A/N: Thanks for the reviews! -hugs anonymous guests- This is one of the scenes that happens during the movie. I tried to focus on Elinor's thoughts. Please read and review!
Merida glared at her mother, chest heaving, and thrust the sword into the rich fabric of the tapestry.
"I'll never be like you! I'd rather die than be like you!"
Elinor's heart clenched in pain as she heard the last words from her daughter, and shattered when Merida slashed a long, deep cut into the tapestry that she had worked so hard and stitched so meticulously on. Elinor's eyes widened when she saw that Merida had deliberately slashed the tapestry at the point where she and Merida were holding hands.
The bond broken…
Merida faced her mother with an almost gloating arrogance, and that is when Elinor grew angry.
She thinned her lips dangerously and stalked toward Merida, who now looked slightly apprehensive. Elinor seized the sword that was hanging limply in Merida's hand and tossed it to the side. The sword fell to the stone floor with a metallic clang.
"Merida, you are a princess! And I expect you to act like one!" Elinor grasped the ends of Merida's bow and jerked it off her shoulders, ignoring the yelp of pain from her daughter. Elinor threw the bow into the roaring fire and Merida gasped. Elinor faced her daughter again and Merida's eyes filled with tears. With a final defiant, yet heartbroken look, Merida gathered her skirts and ran out, slamming the door in the process.
Elinor felt a curious, savage triumph. But the emotion was short-lived and dissipated as soon as she heard the popping, crackling sound. She whirled around and her hands flew to her mouth.
"Oh, no…no!" Elinor grabbed the poker and although she managed to salvage the bow from the leaping flames, the bowstring had already snapped off and there was an ugly charring on the ivory wood.
"What have I done…" she moaned. Suddenly filled with guilt, she sank to her knees and keeled over, sobbing.
Back in her room, Merida lay prone on her bed and sobbed as well, for the injustice and irreversibility of her situation as well as anger toward her mother, who put queenly duties before her duties as mother. Her furious conversation with her mother echoed in her head.
This whole marriage thing…it's wot ye want! Did ye ever ask what I want? No!
…I'm not going to be like ye!
Merida, ye are a princess! A princess…I expect ye to act like one…
After having exhausted herself from crying, Merida sat up, wiped her nose on her sleeve (an act that her mother, the queen, would certainly disapprove of), and decided that, if she couldn't escape her fate, she might as well consult someone to change her mother.
Fergus lumbered down the stone hallway toward his and Elinor's room, and paused when he heard a tearful gulp and quiet sniffling from inside. He peered inside and saw Elinor lying curled on the cold, stone floor, with her normally sleek braids frazzled and unkempt. She looked as tiny as a doll. He quickly opened the door and rushed to her side.
"Elinor, love! Wot's the matter? Are ye hurt? Wot happened?"
Elinor had started in surprise when she heard the door swing open, and she hastily wiped her eyes, which were swollen from crying. She took a deep breath but as soon as she looked into Fergus' worried expression, she crumpled and sobbed afresh, clinging to Fergus, who gathered her close to him and gently rubbed her back.
"Och, Fergus! Tis all my fault! I…Merida, we had an argument…ye have to go find her! I threw…threw her bow intae the fire… Fergus, I feel so terrible and I am such a..."
Fergus quietly rocked Elinor, murmuring softly to her.
"Hush, mah love. Tis all right, calm down."
Fergus cast a quick eye around the room and caught sight of what must be the remains of Merida's trusty bow. Then he saw the tapestry and suddenly everything clicked in his mind.
"Merida ruined the tapestry did she?"
Elinor gave a tearful gulp and nodded. "But it's my fault, Fergus! I provoked her. Maybe she's right. Maybe I am too selfish. And look wot I did!" Elinor gave a last sniff and rubbed her eyes. "Merida must hate me right now."
Fergus shook his head and pressed a gentle kiss to Elinor's forehead.
"Och, nay, Eli, Merida doesnae hate ye—"
"But she said she would rather die than be like the beast I am!" Elinor interrupted. "I am a beast…" Her eyes filled with tears.
