Chapter 25 ended with:
"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."
Chapter 26 – The Plan of the Valar
There it was. The western side of the forest road. They had left Lothlorien a week before and had traveled swiftly to reach the road as soon as possible. Valerie wondered if Legolas was on duty or not, if she would see him soon or at the fortress in a few days, after crossing the dark forest.
"Everyone is ready, my Lady," Brethilon told her. She looked at the warriors, armed to the teeth, even Glorfindel. The forest road was dangerous, and Valerie and her escort had not been attacked, not even once, during their long journey. She prayed the Valar that their luck would continue until they safely passed the gate of the fortress.
She nodded to Brethilon to indicate her readiness. They positioned themselves in two long lines, with warriors riding on the right, protecting the southern flanks of group, where the danger always came from. They slowly entered the forest, leaving the relative safety of the valley. After a few hours, they met their first guard, who greeted them silently from a tree. He whistled to announce travelers, but the whistles were different, announcing the return of the princess instead of the arrival of strangers. Within a few hours, everyone in the fortress would know to expect their return shortly.
As the group progressed on the road, Valerie realized that if Legolas had been on duty, he would have met them by now. When they stopped for the night at the camp, Lieutenant Hadron told her that Legolas had left two days before to lead a group of warriors that had to check out the north-east side of the forest. Thranduil had been worried that some foes might find refuge there since the Greenwood elves had never guarded that particular area of the forest.
Slightly disappointed, Valerie hoped that Legolas would be back from his expedition before she arrived at the fortress. They slept on flets and spent the next morning with the warriors before heading back to the road. When they finally came out of the forest, they still had not seen any form of danger. The Valar had truly been protecting them in an outstanding manner, Brannor informed her.
The last part of their journey was like a blur for Valerie. She could barely stop herself from galloping in the direction of the fortress, leaving her children behind. How she resisted the temptation, she would never know. But towards the end of the last day, when the sun started sinking in the West, she finally saw the gate.
They were home! At last!
OoOoO
A welcome party had been waiting for them, and to her disappointment, Legolas was not part of it, probably not back from his expedition yet. Sean and Phoebe were standing beside Thranduil, Phoebe jumping up and down in excitement when she finally saw her mother again after being apart for nearly half a year.
Valerie quickly dismounted and her children ran to her, even Sean who was old enough to try to exercise some restraint but chose not to. Phoebe and Sean remained in Valerie's embrace for long minutes before she was able let them go. When she released them, she saw that Oropher and Gil-galad were in Thranduil's arms, chatting ceaselessly as if they wanted to tell him everything about their journey within minutes.
"And you are riding your horses alone, like big elflings now!" Thranduil complimented them.
"You changed! You changed so much!" she cried, her attention coming back to Phoebe and Sean. They both had grown since her departure. Sean looked more mature, and Phoebe's face was slowly losing her childish features. She was more beautiful than ever.
"Liam changed too!" Sean replied, eying his older brother, who now looked like an adult, carrying himself with an assurance he did not have before he had left Greenwood. Both brothers fell into a friendly embrace, Liam promising his brother to tell him all about their journey as soon as they would be alone.
"And how are you, Hadrian?" Sean asked the boy who had been riding in front of Brannor. Hadrian limped slightly in their direction.
"I broke my leg, but Naneth took me to Meduseld and a healer fixed it. It is not really painful anymore, but I still cannot walk like before." Everyone noticed how his Sindarin had improved. He did not even have an accent anymore.
Thranduil lifted an eyebrow in Valerie's direction, wondering about the way Hadrian was now calling her. He put his youngest grandsons on the ground when he saw her movement in his direction, and he opened his arms for her.
"Six months!" Thranduil whispered softly in her ear as he crushed her against his chest. "I will never allow you to leave for such a long period of time again!" He lifted her from the ground as if she still was an elfling. Valerie cried and laughed in his arms, a bit mortified that the king was being so demonstrative in front of everyone, right in the middle of the yard.
"I missed you," she whispered back. "I am sorry to have been gone for so long. You look tired, Father!"
"I must admit that I am. I was very worried about you and the children, but I now see that I was needlessly anxious. You all came back in one piece!"
"We did not even see one orc!" Oropher complained.
"And that is a good thing, Grandson!" Thranduil said. "It means the Valar is protecting you and your family. You should be grateful instead of being disappointed."
Allison suddenly came out of fortress. "My Lord, is it true that they are back?" she asked Thranduil, but when she saw Valerie in the king's arms, she realized that the rumors were true. She did not even greet her sister, looking around frantically to find her betrothed instead. She spotted Glorfindel who was helping Arwen and ran in his direction, calling him feverishly. Glorfindel looked torn between helping Arwen dismount and welcoming Allison. Seeing his dilemma, Arwen laughed and told him she was perfectly able to dismount without help since the age of 30. Glorfindel bowed quickly and caught Allison in a crushing embrace.
"What took you so long?" she asked him, disappointment clear in her tone.
