OMG! I can't believe I got so many reviews! I think that is the most I've
ever got in such a short time! (I got 8 all on the 14th of March – how
cool is that?) You guys have no idea how happy you've made me. And my ego
is so huge I'll have to walk through a door sideways, but that's ok.
Here's your second chapter, and for those of you who care about disclaimers
(cuz most of the characters are so obviously not mine): none of the
characters recognizable from the books Lord of the Rings (and others) are
mine, but if anybody's selling Legolas I'll be happy to take him off your
hands. (man is he fine!)
Chapter 2
A loud crash and a whoosh tore my thoughts away from the nearly finished letter. I signed my name and rolled it up, stuffing it in the pocket of my robe even as I surged up from my chair, knocking it over and nearly tripping over it in my hurry to run down the hall to the room from where the noise had come from. Bria's room.
The lintel around the door was on fire. And even as I ran towards the door, Bria ran out, followed closely by a strange man that really shouldn't have been there. I thrust my hands out to ward him off and a great stream of purple flame streamed from my palms into his face.
He screamed as flame consumed him, and I scooped up Bria and ran. I slipped behind a pillar and into one of the secret exits, and ran along the dark corridor, the floor cold under my feet and a bitter wind going straight through my thin cotton nightdress. Bria had buried her face in my shoulder, and was holding tight to my neck, pulling on my hair as she did so.
I put her down momentarily to push aside the great rock blocking the exit, then scooped her into my arms as I ran out of the tunnel into the dim early morning light. I had barely run seven steps from the passage when there was a great explosion, and Bria and I were thrown flat, and bits of burning wood and sharp bits of stone flew around us, landing scant inches from us.
"Ama." Bria whimpered. I looked up and could see in the faint light a figure standing above us, his drawn sword glinting in the faint light of the setting moon.
"How touching. The Queen and Princess, on the floor before a commoner." I swiftly rose to my feet.
"Curb your tongue." I snapped, drawing all my queenly dignity, acquired during my time as ruler of Mordor, around me.
"Per'aps not, yer ladyship." He drawled. He raised his sword. "Time to curb you though." Bria turned her great blue-gray eyes at me, and kissed my cheek. Then she turned her head back and buried it against my neck. I stared levelly at the man. I knew I could not outrun him, not holding Bria. So it seemed dignified death was the way to go. I can think of worse.
Then there was a sickening squelch, and the man froze, then slowly toppled forward. I stepped daintily out the way, and the man fell face down on the place I had been standing, a kitchen knife sticking from his back.
One of the peasant women stood behind him, a slight dark splatter of blood on her face.
"Well? Are ye to be standin' around in t'cold w'princess all mornin', or are ye coming in?" she asked, with the common peasant accent. I followed her into her little hut. It was small and round. It had a dirt floor with a fire in the centre. Bria kicked and I let her down, and she went straight over to the fire, warming her hands by it. The peasant woman fussed over her ridiculously, and Bria enjoyed every minute of it.
Soon the woman had us sat together on a blanket by the fire, wrapped in brightly coloured shawls, which were warm if not tatty, and sipping ale. I wasn't sure about my five-year-old daughter drinking alcohol, but I thought the one time wouldn't hurt.
*&*
We spent the rest of the night in the small hut. It was small, cramped, dirty and smelly, but it was better than sleeping outside. We were surprisingly warm, and I noticed the woman spent the entire night by the small door to the hut, clutching a knife. I was touched by her loyalty.
When the sun rose over the east mountains, I rose, leaving Bria on the pile of blankets that served as a bed. I clutched the shawl tighter around my shoulders as I left the hut.
My palace was barely more than a smouldering ruin now, with traces of smoke still floating to the sky. I leaned against the wall of the hut, folding my arms so the ends of the red and yellow patterned shall were securely fastened, so the wind that blew my night-dress around my ankles didn't leave with the shawl as well.
"My lady!" I looked to my right to see one of my officials running towards me. His name was Balten. Nice lad, just a tad arrogant, and thought himself somewhat better than he was.
"My lady! Thank goodness you're safe! We've been looking all over for you! Where's the princess?" He stood before me.
"She's safe." I answered evasively. "How is everyone else?"
"We have accounted for most. We are still bringing bodies out the wreckage, though." I frowned.
"I want the names of all the deceased, and –" I was interrupted by horns. Balten sprang before me, sword drawn. Then I saw the armor of the approaching party.
