THE FORGOTTEN

Trî Taur a Parth

Through Forest and Field

Author's note: The chapter in which – The elves all head home and Thranduil seems bent on giving Legolas and Lothril alone time.

It didn't take Lothril very long to realize they would have been mercilessly lost and fast without Quickbeam guiding them. Actually, it took her about fifteen feet into the trees to realize if they didn't have Quickbeam clearing a path for them, the wagons would have had to abandon the forest and go around immediately. As it was though, Quickbeam, being an ent, was able to get the trees to part wide enough to allow the wagons and keep their roots clear of the path. At night, Quickbeam was sure to warn them not to cut any wood for a fire but to gather only dead branches and keep the fire small. It helped matters a good deal that the portable camp kitchen of the elves had a flat cooking top on it that kept whatever fire they were using mostly concealed, meaning that there was very little need for open flame.

Each night they stopped when the light began to wane and set up camp and Legolas had to all but sit on Lothril to keep her from volunteering to help put up tents and such.

"No, melethel. You are a lady and soon to be a princess. You cannot help set up tents. That is why the servants and guards are here," he said with ósanwe as he pulled her hand down to join him in sitting on the bench that was set out for them.

"But I am not doing anything!" she argued as she sat down beside him.

"But you are doing something, melethril. You are sitting here looking fair and vexed at me. Now, before the servants think you are vexed at them, I suggest putting on a more neutral face until one of our tents is up and then you can haul me inside and be as vexed as you like," he replied.

"Am I going to have to spend the rest of my very long life putting on faces?" Lothril asked, looking a trifle annoyed.

"Not once everyone gets a feel for your moods. However, for the next while you are making your first impressions upon everyone and coming across as the congenial and kind elleth you are shall serve you well in the future," he answered.

She took a deep breath and relaxed her face into something more pleasant then asked, "There, is this better?"

"Much better," he replied.

"Still, would it not help my favorable impression making if I proved to be helpful and willing to work?"

"Wait until we have established you as a lady, then we shall worry about establishing you as helpful and willing to work," he said.

"What do you mean establish me as a lady?"

Legolas hesitated and Lothril was vaguely aware of a buzz of thoughts in the back of his mind before he answered, "The children of Elrond have been long known by name and number to the whole of elvendom. That you are not his natural daughter and are but recently made his daughter, there are those that may not as readily acknowledge your rightful title of lady and may view you as an imposter or a liar who is making false claims for the purpose of securing my father's approval or my affections."

"Oh," she replied, but her face remained neutral and placid. "How then do we establish me as a lady?"

He tapped the star she wore upon her finger and said mentally, "That will aid things, but Ada and I have other plans that will aid things further. But do not trouble yourself about it now. When we reach home we shall worry about it then and explain things in full."

Lothril gave but the subtlest nod and watched as the camp pulled together for the night. It really was remarkable how quickly those tents went up. All told, there were six tents, one that acted as a kitchen, one that Thranduil and Legolas were sharing because Lothril decided to go to the Woodland Realm with them, one for Lothril, one for Celebdir and Lassethuil, one for the other members of the family that came along, one for the servants, and one for the guards that were not on watch. The kitchen tent went up first followed immediately by the king's tent then Lothril's, then the rest. By the end of their conversation the kitchen tent was up and the camp stove set and the fire going and the first sounds and smells of dinner were just starting to waft through the air. Shortly thereafter the king's tent finished going up and once it was all set hers went up and with remarkable speed and it too was set up and ready for her.

"I think I am going to go lay down for a minute," Lothril said as she stood up and then headed into her tent. Sure enough, the bed was set up along with the table and chair, a lantern on the table, and a lantern hanging on a hook, both lit but turned down low. She went over to the bed and pulled down the blankets to find her elven feather pillow still in her old cotton pillow case. She buried her face in it and sniffed. It still smelled like back home… but she knew that wouldn't last for long. She rolled over and stared up at the canvas top then tossed her glance back at the tent opening to make sure it was shut, which it was hanging loosely shut and that was good enough. She resumed staring at the canvas and gave a long sigh.

It was almost ridiculous how much she already felt relaxed and at home. It honestly kind of bothered her. Shouldn't she be feeling slightly more upset about the fact she was never going to see her home state again? Or her family? Or her old friends? Was she just that cold and selfish? Well, clearly not too much as she did break down and sob yesterday, but still. Shouldn't it take her more than, oh… three or four hours to grieve this whole thing? Maybe she'd cry again later… She frowned. Maybe she should have gone with Elrond. Ah well… too late now…

Her thoughts drifted to silence and she became gradually aware of the chatter outside the tent. It sounded like Celebdir and Lassethuil talking with their son Istelion and their grandson Elior. Gimli was talking to Legolas about how long they might stay in Lothlórien and he maybe going on without them if they planned on staying too long. Thranduil meantime was being asked a series of questions by servants and guards regarding little details about this and that. Almost all of it in elvish, of course. Not that the twins, Glorfindel, and Legolas hadn't spoken elvish as much as possible, but there was a difference between being in conversation with it and just hearing it around. It was nice. It was different. It was honestly feeling like the first real submergence into being an elf. If she wished it, she wouldn't have to speak one word of the Common Tongue for at least the next six years. She and Legolas had agreed to spend five years in Eryn Lasgalan after they wed before going to Ithilien and she had over a year until they wed. She had six years to do and be nothing but elvish.