"Glorfindel wanted to stop in Lothlorien. We could have been here at least a week earlier if not for his desire to see Caras Galadhon once more," Valerie declared just to annoy him.
Allison glared at Glorfindel and Valerie ignored the rest of their conversation, knowing the Imladris Captain would hear about this for many years to come.
"You went to Lothlorien?" Thranduil asked, frowning.
"Yes, and there I have heard some interesting information. Something you probably were aware of, about a certain Marchwarden?" she murmured so that only him would hear. "Does that ring any bell at all?"
"These are admirable horses that you brought back," Thranduil said out loud, changing the subject. "Where did you get them?"
"They are gifts from the king of Rohan. One for each of my children. Was it not a charming gesture?" she asked.
"What did you give in exchange?"
"Three swords."
"And?"
"And nothing more. Three elven swords for six great horses. May I add that Rohan is now a Greenwood ally?"
"I am proud of your diplomatic skills, my dear. Come, let the servants take care of the luggage and the horses. We need to talk."
OoOoO
Valerie spent the next two hours telling Thranduil about the major events of her journey. She finally gave him the letter from Denethor. His expression did not change as he was reading the obscure letter testing his reaction to a possible taking over of the throne by the Steward of Gondor. He folded it neatly once he was done reading and looked at Valerie with worry.
"I imagine the man is quite despicable."
"He was indeed, I could barely stand being in his presence. You would not believe me if I told you half the things going on in his mind!"
"Foolish wishes of a mad man," Thranduil pronounced, "a claim I will not support. I am proud of your accomplishments, my daughter. I am impressed by the number of allies you have been able to make while you traveled."
Thranduil looked at her pensively. "Valerie… Legolas told me about… some struggle that you experienced while you were away."
Valerie blushed violently, hiding her face behind her hands. "So he knows…"
"Yes, he does. He shared it with me. He felt your distress through your bond. It must have been… very difficult for you since your anguish reached him despite such a great distance."
"I am so ashamed! How angry is he?"
"Angry? I cannot say that he is angry. He is relieved that you resisted the temptation. But I cannot say that he is glad to have discovered that in this, your human side is stronger than your elven side. To realize that despite your bond, your mate can still be tempted by other males is not something easy to accept for any ellon."
"He must be so disappointed. I missed him so much! I needed his presence… physically, you understand?"
"Yes, I do. You were craving contact of a sensual nature. And Legolas was not around. You were tempted by a man that did not care for the sanctity of elven binding. But you resisted, that is the important point, Valerie. You resisted and therefore, you are not being blamed. In fact, it is a good thing to know."
"And how do you come to the strange conclusion that it is a good thing?" Valerie asked, bewildered.
"It is a good thing that we know about it. And now, you can act accordingly. Never put yourself in such a situation again and your bond will remain strong. And it is good to be informed for your children also. It means that Liam, Sean and Phoebe might experience the same temptations. Their future spouses will need to know this. So will Glorfindel about Allison."
"You want my shame to be known in all of Middle Earth?"
"Once again, there is no shame, you resisted! Are you deaf or dim-witted?" he asked to get a strong reaction out of her.
Valerie held back the disrespectful reply that she was burning to say.
Thranduil grinned, noticing that she could finally control her emotions, and continued the conversation. "We only need to tell Elladan and Glorfindel for now. Liam and Sean might not bind for many centuries, and by then, no one will really remember what happened to you. Who knows in your escort?"
"Brethilon and Arwen. Brannor maybe, but I am not sure."
"It will remain a secret then, Valerie. Please allow Legolas and I to speak to Elladan and Glorfindel. It will be done in a way that will preserve your honor, I swear."
"Fine. Do as you wish. If it can spare the same kind of trouble to Allison and Phoebe in the future…"
"Thank you for being reasonable. Now, there is another matter that we need to discuss." Hadrian.
"I know you are not happy about him, but -"
"Valerie, when you left, I already knew that he would come back calling you naneth. Legolas knew it as well, this is why he has grown attached to the child and treated him with affection in the few weeks before your departure. I do not mind that he spends the rest of his life with us. But are you ready to face the consequences of your decision?"
"And they are?"
"He will die one day, Valerie. He will become old and sick, and there will be nothing you can do about it."
"I know," she said sadly.
"He will not find a mate here in Greenwood. He will leave our family if he wants to meet a wife. He will leave you one day, and sooner than you think."
"So will Phoebe, Father. She will more than likely go live in Imladris with Elladan."
"You are right. You will have two children living far away from you."
"I cannot send him back to Lake-town based on this consideration. He will spend at least ten years with us. What happens after that decade will happen no matter what. I will live each day without worrying about his future. What I am more worried about is how you will treat him?"
"Do you really think I will not treat him well?"
"No. But will you treat him exactly like your other grandchildren?"
"He is not my grandchild."
"My first three children are not truly your grandchildren either, Father."
"But they are your blood children, and you are my daughter through your bond with my son."
