Chapter 23 ended with:

"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.

Chapter 24 - Temptation

Dol Amroth, Middle Earth

A servant had told Valerie that Lady Gilrin wished to speak to her in a private chamber after she had put her children in bed. After having read a bedtime story to Oropher, Gil-galad and Hadrian, and kissed goodnight Liam, who was reading a book on Dol Amroth's history, Valerie went in the direction of the room she had not visited before, wondering why Gilrin wanted to see her in private.

She knocked, and as soon as the door opened, a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the dark room. She shrieked but no one heard her in the area, since her captor closed the door swiftly behind them.

"Do not scream, Lady Valerie, there is nothing to be afraid of."

She immediately recognized the sensual voice of Erchirion, Gilrin's second son. His tall and muscular form was towering over her, his other hand pushing against the door to trap Valerie in the room with him.

She moved further away in the room, freeing her wrist in the movement. How could she have fallen for such an obvious ruse? To be ambushed by a man who was wearing diapers yesterday!

"Where is your mother, Erchirion?" she asked, hoping that reminding him of his mother might bring some senses into his head.

"In her bedroom, I suppose," he nonchalantly replied.

"Then why am I here?"

"You know why you are here, Valerie," he purred her name. He slowly walked in her direction and she took a few steps back.

She had to admit to herself that her retreat was not because she was afraid of him, but because she was afraid of herself. She missed Legolas dreadfully, missed his companionship and his touch. His touch on her skin... His hands in her hair, holding her hand while he passionately kissed her... Her body was craving attention, hungering for the exquisite pleasure that Legolas was giving her so skillfully...

Erchirion was gorgeous and cocky, sure of himself and of his power on the young women he was easily seducing... The challenge that Valerie represented was adding fuel to his desire. Even in the semi-darkness, she could see his dilated pupils and hungry expression.

"Stay where you are, Erchirion! I am married and do not appreciate your attentions."

"Are you afraid of me? You should not be."

"Why me? Why not find a young woman of Dol Amroth?"

"I have been with plenty of young women. Now, I want a taste of elven womanhood. You are a rarity, Valerie, a rarity I want to taste... We can enjoy the rest of your stay in many ways, safely I might add, since my father told me once that elven ladies do not get pregnant unless they want it..."

"You want me because I cannot get pregnant?" she asked, disbelieving and strangely insulted by the notion.

"I want you because you are magnificent, both elegant and audacious. Your hair looks like it is on fire under the sun, your skin is soft and luminous... I am attracted to your pointy ears, they are less pointy than Lady Arwen's."

Valerie suddenly realized that while she had been listening, fascinated by his words and compliments, he had come closer, much closer, and lifted a hand to delicately caress her sensitive ear. She flushed immediately, the caress sending a wave of desire in her entire body.

OoOoO

Greenwood

Legolas woke suddenly, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He had received a powerful wave of emotions from Valerie, an unbelievable feat considering the great distance currently separating them. In fact, it was unheard of. He had never felt her emotions from far away before, even when he was in the forest while she was at the fortress.

He started to analyze the emotions he had felt from his mate. Surprise... panic... desire... Desire? He moved from the flet where he had been sleeping, seeking loneliness while he had to digest the worry caused by what he had just felt.

He ran through the trees, the exercise keeping his wandering mind busy instead of imagining what was happening to Valerie in Dol Amroth. He stopped after long minutes and leaned his body against a tree. He breathed deeply, trying to regain his cool and open his mind to see if he could still perceive Valerie's emotions. Concentrating on his bond, he started feeling fugitive, unnamed emotions...

"Valar, please, Valerie, let me feel what is happening to you!" he prayed out loud. He simply could not believe that she was with another man or elf... It was not possible, not with the strength of their bond!

He concentrated some more, channeling her emotions better now that he had decided that he would not be suspicious of his beloved wife's whereabouts.

Relief, immense relief... Guilt... Self-loathing... Sadness... She was missing someone... Valerie was missing him... longing for him... Crying to be with her mate...

There had been temptation, but Valerie had resisted. She needed to come home, come back to him, so they could be together again... He sent her all his love, hoping that she could feel it, silently asking her to come home to him...

OoOoO

Dol Amroth

Brethilon entered the room he was sharing with Brannor, relieved that he could sleep a few hours while his son was guarding the princess. He started removing his tunic, lost in his thoughts, until he realized that Brannor was sleeping soundly in his own bed.

"Brannor!" he thundered, shaking his son violently. "Where is the princess?"

Brannor was immediately awake and alert. "She was going to spend the evening with Lady Gilrin... I thought... guarding her was not necessary since the lord of Dol Amroth was going to be with them."

"I cannot believe this!" Brethilon bellowed. "You left her alone!"

"I told you, she is not alone."

"Of course she is not! If she is even with Lady Gilrin! Was that scoundrel boy attending the evening?"

"Which boy?"

"Are you absolutely clueless? Did you not notice how Prince Erchirion is constantly staring at her, inappropriately addressing her and annoying her with his undesired attentions?"

Brannor stared at his father, shock rendering him speechless.

