Chapter 24 ended with:
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.
Chapter 25 – The Marchwarden's Secret
The night watch at the gates of Meduseld was a boring task to say the least. Nothing ever happened during the night shift, and despite the quietness of each night, the warriors on duty were not allowed to drink ale or wine. They could only play jacks or cards, and lose the little allowance they received for their services.
So busy were they heatedly discussing if one of them had been cheating or not, that they did not hear the sounds of approaching horses. Their argument only stopped when they heard a violent knock on the main wooden gate.
"Who is there? Identify yourself!" one of them asked in Rohirric.
"This the princess of Greenwood asking for admittance for a medical emergency," a deep, male voice said in Westron.
The Rohirrim looked at each other. The so-called princess of Greenwood had a male voice? Who did they think they would fool?
Their leader walked up the stairs to go peek from the top of the gate with a torch. He saw two elven warriors and a she-elf holding a slumbering child. The boy's leg was heavily bandaged and the white linen seemed crusted with dried blood. It was obvious from the way he was leaning against his mother and how he drooled that he was heavily sedated.
"You are from Greenwood?" he asked them suspiciously. Why would elves be near Rohan, if not to invade them? They probably had an army hiding in the dark, waiting to see if he would be stupid enough to open the gates.
"Yes," the female answered. "We went to Dol Amroth and Gondor, and we were on our way back home when my son fell and broke his leg. Please, we need to see a healer! No one in our escort knows how to mend an open fracture!"
He had been right! They had an escort with them!
"Please, our escort is not there to attack Rohan! We only are travelers in dire need of help!"
He wondered how she knew exactly what he was thinking, but he would not be fooled by her enchanting looks and pleading words. If she kept insisting, he would send a messenger to the king to ask him if they should kill these attackers!
"We are not attackers! My son is suffering greatly, please! I am afraid that a delay in his treatment will cause permanent limping! Please go speak to your king! Tell him that Lady Valerie of Greenwood is asking for his help. Do tell him that I am a friend of Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth and Lady Gilrin his lady-wife! King Theoden knows them personally!"
Puzzled, the leader decided to send a messenger to the king to ask for orders in the current situation. He kept watching the visitors wearily while the messenger climbed the hill until he reached the immense mansion that was their royal palace.
A few minutes later, three men were coming down the hill. As they were approaching, the guard was taken aback when he saw that the king himself and his son Theodred were coming to the main gate. He offered his torch to the king's heir so they could see the visitors still waiting on the other side of the gate.
Valerie was getting impatient, but knew she had to control her temper. Their arrival would seem suspicious to any mortal. Only in an elven realm would she be immediately welcomed without questioning. But Hadrian was starting to stir, the strong sleeping draught no longer effective. They had ridden for an entire day at full gallop, leaving behind the rest of their escort. Brethilon, Brannor and Valerie had ridden with Hadrian in succession until they had reached the gates of Meduseld.
She saw two new men at the top of the gate, peeking at them curiously. One of them was much younger than the other. She wondered if the man with the golden beard was the captain.
"Good evening," she said in Westron to the older man who was staring at her. "My guards and I would like your best healer to take a look at my son who got hurt yesterday. We will be on our way as soon as he is-" She stopped when the man disappeared from her view, the younger man disappearing a few seconds later, bringing the torch with him.
"Where did they go?" she asked Brethilon, bewildered. The older man had not even allowed her to finish her plea!
With incredible relief, she heard the distinctive noise of a bar being removed from the wooden doors. Brethilon and Brannor dismounted and Valerie slowly transferred Hadrian from her arms to Brethilon's.
The gate was slowly opened and the older man who had watched them from above walked in their direction with his guards. Valerie dismounted to speak to him.
"Thank you for accepting to hear us," she said, knowing that the fact that the gates were opened did not mean that they were invited in. They were only allowed to discuss eye to eye.
"You look exactly as the wizard said you would," the man told her. "I am King Theoden, it is an unexpected pleasure to meet you, Princess Valerie of Greenwood."
She curtsied to him, surprised that the king himself had come to the gate to welcome her. "It is a pleasure to meet you too, although I must admit I would have preferred to meet you in better circumstances. These are my guards Brethilon and Brannor and this is my son Hadrian."
"This is my son, Theodred. Gandalf visited us a few years back, and he predicted that one day, the red-haired princess of Greenwood would journey in Middle Earth to visit other realms with her children. What happened to him?" he asked, pointing at Hadrian who was still lightly sleeping in Brethilon's arms.
"My horse's leg got into a rabbit hole and my son fell. He broke his leg. The fracture is open, we know not how to fix it without a healer."
The king observed Hadrian with great attention. "He has no elven features," he stated, the question unspoken but still understood by all.
"He is my adoptive son. My other children are on their way with the rest of my escort. They are too young to ride without stop for an entire day."
"When the princess' escort arrives tomorrow, you are to lead them to me," the king told the watchers. "Please follow me, I will lead you to the healing rooms."
Valerie followed him with her bodyguards and climbed the hill, looking at the houses and passing the biggest stables she had ever seen. Gilrin was right, Rohan was primitive when compared to Gondor, but its king was much more welcoming and honest than the Steward Denethor had ever been in her presence.
They walked into the palace, and the king led them through a long hallway to a room where many beds were aligned, all of them empty. A woman wearing a night robe came out of a smaller room at the other end, surely the healer. She greeted the king respectfully and watched Valerie and her guards with curiosity, until she saw Hadrian.
"The poor child! I assume it is an open fracture?" she asked in Westron, recognizing that the visitors were strangers.
"Yes," Valerie explained. "The sleeping draught we gave him is wearing off."