She didn't honestly think she would or even could, but it was a thought.

And she suddenly burst into tears and quickly rolled over so she was sobbing into her pillow. She really hoped nobody had heard it and that she could have a good cry undisturbed.

She felt a hand begin rubbing her back and heard her favorite voice say very quietly, "I am here, meleth nîn."

She nodded and would have kept crying but him rubbing her back was so soothing and just feeling his warmth and presence was such a comfort that her tears subsided quickly. As soon as she felt calm enough to talk clearly she sat up and said, "Thank you, Legolas."

"You are welcome, melethril nîn." He leaned forward from where he was kneeling and gave her a hug. "I am here for you whenever you need me. How are you now, melethel nîn?"

"I am fine now."

"Are you sure?"

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly and she answered, "Quite sure."

"Good," he said with a smile and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Hey now," Lothril protested and drew his head down so she could kiss his lips.

-⸙ - ⸙-

The first day of the journey through Fangorn brought them just to the edge of the Entwash. The next three days were much like the first – long days of travel with Quickbeam who was very happy to chat with elves or sing to them or listen to them sing, the forest ever shifting its path wider and narrow to fit their caravan, and the whole time heading steadily north-east until they crossed the Limlight then headed straight north until they came out onto the wide open fields between Fangorn and Lothlórien. All told, traveling straight through Fangorn took about four days.

As they left the forest, everyone bid Quickbeam a fond farewell and he bid them a pleasant journey home and with that they parted company. Gimli for one, was very relieved about being done with the forest and as they made camp that night he did give a jab to Legolas about how much longer that took compared to their tour of the Glittering Caves and Legolas told him if he joined them in Caras Galadhon he'd buy him a beer to make up for it. That seemed to pacify Gimli at least somewhat.

The fields between Fangorn and Lothlórien were easy travel and the weather fairly fine and in two days they managed to reach the edge of the Golden Wood and were permitted by the border guard to pitch their camp beneath the forest eaves. The next day it only took about half a day to reach the gate of Caras Galadhon where Gimli promptly informed his hosts he would be quite content with a tent on the ground, which he was granted, while Celebdir and Lassethuil returned home, bringing their son Istelion and grandson Elior with them. Thranduil, Legolas, and Gladhrion who is Thranduil's cousin were given a guest house next door to the one given to Lothril which was the same one she had been in while there last time, and accompanying servants and guards were given suitable accommodations not far from there.

They stayed in Caras Galadhon only two weeks, which was just long enough to rest and decide on a future course of travel and acquire provisions accordingly. Lothril was still adjusting to being treated like an adult again and was surprised by Thranduil wanting her present as they planned the road ahead. She really didn't have much to add to the conversation as she had only made the journey between Mirkwood and anywhere once, but she was happy he wanted her involved. It was also just long enough for Thranduil to flat out tell Legolas that they ought to disappear for a day or two.

"There is nothing for us to do today," Thranduil said as he slathered a piece of bread with a thick layer of fresh blueberry preserves one morning at breakfast. "Go find some quiet little corner and be alone with your betrothed."

Legolas swallowed the sip of tea he had been taking when his father started that sentence and replied, "I would love to, but should I not be spending time with Ada-na and Nane-na?"

"They are already making their plans to come join us in spring, possibly even moving in with us," Thranduil said dismissively. "Besides, the weather is exceptionally fine today, and we shall likely leave in a few days and then you shall not have a chance to be alone with her again for a fortnight. You may as well take advantage of good weather and good chance," he added with a small but sly grin before taking a bite of his bread and preserves.

"Far be it for me to argue with that," Legolas replied with a small smile of his own.

Just then Gladhrion came out from his bedroom and joined them at table. "Good morning cousins! No Lothril this morning?"

"No, she told me last night she was going to breakfast alone this morning," Legolas said.

Gladhrion nodded as he poured himself a cup of tea. "She is a little reclusive, is she not? I noticed even in Minas Tirith she would steal away at times and was nowhere to be found even when you were."

"She can be at times," Legolas replied simply.