"It's Gondor!" I cried, pushing past him. I was met just before the men by my brother, who took me by the shoulders and looked at me searchingly.
"Get your hands off her, knave!" Balten cried, pushing me away and standing before Aragorn, sword drawn.
"Balten." I said sternly, using my 'queen voice'. He glanced at me. "Balten, put your sword away. Then step back. That is the king of Gondor and my brother." Balten stepped back, and I took his place, grinning at Aragorn, who looked a little shocked.
"Aragorn. How are you?" I asked. He blinked at me.
"Fine, thank you. Though I can't say the same for you." He glanced over my shoulder at my blackened palace. "What happened?"
"Someone-"
"Ama? I heard voices. Are you alright?" Bria slowly left the hut, the old woman following. The shawl wrapped around Bria was big, and she was swathed in it. She came over, and pulled at my hand, reverting to the signal she had used as a young child to tell me she wanted picking up.
I obliged and kissed her cheek. Then I turned to Aragorn, who looked shocked. "Bria, this is your uncle Aragorn, although people call him Elessar now. Aragorn, this is your niece, Bria." Bria chose that moment to push her red-blonde hair behind her ears, revealing the pointed tips. I can't say much for her timing.
"Does he know?" Aragorn asked me seriously. I shook my head.
"It's just me and B, isn't it, sweetheart?" Bria nodded and wrapped her arms around my neck, dislodging her shawl. "Legolas left me, Aragorn. Not the other way around. He put me through a lot of stuff I really didn't need. Kera got a lot of practice stewarding, she's gotten really good."
"Ada left when Ama needed him." Bria said. "Especially after Raiza."
"Bria, honey, please be quiet." I said. Bria looked at me with big blue eyes and blinked.
"Sorry Ama." She said softly. I kissed her forehead.
"Who's Raiza?" Aragorn asked me.
"Bria was a twin. Raiza, the elder twin, was born stillborn. The birth nearly killed us all, didn't it, lovely?" Bria nodded, "but we lived. But I can't have any more children, so Bria is my only." Aragorn frowned.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, sounding hurt.
"Aragorn, Arwen and I were pregnant at the same time. You were too busy worrying about Eldarion to worry about me. It's all right. You weren't expected." Aragorn raised his eyebrows.
"I didn't know that. How is it that you know of Eldarion, but I didn't know of Bria?"
"Because Eldarion's birth was made public to most of Middle Earth. Bria's was kept within Anorondor." Aragorn nodded.
Then I curtsied. "Welcome, King Elessar, to fair Anorondor." He laughed.
*&*
A few days later, Aragorn, Bria and I were starting to reorganize my people, and we were starting to plan the construction of the new palace, which would be by the cliffs of the Sea of Nurnen, in the south of Anorondor. I had only seen the sea in passing, but had never checked the site for building. I had sent people now to survey the site and the surrounding lands. Bria was very excited at the prospect of building an entire new palace, and both Aragorn and I hid smiles at her enthusiasm.
We were standing around outside, listening to Bria chatter on excitedly, when there was a yell and a whistle, and a knife of pain sank into my side. I gasped and stumbled sideways, and Aragorn quickly caught me. Bria, I was shocked to see, was ordering people around in a very organized manner, and in no time at all there was a circle of guards around us.
"Right." Bria said, turning back to us. "Uncle Aragorn, if you could lay her down, then you can push the arrow through. Then I'll heal her." Disregarding maternal pride completely, I stared. Five year old Bria was acting with all the assurance and knowledge of one five times her age. She put her hands on her hips when neither Aragorn nor I moved. "Well?" She demanded. Aragorn hastily laid me down, and Bria grasped my hand. A whistle of many arrows broke through my pain, and looking up I could see volleys of arrows flying above me, going in both directions. So someone was retaliating. Good.
I was brought back to the present with a gasp when Aragorn pushed the arrow through me, then he gave a yank from my back and triumphantly showed me a bloody arrow.
Bria knelt beside me, and a soft green flame flared from her palms. She placed her hands against my wounds, and I gave a sigh of relief as my pain left me.
"What, by Valar, is that?" Aragorn demanded. Bria shrugged.
"Magic. Palm-fire, the cook calls it. Good a name as any, I suppose." I said with a smile. Then I stood, the sound of arrows had ceased. I pushed past the circle of guards, and Aragorn and Bria followed.