"Then let me give him some more. The treatment of an open fracture is most unpleasant for the patient, especially a child. My Lord, do you mind if I ask a servant to wake your niece? She has never seen such a procedure being performed."
The king asked a servant to wake Eowyn and also gave the order to prepare rooms for Valerie and her guards. He then expressed the hope that her son would quickly recover. He eventually left them, wishing them a good night and inviting them for breakfast in the hall the next morning. Valerie thanked him warmly, relieved that Hadrian would finally receive the care he required.
A girl no older than twelve entered the room, obviously just out of her bed but looking thrilled to meet elves and to attend to an injured person. She was a beautiful girl with her long blonde hair and pale skin. When she smiled, her whole face lightened up and made people around her want to smile too.
She stopped in front of Valerie and curtsied quickly. "My Lady, welcome to Rohan. My uncle tells me that you are the Princess of Greenwood?"
"Yes, and you must be Lady Eowyn! I have heard about you from my friend Lady Gilrin of Dol Amroth."
"I have never met her," the girl said. "But my mother and Lady Gilrin used to correspond."
Valerie went to sit on Hadrian's bed and caressed his hair while the healer and Eowyn started discussing the treatment.
Hadrian opened his eyes and moaned. "Naneth?" he asked in Sindarin.
"I am here, baby," she answered, kissing his forehead tenderly. "I am so sorry for what happened."
"It hurts!" he whined.
"I know. Be courageous, my little sweetheart."
"Where are we? Are we home?"
"We are in Rohan. There is a healer here. She will take care of your leg."
"We are... my brothers?"
"They will join us tomorrow. We had to ride very fast here to bring you to Meduseld."
Eowyn appeared beside them. She observed Hadrian and started.
"He is not an elf!"
"No. Hadrian is my adoptive son," Valerie replied, switching back to Westron.
"But he speaks your language!"
"Yes, we taught him."
"Lady Valerie," the healer said. "I need to give your son some more sleeping draught."
"Go ahead, I do not want him to suffer more than necessary." She helped her son drink the draught and she caressed his hair once more until he was in a deep sleep.
She watched while the healer and Eowyn pulled Hadrian's leg and aligned the broken bones. Even in his sleep, Hadrian moaned in pain and Valerie held his small shoulders, feeling guilty for having hurt him albeit involuntarily. They spoke in Rohirric, and Valerie dearly wished that they spoke or thought in Westron so she could understand if they were worried or not. But the healer's features did not reflect any concern. It just seemed like another broken bone in the long list of injuries she had treated in the past. Once the bones were aligned, they sutured the wound and made a thick bandage around his leg with braces on each side.
"We are done," the healer announced. "You need to make sure that he will not walk on his leg for at least four weeks."
"Will he... limp for the rest of his life?"
"He should not," she reassured Valerie. "Now please get some rest. You are obviously exhausted and you do not think clearly. Stop blaming yourself for an accident. Your son suffered, but he will recover. You should go to your room while I take care of your son."
"I do not want him to wake up and not find me."
"If he does, we will tell him that you are sleeping," the healer calmly replied.
"I cannot. His adoption is relatively recent. He still feels uncomfortable when I am not around. As if... I will change my mind and leave him behind."
"He is an orphan?"
"Yes."
"He will get over it, but it will take a few months. If your other children are accepting him, his adaptation period will be much shorter."
"They do. But in the meantime, I would rather always be with him. I will stay here if it does not bother you."
"Maybe we can move him to your room?" Eowyn offered. "It is very close to here. I can stay with you and alert the healer should he wake up and need help."
"You should go back to bed," Valerie replied.
"I will not be able to go back to sleep! Not after what happened! Please, allow me to do this for you."
Valerie looked at the healer, who nodded. "The king will not mind."
Brethilon carried Hadrian to the room allocated to Valerie. He put him in the bed and left to guard the door with his son. Eowyn brought a night gown to Valerie, and she lied down beside Hadrian, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
She awoke the next morning and observed Eowyn who had fallen asleep in the chair beside the bed. Hadrian was still immobile, sleeping soundly and without moaning in pain for the first time in days. The king's niece woke when Valerie got up to use the chamber pot behind a panel.
"Do you wish to take a bath? I gave orders to have hot water ready for you in the morning. I doubt that you have had many possibilities to wash during your journey."
"I would kill for a bath!"
After her bath, Valerie cleaned Hadrian's body with a cloth. When he woke up, she gave him the pain reliever the healer had prepared the night before.
"Will you want to have breakfast here?" she asked him.
"Yes. I want to stay here. Will you stay with me?"
"I cannot, my love. The king of Rohan is expecting me in the hall."
"I can stay here with you," Eowyn offered Hadrian. "I have breakfast with my uncle every day, he will not mind if I stay with you this morning."
Hadrian accepted with relief. Valerie got dressed using a dress that used to belong to Eowyn's mother and left the two children together while she was lead to the hall by a servant, Brethilon following her while Brannor stayed to guard Hadrian.
When she entered the hall, there were a lot of people at the various tables, most of them soldiers. The king was sitting with two teenage boys. She recognized the king's son from the night before, but she had never met the other one.
"Princess Valerie, I hope your son is better," the king said, standing to welcome her.
"He is, thank you. He had a good night of sleep and awoke feeling less pain than yesterday. Your niece offered to remain with him to have breakfast. I hope you do not mind."
"Absolutely not. You recognize my son Theodred."
"Yes, it is a pleasure to meet you in better circumstances. I am afraid I was distressed last night and did not greet you properly. Please pardon me if I have hurt you in any way."
"There was no harm done," the prince replied gracefully. "I am glad to hear your son feels better."
"May I introduce you to my nephew, Eomer?" the king continued. "He is Eowyn's brother."
"Pleased to meet you," the young boy, hardly a man yet, told her.