Fergus peered at her solemnly. "Yer her mother, she could never hate ye. Besides, she's just hot-tempered. Give her some time. She will come 'round. I know she will; she doesnae have a mean bone in her body. In the meantime, her bow just needs a bit 'o cleanin' and primpin' to restore it to its former glory. Aye, Elinor?"
Fergus lifted Elinor into his arms and carried her over to their bed. She watched him assess the damage to the bow and search for the proper cleaning tools.
"Dinna worry yerself, dear, Merida'll be fine." Elinor returned his confident smile with a watery one of her own.
"Thank ye, Fergus…"
Fergus winked at her and went to work, measuring out a new bowstring and fastening it expertly with his bare hands. It seemed that in no time at all, Fergus looked up at Elinor and held Merida's new bow aloft proudly, with a sleek new bowstring and (almost as if it had never been scorched in the fire) shiny wood frame. Elinor moved closer to her husband and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Wot would I do without ye, Fergus," she murmured, marveling at her husband's handiwork.
"Well, ye aren't without me, lass, and ye'll never be." Fergus chortled and admired his work himself. He reached for a sharp spearhead to begin carving a design on the wood. However, Elinor stopped him; a sudden idea had popped into her head and she hurried over to her sewing table with a sparkle in her eye. She found a large needle with a fine point and gestured for him to bring the bow to her.
"If ye wouldn't mind, I'd like to carve something for Merida…something special…" Elinor explained. Her bright eyes met Fergus' and he grinned, nodding.
"Aye, a fine idea, my love! She'll love et!"
Elinor smiled but then her brow creased in worry. "Please go find Merida, Fergus," Elinor pleaded.
Fergus nodded again and gave Elinor a reassuring smile. "I will, Eli."
Fergus hummed to himself as he made his way down to Merida's room. He blinked in surprise when he saw that her satchel was gone and then experienced a slight twinge of worry. In the distance, he heard the creak of stable doors and his head shot up. A flash of unmistakable fiery hair passed by on a dark horse and Fergus paled.
"Merida!" Fergus bellowed. "Come back, lass!" But Merida was too far away to hear him. Fergus then panicked: should he tell Elinor first or should he round up a group of men to chase down Merida? Fergus decided to assemble the men first, and then he went to find Elinor.
"Lads!" Fergus roared, getting the attention of everybody in the great hall. "Saddle up yer horses and go after mah daughter! She's run away!"
Lord McGuffin started to ask questions, but Fergus waved him away with a meaty swipe of his paw.
"No time fer questions, ye bumbling idiot! After my daughter!"
The lords scrambled over their feet and burst through the courtyard. Fergus stood for a moment, panting, and then remembered Elinor. Oh, how in the world was he going to break the news to Elinor?"
He raced up the stone stairs and barreled into their room, startling Elinor. She squeaked in surprise and stood up quickly.
"Fergus, wot is it? Is Merida…?"
"Gone! She's gone!"
Elinor felt all the blood drain from her face and she stumbled, dropping the carved bow to the floor. Fergus hurried to her side and wrapped a protective arm around her thin shoulders.
"No…" Elinor moaned. Then her protective motherly instincts kicked in. She picked up her skirts and ran down to the courtyard. She almost reached the stables when she felt Fergus' arms wrap around her chest.
"Merida! Come back!" Elinor screamed, again and again, but to no avail. She sank to the ground, her knees suddenly giving way. Fergus scowled in worry.
"I'm going to find Merida, lass, don't worry. Keep Hamish, Hubert, and Harris safe!"
Elinor gazed at him determinedly.
"No, Fergus, I'm comin' with ye. The boys are under Maudie's watch, they'll be fine-"
"No, Elinor," Fergus cut across firmly. Seeing her distressed face, Fergus softened. "I need ye here, Eli, to be strong and have faith. I'll find Merida."
Fergus swung himself up on his steed, clapped his heels and thundered off into the sunset. Elinor pressed a hand to her erratically-beating heart and silently prayed for her daughter and husband.