"You have much to learn if you want to guard her! Get dressed!" Brethilon commanded. "We must find her now!"

The two ellyn decided to go see Lady Arwen, hoping that Valerie was with her. But when they knocked at her door, the elleth had been quietly reading in bed, oblivious to the disappearance of her friend.

"Lady Arwen, we need your help. The princess could be... in danger." Brethilon asked.

"What kind of danger?"

"Prince Erchirion... he has an inappropriate interest in her. We need you to search for her in the private aisle of the family. Only you can get us there."

Arwen quickly put on a dressing gown and led them to the private aisle where the family lived. They had entered a few rooms, finding them all empty, when they suddenly heard the noise of a door violently closing in a different hallway. The door reopened and they heard a male voice calling after Valerie. They swiftly walked in the direction of the commotion, and stopped when they saw Prince Erchirion trying to hold Valerie, who looked wild and distressed while she tried to escape.

"Valerie!" Arwen called, and immediately, Erchirion let her go and left the hallway without looking back. Valerie stared at Arwen and her bodyguards, and suddenly bolted in the other direction, like a wild animal escaping a predator. It took the three elves a few moments to realize that Valerie had been afraid of Erchirion, but of them also. Why would she be scared of them? What had happened in that room?

"She will try to leave the fortress. That is what she does when she is scared or ashamed... Remember when she threatened your brother with an arrow?" Brethilon asked Arwen.

"Yes. She had left and you had followed her. You were able to reason with her."

"Yes. We need to find her before she leaves."

They ran in the hallway Valerie had taken and they eventually found her in the stables, where she was trying to saddle her stallion with shaking hands.

"Valerie," Arwen softly called, afraid to scare Valerie. She didn't want her friend to escape again.

"Leave me alone," Valerie whispered, not even turning to watch them.

"Brannor, you can go back to bed," Brethilon said.

"But..."

"Your presence is no longer required. Thank you for your help," Brethilon coldly commanded.

Seeing that his father was not going to change his mind, Brannor looked at Valerie one last time before leaving the stables, feeling guilty for his intolerable negligence.

"Valerie, what happened?" Arwen insisted softly.

Valerie stopped her unsuccessful attempts at saddling her horse, and dropped to her knees, hiding her face behind her trembling hands.

"I am a terrible person," she cried.

In an instant, Arwen was kneeling beside her while Brethilon sat on Valerie's other side.

"What happened?" he asked, pulling her head against his shoulder.

"Erchirion..."

"What did he do?"

"What did he do... You might want to ask what I let him do..." Valerie now sobbed violently against his neck.

"Tell us what happened from the beginning," Arwen insisted, caressing Valerie's hair. She was surprised to see Valerie's guard comforting her in that way, but Valerie seemed to appreciate the gesture.

"He has been harassing me... since the first day he saw me. He wants me! He never leaves me alone!"

"I never noticed!" Arwen mumbled desolately.

"I did!" Brethilon added darkly.

"I... He... he touched my ear..."

Brethilon gritted his teeth. Touching an elf's ear was a deeply sexual gesture. Did the mortal prince know this and touch the princess' ear on purpose?

"He caressed my ear… and I liked it..." Valerie continued, unable to stop now that she had started. "I was tempted... And this is why I am a horrible elleth! A horrible wife!"

"But you stopped him?" Arwen asked delicately. To what extent Erchirion's seduction had been successful?

"Yes! Yes! I stopped him! He tried to kiss me, but his lips felt wrong, so wrong on mine! I wanted to be kissed, but not by Erchirion, I wanted to be with Legolas!"

"Then all is well, Valerie," Arwen concluded.

"Legolas told me that true elven mates are never tempted by another elf than their mate. They do not have any desire for anyone else! Valar, he never threw a glance in Amareth's direction after he bound himself to me! And how do I repay him? I let another man kiss me, caress my ear!"

"Your slip... might have been caused by your human side," Brethilon attempted to explain. "You know your emotions are difficult to control. Desire... is a strong thing, and you have not seen your mate for more than two months now..."

"I never felt like this before!"

"In Greenwood, no one tried to seduce you because you are a bound elleth. And Prince Legolas always made sure that your desires were... fulfilled," he bluntly continued. "You had no opportunity to see if you could be subject to desire outside of your bond. It seems to be the case."

"I am unfit to be married to Legolas!" Valerie cried. "I do not deserve him! He deserves a true elleth, not a half-elven woman subject to the desires and temptations of human kind!"

"Valerie, you stopped Erchirion. You stopped him the moment he put his lips on yours," Arwen insisted. "You were able to control your desire, control your need and you remained faithful to your mate."

"He should never have approached you," Brethilon continued. "You are so young, bound for merely six years..."

"I am 36 years old!"

Arwen started to laugh softly, caressing Valerie's cheek. "You are so young, my dear friend! Had you been born an elf, you would not even be an adult!"

"Should we go back?" Brethilon asked his princess.

"Yes. I want to go home."

"I meant go back to your room."

"I want to go home! I want to see Legolas. I need to be with him! I can feel him calling me to him!" she said, putting her hand over her heart.

