THE FORGOTTEN
Edinor Onnad a Edonnad*
Birthday and Begetting Day
Author's note: The chapter in which – They celebrate Lothril and Legolas' birthdays Woodland style. …These take place April 16th and April 24th. *And because I'm a nerd of nerdular nerdance – edinor: anniversary day; or-: (prefix) meaning "day"; onnad: birthday; edonnad: (gerund conjugation) begetting. And may I just say, trying to decide how to construct "happy birthday" as a phrase took me at least 20 minutes and I had to consult Sindarin and German grammar (because their adjective and noun construction is similar) before I finally settled on something. I'm not even sure it's right, but it was giving me a headache so I left it. Elves, forgive me if I erred. I tried! Oh, and Food warning: this chapter contains mentions of pizza. Please place an order at your favorite pizza place and await your pie before continuing this chapter.
***Dear readers, I have gone to great pains to make sure Lothril/Jennifer's knowledge of the modern world ended in 2004, but I am going to have her singing a song that wasn't released until October of 2005 in the US. It pains me a little to warp time like this, but I'm doing it anyway! It's my party, I can warp time if I want to!***
Lothril was reading a particular chapter from a particular book Elrond had recommended she borrow from the healers to help explain the gift he had given her earlier that day. Two years ago she would have been reading it through cracks in her fingers while blushing furiously and hiding under a blanket with a flashlight. A year ago she would have been blushing and making sure she read it in solitude. Now she was reading it with it propped open on a book stand while Estelneth braided her hair and making the odd comment about it to her.
There was a knock on her bedroom door.
"Hmm... Milady, can you hand me that pin for your braid while I answer the door?"
"I will tell him to enter," Lothril said and closed her eyes and reached out with her mind to Legolas and told him to come in.
He was starting to get nearly brazen. He had almost entered her chamber without knocking and in fact had the door half open when he caught himself and remembered to knock. He was definitely going to have to check himself. They weren't married yet! He felt her summons and went straight to her closet door, which was open and he found Estelneth finishing up a thin braided wreath of hair dotted with lily of the valley and some small little freshwater pearls that had a soft pink hue. It went very well with the green dress she wore with a silver cord belt. He loved seeing her draped in finery, but he had to admit that he rather enjoyed this dress as Filegon, no doubt in rebellion to her demands for "simple", went out of his way to pick a fabrics and colors that would make her movements look bewitching.
"Good evening," Lothril greeted with a smile, glancing up at him briefly in the mirror before dropping her eyes back to the book.
"Good evening," he returned. "What are you reading?"
She held up a finger and said, "Let me finish this paragraph."
From what he could read over her shoulder it looked like a healer's text as what little bit he could see read, "The muscles of the pelvic floor can be divided into two main muscles that form a large sheet of skeletal muscle that is thicker in some areas than in others. They can be subdivided based on their points of attachment as well as the pelvic organs with which they are associated. (See drawing 2a). The main muscles are called..."
"It's a healer's reference guide to muscles, tendons, and ligaments," Lothril answered, placing a marker in the book. "Are you done Estelneth?"
"Yes, milady. Is there anything else you need?"
"No, I am set. And I think I should be able to manage getting this all out for bed," Lothril answered.
"Will you be wanting anything set out for tonight?" She asked.
"Just my pajamas and my brush then you can go. And I plan on sleeping in tomorrow. Thank you, Estelneth! I look lovely!" Lothril answered.
Estelneth nodded, said, "You are welcome," and set about pulling out Lothril's pajamas then whisked out of the massive closet.
"Anyway," Lothril said, returning her attention to Legolas she added, "this is proving rather fascinating reading."
"I suppose it is, but I have never read about pelvic floor muscles."
"Neither did I prior. However, they are terribly important and completely taken for granted. But then again, they're also a bit tricky to exercise as you can't exactly see them and have to sort of internally feel your way through flexing them; which takes far more concentration than I could give it sitting here reading about them while Estelneth did my hair. Though, there is some speculation amongst healers that working other muscle groups, like other pelvic muscles, for example, can engage the pelvic floor muscles also, but opinions on which other muscle sets and exercises vary."
"Is there any particular reason you are reading about them or is it simply the next chapter in the book?" Legolas asked, genuinely curious.
"There is a very particular reason, well, I suppose several reasons rolled into one, really... Anyway, Elrond suggested I read this particular chapter from this particular book and attempt the particular pelvic floor exercises as a..." She drifted off a little as she hunted for the wording she wanted, "... let's call it a mindfulness exercise. He said primarily he wants me to, his words, develop a healthy awareness and familiarity with myself and the fact that it will result in me having more powerful cranthannenas** is simply a happy by-product. Though I rather suspect it's at least half the point."
He loved it when she would get all academic because he found it simultaneously amusing and attractive, but in this instance he also found it borderline shocking as she was bringing up something overtly sexual and not even the tips of her ears were pink.
"What I find most surprising about it though is that the exercises for males and females are so similar, though females have more things they can do," she added, half to herself.
"I know. Taraves informed me of that once while she was treating me after a particularly uncomfortable injury." Legolas replied.
"When was that?" Lothril asked, looking jarred out of her musing.
"Oh, the last time I had that sort of injury, which was quite some time ago now," he answered.
"Last time?"
"I am over five thousand years old and I have lived a very active life. I have broken more bones, torn and pulled more muscles, and have had more sprains, bruises, and wounds than I can count! Fortunately, we can make full recoveries from most injuries, especially, and quickly, if treated properly."
"I suppose that's just living," she said half to herself. "Unless you are just particularly klutzy or danger prone?"
"I am generally considered rather graceful and fortunate," he answered as a plain little box he hadn't seen on her vanity before caught his eye. The lid was askew and he could just see the round edge of some presumably spherical object.
She saw his eyes were on the box and she said, "This would be the very particular reason he wanted me to study up on pelvic floor muscles." She reached over and removed the lid to reveal what looked like an egg shaped polished stone. "He said as I do not have an issue or injury I really only need this to help familiarize myself with the muscles and the feel of them, if I'm having trouble figuring it out, but if we decide to have children he said this can be handy helping expedite the recovery."
Legolas stared at the stone a moment as several thoughts came to mind at once ranging from wanting to write a thank you note to Elrond to how in the world that thing must feel when it's inside and concluding, "It must be strange being female."
"I mean... Yes. Strange, complicated, awkward... But to be fair, I really can't fathom how weird it must be being male, everything outside and up front," she cringed slightly. "I think I would be paranoid. As it is, I do not worry much about incidental injury and as long as I can keep anything remotely close to a straight face, nobody will ever know if I am aroused or not."
"I can tell."
"No, you can't," she retorted with full confidence.
"And how do you suppose that?" He asked.
