THE FORGOTTEN
Hîr Himben ad i Iell în
Lord Himben and His Daughter
Author's note: The chapter in which – Lord Himben finally figures out what his wife has been up to and everyone gets better.
The next day shortly after breakfast Lord Himben arrived at his nephew's house. Farion went out to meet him and greeted his uncle very neutrally.
"Good morning, uncle. What brings you here today?" Farion asked as his uncle left his carriage.
"Your Aunt Gormes came home yesterday in a rage screaming about your cousin and began pulling out all her belongings and threatening to burn them. When I finally got her to calm down enough to be intelligible she told me Nûrhel has brought shame and reproach upon our family and denounced us and is abandoning us and running away to live with you, and what is more, that she did all this in front of the king and the prince and that Lady Lothril slandered and dishonored her. Is any of this true?" Himben asked in an astoundingly matter of factly voice.
"Not a shred of it save that it did happen in front of King Thranduil, Prince Legolas, and Lady Lothril," Farion said firmly. "Come inside Uncle Himben, and learn the truth of things."
Lord Himben was ushered into the drawing room where Thranduil, Legolas, and Lothril were all sitting. After very polite and proper greetings, Himben politely inquired as to the details of what had happened the day before. Thranduil and Farion told him the whole story and at the end, Lord Himben only nodded and asked to see his daughter.
Farion fetched her and when she came into the drawing room she looked nervous and couldn't quite bring herself to look higher than her father's knees.
"Come here, my daughter," Himben said, sounding actually warm, to the shock of Thranduil and Legolas. She came to him and he put a hand on her shoulder and asked, "How long have things been ill between you and your mother?"
"A long time, Adar," she answered honestly, if shakily.
"Why did you not say anything to me?" he asked.
"Naneth always said you are very important and that I should not trouble you with trivialities and my trifling problems. She said you are too busy governing and should not be troubled with domestic burdens. I did not want to distract you, so I did not," Nûrhel answered, sounding borderline tearful.
"She said that?" Himben asked, wide eyed and thoroughly shocked. He turned to the king and said, "Your majesty, I think I need to speak with my daughter in private."
"We will clear the room," Thranduil said and the four of them quickly exited the room.
As soon as they were out in the hallway Farion said, "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew Gormes had to be either manipulating my uncle or hiding things from him! My poor cousin! Never will I call that woman family again! Praise be that she is only my aunt by marriage and not a blood relation!"
"What do you think your uncle shall do now that he knows?" Thranduil asked.
"I have never seen it, but my father has always said his brother is longsuffering, but when the end of his patience is reached, he is cold and exacting in his anger. Surely you know how precise and thorough he can be. Imagine that channeled into anger and retribution. I am sure he will not be cruel to his wife, but whatever he does shall be exacting and calculated to ensure it can never happen again," Farion answered.
"I can see that," Thranduil said. "I have listened to reviews of many of his judgements and it is rare that I need to adjust or overturn them, but there is also little latitude given to wrong parties."
"I would imagine that is so," Farion said.
They went into the library and Lothril mused, "I wonder if I theoretically slandered or dishonored her when I implied she either didn't know or was lying through her teeth about elven traditions."
"I am sure in her head, you dishonored her the moment you secured Legolas' affections," Farion said in disgust. "She has certainly been going on about how unnecessary it was for the prince to 'go looking afield for a bride when Nûrhel was still perfectly eligible' since rumor reached her of your betrothal, Legolas."
"Has she really?" Legolas asked.
"Be flattered, meleth nin. It means you and your happiness are living rent free in her head and making her miserable, and all you had to do was live your life," Lothril said. "I am certainly flattered knowing she has been fuming over my existence for months and probably this moment ready to pull her own hair out because I am happy. What is more, I have hardly spared a thought for her until Lord Himben showed up. My thoughts have been toward Nûrhel and what I can do to help her and be a friend from a distance."
Legolas, who was now sitting beside her on the couch, leaned over and kissed her cheek. "And that is why I love you."
"I for one am glad to know Gormes' horrid behavior has not affected you, Lothril, and I am glad to know she has not been a plague upon your thoughts," Farion said.
Lothril sighed and said, "Sadly, I have known a few like Gormes. All of them horrible, miserable people who make everyone around them horrible and miserable."
"How awful! What have you done about them about them all?" Farion asked.
"I cut their legs out from under them by letting them know I am wise to their games and I will not play them. Then I cut them out of my life and have nothing to do with them. Some people are poison and ought to be treated as such. I feel sorry for Lord Himben though. I am not sure how he can, though he might be happier if he could," Lothril said.
"We may not be able to end a marriage like they do in your old world," Legolas said, "but he does not have to live with her either."
"That is true," Thranduil said. "He could banish her from his house and force her to live separately from himself."