"I know what I am asking is not easy, but please… give him a chance. Give him a chance like you gave Gil-galad when he was a newborn. You grew to love him dearly, despite the fact that he was an enemy of Greenwood in his first life!"
"I promise I will try. But there is one thing that needs to be clear for everyone in the realm. He will never be in the succession plan. Never."
"I never thought about that!"
"But he might one day, as he grows older. Should something happen to both myself and Legolas, Oropher will become king first, as he was king of Greenwood before me. If something also happened to Oropher, then Liam would become king, then Sean, then Gil-galad. Hadrian will never be an elven king should our entire family disappear."
"I understand. I will make sure it is clear in his mind. But I want him to have the same privileges than my other children."
"Such as?"
"He should not have to stand when you come into a room or leave a room. He should be able to call Legolas by his name instead of My Lord. People should treat him like my other children, address him with respect."
"That should not be a problem."
"And how will he call you?"
"Valerie, do not push me," the king growled.
"It is a simple question. You already gave me more than I hoped. I will accept your preference on this."
The king sighed heavily. "You will be the death of me."
"You are made of sturdier stuff than this."
"Have him call me… Thranduil."
"Thank you, Father." Valerie stood and kissed his forehead. "I missed you. I really did."
"Now go see your children. Phoebe has made such progress with Elladan training her daily. It is almost scary to see such a small elleth being so dangerous with blades. I have never seen such a thing in my entire existence."
OoOoO
It was the middle of the night, and Legolas and five of his warriors were coming back from their expedition on the north-east side of the forest. They had not met any orcs or spiders, but the forest had been quiet. Too quiet. Give or take a few decades, and Greenwood would surely be trapped in the middle of an entirely dark forest.
He had felt through his bond that Valerie was getting closer to Greenwood, much closer than she had been in the past few months. He started speeding in the direction of the fortress, the warriors following him without questions. If their captain was rushing back, they would simply follow. They assumed he had a good reason.
Legolas passed the great gate and saw Brethilon quietly pacing in the dark, softly whistling one of his favorite tunes. He dismissed his warriors, who went into the fortress to get some well-deserved sleep.
"Brethilon!" Legolas called. Immediately, Valerie's bodyguard turned in his direction and smiled. "Is sleep evading you?"
"Captain!" Brethilon replied, walking to meet the prince, "how good to see you! I am so glad to be back home!"
"I hope you had a safe journey!"
"Nothing to report, my Lord, except for Hadrian's broken leg near Rohan. We found help in Meduseld and he quickly recovered. We have not seen one orc during the entire journey, can you believe this?"
"The Valar must have been with you, then! Thank you for taking care of my family, Brethilon. Please give my gratitude to Brannor also. How is my family?"
"You will find Liam and Hadrian much changed. These children are growing so fast as compared to elflings! And Oropher and Gil-galad now ride horses like little Rohirrims!"
"I cannot wait to see that! And my wife?"
"The princess has been… troubled, my Lord."
"I know. I felt it, Brethilon. I have a general idea of what happened. Worry not," he added when he saw Brethilon's expression. "I know she is not to blame."
"The princess is very worried."
"And she should not be. I trust your discretion in this, Brethilon."
"Always, Captain. You know I am very devoted to you and your mate."
"Thank you. I will see you tomorrow."
Legolas almost raced to the royal aisle, where he knew his family was sleeping. His heart beating wildly, he attempted to regain his composure before seeing his mate. He took a few deep breaths and decided to visit his children first. He softly opened the door of the apartment that Liam and Sean shared, and going to Liam's bedroom, watched his oldest son sleep. Liam had grown again, his hair was longer, and his features were more masculine. He would soon be of age, Legolas could see the signs. He caressed Liam's forehead so lightly that he didn't even wake up.
He then visited Hadrian, in the apartment he shared with Phoebe. The boy had changed also. Legolas was surprised to discover that he had missed the boy, and observed his injured leg with attention, confident that it was almost back to its normal state.
His last stop was his own apartment, in which his youngest sons were also sleeping. He spent a long time observing the small elflings sleep. These two had not changed at all physically, but they were so beautiful to behold, Legolas could not tire of watching them.
He heard the noises of movements in silky bed sheets in his own bedroom. This time, he didn't resist the temptation. Valerie was just there. His beloved mate. He left his sons and slowly entered his bedroom. There she was, deeply asleep, wearing one of her diaphanous night gowns that hid nothing to his eyes. He knelt beside the bed. Valerie looked so innocent in her sleep. He noticed that tears had dried on her cheeks. His mate had cried herself to sleep. Brethilon was right when he said that Valerie was troubled. What was she expecting from him? Anger? Disappointment? Bitterness?