Nearly two hours later, Elinor still paced her rooms, feeling more anxious by the minute. Suppose Mor'du got to Merida? What would happen then? Or worse, what if the beast had found her Fergus? Elinor gave herself a mental shake and looked out the window, seeing the lords coming back. She picked up her skirts and hurried down, commanding the guards to open the doors. When the lords saw Elinor, they besieged her with questions about her well-being.
"M'lords, if ye wouldn't mind, I am more concerned for my daughter than myself, at the moment. Will you kindly tell me—"
"We tried to track the princess down, m'lady!" Dingwall interrupted. "She disappeared with the Wisps though!"
Elinor's steely gaze lowered to Dingwall and for a moment, Lord Dingwall paled.
"My daughter…the heir…is missing. My husband has gone out to search for her. Might I ask you to resume the search—"
"ELINOR!" Elinor whipped her head around to see Fergus marching in, looking windswept but triumphant. She swept past the awestruck lords and stood in front of Fergus, silently pressing him for information.
"Eli, Merida's back. She's in the kitchens now…"
Elinor's face broke into a wide smile of relief and she briefly touched his arm with her hand.
"Oh, thank heavens, Fergus!" Elinor glanced back at the lords, who were all craning their necks to see the king and queen. "Dear, why don't ye…entertain the lords for a bit while I go talk with Merida?"
Elinor hurried to the kitchens, sparing Maudie a sympathetic glance as she struggled with keeping the triplets away from the desserts that lay temptingly on the table. Finally, Elinor opened the kitchen door and sighed in relief to see Merida.
"Merida! Oh my darlin'…look at yer dress! Oh, I was so worried, I didnae know where ye were, and if Mor'du had…!"
"Mum, Angus threw me. But I'm all right!" Merida hastily added, seeing Elinor's face blanch with worry.
"Well, yer home now. And that's the end of that." Elinor smoothed her daughter's wild curls and smiled at her. Merida smiled back tentatively.
"Come dear, I have something for ye."
Merida opened her mouth in surprise, but she allowed herself to be guided upstairs to her room. She did, however, glance over her shoulder at the little cake that she had set there innocently on a plate. There would be time later for that.
"Close yer eyes, Merida," Elinor said, as she closed the door. Merida hesitated, but complied. Elinor grinned after making sure her daughter indeed had her eyes shut tight.
"No peeking!" Elinor added. She turned toward her daughter's wardrobe and as she opened the closet doors, Merida let out a frustrated groan.
"Not more dresses, Mum, again?!" Elinor chuckled and examined Merida's newly-fixed bow. Satisfied with the design that she carved, Elinor approached her daughter and told her to hold out her hands. Merida did and felt the familiar feeling of wood in her palms. Her eyes shot open and she looked at her bow, awestruck.
"Mum!" Merida whispered, excitedly. "How…but ye threw my bow intae the fire! This is—this bow is…"
"Aye, my love, and I'm sorry for doing that. I just lost my temper. Yer father cleaned and restrung the bow, and I carved a new design for ye. I am really sorry…"
Merida examined the intricate design on the wood and let out a breathy gasp.
"Oh Mum, this is beautiful…ye really did…?"
"Aye, lass, I carved it," Elinor whispered, looking at Merida with a mixture of love and hope. "Do…d'ye like it?"
Then, Merida surprised her mother by placing the bow down and lunging into her mother's arms, hugging her fiercely.
"Oh, Mummy, I should be the one who's sorry! And the tapestry…I ruined it! After ye worked so hard on it…I don't deserve yer love, Mum."
Elinor gripped Merida's shoulders and stared at her squarely in the eyes. "Merida. It doesnae matter wot ye did; I will never stop lovin' ye. We may both be wrong in wot we did. But that doesnae mean we canna fix what we have broken, hmm?"
Merida gazed trustingly into her mother's warm brown eyes and then nestled into Elinor's embrace.
"I love you, Mummy."
Merida made a mental note to toss out the witch's cursed cake as soon as Elinor decides to release her from the strangling hug. In the meantime, Merida basks in the glow of Elinor finally acting as her mother, and not the queen.