Chapter one
Author's note: I was recently laid off and found myself with some time on my hands. This story is just for fun. Details have been changed to fit the story and some plot lines are of my own invention. It's been a few years since I read the books so some of this will track more closely with the movies especially as the timelines converge. I've already written most of the story but am open to feedback/making changes. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading
Legolas rushed back from his room. His team had taken longer than planned to clear a party of orcs from the western forest and he was running late for dinner. Though it was just he and his father, his father liked to start on time. Legolas picked up the pace and slid into his seat just as his father was taking a sip of his wine.
"All well?" his father asked, gesturing to a server to fill Legolas' cup. Legolas drank deeply. Killing orcs was thirsty work.
"We left no survivors." Legolas said as he drained his drink and gestured for another.
His father nodded. "Good, good. They're getting bold with their incursions."
"Tauriel is monitoring the situation." Legolas said.
"Still, we should double patrols." His father said and reached into his pocket. "This came today." He handed Legolas a letter, already opened.
Legolas scanned the note and looked at his father in confusion. The note read:
"My Lord Thranduil, I hope this finds you in good health and in a prosperous position. As you may have heard, Celebrian was delivered of daughter, Manwathiel Amaurea Thursday last. In celebration of her birth, her foretelling is set for the 31st. Your presence and that of your son Legolas is kindly requested. Wishing you good fortune – Elrond, Lord of Rivendell."
"Well that's bizarre. Besides trade do we have any dealings with Rivendell?" Legolas asked handing the note back. "Foretellings are private, usually family only."
"Indeed." He father said, smiling a secretive smile. "In fact, only your mother and I were at yours."
"Are we going?" Legolas asked, taking a bite of his food while it was still hot.
"Oh absolutely. Something larger is at play here. Elrond has disliked me for hundreds of years. This will be very interesting." His father said. "I've already sent word that we'll be coming. We'll need to leave Monday to make it in time. It's nearly a week's ride."
They arrived at Rivendell on Sunday afternoon. It was a shining fall day and the trees looked ablaze in the afternoon light. Legolas had been to Rivendell before but he was always taken aback by its beauty and openness compared to the dark, clean lines of home. While Mirkwood was a full palace and Rivendell only a great house, it achieved a quality of beauty that Mirkwood couldn't compare to.
Legolas looked around the courtyard and was surprised to find Elrond and Celebrian waiting for them with their children Arwen and the twin boys, Elladan and Elrohir. Arwen was a few hundred years older than Legolas at over two thousand years old. The twins were his age, 1500. Both were married but Legolas didn't see their wives, Nessa and Morwen. He and his father dismounted. They clasped their arms across their chests and bowed slightly. All but Celebrian who was holding the baby returned the gesture.
"Lord Thranduil you are most welcome." Elrond said, moving forward and clasping his hand.
"We thank you for your kind invitation and hospitality." Thranduil replied smoothly. "And of course congratulations."
Celebrian smiled. "Thank you. Won't you come in." she gestured into the house. Legolas went last following behind as everyone walked through the opening passages to a large open room. He didn't know where the rest of the elves who lived at Rivendell were, though they had passed some people in the halls.
"Won't you sit, eat. You must be hungry after your travels." She gestured to a table already set and laden with food.
Legolas and Thranduil exchanged looks. They were certainly going out of their way to make them feel welcome and they appeared to be the only guests present.
"Thank you that's very kind." Thrandfuil said and took a seat on the far side. Legolas sat next to him. Elrond and Celebrian sat at the head of the table just as another elf entered. Thranduil immediately stood and nudged Legolas who did the same. He bowed graciously.
"My lady Galadriel. Lord Celeborn." He said as Galadriel and Celeborn approached the table bowed in return and took the seats next to the twins. Legolas and Thranduil sat back down.
"Mother will be performing the ceremony tomorrow." Celebrian said, nodding to Galadriel.
Legolas raised his eyebrows. This would be some foretelling. To have it done by Galadriel herself. This child was very lucky.
"Have you already seen what will come to pass?" Thranduil asked.
Galadriel smiled secretly. "Yes. I have seen what will be." She said but there was so much more behind the answer.
"Here, do you want to hold her?" Arwen asked Legolas, holding the baby out to him, cradling her neck.
He looked at her alarmed. "um. Sure." He said uncertainly and took the baby. He cradled her carefully. She looked up at him with large blue eyes and black curls. She seemed to be staring at him. Suddenly she smiled and Legolas felt warmth fill him. He smiled back and rocked her slowly.
"Don't you agree Legolas?" his father asked, and his attention snapped away from Manwathiel.
"I'm sorry I wasn't listening." Legolas said and handed the baby back to Arwen who smiled sweetly at him.
His father had a strange look on his face, almost smug. "I was saying the orcs have gotten bolder. In the west the incursions have been particularly bad and once they're in the forest they can move in daylight."