"Well then she ought to fit right in with your taciturn father," Gladhrion teased as he gave Thranduil a grin.

"You are very lucky you were my cousin before I was king," Thranduil said half glaring at his cousin.

Gladhrion laughed. "Glower away, your majesty. I have known that look since we were elflings and it ceased scaring me ages ago."

Thranduil's face burst into a smile and he chuckled. "Remind me to toss you in the dungeons when we get home."

"Just for that, I am going to leave with Legolas when he moves to Ithilien and leave you without anyone to oversee our imports and exports," Gladhrion replied petulantly, his green eyes glittering merrily.

"Please do," Thranduil replied glibly before taking a sip of tea.

"Well, I shall leave you both now to squabble without me," Legolas said as took a last sip of tea and then stood up. "Good morning!" Legolas smiled as he left the table.

"Have fun," Thranduil said passively as his son walked past him. "And I am expecting not to see you at dinner."

Legolas didn't reply but he was grinning rather wide as he left the cottage. Lothril's cottage was only about forty feet from theirs so it took him but a minute to reach her door and knock. He thought he heard her say, "Minno! (Enter)" and so entered.

"AAAH!"

"O! Díhenol* nin! (AH! Forgive me!)" Legolas cried, blushing dark pink and immediately covering his eyes and turning his back to her. "I thought I heard you say enter!"

"Oh, I was singing, I didn't hear you. But you're fine. It's fine. I was just startled," Lothril said as she adjusted the enormous towel she had wrapped around her.

"You are not dressed."

"Legolas, it's fine."

"You are not wearing any clothes."

"Legolas, really! This reaches almost to my ankles. I was wearing far less than this on the beach not four weeks ago."

"That is hardly the point. The point is, you are not dressed, nor are you my wife yet, and I have walked in on you. It is an egregious breach of your privacy and I beg your forgiveness," he explained.

"Díhenon len*, Legolas, (I forgive you)" she said. "Now I will go get dressed." Just before she shut the door to her room she added, "And it's fine, Legolas. It was an accident."

He waited a moment before turning back around to see her bedroom door tightly shut. He went over to the couch in front of the fireplace, which was burning but low and behind a metal screen, and slumped his head into his hands as he sat down. He really would have sworn she said enter or he never would have dreamed of going in! And then to catch her in naught but a towel coming out of her bath! He felt just horrible!

A moment later she came out of the room with her damp hair loose so it would dry and wearing what was now dubbed the minuial dress that had gotten packed in the trunk of things being brought back in the wagons with them. Legolas beheld her in it and it simply wasn't fair… minuial maiden with hair that looked covered in morning dew…

"So, what brings you here this morning?" she asked with a smile on his face and looking very unflustered.

"You do, of course," Legolas replied with a smile. "However, Ada also kicked me out with strict orders to find a quiet little corner to be alone with you in and not to return home until after supper."

"Sounds agreeable to me. Where should we go?"

"Go? We ought to go nowhere until I have thoroughly apologized to you for invading your privacy," Legolas said.

"You already apologized and I already forgave you, melethron. You needn't apologize twice," Lothril replied with a reassuring smile.

"Still, you deserve your privacy. Goodness knows you have earned it! And I feel horrible for walking in on you like that," Legolas said, taking her hand.

She put her other hand on top of his and said, "Look, it was an accident. You thought you heard me tell you to come in, I didn't hear you at all because I was singing. It is fine, Legolas. I promise. I am not upset in the slightest. It's not like I was naked or something and you didn't see anything you haven't seen before, so it's fine."

"You are a very forgiving and understanding elleth," he said before giving her a kiss.

She couldn't help but smile at the relief that was mingled in with his other feelings. "So, how shall we keep you busy until after dinner?" Lothril asked with a smile. "We could go get tea at Seed and Sparrow or maybe go to the Golden Acorn… Ooh! Or we could go to the market and see what they have now that it's end of summer."

Legolas shook his head. "Oh we must get you acquainted with our calendar quickly! It is iavas (autumn) already. In fact, we are in the middle of it."

"Eh, I'll worry about it when we get to the Woodland Realm," she said dismissively. "So what do you want to do?"

"You are in such a rush and your hair is still wet. You cannot go walking about Caras Galadhon with dripping wet hair," Legolas teased.

"It is not dripping," she said giving him an amusedly annoyed look.

"It might as well be. Either way, it would never do for a daughter of Elrond and the granddaughter of the Lord and Lady to go gadding about with wet hair that is unbraided," he replied with a grin.

"So you are saying we are stuck here until my hair dries?"

"More or less."

"That could be a while with my thick hair."

"That is quite fine with me," Legolas replied. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Yes, I had breakfast before my bath. Hence the late bath and the rest," she replied.

He gave a slight nod but then his brows furrowed and he said, "Do you not usually bathe in the evenings?"