Farion shook his head. "My uncle is the sort that likes to keep his eye on problems, not put them away from himself. If anything, I wager he will keep her on a very short leash."
It was quite some time later that Himben and Nûrhel came in to join them.
"King Thranduil," Himben said when he entered, "I wish to request a sabbatical from my in person council duties until at least this time next year. My house is in disarray and I need to remain home for a time to put things in order."
"Request granted," Thranduil said. "How do you wish to handle council votes?"
"I would like to formally ask that I be allowed to vote by proxy," Himben replied.
"Who would you like to have representing your tribe?" Thranduil asked.
"My daughter Lady Tulussil," Himben said, gesturing to Nûrhel. "And I also request her name be changed in all official records and documents from Nûrhel to Tulussil and have it listed as her true and first name. Tulussil is the name I originally chose for her until Gormes talked me out of it. However, I do not want her to be acting officially under a name that I dislike."
"Send in the official request to the record keepers with a note telling them to inform me so I may approve it before the next council session begins," Thranduil said. "I will see to it her old name is erased thoroughly from the records."
"Thank you, my lord. I also request that the title of 'Lady' be stripped from my wife Gormes and transferred to my daughter Tulussil and that Gormes be suspended from court and court functions both official and social until I request otherwise," Himben said.
"Also granted. Send in the official request and your reasons to the council and I will endorse it," Thranduil replied.
"Thank you, your highness," Himben said then turned to his nephew. "Farion, I thank you for taking in Tulussil yesterday and I humbly ask you allow her to stay here for a time. We think it will be best. In a reflection of my gratitude I will be giving both you and her a generous allowance each month so while she is under your roof it shall not cost you so much as a copper coin."
"Thank you, Uncle Himben," Farion said.
"I am afraid it is but the least I can do for not realizing the pain my wife was inflicting on my family sooner. If there is anything you want or need, please ask me first," Himben said, looking positively remorseful. "Now, I have brought with me such things as I could that belong to my daughter. I am sorry to say some were already ruined by the time I was able to act, but I have saved most of your things, Tulussil. Shall I go tell the servants to bring in your things?"
"Oh, please do! Thank you, Ada!" Tulussil said, looking actually happy for the first time since Legolas and Thranduil had known her.
"Indeed, uncle, do!" Farion said.
Himben gave a habitual nod of the head and left the room to go order things brought in.
As soon as her father left the room, Tulussil practically danced up to Legolas and Farion and said, "Oh Farion! Legolas! You shall never guess! Ada has told me I can marry Nethor if he still loves me! I have not been allowed to speak with him for five years though… Oh! I do hope he still does!"
"He does," Farion and Legolas both said together.
"In fact, I have something I must tell you – you know all those lovely necklaces and hair pins and broaches I have been giving you these last few years?" Farion asked.
Tulussil nodded. "They have all been lovely."
"They have all been from Nethor. I kept wanting to tell you, but your mother kept hovering and I was terrified if I wrote it to you in a note she may find it and destroy your gifts, so I let you think they were from me," Farion said.
Her hand flew to the little silver necklace at her throat that was a little silver leaf with two tiny green gems in it. "You mean… All those things? Oh please tell me you told him I have loved them all!"
"Of course, dear cousin! And that you always wore his things to court and he would see you in them from afar kept his hopes alive. I know you have loved him constantly, so I would tell him you think of him often and wished things were other. I hope you do not mind me taking such liberties," Farion said.
"No! Of course not! Oh, Farion! I owe you much! I must write him right away – may I ask him come here to see me?"
"Of course you may! And he is welcome as often as he can be spared," Farion said smiling widely. "There is pen and paper on my desk in my study. Go write your letter and we will send it out this very hour."
"Oh! Thank you Farion!" she said and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek and went dancing out of the room.
"Well there is a happy ending fit for a fairy tale," Lothril said with a grin.
"What is a fairy tale?" Farion asked.
"Where I am from, they are made up stories that often have happy endings," she answered.
"Ah! Well this shall certainly be happy for Tulussil. Gormes, not so much," Farion said. "But I do not much pity her. Whatever she gets is long in coming and well earned."
A little later Himben returned inside and drew Thranduil aside. "Your majesty, I understand from Tulussil and Farion that Gormes has slighted Lady Lothril and by extension you and your house. I would like to assure you I shall address those offenses with her and I apologize deeply for them. It is one of the reasons I wish to have my wife suspended from court. Her slights are a clear violation of our laws and though I know she is eligible for imprisonment, per statute ten-"
Thranduil cut him off, "I am aware, Himben. Simply cite it in your reasons for the withdrawal of her title and her suspension from court and I will agree. It is a fitting punishment according to our laws and Lothril has told me she has no desire to see her imprisoned."
