Chapter 22 ended with:
Hadrian realized that there would be a difference between him and the other children, who were princes of the kingdom. He was a simple guest in the fortress.
Not for long, Valerie thought with resolve. And Legolas and Thranduil would have to submit to her will in this. It would be interesting to see.
Here is a description of the Valar for the last part of chapter 23:
Manwë King of the Valar and his wife Varda (Elbereth) Queen of the stars
Tulkas Champion of the Valar and his wife Nessa the Dancer (sister of Oromë)
Namo (Mandos) the Doomsman of the Valar and his wife Vairë the Weaver
Aulë the Smith and his wife Yavanna the Fruit-giver
Oromë the Huntsman and his wife Vana the Ever-young
Ulmo King of the Sea
Irmo Master of Dreams and his wife Estë, Healer of hurts and weariness
Nienna Lady of Pity and Mourning, sister of Namo and Irmo
Chapter 23 – Journey to the South
"You know that it is my duty to unite the various people of Middle Earth, and I cannot do this if I stay here! I must travel to the other realms! And quite frankly, I need a change of air, Legolas. I have spent more than five years here, and I need to see other places. I used to travel a lot in my world -"
"In a plane," he cut her. "You could visit a different continent in a matter of a few hours! But there are no planes here, Valerie!"
"Oh really?" she cut with sarcasm. Thranduil, who was attending the discussion, rolled his eyes.
Legolas ignored her caustic comment. "Going to the Bay of Belfalas will take you at least six weeks, and another six to come back! You would be gone for months!"
"Yes," Valerie acknowledged. "I would spend a few weeks at the fortress of Dol Amroth, visiting Prince Imrahil and his wife Gilrin. She then would travel to Minas Tirith with me so I can meet her brother the Steward of Gondor and her two nephews. On my way back, I would probably stop in Rohan. Oh, and before I forget, I was thinking of stopping by Lothlorien to ask Arwen if she wants to join me in my journey to Belfalas."
Immediately, Legolas froze. I will not let him be anywhere near her!
"Five years have passed, my son," Thranduil said. "His infatuation is over," he said with assurance.
"Whose infatuation?" Valerie asked, curious.
The ellyn ignored her and stared at each other. "Valerie would appreciate Arwen's presence, and it would add a few warriors from Lothlorien to their expedition."
Legolas' frown deepened while Thranduil smiled. "Lord Celeborn would not dare ask him to... guard Arwen during her expedition."
"Does Arwen have an elven suitor?" Valerie inquired. Her friend had not told her about an ellon. She had mentioned that her heart had been taken by Aragorn, a Dunedain Ranger that was the last heir to the throne of Gondor. He had in fact been raised in Imladris as a child and had been adopted by Lord Elrond. What a way of repaying the elven lord for his generosity, by taking away is only daughter, who now wished to forfeit her elven immortality!
"You are right, I should not worry about this," Legolas finally said to his father, emptying his mind to make sure Valerie would not read how worried he was that Haldir would try to take Valerie away from him.
"When both of you are done ignoring me, maybe we can talk about the arrangements to travel with the children."
Both ellyn turned to her in one movement. "You want to bring the children with you?" they asked in perfect unison.
"Of course! They need to be with their mother!"
"Vanima, please be reasonable! You cannot safely travel for months with our children."
"It should not be a problem if I have enough guards."
"We cannot spare five guards per person, my dear daughter," the king said gently but firmly nonetheless.
"The people of Middle Earth need to see the reborn elflings in person. Especially in Belfalas, where the crowned family has an elven ancestor."
"You will not go with the children!" Legolas said vehemently, the flush of his skin betraying his sudden anguish.
"They are my children -" Valerie started but immediately stopped when she heard her father-in-law's mental warning about her denying them rights on the children because of her own blood rights. This was the second occasion in a short period of time that he had to warn her on this subject. "They are my children too," she immediately corrected herself. "I need them with me!"
"It is not safe," Thranduil decided. "You cannot bring the five of them with you."
Legolas glared at his father, feeling betrayed. How could he even consider allowing Valerie to leave with even one child! Middle Earth was unsafe for children at this point, with orc bands roaming in all areas. "You will certainly not allow Oropher to leave Greenwood!" he told his father harshly, knowing that it was a low blow.
"Yes, I will," the king replied. "He is a child of the prophecy and people need to see him. Gil-galad will also be traveling with Valerie."
"Liam, Sean and Phoebe should also be coming with me. I am also planning to bring Hadrian." Valerie was still attempting to bring them all with her.
"This is too many children to protect for the warriors and too many to take care of for you. Remember that Miniel will safely remain here. Can you really take care of six children for months while you travel on horseback without stop?" Thranduil challenged her.
She cannot take care of them all, the king was thinking. Oropher and Gil-galad are very young, Hadrian is still adapting to us…
"Phoebe's training cannot be interrupted for months! And Elladan is here to be with her," Legolas argued. "Sean likes a comfortable life, he would hate traveling and not have his piano for months…"
"I know," Valerie sighed, recognizing her defeat. "I will bring Liam, though! He would hate to miss discovering other cultures, and he is old enough to help me with the three youngest."
"Three?" Thranduil inquired. "Are you really planning to bring Hadrian?"
"I will certainly not leave him here!"
"And why not?"