"Usually, but you got me to bed too late," she answered with a coquettish smile.

He grinned. "I suppose I did at that, but I did not hear any complaints."

"Nor will you if you keep me awake with such songs and verses," she flirted.

"Have I mentioned how much I adore you being bold and flirtatious?" he asked before leaning in to give her a kiss.

"A few times, but I like seeing how wildly attracted you are to me when you say it," she grinned. "You always look like you are ready to take me in your arms and kiss me violently."

"Violently? Oh no – never violently! Deeply, strongly, passionately, tenderly, or sensually but never violently," he replied before leaning in to kiss her in what was, in her opinion, a deep and tender kiss.

-⸙ - ⸙-

Legolas did not, in fact, return for dinner or dessert, which made Thranduil rather pleased. As the evening progressed and night came on and Legolas still was not returned Gladhrion looked at his cousin and asked, "Do you suppose your son shall return tonight at all?"

"I truly have no idea, gwanur (cousin)," Thranduil answered very nonchalantly as he poured himself a cup of tea.

Gladhrion stared at his cousin wide eyed with raised brows. "Thranduil without any idea what his son shall do. This is a rare day!"

Thranduil gave Gladhrion a slightly annoyed look and replied, "You have been an elfling all day."

"I cannot help it I suppose. I am remembering the last time I was here and a certain elf named Thranduil was head over heels for an elfmaid that he described as 'wild as the woods that bore her, beautiful as mallorn blossoms, and gentle as a spring breeze' and he would disappear with her for days at a time," Gladhrion teased. "And it seems his son has found a maiden as equally bewitching if not opposite."

"You find her opposite?" Thranduil asked casually.

"From what I have observed, she is a wildflower in a tended garden with a dark shadowy beauty that suits the twilight and if the stories are true, she is the north wind – gentle and refreshing or else fierce and relentless, or so I deem if the stories of her in battle are true," Gladhrion answered.

"They are true," Thranduil said. "Every tale I have heard of her has been confirmed several times over. When we get back I plan to do some friendly sparring with her. I think it ought to be an interesting match."

"Let me know when it is. I would love to watch you get your sword handed to you for once," Gladhrion quipped.

"Elfling," Thranduil muttered into his tea before he took another sip.

The next morning Thranduil was sitting alone at the breakfast table when Legolas came quietly stealing into the house, which did not go unnoticed by Thranduil who caught his son's gaze as he came in and pointed to the chair next himself as he had a sip of tea.

Legolas sat down and Thranduil said, "Out all day and night and stealing back into the house after sunrise. You do not look like you slept outside, so I assume you spent the night next door."

"Yes, I did."

"In her bed?" Thranduil asked with a raised brow.

"Of course not. There is an extra bedroom and I slept there and she slept in her room," Legolas answered, trying to sound nonchalant while simultaneously not letting on that he had done exactly that on more than one occasion… just not last night.

"Legolas, I am going to say this now and I want you to take it to heart," Thranduil said leaning in towards his son and looking him in the eyes, "I am terribly proud of you and your self-discipline and restraint and your attention to propriety and customs. I will be very disappointed in you if you wed before the ceremony and your Nethel-naneth (Aunt) Cîlwin will likely kill you if you do, but anything shy of marrying your betrothed is fair game so far as I am concerned. Just be wary you do not get caught in your more sensual activities by the servants, or heavens forbid, any of the lords or courtiers."

That wasn't quite the response he expected from his father and he stared at him with raised brows. "Are you truly saying you want me to-"

"I am saying we borrowed two tents from the Galadhrim and now that we are here, we shall leave with only four and large though my tent may be, it really shall not sleep five very comfortably so you and Lothril shall need to share unless you wish to join your friend Gimli in sleeping in the wagons. And canvas does little dampen sound, so be mindful of that if you do sleep in the tent with Lothril. I am also saying I have sent word ahead of us to make certain arrangements, amongst them being you are not to be disturbed until Turuhalmë. And I thoroughly expect you both to be scarce between now and then."

"Turuhalmë? I have been planning on taking time off upon our return, but I supposed I would resume duties come firith (fading, roughly early October through end of November)," Legolas replied.

"Legolas, you have not had more than a moon away from duty since Smaug took Erebor. You are overdue. Besides, you are betrothed now and a betrothal ought to be spent with your betrothed and getting ready for your wedding, not in endless council meetings," Thranduil said with a pointed look. "And if you protest further, I shall relieve you of all duties until you depart for Ithilien."

Legolas chuckled a little and said, "Very well, King Thranduil. I will take my leave until Turuhalmë. However, as you have brought up getting ready for our wedding – I had not anticipated Lothril being gone so short a time from here, and certainly not my going with her. In fact, I had been relying heavily on her being gone at least some weeks as there are several projects I wish to complete before we wed."