"I guess we could leave earlier than we had planned," Arwen declared.

"Tomorrow?" Valerie asked with a small, hopeful voice.

"We would insult Prince Imrahil and Lady Gilrin by leaving in such a hurry without a decent explanation," Arwen told her friend. "We were supposed to leave in a month and go spend a few days in Minas Tirith."

"We can still do that, but leave in a week to go to Minas Tirith. You could tell Lady Gilrin that the children are missing their home too much," Brethilon suggested.

"I do not want to see Erchirion again," Valerie whispered. "I do not want to be with him during our journey to Minas Tirith. I do not ever want to see his face again!"

"I cannot guarantee that. But I will remain with you at all times," Brethilon vowed. "He will never be alone with you again."

"And I will find a way to convince Gilrin to leave him behind when we go to Minas Tirith," Arwen promised. "Now, let us put you to bed. You need to act like a princess tomorrow, like nothing happened. You need to remain proud. You did nothing wrong," she insisted with a hard voice, trying to convince Valerie that her guilt was unjustified.

Brethilon helped Valerie to stand, and Arwen and Brethilon each took one of Valerie's arms and guided her back to her room. Brethilon let Arwen take care of Valerie while he stood at her door, guarding her. His blood boiled when Erchirion had the nerve to walk in the hallway where Valerie was residing, but no one could have read his anger in his neutral expression.

"Is Princess Valerie unwell?" the prince asked to Valerie's bodyguard.

Brethilon looked at him with a smile. "Princess Valerie is in good health, thank you for asking. She is spending a quiet evening with Lady Arwen. Both ladies were in a pleasant mood the last time I checked. Why would you think that my lady is unwell?"

Erchirion stared at Brethilon, before turning around and leaving the area without a look back.

"Coward!" Brethilon groaned. How he would have liked to tell the child his opinion on his behavior!

OoOoO

Gilrin was working on a tapestry representing the wedding of Imrazor, the first Prince of Belfalas, and Mithrellas the elven maiden he had found in the woods of Belfalas. She had given him two children before disappearing mysteriously. The princes of Dol Amroth were proud of their elvish heritage, and Gilrin had been working on this immense tapestry for almost seven years. Arwen was helping that morning, working on a corner of the sky while Gilrin was working on Mithrellas' gown.

Valerie admired their talent and dedication to this work of art, but had no plan to help, sure she would die of boredom before she had had time to complete a flower in the bride's bouquet. Valerie had slept soundly the night before, with the help of a sleeping draught Arwen had put in her water. She had awoken that morning rested, more in control of her emotions and determined not to face Erchirion again to ensure she would not lose her composure once more. Keeping up appearances was going to be key if she wanted to leave Dol Amroth without anyone suspecting that she had discovered she was subject to temptation outside of her bond like any other human. That fact had to remain a secret, and she trusted that Brethilon and Arwen would rather die than let anyone know about her struggle.

Arwen discreetly looked at Valerie, noticing her worried expression and nervousness. The princess was unconsciously wringing her hands together, throwing furtive looks at the door every now and then, obviously worried that someone would enter the room and interrupt their quiet morning. Valerie would not last more than a few days at that rate. They needed to be on their way to Minas Tirith as soon as politeness allowed.

"I miss my father and brothers," Arwen quietly sighed, stopping her work, her needle in the air. Gilrin stopped working on the tapestry too, concerned for her friend. "I have not seen them in many years... Did you know that I was about to go back home when Valerie asked me to make the journey here with her?" Arwen sighed again and Valerie stared at her, surprised that her friend would not have told her this before.

Valerie was about to protest that she only had had to go back to Imladris instead of accepting her invitation when she heard Arwen practically scream in her head: Act like you are concerned, silly elleth! Gilrin believes me! It will be your fault if my plan fails!

"Oh Arwen, I knew you were close to your father, but I had no idea that you were missing your brothers also! You rarely mention them in your letters..." Gilrin started.

"Lord Elladan and Lord Elrohir are very caring brothers," Valerie said, exaggerating the closeness between the brothers and Arwen. The lords were spending too much time wandering in Middle Earth killing orcs to spend time home with Arwen, which is why she spent years at a time in Lothlorien. She was much closer to her grandparents Galadriel and Celeborn than to her brothers.

"Maybe we should go to Minas Tirith sooner, so you can go home earlier than we originally had planned? I will miss you dearly, my friends, but if Arwen is missing her family… Would you mind it much, Valerie?" Gilrin proposed.

"Of course not!" Valerie replied, barely able to hide the relief in her voice. "It would only take a few days to prepare the journey back home. I can speak to Bret and he will make sure that our warriors are ready in three days, if that is agreeable to you."

Gilrin was thinking that it was a bit rushed, but if Valerie was willing to sacrifice her holidays for Arwen, she could do no less. Valerie nodded in Arwen's direction, letting the elleth know that her plan had worked.

"I will ask Erchirion to get our escort ready," Gilrin said, unaware of the distress she was causing Valerie with this simple sentence. Arwen knew it was the worst scenario possible. How could they convince Gilrin to leave her second son in Dol Amroth?