"Simple - every time I let on that I am anything vaguely near aroused, you start growling or purring and you get this gleam in your eye."
"So you are admitting you are aroused frequently?" he said flirtatiously.
"I did not say qthat. I said I can tell whenever you think I am aroused and you miss quite a bit," she replied, trying not to smile and failing.
"Alright, then prove me wrong. From now until breakfast let us use ósanwe near constantly and you let it be known every time you are and I will let it be known if I am surprised or not," he replied.
"Well, I suppose that will work, but you will have to stay right beside me all night so I am not just reflexively brushing against someone else. Heaven knows the last thing I want to do is accidentally share the fact I am aroused to one of our fathers or the twins during dessert or something," she said with a shudder. "And… well, there's sort of degrees, so I will give you all of it and let you sort it out."
"I believe I can manage that," he said with a smile.
"Speaking of, ought we to head to dinner now?" she asked.
"No, it is a little later tonight, remember?" he replied.
"Oh, that's right she said distractedly, vaguely wondering why it was. And then wondering why Estelneth insisted on putting those pearls in her hair... There was something really obvious she was forgetting,.. Her eyes settled again in the box Elrond gave her and the book. When on earth was she going to find the time to do those exercises?
He noticed her knit brows and her gaze settling on the box from Elrond. "Do you still wish to have me sleep in here tonight?" He asked.
"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I?" She answered, her thoughts suddenly shifting to why he would ask such a question.
"I thought perhaps you would want to get started on those exercises," he replied.
"I do, but I want to finish reading the chapter first and maybe have a conversation with Taraves," she said and immediately made plans to have Estelneth arrange it.
"What then are you thinking about?" Legolas asked.
She immediately opened her mind to him and he could hear about a half dozen trains of thought buzzing through her head revolving around the chapter in the book, her trying to evaluate how difficult or easy it might be to isolate and exercise said muscles, bits of the chapter she wanted to review, something that was evading her but she couldn't determine what, trying to discern the reason for him asking if she wanted him to spend the night...
He was rather amused at the last one. Sometimes she overthought things entirely too much and it was terribly endearing. "Is your mind always this busy?"
"Not always, but frequently enough," she replied. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out and shoved many of those thoughts out of her mind.
Legolas began rubbing her shoulders. "Are you ready for supper? Do you need to do anything else?"
"No, I am ready."
"Good, then relax a few minutes and let your mind be at peace. I want you to enjoy yourself this evening."
She gave an amused half smile. "You want me to enjoy myself every evening."
"I want you to enjoy yourself every moment of every day, but this evening especially."
She was about to ask why this evening in particular when Estelneth knocked upon the open closet door.
"I am sorry to interrupt, but this has just arrived for you from the king and he requests you wear it this evening," Estelneth said.
"Oh, not a problem," Lothril said causally.
"I will help her with it, Estelneth," Legolas said kindly.
She handed the box over to the prince with a slight bow then left.
"What is it?" Lothril asked.
"It is this," Legolas said as he removed from the box a necklace that looked like a string of lily of the valley. It was so cunningly and convincingly so, Lothril found herself examining it to make sure it wasn't.
"Oh, this is gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous! This looks like he just plucked them from his garden!" She praised.
"Shall I put it on you?"
"Oh yes!" She answered enthusiastically. She wanted to see herself wearing it, of course, but she also loved how he gently would gather up her hair and drape it over her shoulder, how his fingers would incidentally brush the back of her neck, and how after he clasped it, he would always arrange the necklace so it would lay just so then move her hair back in place just as it had been. It was a little thing, habitual even, but she loved it!
He gently moved her hair back in place and said, "it looks lovely on you!"
"Thank you! Your father sure does like spoiling me."
"You should see how he doted on my mother."
"I imagine I'll find out first hand with you."
He smiled, kissed her cheek, then said, "So you shall. Are you ready to go to dinner?"
"Yes."
-⸙⸙-
As soon as Lothril entered the dining room, the room broke into a cry of, "Glassui edinor onnad, Lothril!" (Happy Birthday, Lothril!)
It took her a second for it to all fully register that because it was evening it was the next day and thus her birthday. She was still getting used to that. But the fact that "tomorrow" was her birthday had completely left her after Elrond had given her that box and then the medical text showed up. The gift and accompanying conversation with Elrond had served to stir up a wild mix of feelings ranging from slightly embarrassed to fascinated to curious, with a sprinkle of titillated at the mention of the, umm, "side benefit."
As she stared surprised at the dining room full of family, with extra flowers running down the center of the table, she tried to bring her thoughts abruptly into the present moment, quickly smiled even before all her thoughts fully registered, and said, "Oh! Thank you!" It didn't feel like it was a great response, but it was all she could think of being caught off guard like that.
"Come sit, meleth," Legolas invited with a smile as he slid his hand onto the small of her back.
She appreciated how grounding his touch was and told him as much with ósanwe. It certainly pleased him to learn that. She was sat in the middle of the table with Legolas on one side, Elrond on the other, and the twins across from her.
"This really is very nice of you all," she said, trying to express her gratitude at everyone remembering and bothering to celebrate her birthday.
"This is just the beginning," Elrohir said with a smile.
"Beginning?" She repeated, surprised.
"Of course! Did you truly think that we would celebrate your first proper beget-, pardon, birthday here with just a dinner of..." His head tilted to the side slightly as he finally glanced down at the rather colorful triangle of food on his plate. It at least smelled interesting... "What is this?"
Lothril grinned and let Legolas know with ósanwe that she was very touched by the gesture. "It's called pizza. It's from my old world. Legolas went out of his way to copy down a number of recipes of some favorite things from my old world, and this is one of my particular favorites. Though, Thranduil, I am surprised you did not order meatloaf and chips for dinner," she teased.
Thranduil, who was also being introduced to pizza, had overheard this exchange and replied, "I likely would have except it is your birthday. Generally, you pick on your begetting day. This, however, is Legolas' doing."
"Alright then," said Elior, who was on the other side of Legolas, "now that we know what it is called, how do we eat it, because it smells delicious!"
"Usually with your hands, but you can use a fork and knife if you really want to," she answered and picked up her slice to take a bite. Every inch as perfect as the first one she had a week or so ago.
This was the twins, Elrond, and Glorfindel's first experience with food from her world, and they were all intrigued by it.
"This is almost like a pie," Glorfindel commented.
"Sometimes they are referred to as a pizza pie," Lothril replied, and out of the corner of her eye she noticed Elrond analyzing it like he was trying to taste each flavor individually as he chewed. He didn't say anything, took a sip of the sweet red wine and declared, "This is very good with all sorts of potential."
"The variations are nearly endless, especially after I learned some use a white sauce instead of a tomato sauce," Legolas replied.