"Such as?"

"I wish to give her a study in my rooms, so I think I shall move my library to my study and then partition the former library into two studies. I also saw her bedroom while we were there and got a better idea of what kind of decorations, colors, and things she likes, so I shall be ordering new linens and things also. And I am certain after a year of neglect, my garden is a nightmare, so I shall need to spend some time simply cleaning it up and then come spring I have several new things I wish to put in there," Legolas explained.

Thranduil nodded. "Does Lothril know of your schemes?"

"No, and I wish for it to remain that way if at all possible. I want it to be a wedding gift for her."

Thranduil nodded again. "I shall do my part to keep things secret. What are you planning for your garden?"

"She adores lilacs, so I wish to put in a variety of lilac bushes for her as a surprise. I also wish to plant some cherry trees for her but she knows about those."

"Your grandfather would be proud," Thranduil joked.

Legolas laughed. "Proud and jealous! These are different variety from any he ever grew. They are called black cherries and they have a lovely deep flavor. They are an absolute favorite of hers also along with blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries. All four were in season while we were there and she ate them by the basket for days. If they were not fruit, I would call them her vice."

Thranduil laughed, "How chaste a maid do you have that her vice is cherries and berries? Perhaps you shall next tell me her other vices are carrots and taking walks in the fresh air."

Legolas smiled and replied, "She is actually quite fond of vegetables also and she does enjoy the fresh air quite a bit. However, I am not sure her other vices are for polite conversation."

"Gladhrion is already out for the day securing provisions for when we leave in three days," Thranduil said dismissively. "So there is no worry over polite conversation."

"You are a horrid gossip," Legolas stated flatly.

"Gossips repeat things. I never repeat things. I just ask about them," he replied in a very matter of fact tone. "And eat! You have not touched a thing since you sat down."

"I broke fast with Lothril," Legolas answered.

"So what are her vices?"

"Ada!"

"I am the king. I need to know what pitfalls I must be wary of with what could be the future queen," Thranduil argued with just a hint of playfulness in his eyes.

Legolas just stared at his father for a moment. "Sauron is dead, you said yourself the shadow has left the forest, and I have already told you I plan on sailing after King Elessar dies. Long though the years of the Dúnedain may be, do you honestly think you shall be killed between now and then, or do you plan on abdicating just to frustrate my plans?"

"One never knows what may happen," Thranduil said petulantly.

"I think I shall change and then go tell Lothril we leave in three days and the other news also. We will join you for supper," Legolas said as he got up from his seat and went into his bedroom to change. One fresh outfit later he came out and kissed his father on the cheek and headed to the door, but just before he closed it behind him he half turned and added, "And I am her vice."

Thranduil laughed as he watched his son slip out the door. "As you should be," he said aloud before taking a sip of tea. Granted, he wasn't entirely sure he believed his son, given every time he saw them they acted like a married couple past their childbearing years, but if they were happy… and hopefully him throwing them together on the way home along with giving Legolas nothing to do but spend time with Lothril until Turuhalmë will spark things a little. He had thoroughly enjoyed his many, many long years with Lauríel and he very much wanted Legolas to enjoy the same. He knew there were couples that were less amorous during their love making and child bearing years than he and Lauríel had been…well, always… and they had all seemed quite content and happy with their situations, but really, he wanted more than that for his son. Legolas had already waited over five thousand years to even find a wife. Now that he was betrothed, well, he just wanted his son to enjoy it all fully.

-⸙ - ⸙-

"Well, I can't say I'm upset about sharing a tent with you again, but it really seems a little odd. I mean, he's the king and he's going to be sharing a tent with three others. Really seems like I should be the one being crowded given the other tents are going to be chock full too," she said, slouching down and leaning her head onto the back of the couch.

"Generally, you would be right but first, they are kin and Ada has a long history and habit of bending conventions where family is involved. Second, as you are the only elleth again your privacy is paramount," he answered as he shifted so he was more angled towards her.

Lothril thought a moment as she stared up at one of the lights that was affixed to the stonework on the fireplace. Yes, she was the only female. All the guards were male and so were the four servants accompanying them. "True enough, but then why are you going to be with me?"

"That surprised me. Ada claims his tent would be too crowded with five of us in it but given he has already sent ahead word that I am not to be disturbed until Turuhalmë and he said that he expects the two of us to be scarce until then, I am suspicious there is an unspoken motive. I know he fully approves of our betrothal, but putting us in the same tent is a bit far from custom, even for him," Legolas said, puzzling it over a little in his mind.

