe yet. Glorfindel was still standing, thank the gods, and Valerie didn't have mortal wounds. She probably had a broken leg and a cut on her hand while she had held her blade to kill the orc. But her wounds might require surgery if the damages were too important.

"Are you in pain?" she asked her sister while examining her leg. It was not an open wound, which was good news.

"What do you think?" Valerie replied between ragged breaths. "You have... no idea... the effort required not to scream!"she said, yelling the last words. "Do something, please!"

"Val, I cannot really do anything for a broken leg in the middle of nowhere."

"Did you... bring some pain... killers?"

"Valerie, it might not be good for the babies!"

"Make the pain stop!" Valerie screamed, grabbing her sister's arm violently.

Allison left her on the ground and ran to her mare. She took her medical bag in a pouch attached to her saddle. She looked for a drug that would have little impact on a pregnancy, found one and brought two pills back to Valerie along with her water skin. Valerie took the pills gratefully and closed her eyes.

"It will take a few minutes before you can feel better," Allison told Valerie who was no longer listening to her. "I will go take care of the other wounded," Allison announced to the other ellith. "Ninaelil, Arwen, can you please put a bandage on her hand, and put a warm blanket around her. And give her some more water to drink."

Allison walked closer to the battlefield, where the warriors looking for their fallen brothers and moving their bodies nearby. Allison calculated that six elves had lost their lives, while another three were severely wounded. The rest of the warriors only had scratches, some worse than others.

"Allison," Glorfindel said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Elrohir is not dead, but... he will be if nothing is done. You told me you were bringing your bag everywhere with you?"

"I have it," she confirmed. "But I have never taken care of wounded people... outside a hospital. In the nature... It is not sanitary! I cannot guarantee that they will not have infections!"

"Allison, they will die if you do not do anything! We need to bring them back alive to Greenwood, and then the healers can take of any infection they might develop. I will send a messenger to the fortress. We cannot ride back, we lost too many soldiers, too many are wounded and many horses are dead. Hopefully, help will arrive within a few hours."

Glorfindel took her by the shoulders to give her some of his strength. "Allison, you have seen worse than this, you have told me of horrifying wounds before... You can do this!"

Getting a grip on her emotions, Allison nodded and got to work.

This was my longest chapter so far. I hope you enjoyed it! In the next chapter, Valerie will go through a huge event in her life – and no, she will not give birth yet! Just wait and see! I would like to wish Happy Holidays to all my readers. May the year 2014 bring you success and love!

I would like to thank Angel, Aralinn, Paperlanterns86, Cathael (nice to see you have registered!), world-classgeek, breneke87, KKK3, Legolas Fan, gris, The Queen of ErynLasgaryn and glassary. Many were worried about how Haldir would be punished. I have been merciful – after all, he is one of my favorite characters!

Special thanks to Moto the Red Queen, I really appreciated your reviews as you were reading each of the chapters. Valerie and Thranduil will eventually get along – but it will still take a few chapters and dramatic events before they find their way to a peaceful relationship...

To Ellmarr: Yes, I had to repost chapter 14 after my beta-reader pointed a few typos...