Suddenly the conversation at the table became pizza ideas with toppings like shredded venison with onion and spinach with a herb laden white sauce and a soft white cheese that reminded Lothril of something like ricotta or feta; or hare with shredded carrot. She certainly wouldn't have thought of those toppings back in Michigan.
After dinner everyone dismissed to the family drawing room where a number of gifts of various sizes were sitting on the butler.
"You all didn't have to get me gifts!" She exclaimed when she saw them.
"Hush! We did and you know it!" Linnrien teased as she gently took her elbow and guided her towards a big armchair.
"Indeed! Just because my nephew has seen fit to shower you in gifts, doesn't mean the rest of us do not want our chance at it!" Cîlwen added as everyone found a place to settle down.
"Yes, so open mine first," Elladan said with a grin as he came up beside her and handed her a long, thin, rectangular wooden box then sat down on the floor beside her.
She gave a smile. "Alright." She undid the simple latch and opened it to find an object wrapped in white cloth and bound with a thin cord. The cloth was thick enough though that she couldn't quite guess the object beneath, but it was thin. As she unwound it her thoughts flickered- long knife? Not heavy enough and too round. Not a spy glass, that would be ridiculous... "A flute!" She said when she finally unraveled it.
"Indeed! I know you said you played a thing called a piano and you are learning the lute, but you have the perfect mouth for a flute. Have you ever played one before?" Elladan asked.
"Not really. A friend of mine played one somewhat similar to this and let me try it once," Lothril answered as she examined the instrument. It was a beautiful piece! Simply beautiful! Bright polished silver, or was it mithril? Delicate little designs lightly etched into it...
"Give it a second try now then," Elladan encouraged.
She glanced around the room and everyone seemed more than happy to let her so she brought it to her lips as she tried to remember how one blows across a flute and lucky first try - she got it sending a singularly clear and beautiful note wafting into the air. She experimented a little with the fingering, releasing a series of little notes floating up the scale before bringing the instrument down with a blush. Boy, did that make her look more talented than she was!
The burst of encouragement and positive comments about her being a talent and a natural made her blush further. No, no- this was luck. Sheer luck! "Thank you, Elladan," she said with a smile. "I am sure I will have fun learning this also!"
"You are most welcome, sister! And I will be more than happy to teach you," he replied and stood up to give her a hug. She stood also and he hugged her and gave her a kiss, intentionally catching the corner of her lips.
He was the sweetest thing!
The next gift handed to her was from Glorfindel who gave her a very handsome scabbard for her sword as the old one was serviceable but plain. Then Thranduil gave her a very nice calligraphy set and she was sure to let him know with ósanwe just how much she appreciated it. Elrohir gave her a bar of soap that smelled like pine and after she got a darn good laugh from it, he gave her a song book he thought she would find of particular interest. After that Elior and Linnrien gave her a very beautiful blanket that Elior wove and Linnrien embroidered. Lothril was touched at the obvious care and love poured into the project and absolutely adored the smoky blue color, to say nothing of the incredibly soft wool. Lothril took a moment to appreciate the embroidery and soon realized within the scrolling leafy vine pattern were words. She began to read them in the middle and realized it was basically a blessing for good sleep and "good sleep", but elven nature being what it was, the word "spell" wouldn't be wholly inappropriate... The longer she was here, the more apparent it became that elves really didn't understand why humans thought they were magical. She briefly wondered if elves just assumed this is how it was for everyone else or maybe they just so naturally expected the spells to work that they didn't think of it any more than a human would think about a sweater they knit being warm. Of course she would have good sleep and fun times in bed with her husband! Of course the sweater would be warm if you put it on!
"Thank you Linnrien and Elior! This is gorgeous and the embroidery is lovely!" Lothril said with a smile that didn't betray a thing. She handed the blanket to Legolas who was sitting on the floor beside her and asked with ósanwe as she started opening the next gift, "Does that say what I think it is saying?"
"It does indeed."
"So, I may safely conclude Linnrien likes me rather well."
"Loves you and considers you family," he corrected as he set the blanket down, embroidery side down.
"She does not know we are sharing a bed most nights, does she?"
"No. I have not even told Elior. Only father and a handful of servants know."
"And Elrond, but he will never say anything. I reckon we ought to keep this blanket put away until after the wedding…?"
"If we are together – yes," Legolas replied.
That was the answer she expected there was a shade to that reply that she was going to ask him about later. Seemed rather casual, all told, like he thought a blanket embroidered with blessings for a good night's sleep and a good time sleeping together was perfectly normal. ***Not just that it would work, but something of an expectation, like he wasn't shocked at this at all and well understood what Linnrien's intent was because he understands that sex spells exist, so he's really nonchalant over this whereas Lothril is mildly shocked, and it's his nonchalance that surprises her.***
By now she had the next gift open to find a beautiful woven strap for her lute from Gladhrion and Thalaves. She thanked them both and Legolas handed her a small box. Inside was a silver hair pin that looked like a stalk of lilac and a stalk of lily of the valley that met at the top and mingled together in a delicate mix of cunningly cut amethyst and pearl.
"Oh, Legolas…" she said as she gingerly took it from his fingers. "This is beautiful! I love it!" she said and gave him a very sweet kiss. "Thank you, meleth nín!"
After that came a book from Elrond that was a beautifully written "Lays of Beleriand" which tickled her to no end as she had it in her copy of the "Lays of Beleriand" back home. To have an original in elvish was beyond thrilling. After that, Cîlwen handed her a gorgeous wood burning set. She almost asked how she knew but then she remembered a conversation they had during Echuir over a wood burned piece Istelion had done. She was surprised Cîlwen remembered it.
"Thank you Cîlwen and Istelion! This is perfect! I have been wanting to do a piece for a little while now!"
Once the gift giving was done, and Lothril thanked everyone and immediately instruments appeared and there was music and singing for a little while.
-⸙ - ⸙-
He woke up before she did and it was still dark out. Good. He had plans. He carefully got out of bed and sneaked into the servant's passage to see Alphon and Estelneth were as faithful as always and that there were about a dozen and a half vases of lilacs and lily of the valley lining the hall. Perfect. He silently grabbed two and started arranging them around the room so when she woke it would look like a lilac grove in her room.
Once done with that, he went into her closet and arranged the hair pin he had given her yesterday along with some ribbons on her vanity, and then he pulled out the dress he was giving her. He had promised her now that she had a proper wardrobe, he would stop giving her so many dresses, but this one was a little sneaky on his part.
Sneaky, self-indulgent... It was made of a fabric he particularly loved to feel, in a color he simply adored on her as it made her dark hair look so lovely and made her cheeks and lips look so delicately pink, and in a cut that made her lithe form with its gentle curves look so fair and sexy he could barely stand it, while still remaining perfectly respectable and acceptable.