Valerie could read all the possible arguments being swiftly but carefully analyzed in Arwen's mind. All of them were implying that Erchirion did not get along with a member of Valerie's family and guards. It would do no good to anyone to use a false pretense, which would tarnish someone's reputation while she was the one who didn't want Erchirion anywhere near her. She took a deep breath, ready to take the blame for this fiasco.

"Gilrin, I would really appreciate if you would consider choosing someone else to lead the Swan Knights as we journey to Minas Tirith," Valerie said, her voice relatively stable.

"Why would you…?" Gilrin asked, frowning. "Oh! Did he…? Oh!" These mumbled words were proving to the ellith that the princess of Dol Amroth knew her son well. Very well indeed.

Valerie just stared at her, hoping that Gilrin would not ask embarrassing questions. Arwen was looking at them both, wishing that she could read minds like Valerie.

"Valerie," Gilrin said firmly, "I am sure you do not wish to share with me the shameful conduct of my son. Thank you for sparing my heart the ache of knowing the details of how he disrespected you and your bond with the prince of Greenwood. Please accept our deepest apologies on behalf of my husband too. I would understand if you would want to… cut the bridges between our realms…"

"Thank you, Gilrin," Valerie replied, her voice trembling this time. "I must admit that I am quite shaken, but I do not wish matters to go any further. I would appreciate if you could never mention this conversation to Prince Imrahil or Erichirion himself. I want to put this behind me and go back home. You are a true friend, Gilrin, and I do not wish to lose your friendship over this. Let us not talk about burning the bridges between us ever again!"

"Thank you," Gilrin murmured. She remained silent a few moments before she looked at Arwen with a sarcastic grin. "And you! How could you lie to me in such a shameful manner? Missing your brothers! I would never have believed this lie in a thousand years!"

OoOoO

The city was absolutely amazing! Valerie had seen it quickly on her way to Dol Amroth, but her guards had not allowed her to come closer. But now that she was near the gate, with the midday sun enlightening the white walls and tower of Minas Tirith, she realized that the city deserved the name of White City. She could count seven levels, each surrounded by walls with one gate. On the last level was the citadel of Minas Tirith, with a high tower raising high in the sky.

"It is the White Tower of Ecthelion," Arwen murmured, seeing that Valerie was observing the tower. "This would be Aragorn's capital, if he ever claimed the throne of Gondor."

"I would claim it immediately if it could be mine! And to think you could be queen here!" Valerie replied with a wink. Arwen blushed violently. "I cannot wait to meet the man who can make you blush just by the mentioning of his name!"

"What do you think of Minas Tirith?" Gilrin asked as she arrived behind them.

"It is beautiful," Valerie replied. "It really is one of the greatest achievements of mortals in terms of architecture. Now I know why you are calling Rohan a primitive kingdom!"

"Of course, nothing compares to Minas Tirith," Gilrin said proudly. "Now, do you want to see the city from the inside, or will you stay here until the end of time?"

"I am surprised that the Steward is not sending guards to meet with us."

"My brother's guards doubtlessly recognized my Swan knights," Gilrin replied. "I come to visit my nephews twice a year since Finduilas' passing." Imrahil's sister, who had married Gilrin's brother Denethor II, Steward of Gondor, had passed away when Faramir had been five. The Steward had grown cold and passionless, concentrating all his remaining affection on his eldest child, Boromir, and favoring him in his every decision. Gilrin was spending time with her nephews, ensuring that Faramir was not neglected, and giving him all the attention that he lacked from his father.

"Nana, will there be food in this city?" Oropher asked her, his little stomach rumbling.

"Yes, there will be food… and water for a good bath!" Valerie replied, kissing his little head.

Gil-galad, who was sitting in front of Arwen, groaned with Oropher. Both of them hated taking a bath in a small bathtub, much preferring to play in the sea like they did in Belfalas.

"I want to take a bath," Hadrian quietly replied. "I will bathe with you if you want," he offered his new little brothers.

"Can we bring our toys in the water?" Gil-galad asked him, suddenly interested. Gilrin had given them little toys that floated in the sea, and they had begged her to let them bring them back to Greenwood, which she had authorized gladly, having no more children in her family.

Hadrian looked at Valerie, who nodded in acquiescence. "Yes, you can bring your toys to bathe with me," the child replied.

"Now that this very important matter is settled," Gilrin added, "can we please go ahead? I must admit I am quite hungry too, and cannot wait another minute before seeing Faramir!"

They made their way to the great gate, where the guards welcomed warmly the princess of Dol Amroth, but eyed suspiciously the group of elves that were with her. Gilrin assured them that the elves were only visiting for a few days, and they were all granted passage. She led them from one level to the next, pointing out the important passageways and shops, and introducing them to the people she recognized. Valerie could hardly ignore the commotion their presence was causing. If the stares had not told her that these people were weary of the elves, their thoughts definitely did. They were about to pass the fourth gate when they were stopped by a young soldier who was smiling to Gilrin.