He had had many conversations with his adar to determine what his true feelings were. His father, with his millennia of wisdom, had greatly helped him to see reason. Yes, he had been disappointed when he had felt that Valerie had been tempted by a man. But his mate was half-elven. She was bound to have a few human weaknesses. Truly, being attracted to other males when her natural needs were not satisfied was not a pleasant weakness for her to have, but he would have to cope with it. She had had the strength to resist, and that was the most important thing. She was his. She would remain his, and his only. He would simply have to make sure that her needs were satisfied at all times, and that temptations were scare. And it would start now, at this very minute. But not in the fortress, in the middle of the night. He knew their reunion would not be a quiet affair, not when he had to reassert his claim.
He silently prepared her cloak and a pair of comfortable boots. He went back to the bed and slowly leaned over her immobile form. He kissed her softly and she slowly woke up, opening her eyes to see what was happening. She quickly pulled him against her, opening her mouth for a more passionate kiss. It had the effect of an electric current on Legolas. His need sky rocketed, and he pulled away before losing control.
She looked at him, worried about his reaction. "Legolas?" she whispered, uncertain. Had he actually rejected her?
"Put this on," he said, giving her the cloak and the boots.
"Why? Where are we going?"
"In the forest. I need to be alone with you."
"But -"
"Miniel will take care of the children in the morning. She missed them greatly."
Valerie did not attempt to read Legolas' mind. She was terrified of reading his thoughts. His kiss had been a good omen, but his reaction when she had kissed him back and his request to leave the fortress were not good signs at all. He was probably angry and wanted to discuss the situation with her with no one within earshot.
She resignedly put the cloak and boots on and followed him silently in the hallway and on the bridges, until they made it to the main gate. The warriors on guard duty discreetly watched as their captain was pulling his mate by the hand through the great gate and disappearing in the forest a few minutes later. They looked at each other, puzzled, but thought they would report their departure to the king in the morning, if the prince and princess were not back by then.
Valerie could not stand the tension anymore. Legolas had brought her in the forest, and as they were getting deeper in the woods, she was becoming anxious. Why was he isolating them from the rest of the Greenwood population? Thranduil had said her mate was not angry!
"Legolas, please," she prayed, "tell me what is going on… You are scaring me!"
Legolas stopped pulling her by the hand and gently pushed her against a tree trunk, his body pressing firmly against hers. "I am sorry, I did not mean to frighten you, Vanima – beautiful." One of his hands cupped her chin while the other caressed her waist under the cloak. She could not see him very clearly in the dark, but she could see his reassuring smile. He was so handsome with his blue eyes detailing her eagerly, his skin glowing under the moonlight and his elegant features. Her Legolas, her mate, the only one she loved.
He caressed her lips with his thumb. "I missed you, and I want you all to myself for the night. Or for the week. It will take as long as it takes, but we will repair our bond after this lengthy separation."
The next instant, he was kissing her urgently, his lips insisting to get access, and when granted, his tongue started exploring her mouth in the most intimate manner. Since she had expected him to be furious, she was surprised by the passionate onslaught, but she let him have his way for the moment.
"Legolas, we need to talk -" she attempted to say when he paused a moment to allow them to breathe.
"No, we do not need to talk. Not now," was his terse reply before he crushed her against the tree trunk. She felt his erection on her stomach and his intent became very clear. "For now, I need to be inside of you."
He was right, of course. They had all the time in the world to talk. Just the fact that he wanted to make love was proof enough that things between them were not as bad as she had originally thought. "Yes," she mumbled, "I need you too. I have wanted you for so long… I dreamed of your loving every day and night in the past few months!"
Legolas did not hesitate. There would be time for tenderness, time for foreplay, but now was not the time. He needed to possess her. He quickly opened his leggings to free his painful erection, and after tearing Valerie's flimsy gown and lifting her left leg around his waist, he took her in one sure movement.
Valerie cried in surprise. "Legolas!"
Once he was buried to the hilt inside of his beloved, Legolas leaned his head against her neck and remained immobile, just savoring the fact that she was there in his arms, that she was still his, and that he was finally inside her delectable body. The warmth, the silkiness, the tightness, all these sensations he had dreamed about for months were now his to experiment again.
"You are mine," he murmured against her skin, taking deep breaths, her familiar scent invading his nostrils. Did her skin still tasted the same? He slowly licked her neck, and then her ear. There was a sun flavor on her skin now. It gave her a delicately exotic taste.
"Yes, my love. I am yours," she whispered, her fingers gripping his long, silky hair. She pulled on his hair for him to look at her. She took in his features, the lust displayed clearly on his face by his slightly open lips and his dilated pupils. There was something in his eyes, something she had only seen during the time that the Marchwarden of Lothlorien had been in Greenwood. She now could put words on what she read in his eyes.
He pushed the cloak away from her shoulders and removed completely the torn pieces of her night gown, uncovering her breasts. His hands covered them, massaged them, reacquainting himself with the softness of her pink nipples. "Your breasts are mine, Vanima."
Possessiveness. Jealousy. These were the words describing what she could read in his eyes. Since she had caused his state of mind by showing weakness back in Dol Amroth, she would not protest and start a fight. She would agree to all his claims if it could reassure him that she was indeed his and had no intentions of ever letting another man try to kiss her again.