"The pleasure is mine. You will be glad to hear that your sister took an active part in the healing of my son."
"I am glad," he said, obviously proud of his younger sister.
They sat, and the king offered Valerie various fruits and types of bread.
"Will your guard have breakfast too?" the king asked, eying Brethilon who was standing a few feet away from Valerie's chair.
"Brethilon already had breakfast earlier, while I was sleeping."
"You are safe here, Lady Valerie. There is no need to have your guard follow you around in Meduseld."
"I know that. But Bret is under strict orders from his captain to always keep an eye on me."
"Who is the captain in Greenwood?"
"My husband, Prince Legolas Thranduilion."
"I understand the orders now. I must admit I was asking my soldiers to guard my beloved wife when she traveled to visit her family also."
"My cousin tells me that your son is not an elf?" Eomer asked with curiosity.
Valerie wondered how many times she would have to answer that question. And suddenly realized it would last for the entirety of Hadrian's life. No one would understand what had pushed an elven woman like her to adopt a mortal orphan. She could hear many words in the minds of the three men in front of her, but they were not thinking Westron. It was both comforting not to understand all their thoughts, but frustrating not to know their real opinions. She was used to know everything about the people around her, even if she tried very hard not to use that knowledge in an unethical way.
She nevertheless politely answered by telling them the story of how she had met Hadrian, how she had tried to save his life by risking hers, and described her decision to adopt him so he would have a family.
"I must admit I am surprised to hear you are a warrior," the king said. "I thought only in Rohan do we train our females to defend themselves. We call them Shieldmaidens of Rohan. They do not actively participate in battles, but remain behind to protect the realm should it be invaded while our Riders are away."
"I do not think women should fight," Theodred said with his vast experience that Valerie estimated amounted to a full 15 years. "They are weak, less muscular and usually clumsy with weapons."
Valerie did not know how she managed not to roll her eyes, but the king smiled when he saw her expression. His apologetic face told her that his son was still young and needed to gain more experience.
"I started training my sister to become a shieldmaiden. She will not be weak," Eomer said. "I do not mind if females know how to defend themselves."
"You always preferred girls with a lot of character," his uncle replied. "Unfortunately, only your sister has a lot of temper nowadays."
"I just met another young woman with a lot of temper, although her father is not allowing her to learn the usage of weapons. Her name is Lothiriel, she is the daughter of Lord Imrahil, prince of Dol Amroth."
"I would like to meet her one day," Eomer mentioned.
"That is highly unlikely," Theodred replied. "We have not dealt with other realms in the longest time."
"I think it would be good if you opened the dialogue with other realms," Valerie suggested to the king. "This is what I have been doing during my journey. I have heard some worrisome news, and I think you should be prepared for what will be arising in the future."
"Please tell me what you have seen and heard," the king said gravely. Valerie told him all about Mordor, and the worries it caused to the rulers of Dol Amroth and Gondor.
OoOoO
Valerie was impatiently waiting at the gate when the rest of her escort finally arrived. Brannor and Eowyn were with her, both of them following Valerie like a shadow since breakfast.
"Nana!" Oropher cried, almost throwing himself out of Liam's arms. Gil-galad waited patiently for Arwen to give him to a warrior before he was gently put into Valerie's arms.
"How is Hadrian?" Liam asked while he dismounted and gallantly offered his arm to Arwen.
"Much better. He will not be able to walk for a few weeks, but we will still be able to leave in a few days."
Over the next few days, Liam spent a lot of time with Theodred and Eomer. The older boys liked to ride around Meduseld with Gil-galad and Oropher. They were gone for hours at a time. Liam was translating between his brothers speaking Sindarin only and the two Rohirim speaking Westron. During that time, Valerie, Arwen and Eowyn spent most of their time in Hadrian's room, talking while Arwen was working on a small tapestry she had started in Dol Amroth. Once again, Valerie was not volunteering her help since she still had not developed a taste for such activities yet. She doubted she ever would, but who knew when she had eternity in front of her?
It turned out that Eowyn was in dire need of a feminine presence that was more than just a servant. She craved knowledge about the world and would ask questions continuously about Valerie's role in the Greenwood realm and her habits, many of which were not socially acceptable in Rohan.
"I heard your brother is training you to be a Shieldmaiden," Valerie asked her one day.
"Yes," the girl proudly replied. "But... my sword is very heavy. My arms are not very strong."
"Maybe you need... a lighter weapon?"
"Valerie," Arwen said in a warning tone.
"He will not mind," Valerie replied.
"I was talking about the king."
"So did I." Valerie defied Arwen for a few moments, until the elleth told her to do as she wished, as usual. Arwen mumbled for a few moments about pigheadedness and eventually put her attention back to her work.
"Brannor?" Valerie called, knowing her guard was standing in the hallway.
Brannor opened the door. "How may I be of service, my Lady?"
"You have a spare sword? I have a little friend here who needs a sword of elven make, much lighter than the ones used here. Would you please do me a favor and give it to Lady Eowyn?"
"It will be my pleasure. She has, after all, helped Lord Hadrian when his leg was broken." Brannor left the room and came back with his spare sword, a beautiful blade with elvish designs.
Eowyn could not believe her eyes. "This sword is for me? But... It seems so heavy!"
"Take it, see for yourself," Valerie insisted.
The girl took the blade and cried in surprise when she realized how light it was.
"Do not be fooled by its weight," Brannor said. "It is deadlier than any man-made sword."
"It is beautiful," Eowyn said, putting it back in its sheath and holding it against her chest. "Is it really mine? My cousin and my brother will not have the right to use it?"
"It is yours to do as you please. But I would suggest that you let them try it. Otherwise, you risk that they may decide to try it without your permission!"