Standing before me was Legolas, backed by the archers of Mirkwood. When he saw me, his gaze flicked to the bloodstain on my rose coloured gown where the arrow had hit me. Then he bowed formally.
"Your majesty." He said softly. I curtsied politely.
"Your highness. Your timing is immaculate, as ever." He gave a small smile.
"Legolas! Thank Valar you're here!" Aragorn exclaimed.
"Good to see you too, my friend." Legolas said warmly with a smile, and my heart nearly stopped. I had forgotten how beautiful he was.
"Ama? Who's that?" Bria pulled at my sleeve, and I looked down at her. Her timing was really, really bad.
"That is Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, love." I told her. She curtsied to him, and he bowed with a faint smile of amusement playing across his lips.
"Jané!" A talking whirlwind hugged me tightly, then scooped up Bria. "Little Princess! I was so worried about you both!" When the whirlwind stopped, I could see Kera, elegantly dressed in dark blue, draped in a gray velvet cloak. "I was so worried!" She repeated, kissing me on both cheeks. "I heard the palace went up and my first thought was you and Bria. I'm so glad you're well!"
"Kera." She shut up immediately as I spoke, and I gestured towards Aragorn and Legolas. She blushed as scarlet as the red trees embroidered onto the front of her cloak. She curtsied deeply.
"My lords." She murmured. Both Legolas and Aragorn were grinning.
"Lady Kera. It is good to see you again." Legolas said with a chuckle.
"And you, Lord Legolas. You have not come to see us in too long. Jané was..." she caught my gaze and her voice trailed away.
"My lady. We've found a safe place for you and your daughter to stay." A guard ran up and I resisted the urge to slap him. Why was I surrounded by people who had no sense of timing?
"Ama? I like the old lady, and her house. I want to stay there." She tugged on my hand insistently, and I picked her up.
"We'll see, lovely." I said as she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. I was infinitely aware of Legolas' gaze. He was not happy.
There you go, another chapter. I'm going to try to update once or twice a week if I can, but I'm using my mum's computer and she can get very possessive. So I'll do my best. Hope you liked it.
Thanks to: YeLLoSpRiNkOz
Salty Peanut Butter aka NINA
Kizume Bass – Istalindar means spellsingers in elvish. I actually meant to have the singular, but got used to the plural before I noticed I had it wrong.
Nyd
Cerulean Sage
Stun04
Orli's babe
Thank you all so much for reviewing, I'm glad you like my stories.
Chapter 2
A loud crash and a whoosh tore my thoughts away from the nearly finished letter. I signed my name and rolled it up, stuffing it in the pocket of my robe even as I surged up from my chair, knocking it over and nearly tripping over it in my hurry to run down the hall to the room from where the noise had come from. Bria's room.
The lintel around the door was on fire. And even as I ran towards the door, Bria ran out, followed closely by a strange man that really shouldn't have been there. I thrust my hands out to ward him off and a great stream of purple flame streamed from my palms into his face.
He screamed as flame consumed him, and I scooped up Bria and ran. I slipped behind a pillar and into one of the secret exits, and ran along the dark corridor, the floor cold under my feet and a bitter wind going straight through my thin cotton nightdress. Bria had buried her face in my shoulder, and was holding tight to my neck, pulling on my hair as she did so.
I put her down momentarily to push aside the great rock blocking the exit, then scooped her into my arms as I ran out of the tunnel into the dim early morning light. I had barely run seven steps from the passage when there was a great explosion, and Bria and I were thrown flat, and bits of burning wood and sharp bits of stone flew around us, landing scant inches from us.
"Ama." Bria whimpered. I looked up and could see in the faint light a figure standing above us, his drawn sword glinting in the faint light of the setting moon.
"How touching. The Queen and Princess, on the floor before a commoner." I swiftly rose to my feet.
"Curb your tongue." I snapped, drawing all my queenly dignity, acquired during my time as ruler of Mordor, around me.
"Per'aps not, yer ladyship." He drawled. He raised his sword. "Time to curb you though." Bria turned her great blue-gray eyes at me, and kissed my cheek. Then she turned her head back and buried it against my neck. I stared levelly at the man. I knew I could not outrun him, not holding Bria. So it seemed dignified death was the way to go. I can think of worse.
Then there was a sickening squelch, and the man froze, then slowly toppled forward. I stepped daintily out the way, and the man fell face down on the place I had been standing, a kitchen knife sticking from his back.
