THE FORGOTTEN

Ethuil an Laer

Spring to Summer

Author's note: the chapter in which - Lothril spend time in her garden and gets a box. As for the re/read date - anytime between April and Summer Solstice. *Note - adult themes and content present.

Life was lived outdoors in late spring and summer in the Woodland Realm, and Lothril found this very agreeable. With the forest being healed and the dangers of it being reduced to pedantic things like wild animals and getting lost, Lothril found she had ample room to roam to her heart's content and with anyone, everyone, or no one. Though she generally kept her solitary wanderings to the gardens or palace grounds. She was finding being outside so much was invigorating and liberating. She felt like she could stretch her muscles (literally and figuratively) and try things on her own and at her own pace. And what's more, she was having fun!

The subjects of the Woodland Realm all seemed to be nigh onto obsessed with the river, as there were parties up and down it nearly every day and night. Often large ones with dozens of elves swimming, fishing, dancing, boating, and general merrymaking. It was also quite common to hear of parties being arranged to go spend a few days down by the lake. She determined she wanted to at least spend Midsummer there and told Legolas as much who immediately passed that along to Thranduil who in turn announced there was going to be a huge Midsummer celebration down on the lakeside.

In the meantime though, Legolas' grandparents and the rest of his galadhrim family arrived from Lothloríen. Lothril was grateful for this because she felt more free to spend time with Elrond and the twins and Glorfindel during the day so he could spend time with his long separated family. She did things with them too, of course, but they were moving there and Elrond was sailing in a year and some change. Thus, Lothril was enjoying an after dinner ramble with just her and Elrond around the palace grounds.

"You seem to have been quite busy since you arrived here," Elrond commented.

"Well, I have a lot of catching up to do," Lothril said with a somewhat forced smile.

"Lothril, you do realize it took all of us about a century to reach majority? You have been here less than two years," he replied.

"And I only have another four before we plan on moving to Ithilien."

Elrond stopped and took both of her hands in his. "You have a hundred years."

"I am getting married at Enderi."

"You still have a century. Do you honestly think Legolas mastered the laws of the kingdom by the time he reached majority?"

"Well… I did until just now," she replied.

"Lothril, I know your first year and a half here has been chaotic and you have managed to do the nearly impossible in an extraordinarily short amount of time, but though your first few months it was necessary for you to survive, it no longer is. Now you may take your time."

"But I am about to become a princess and-"

"So?"

"Well, don't I need to-?"

"No, iell nîn. You may very safely rest on Legolas. He is more than capable. When the Last Alliance formed, Legolas was kept behind to run the kingdom with his mother Queen Lauríel. He has since effectively run the kingdom several times by himself and on some occasions, years at a time. He has led the kingdom, he has led the army, he is fully capable of leading his people in Ithilien by himself while you take your time to get your feet beneath you."

She frowned. "But I do not want to be just some pretty accessory on his arm. I want to do something."

"I am not saying do nothing. I am saying do not try to cram a century into four years. You need to enjoy these days, Lothril," he said gently.

She sighed. "You are probably right."

"Probably?" Elrond teased.

She gave a chuckle. "Alright, alright! You're right!"

Later that evening Lothril told Legolas about the conversation and he heartily confirmed what Elrond had said.

-⸙ - ⸙-

The weeks following that conversation were more relaxed as Lothril decided she was going to focus on her garden and that was about it. She was finding though that she was spending a huge amount of time working on it. She knew Thranduil and Legolas both cared for their own gardens and that they passed off next to nothing to the gardeners. She also knew they really didn't spend their lives in their gardens, but they always looked perfect. How did they manage this?! She was starting to think this could be a full time job and yet they only spent a couple hours a week at it. It vexed her a little, but at the same time, watching her garden grow was nice… but did she really want to devote all her time to it? And how in the world could she manage anything on a much larger scale in Ithilien?

She decided she'd keep at it until winter then talk it over with Legolas.