"Although you never say it out loud, I know perfectly well that you have reservations about his presence amongst us. He is an orphan, I took him under my wing, and I will not leave him behind to be neglected by our people."
"We would not neglect him!" Legolas cried.
"I know he would be fed and warm, but would he be loved?" Valerie asked, looking at them both. Their guilty expressions were answer enough. Legolas and Thranduil allowed her to take care of the child, but still hoped that she would return him to Lake-town amongst the mortals shortly. How disappointed they would be! "I am bringing him, period!"
"Do as you please, but it will only make things more difficult for you," the king replied.
"If I travel with three children and Liam, how many warriors should I bring?"
"At least 15," Legolas said. "Liam knows how to use your guns, he can count as a warrior."
"That will weaken Greenwood's defense," she mused. 15 warriors so she could travel to my realms…
You are more than welcome to remain here, Legolas thought, but since he did not voice his comment out loud, she did not reply.
"Brethilon suggested a replacement for Cadworon," Thranduil informed her.
"No one will replace Cad," Valerie said with both sadness and stubbornness.
"No one will replace him in your heart, Vanima," Legolas said, caressing her cheek, "but he needs to be replaced as your guard. Brethilon cannot do it alone."
"I do not want to impose someone on Bret."
"It would not be imposing someone on Bret, he is himself suggesting a candidate," the king added.
"Who is it?" Valerie inquired tiredly. She still greatly suffered from Cadworon's death even after three months. His absence was intolerable some days, and she could barely look at Brethilon when she was at the height of her sadness.
"Brannor," Legolas replied.
"No!" she immediately said. Brethilon's son was out of the question!
"Why not?"
"I do not have to explain myself. Find someone else!" she replied, her tone imperious.
She left the room, leaving behind two speechless ellyn. She ran to her office and closed the door behind her, hoping no one would disturb her. She sat behind her desk, feeling sick. She pushed some papers away and put her head on the wooden desk, closing her eyes. The coldness of the wood was somehow helping her cope with her dizziness.
Of course, someone had to knock on her door. Probably Legolas or Thranduil, who were going to insist that she accepts Brethilon's son as a replacement for Cadworon.
"Leave me alone!" she screamed.
The person knocked again. It could not be her mate or his father. They would have entered by now, right after her request to be left alone. Ashamed of her behavior, but still not wanting any visitors, she warily asked who wanted to come in.
"It is I," a male voice said from behind her wooden door. He did not even need to name himself, she knew who he was.
"Come in," she allowed tiredly. Legolas had sent the heavy artillery to convince her.
When Brethilon entered her office and closed the door behind him, she turned to him and started. He was not alone. His son was with him.
"I cannot allow this!" she said forcefully before either of them had had time to say a word.
"And why not?" Brethilon asked, sitting in front of her while his son remained standing. It was a habit she had encouraged over the past five years. Her bodyguards had always been allowed to sit with her without permission when they were alone.
"Should something happen…" she just said, avoiding his gaze.
"What would happen?" he insisted.
"Do I really have to say more?" Valerie asked him, this time glaring at him.
"My Lady, please enlighten me," Brethilon replied, "your mind is still a mystery to me even after all these years."
"If he dies," she says bluntly, "this would be too great a sacrifice for your family. I will not be the cause of the death of another of your kin!"
"On the contrary, being your guard is an honor that we would like to keep within the family!" Brethilon replied seriously.
"You do not make any sense! However, we are not and will not be discussing this!"
"My Lady, if I may -" Brannor added.
"I said that we are not discussing this!" she cut him forcefully, looking at him for the first time. He looked so much like Brethilon. He even had a little something of Cadworon in his facial features. Another reason not to accept his candidacy.
"I refuse to work with anyone else than my son," Brethilon calmly stated.
"I am happy to accept your resignation then," she replied. "If you remember correctly, I was against the idea of having bodyguards five years ago."
Brannor looked at his father, worried that he had caused his sudden dismissal.
"You know the Captain will never allow you to leave Greenwood without me," Brethilon replied with assurance.
Valerie almost shook with anger. "Don't you dare threaten me, Bret! I can choose two different guards and have you sent back to the forest!"
Brannor watched the princess and his father's argument with increasing bewilderment. He had been told that his father and his late uncle had been very close to the princess and as such, had permissions that no other warrior had. Arguing with her seemed to be one of them.
"I am not threatening you. I am simply stating a fact. No warrior will accept to replace me."
"Am I such a burden that no one wants to guard me?" she asked coldly. Brannor thought she had briefly looked hurt by his adar's statement.
"On the contrary, it is an honor that many aspire to. But… everyone knows the position is mine, and all will respect that."
"I do not want you to lose your son after you lost your brother," she sighed with distress. She hid her face behind her delicate hands, and Brannor understood that she still thought of his uncle frequently, frequently enough that the thought of him still made her sad, even after three months.
"It is quite the opposite. Working with my son would be much easier for me. We are of the same mind," he added.
"I do not wish to have two serious guards," she added as a final and quite pathetic argument against his suggestion. "You were always the serious one, while Cad was making me laugh."
"Then I have wonderful news for you, my Lady," Brethilon replied with a smile. "My son has a sense of humor."
"I even have already chosen my short name," Brannor said, his smile similar to his father's. "I think Bran sounds impressive. It inspires respect."
"It does not," Valerie replied with humor. "It sounds like a dog name," she said ironically, but her smirk betrayed her amusement.