"That's what I thought," Lothril said with a thoughtful little frown. "Eh, parents are weird. Look at mine – Mom and Dad just rolling with me being betrothed to an elven prince, Elrond basically telling us to go crazy at third base and stop just shy of sliding into home…"

"Ada saying essentially the same thing," Legolas added. "You know, after watching a few baseball games, I must say that metaphor works extraordinarily well."

"Wait, wait, wait! Thranduil said basically the same thing? As Elrond?"

Legolas nodded. "Though I suspect with an entirely different motive… oh… I wonder… We should probably be more affectionate to each other in front of others."

"What?"

"Remember what your mother said? We are coming off as an old married couple again," Legolas answered.

Lothril gave a comical frown. "Ooooh, you're probably right. But then do you think your adar will make you go back to work faster?"

Legolas got a funny little smile on his face. "Knowing him, it is likely to result in more time alone together, not less."

"Really? But why?"

"Ada believes that love ought to be expressed by every means appropriate on all occasions whether it is between lovers, kin, or friends. I can honestly say in the whole span of my life I have not seen him fail to do so either. He was ever doing little things for Nane, whether it was giving a gift or making her favorite dessert or simply holding her hand. Even when they had arguments he would hold her hand. He has also never failed to make time for me nor any of our kin and he is always doing little things for them. I have even noticed him giving orders to the servants to pay particular attention to you and make sure you are as comfortable as can be contrived on the road. So all that to say, he is going to encourage our being together and exploring how to best express our love to each other," Legolas answered.

"That is so incredibly opposite of what I just left," Lothril said with a shake of her head.

"It is and I cannot tell you how relieved I am that you are here now," Legolas said as he placed a hand on her shoulder and then leaned in to kiss her. "Ha! I am a slowcoach! That is precisely why he has put us in the same tent. He thinks we are not nearly affectionate enough and he is determined to throw us together in hopes that it sparks more affection!" Legolas laughed.

"Oh but this will never do," Lothril said with a frown.

"Why ever not?"

"Because if we start acting more affectionate in front of him, he will think it is because of his efforts and if we don't he will continue to worry."

Legolas kissed her cheek and said, "You worry too much. Never mind about Ada and do whatever you are comfortable with, knowing he will approve of and be comfortable with any shows of affection we may display in front of him. He will sort it all out sooner or later. Probably sooner. Or, if you like, I can explain things between us to him."

"No! I'm not… I know you wouldn't say anything about that but I don't want those questions even in his head. At least not yet. It's been an ever present nightmare in my life and I just want to forget about it for a while," she snapped.

"What? No! No, melethel, I did not mean that I would explain that. I meant that we prefer to keep our affections private and between ourselves," Legolas clarified, visibly distraught at what she seemed to think he was saying.

She scooched over and buried her head on his shoulder between his head and the back of the couch. "Do you prefer to keep our affections private and between ourselves?"

"I am generally not one to be ostentatious with my personal affairs, so many of our more intimate activities would remain very private and only between ourselves. However, I am more familiar and comfortable with our culture and customs and I personally have little problem with being more affectionate around others than we are, but I gladly defer to you," he answered as he rubbed a hand on her back.

She was quiet for a moment as her curiosity wrestled with her shyness before she said, "Just for giggles, when we have dinner with your father and cousin tonight, you act as affectionate you want and I will go along with it."

"You do not have to-"

"No, no, no! Just indulge me. I want to see… well, I just want to see. That's all. If I get uncomfortable I'll tell you, I promise," she said.

"If you insist I shall gladly oblige," Legolas pledged.

-⸙ - ⸙-

Lothril really hadn't managed to spend much time at all with Gladhrion prior to that evening. He had been present in Minas Tirith with everyone, of course, but he was one of over a dozen any given night of the week. However, he proved to be a lot of fun. The whole evening was quite relaxed as was signified by Thranduil just wearing his "plain" tunic and leggings again. This was very okay with Lothril though because it made it easier to allow Legolas to be more affectionate with her. And by more affectionate he did things like hold her hand on the table throughout dinner and stroke her hand with his thumb like he did on those occasions when they ate alone instead of not touching her at all or only holding her hand briefly under the table. And after dinner when they sat on the couch he put his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer instead of only sitting close beside her and holding her hand. He also stole the occasional kiss and generally allowed himself to do things like tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear or lay a hand on her as he spoke to her and so forth. Nothing crazy, but just a little more than what they had been over the last few days. He supposed he would ease her back into it slowly. It was apparent at this point that jumping worlds threw her off balance a bit and though she was readjusting to Middle-earth she certainly didn't seem as relaxed and comfortable yet as she had been before they left.