One of the peasant women stood behind him, a slight dark splatter of blood on her face.
"Well? Are ye to be standin' around in t'cold w'princess all mornin', or are ye coming in?" she asked, with the common peasant accent. I followed her into her little hut. It was small and round. It had a dirt floor with a fire in the centre. Bria kicked and I let her down, and she went straight over to the fire, warming her hands by it. The peasant woman fussed over her ridiculously, and Bria enjoyed every minute of it.
Soon the woman had us sat together on a blanket by the fire, wrapped in brightly coloured shawls, which were warm if not tatty, and sipping ale. I wasn't sure about my five-year-old daughter drinking alcohol, but I thought the one time wouldn't hurt.
*&*
We spent the rest of the night in the small hut. It was small, cramped, dirty and smelly, but it was better than sleeping outside. We were surprisingly warm, and I noticed the woman spent the entire night by the small door to the hut, clutching a knife. I was touched by her loyalty.
When the sun rose over the east mountains, I rose, leaving Bria on the pile of blankets that served as a bed. I clutched the shawl tighter around my shoulders as I left the hut.
My palace was barely more than a smouldering ruin now, with traces of smoke still floating to the sky. I leaned against the wall of the hut, folding my arms so the ends of the red and yellow patterned shall were securely fastened, so the wind that blew my night-dress around my ankles didn't leave with the shawl as well.
"My lady!" I looked to my right to see one of my officials running towards me. His name was Balten. Nice lad, just a tad arrogant, and thought himself somewhat better than he was.
"My lady! Thank goodness you're safe! We've been looking all over for you! Where's the princess?" He stood before me.
"She's safe." I answered evasively. "How is everyone else?"
"We have accounted for most. We are still bringing bodies out the wreckage, though." I frowned.
"I want the names of all the deceased, and –" I was interrupted by horns. Balten sprang before me, sword drawn. Then I saw the armor of the approaching party.
"It's Gondor!" I cried, pushing past him. I was met just before the men by my brother, who took me by the shoulders and looked at me searchingly.
"Get your hands off her, knave!" Balten cried, pushing me away and standing before Aragorn, sword drawn.
"Balten." I said sternly, using my 'queen voice'. He glanced at me. "Balten, put your sword away. Then step back. That is the king of Gondor and my brother." Balten stepped back, and I took his place, grinning at Aragorn, who looked a little shocked.
"Aragorn. How are you?" I asked. He blinked at me.
"Fine, thank you. Though I can't say the same for you." He glanced over my shoulder at my blackened palace. "What happened?"
"Someone-"
"Ama? I heard voices. Are you alright?" Bria slowly left the hut, the old woman following. The shawl wrapped around Bria was big, and she was swathed in it. She came over, and pulled at my hand, reverting to the signal she had used as a young child to tell me she wanted picking up.
I obliged and kissed her cheek. Then I turned to Aragorn, who looked shocked. "Bria, this is your uncle Aragorn, although people call him Elessar now. Aragorn, this is your niece, Bria." Bria chose that moment to push her red-blonde hair behind her ears, revealing the pointed tips. I can't say much for her timing.
"Does he know?" Aragorn asked me seriously. I shook my head.
"It's just me and B, isn't it, sweetheart?" Bria nodded and wrapped her arms around my neck, dislodging her shawl. "Legolas left me, Aragorn. Not the other way around. He put me through a lot of stuff I really didn't need. Kera got a lot of practice stewarding, she's gotten really good."
"Ada left when Ama needed him." Bria said. "Especially after Raiza."
"Bria, honey, please be quiet." I said. Bria looked at me with big blue eyes and blinked.
"Sorry Ama." She said softly. I kissed her forehead.
"Who's Raiza?" Aragorn asked me.
"Bria was a twin. Raiza, the elder twin, was born stillborn. The birth nearly killed us all, didn't it, lovely?" Bria nodded, "but we lived. But I can't have any more children, so Bria is my only." Aragorn frowned.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, sounding hurt.
"Aragorn, Arwen and I were pregnant at the same time. You were too busy worrying about Eldarion to worry about me. It's all right. You weren't expected." Aragorn raised his eyebrows.
"I didn't know that. How is it that you know of Eldarion, but I didn't know of Bria?"
"Because Eldarion's birth was made public to most of Middle Earth. Bria's was kept within Anorondor." Aragorn nodded.