Brannor grinned in return. "I think it sounds better than Bret."
"I agree," Valerie replied. "I only picked Bret to annoy your father."
"An easy feat, if I may say. My father has always been… strict. A bit boring. Insipid even."
"I am still here," Brethilon reminded his son, insulted.
"I like you a lot, Brannor," Valerie said, ignoring her remaining bodyguard.
"Call me Bran. When we are leaving?"
OoOoO
"I am tired, when will we stop for the night?" Oropher whined. He was sitting in front of Liam, his brother's arm around his tiny waist to ensure he would not fall from their steed.
"In a few hours, my sweet," Valerie replied. She pulled Gil-galad's sleeping form closer to her chest. "Are you alright, Hadrian?" she asked the boy who was old enough to ride alone.
"Yes," he replied, but it was clear that he was tired.
"Would you like to ride with me?" Arwen asked the child.
"I would like to ride with Valerie," Hadrian replied, almost in tears. The journey was hard on him.
"My Lady, please give me Gil-galad," Brethilon offered. Valerie accepted, and the warrior took the sleeping elfling from her arms and installed him in front of him. Gil-galad liked riding with Brethilon while Hadrian was more wary. He generally wanted to be with Valerie when he was tired. She extended her arms in his direction and helped Hadrian to climb in front of her. Brannor took the reins of Hadrian's horse and attached the horse to his own.
They had been traveling for many weeks now, and would arrive in Belfalas within the next few days. They had passed the city of Minas Tirith a week before, but had not stopped as they were planning to visit it with Lady Gilrin in the spring.
The weather was definitely warmer here, and if they had started the journey wearing cloaks and sleeping close to the fire at night, Valerie, Liam and Hadrian were now wearing light clothing, like the other elves.
"You will like the beaches," Arwen told Hadrian. "We will bathe in the warm sea water."
She spoke to him about all the wonders of the Bay of Belfalas and the fortress of Dol Amroth. Hadrian was listening to the beautiful Imladris lady while securely riding in the arms of the princess that had been welcoming him in her family. He had started to love Valerie very much in the past months, and he had grown even closer to her during their journey.
"Nana, I am hungry," Oropher complained.
I wish I could call her Nana too.
It was not the first time that Valerie was reading such a thought in his young mind. It was a big decision, one that Legolas and Thranduil might not agree with. But she had a feeling that her mate knew it was coming, and that it would happen during her journey. And when they had left, Legolas had kissed the mortal boy as if he had been his own child. He had quickly gotten attached to Hadrian.
"Are you hungry too, Hadrian?"
"Yes, Valerie," he replied quietly. He never really complained about anything. It was unnerving how grateful he was for the smallest of things. He had lacked so much in his short life!
Hearing him call her Valerie had been feeling wrong for a long time now.
"Bran, would you please give an apple to Oropher and Hadrian? We should stop in two hours or so and they cannot wait until then."
The warrior gave each elfling an apple, and the children started eating with appetite.
"Hadrian?" Valerie whispered in his child's ear. "If you want to… you can call me Mother."
She saw many elves around them jerk on their horses. Quite frankly, she had expected no other reaction from a bunch of males. Arwen gave her a warm smile. Liam had no noticeable reaction, but Glorfindel looked at her sharply, his gaze disbelieving. Lord Elrond had sent him to escort Arwen to bring her back to Imladris, but since the elleth had decided to join Valerie on her journey, the Captain had had no choice but to go to Belfalas with her. It had inevitably postponed his wedding with Allison, and he was resentful of that. Valerie had read it in his mind, but never told Arwen about it. She had learned to keep people's secrets to herself, and everyone was grateful about it.
"I can call you Mother like Liam, Phoebe and Sean?" Hadrian needed to check if he correctly understood the permission he had just been granted.
"Yes."
"I would prefer to call you Nana like Oropher and Gil-galad…"
"It is fine also," Valerie replied.
Hadrian put his thin arm around her neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek, which she returned warmly. Their kissing was a familiar sight for everyone now. She had always bestowed upon him the same kind of affection that she granted her other children. But allowing him to call her naneth was a step that very few had seen coming. It had many consequences for the royal family, and everyone knew that the king and the princess would fight about it upon their return to Greenwood.
"I love you… Nana," he whispered in her ear, looking at everyone to see if the elves around him would protest.
"As I love you, Hadrian."
"I love you too, Nana!" Oropher cried, waving at her. He accidentally dropped his apple on the ground, and Brannor immediately gave him a new one. Brethilon's son was proving to be a worthy addition to her escort, if only by the way he helped her taking care of her children. She had never seen such a deadly warrior be so patient with children, save for Legolas. But Legolas was their father, it was expected of him, while no one expected Brannor to be such a caring ellon.
"I love you, Bran!" Oropher cried again, before starting to eat his new apple. Turning his head, he looked around to find Brannor's father. "I love you, Bret!" he called after the ellon who was riding nearby with his twin brother. "I love you, Gil-galad!" he screamed to his brother, who did not even wake.
"And do you love me?" Liam asked his youngest brother. He was feeling left out in the long list of people that Oropher loved.
"No, I do not."
"And why not, pray tell?" Liam asked, bewildered.
"Because you do not allow me to play with your quills!" Oropher pouted.
"You always break them!" Liam protested. "And if you do not love me, you can ride with someone else tomorrow!"