In any event, she was less busy, despite her gardening frustrations, and she was enjoying the extra time with kith and kin and ignoring her shabby garden.

And Legolas was thrilled with this. Cîlwen and Linnrien were spending a good deal of time with Lothril, and his beloved always seemed so very cheery after being with them. She hadn't said It, but he was getting the feeling Lothril had adopted them and it thrilled him. It also thrilled him to see how many invitations to parties she was receiving and accepting. Largely they were from the Gardeners Afield, but that was fine with him. He knew in her old world she had kept a small social circle, so it was hardly surprising she was maintaining a fairly small one here. He reckoned she had two very close friends (besides the twins that she had long considered her brothers), Linnrien and Mindonith, and three or four good friends, and then a group of about seven that she was friendly with but they were more friends by association rather than people she would choose to confide in. Though, to his knowledge, she didn't confide much in any of them, she was just comfortable with them.

He had mentioned this one night when chatting with his father. Thranduil chuckled and replied, "Oh son, she may divulge many things to you, but take it from someone who had three sisters and a wife - you would be shocked at what she has discussed with Linnrien and Mindonith."

And so he would have as earlier that day while Lothril and Mindonith were working in her garden, Mindonith asked, "Is something troubling you? You look thoughtful."

Lothril let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding as she cut flowers for a bouquet off of a stack of planters Belneth had called barad loth (flower tower) and said, "Oh, last night we were doing some wedding feast planning and going over traditions and working out details… it's all very different from what I am accustomed to."

"What are you accustomed to?" Mindonith asked as she brushed off her hands on the legs of her overalls and reached for the leather gloves and pruning shears.

"Well, for starters, everything we did was kind of backwards to how it is here. There, you held the ceremony first and the ceremony is what makes you married, and your friends stand up with you, not family. You are married by a - well, a third person who is legally able to do so, and then afterwards you hold a feast and dance and whatnot." No sense trying to explain Baptists don't dance… why didn't they anyway? No point wondering now… "Then after the feast, the newlyweds leave and then consummate the marriage."

"Slightly flipped with the celebration, but overall it seems fairly close," Mindonith commented.

"No, see, when I said they are married by a third person, that is it. They're married. Consummated or not, they are married."

Mindonith stopped mid snip with that. "Hmm… I think I prefer our method. But still, that seems not so terribly different," she said as she resumed pruning the roses.

"Yes, well, the details are where it gets foreign to me." Lothril then explained wedding ceremonies back home and Mindonith asked some questions but didn't say much until the end.

"I rather prefer ours," Mindonith said.

"Do you mind if I ask you a somewhat personal question?" Lothril a little timidly.

"Certainly! We are friends!" Mindonith answered.

"Well, two questions really - did you and your husband exchange your vows in front of your family or in private and why?"

"We exchanged them in front of our kin, and as for why- well, you have seen us together at feasts," Mindonith said with a smile and a wink. "We both tend to be very open about ourselves. For what it is worth, I can see it going either way for you both, and regardless of which you both decide upon, it will be perfect."

"Am I making too big of a deal out of this decision?" Lothril asked.

Mindonith kept pruning as she replied, "You wish to honor your family and his and that is a worthy consideration. However, though I do not know Lord Elrond very well, I know King Thranduil well enough to know he shall be pleased with whatever your decision is. For what it is worth, the couples I have known who have exchanged vows when alone have done so for specific reasons."

"Like what?"

"Oh, a dislike of public speaking, reckoning as a wedding is a private thing the vows might as well be too, not wanting a large gap between exchanging the vows and wedding, and in one case I just so happen to know it is because they wanted to exchange vows while naked."

Lothril stared at Mindonith wide eyed with a funny look on her face. Mindonith saw it and laughed.

"I felt the same way, but to each their own! I do not see how that changes things one way or the other, but if that is what made them feel closer, who am I to question? Heavens, I am certain my husband and I have done things in bed that would make others do more than raise their brows."

"Why do I suddenly have that ignorant child feeling?"