Of course, if he hadn't been perfectly sure she would love it also, he wouldn't have had it made, but as it was, he was certain she would. Ever since she designed her betrothal dress, he had been slowly uncovering what things tickled her fancy and went out of his way to see she had them. For example, at the Ice Festival he realized she liked how the lace crept past the edge of the fabric and then realized that was one of the things she liked about her minuial dress and her betrothal dress - sheer layers that allowed a little cheekiness without going too far. He promptly had taken this idea to Filegon and told him to go wild with it.
He hung the dress up on the airing rack and took a look at it. Everything looked perfect and he could well imagine how she was going to look in it. He smiled at the thought then did a quick check to make sure he had everything he would want and then quickly returned to bed, gingerly getting back in so as to not disturb her.
Ai, Elbereth, she was beautiful! The dim light of early dawn was just starting to creep in and mingle with the red light from the low fire, giving him just enough light to see her. Using ósanwe last night had been rather enlightening. Obviously he knew she was attracted to him, and substantially, but she had been right that he really couldn't guess every time she was aroused a bit, which was due, years in large part, to the little things about himself that she seemed to delight in. Those were the things that surprised him most. Ever since she had mentioned she liked the more open collar, he had been wearing his tunics with the collar open at times, and he had last night. She said she liked it, she told him if he wore it like that it would drive her insane. He had thought she had been hyperbolic as she was at times. She had not been exaggerating in the slightest about the open collars. He actually missed a note when images from her point of view intruded on his thoughts, images of her hand sliding up the open collar of his shirt, wrapping around the back of his neck and getting her fingers tangled in his hair so she could pull him closer and start kissing trails from his ear to the top of his chest. He was also fairly certain she wanted to add a few licks in there, but at the last possible second she seemed to be trying to curtail her little day dream. It didn't work terribly well.
He informed her of that when they had gone to bed afterwards. He told her she was more than welcome to play out all of that little daydream. She asked him twice if he was sure before she finally did, but when she did, she went for it! And he decidedly noticed her editing her thoughts, though she tried to be subtle and was trying to keep them within the bounds they had set as she did. It felt one part reflexive and one part timid, like she wasn't sure if it was allowed.
Understandable why she wasn't sure, but that conversation could be later.
One of these days she was going to get properly comfortable with her sexuality and his and get confident enough to try all the things rattling around in her head. Now that he was reflecting on it, her elaborateimagination was clearly more than capable of thinking of fun things to do in bed. He mulled over the suppressed fragments of ideas that had kept coming to her mind. Whenever she gets confident and comfortable enough to try her ideas she is going to take him in the wildest ride of his life. Oh for that day!
Enderi… not that far off… but oh, so far…
In the meantime though, he had plans in motion for today, which conflicted with his selfish desire to keep her to himself all day in the forest somewhere. Maybe his cabin… No, no, that would be next year. Next year he wanted to spend the eight days between her birthday and his at his cabin on Long Lake.
His thoughts wandered between her and his plans for the day until she stirred a little after daybreak.
"Good morning, melethril nín, and happy birthday!" He said and gave her a little kiss.
"Mmm! Good morning and thank you!" She replied, with a little smile before pulling him down for another kiss.
Soon... Soon... All day in bed with his wife... But not today. Well... Perhaps a few more minutes...
"Mmm!" She said with a smile. "You seem to be very happy and excited."
"I am, are you not?"
"Well, you are certainly making me more excited than I was," she replied, drawing him closer to kiss him again.
She was getting bolder and more confident when they were together and he loved it! She was kissing him and slowly pulling him onto herself and letting her hands trailing down his sides and then onto the small of his back and up again.
...Maybe a few minutes more...
His face was buried in her neck and she was holding him closer to herself and making the most gorgeous little sounds when he realized they had been at this for a while and grey dawn was giving way to bright morning. He moved his mouth nearer her ear and said, "Meleth nín, I would adore nothing more than doing this all day, but breakfast is in a little while, and I do not want you in a rush this morning."
"Estelneth can get me out the door in time," she said dismissively.
He propped himself up and looked her in those beautiful, deep brown eyes he could just get lost in... "She can, but I was hoping to tend you today," he confessed. This was, admittedly, the weakest part of his plan as he really wasn't sure how she would feel about it.
She raised a brow. "Bold one, aren't we?"
"I thought it might be nice to give you a glimpse of how things could be once we are wed," he said flirtatiously.
"Maybe, but you have a scheme. I can see it written all over your face," she teased back.
"May I?"
"You are lucky I am a curious soul. Very well, you can attend to me today," Lothril said before reaching up to pull his face closer for a kiss.
"Thank you, milady," he replied and gave her another kiss. "What would you like to wear today?" This was the calculated gamble in his schemes, as he asked Estelneth and she said most days Lothril doesn't care what she wears.
"You may pick," Lothril said, kissed him, then added, "Something fun and pretty since it is my birthday."
"As my lady wishes," he said as he leaned in for a parting kiss. She immediately made it long and deep and he hated to leave it, but duty called.
He got up and Lothril sat up to see her room fairly draped with lilacs and lily of the valley.
"Oh Mellothon!" She gasped as a smile took her face. "It looks like a lilac grove in here! Oh, thank you! This is a wonderful way to start my birthday morning! Get over here, I need to thank you properly for this!" She said as she got up on her knees on the mattress.
He obediently returned and she drew her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Thank you, Mellothon," she said in a quiet little flirty voice.
He gave a quick peck and replied, "You are most welcome, lothil nín."
She let her hands trail down from his neck to his chest before letting him go and then heading off into the bathroom.
Enderi could not come soon enough.
He marshalled his thoughts and quickly set about dressing himself in an outfit he has carefully picked to look festive but not too much so, so as to not arouse her suspicions.
She came into her closet and her eyes clapped on the dress almost instantly. She pressed her lips into a thin line and didn't say a word. She went straight to the dress and started looking at it closely. Her face rapidly melted into a soft, daydreamy expression as she looked it over and handled the fabric. She loved it, without doubt.
"What do you think? Do you like it?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
"Oh yes! Very much. Is my under dress behind the screen?"
"Filegon made one for this. It is attached to the inside of the shoulder by a small button so you may put it all on at once," he answered.
"Huzzah!" She said as she grabbed the dress off the rack and whisked behind her changing screen.
She must have torn her night clothes off as it seemed but a second later she was summoning him to help her with tying up the laces in the back.
"Oh, Legolas!" She all but moaned, "This dress feels even better on! I know I said no more dresses, but if you keep gifting me ones like this, I may change my mind. Thank you, meleth nín!" she said with a wide smile as she examined herself in the mirror. He had a nightshirt of the same material and knew exactly how it felt wearing it, like warm waves caressing your skin when you lay in the shallows of the lake on a hot day. And that was why he picked it for this dress and the handful of haib irui outfits he was having made for her.