"Fine. I do love you. But just a tiny bit!" the elfling teased his brother.
"I cannot believe this is King Oropher!" Glorfindel mumbled behind them. "Are you sure it is him? I am sure he never used the word love in his first life."
"I love you, Glorfindel!" Oropher continued his enumeration. "I love you only because Aunt Allison likes you! I love you, Hadrian!"
"Can someone please give this child a sleeping draught, for the Valar's sake!" Valerie sighed.
Brannor started to search in his bags.
"I was jesting, Bran!" Valerie protested.
"I know!" the warrior laughed, finding it highly amusing that the princess had thought him capable of giving a sleeping draught to the child to spare their suffering ears. He took a candy out of his bag, one that looked like a lollypop, and gave it to Oropher. The elfling dropped his second apple and immediately stopped talking to concentrate on the incredibly sweet taste of his candy.
"I love you, Bran!" Valerie whispered in a sing-song tone, and everyone smiled.
OoOoO
A few days later, they started seeing the fortress of Dol Amroth, built on the top of a hill. The citadel was overseeing the Bay of Belfalas and the western sea. On the North side of the city was the Seaward Tower of Tirith Aear, the lighthouse that the prince's ships could see miles away in the sea when they were coming back to the port.
The banners of Dol Amroth, silver swan and ship on a blue background, were floating in the strong winds, which brought to their nostrils the salty scent of the sea.
Valerie took a deep breath and smiled. "Do you remember that smell, Liam? It used to smell like this at my parents' country house."
"Yes. It smells like salt, I can almost feel it on my tongue," Liam answered.
"It smells like dead fish," Gil-galad complained, and everyone laughed around.
"Do you think we should stop for the night, and get ourselves presentable in the morning before reaching the fortress?" Valerie asked Arwen. Both ellith were not feeling very fresh. They had stopped in inns when they could, and had even bathed with the children in the small lakes and rivers they had found on the way, but at this point, everyone was feeling dirty, with the dust of the road on their clothing and in their hair.
"It is too late for that," Brethilon said as he observed the fortress attentively. "There is a company coming in our direction."
"What kind of company?" Valerie asked warily. Her eyesight was not as keen as a true elf's.
"Soldiers with their banners…" Glorfindel said, getting his weapons ready just in case. All the warriors around him took their bows and nocked an arrow. Valerie did the same, wondering why soldiers would be sent from Dol Amroth while she had been invited by Lady Gilrin.
The company was now much closer, and they could see that it was led by a lord of imposing presence. He had long, brown hair, attached in a manner that revealed his ears, which were slightly pointy. Valerie understood that she would meet Lord Imrahil, Prince of Dol Amroth, whose lineage included an elven ancestor. He was also the husband of her friend Lady Gilrin, and therefore, should not represent a threat to the travelers.
The company stopped, and the lord led his horse closer to the group, noticing the children, the two ladies, and how everyone looked very tired. Despite their weariness, the warriors had their bows ready to attack, even one of the ladies. He recognized a few faces in the group, and he lifted his hand, silently asking his soldiers to put their weapons back in their sheaths.
Valerie did the same gesture, and all the elves put their bows down.
"Lord Glorfindel, Lady Arwen, it is an honor to welcome you in my realm," Prince Imrahil said to the two elves he recognized. "My beloved wife has told me she was expecting visitors, but never told me that you would be part of the company she was expecting."
"It was an unforeseen decision on my part," Arwen replied with grace. "I decided to join my dear friend Valerie when she told me of her intended journey."
Imrahil's eyes turned to the only other lady in the group, sitting astride on her strong white stallion in the middle of her guards. He had heard about her, both from Mithrandir and from his wife. The half-elven lady was stunning with her red hair in the sunset, her bow in hand, strange metal weapons wrapped on her back, and with a white-haired elfling sitting in front of her. She was a strange sight, one he would never forget. A warrior elven lady like only Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien had been before.
He dismounted and walked to the company, the Silvan warriors parting to let him reach their princess. Valerie put her bow on her back, gave the elfling to Arwen and dismounted too, ready to meet the Prince of Dol Amroth.
He bowed to her and Valerie curtsied, unsure of what she should do to greet him. After all, they were both on equal footings, being both members of a royal family. He came closer and took her hand, kissing it respectfully.
"Lady Valerie of Mirk- Greenwood," he immediately corrected himself, "we are honored that you have finally accepted to visit our realm. We have not had contacts with the Silvan elves in many centuries."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my Lord. We have traveled for many weeks to visit your beautiful region and hopefully find a friendly ally in Middle Earth. Please allow me to introduce my children."
Arwen dismounted with Gil-galad, and Liam gave Oropher to Valerie before dismounting himself.
Prince Imrahil kissed Arwen's hand, and turned to Valerie again.
"This is my oldest son, Liam." Imrahil observed the red haired child who looked a few years away from his coming-of-age, noticing the faint elven features. He was obviously half-elven, like his naneth.
"These are my twin sons, Ereinion Gil-galad, and Oropher."
"The High King of the Noldor and the King of Greenwood," Imrahil said in awe. "So Mithrandir was right. The prophecy is real…" he mumbled, unable to take his eyes away from the two small princes.
"Hadrian, please dismount," Valerie asked the child who had remained on his horse. His status in their family was still a bit uncertain, and he was always waiting for Valerie to make the first moves, still scared that he would eventually cross a boundary he was not allowed to.
