Title: Until We Reach Valinor

Chapter 11: His Future Wife

NOTE: This story is sequel to "A Teacher's Duty" and you'll have to read that one first to understand this. Also, this story does not contain slash, and it is not a romance, despite what the first chapter might suggest.

SPECIAL THANKS to Orlando's Sweetheart for helping me pick the name of the woman Legolas's bride-to-be as well as the title of this story.

That said, on with the chapter.

…

The night after the graduation passed like a dream. The palace was large enough to comfortably house all the parents, as well as the children and the King, so that night, for the first time, the rooms were full.

The parents, exhausted by the long day, fell asleep in record time. The King, too, was tired, both in mind and body, having sat straight and erect on a hard wooden chair all day trying to judge the students impartially and fairly, so he too fell asleep by ten o'clock.

The children, on the other hand, had never been more awake. They were all aware that this would be their last night together as a class, so they stayed up the entire night talking and laughing and reveling in their success that day.

Legolas, like them, could not, and would not sleep. He too knew that these last hours were very precious. He flitted from room to room, listening in on conversations with indulgent smiles, joining some groups of students when they spotted and called him, and generally spending as much time with each of them as he could.

On some occasions, he would find himself alone in an empty classroom for a few minutes, and he would reminisce over all the little incidents that had taken place in it over the past year. There were so many…

Legolas could have given himself up to them all night if students didn't keep bouncing into classrooms and interrupting him. Not that he minded. Because they kept popping in on him in his small periods alone, he was able to say personal goodbyes to many of them, and these he treasured more than anything else.

And so the night passed, with laughter, tears, and memories, and almost before anyone could realize it, it was morning again. Legolas felt a cold dread twisting in his stomach. He was going to meet Alanna tonight. Within the next twelve hours, he would be meeting his future wife. Apprehension and dread threatened to overwhelm him, but he pushed them down resolutely. See the children off first; then think about that. Now is not the time.

With that thought, he made his way to the stables to see if the horses were ready to take the parents and children to their homes. They were. And the first parents were arriving as well. Before he knew it, almost, he had said his goodbyes to everyone. It happened so quickly, he almost missed it. Which, he could not help thinking as he waved to Celin, Aaliyah and Tathar, who were the last to leave, was probably a good thing. Prolonged goodbyes were always the most painful.

He turned, and felt slightly despondent as he looked at the silent palace walls. But, as he well knew, he would have more than enough to do over the next two months. After returning from his visit to Alanna's, he would also be returning to his father's palace for a the next two months where he would be learning all the numerous laws, the complexities of the paperwork, and the etiquette becoming a King at important ceremonies, which he would have to know when he became King. He fervently wished now that he had spent more time learning these things before, because apart from the fact that it would be awfully boring spending a month learning all those things by rote, his father's palace was only four hours away from Alanna's home.

And that meant that he would have to keep visiting her in order to keep up appearances. And even though he had not met her yet, he wanted as little to do with her as possible for as long as possible. Because he knew that before he knew it, the day of his marriage, his doom, would arrive, and then wedlock would bind them together for all eternity. He wanted to enjoy his freedom fully while it lasted.

Realizing how he was thinking, he chided himself silently. He was simply assuming he would hate Alanna from the moment he saw her. His logical half said that there was a chance that he actually might like her. From his father's descriptions she sounded spirited and feisty, and very different from so many of his other feather-headed suitors. Maybe he would (could?) even fall in love with her? He shied away from the thought.

He had met many women of breath-taking beauty in his long life. There was Arwen, his childhood friend, and he had never felt for her the way Aragorn did. There was Eowyn, who had shattered everything he had ever believed to be true about women. She was the reason for his desire for men and women to be considered equal. Yet he had never felt in the least attracted to her, full of fiery beauty though she was. And there were so many other Elven maidens who had tried and failed to woo him, and not all had been after his wealth and position. Some had genuinely harbored romantic feelings for him, but he had quickly and firmly, dispelled them.

He had never looked at anyone in a romantic light, and now, as things stood, he probably never would. The strange thing was; he did not even regret it. Perhaps he was incapable of loving anyone like that. No, he thought resignedly, he would never be in love with Alanna, and he would have to tell her so when he met her, so that she was under no illusions when they got married.

"Sir?" Elano's voice jolted him from his reverie.

"Yes, Elano. Are you leaving now?" Elano was going to see his mother. It was high time, in Legolas's opinion.