Then I curtsied. "Welcome, King Elessar, to fair Anorondor." He laughed.
*&*
A few days later, Aragorn, Bria and I were starting to reorganize my people, and we were starting to plan the construction of the new palace, which would be by the cliffs of the Sea of Nurnen, in the south of Anorondor. I had only seen the sea in passing, but had never checked the site for building. I had sent people now to survey the site and the surrounding lands. Bria was very excited at the prospect of building an entire new palace, and both Aragorn and I hid smiles at her enthusiasm.
We were standing around outside, listening to Bria chatter on excitedly, when there was a yell and a whistle, and a knife of pain sank into my side. I gasped and stumbled sideways, and Aragorn quickly caught me. Bria, I was shocked to see, was ordering people around in a very organized manner, and in no time at all there was a circle of guards around us.
"Right." Bria said, turning back to us. "Uncle Aragorn, if you could lay her down, then you can push the arrow through. Then I'll heal her." Disregarding maternal pride completely, I stared. Five year old Bria was acting with all the assurance and knowledge of one five times her age. She put her hands on her hips when neither Aragorn nor I moved. "Well?" She demanded. Aragorn hastily laid me down, and Bria grasped my hand. A whistle of many arrows broke through my pain, and looking up I could see volleys of arrows flying above me, going in both directions. So someone was retaliating. Good.
I was brought back to the present with a gasp when Aragorn pushed the arrow through me, then he gave a yank from my back and triumphantly showed me a bloody arrow.
Bria knelt beside me, and a soft green flame flared from her palms. She placed her hands against my wounds, and I gave a sigh of relief as my pain left me.
"What, by Valar, is that?" Aragorn demanded. Bria shrugged.
"Magic. Palm-fire, the cook calls it. Good a name as any, I suppose." I said with a smile. Then I stood, the sound of arrows had ceased. I pushed past the circle of guards, and Aragorn and Bria followed.
Standing before me was Legolas, backed by the archers of Mirkwood. When he saw me, his gaze flicked to the bloodstain on my rose coloured gown where the arrow had hit me. Then he bowed formally.
"Your majesty." He said softly. I curtsied politely.
"Your highness. Your timing is immaculate, as ever." He gave a small smile.
"Legolas! Thank Valar you're here!" Aragorn exclaimed.
"Good to see you too, my friend." Legolas said warmly with a smile, and my heart nearly stopped. I had forgotten how beautiful he was.
"Ama? Who's that?" Bria pulled at my sleeve, and I looked down at her. Her timing was really, really bad.
"That is Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, love." I told her. She curtsied to him, and he bowed with a faint smile of amusement playing across his lips.
"Jané!" A talking whirlwind hugged me tightly, then scooped up Bria. "Little Princess! I was so worried about you both!" When the whirlwind stopped, I could see Kera, elegantly dressed in dark blue, draped in a gray velvet cloak. "I was so worried!" She repeated, kissing me on both cheeks. "I heard the palace went up and my first thought was you and Bria. I'm so glad you're well!"
"Kera." She shut up immediately as I spoke, and I gestured towards Aragorn and Legolas. She blushed as scarlet as the red trees embroidered onto the front of her cloak. She curtsied deeply.
"My lords." She murmured. Both Legolas and Aragorn were grinning.
"Lady Kera. It is good to see you again." Legolas said with a chuckle.
"And you, Lord Legolas. You have not come to see us in too long. Jané was..." she caught my gaze and her voice trailed away.
"My lady. We've found a safe place for you and your daughter to stay." A guard ran up and I resisted the urge to slap him. Why was I surrounded by people who had no sense of timing?
"Ama? I like the old lady, and her house. I want to stay there." She tugged on my hand insistently, and I picked her up.
"We'll see, lovely." I said as she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. I was infinitely aware of Legolas' gaze. He was not happy.
There you go, another chapter. I'm going to try to update once or twice a week if I can, but I'm using my mum's computer and she can get very possessive. So I'll do my best. Hope you liked it.
Thanks to: YeLLoSpRiNkOz
Salty Peanut Butter aka NINA
Kizume Bass – Istalindar means spellsingers in elvish. I actually meant to have the singular, but got used to the plural before I noticed I had it wrong.
Nyd
Cerulean Sage
Stun04
Orli's babe
Thank you all so much for reviewing, I'm glad you like my stories.