At dinner that night, the older boys were sulking, envious of Eowyn's elven blade.
Eowyn is a poor excuse for a warrior, I deserve this blade more than she does, Theodred was thinking.
I wish I had such a blade too, Eomer was thinking. At least, he was demeaning his sister.
"It is a kingly gift that you gave my niece," Theoden said. "The value of this blade is unparallelled in all of Rohan. I am afraid we must repay this gift in our own manner. I would like you to go to our stables and pick new mounts for your family."
"I did not give Eowyn a sword in order to get something in return," Valerie gravely stated. "I only wished to give her hope that one day, she can be an accomplished Shieldmaiden and be renowned for great deeds. Your niece wants to prove herself more than anything. She has the heart of a warrior."
"I know you did not give her the blade out of calculation. Your heart is pure, Princess, I can feel it. And you care about my niece, and for that, I cannot thank you enough. The gods know how much she needs the presence of a woman in her life. But I insist. As a friend of Rohan, I wish to reciprocate and allow me to give you some of our own treasures."
"I have a stallion to which I am very attached. And my son Liam also has a favorite horse."
"Theodred told me that you have a young daughter. Phoebe is her name. A future female warrior like yourself."
"Yes. In fact, she is destined to become a great warrior, something I cannot say I am. I am simply a good archer."
"Do you think that Princess Phoebe would like a white filly? A horse that will soon become a strong battle mare?" the king tempted Valerie.
It was true that Phoebe would be ecstatic to have a white filly. Thranduil's stables had many horses but very few were of superior breeding. The Silvan elves were used to travel on foot or in the trees, and the need for horses was limited when they never traveled out of their realm.
"I also noticed that your youngest sons do not have a horse either, that they travel sitting in front of adults."
"They are five years old, too young to control a horse."
"Our children learn to ride a horse at that age. In fact, Oropher and Gil-galad have been trained to ride by Theodred and Eomer while you spent time with Eowyn. I saw them myself. They are good, agile. They could be mistaken for Rohirrims!"
"I wish they had mentioned it before today," Valerie said dryly, watching both young men with cold eyes. One of her sons had already been hurt falling off a horse, and she certainly did not want to risk her youngest sons' health before getting back home. "Did you know?" she asked Liam, who was suddenly very busy looking at his plate.
"Well… Yes, I knew. I was with them also. But the twins are very good, Mother. I would have stopped the lessons if I had felt that they were at risk of getting hurt."
"I will not take no for an answer," the king insisted. "Let me offer you three horses, including a white filly for your daughter."
"Then I will give you more swords." Valerie was not going to take advantage of the situation. She wanted to create a strong alliance with Rohan, and not give them the impression that the elves were using them to get whatever they wanted.
Immediately, Theodred and Eomer sat straighter in their chairs, wondering if the king would manage to get more of these incredible elven blades. They watched as Theoden and Valerie kept insisting to give more to the other, some strange kind of reverse negotiation they had never seen before.
"Each one of your swords is worth more than a horse," the king remarked.
"Rohan breeds the best horses in Middle Earth. Everyone talks about your horses, even the elves. If you wish to give me three horses for Phoebe, Gil-galad and Oropher, then I will give you two more blades, one for Theodred and one for Eomer."
"I will give you six horses for these three blades."
"This is too much! I cannot accept -"
"One for each of your children. This negotiation is over, Princess Valerie."
"The Greenwood royal family will be in your debt."
"You gave happiness back to my niece. And my son and nephew will have exceptional swords to fight with, blades that will be part of Rohan's legacy for many generations, since these blades have been forged to last as long as an elven life."
Recognizing that she had lost, Valerie gracefully accepted the gifts and asked Brethilon to request two more spare blades from the warriors in her escort.
"King Theoden, I wish to thank you for the help you have provided us in our time of need. You have offered us more than I could expect, and I am very grateful."
"I am glad to have made your acquaintance. I hope that our two realms can support each other should the darkness come to us."
"You have my word that Rohan is now a friend of the Elves. Should you need our assistance, Greenwood or one of our allies will come to your aid."
"And Rohan will promise the same."
When they left the following week with six new horses and three less blades, Valerie felt that a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She had gone south to visit a friend, and would go back to Greenwood with allies in Dol Amroth and Rohan. If she had not been so successful with the Steward of Gondor, she had at least created a tie with his youngest son, Faramir, another friend of the Elves.
Thranduil would be proud of her.
OoOoO
"My grandparents would be insulted if you do not stop for a few days," Arwen stated. "When you picked me up, you only stayed at their borders. You did not visit Caras Galadhon. It is the heart of elvendom, nothing you will ever see can compare with this city in the trees."
"We are almost home, I miss my family!" Valerie whined, knowing she could not win this argument. Everyone was travel-weary and the children missed their home. They had been away from Greenwood for five months already, and they had another two weeks to go. Valerie's dreams of Legolas were more potent than ever. She missed him every single minute. Being separated from him now felt like torture. Was he feeling the same or was he coping with the separation better than she did? There was only one way to find out. Going home immediately. But she could not insult Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel by not even stopping in Lothlorien for a few days.
"You do not even have to stay for more than a few days. And the people of Lothlorien should see the little kings for themselves. Hadrian would benefit from seeing my grandmother. She would make sure that his leg healed properly." Arwen was listing her arguments one after the other.
"I have not visited Caras Galadhon in a few centuries," Glorfindel said. "If you would allow us to stop, it would really please me to meet some of my old friends."
"Fine," Valerie sighed. "But just for a few days. I want to go back home, and so should you. Allison is waiting for you," she reminded him.