To Lothril's relief neither Gladhrion or Thranduil so much as blinked at them. Lothril wasn't even sure Thranduil noticed. Legolas actually wound up being far more restrained than she thought he might be, but she was grateful. She still felt kinda off. Being back in Middle-earth definitely felt more comfortable and lacked that itchy too small sweater feeling, but her mind seemed torn between trying to be elvish and still being Michigander and it left her disoriented and she was grateful Legolas restrained himself a bit and was mostly just warm and reassuring.

Thranduil noticed.

Precious little escaped his notice. They were still the most chaste couple publically he had ever seen that had come of age. There was courtesy and custom and then there were these two. At least they were touching again… though even before they left they hadn't exactly been all over each other - and they didn't need to be per say. The conclusion he began drawing in Minas Tirith was being rapidly confirmed – that she is a very private person. The way she would sneak away very carefully to make sure she wasn't noticed and refused to let on that anything had been wrong when she reappeared out of nowhere pretty much confirmed it. He could respect her being private, and he could definitely understand her dealing with the grief of parting like that… deeply. And since she seemed to be bent on restricting essentially any and all affectionate gestures to absolute privacy, he was going to give them every excuse and encouragement to be together.

Hence him being both pleased and frustrated that Legolas had spent the whole of last night with her… sleeping in a separate room… by himself… He knew theoretically he ought to be proud of his son's self-discipline and him conducting himself as the prince he is when no one was around, but really! There he was alone in a house with his betrothed, the entire length of Eryn Lasgalan and then some away from the nearest prying courtier and he does not so much as spend the night on the couch with her cuddling? Not that he had been unrestrained during his betrothal to Lauríel, but he certainly took every opportunity like that to spend the night with her. Even if it was only holding hands all night as they lay in the grass together watching stars dance in and out between the leaves.

As he watched them sitting together and talking to Gladhrion he noticed how Lothril seemed to be slowly relaxing into Legolas' side. When they first sat down she had been nearly as rigid as a piece of wood but now she was leaning towards him a little and allowing herself to relax a bit as Legolas put his arm around her and drew her closer.

Good. He wanted her to be at ease with all them and not think she had to be stiff and formal. He felt like he had made some decent progress in forging a friendly relationship with her in Minas Tirith, considering the circumstances, and though he was strongly encouraging them to go off and be alone while here in Caras Galadhon, on the road their being alone would be virtually impossible while they traveled and he had plans of taking advantage of the opportunity to know her better. Aaaand with Legolas having a few projects he wanted to start and finish before they wed, he supposed he could distract her just as well as anyone and use the time to know her better yet.

Lothril laughed at a ridiculous story Gladhrion was telling and Thranduil and Legolas both couldn't help but smile, Legolas especially so as after she settled closer and more comfortably to his side. That was exactly where she belonged. And once again they looked like a matched set; Legolas as warm and bright as summer sunshine and Lothril as sweet and mild as summer twilight.

-⸙ - ⸙-

They left Lothlórien and crossed the Anduin and then headed north. As the road ahead was explained to Lothril, they were going to head north along the river until they reached the Old Forest Road, which apparently had been recently cleared and repairs were being made by the Men who were now in possession of that section of the forest, and would cut across the width of Eryn Lasgalan until they reached The River Running which they would then follow north until it started sheering off from the forest, at which point Gimli could elect to either follow the river all the way to Long Lake and then the Lonely Mountain, or if he so preferred, he could tarry a day or two in the halls of the Elvenking and catch a ride on a river barge and save himself a bit of walking.

Gimli said he would make up his mind when they got closer and it would be somewhat dependent on the weather. In the meantime though, he and Elior, with whom he was riding in one of the supply wagons, seemed to be getting along amicably, though perhaps not quite as friendly as he was with Legolas, but friendly enough to be riding along with him comfortably.

As they rode, Thranduil often invited Lothril to ride beside him and they would sometimes ride in silence, sometimes they would talk about whatever subjects came to mind, which proved to be a diverse array of things. She freely admitted she didn't know very much about the wildlife inhabiting Middle-earth, so Thranduil would point out different animals or birds they would see and tell her about them and their habits. Then she mentioned where she grew up and Thranduil asked her to describe it to him, which led to her talking for a good long while about the geography of not just her town, but the region and even the entire peninsula. They discussed favorite foods and dishes, they even discussed government a little as Lothril began asking some questions about the structure of the kingdom.

-⸙ - ⸙-

The group of travelers being small and all being elves, save Gimli who was riding in one of the wagons, made very good time and it only took five days to reach the Old Forest Road. The morning they were going to enter the forest, Lothril was determined to figure out how her traveling bed worked. It was obvious there weren't any bedframes in the wagons, but one way or another she had always managed to be distracted enough by conversation and the flurry of activity to miss her tent being set up. She had worked out that one of the wooden trunks simply had to be her bed, but for the life of her, she couldn't reckon how it fit.