"Aunt Gilrin! Welcome! I had no idea you were planning to visit us so early in the season!" He gave her a tender kiss on both cheeks, before turning to the people who were with his aunt. He kept his arm around her, and it was obvious that the young man, who was in his early twenties, was very fond of his aunt. His openness and joviality identified him as Faramir, the youngest nephew. Valerie remembered that Boromir, as per Gilrin, was more suspicious of strangers and cold when not within his family circle.

"Faramir, this is Lady Valerie, Princess of Mirk- Greenwood," Gilrin said, correcting her mistake at the last moment. Valerie nodded to greet him, while her friend was telling her nephew that she was the mate of Prince Legolas. Gilrin then introduced Arwen, and Faramir smiled to her frankly, even taking her hand with a familiarity that took Elrond's daughter by surprise.

"Your brothers Elladan and Elrohir told me so much about you!"

"You know my brothers?"

"They have traveled here with Gandalf many times in the past 15 years. They mentioned many times how they missed their little sister. I must admit, I had expected you to be a youngling, but I see that I was misled by the tender regard of older brothers for their younger, but eternal sibling!" He kissed her hand respectfully and then turned to Valerie again.

"I have heard about you also, my Lady," Faramir said. "Gandalf has many times told me of Prince Legolas' superior archery skills, calling him the greatest archer living in Middle Earth. And when he visited us a few years back, he told me that the prince had bound with a half-elven lady of great importance, who was going to give birth to former elven kings. Is this them?" he asked curiously, observing Liam, Hadrian, Gil-galad and Oropher. He frowned, recognizing that Liam and Hadrian could not be pure elves.

"This is my oldest son, Liam, who is half-elven as I am," Valerie presented. "This is Hadrian, my adoptive son, and these two sweetlings are Ereinion Gil-galad and Oropher," she said, pushing in front of her the two elflings who were holding her hands.

Faramir looked at them in awe. "These are the High King of the Noldor and the King of Greenwood? The two rivals who died during the battle of Dagorlad?"

"You know your history well," Valerie complimented him, "but we try not to mention… past history in front of innocent ears." She was delicately asking him not to mention their past in front of them, since they had no idea who they truly were, and would not know before a few more decades.

"I understand," he said apologetically. "Please, follow me, I am sure my father will be pleased to finally meet you."

Gilrin snorted in an unladylike manner and Valerie wondered what kind of reception they would get. When she crossed eyes with Arwen, she knew the elleth was thinking the same thing without reading her mind.

"What kind of accommodations will your escort require?" Faramir asked.

"The usual," Gilrin said. "I will send my soldiers to the inns on the second and third levels if you can assure my protection," she told her nephew with a smile.

"Of course, although I would like you to finally understand that you are in no danger within these walls! Minas Tirith and its men are invincible!" he said with confidence.

Brethilon eyed him with condescension and Valerie cleared her throat to get his attention before Faramir noticed his skepticism. After all, Brethilon had seen the War of the Last Alliance, and he knew that should Sauron rise again, Minas Tirith, like every other realm, had little chance of making it unscathed.

Brethilon looked at her. Should I send our warriors to the same inns? he silently asked her.

"Yes," she told him out loud.

Faramir watched her, wondering if he had missed a question between the two.

"I cannot get used to this," Gilrin sighed, but remained silent on the matter to give some privacy to Valerie. She knew Denethor would immediately dismiss Valerie should he be made aware of her mind-reading capability.

"I hope you do not mind if my two personal guards remain with me in the citadel?" Valerie asked, although it was quite clear that it was a statement and not a request.

Faramir watched the impressive elven warriors who were standing beside the princess, their expression determined and challenging. It was clear that these elves would fight before being separated from their lady.

"Of course not," he said cautiously, wondering what his father and brother would make out of this.

Immediately, one of the elves started giving orders to the elven warriors who bowed to their princess and went back to the lower levels. Faramir had recognized Sindarin, the melodious language that Gandalf had taught him when he was younger. He was out of practice, but still understood a few words.

The group kept climbing the streets of Minas Tirith until they reached the citadel on the last level. Once they got there, Valerie saw a tree that looked dead, being guarded by four soldiers. She only had to lift an eyebrow and Gilrin sadly informed her that the White Tree of Gondor had died more than a century before, and that only the return of the king of Gondor would see it blossoming again.

Faramir lead them to the citadel and introduced them in the Throne Room, where a throne was on a high dais, with a smaller chair at its bottom. A man was sitting in the chair, holding court with councilors standing in front of him. They all stopped talking when their group entered the hall.

The Steward stood, recognizing his sister, the princess of Dol Amroth.

"Gilrin, to what do I owe this… unexpected pleasure?"

"I am coming to visit Faramir and Boromir, as I usually do twice a year. Or have you forgotten that you have family in Dol Amroth?" They gave each other an indifferent kiss, and Gilrin went to a young man in his mid-twenties, who gave her a somewhat warm smile, seeming to hesitate between giving her a hug and being formal with her in front of the councilors.

"And who are these two charming ladies?" Denethor asked his son.