"Yes, they are yours. See how they fit perfectly in your hands?"
Legolas lifted her left leg higher and gave another sudden thrust upwards. Valerie's cry was muffled by his mouth on hers. "Your lips are mine," he continued. "No other male, ellon or man, will ever touch them again."
With each plunge inside her, he named a new body part that belonged to him. Valerie's pleasure was swiftly growing, her body starving for a kind of release she had not had in months. His shaft was giving her exactly the right friction, at the right speed, and she was feeling blissful sensations in her engorged core.
"Yes, Legolas! I am yours," she feverishly repeated each time he asked her. His grunts and thrusts became erratic; he was quickly losing control. She could feel the tree bark in her back, it was quite painful but she did not care, not when Legolas was making love to her in such a primal way, not when the pleasure was so strong. She could feel waves of heavenly sensations moving from the apex of her thighs to her breasts, to her fingertips and to her weakening leg.
"Look at me!" he requested when he realized she was on the edge. She stared at him, fighting the need to close her eyes, her gaze prisoner of his. She came with a loud cry, her body arching against the tree. Legolas watched her release avidly, like a starved man in front of a feast, observing the physical signs of her orgasm, from the flush of her skin to her soft, breathless cries. These were music to his ears, he would never get enough of these beautiful sounds she was making during her pleasure. When she finally came down from her figurative high, his thrusts increased in speed and forcefulness until he came himself, biting her shoulder to muffle his own moans. He ejaculated jets after jets of semen in the longest and most intense orgasm he had ever experienced. He briefly thought that the best way to ensure that no male would attempt to take Valerie from him would be for her to be with child. He quickly disregarded that thought. Where had it come from anyway? They did not want more children!
He reluctantly withdrew from her body, and pulling her down with him, they knelt in front of each other on the ground.
"I am sorry, my love," he said, caressing her face. "Pardon my conduct. I do not know what happened just now. I should not have said such possessive words."
She slowly opened his tunic and let her hands travel on his shoulders and torso, reacquainting herself with the peaks and valleys of his muscular chest. His pale skin was warm under her cold hands, and Legolas seemed to appreciate the contrast that was calming the fever in his body and soul. She bared his shoulders and he helped her to remove his tunic entirely. His arm was still heavily bandaged. She slowly started to remove the dressing, wondering what she would see underneath the layers of fabric.
"I saw that you had been injured in Lady Galadriel's mirror," she said, gently caressing his bare arm once she saw the long gash that was still mending. "I will have to clean this properly once we are back at the fortress. How did it happen?" she inquired, lightly kissing the skin around the scar.
"Concentrating has been difficult lately," he admitted. "I let my guard down in front of an orc..."
"I missed you too. So much! Hadrian got injured because I could not stop dreaming of you, even during the day. We have not been together in months, Legolas, and I have been a terrible mate -"
"You are not a terrible mate. You are perfect to me," he insisted huskily.
She could tell he was ready for another round, his hard length apparent through his open leggings. But before they made love again, she had to share her worries with him. "You deserve so much more than this! Our bond is weak, weak because of me, because I have unacceptable human flaws," she whimpered. "You deserve a true elleth."
"Our bond is far from weak! Valerie, I felt your emotions while you were in Dol Amroth! Do you know how exceptional this is? We have a strong bond, my love, one of the strongest that exists. I do not wish for a true elleth when my perfect match is half-elven! We simply discovered one of your weaknesses. One does not choose his or her weaknesses, but they can work on them."
"Now that I know that I can be tempted outside of our bond, I promise that I will never again find myself in a situation where a male can try to seduce me. I love you, Legolas. You are the only one for me, and if my body is weak, my mind will always remain strong."
"I love you, Vanima." He pulled her against him and they did not talk for a while, just savoring the presence of the other.
He kissed you, did he not? That man in Dol Amroth?
He had not spoken the question out loud, as if he was ashamed of his inquiry and preferred to ask her mentally.
"Legolas, it can only hurt you to know…"
Did he put his lips on yours? he mentally insisted. She knew he would not stop until he knew a minimum of details.
"Yes, he tried."
"From now on, when you travel outside of Greenwood, you should not trust any human male that seems too friendly."
"Tell me, my dear, secretive husband, does that apply to Haldir?" she asked, losing her patience a little. She had promised to be on her guard, she did not need him to give her advice on how to deal with unpleasant suitors.
Legolas stared at her.
"I saw him two weeks ago in Lothlorien. I read some interesting things in his mind, my love. Some things that I might have appreciated knowing before I saw him again."
"Did he try to seduce you?"
"No! Of course not! We did not even have a real conversation about it. But as I was convinced it would never have worked with Haldir, Lady Galadriel showed me what my life would have been if Haldir had come to my world instead of you."
Legolas swallowed painfully, his breathing picking up. She could read his mind like an open book now. He was worried that she would have preferred her other possible fate as the mate of the Marchwarden.