Imrahil tore his eyes away from the two elven princes and looked at the child that had no elven features whatsoever and no features in common with the princess of Greenwood either. This one was obviously a mortal child. Imrahil mused on the sad destiny of elves mating with half-elven elves, that could potentially give birth to mortal children.
"This is my… adoptive son, Hadrian," the princess enlightened him, pushing the small boy in front of her. Imrahil immediately understood his mistake. The princess did not give mortal children to her husband, the elven prince of Greenwood. What a relief it must be for the royal family of Greenwood!
"My only daughter and another son remained in Greenwood with my mate and the king. They did not want to impact their training."
"Your son the warrior remained in Greenwood?" Imrahil asked, incorrectly interpreting the prophecy he had heard years ago.
"Actually, Sean is the minstrel, he could not leave his instruments behind for many months. My daughter Phoebe is the warrior."
Imrahil started but politely remained silent. After all, he was standing in front of a princess that seemed able to use weapons. Maybe the Silvan elves were more permissive with their females than the other people of Middle Earth.
"No, they are not," Valerie answered his unspoken question, proving that she could read minds, as his wife had told him. "It was an immense shock for my people."
"She might have… difficulty finding a mate," the prince ventured.
"She already has found her mate," Arwen all but bristled. "My brother Elladan found his fëa-mate in the child, and is awaiting her majority to bind himself to her."
"I did not mean to be insulting with my words," Imrahil apologized.
"I know, Prince Imrahil," Valerie said to soothe things between the prince and Arwen. "We are bringing… many changes to Middle Earth, some being more difficult to accept than others, I am afraid."
"Then I will strive to keep an open mind," the prince vowed. "Now, I am sure that you would appreciate a hot bath before a hot meal, after weeks of traveling. Please accept my hospitality for as long as you wish," he said, inviting the group to follow him to his citadel.
Everyone mounted back on their steeds, and they soon reached the gate of the city. The prince led them to the higher part of the town and they left their horses at his private stables. Imrahil's family was waiting for the visitors on the stairs leading to the main doors. Valerie could see a woman simply dressed in a light blue gown standing in the middle of her family, her three sons, her daughter and daughter-in-law around her.
Lady Gilrin walked in their direction, unable to wait any longer. She almost started running when she recognized Arwen in the group following her husband.
"Lady Arwen! What a pleasant surprise!" she said, engulfing the elleth in a tight embrace. "I cannot believe you have made the journey without letting me know!"
Valerie observed Lady Gilrin, who looked very close to what she had imagined, thanks to the self-description the princess of Dol Amroth had sent in her first letter to Valerie. The wife of Prince Imrahil was close to her fiftieth birthday, but was beautiful with her dark brown hair, blue eyes and thin form. Her smile was perfect with white, well-aligned teeth, a rarity for mortals in these days where dentistry had not been invented yet.
Soon, Gilrin let go of Arwen, and searched for her new friend in the group of travelers. She noticed two red heads under the light of the torches in the yard, one teenager and one tall elleth, holding the small hands of two absolutely beautiful elflings.
She could hear the murmurs of her people in the yard, commenting on the comeliness of these elves, but amazed at the beauty of their small children. Gilrin had never seen an elfling in her life since elves had not sired children in centuries, but had heard the legends about their beauty since her childhood. The legends were right; elflings were to die for!
"Lady Gilrin?" Valerie asked tentatively. It was one thing to exchange letters with someone and become close friends through correspondence, but it was another to be facing said friend in person for the first time.
"Please Valerie! No such formality between us!" Gilrin cried, walking to Valerie and engulfing her too into a surprisingly strong embrace for such a small woman. "You are exactly as I thought!" she exclaimed, pulling away to have a closer look. "Look at you, with your weapons and your children clinging to you! People will talk about you in Dol Amroth for the next two decades! Are you tired?"
"I have to admit that we are exhausted after such a journey, but I think my children are in dire need of a bath and comfortable bed," Valerie replied.
Gilrin went on her knees and looked at the children. "You must be Ereinion Gil-galad," she said to the white haired elfling. "And you must be Oropher," she continued, caressing their little heads. "And this young elf must be Liam," she assumed correctly.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Gilrin," Liam answered respectfully.
"And who is this young man?" Gilrin asked to Hadrian.
"My name is Hadrian," he whispered.
Gilrin looked at Valerie sharply, wondering why the orphan from Esgaroth was part of Valerie's escort. As Valerie was about to explain, she lifted her hand, knowing it was an explanation that would be best kept for her ears only. "It can wait in due time."
"I am so glad to see you all," she continued, looking at the entire group. "I am curious to be introduced to your personal guards, Valerie! I feel like I know them!"
"This is Brethilon, and here is Brannor," Valerie said stiffly. Both ellyn bowed, knowing what the next question would be.
"Where is Cadworon?" Gilrin asked, unaware of the recent events that had taken place in Greenwood. She realized her mistake when she saw Valerie's expression turn to grief. "I am sorry, my friend, to have been a reminder of sad events. Let us go in my home so you can rest properly. We will talk tomorrow."
Gilrin herself led Valerie, Arwen, Glorfindel and the children to their rooms for the duration of their stay, while the warriors found lodging with the Swan soldiers of Dol Amroth. Once they were all installed, Gilrin made sure that the servants would bring them hot water and a light dinner, knowing her guests would not appear until the next day.