The soft violet lace over the pale purple dress looked amazing with her dark hair and eyes. The way the dress draped and softly clung to her figure… and how the low neckline was tempered by the sheer lace… she looked like the embodiment of spring. How she always looked like embodiment of the beauty of nature entranced him. Like every season and every weather brought forth a new aspect of her beauty.
He slid his hands around her waist as he stood behind her. "You are welcome," he answered and kissed her neck. "Come, let me braid your hair."
She sat at her vanity and he began undoing the braids she had slept in. Now to risk tipping his hand to her.
"Lothril, meleth nín, I know it is your birthday, but there is something I greatly wish to show you before breakfast. Would you mind indulging me by following me to my garden before we eat?" He asked.
She studied him in the mirror a moment then said, "Alright."
He only did two small braids coiled and pinned by the hair pin he had given her so her hair could fall in gentle ripples down her back. Her hair has a fair amount of body anyway and wasn't pin straight like his, so when she did the braids like that, it just made it look even thicker and more… well, sexy, but with an earthy natural twist. As soon as he was done, he quickly replaced things to where he had found them, helped her put on the lily of the valley necklace, per her request, and then lead her out to his garden.
The morning dew was still heavy on the flowers and in the morning light they looked nearly studded with glass. He could tell there was a swirl of thoughts and comments she was not voicing, as she had that suspicious look on her face, but she kept her comments to how pretty the flowers looked that early until she saw it.
Two large lilac bushes of light purple arched their branches over the garden path. She let go of his hand and practically ran forward into the midst of the grove to discover light, dark, and white lilacs, all heavily throwing their perfume and glittering with dew in the morning light which was dancing pale golden shafts into the garden. Beneath her feet was a carpet of grass dotted in wildflowers and edged in lily of the valley. She stood in the middle, looking around and smiling that small little smile that spoke volumes.
"Oh Mellothon! Darling, dearest Legolas Mellothon Greenleaf! This is beautiful! This is amazing!"
"And it is yours to enjoy," he said, coming to join her. "I want you to spend as much time as you wish here. And see, I have a bench there if you wish to sit and if you lift up the seat of it, you will find a blanket if you wish to lie down."
She turned to him and gave him one of the headiest kisses he had experienced yet.
"Thank you," she uttered against his lips before giving him another.
Whose birthday was it again? Because it was beginning to feel like his. Especially when she started undoing his tunic. Her lips went to his neck as her hand sneaked inside his tunic and gently caressed his chest. Suddenly he shuddered and moaned. He didn't know his nipples were so sensitive until that moment. Neither did she, because her lips paused against his neck and she brushed it again, eliciting the same response from him. There was a brief moment of pause between the two of them and he felt her lips stretch into a smile against his neck before resuming her kisses and lightly stroking his nipple again with her fingers before circling it once with a finger tip and then gently sliding her hand out of his tunic.
"I think I'll explore this more later," she whispered in his ear.
He groaned and he wasn't even sure if it was more out of arousal or disappointment that she stopped. But as if to make up for it, she brought her lips to his and kissed him, letting her tongue tease his lips until he opened his mouth to her.
Your mouth as sweet as honeycomb, your lips as sweet as wine,
Your tongue as hot as burning fire, your body close to mine,
Your skin fair and warm as sunlight, your eyes like stars that shine.
Come, lay beside me, lay beneath me, and let me make you mine.
As that verse ran through his head unbidden, he pulled her closer. Let her feel what she did to him. Her eyes grew wide in surprise and a mischievous smile reflexively took her face.
Just then he heard a bird call he knew well because it wasn't a bird call, it was a signal he and Elior had used since they were elflings. He knew he had but a minute or two.
"Meleth nín, I have another surprise for you," he said quietly in her ear as he brought his hands from her hips to her hands.
"Oh?"
He kissed her then said, "Yes, come with me." He could feel her excitement as he led her or is her lilac grove and simultaneously buttoned up his tunic again.
"Where are we going?" Lothril asked.
"To breakfast, but it is outside today," he answered.
"Oh? Why pray is that?" She asked, raising a brow but with a small smile.
Just then they rounded the corner and entered one of the smaller clearings and he said, "Because everyone would not fit in the dining room."
The clearing was full of her friends, including Linnrien and Elior, Elrohir and Elladan, and Glorfindel.
"Two surprise parties in one birthday?" She asked with ósanwe.
"The fact you forgot it was your birthday last night is hardly my fault. But I did plan this as a surprise this morning so if you want, you can have the rest of the day to yourself or you can spend it with everyone. Whatever your pleasure," he replied in kind.
This conversation occurred while everyone was saying, 'happy birthday'.
She thanked everyone and went to join everyone. "I am surprised your father and mine are not here too," she said.
"Who said we are not?" Elrond said from behind her. She spun around to see Elrond arriving with Thranduil who was directing servants where to set out breakfast.
She smiled and as he joined her she gave him a hug and said, "Good morning, Ada!"
"Good morning, iell (daughter)," he returned.
Everyone sat and it was a merry breakfast party, complete with a subtly sweet little pastry with a little bit of a sweet, honey, floral taste on top of the presence of blackberries. This was a Thranduil creation that everyone adored, even though he didn't let on it was one of his. He did, after all, like honest opinions.
Legolas was pleased to see Lothril was happily surprised by his little party and his darling dear introvert was looking like the queen of the party, laughing and talking with everyone and seeming to be having a wonderful time. After eating there was music and with music came some singing and dancing, but nothing formal. Lothril danced some, sang some, talked and laughed quite a bit, and after a while, games and contests were suggested, which began breaking up the group a little between horseshoes, archery, and croquet, badminton, and lawn darts. Lothril used this as an opportunity to take a little bit of a break and play horseshoes with Linnrien. Legolas loved the fact they were becoming so close.
Somewhere in the afternoon, Lothril flat out sneaked away and Legolas had completely missed it because he had been in a rather intense game of badminton. However, once he realized she was gone, he put his thin outer robe back on and went looking for her in her new lilac grove.
And there she was, laying down on the pale blue blanket, staring up at the patch of sky fringed with leaves, watching clouds drift by.
"There you are," he said as he went over to join her.
"Indeed, here I am. How goes the party?"
"Well, but it has started to break up," he answered. "Mind if I lay beside you?"
"Be my guest," she replied with a smile. "So, is this how elven begetting days typically go?"
"When we choose to celebrate them, yes. We do not every year," he answered.
"This has been fun," she said with a smile. "I cannot remember the last time I had a birthday party this big… if ever. And I love the fact that you included Farion and Silrien even though they aren't nobility. I like the fact I have friends that are all over the social ladder. That said, can I invite Estelneth to our wedding as a guest?"