When they got to the edge of the forest, an elf dropped from a high branch right in front of them. He was holding his bow but was not threatening them with an arrow. She immediately recognized the impressive Marchwarden of Lothlorien. When she had picked up Arwen on her way to Dol Amroth, Haldir had not been at the border. It was the first time that she was seeing him in more than five years. He had not changed one bit, if only for a tiredness on his face he had not had when he had been visiting Greenwood. She guessed the worries were taking their toll on the captain of Lothlorien.
"Welcome to Lothlorien," he said bowing deeply while more warriors were appearing behind him, all wearing the traditional uniform of the wardens.
"Lord Haldir, what a pleasure to see you again," she said with warmth. It was true, he had always been very nice to her, the few times she had seen him. "We have traveled from Dol Amroth, stopped in Minas Tirith and in Edoras, and would like to enjoy your hospitality for a few days. Lady Arwen tells me Caras Galadhon is a spectacular city to behold. I would also like to introduce Ereinion Gil-galad and Oropher to Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel," she said, pointing to her youngest sons.
All the Lothlorien warriors observed the two elflings, who despite their young age, were sitting on two horses that had been obviously bred in Rohan. They all recognized the renowned but for now childish features of the High King of the Noldor and of the King of Greenwood.
"Lady Galadriel has foreseen your visit. You are expected in Caras Galadhon by nightfall. I will guide you myself, with my brothers," Haldir replied, and two warriors came closer to be introduced. "This is Rumil, my second-in-command, and Orophin, our youngest brother."
So she is the elleth who has bewitched my brother, the one called Rumil thought. Only him would be attracted to a female warrior, he continued, noticing her bow and the strange metal weapons on her back. He also had a brief thought about her sitting astride her horse, her lifted skirt showing her ankles and calves in black leather boots. Apparently, this was highly inappropriate in Lothlorien, like in Greenwood. Except that in Greenwood, people had gotten used to it and were no longer frowning when seeing their two princesses and Allison sitting on a horse in that position.
A strange kind of beauty, unusual, but enthralling, Orophin appraised. She definitely has some features of a mortal, but her ears are delicately pointy! And her hair? It looks incredible under the sunlight. I wonder how it feels to the touch…
Valerie tried to ignore Orophin's thoughts before she blushed. Knowing exactly what everyone thought of your looks was not always easy, especially when they were discreetly assessing their attraction to you... She was definitely curious about Rumil's thought about her having bewitched Haldir. She did not remember anything to that effect. Rumil must have been mistaken.
She nodded to the two ellyn, and Glorfindel and Arwen greeted everyone in the Lothlorien group. When Valerie directed her horse in the forest, Brethilon insisted that he rode before her in the path, and Brannor after her, effectively making sure that no one from Lothlorien could walk beside her horse. But after all these years, she was used to Brethilon's interpretation of what his duties were. She attempted to read his mind, but found nothing in there but his usual protectiveness. Shrugging, she accepted their presence and watched from afar her sons as they rode ahead of her. Hadrian, who was much better now but still not walking, was sitting in front of Brannor behind her.
They made it to the city within a few hours, just after nightfall. The forest was getting dark and she now was grateful for Brethilon's presence in front of her, as her eyes were not seeing as well in the dark as pure elves. She could easily follow his light brown stallion without looking at the ground to follow the path.
They passed a gate and then she saw the most beautiful sight she had ever had the chance to watch in her entire life: Caras Galadhon at night, illuminated by thousands of small lights, which could only have to do with Galadriel's magic. There were huge trees everywhere, with stairs circling the immense trunks. She could see the small houses on flets, called talan by the Lothlorien people.
"It is beautiful, is it not?" Arwen said beside her.
"Yes," Valerie replied, her eyes still looking everywhere to try to see everything. It was an absolute feast for the eyes.
"Worth waiting a few days before being honored again by your mate?"
Valerie glared at Arwen. "How can you say such things in front of my children?" she whispered.
"They would not know the meaning of my words," Arwen replied lightly.
"I did," Liam stated, "and it gave me images I prefer not to imagine, thank you!"
Arwen and him laughed while Valerie rolled her eyes.
"Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel are waiting for you in their royal talan," Haldir said, suddenly appearing beside them. Valerie hoped he had not heard Arwen's inappropriate words. "You must leave the horses at the stables, and we will lead you to them."
"I will lead them, dear Haldir," Arwen said pleasantly. "I would like to thank you for presence and care during our journey to the city. I will let you know if we need your services again during our stay."
Valerie felt Brethilon relax considerably. There was something going on here, something people were keeping from her. Why could she not read it in their minds?
"Thank you, Lord Haldir. Rumil, Orophin," Valerie said to the three brothers. She dismounted and helped her youngest sons to do the same while Brannor was gently putting Hadrian on the ground.
"Naneth, I cannot climb so many stairs," the child told her worriedly. The Lothlorien brothers looked at him curiously. They had wondered about the presence of this human child in their group, but now that he was calling the princess of Greenwood naneth, it seemed that he was somehow considered one of Valerie's children. He definitely had not been there when she had arrived in Greenwood six years before, Haldir would have seen him. Was this another one of Valerie's eccentricities?
"Brannor will carry you, sweetheart," the princess replied, caressing his hair. "Unless everyone is too tired to carry you. In that case, you will have to sleep here, on the ground, while we go up the stairs to our talan. I can come pick you up tomorrow after a good night of sleep," she told him with a serious expression.
"No Naneth!" Gil-galad cried, grabbing her skirt to get her attention. "We cannot leave him behind! Oropher and I will carry him if Brannor and you are too tired!"
Everyone laughed, even Hadrian, who had gotten used to Valerie's wisecracks.
"I am glad that you two are such strong ellyn," Brannor told Gil-galad and Oropher seriously, "but I think I will find just enough strength to carry your brother on my back."