"I am yours," Valerie reminded him. "The life I have with you is all I want. I am happy, I swear I never had any regrets! I love you, please get this into that thick head of yours! Haldir means nothing to me. You are my world, my everything, you understand?"
"Yes."
He stood and pulled her to her feet. He helped her to climb on an abandoned flet in a nearby tree. And there, on the hard wood floor, they made love many times that night, alone in the middle of the woods. No one was witness to what they said to each other, but when they came back early in the morning, the guards saw that the prince and the princess seemed like a young couple just bound the day before.
The only comment came from Thranduil, who met them as they made their way to their apartment.
"Why do you wear a cloak in the fortress in late spring?" Valerie violently blushed and Legolas smiled triumphantly to his father. "I think I prefer not knowing," the king sighed. "Please, do try not to be late for breakfast, you know how I hate that…"
OoOoO
Liam entered in his grandfather's office unannounced, which was proof that the young ellon was greatly disturbed. He was, like Thranduil, one of the few in the family who tried to respect the protocol at all times, a consideration that the king appreciated immensely in his oldest grandson.
Thranduil dropped his quill and stared at his grandson who was pacing in front of his desk. Liam suddenly stopped and watched him, unable to ask the question that seemed to burn his lips. The anguish he could see in the young ellon's eyes was heartbreaking. Something had happened and Liam did not know how to express his concern.
"Do sit, Liam, and tell me what is wrong," the king quietly requested. There was no need to rush him when he was in that state.
Liam sat in a chair, squirmed for a few moments and finally jumped out of his seat almost right away, too stressed to be sitting quietly as his grandsire had requested. He started pacing again, and finally finding his courage, turned to the king.
"Do you know? Did you realize it yet?" he asked, his voice going up an octave.
"What should I have realized by now?"
"About Mother…"
Thranduil closed his eyes and leaned against the back of his seat. So he was not the only one having suspicions about Valerie. Liam, the ever observant child, had noticed the tell-tale signs too.
"I guess I should take your reaction as confirmation!" the young ellon cried, starting to pace once more. "How could they not know themselves?" he asked out loud, bewildered and frightened. This was such bad news. For the family, for the entire realm!
"I believe that they cannot conceive it happened. After all, they both had decided that it would never happen again."
"And yet, here we are, with Mother who does not even realize that she is with child! And Aunt Allison left for Imladris two months ago with Glorfindel!"
"Liam," Thranduil said to calm him down, "we need a healer to confirm that your mother is indeed pregnant. I am certain that your father did not desire to have a child, and therefore, the probability that your mother is pregnant is remote."
Liam laughed darkly. "I have observed my mother closer than you did, Grandsire. I even asked some highly inappropriate questions to her servants. Did you know that she did not get her periods since her return from our journey? That is not something Ada would know, since he has been away many weeks since then. He probably thinks that she has her periods while he is on duty! Furthermore, Mother is nauseous regularly, she is always tired… What else do you want as proof?"
"Listen, now that we have shared our suspicions, we have to control how she will discover it. She just cannot pick such information randomly in our minds! It would be catastrophic! We need to tell them. Delicately," the king added.
"Adar arrived from the forest last night. We need to tell them now. Before breakfast. Before she can read it in our minds."
"Her reaction will be terrible. We need to keep this in the family. What do you think if we ask Elladan to confirm her pregnancy? He is a skilled healer, like his father Elrond."
"He is practically family," Liam mused. "Yes, he should be the one."
Making a quick decision, Thranduil called for a servant and asked her to request the presence of his son, daughter and Elladan immediately in his office. "Liam, please collect yourself. Do try to think of something else when they come in my office, and let me do the talking."
Liam accepted and sat down, breathing deeply to control his nerves. He was truly scared by the possibility that his mother was pregnant. He had been very young, but not young enough not to have realized that his mother had almost died during the birth of his little brothers. He did not want her to die!
Thranduil cleared his throat when the door opened, and Liam started thinking about the latest book he had been reading. He smiled to his mother when she came in with his father, who was holding her arm gallantly. Elladan followed them in.
"Father?" Valerie asked. "We were waiting for you for breakfast. Could this meeting wait after the children broke their fast?"
"No, I have a matter of great importance to discuss. How are you this morning, Valerie?"
"I had an upset stomach again," Valerie complained.
Legolas looked at her sharply. "You never told me it was happening regularly!"
"How frequently is it happening?" Elladan asked curiously. "I know a remedy that can help you with that, until we find which food is not being digested properly by your system."
"It happened a couple of times in the last few weeks," Valerie replied. "I cannot figure out what food is wrong for me. I eat the same things than everyone else."
"Are you feeling tired?" the healer frowned.
"Yes. Even if I sleep deeply every night, I really feel tired when I wake up in the morning. I think I should work less."
Elladan looked at Thranduil, an unspoken question in his eyes. Thranduil nodded.
Legolas had seen the silent exchange. "You certainly do not think that...?"
"Would it be possible?" the king asked.