Mindonith put the shears in the wheelbarrow and said with a grin, "You are a creative sort with a good imagination, I am sure it will not take you very long to figure it out. At the same time though, I will happily give you some things to prompt your imagination, if you like. Traditionally, one would give such gifts on your wedding day, but some of them could be put to good use now if you and his highness are the sort to-" there was a proper end to that sentence, but the second Lothril started turning pink, she knew. "I will send it over within a day or two. Some you can use now and later, others will have to wait, but I am very sure you will be able to guess which is which."

Lothril blushed even as she grinned and replied, "You shall get me into trouble!"

"Nay, if anything I shall get you a very happy melethron and me in the prince's good graces!"

-⸙⸙-

Two days later a package arrived at Lothril's room and she found it when she went to change after coming back after a ride. She recognized Mindonith's writing on the tag. She honestly couldn't begin to guess what might be in here. Thank heavens she was alone! She untied the thick string it was shut with and took off the lid to find a letter that basically said, "Have fun! And if you have any questions, you have only to ask me!"

Lothril set aside the letter and unfolded the cloth and started taking things out and setting them on her bed. Well, that was certainly a collection of…objects… ribbon, pheasant feathers, and blindfold all made ready sense and she could fairly easily see how they could use those things now. In fact, the blindfold had crossed her mind already. Then there were the objects that just looked, well, weird. She had a vague idea about some of those, and she immediately flushed and blushed thinking about it if they were what she thought, but some- she was going to have to ask Mindonith.

She picked up one of the more bizarre looking ones that was made of blue glass. "Looks like it should be called 'Bubbles in Blue' in an art gallery somewhere," she muttered to herself. It was kinda pretty in and of itself, but the longer she looked at it the more she got this funny feeling in the pit of her stomach…

"Milady-"

"AAACK!" Lothril screamed and started, half tossing, half dropping the weird object before narrowly catching it, and then shoving it awkwardly in the box and trying to cram the lid on before spinning around looking guilty as sin and trying to look calm. "Estelneth, you startled me! I wasn't expecting you."

"My apologies," Estelneth said. "I was just returning to put that box away in case you are both sleeping here tonight."

"No, no, no-no! I will take care of it!" Lothril said quickly.

"Are you spending the night here tonight?"

"No, we're not decided yet," she answered, fidgeting a little.

"Milady, not to be indelicate, but I well expect you to be acquiring tefin puith-tilin* (sex toys, see note*)as we approach your wedding. That the king has decided to give them to you early -"

"The king?!" Lothril repeated.

"Was that box not from him?" Estelneth asked, lookinlg surprised.

"No, Lady Mindonith," Lothril answered, trying to ignore the series of little conclusions her mind was making.

"I apologize, milady. I knew it had to be from someone more adventurous and so I assumed-"

"Adventurous?" Lothril repeated, now really wondering what the heck Mindonith had given her? Though, that Thranduil and Lauríel were "adventurous" was a foregone conclusion in her mind…

"That sort of toy isn't for everyone."

Lothril had questions. Questions she wasn't sure whether or not she was ready to have answered. Questions she had a deep suspicion what the answers were.

"Oh. Well… I am going to put this away myself… So leave it here, please," Lothril said.

"As you wish, milady. Do you need help changing?"

"Just lay out that green dress for me and a belt."

"With the silver trim?"

"Yes, thank you," Lothril answered. As soon as Estelneth left, Lothril started trying to figure out where she wanted to put this box until she could speak with Mindonith… if she decided to… she decided the temporary home for it would be under her bed next to her nightstand until she had a chance to look it over again and speak with Mindonith. She had already quite decided the blindfold, feathers, and ribbon were going straight in her nightstand drawer next to her experimental massage oils and balms. She supposed as long as Elrond was around, she may as well pick his brain on how to create balms and things. But nothing was going anywhere right now because she was going to have tea with Elrond. She hastily shoved everything else back in the box, shoved the box under the bed, realized she forgot the lid and so just jammed it under the bed onto the box haphazardly.