"Yes we've seen a definite increase." Legolas went on to explain to Celeborn, Elrond and the twins how bad the orc situation had gotten. Lothlorien too was having its borders tested. By the time dinner finished, they had exhausted the conversation of orcs and Celebrian was openly yawning.
"You'll have to excuse me." She said with a small smile. "I haven't been getting much sleep."
"You must be tired after your journey as well." Elrond said and they all set off to bed.
The foretelling was first thing in the morning. Legolas, usually dressed plainly to chase down orcs or spiders, was wearing his best tunic and his silver coronet. He met his father, dressed even better as was his style, in the hallway.
"Are you ready for this?" his father asked. Legolas looked at him strangely.
"It's a child's ceremony, why wouldn't I be?"
His father shrugged. "It's odd. Who knows what will happen?"
"It is definitely odd. I will give you that. Everyone was so nice at dinner." Legolas said suspiciously.
"You'd think we'd been friends all these years." Thranduil mused. "Truth is Elrond can barely stand me."
"You're amused by this!" Legolas accused as they walked down the hall. His father was smiling.
"Oh immensely." His father said and gestured to him to be quiet as they entered the throne room. The dais with thrones had been removed and replaced with a tall marble table on top of which stood a Seeing Mirror. When they arrived the family was already assembled.
Legolas quickly introduced himself to the twins' wives and took his seat. The room was quiet as Galadriel took Manwathiel and held her over the Mirror.
"I see a great future for you little morning light. You will be a singer and bring joy to many with your songs. You will be a gifted, famous healer. Your natural talents will surpass all others even that of your famous healer father. Dwarves, men and elves will travel hundreds of leagues to seek your care. With your husband, Legolas Greenleaf son of Thranduil you will help rid the world of a great evil and in doing so will heal thousands of men on the battlefields. You will be a legend before your 120th year. You will be a mother, a friend, a wife, a daughter and a sister. The world will be better for having you in it."
Almost on cue the baby cooed and Galadriel kissed her softly on the forehead before giving her the traditional elvish blessing and handing her back to Celebrian.
Legolas was shocked. He looked at his father, panicked, only to find him smiling. He had known. Somehow, he had known or figured it out. He sat in a daze as Manwathiel's family crowded around her and gushed about her foretelling.
"We'll have to start her apprenticeship early if she's to heal hundreds in her 120th year. Of course I'll start training her as soon as she can walk and talk." Elrond was saying proudly. Elves came of age at 100 and many didn't even start their apprenticeships until then although 75 was more typical. Elrond, however, was probably the best healer in middle earth - she could have no better training.
"Legolas come with me." Thranduil whispered. "I told Elrond we'd be right back."
Legolas followed him into the hallway. "That was a named foretelling." Legolas said almost accusingly. He was sweating. This was insane. "Named foretellings are done deals." Every elf had many possible futures. Foretellings took the elements that were present in all the futures to give a stable prediction. If it said in a foretelling that an elf would be married, which it had in Legolas' foretelling, that simply meant that in every future he was married. It could be different women in different futures. The marriage was the stable element. A named foretelling however was very rare. That meant that in every future Manwathiel married Legolas. Every single future.
"Yes. You will marry her. Probably today."
Legolas jaw dropped open. "What do you mean today she's a baby."
"I mean it's a named foretelling. You're marrying the girl. I'm already here. Elrond's already here. Let's negotiate the marriage contract and be done with it. It also makes it easier for you. Besides she's a good match for you. Better than you could have chosen yourself. Her lineage is impeccable. Look at this way, whenever you do fall in love with her, you'll already be married."
"The foretelling says we marry not fall in love."
"I've never heard of a named foretelling without Meles. There's a reason you marry in every future. Of course you'll love her. She'll love you. It's a question of when."
"So you're just fine with this?" Legolas said amazed that his father was completely unfazed.
"Legolas. You had a marriage in your foretelling too. Why do you think you're still single? You've been waiting 1500 years for her. I'm happy for you. Come we better go back in. I have a feeling Elrond and Celebrian already knew. It's like they've been treating us like family."
"Of course they knew. They invited us and have treated us like honored guests." Legolas said.
"All the more reason not to be rude." He said and ushered Legolas back into the room.
"Legolas Greenleaf." Galadriel called. Legolas moved through the crowd gathered around the baby and onto the dais. "You have doubts." She said simply.
"I am surprised my lady."