"No! Absolutely not!" Legolas stated with certainty.
"What are you talking about?" Valerie asked.
Seeing Legolas' closed expression, Thranduil decided to help Valerie understand what was truly happening here. "Valerie nin, when was the last time that you had your… periods?" the king asked.
"What an inappropriate question! This is none of your concern!" Valerie thundered, watching the four males with annoyance.
"Valerie," the king tried again, "please answer me. It is very important for us to know."
"I do not know! I do not remember! I do not keep track anymore…"
"Mother, what if I told you… that the last time was probably when we were in Lothlorien?" Liam asked her gently.
Valerie stared at him in disbelief. "How…?" Her expression changed, going from affronted to suspicious, to worried. Her complexion suddenly turned green as she swayed on her chair. Legolas caught her before she fell, and Thranduil grabbed his garbage can and put it in front of her right on time as her stomach emptied itself for the second time that morning.
Elladan called the servant and asked her to bring water and a towel. He helped Legolas to lead Valerie on a sofa where she lied down. When the servant came back, Elladan put a wet towel on her forehead and Legolas gave her a glass of water. Valerie drank under the four worried pairs of eyes. She took a few deep breaths, and straitened her back, ready to fight.
"I cannot be pregnant," she stated. "Legolas and I do not want another child."
Thranduil gave a questioning look to Legolas.
"Adar, I did not wish for another child. You know of our decision. It has been more than 5 years, and my resolve never faltered. I will never put Valerie's life at risk again," the prince said with certainty.
Liam was trying to find an explanation. He knew that male elves were literally deciding of the moment when their mates got pregnant, and Legolas seemed very adamant that he had not wished for his mother to be with child. There had to be another explanation, another way of getting pregnant… "Can the Valar have forced them…?" Liam asked, making a wild assumption. "After all, the prophecy is not over yet. Can the gods have decided that they would ignore my parents' decision and make sure that the prophecy goes on?"
Thranduil looked at Elladan, trying to evaluate this absurd possibility. But as the king really started contemplating the idea, it started making much sense. The gods would never have allowed two elves to defy their will in such a blatant way. He looked at Legolas. "Did you ever have a sudden thought while making love, even if it was just a faint idea? Anything about Valerie having children, a thought coming out of nowhere that did not seem suspicious at the time?"
"No!" Legolas said. "I am sure…" and then he stopped.
Valerie tried to push him away from her, but Legolas grabbed her against her will to crush her body against his chest. "I cannot believe it," he cried frantically. "It was the first time that we were together when you came back. I had this treacherous thought that maybe Erchirion would not have approached you if you had been pregnant. Do not tell me that…!"
"The ways of the Valar are not always as we would wish them to be," the king said with pain in his voice. He took some time to recover himself. Legolas had been tricked by the Valar. He looked at his destroyed son and his distressed daughter, who was now crying softly against his chest.
"Let me check you first, to confirm if our suspicions are right," Elladan said. He walked to Valerie and only put a bit of pressure on her stomach a few times before he stood in front of her. "Valerie, there is no need for me to conduct a deeper examination. You are… very pregnant. My guess is that you are more than four months pregnant."
"It cannot be, I only have been back home for three months! It would show more than this. I have not even gained weight!" Valerie cried.
"You actually lost a bit of weight because of how sick you feel," Elladan said. "But believe me, your stomach is the stomach of a pregnant woman with strong abdominal muscles. It does not show much, but you seem more than four months pregnant."
"Elladan! Listen to me!" Valerie told him with little patience. "I cannot be four months pregnant, I have only been back for three months!"
Legolas stood and started swearing in English.
"Legolas!" Valerie cried. "I swear I did not -"
Legolas sat beside his mate and put his head against her shoulder. "I know, Vanima, I would never think that another one is the father of this child!"
Thranduil choked, bewildered that Valerie had thought they were accusing her of having cheated on Legolas while she was in Lothlorien. Liam looked at the adults, understanding what the conversation had meant. He too, would never have thought that his mother would have been with another ellon. How paranoid could she get?
Legolas whispered in Valerie's neck the words that no one wanted to hear. "I think I know why your pregnancy would seem advanced…"
Elladan and Thranduil shivered.
"Why?" Valerie asked, not grasping the only reason why her pregnancy seemed ahead of schedule.
"There is more than one child again…" Liam mumbled. He burst into tears. A multiple pregnancy was always riskier, as they had experienced in the past.
"Legolas, please," Thranduil urged his son, "do try to feel the child. See if our assumption is right. You could feel Oropher and Gil-galad at an early stage of pregnancy before."
Legolas took a deep breath and slowly put his hand on Valerie's stomach. He remained immobile and silent for a long time, and Thranduil started wondering if his son could feel the child or not. When Legolas removed his hand, he slowly put his forehead against Valerie's stomach and emitted one desperate whimper. "I am sorry, I am so sorry," he mumbled, terribly distressed.
Valerie caressed his golden hair tenderly, resigned to her fate. "Twins again?" she sighed.