-⸙ - ⸙-

"How goes your gardening?" Elrond asked as they settled down for tea.

"Well enough. I am starting to think gardening is a full time job. I have no idea how Legolas and Thranduil spend so little time working in theirs and it looks so good."

His brows knit for a moment then his face cleared and he said, "You still do not understand your nature."

"Like as not," she said. "What am I not understanding?"

"It will be easier to show you. After tea, let us go outside and I will show you."

"Very well. In the meantime, I have a question."

"Ask it."

"Is there anything taboo with puith between married elves?"

He raised a brow over his tea cup. "Only things both spouses don't agree to. Why do you ask? And do not say you are just curious because I will not believe it."

"Just trying to gauge parameters," she replied and took a sip of tea.

He gave her that evaluating look of his. "Because…?"

"I received an early wedding gift of puith tefin tilin and I am trying to decide if some of the objects are what I think they are," she answered and took another drink of tea.

"The answer is likely, 'yes'. I think you have seen enough of our culture to know we tend to be very enthusiastic and creative. Love making is no different. Though, one hears rumors about things, and we have heard rumors about more degrading practices amongst some humans and we don't go in for that. Creative, loving, imaginative, yes. Degrading, painful, or humiliating, no," he replied.

"Well… that's certainly a thought to mull over. And that clears up at least one of the items. There's still one or two though that I really can't guess," Lothril answered.

"There are two ways to figure it out; either wait until you are married and you and Legolas figure it out together or you ask whoever gave it to you," he replied and sipped some more tea.

"Heh, I think I will ask. I'm not sure I am creative enough for the other."

"Oh, I somehow doubt creativity would be what holds you back. I would guess shyness."

Lothril blushed. "Well, like as not."

"Show the box to Legolas," he said.

"Come again?"

"I think you should show it to him now and talk about it."

"The tefin puith-tilin?"

"Yes. Tell him everything you are thinking and feeling about them and that you want to explore it when the time is right. And if he offers to leave the room and lock the door behind himself, feel free to take him up on his offer."

She shook her head slightly before taking a sip of tea. She wasn't sure if she could think of anything that would make her feel more awkward or foolish…

"I see that look on your face. You do not have to if you do not wish it, but it isn't wrong, foolish, silly, or anything else going through your mind."

"Truly, is my face that readable?"

"Only to those of us who know how," he replied with a smile tugging ever so gently on his mouth.

After tea they headed outside and Elrond pulled out his handkerchief and tied it around her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Lothril asked, horribly confused.

"I want you to feel, not see. Now," he spun her around a couple times. "I will lead you."

"Very well, but why am I blindfolded?"

"I have my reasons," he replied, taking her hand.

She could hear and feel when they left the packed earth path and came onto a grassier one. The scent of flowers hit her nose almost at once.

"Are you wearing shoes?" Elrond asked.

"No, not this morning." Lothril replied.

"Excellent. Now, I want you to listen and feel. What music do you hear? What do you notice about the earth and the plants growing here?"

Ah, elf lessons… She nodded and stood still, listening and feeling. There was a certain amount of familiarity to the scents and feel of this garden, and given the strong music that seemed to be flowing through it, she presumed it to be Thranduil's. She could feel almost a profusion of life here.

"Now, remember how this feels," Elrond said and led her to the next garden. The familiarity was still there, but the music felt weaker, though it was very clear there was a delicate balance and harmony. This, she supposed, was Legolas' garden.

Elrond led her to the third one, which also felt familiar, more so than the last one. This, she supposed, was hers, as it felt full of life, but lacked the strength or balance of the previous two. It seemed to have a decided bias.

Elrond led her out, removed the blindfold and said, "Guess which garden was which."

"Well, the first one had to be Thranduil's, the second Legolas', and the third mine," she answered.

"And why do you think that?" Elrond asked.