"Look into the water. See what I and Elrond and Celebrian have seen." She gestured to the Mirror. Legolas hesitated but looked as bright images took ahold of him. He saw himself having a tea party with a very little girl. Next he was reading a book to her in bed, she was older. He was showing her to use a bow and arrow. He was scolding her for being late to her lessons. He was dancing with her in Mirkwood under the moonlight. He was reading with her under a tree. He was kissing her by the stream at Rivendell. He was walking on a snowy passage and touching her head as he passed her by, she smiled up at him. He was making love to her and she was crying out his name. They were laying naked in bed laughing. Her belly was swollen with child. They were laughing with friends in a hall he didn't recognize. They were sitting in a throne room he had never seen. Image after image after image flashed before his eyes. Slowly he began to understand. He finally looked away though the images continued without end. He had seen enough. He looked at Galadriel.
"Do you see now?" she asked, in her strange way.
"I see." He said nodding. It was like trying to stop the sun from setting. This baby would be his wife. "Do you know when?" he asked. She was wearing braids in the image of them kissing making her at least 100 but he didn't know if that was their first kiss.
"You live together as husband and wife in her 100th year." Galadriel said.
"Live together, you mean marry?" he asked.
"No. I mean live together. In some futures you live together as husband and wife before you're able to marry. In other futures you marry and then it's some years before you live together as husband and wife. It's not really about when you get married. It's about when you act married and that's at 100." Galadriel said.
Legolas was aware that everyone was listening to them now. His mind was working furiously. If he was going to sleep with her when she was 100, which was what Galadriel was saying, whether they were married or not he might as well marry her. It seemed the only honorable thing to do since she was going to be his wife. He didn't see how he could in good conscience gamble on her honor. Obviously in some futures he couldn't be trusted to make the right decision. This was all a lot.
He turned to Elrond. "Could we please speak?" he asked. Elrond gestured to his study.
"I think someone needs a nap." Arwen said pointedly, holding the baby and ushering her mother, brothers and sisters-in-law out of the room.
Legolas and Thranduil followed Elrond and Galadriel into the study. "You see now why you were invited." Elrond said, gesturing toward empty chairs. Everyone sat.
"We should negotiate the contract." Thranduil said, cutting to the quick. "I don't know the next time we'll all be together. It's a good match and frankly I don't see any point in waiting. If it's now or later it might as well be now since it's convenient."
"I've had this knowledge for several days now. I'm prepared to move forward if we deem it wise but what do you think Legolas? It is your marriage of which we speak." Elrond asked.
Legolas paused. Was he really ready to get married today? "I don't think we gain anything by waiting." He said finally. "I think it's wise to negotiate the contract now."
"I agree." Said Galadriel. "On the condition that you visit yearly until she comes of age. In the futures where you're a part of her life from the beginning, the transition is much easier for her."
Legolas looked to his father. He had responsibilities in Mirkwood. To visit every year was a commitment. Yet he had just seen images of him with Manwathiel at all sorts of ages. Clearly he wasn't just going to show up when she was 100 and take her home with him.
"He'll come every summer. She should come and spend some holidays at Mirkwood too. It should not be wholly unfamiliar to her." Thranduil said.
"So Mirkwood will be their marital home?" Elrond asked, eyebrows raised.
"You have three other children all at home. I have only Legolas." Thranduil countered. Elrond inclined his head in assent.
"We'll visit often." Legolas said quickly, not willing to start a fight with his father-in-law before the contract was even signed. Elrond smiled at him, recognizing a peace maker.
"I'll hold you to that." Elrond said.
They spent the next few hours hashing out the details of the dowry to be delivered in two installments one in adolescence and one after they began their married life. Just before dinner, the scribe brought out two freshly written versions, a copy for each. Legolas signed each one and Elrond signed in Manwathiel's place. They brought Manwathiel in and Celebrian and Thranduil did the traditional wedding blessings.
"Your foretelling has come true." Galadriel said, smiling at him. He was married. More or less.
"So when do we tell her?" Legolas asked.
"I think that's up to you." Elrond said. "Only you can know when the timing is right."
Legolas nodded.
"I would wait a few years at least." Galadriel said with a small smile. "Perhaps wait until she's out of her swaddling clothes."
Legolas laughed dryly.
Legolas and Thranduil returned home the next day with Legolas planning to return in June to spend the summer.
"You suspected that I was in the foretelling." Legolas said as they rode back. His father shrugged.
"Foretellings are private. They only involve the people who are in them and family. You're not family. You were invited. You must have been in the foretelling."
"You could have warned me." Legolas said, still feeling very off-kilter. He had held Manwathiel once more before they left and it had been an odd sensation having seen all he had seen in the mirror and looking at the tiny elf.
"I could have but I wasn't sure I was correct." Thranduil said. "Does it matter? It's done now."
"Done? It's just starting. I have to go back in June." Legolas said, wondering what on earth he was supposed to do with a baby for three months.
"It's just a hundred years, Legolas." His father said, not in the mood for dramatics.
Legolas sighed, feeling the weight of what had happened. He hoped his father was right. They spent the rest of the afternoon in thoughtful silence.