"No," Legolas replied. "Not two… I can feel…" he swallowed and took a deep breath, "I can feel… three fëar in your stomach."
Valerie dissolved into tears. "Why?" she asked desperately to Thranduil. "Why would the Valar want my death? What have I done to deserve their hatred! I stand no chance to survive this!"
The king went to sit beside Valerie and pulled Legolas against his other side. He was holding each of them in his embrace, caressing their heads like he was regularly doing with his youngest grandsons. And Valerie and Legolas were no different than lost elflings at that moment, depressed, defeated, heartbroken.
Elladan pulled his young future brother-in-law in a similar embrace. He watched the royal family with compassion, seeing that the recent news were truly hurting the family. The king was holding his son and daughter-in-law like they were the most precious things in his life, and they probably were. He looked elsewhere, not wanting to intrude in this intimate display of affection.
"We knew the prophecy had at least two more elflings," Thranduil whispered. "I think it is safe to say that with Sauron growing in power with every passing year, the Valar decided that the prophecy should be taking place immediately. It has been six years since the birth of the twins. If you had had a child every second year, these three elflings would have been born within the same time frame… The prophecy will take place despite your reluctance, at the same time than they had decided originally."
"I will not helplessly watch my mate die," Legolas stated, finally regaining some composure. "There must be something we can do to ensure that her life will not be threatened by this pregnancy and by the birth."
"I doubt the Valar would let Valerie die during labor," Elladan started to say, but he stopped when he saw the doubt in Legolas' eyes. After all, she had nearly died the first time around, and the Valar had been involved.
"Allison needs to come back," Liam whispered against Elladan's shoulder.
"I think that Valerie should go to my father. Between him and Allison, Valerie has the highest chance of survival."
"Elladan is right, this is the best course of action," the king admitted.
"I can bring her to Imladris with an escort in two months from now," Elladan offered.
"I am not letting my mate go to Imladris without me," Legolas all but growled.
"You will leave your warriors?" Elladan questioned.
"Yes, he will," Thranduil cut drily. "Valerie will need Legolas more than our guards will need him. Hadron will replace him competently, fear not, Elrondion."
Elladan bowed, accepting the decision. "Valerie needs to travel while she is still well. Then she will be resting in Imladris until the birth. I have no experience in pregnancies with three elflings, but I think it is safe to say that she will probably give birth early like the last time. Probably at 8 months, if not less."
Valerie was not listening to Legolas, the king and Elladan while they were discussing the future plan. Her head still leaning against Thranduil's shoulder, she wanted to remain there as if he could protect her from the Valar. She was scared, tired and too desperate to be outraged that the Valar would force her into a difficult pregnancy once more. Should she pray for their protection, or curse them for their absence of heart?
"And in the meantime," Thranduil declared as if he was reading her mind, "it would help if we were all praying the Valar, and especially the Valier, to help Valerie through this ordeal."
The voice of reason had spoken.
In the next chapter, Valerie goes to Imladris to see Lord Elrond and Allison. In his own home, Elladan will be competing with another ellon for Phoebe's favors...
Gryps: I was pleased to see that you read my story three times! Thranduil is a warrior, he does have the same tattoos... Do you want to see them at some point in the story?
WMaldonado89: not all three babies will be reborn kings. You will know their identities in two chapters. Stay tuned!
faye50free: The Valar did what they had to do to get the prophecy going, but they will not let Valerie down this time around...
Angel: Haldir will meet his mate soon, in a few more chapters. He will be happy, I promise. As for Hadrian, there will be a few time jumps coming, and unfortunately, he will age while the others won't...
Abbyforth: I thought that Eowyn must have started being the first lady of Rohan at an early age. We will see more of her later in the story.
Glassary: as you can see, the Valar executed their plan as soon as Valerie and Legolas were reunited...
gginsc: I like Haldir, but you are right, he should have gone to her world instead of letting Legolas go. But in the end, I like the character too much to let him suffer for much longer.
ShueYun: Hadrian was not part of the Valar's plan, it was Valerie's desire to help the orphan that made her take him under her wing. As a consequence, Hadrian will age over the next few chapters...
Paperlanterns86: Haldir's future mate will be an original character. It would be too strange to match him with someone we have seen in the other story, don't you think?
Hannahhobnob: Haldir will find his new mate in a few chapters. He needs to stop dreaming about Valerie...
Aralinn: the story will cover until Legolas sails to Valinor after the death of King Elessar, so we have a few more chapters together!
Glory Bee: I agree that she could have been with both of them. I think she could also have been with Glorfindel or even Elladan. Each potential mate could have generated a completely different story... I have to stop thinking about, or I will start a brand new story with someone else!
TheQueenofErynLagasryn: glad that you caught up! Thanks for your review!
PeridotEyez: it was a great journey for Valerie, and I agree, it was too bad that Gilrin's son didn't respect the fact that Valerie is mated. On the other hand, she learned to control her human instincts better...