"Father, let me introduce you to Princess Valerie, wife of Prince Legolas of Greenwood, and Lady Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond of Rivendell," Faramir said to his father.

"It is a pleasure to welcome you in my city," Denethor told Valerie and Arwen politely.

He kissed Valerie's hand, then Arwen's, before taking a few steps back to observe them.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, my Lord," Arwen told him, and as she amicably spoke to Denethor, Valerie noticed that he was not following Arwen's conversation.

What are these ellith doing in my kingdom? Is Lord Elrond trying to meddle in the affairs of Gondor? I have heard rumors that he is very close to a Dunedain Ranger. Does he think he has found the heir of Gondor? Gondor is mine, and mine to keep, and Boromir will rule after me!

"Your city is absolutely beautiful," Valerie told him.

"I am glad that it pleases you," Denethor replied.

It must be wonderful to the eyes of a so-called princess living in caves in the middle of woods infested with spiders and orcs! She acts like a princess enough, and so is Elrond's daughter. They carry themselves like I should bow to them while I am the head of the greatest realm of Middle Earth. One day, sooner than they think, I will declare myself King of Gondor, and no one will be able to stop me!

Valerie's self-control was put to test. She was absolutely outraged by what she could read in the Steward's mind. This man was absolutely despicable. She understood why Glorfindel had decided to follow the warriors instead of spending time with the man.

"Lady Valerie, it is a pleasure to meet you," his older son Boromir told her when Gilrin was finally done greeting him. Valerie knew that this was Denethor's favorite son and wondered if he was of the same mind.

"Gilrin has been telling much about her nephews, and insisted that we accompany her during her visit. I must admit, I do not regret making the journey."

"And which ones of these younglings are yours?" he asked Valerie, thinking that these were too many children for one woman who looked so young.

"I do not have elflings of my own since I am not bounded yet," Arwen replied. "These elflings all are princes of Greenwood."

"Even the one who is obviously not an elf?" Denethor asked in a pleasant enough voice, but with barely disguised sarcasm.

"Hadrian is my adopted son," Valerie replied firmly. "And these are Liam, Oropher and Ereinion Gil-galad."

Father, please behave! Faramir was silently praying.

I wonder if Elrond's daughter has lovers, and if she does, does she take lovers amongst Men? Boromir's train of thoughts was of a different kind. I am sure I could get her into my bed, and show her what a son of Gondor can do as compared to these slender elves.

So these are some of the reborn kings Faramir has been pestering me about. Gandalf the Grey was not lying. Why is she bringing these reborn kings to Gondor? What is she trying to gain? Is she a threat to Gondor, to my authority? Denethor was definitely not on Valerie's list of favorite people.

Unused as she was to such disturbing thoughts and with the addition of the curiosity of all the councilors still in the room, Valerie felt a headache quickly developing. It had been years that she had not suffered from a headache because of the thoughts of the people around her.

The minds of the mortals were much easier to read than elvish minds, and when they were curious, they were sending their thoughts to Valerie who did not have to make the smallest effort to read them.

Sensing her anxiety, Brethilon cleared his throat to get Arwen's attention, and Elrond's daughter immediately realized the source of Valerie's discomfort.

"We are weary from the travel," Arwen told Denethor. "I hope you can excuse us, but we would like to retire."

"I will share the guest apartments with them, Denethor," Gilrin told her brother, "do not trouble yourself with us, Faramir will take good care of us."

"Yes, you can always count on Faramir for such trivial matters. I wish I could count on him when it comes to protecting this city. He has none of his brother's gifts for the arts of war."

"Father!" Boromir chided while Faramir noticeably blanched.

"Come, Faramir," Gilrin said, taking his arm to lead him out of the room, "let us go to my quarters, you can tell me all that happened in the past few months."

The group followed them, Valerie being led by Liam while Arwen was making sure that the children followed. They soon made it to the guests quarters that had been hastily prepared, and Liam helped Valerie to lie down on her bed.

"How is the migraine?" Arwen asked.

"Not the worst one I had, but very unpleasant. Can you please close the curtains?"

"I will," Arwen said while everyone watched Valerie with worry.

"What is going on?" Gilrin asked.

"The princess is prone to headaches because of her… ability," Brethilon replied. "Brannor, please guard the door, I will relieve you from duty by nightfall."

Brannor left the room and stayed at the door, receiving the incredulous stares of the servants who were wondering why the visitors were not trusting the security provided by their guards. He ignored the stares, just hoping that the princess would not suffer for too long.

Inside the apartment, Gilrin was questioning how come Valerie had never told her about the migraines caused by her mind-reading ability.

"I never told you because I thought I was in control. I have not had a migraine in the past two years."

Arwen offered Valerie some water and put a wet towel on her forehead, covering her eyes by the same token.

"Try to sleep, we will take care of your children," Gilrin promised.

Valerie fell asleep almost immediately, unaware that Arwen had put a sleeping draught in her water. She knew that sleep was the best remedy to Valerie's migraines.

Valerie was fully recovered by the next morning, and she spent the following week visiting every corner of the city, fascinated by the architecture and the customs of the Gondorians. People slowly got used to see this elvish princess walking around with her children surrounding her.