"The first one the music felt strong in it, the second there was a feeling of balance and harmony, though the music felt weaker, and the third felt very full of life, but didn't have balance and I felt a bias towards… well, I'm not sure what, honestly, but like there was a pull towards…something," she answered.

Elrond nodded. "You felt accurately but you guessed wrong. The first garden was yours, the second Thranduil's, and the third belongs to Legolas. His garden is in a transitioning period as he is reworking things around your lilacs and cherry trees. The reason you are spending so much time tending your garden is because you are causing it to grow too well."

Lothril's brows knit in confusion then suddenly it dawned on her- how many times did she work in her garden singing that little song she learned as a girl based on Luke 12:27…

"Oh brother," she muttered to herself as she covered her face with her hand. "You are very right, Ada, I do not understand my nature. I have been singing a song I learned as a girl nearly every time I garden about how there is no cause to be anxious for if the Name clothes the grass of the field with fair flowers, how much more shall He care for His children? It goes, Consider the lilies and how they grow, Though they do not toil or spin, And though they do nothing they're cared for so, Yet kings are not arrayed like them. There's more, but that's all I remember of the song. I remember the passage rather better."

"And you have been singing this nearly every time you garden?"

"Every time I am alone, yes," Lothril answered.

Elrond laughed. "It is a good thing you put on that wooden pathway or you would have none at all! For as much as I do not object to such worthy meditations on such high and sacred things, it is probably best you sing something slightly more balanced if you do not wish to spend every waking moment here."

"Suppose I could always sing, 'Turn, Turn, Turn**'," she mused aloud.

"Depends, how does that go?"

"Well, to avoid singing it, it basically says to everything there is a season and lists things like a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant a time to reap, a time to dance a time to mourn, and so on," she replied.

"That would certainly be more balanced, but if you would like a slightly more gardening specific song, I know a few that will help bring things back into balance and keep you from having to trim back your rose bush and harvest your herbs every day," he offered.

"Ooh! That would be perfect!" She replied.

-⸙ - ⸙-

Legolas had forgotten his agate ring on her nightstand but hadn't had a chance to fetch it until when Lothril was set to have tea with Elrond. It was a daily occurrence he enthusiastically endorsed because it gave her time with her ada and a chance to simply be together and it gave him a chance to work on things before the wedding or spend time with his ada who was taking it as an opportunity to give his son a thorough tutorial on how to properly make love to and pleasure his soon-to-be wife. Today though, Thranduil had sent word he would be late thanks to a trade dispute with Lake Town. Legolas understood. Those things usually weren't nasty or hostile, but rather tricky and thorny and therefore more time consuming. So, he decided to take the opportunity to fetch his ring.

Her room was empty as the servants responsible for cleaning were already done and Estelneth was likely either shadowing Lothril or else busy about other tasks if Lothril wanted to discuss something private with her father. After his knock was met with no answer, he entered and went straight into her bed chamber. His ring was not sitting on top of the nightstand where he had set it, so he opened the top drawer to see if maybe Lothril had put it in there. Sure enough, there it was. He slid it on and shut the drawer and was about to leave when something caught his eye. It was a string trailing out from under her bed. He bent over to pick it up and realized it was attached to a box shoved under her bed haphazardly with the lid askew.

Odd.

He frowned slightly. She might leave a work in progress in a disheveled state if she was returning to it shortly, but she didn't put things away in a disheveled state. Especially with the lid askew. He had watched her put things away and adjust them multiple times so something lined up, closed tight, or lay flat. Leaving a box with the lid on crooked and strings loose about it was not her.

Half fearing some new mischief, he picked up the box and string and set it on her bed. Gingerly he removed the lid and found a note. The handwriting looked familiar so he opened the note and made a dedicated effort to only read the signature and saw it was indeed Mindonith's handwriting. That eased his mind. Lothril got a gift from Mindonith, probably right before tea, hastily looked at it, realized the time and so shoved it under her bed so she could look at it more later. That seemed plausible because if Lothril realized she was running late, she would probably just shove it under the bed so she could go through it later and tell the servants to leave it be. That was consistent if she was in a rush and it was something personal…and she was flustered. Beneath her bed she kept a trunk of personal things she liked to keep close. She had had similar in her old world.