That night, when Lord Imrahil went to his private apartments in the company of his first born Elphir, he saw one of Valerie's bodyguard standing in front of her door, protecting the princess during the night.
"My soldiers are protecting Dol Amroth," the prince told the Silvan warrior in Westron. "Your lady is safe within my walls."
Brethilon bowed respectfully, but did not move from his position. Both princes left the hallway, mumbling that the Silvan elves were savages when compared to their Noldorin counterpart. Lord Glorfindel had not posted a warrior at the door of Lady Arwen!
OoOoO
The children were playing in the sand, even Liam indulged in building sand castles with his little brothers and Lothiriel. Valerie was sitting directly under the sunlight in a thin dress, enjoying tremendously the heat while she knew that back in Greenwood, snow covered the ground on the colder mornings. Her skin had tanned slightly but without burning, while Hadrian had needed some cream from the healers after having spent too much time under the sun. In this, Valerie's children were truly elven and did not suffer from sunburns.
"Imrahil was telling me last night the exact words of the prophecy," Gilrin said to Valerie, giving her a glass of fresh rose wine.
"Scholar, minstrel, warrior, new blood in the elven lines
Reborn kings, twin, warden, hope in dark times..."
"We know that Liam, Sean and Phoebe are the first three, but my husband and I were wondering about the following children."
"What about them?" Valerie inquired.
"Ereinion Gil-galad and Oropher were both kings in their first lives. But they also are twins now. Do you think you will only have one more child, the warden?"
Immediately, Valerie's expression closed, while Arwen grabbed her hand in comfort.
"There will be no more prophecy children," Valerie replied with a tense voice.
"Why is that?" Gilrin asked, sensing the subject was difficult for Valerie, but determined to know the truth. After all, Gandalf had been visiting them numerous times in the past decades, telling them of this prophecy and of how the arrival of these children would convince the various people of Middle Earth to become allies against Sauron. "Your twins are five years-old. It is about time that you think of completing the prophecy."
"The birth of the twins did not go very well," Arwen told Gilrin. "Valerie would have died without the timely arrival of Mithrandir and Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien. Prince Legolas refuses to endanger Valerie's life by giving her another child."
"The birth of Lothiriel was quite difficult, but I forgot it immediately after they put her in my arms. I wished to have more children, but nature decided otherwise..."
"I have no fond memories of the birth of my twins," Valerie said, breathing deeply. The memories of the birth were sometimes waking her at night, almost feeling the pain of the procedure Allison had done to deliver the elflings. "The nightmares are still... vivid."
"I do not understand," Gilrin continued, wondering what had happened.
"They had to remove the babies by... cutting open her stomach," Arwen said, her face turning green.
Gilrin flushed. She should never have insisted to know the reason behind Valerie's decision not to have more children. She had caused grief to her new friend, and she wondered if Valerie would forgive her anytime soon.
"I am... mortified to have caused you distress with my improper questioning. I had never heard of anyone surviving this procedure... Please, accept my deepest apologies."
"You could not know... I am sure you can understand why my mate and I decided to have no more elflings. The people of Middle Earth will have to make do with the ones we already had."
Valerie's tone was final, and Gilrin and Arwen did small talk for a few minutes while Valerie went to give refreshments to the children. She played with them in the sand and even went to bathe with them in the sea for almost an hour. With Liam and Lothiriel, she taught how to swim to Oropher and Gil-galad. The elflings quickly got the hang of it, while Hadrian, who had spent all his life in Lake-town, was swimming too far to Valerie's taste. She called after him, and the boy came back closer to the beach, seeing that his adoptive mother was worried about his safety. No one had ever worried about his security, and Valerie became dearer to him just with this little event.
Valerie came back to her friends a while later, having completely forgotten about their prior conversation.
"Tell me what you miss the most from your world," Gilrin asked, always curious to hear about Valerie's past. It fascinated her to no end to hear about it, and Arwen was just as curious.
"I miss… hot showers. None of these baths with water brought from the kitchens, no! We had tubes that brought water directly in the bathroom, and water would come out warm, and you could adjust the temperature to your own preference…"
"That sounds delightful," Arwen sighed.
"I miss having a refrigerator. It kept the food cold, and even frozen. I also miss modern means of transportation! If I had had a truck, the journey between Greenwood and Dol Amroth would have taken five days!"
"I cannot believe you! How could you cover such a great distance in so little time?"
"With a car, some sort of cartwheel that goes very fast."
"With a horse?" Lothiriel asked, curious. Gilrin's daughter had followed Valerie as was her habit since a few days after Valerie's arrival in Dol Amroth. The girl was amazed that a woman was free to do as she pleased like the princess of Greenwood. Valerie had even allowed Lothiriel to try her bow, which had greatly displeased Prince Imrahil. Valerie had not allowed the girl to follow her to the training grounds after she had read the prince's extreme disapproval directly in his mind.
"No, it has a motor, it only needed gas," Valerie explained, knowing there were some concepts they would never understand.
"I do not follow you, but keep going," Gilrin said with a laugh.
"I miss chocolate!" Liam said from afar. He had been following the conversation, interested in hearing what his mother had to say about their world.
"I miss Ada!" Gil-galad continued, not realizing that Valerie and Liam were talking about things they missed from their former world.