She spent a lot of time with Faramir, who confided that he was fascinated by the elves, and that Gandalf had been his principal source of information on them. His father was calling him condescendingly the wizard's pupil because of the time he spent with him when he spent a few days in Minas Tirith. Faramir was defying his father's orders, feeling he had much to learn about the world instead of embracing a military career like his brother, who was a great captain but had limited culture and knowledge.

"I would like to spend some time in an elven realm one day. Imagine the amount of knowledge contained in their books! Do you have an interesting library in Greenwood, Lady Valerie?"

"We do, but I must admit that it is not as complete as the one in Imladris. The Silvan elves are said to be more… primitive than their Sindarin or Noldorin kin."

"Gandalf had told me about these opinions. But he stated quite adamantly that the Silvan elves were in no way inferior, that they are just different and usually did not mix much with their kin. And you, my Lady, of which descent are you? Gandalf told me you were coming from a different world, but since you are half-elven, I assume you were born from a mortal parent and an elven parent?"

Valerie looked at him, understanding that Mithrandir had not quite told him what kind of world she had come from. Faramir was assuming it was similar to Middle Earth.

"There are no elves in my world. No orcs, no huge spiders, no wizards. Only mortals."

"How come you are half-elven then?" he asked, bewildered.

"My mate was sent to my world by Mithrandir. We fell in love… and I followed him here. When I did, my three children and I were granted the gift of immortality by the Valar."

"Gandalf had not told me that. What a wonderful destiny!"

"I believe the gods thought it would be easier for me to form alliances with all races if I were partially human and partially elven."

"It does make sense. Do you have a half-elven daughter I could court one day?" he asked, half-joking.

"In fact, I do, but I cannot allow you to court her for two reasons. One, she is about to turn eleven. Two, she already has a mate."

"How can you allow such a thing?"

"I did not mean that she is already married, but that her future mate already informed us that he has recognized the fëa-mate link between them, and my husband and I have recognized his claim."

"I am assuming it is an elf, since he felt a fëa-mate link with a young child?"

"Yes. In fact, you know him. It is Elladan Elrondion."

"Lord Elladan? Really? He did not strike me as an ellon who was ready to settle down."

"And why would you say that?"

"He was… very popular with the women here. They all loved him, and he loved many of them!"

"I do not have a hard time believing this!" Valerie snorted. "The twins have quite a reputation in the feminine elven population too! But I believe that an elf who met his fëa-mate can no longer court anyone else. That is the power of the elven bonds. It can turn a joyful bachelor into a devoted mate! This is why many of them pray the Valar to meet their mate while they are adults, since waiting decades without physical contacts can be a challenge for some!"

"Lady Arwen is not bound yet… Did she meet her mate yet? Is he a child?"

"This is not for me to tell, Faramir. This is a private matter. Why do you ask?"

"My brother Boromir cannot understand why she is resisting him. He is not used to being denied by females."

"Please tell your brother that her heart is no longer available. She will most adamantly resist all his attempts at bringing her into his bed. She finds him most troublesome."

"I will tell him, my Lady. My brother is a reasonable man. He will apologize for his behavior once he knows of a prior claim."

"Thank you. I will miss you dearly, Faramir. I am most troubled to see how your father is treating you, and I am worried about your future. Remember that you will always be a friend of the elves, I pledge this to you. Should you one day decide to make a journey to discover Middle Earth, you will be most welcome in Greenwood."

"I thank you for your most gracious invitation. It would please me greatly to visit you, although I doubt my father would allow me to make such a journey."

"I am sure Gilrin could find a way… She is quite determined when she sets her mind on a plan of action! I am sure I will see you in my realm one day!"

OoOoO

Valerie had a lot of time to think as they traveled North in the direction of Rohan. She had created a strong alliance with Faramir and she knew that he had some influence on his brother Boromir. But Boromir was his father's son, obeying all his commands and ready to execute them without even asking a single question. Denethor had been a disappointment. He had spent her entire visit telling her falsehoods about how he wanted to create alliances with the elves, while it was obvious that his mind was set on using anyone who could help him accede to the throne of Gondor. He had even asked her if she could give a letter to her king, a parchment sealed to ensure she would not read it, a simple elleth of no importance in his eyes. Little did he know that she had read the content of the letter directly in his thoughts. In a convoluted manner, he was discreetly testing if the Greenwood leader would support his taking over of the throne. But the sentences were phrased in such a manner that one could claim misinterpretation should Thranduil find his claim outrageous and alert other elven leaders.

No, she was pleased that she had spent all her energies on Faramir. She somehow felt that his importance in the future of Gondor was greatly understated by his father. He would play a great role in the war to come, and he would always be a guard of the good should his father set up his mind on evil schemes.