Rumil and Orophin made sure that the Greenwood warriors escorting their princess and her children were directed to their quarters. Arwen led the Greenwood royal family, Glorfindel and the two personal guards to the nearest stairs leading to the highest Mellorn tree where the royal talan was located.
Haldir's gaze never left them until they had disappeared from his view. He then turned to his brothers who were watching with a common worried expression.
"This is not good, Haldir," Rumil told him. "Let us go to my talan, Nellethiel is waiting for us."
But when they got to Rumil's talan, Nellethiel was nowhere to be found. She had left a note saying that Lady Galadriel had requested her presence in order to look at the broken leg of one of the princess' children.
OoOoO
Nellethiel had been married to Rumil for two centuries. She was Lothlorien's Head Healer and she had seen her share of battle wounds, since she was always called when a warden had been injured at the borders. When she got called to the royal talan to treat a child's broken leg, she was not worried about the fracture itself. But she had never, in her entire life, treated a child. The last child that had been born in Lothlorien, a realm she had never left since her birth, had been born when she was still an elfling herself.
She entered the royal talan and was introduced in a room where many children were present. Their high pitched voices and constant chatting were a bit overwhelming, but they were absolutely charming to behold. She stared at the children for a little while, until an unfamiliar voice spoke to her.
"You must be Nellethiel, the Head Healer?"
She turned her head in the direction of the voice and saw the princess of Greenwood for the first time. The red-haired elleth was sitting on a couch, with a warrior standing behind her while another one was standing closer to the children. The princess did not seem annoyed by the guards' presence. She was wearing a riding dress of a dark blue color, in a fabric that looked thicker than what the ellith usually wore in Lothlorien. She understood that the princess was feeling the cold like a mortal, and wondered how many mortal characteristics she had, other than her less pointy ears and her skin that could tan under the sun. She observed the unusual but beautiful features of the princess for a while, until the silence became uncomfortable. Nellethiel noticed that the princess was watching her with a raised eyebrow, as if she could read her thoughts.
She can, Lady Galadriel's voice said in her mind. How was that possible for a half-elven elleth coming from a different world?
Deciding to break the silence, Valerie stood and walked to the healer to greet her properly. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Nellethiel. Arwen told me a lot about you."
Nellethiel curtsied gracefully and Valerie took her hand to guide her to a couch further away where a young boy was sitting, one of his legs obviously very stiff.
"This is my son, Hadrian," Valerie continued, completely ignoring the questions in the healer's eyes. She was tired of people questioning Hadrian's origins by now. She had adopted him and people would have to deal with this reality. "He broke his leg when he fell off my horse during our journey. A healer in Edoras realigned the bones and put bandages tightly on his leg, but this was two weeks ago and I would like to make sure that he is healing properly."
"Let us go to another room," Nellethiel suggested, and Lady Galadriel led them to a private room where a bed was available. One of the warriors put the boy on the bed and left the side of the bed for the ladies.
Valerie helped Hadrian to remove his leggings and she comforted him when she felt his self-consciousness at being half-naked in front of strangers.
Nellethiel manipulated the leg carefully, declaring that the bones were mending properly. She told Valerie that she would give her more pain reliever, for which Valerie was thankful, since they had run out a few days before and Hadrian was in pain sometimes.
Once she was done, the healer asked if her services were still required. Valerie reassured her that all her other children were healthy, and when they went back to the living room, Nellethiel looked at the children eagerly, noticing that the oldest child was obviously half-elven like his mother, and on the brink of adulthood. She wondered how old he was.
"Liam is almost 16," Valerie replied, proving that she could effectively read minds like Lady Galadriel did. "Since he is half-elven, his growth pattern is similar to a mortal's, like my other two half-elven children."
Nellethiel curtsied, uncomfortable with this princess who was intimidating to say the least. She had a self-assurance very few ellith possessed, she could read minds, and even if she was not acting like a princess should at all times, it was clear that she was used to being obeyed. It must have been the fact that she had been living all these years with the infamously difficult King Thranduil. Rumil had told her that the king of Greenwood was insufferable and had no heart at all.
Lady Galadriel coughed while Valerie's eyes narrowed.
"Your presence is no longer required, thank you for your help," Valerie told Nellethiel coldly.
"It will be all, my child," Lady Galadriel gently said to the healer to compensate for Valerie's freezing tone. Nellethiel curtsied and left the room while Valerie was still trying to get a grip on her anger.
She is young, Galadriel said in her mind. Nellethiel has not seen much of this world and only interprets it using the information provided by her husband, who I must admit is unfortunately narrow-minded.
Valerie replied to Galadriel in the same manner. I do not appreciate when people make misinformed judgments about Greenwood, or about my father-in-law, without ever having visited our realm and met him in person. He has been under tremendous pressure in the past, and his actions did not always reflect his true character.
I know you now share a very close relationship with Thranduil, and I am glad for the both of you. I am sorry if my people offended you. As you can imagine, most of them only know Greenwood by hearsay. Only you can show them otherwise.
By parading my children so they can be looked at like strange animals? You should have seen how your people have been staring at them while we walked on the bridges and flets to arrive to your talan. Most of them consider Greenwood inferior to Lothlorien. Nellethiel's thoughts were barely disrespectful when compared to the thoughts of some of your people. I am not interested in trying to change the minds of such people, Valerie replied in her mind with acrimony. I have already wasted enough of my time with the Steward of Gondor!
The elves in the room could feel the tension rise significantly with each passing moment. It was obvious that Lady Galadriel and the princess of Greenwood were having a mental argument. The subject of the fight was unclear but many could guess it had to do with the healer that had just left after being summarily dismissed by the princess. Lord Celeborn put a calming hand on his wife's arm while Arwen did the same to Valerie.