"I miss Ada too!" Oropher cried, determined to clarify that he too, was missing his father. "And I miss Grandsire!"
"I miss phones! If we had phones, I could call Legolas and hear his voice. I would also speak to Thranduil and my other children…" Valerie dreamed.
"You miss them?" Arwen asked. She spent years away from her family regularly, and was not saddened by the separation.
"Dreadfully," Valerie sighed. She had been in Dol Amroth for more than a month and she had missed her family every single minute. Her stay was supposed to last another month, but she had no idea if she would remain in Dol Amroth for such a long time. She was constantly thinking of Legolas, his voice, his laughter, his touch...
"Please describe the infamous prince of Greenwood," Gilrin asked Arwen.
"Legolas is -" Valerie started, only to be cut by her hostess.
"I asked Arwen! You described Legolas many times in your letters, but you are most certainly biased," Gilrin said, laughing. "Now Arwen, how is this Woodland prince? Is it true that he is as deadly as he is handsome?"
Arwen giggled with Gilrin, finding hilarious that Valerie was being challenged on her description of her own mate. "Prince Legolas is in fact the most renowned elven archer in Middle Earth. He has killed an impressive number of foes, a number that my brothers envy greatly, as they aspire to the same kind of distinction."
"Did he kill hundreds of orcs and spiders?" Lothiriel asked with passion. She had been raised by a warrior prince, seen her father's army of Swan soldiers since she was a small child, and she knew that one day, she would be wed to a noble soldier. Secretly, Gilrin had been hoping that her daughter would marry Lord Boromir, her nephew and future Steward of Gondor...
Valerie made a gesture that her figure was understated. "A thousand?" the girl continued, impressed.
Valerie made another gesture for the girl to increase the figure some more. "Many thousands," she replied.
"How is that even possible?" Lothiriel challenged Valerie, unable to imagine that such a great warrior existed.
"Prince Legolas is turning 2,170 years old this year, my child," Arwen replied. "He had plenty of time to kill many foes."
"He must look very old!" Gilrin's daughter cried.
"Elves do not age," her mother reminded her. "Someone told me Prince Legolas is very handsome. I believe it was Gandalf."
"That he is," Arwen said lightly. "Even more so than Lord Glorfindel," she told Lothiriel, who looked at her in amazement. "His hair is gold as a wheat field under the sun, his eyes blue as the sea and his lips have the faintest pink color... He is tall and muscular…"
"I had no idea you had noticed all of this about my husband," Valerie cut sarcastically. She knew she has nothing to worry about from Arwen since her heart was already taken, but Valerie suddenly wondered if Amareth would try to approach Legolas while she was away. Amareth has not spoken to Legolas in the past five years. Why would she now? Would Legolas see through her schemes if she attempted to get him back?
"He was a very popular bachelor until Valerie secured his love and broke the hearts of all elven maidens!" Arwen was continuing.
"How old are you?" Lothiriel asked Valerie.
"I am 36 years old."
"It cannot be! You look too young to be so old!"
Valerie smiled, wondering if Lothiriel would ever grow a filter before she became an adult. Her mother certainly had never gotten one!
"Lothiriel, my daughter, please cease doubting everything Lady Valerie is saying, this is highly impolite. You must learn of the difference between the elves and the humans, and accept them instead of questioning them at all times."
Properly chastised, Lothiriel flushed, but was relieved when Valerie smiled in her direction.
"I cannot give you a phone to speak to Legolas, but I can give you chocolate!" Gilrin announced, standing from her chair. "We have received cocoa powder from the East a month ago, a product I had not seen in more than a decade!"
"You have chocolate?" Valerie and Liam asked at the same time, their eyes twinkling like children on Yule morning.
"Yes. I will ask my cook to bake a chocolate cake for you tonight. Speaking of dinner, we will need to leave the beach soon. My husband wants to review the clauses of the agreement that you are negotiating between Greenwood and Dol Amroth before dinner."
Valerie nodded, knowing they were in the final stages of the negotiations. Thranduil had not specifically asked her to sign agreements with their new allies, but since she had been negotiating for years with Esgaroth, she knew exactly what the king looked for in these agreements.
Prince Imrahil had frankly expressed his concerns that she would sign an unfair agreement because of her mind-reading capabilities, but Valerie had been very respectful of his thoughts and they had negotiated an agreement that was fair for both parties.
Valerie's mood suddenly darkened. She knew that Prince Erchirion, Gilrin's second son, was always attending the negotiations. And Erchirion, a young man in his early twenties, impressive warrior like his father Imrahil, seemed to have decided that Valerie would be a great addition to his already remarkable list of lovers. The fact that Valerie was already married did not seem to bother him, on the contrary. Valerie had not dared complain to his mother or father about his unwelcome attempts at seducing her, thinking that she was old enough to deal with the young man.
OoOoO
Valimar, Capital of Valinor, Castle of Lord Tulkas, Champion of the Valar
The Valar were gathered in Tulkas' castle in Valimar, where the Champion of the Valar had organized an urgent meeting to discuss the impasse they had reached in the progress of the prophecy.
A few hours before, Valerie, the young mate of Prince Legolas of Greenwood, had declared publicly that she would not have any more children. This was formalizing the informal desire of the couple not to sire any more elflings.