"Not just yet, sir," Elano replied, "I thought I'd leave in a week or so, after I did some more study. I really have been neglecting my healing these last few days. But what does one do, these children…" He trailed off.

Legolas frowned, "You really should go today, Elano. Your mother must miss you very much. The sooner you leave, the sooner you reach there. You know you have not gone since last year."

"Sir, I really must do some studying," Elano was stubborn.

Legolas sighed, deciding to speak openly. He and Elano were good enough friends now to permit it, and if it offended the other, he would say so. "Why do you keep avoiding your home, Elano?" He asked, "I keep telling you to go, and you keep saying you will, but you don't. Don't you miss your mother?"

"Of course I miss her, sir," Elano replied quietly.

Legolas looked at him in surprise. A sudden cloud seemed to have passed over his face. "What's wrong, Elano?" he asked.

"Well, sir…" Elano sighed and shook his head, fumbling for words. "It's just that after…after…"

"After what?" Legolas asked gently.

"After my father's death my mother has changed a great deal," Elano replied.

Legolas sucked in a breath. He should have known. Elano had blossomed amazingly since Legolas had first met him, but the shadow of his family's deaths always hovered above him.

"I'm sorry, Elano," Legolas said in consternation, "I did not realize."

"I don't want to go home," Elano said, ignoring Legolas's apology. He sounded torn between guilt and sorrow. "It's selfish, I know, but every time I go back there, I am reminded of everyone I've lost. The house is silent. My mother does not laugh very much, anymore. The rooms are filled with silence, and memories. Every moment I spend in that house, I feel the loss of my sister and my father. Here, I'm so busy that I don't even have time to think about it." He laughed slightly, but the sound was fraught with misery.

Legolas sighed, and put a comforting hand on Elano's shoulder. "I'm sorry," He said again, wishing the words were not so woefully inadequate.

Elano nodded. "So am I."

There was a heavy silence, and then Legolas spoke, tentatively, "You know, Elano, your mother must feel your absence very much. I cannot imagine how she lives in that empty house with all those memories…"

"Oh, no, she likes it," Elano said, "She likes to live in the past. She likes to roam the corridors, reminiscing about ada and my sister…and when I go there, she cannot stop talking about them. It is her way of dealing with the grief, but I find it very painful to be continually reminded...as if I could forget, to begin with."

Legolas looked at the Elf with compassion. "I was going to suggest that your mother stay here, so that neither of you need be alone, but-"

"She wouldn't hear of it. She would hate to be parted with that house and its memories, not to mention, she is a proud woman and would hate to live here on your charity. No. You're right," he added, sighing heavily, "I really must go and see her. She's the last person I have left, apart from Ivana, and she's…" He gestured vaguely towards the forest outside the grounds.

Ivana had been Elano's best friend the previous year, Legolas remembered. And, he realized with a pang, she too would be leaving soon. She would be sailing to Valinor within the next few months, leaving Elano with one more loss to add to his life. Well, it wasn't a loss exactly, because it wasn't as though Ivana were going to die, but it would be a sad wrench for Elano, especially if he did not have a chance to say goodbye.

He cleared his throat slightly, "Yes, Elano about Ivana…" He wondered how much he should divulge. Elano would want an explanation, and he wouldn't be able to give it. "I think you should go and visit her, during this two-month vacation. Spend at least a week with her."

"Why?" Elano said, looking at him in surprise, "Weren't you just saying that I should spend time at home with my mother?"

Legolas looked at Elano in consternation, wondering how to break the news to him, "I have it on good authority that Ivana will no longer be within your reach in a few months time," He said in a low voice.

"What?" Elano said in alarm. "What's that supp-?"

"No, no, no, nothing to get so alarmed about," Legolas hastened to assure him, "It's just…she may be sailing soon." There, he had said it. Hang the consequences.

"What?" Elano asked in amazement, "Why, when?"

"Within the next few months, and I can't tell you why. But…" Legolas paused, knowing how this was going to sound, "Please do not mention this about the sailing to Ivana when you do visit her."

"Why ever not?" Elano was becoming more and more puzzled, "What's going on, sir."

"She doesn't know yet that she's going to sail," Legolas said. "I can't say anything right now," He added, as Elano opened his mouth, "You'll find out soon enough. As soon as I am in a position to tell you, I will. For now, just…say your goodbyes?" He finished weakly.

Elano's face changed from amazement to misery. "Right," he muttered, "Goodbyes."

"I wish it didn't have to be this way," Legolas said gently, "I'm sorry." He mentally kicked himself as he realized that was probably the fifth time he'd said he was sorry in the last ten minutes.