Legolas frowned. "I think we will have to think about that. I have no problem with you seeing her as a friend, but she is a servant and it could create a string of problems if she is invited to our wedding as a guest."
"What, like jealousy between the servants?"
"Yes, amongst other things."
"Maybe I will tell her I want her as a guest, but we can tell everyone she is working and supervising the feast or something," Lothril suggested.
"That may work, but we will need to think this through carefully. And I will speak to Father about it."
"Sounds good."
-⸙ - ⸙-
Lothril had spent almost a week working on her wood burning piece. To the frustration of Legolas, she was writing it in English and patently refused to tell him what it said.
Actually, it was to the frustration of all because it became a pet project she carried around and worked on nearly constantly. It started the day after her birthday and continued on for a week, first with her sketching out the designs and runes on the wood board she had made and shaped, then burning it with the set Aunt Cîlwen and Uncle Istelion gave her. Every time she went almost anywhere she positioned herself near one of the ever present fires and set to heating the tips and continuing on. Whatever it was, it was clearly a poem or song going by how she was writing it out, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember anything about the runes except that he could read them in Michigan and not here.
Elrond seemed to be the only one not guessing and wildly curious and his only comment on it was that he thought it looked very nice and that she seemed to be enjoying the process of creating it. Even he though, was slightly baffled when Thranduil asked her what her intentions were for staining it and she replied she intended not to, despite saying not a minute prior she intended to place this in her garden.
"You do realize if you do nothing this will all rot away outside in a few years," Thranduil cautioned.
She grinned. "I know!"
To add to the riddle of this mystery work, she asked Legolas to sketch out simple little drawings of things she felt she really couldn't draw herself in a few random places around the edges of the text. Namely, a pair of running horses and two hands looking like they're holding something cupped in the palms, but she didn't tell him to put in an object; she said she would do it.
At least she didn't mind if people looked at her work in progress. She finished it one day at lunch, having brought a small, flat lamp she had jerry-rigged with a sturdy little wire rest for her wood burning tools over the flame. She had been working on it at the far end of the table so she could spread out a little and as soon as she was finished she picked it up off the table and held it up to examine it with a big grin on her face, then set it down and picked up her plate and moved to her customary spot next to Legolas and continued eating like she had been there all day.
"Well?" Elrohir asked.
"Well what?" She asked, confused.
"Are you done?" He asked.
"Yes," she replied.
"May we see it?" He asked for everyone.
"Sure," she said causally.
And that casual "sure" immediately made Elrond and Legolas suspicious that whatever this project was, it was deeply personal and dear to her. She never sounded that neutrally casual about anything except deeply dear and personal things.
Elrohir didn't know this yet however, so he practically sprang out of his chair to fetch the wooden board she had been working so dutifully on for the last week.
Lunch that day was just Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir, Thranduil, Legolas, and her, so if there was any group of elves in Middle-earth she ought to have felt free to explain herself to, it was this one, but instead she ignored how all of them left their seats to gather around Elrohir and see the mystery project.
It was handsome, if baffling. The text ran down the middle and around the edge was a border of flowers and leaves dotted with pictures that explained nothing. Like the rock at the very top center, the hands holding a strange shape that had two mounds on top and tapered to a point at the bottom, or the horses running with some sort of ribbon streaming from around their necks with funny shaped little arrows and strange figures on it, and two hills that looked like they were made of boxes. That last one Legolas recognized as a roller coaster and the strange shape as a heart from her old world, but recognition did nothing to explain the mystery text.
"Alright, gwathel, I give up. What is it?" Elladan said.
"A song," she said and offered no more as she dutifully turned her attention to her lunch, which she quickly ate then excused herself, grabbing her project and heading out of the room with her signature trying not to smile face.
"She is the odd duck, isn't she?" Elladan said to no one in particular.
Legolas nodded slightly then turned his attention back to his plate and after about two bites more excused himself.
"Speaking of ducks," Elrohir said with ósanwe to his twin as Legolas left the room, undoubtedly to chase after. "Shall we?"
"Oh, but we must, I think," Elladan replied.
The twins also excused themselves and left the room, leaving Elrond and Thranduil who watched everyone leave with a good deal of amusement.
Meanwhile, Legolas saw Lothril was heading out to her garden, and for as much as he desperately wanted to follow her, and had intended to when he got up, he thought better of it by the time he reached the hallway and decided a little archery was in order and he would simply change at the practice field. And then he noticed the twins. They had that let's-sneak-into-Arwen's-room look. With all care and stealth he followed them outside and into his garden. They didn't know it as well as he did, but they knew it well enough to know it butted up against hers and that the birches in the far corner looked over into her garden.
He watched the birch carefully for a moment and did not see them and realized they had opted instead to spy through the hedge that separated the two gardens. He carefully and silently climbed part way up a near arched trellis to see where they were without seeing over the hedge and spotted some movement near the hedge wall where the leaves were a little thinner.
Silently he crept down and stalked over and just as Elladan was about to touch the hedge he reached out and grabbed his wrist.
"No."
"Oh, come, Legolas! She is in her garden, not her bedroom, and if we're lucky she shall read it aloud," Elladan protested quietly.
"And what are you doing here if not spying yourself?" Elrohir asked.
"Stopping you two. I was heading out to the practice field to loose some arrows when I saw you two elflings following her," Legolas answered pointedly.
Elrohir arched a brow, looking remarkably like Elrond. "With those sleeves?"
"I have clothes at the practice field."
"A likely story," Elladan said.
"Would you like to come see? I have a whole wardrobe out there for outdoor activities."
"I always knew you were a clothes horse," Elladan commented.
"Yes, I am and I will happily share," Legolas said with a dash of sarcasm.
"Sarcasm becomes you," Elladan teased.
"There she is," Elrohir whispered, looking through the thin spot in the hedge.
"Menigir! (Scram!)" Legolas said sternly.
Then suddenly they heard her voice wafting towards them.
"You know, sometimes I feel like I,
I gave it my hardest try
If there's anything
I lost is on a fast rollercoaster ride..."
Legolas recognized the tune but was trying to place it... Then he remembered - it was from her world... What was that song again? 'I Say Grace', yes! That was it!
"...When my baby asks "How was your day?"
I say grace..."
"Do you suppose that is the song she wrote out?" Elrohir asked his twin quietly.
"Impossible to say," Elladan replied. "Ah well. We tried. We shall go now, oh Prince Protector."
"Thank you," Legolas said and watched them walk away with every intent to follow, but he paused a moment.
"Took a rock from the garden I made here
In the back yard with a little love and some care
I come here when the world gets too crazy
I come here when I'm just feeling sad
We all need a place we can go where
You pick your dreams out of thin air
I work in this garden of faith every single day!"