He was about to replace the letter, close the box, and return it to under the bed when the contents of the box caught his eye and he did a double take. It was blue, that striking cobalt blue he always loved seeing in glass, and there it was. It took him only a split second to recognize what it was and then notice the box was filled with a variety of tefin puith-tilin.

Somehow, this wasn't surprising in the slightest. Mindonith was never one to let tradition stop her from doing something if she had a mind. Though, gifting such this early was a bit unorthodox even for her. He reckoned she and Lothril must have spoken of something that got her thinking about it.

He wondered briefly if these things existed back in her old world and if she knew about them. Maybe that was why Mindonith gave them to her early… and Lothril hastily shoved it under her bed…

Curiosity nearly drove him to see what all was in the box, but given he didn't know Lothril's thoughts about such things, he supposed it would be better if he didn't and just explain that he found the box quite on accident. He replaced the note, wound the string and put it inside, set on the lid, and replaced it under the bed, wildly curious about why Mindonith had gifted this early and what Lothril's thoughts were on it.

An hour or two later some rain had moved in so he was inside and in the drawing room reading when Lothril found him.

"I thought I might find you here. I uh, I have something I want to show you," she said as soon as she clapped eyes on him. He shut his book and left it on the couch and followed her.

"What is it that has you so nervous looking?" he asked as they approached her rooms.

"I got this box from Mindonith and-"

"Before you say more," Legolas said, shutting the door behind himself. "I came into your bedroom while you were having tea with Elrond in order to fetch my ring. I saw a string trailing out from under the bed and when I went to pick it up I discovered it attached to the box."

"Don't tell me the lid was off," Lothril said with a slight groan as she approached her bed and knelt down to pick up the box and place it on her bed.

"No, but it was askew. I have never known you to put things away so sloppily and I feared some mischief, so I confess, I opened the box. I saw the writing on the note and found it to be Mindonith's and did not read it and was about to replace the box under the bed when I noticed one of the tefin."

She made a funny face as she opened the box. "Which one?"

"The blue one. And I see you are not enthusiastic about them."

"That's… well, I feel a bit mixed, to be perfectly honest. Some of it I'm rather excited about and others…not so much."

"I can understand that," he replied as he watched her pull out everything and set it on the bed. "You know, if you wish to indulge in using some of these things now, I will happily take the feathers and blindfold to my room and leave you to your own devices for a while," he added with a smile.

"Seriously, do you and Elrond get together and discuss what you are going to tell me in any given situation?"

Legolas' brows knit. "No, why do you ask?"

"He basically said you would offer to leave me alone and that I should take you up on it if you did."

"Shall I leave?"

"Yes, but that isn't why. I have a dress fitting."

"Wedding feast dress?"

She nodded. "This will be the first time I get to see it in any fashion or form. I'm rather excited!"

He smiled. "As you should be. I shall see you after then. Are you upset I looked in the box?"

She shook her head as she put everything back in the box except the feathers and the blindfold, which she handed to him. "Nah, I would have done the same. And I'm grateful actually. It made this easier. I should go. I hate to Filegon waiting!" She knelt down and slid the box neatly under the bed.

-⸙ - ⸙-

A/N: As a completely random side note - I am aware of British tea, and this isn't that. Lothril and Elrond having tea together is closer to a standing coffee date than it is a proper "tea". Just in case I have any British readers, I figured I'd clarify.

*tefin puith-tilin: lit.: sex-play crafted object. Another creation of mine… never dreamed I'd be making so many contributions to the sexual phraseology of Sindarin, but here I am! And y'all are free to use my constructions, if you trust them…haha!... Giving me a shout out would be appreciated, if you do!

**"Turn, Turn, Turn" by The Byrds, if you wish to look up the lyrics. It's a nearly direct quote of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Oh, and the consider the lilies song I made up.