"No, thank you," Elano answered, trying to smile, "For telling me, I mean. At least this way, it won't be so sudden."

"You're welcome."

There was a pause.

"I should probably start packing," Elano said.

"Yes, I should go too. Father will be expecting me." He had told everyone that he was meeting his father. For obvious reasons, he could not breathe a word about Alanna until everything was finalized.

"Well. In case you leave before I have a chance to see you again, I'll say goodbye now. Take care of yourself over the summer."

"And, you."

"Safe journey."

…

Legolas swore under his breath. He could not believe it was raining. For Eru's sake, it was barely February! He groaned, spurring Arod on. They were nearly there, thank the Valar. Unfortunately, he was drenched. He had hoped to look his best for the occasion; not because he wanted to impress, but because the occasion itself demanded it. He was going to meet his future wife for the first time, and he was covered in mud from his horse's hooves, his shirt was sticking to him like a second skin, and worst of all, in his opinion, his braids had managed to undo themselves so that his hair was plastered haphazardly to his face. To add to his misery, he had not even carried a cloak, having not expected rain at this time of the year.

A pair of dark gates suddenly loomed overhead. He blinked rainwater from his eyes, and rode forward, his heart warming at the thought of getting indoors. He neared the gates, and gasped. The house was not a house. It was a…a palace. There was no other word for it. The thing was colossal.

Typical ada, Legolas thought, half amused, half annoyed. It was so like Thranduil to do something like this. When Caladel made him promise to take care of Alanna, instead of adopting her, as he should have done, he had shut her up in a huge palace with only servants and nurses to look after her and had forgotten about her for millennia. He shuddered slightly. He could not imagine growing up so alone. Yet, he could not blame his father for what he had done. That time had been hard for him too. He had just lost his first wife, and Caladel had just given him a son who would threaten Ivana's position in the kingdom.

He sighed slightly, and dismounted at the gates, which seemed to open of their own accord. He looked around and spotted a pair of guards straining at each gate. Apparently, he had been expected. He walked through, handed Arod's reins to one of the guards, and started down a large, winding path, which the guards had told him would lead to the front entrance.

His foot caught on something, and he almost tripped. It was a root. He swore under his breath, wondering what had happened to his Elven instincts. Either they had dissolved with the rain, or more likely, he was too preoccupied with the prospect of meeting his Alanna to pay attention. He walked forward, this time more cautiously, and his Elven eyes detected a vast undergrowth of roots and weeds on the path. The path had not been weeded in years.

Finally, he reached the entrance. There was a marble staircase, a landing, and a pair of doors which looked as though they had not been opened in centuries. He climbed carefully, as the stairs were slick and slippery with the rain, and knocked smartly on the huge wooden doors.

The door opened almost immediately, and a flushed, harassed looking young woman in a voluminous white dress, stepped out into the rain.

"Pleased to meet you, your Majesty," she gasped, trying to curtsey. Unfortunately, as she moved her foot, it caught in one of the folds of her many-layered dress, causing her to lose balance, and teeter forward. He put his arms out instinctively, trying to steady her, but her unexpected weight combined with the slick marble floor had the opposite effect from what he had desired. To his complete and utter mortification, his foot slipped on the marble, and both of them fell in a heap on the floor.

They both lay stunned, and in Legolas's case, winded, on the wet floor for a moment, and then Legolas began the hard task of extricating himself from her voluminous skirts, while trying to keep his eyes averted at the same time, a feat he would never have accomplished if he had not been so mortified. At last, he won the battle, and stood up as gracefully as he could.

"You must be Alanna," he stated, holding his hand out to her gallantly. Now he remembered his father's warning about her clumsiness. Now is a fine time to remember, after she's tripped, fallen and caused you to fall as well, he chided himself.

"And you," she said after she had managed to stand with some difficulty, "Are Legolas."

They stared at each other for a moment, both dismayed by what had just transpired. Then Alanna seemed to shake herself out of her reverie.

"Come inside," she said, and started inside, holding her layers up so she would not trip over them. Something she should have done before she thoughtlessly stepped out into the rain, he thought, somewhat peeved. With a feeling between foreboding and dismay, he followed her.

…

TBC…

Sorry I haven't updated in so long, but my boards start on May 15th so I'll be a bit booked over the next month. Thank you all for reading though. And to my two anonymous reviewers:

Cassie- thanks for the constructive critiscism.

Isilwen- I'm glad you think so.