It all clicked for him. The pictures around the words- this was definitely what she wood burned and he understood why this song. He began to follow the twins but he could still easily hear her belting out the easy, bluesy, gospel tune.
"I say grace for the blue painted sky
I say grace for my lucky stars that shine
When I look back on the road that I've traveled down
I say grace for the love that I have found."
He felt rather touched, really.
"...When time gets a hold of my horses
I think I'll just laugh and go for the ride
Now when I look out my window
Where I've planted my heart and my soul
It does a girl a world of good
To watch her garden grow!"
The twins left his garden the same way they entered it, which was returning right back to the palace. Legolas though decided he was going to follow through with the archery idea, and the quickest path to it put him walking past the entrance to hers.
"...I've been through the hardest of seasons
Holding my heart in my hand
And every kinda thought has a reason
Now I understand…
When the roof caves in
Lets the sun shine in
Life is beautiful
Now at the end of day!
I say grace for the blue painted sky
I say grace for my lucky stars that shine
When I look back on the road that I've traveled down
I say grace!"
She held the last long note and Legolas smiled. The words weren't the most poetic ones he ever heard, and when she had him listen to the song he hadn't really understood why she liked it.
He was just passing by her garden gate when it opened and she came out.
"Oh! What are you up to?" She asked.
"I am heading to the archery range," he answered.
She nodded. "Since you are here, you can go look at it if you want. It all looks exactly how I hoped it would!" She said with a smile. "But I think I am going to go find a cup of tea." She gave him a kiss and went dancing off singing snatches of the song.
He stared at the open garden gate then went in.
He wasn't exactly sure where she might have put it and so wandered around a little bit. This place was really coming together nicely, especially considering the state it started in. The Gardeners Afield had been excellent tutors for her, helping her arrange plants so something would be blooming from thaw to frost and putting flowers and plants beside each other that liked being together... Then of course, with Lothril's vision of wanting ornamental and practical, things were divided up that way also. There were her medicinal flowers and plants, her fruits and vegetables, her herb garden which smelled delicious, and then a large section of "impractical but pretty", as she referred to it. The song hadn't been in the former, so he wandered into the latter. This part was really taking off splendidly, as her flowering bushes she had procured from either cuttings or as transplants were really taking off and acting as the gate keepers to this section of the garden. He passed through the arched trellis covered in a flowering vine and came into the open flower garden. It looked like a wild flowering meadow with how the flowers were arranged, but the varieties were all wrong for that, and when he had mentioned it, she had grinned and said, "that's the point!"
He was only in her little contradictory meadow garden for a minute when the piece of wood caught his eye. It was sitting in a little depression near the back that he had suggested she fill in to level out and she had looked at him like he was silly for suggesting it. Then she had gone out of her way to fill that little two foot diameter depression with clover, of all things. And there was her little wood burning project, lightly jammed into the soft soil and propped up on a rock.
And somehow... It all made sense... He couldn't explain it or put his finger on it, but it all made sense. The song in relation to the garden, the piece in its placement, the garden in relation to her, even the fact she refused to stain it or do anything to preserve it.
"When the roof caves in, lets the sun shine in," he said quietly to himself. It all made sense. The locked room in her mind... Her past... This garden... Her present... Their future and their plans... If he hadn't spent so much time using ósanwe with her, he never would have brought all these pieces together, that was certain!
He smiled.
No, she couldn't have explained it. It would have taken too long.
Forget archery.
He headed out of the garden and was going to head inside when a thought occurred to him and he detoured back to his garden and the lilacs. Sure enough, there she was straying amongst them and looking like a vision of happiness as a very pleased smile was gently and effortlessly gracing her face. He went straight to her and with a soft smile of his own he said, "I get it. All of it."
Her smile widened. "I hoped you would!" She gave him a long, excited kiss and when she broke it she danced off to the song of the spring breeze in the trees and music wafting towards them from somewhere, and he joined her.
-⸙ - ⸙-
That evening was the start of Legolas' begetting day, and so for dinner he wished to have a right proper party of family and friends. The weather was exceptionally fine, so they ate outside with music and had fish and afterwards there was dancing until quite late. Lothril asked him earlier if he wanted her to join him in bed that night, which was a resounding yes, and his bed or hers? His. Just as well. Her gift for him was coming at breakfast anyway.
She was actually quite excited about his birthday, coffee aside, because ever since her birthday just over a week ago, she had been mulling over a few things he said and hinted at when they had gone to bed. She had been trying to keep her deviant little mind in check as she wasn't entirely… well, she wanted things, and she liked that she wanted things, and she knew everyone kept saying it was okay, and she was okay with it, but she was still a little bit shy about it.
In her head there was this line of demarcation where what they did together and what she thought about and wanted and all was divided between "fun" and "serious" (for lack of a better word). And some of those things she had tried not to think about crossed into serious and she really wasn't sure if she was ready or not to grapple with the serious half yet. She had barely gotten comfortable with the fun half and felt like she was still exploring it. To say nothing of the notion of her being more… what was the word she wanted? Aggressive? Seemed too negative. Assertive? Seemed too demanding for how it felt.
In the lexicon of her mind the word "naughty" kept flitting to mind, but when she dropped that word talking with Elrond the other day, he seemed to strongly think that was not an appropriate or healthy way to view herself and her sexuality. That had shaken her perspective a bit. He suggested "playful" she thought that seemed to childish. He led her over to the window which overlooked the river where a bunch of full grown, centuries, if not millennia, older than her elves were full on playing. There was a game of chicken in the river, a variation of tag on the shore, and it was hard to say for certain, but either parkour or the floor is lava from a group of ellith with an aim of getting into the river without touching the ground. She watched as Belneth went swinging out on a rope over the middle of the river and then dropped off the rope and landed in the river with a terrific splash.
She reconsidered playful, but there was still another element there and she couldn't sort what. Regardless, she was excited about his begetting day because she had the intention of exploring that line of demarcation and the nebulous feeling and thrill of her being more playfully aggressive with him.
Or playfully assertive? Dominant? Why did all these forceful words keep coming to mind? She didn't want to be forceful… she wanted to be fun… and playful…and make his eyes roll up in his head make him feel as tingly and thrilled and lovely as he made her feel… "impish" came to mind… and the fact that "elfin" was a synonym to "impish" wasn't lost on her… maybe she just wanted to be an elfin elven lover. She chuckled quietly to herself at that one as she finished loosening the last braid in her hair.
Regardless, she was in her pajamas, her robe was on, and she suddenly realized she had no idea how long she had taken to change and that usually meant she had taken a while. Poor Legolas… and on his begetting day! She gathered her thoughts, realized she was ready, and quickly got up and hurried out of her closet and headed over to his room.