Saying goodbye to Gilrin had been difficult. She had appreciated the princess of Dol Amroth to no end, finding that she had so much in common with this woman of temper. When would she see her again? The war could start anytime now, or it could start in twenty years. Everyone talked about the evil rising in the east, and Valerie had been quite disturbed to see Mordor from the tower of Minas Tirith. With her half-elven eyesight, she had seen Barad-dûr, the fortress of Sauron that had been rebuilt by the orcs. She had seen the fires of Mount Doom, seen how dark clouds were constantly over the dark realm. This had been the scariest sight she had ever seen. Only Arwen, Liam and Faramir had watched Mordor with her. It was not a sight for children, and she had left her elflings with Gilrin that day. Faramir had not been able to see Mordor in as much details as them, but he had told her of the increase in the activity in Mordor. Sauron would strike in a few years, that was for sure. Would Greenwood be destroyed? It was obvious that Gondor would be the first realm to fall… In itself, that could explain how Denethor had turned mad with his plans of power…

They were two days away from Rohan and Valerie was wondering if they would stop there or not. On the one hand, Gilrin had suggested that Riders of the Mark were interesting people despite their primitiveness. On the other hand, she missed her family. She had been away from them for four months, and she still had many weeks of journey ahead of her. The children missed their father and grandsire. And Valerie still dreamed of Legolas every night…

She sighed, and it awoke the child sleeping in front of her.

"Naneth?" Hadrian asked with a sleepy voice. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, I am simply weary. I wish we were home already."

"I am afraid to go home," he whispered only for her to hear.

"Why?"

"I am afraid of the welcome I will get."

"Why? Everyone will be happy to see you!"

"Are you sure?" he asked, turning his head to meet her eyes. "I had the impression that the king does not like me much."

Hadrian might be a child, but he was a perceptive one. "I will not lie to you and say that it will always be easy, Hadrian. But the king is a very kind man behind his coldness. Did I ever tell you how we did not get along when I arrived in Greenwood as Legolas' bride?"

"No!"

"Well, he did not like me. We fought like elflings when Legolas was not around. It was a difficult time for me."

"What happened then? I still see you fight together, but I can see that you both like each other, even when you fight."

"I almost died… We realized how silly we had been and made peace. We allowed our feelings to develop, and now, I am his favorite daughter-in-law!"

"You are his only one," the child huffed, but giving her a small smile nevertheless. "I hope I will not have to be close to death for him to start liking me…"

"But it would help if you learned of the elven ways as fast as possible. Your Sindarin has greatly improved since we left. We almost never speak to you in Westron anymore. Thranduil will greatly appreciate that."

She kissed his head tenderly. Hadrian was making huge efforts to adapt to his new life, and everyone in their escort liked him very much. He was a resourceful and determined child, and he had set his mind on becoming part of the family. And he had succeeded with Liam, Oropher and Gil-galad. But the biggest challenges remained ahead of him: Thranduil, Legolas, Phoebe and Sean, in that order.

"Go back to sleep," she told him. She held him close and let her stallion's quiet trot lull her into a trance while Hadrian leaned against her chest. She was caught between daydreams and reverie, thinking of Legolas again, and her thoughts were pleasant enough that she contemplated them with all her attention.

Her lack of attention proved to be a mistake. For one of her stallion's legs entered a deep rabbit hole and the horse lost his footing. The horse recovered immediately but both riders awoke with a start. Hadrian lost his seat and started to slide, quickly falling from the horse while Valerie tried to grab him by his leg before he hit the ground. Her movement was so sudden, violent and desperate, that she slid down after him, still holding his ankle. When she heavily fell on top of him, she heard a defeating crack followed by his wail of agony.

In the next chapter, Valerie visits Rohan and finally gets to Lothlorien. How will Haldir react to her presence? Will she be successful at creating the necessary alliances between Men and Elves to ensure their unity in front of Sauron?

I would like to thank Abbyforth, gginsc, Natasya Ivashkov, Amythra and Airbender42 for their reviews.

Angel: let me reassure you, Brannor will not die in this story!

Hannahhobnob: Hadrian is not actually part of the prophecy, the Valar didn't expect Valerie to adopt him.

Paperlanterns86: you will not have to wait too long before you see how the Valar will ensure the prophecy will take place...

Glory Bee: I am sure you didn't like Erchirion in this chapter too! And I am planning to show the meeting of Lothiriel and Eomer after the war. It will be in a few more chapters.

Glassary: Showing the Valar during their discussions allows to give a different perspective on the events instead of always seeing Valerie's point of view.

Faye50free: you have a good theory...

Aralinn: I am writing the birth chapter nowadays – just a few more chapters before you can see who the next children will be...

breneke87: the fighting days between Valerie and Thranduil are long gone. But Valerie will have to accept the reality of royalty and succession when Hadrian is added to the family...

WMaldonado89: I am glad that you like my stories. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm!

Ellmarr: Valerie is a modern woman in an old world, she knows what she wants and doesn't submit to her husband's will. When she took the warriors to Lake-town, it was to save the lives of many people, not because she was careless about the lives of her warriors. I hope you will keep following the story...

world-classgeek: unfortunately, I am not planning to have Cad being reborn to Legolas and Valerie. But I have a surprise in the later chapters.

PurpleXorchid: how do you think Legolas will welcome Valerie in the next chapter?