Legolas watched her all through breakfast as she seemed highly distracted and kept glancing over at their tent like she was waiting for something. The tents went up in the opposite order they went up, so down went the servants tent, then the servants went into her tent and without a word, Lothril with tea still in hand hurriedly made her way into the tent, Legolas staring after her bewildered and Thranduil glancing between Legolas and the retreating Lothril.

Lothril all but burst into the tent and the servants immediately turned to see who it was and bowed and one of them said, "Milady, what may we do for you?"

"Me? Oh, nothing. Carry on. I just want to see how the beds fold up. I have never seen the like and I have been trying to figure it out for days," she answered.

The servant nodded and said, "Then we shall show you."

The mattress was easy and she had guessed it. They were more or less like gym mats in that they were in sections and folded up on each other. Once folded, they laid each mattress down on a particular tarpaulin, carefully wrapped them up and tied it shut, and then moved onto the pillow which was carefully set aside on the folded blanket, and then they moved on to the beds. What Lothril hadn't figured out was how the long sides fit in the trunk, especially as it looked like one long piece of wood. Everything else she could imagine fitting in one way or another, but not the six foot long sides.

With one servant on either side, they began stacking all the horizontal pieces on top of each other and slid them into the cavity at the head of the frame, filling it about halfway. That's when she saw the hinges.

"Ooooh! That's ingenious!" she exclaimed as she watched the sides fold in and the foot of the bed turn into the front wall of the chest.

The servants smiled and took the folded blanket and pillow and set them down onto all the stowed pieces of bed, then folded down the headboard and latched everything shut into what looked like a regular wooden trunk.

"No wonder you are able to set up my things so quickly! Well, thank you for showing me how that works," Lothril said with a smile.

"Our pleasure, Lady Lothril," they replied and bowed again.

She left the tent and returned to a slightly bemused looking Legolas.

"What?" she asked.

"Any particular reason for running back to the tent?" Legolas asked.

"I wanted to see how the bed folds up," she said in a very matter of fact way.

Gladhrion barely stuffed down a chuckle with a large bite of food and Thranduil drowned his in a large gulp of tea while Legolas looked at his beloved with an incredibly amused grin and said, "You could have simply asked."

"But what's the fun in that?"

-⸙ - ⸙-

The journey across Eryn Lasgalan on the Old Forest Road was quite different from her journey through the forest to get to Rivendell. Instead of being oppressive, gloomy, and horrifying, it was dark, cool, and pleasant. They could tell where the Men had managed to clear trees from the road and thin things out from the sides of the road a little and where they hadn't gotten to yet, but all told it was passable. Thranduil's army had also used part of the road and helped clear it of fallen branches and trees, so all of it was passable, but some of it better tended than others. The nights were where the biggest differences showed. Instead of being pitch black and being attacked by giant moths and bats if you lit a light and seeing horrible eyes everywhere, it was still dark, and bright lanterns that weren't red still attracted some giant moths, but not nearly as many. As for horrible eyes – there were a few sets of eyes to be seen in the dark, but nothing like before. Regardless though, the guards were on alert and everyone kept their weapons handy. The Necromancer might be out of the forest, but that hardly meant the forest was cleared of all dangers. It was just thinned of most dangers.

In their tent each night Legolas kept their lantern turned very low and put it out early so as to not attract any creatures, which resulted in them spending at least an hour or two each night just lying in their beds talking quietly. Or more accurately, them lying in one of their beds talking quietly, usually with Lothril lying with her head on his shoulder and his arm around her. To date, this was Lothril's favorite traveling arrangement, only just beating out their travels from Gondor to Orthanc and their lying beneath the stars in Rohan. Those nights were something special.

All told, it took them four days to travel through the forest and Gimli said if King Thranduil was still agreeable to it, he would take him up on his offer to let him go to the elven halls for a night and then catch a ride on a barge. Thranduil was agreeable, and so it was, very, very late at night, four days after reaching the eastern edge of the forest, the king, the prince, and their company arrived at the halls of the Woodland Realm with no fanfare but instead quiet orders being given to warm the rooms for the king, the prince, and the lady, and prepare a guest room for the good Dwarf. After a string of tired goodnights amongst the family and Thranduil ordering the servants and guards traveling with them to go to bed and leave everything to others who were working that night, Gimli was led to a guest room and Thranduil, Legolas, and Lothril headed to the hall on which were their rooms. Legolas saw her to her bedroom door, gave her a kiss goodnight, and Lothril hastily dropped her gear on the couch, barely stripped off her outer tunic and leggings, and in only her under tunic, threw herself on the bed and fell asleep.

-⸙ - ⸙-

Author's note: *I opted for the formal conjugations here because I reckoned Legolas really felt horrible for walking in on her and he would reflexively default to more formal language.