His bedroom door was open and she closed it behind herself and saw him sitting in front of his fire with a lap harp, gently plucking out a little rolling melody. She sat down near the arm of the couch to give him room and watched his fingers nimbly dance across the strings. He was so very talented and skilled at so many things… so many of them involving those long, dexterous fingers of his… she began to wonder if those long, nimble fingers would be good at -
"Lothril, you look flushed," Legolas said, stopping his playing.
"Do I?"
"Decidedly."
She wasn't sure what she wanted to say in reply. Once again, she was at that funny moment where she could either try making less of what she felt or actually telling him and letting things go wherever they might lead. Usually she playfully deflected. Tonight, she decided to run with it. It was his begetting day after all!
She drew nearer and he hastily set aside his harp so he could receive her as she leaned close and said, "I was just thinking about these long, talented fingers of yours." She took his right hand and examined it briefly before giving in to another impulse and kissing below his betrothal ring on his index finger. She felt his hand grip hers just a little tighter. "And wondering what other things they might be good at." She kissed the knuckle just above his finger nail, eliciting a soft growly moan.
"You shall soon find out," he replied, using his left hand to draw her face closer while his right gently freed itself from her grasp and pulled her body on top of his as he laid down on the couch.
"Mmm! That wouldn't happen to be my begetting day present, would it? For it would be a very generous gift if so!" Legolas said after breaking the kiss. "But that said, I would love another."
"It is not, in fact, your gift," she replied with a smile. "See if you can guess it."
"Hmm…"
She kissed him.
"A circlet?"
She kissed him to soften the blow. "No."
"A robe or tunic?"
"No and no," she said then gave him two kisses
"A ring?"
"No," she answered with a kiss.
"Brooch?" He hoped he was wrong.
"No."
"I certainly hope I do not guess it any time soon," he said with a smile.
"And why is that?" She asked with a kiss.
"I enjoy kissing you," he answered before drawing her down for a longer kiss. "More arrows?"
"Oh! That is a thought! But no." She kissed him and asked, "Do you want to keep guessing?"
"Will you keep kissing me if I stop guessing?" He asked with a teasing little grin.
"Oh, with certainty!"
"Then I shall be patient and wait," he replied and drew her down again. "Correction… patient for my gift… I am very impatient for your lips…"
"Just my lips?" she asked with a flirty little grin.
"Your lips… your mouth… your tongue," he said, punctuating each word with a kiss. "Your throat…" he continued, his lips leaving her mouth in favor of her neck. "Your ears… your beautiful elven ears…" He began a series of light kisses, hardly more than his lips softly touching the outline of her ears.
Vaguely, she had a passing thought of it being slightly ironic that the elf who had spent the overwhelming majority of his life surrounded exclusively by elves was mildly obsessed with her elven ears. Her musing though quickly faded as his lips ascended her ear and made her shudder as a tingling, thrilling sensation shot through her. Oh stars! She moaned as he continued and kissed up and down her neck but now his hands were trailing down her sides, coming to rest on her hips briefly before she felt him pulling up her tunic until he could slide a hand under the hem and caress the skin on her lower back. The way she shifted and pressed into him was reflexive, the reaction she felt from him, involuntary.
And again, here she was on the border between "fun" and "serious".
"Legolas, I…" she didn't know what to say or how to say it.
He stopped and looked at her. "It is a natural response. No apology is necessary."
"No, that isn't…"
He studied her face briefly. "What is your thought?"
"Here it is, as best as I can explain it. I feel like doing things with you is either fun or serious. Most of the time it is fun and that is what I have been exploring so far, the fun half, but just now it was starting to feel serious and…"
"Did it scare you?"
"I want to start exploring it."
He smiled widely and said, "Let's!"
-⸙ - ⸙-
They arrived at breakfast and sat and as everyone was serving themselves, a servant appeared and set down Legolas' mug he bought in Sault Ste Marie, which made him pause in the middle of cutting his eggs. Then he saw a curl of steam and that wonderful scent hit his nose.
"What in the world?" He set down his fork and picked up the cup and took a sip. It was every inch as gorgeous as he remembered, but this was decidedly a different blend. "Where did this come from?"
"Me," Lothril beamed.
"How? When?" Legolas asked as the servant began offering coffee to the others.
"When Elior took you on that overnight trip a several weeks back. The merchants came by and happened to have a few pounds of coffee on them, so… I bought some," she answered. She felt Thranduil's mine brush against hers though his face absolutely congenial as it was most mornings and betrayed nothing.
"I thought this was a wedding gift. Are you not telling him you established a coffee trade all by yourself?" Thranduil asked with ósanwe.
"I decided to give him what I bought now and tell him about the trade as a wedding gift. I reckon he will be more than a little pleased with me," she answered.
Thranduil knew exactly what she meant and she felt his infinite amusement at it though he did not directly reply. He could certainly keep it mum and he knew Gladhrion would love nothing more than to be in on keeping coffee shipments hidden from his cousin.
"How much did you get?" Legolas asked her.
"Ooh, I reckon about fifteen pounds," she answered nonchalantly, but with a smile teasing the corners of her mouth.
"You are the best elleth!" Legolas declared and kissed her cheek and added with ósanwe, "I am thanking you properly later!"
In the meantime, Thranduil, Elrond, the twins, and Glorfindel were all trying the coffee and watching this little scene with no small measure of amusement.
"Those two are ridiculously adorable," Elrohir said to his twin with ósanwe.
Elladan grinned into his coffee cup.
"Elrond, pass me the cream, please," Thranduil said. He surreptitiously watched his son exercise a considerable amount of self-discipline and not kiss Lothril until she was seeing stars as he poured and stirred in a little creamer. Oh, that fixed the coffee right up! He did however notice the hand closest to Lothril disappeared under the table.
A/N: **crannthennas – completion, perfection… I think… I went back and forth for months on which suffix I thought I should I use and I am… not horribly certain. There isn't a direct "-tion" suffix, which is frustrating (and fun…) So this is my best guess and if some Sindarin master stumbles onto this fic and wishes to correct me – please, oh please do! Oh, anyway, this is my Sindarin construction for a slightly euphemistic way of saying, 'orgasm'. I reckon not terribly dissimilar to 'climax' or 'finishing'. Because 'orgasm' isn't a word in Sindarin (at least not that I have found), and I'm not NEARLY clever enough to fabricate something like that from whole cloth. Oh, and PS to any younger readers – I will continue to try keeping this tasteful, but this is simply going to get more adult as we go on. And just FYI, the wedding chapter… it'll be in two parts… Part 1 will be perfectly fine (most likely), but Part 2… NSFW. Ye be warned! And parental units – I have warned them!