I would appreciate if you did not compare my people to Denethor! The Steward of Gondor has dark plans while my people are merely isolated and without much knowledge of the customs of other realms. Just like your own people, I might add.
I am sorry. I should not have compared your people to the Steward of Gondor, it was uncalled for. But I will not tolerate to see my family being ridiculed by your people. My father-in-law is a great king, my mate a fearsome warrior and all my people are courageous and dedicated. They deserve to be respected!
Galadriel pensively observed Valerie, who was defending her realm as if she had been born a Silvan elf. She really had taken her rightful place in the Greenwood kingdom. Galadriel had read in Brethilon's mind that Valerie was extremely loved and respected in her realm now, and that she was the regent when both Legolas and Thranduil were away, which had happened a few times in the past year. For Thranduil to leave his precious fortress in the care of Valerie could only mean one thing: Valerie had truly become an elven leader, one to be consulted when the elven leaders were discussing the future of Middle Earth and the actions of the elven people.
She was a regent who had gained allies all over Middle Earth. Dol Amroth and Rohan were supporting her. The youngest son of the Steward of Gondor was her friend. The people of Lake-town respected her greatly for all the help she was bringing to their town. Instead of remaining in Greenwood, Valerie had traveled and created alliances with Men, who represented the future of Middle Earth. Had the princess unconsciously known of the importance of this race, or had the Valar purposely chosen a woman instead of an elleth to ensure the cooperation with Men would be easier? If that was the case, they had chosen well.
Valerie could read minds as easily as Galadriel now. She was younger, inconceivably younger, but within six years she had gained impressive credibility and power in Greenwood and all over Middle Earth. She officially was an elven leader now. Celeborn and Elrond would have to be informed of this.
"I will make sure that my people will behave properly and be open-minded," Galadriel told Valerie out loud. "Your children will not feel uncomfortable while they stay in Lothlorien."
"That would be greatly appreciated," Valerie replied calmly, knowing Galadriel would no longer consider her a pawn to be manipulated. The Lady of Light knew she would only collaborate if she was in agreement with what was being asked of her.
"You know… Nellethiel and you could have been great friends… under different circumstances."
"Somehow, I doubt that," Valerie replied, standing again. "Come on, my little loves, it is time to go back to our guest talan. Time for bed! Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel, I wish you a pleasant night."
OoOoO
They spent the next few days discovering Caras Galadhon in the same way they had done in Minas Tirith and Rohan, by walking everywhere, trying all passageways and speaking to as many people as possible. Hadrian remained quietly with Liam, who spent most of his time reading ancient books in Lord Celeborn's library.
One morning, right after breakfast, Valerie decided to go to the training grounds with her youngest sons and her guards. The training grounds were full when they arrived, but Haldir, who had been training with his brothers, asked a few of his wardens to free a few targets for the Greenwood royal family. Valerie stood in front of a target while Brannor and Brethilon each chose one to train Oropher and Gil-galad. The small kings had started bow training a few months before, while they were visiting Dol Amroth. They had naturally adopted the right stance, as if somehow their bodies remembered the correct position to practice archery.
Valerie watched as her guards were training her sons with great attention and care. It was clear that her bodyguards had a particular talent to train children and that they were fond of her sons. Knowing they were in good hands, she turned to her own target and started shooting arrow after arrow with her metal bow. When her quiver was empty, she went to gather her arrows, all of which had hit the target dead center. When she walked back to her original position, she noticed many warriors staring at her. Another bunch of males who think females should not be warriors. Joy.
She ignored them for a while, until she felt Haldir's eyes on her. The Marchwarden was standing beside her, watching her with attention. His expression was strange. He was oblivious when she started reading his mind carefully, while she still trained.
His mind was unguarded. She could have been mine, Haldir was musing. He seemed to evaluate if seeing her was hurting him or if he was indifferent to her presence. He settled for regretful and envious while he quickly evaluated her body when she sent an arrow flying in the direction of her target. I am still extremely attracted. Still hooked, he told himself.
Hooked? Suddenly inattentive, Valerie's next arrow hit the right side of the target instead of its center. Haldir's thoughts were an absolute surprise to Valerie, who had not even known that Haldir had been in love with her. Suddenly, so many things started to make sense. Why Legolas had been so angry at Haldir when she had arrived in Greenwood. How her mate could barely tolerate the Marchwarden's presence. Why Haldir had not traveled with them to Esgaroth. At least, Haldir had always remained respectful with her, keeping his distance while he stayed in Greenwood.
She kept following his thoughts while she gathered her arrows again. She got brief flashes of her naked body as Legolas was making love to her in the royal family's private living room in the Greenwood fortress. She froze as she realized this was no image created by his imagination. He pictured her body very close to reality. He had seen this scene. He had spied on them while in Greenwood! Did Legolas know about this?
She was definitely not able to keep training near him after this.
"Brethilon, I will go back to our talan. Will you bring the children once their training is over?"
"Yes, my Lady. But I should stay with you," the guard insisted.
"Brethilon, I am safe. I need some time alone. Just give me an hour, please."
The guard nodded reluctantly. Brethilon pondered that his princess was safe as long as Haldir remained on the training grounds. But should the Marchwarden leave the area, Brethilon would be back to her talan in a flash.
Valerie turned to Haldir with a compassionate look. "I am sorry if I ever gave you the impression that something could happen between us. If I did, it has been quite involuntary."
"We should have been together," he replied, his voice harsh. "You were mine as much as you were his."
"Legolas is my mate," she reminded him. "I do not believe you and I would have gotten along. I am sorry. Things are better this way."