"I am very disappointed by the choice you made when you selected a woman to become the naneth of the reborn elves," Ulmo, King the Sea, said to the queens of the Valar. "We trusted that you could find a woman who would accept to bear five additional children, and obviously, this is not the case."
"I have three elves in my Halls, awaiting their rebirth with patience. But it is my own patience that is failing," Namo, Doomsman of the Valar, reminded his peers. "We cannot simply tell them that they will remain in my Halls in Mandos for a longer period of time than expected."
"The births of Ereinion Gil-galad and Oropher were not enough to complete the alliances in Middle Earth," Oromë the Huntsman added. "We need these three next elflings to be born."
"But she refuses..." his wife Vana the Ever-young told him. "She already had five children, and she just adopted another one -"
"This human child means nothing to the prophecy or to the future of Middle Earth. He will be a distraction that Greenwood does not need," Tulkas thundered.
"Valerie suffered greatly during the birth of the first two elflings," Nienna, Lady of Pity and Mourning reminded them all. "I hope you remember how much pain I had to bear during that terrible night, between her pain and the despair of Prince Legolas, half-crazed when he thought he was losing her!"
"Sister, I know perfectly well that I almost welcomed her in my Halls," Namo replied with empathy. His sister Nienna was feeling the sadness and emotional pain of all the elves living in both Middle Earth and Valinor, and this bitter responsibility was sometimes taking a great toll on her. "But this was five years past. Mairon is about to rise again as Sauron in Middle Earth. He is actively looking for the one ring he has forged that will give him dominion on the entire territory in the East. We cannot let Middle Earth fall, we cannot accept that many elves will come to my Halls because of this destruction."
"You must find a way. There is very little time left," Oromë continued.
On these last words, the Lords of the Valar left the chamber, leaving behind the Valier, their queens and sisters in some cases. The goddesses sat in a circle, some holding hands, all worried about the woman they all loved dearly from afar. Valerie had been their choice millennia ago, when they had looked for a woman who would have the required personality to bring drastic changes in Middle Earth, an elleth who would dare to travel, dare to question the elven and human traditions, and who would welcome the arrival of an important number of children as a blessing. They had not found such an elleth in Middle Earth nor in Valinor. They had expanded their searches to the mortals living in Middle Earth, but without success. They had had to look elsewhere, in a different world, more modern and free, to find what they had been searching for. They had seen in the distant future of that different world an exceptional woman, one that could change the destiny of Middle Earth. A woman who would have children by herself, that would have the competencies to rule a realm, a woman that would be so unhappy about her world and life that she would consider leaving it behind and bring her children with her in Middle Earth, following an ellon out of pure love.
Two ellyn could be great mates for Valerie, but only one would be chosen. The Valier had not made that choice themselves, allowing the elves of Middle Earth to interpret the prophecy and choose themselves who would mate with this outstanding human. Prince Legolas had gone to her world out of politics, and had come back to Greenwood bewitched by his new mate, happy adoptive father of three beautiful children and already sire of two unborn elves. But the births of the two elflings had been horrific, and now their chosen woman refused to complete the prophecy.
"We let her down five years ago," Estë, Healer of hurts and weariness said to the other Valier. "We are to blame for her misfortune."
"We allowed her sister to come to Middle Earth to help her. We have also shown her possible death to Galadriel in her mirror, allowing the Lady of Light and Mithrandir to arrive on time to save her. We have not completely let her down," Yavanna the Fruit-giver remarked guiltily. It had been barely enough to save Valerie's life, and they all knew they could have made the birth easier. The complications had far exceeded their expectations.
"Let us not contemplate our mistakes from the past, but let us concentrate on the task at hand." Vairë the Weaver was living in her husband's Halls in Mandos, and had been in contact with the fëar of the fallen elves for millennia. She had spent time with the future reborn elves that were still waiting for Valerie and Legolas to have more children, and knew how important it was for these ellyn to be reborn. "Valerie and Legolas are determined not to have children, and we need to get around their decision."
"You want them to have children against their will?" Vana the Ever-young asked in disbelief.
"Only pain and despair can result from this," Nienna, Lady of Pity and Mourning predicted darkly.
"Not if we ensure that the pregnancies and births are uncomplicated and almost pain free," Estë, Healer of hurts and weariness replied, agreeing with Vairë.
"The matter remains that we have very little time left for three elflings to be conceived and born."
"There is a solution for that also. Here is what we can do..." The Valier listened carefully while Vairë was exposing her plan.
The Valar will not let Valerie and Legolas stop the prophecy after only two elflings...
In the next chapter, Valerie will face a difficult and unexpected challenge, and she will visit Minas Tirith and the Steward of Gondor and his sons...
I would like to thank Glory Bee – who gave me my 400th review!
Glory Bee, faye50free, Abbyforth, Peridot Eyez: you all expressed your doubts that the Valar would let them get away with not finishing the prophecy. What do you think will happen now?
Angel: the order of the heirs to the throne will be described in a few chapters, when clarifications are required due to Hadrian's arrival in their lives.
I would also like to thank Jubes-zcg, Natasya Ivashnov, Elladan's fan, Legolas fan, Ginebra, sam and kselzer for their reviews – it was great to hear from you!
Paperlanterns86: I will try to keep the weekly update schedule, but cannot promise anything!
Airbender 42: Valerie is traveling, so there won't be Valerie-Legolas moments soon, but I will make sure to have plenty when she returns!
Aureleis: I hope your stage production week went well!