Haldir was frozen, watching her leave the training grounds while Brethilon and Brannor observed the Marchwarden carefully for a violent reaction. When Haldir turned around and left in the other direction, Brethilon decided to leave his son Brannor with the small kings and to follow Valerie to make sure she would not be harassed by Haldir after her surprising declaration.
But his worries were for naught. Valerie met Lady Galadriel on the way to her talan, and the Lady of Light convinced Valerie to go in her private garden to have a look in her mirror. Brethilon stood at the entrance of the garden, wondering what the princess would see in the magical mirror.
Valerie was looking at the basin with both curiosity and dread. Legolas had told her about Galadriel's mirror. When looking at the water, you could see past events, actual moments and the future. Did she want to see her future? Could she handle seeing it? Would she see glimpses of the war to come? People she loved dying?
"Many people want to see their future. Is that what you wish to see?" Galadriel asked Valerie.
"I want to see Legolas," Valerie immediately said. "I want to see Phoebe and Sean, and Thranduil too."
Galadriel poured crystalline water in the basin and Valerie watched the surface as images started to appear in the water.
She saw an image of Legolas, sitting on a flet in the forest, talking to two warriors. She could not hear what they were talking about, but Legolas looked tired. His arm was heavily bandaged, with fresh blood coming through the white fabric. He had been wounded!
The image switched to the fortress, where Sean and Phoebe were having their midday meal with Miniel. They were laughing. Elladan was with them, as was his habit.
The scene switched again, showing her Thranduil this time, sitting behind his desk and reading some parchment. The king looked tired also. She could understand why easily. She had been gone for months, and the responsibility of the realm was entirely on his shoulders while she was away. She should never have left for so long.
I will be back soon, she thought. I will not leave them again. My place is in Greenwood, not traveling and visiting Middle Earth. I can do that once the war has come and gone, if we win…
"I miss my home," she told Galadriel, lifting her gaze from the mirror.
"Earlier, you told Haldir that you two would not have been happy together."
"Yes. I did. I am sorry, but he had… thoughts about me, and I wished for him to know that I will never see him that way."
"He could have been a good mate for you. The prophecy could have been either with him, or with the prince of Greenwood. Legolas chose to join you in your world, but had Haldir stepped up, it is here, in Lothlorien, that you would have lived. With Haldir."
"I cannot imagine it." What an odd idea!
"Will you dare watch it? Your alternate life?" Galadriel pointed to the mirror, and Valerie looked as images started filling it again.
Her arrival in Lothlorien. Being in love with Haldir, living with him in an immense talan. She saw herself have many prophecy children, more than the only two she had had with Legolas. She recognized Oropher and Gil-galad in the children. Strangely, it seemed that whatever ellon she would have been with, she would have had Oropher and Gil-galad. She saw that she would have been a warrior also, that she would have been very close to Galadriel. And surprisingly, very close to Nellethiel, that healer that had had disrespectful thoughts about her father-in-law. She would have been her sister-in-law.
She looked elsewhere, troubled. Yes, she could have been happy here also. Her alternate self had seemed in love with the Marchwarden. She would have had the same prophecy children. But… that was not her real life. Her heart and soul belonged to Legolas. He was her life, her everything. Thranduil was like a father, one that she could not live without now, guiding her and loving her like her birth father had never done.
"The Valar had two possible ellyn for the prophecy," Galadriel explained. "Haldir and Legolas thought about it. Haldir was reluctant. He was afraid of mating with a human. Legolas… went in your world out of political calculation first. But the moment he saw you -"
"He fell in love, I know. Duty is of utmost importance for Legolas. I am not surprised that he originally came to my world with the greater good of Greenwood in mind. But I know his heart well. He loves me and will never think of another one. I am sorry for Haldir, my Lady. I cannot do anything for him. Will he ever find another mate, or… was I his only option?"
"He will have another mate one day, just like Legolas would have mated with another elleth if he had not chosen you."
What a disturbing thought. With whom Legolas would have mated if not with her? Valerie discovered she would rather not know this particular information. Seeing Amareth on a regular basis was already unpleasant enough, and she was not even looking at Legolas anymore.
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity of seeing images of my family. I cannot wait to be reunited with them."
"You are still planning to leave the day after the next?"
"Yes. More than ever. Legolas has been wounded and I am worried for him."
"I will ask for food and water to be prepared for your return journey. May the Valar protect you while you travel back home."
"Thank you. Can you please... bring comfort to Haldir in whatever way possible? I might not love him, but I do not wish for him to suffer because of my presence in Middle Earth."
"This thought honors you. Do not fear, my child, I am looking after my Marchwarden."
How did you like how Valerie reacted to her potential other life with Haldir? Valerie is so in love with Legolas that she cannot even imagine being with Haldir... Nellethiel was not as friendly as in the other story, since she trusts Rumil's opinion on everything. If you have read the other story, you know he is a bit narrow-minded, especially in his opinion on Thranduil and Greenwood...
In the next chapter, Valerie gets back home, and the Valar will strike...
Many thanks to Legolas Fan, gginsc, hannahhobnob, Cathael and Aureleis for their review of chapter 24.
Angel: you will know about Hadrian's position in the royal family in the next chapter.
Paperlanterns86: Haldir still hasn't gotten over Valerie yet... I will give him a new mate in a few chapters...
PurpleXorchid: you will see how Legolas feels in the next chapter... He won't be too unhappy.
Natasya Ivashkov: thank you for your promise to review!
JEMR: I am really trying hard to make the story different, but at the same time, I enjoy showing some original characters from the other story (like Allison and Nellethiel) to show the changes in their lives too.
Juti: Legolas will not be mad, he will just be a little possessive...
Aralinn: the reborn kings will not be mature for the war, but since the story will last until they all sail to Valinor, there will be some action with them as adults... Poor Haldir still loves her, but I will eventually give him another mate...