Himben nodded. "Indeed, your majesty. Thank you. I pray though you will not demand an apology of her right away. Anything given right away would be an insincere apology and naught but lip service. If in time I think her genuine in her remorse though, I will have her issue you one either in person or writing as you see fit and right away. I however, am horrified and deeply grieved and I do apologize for my inattention and inaction and I beg your forgiveness in this matter."
"It is clear you are remorseful and troubled by your wife's actions and that you are trying to rectify the situation as best you can. You are quite forgiven, Himben and I will hold nothing against you nor will I demand an apology of her right away if you deem it best," Thranduil said.
"Thank you, my lord. I have already apologized to the prince and Lady Lothril also, so you are aware. I believe my business here is, for the moment anyway, concluded, so I shall leave after supper and begin dealing with my wife," he said with a sigh and a shake of his head. "Now that I have seen her contempt for anyone she perceives is beneath herself, I have half a mind to make her work a trade with those she deems beneath her so she might see they are mostly her betters," Himben said, half talking to himself. "She was born to a well to do family, as was I, as you know, but unlike hers, my fortune is my own and my father has not given me a coin since I have come of age. Everything I have I have earned on my own. Same was true of my father and my grandfather. She was handed everything on a silver plate." Himben sighed and continued. "I will not hand Tulussil a grand fortune, but I will give her a good allowance until she married and teach her how to use it to build her own fortune with her husband. Your majesty would not happen to know much about the farrier Nethor, would you?"
Thranduil almost laughed at the abruptness of the question. "I do know him a little. Brenion the horse master likes him very well, and I generally find Brenion a good judge of character. He says he is hard working and has good sense. I have talked to him on and off over the years and I have always found him to be so. You shall have to get to know him for yourself though."
"Oh, I shall, I shall," Himben said. "I plan on coming here whenever he comes to visit my daughter and visiting him a bit. I also plan on spending a good amount of time with my daughter. Today has made me see I do not know her at all, but that she has turned into a lovely elleth despite everything. I have much to make up to her."
"I think she has been waiting a long time for you, Himben, and I am sure she understands you were both deceived. May I make a suggestion for your time with her going forward?" Thranduil asked.
"By all means, my king," Himben said eagerly.
"Now that you both understand what is past, do not dwell there in guilt. If she has forgiven you, and I think she has, then you both move forward and build your relationship together. You have a long time to enjoy her still, but remember, she is your grown daughter. You can counsel her as you would a friend or you would Farion, but you cannot tell her what to do like you would an elfling," Thranduil said.
Himben nodded very seriously. "Thank you. I shall heed your words. Now, if you will excuse me, I wish to spend a little more time with her before supper."
"Of course! Go to her!" Thranduil said with a smile.
Himben took a few steps then stopped and turned back and said, "Oh, in all this I have forgotten to formally thank you for helping us with our wild boar problem. I understand it resulted in your injury. I do feel horrible that you have been injured in doing my tribe a favor, and more so that you had to suffer insult at the hand of my wife after."
"You are welcome, and do not think more about it. I am still king of your tribe and I was helping my own people also. As for my injury – it was wholly the fault of the boar and you need not feel bad about it in the slightest. I have been injured on boar hunts before and know well the dangers of them. As it is, I have walked away from it and I will be just fine."
Himben nodded. "Thank you, your majesty. And I wish you a speedy recovery."
"Thank you, Himben."
With that, Himben gave a polite nod and left the room.
Thranduil watched him leave and as soon as the door shut he smiled and shook his head. Himben could be such a funny fellow. Of course he would help his own people with a problem with wild boars! It seemed though that word of Legolas' injury had not spread very far, at least, not yet. Though he suspected when the hunting party returned home the stories would fly. It certainly wasn't a secret that Legolas got hurt, after all. Either way, how news spread in his kingdom was always a point of interest and amusement to him.
He wondered briefly how the hunting party was doing. He had made it known everyone was free to continue and that they probably needed to for the sake of the local villages, but he hadn't heard word one way or the other. He suspected though upon return to the palace word would catch up with him. Mindonith had certainly seemed to take a shine to Lothril and he thought perhaps she would seek out her new friend when they got back and Mindonith would regale her with what happened after they left. Mindonith – now there was someone he owed some thanks to! Her, Belneth, and Iorthonor. They had leapt into action the quickest and were invaluable helping Lothril tend Legolas and arrange things. And Mindonith did an excellent job stitching him up. As soon as Lothril had collapsed, she kept stitching and before he could even say anything, she had been the one demanding someone pick up Lothril and put her in the wagon and ordering Belneth to put out the fire and take care of things as Mindonith stitched. Iorthonor it seemed was responsible not only for sending back her supplies, but for arranging things at camp and guessing some of his orders like sending for the healers and having food and drink made ready for their return.
The next morning Lothril was looking and acting much better, to the joy of Legolas, and after breakfast with Farion and Tulussil, Lothril tried to convinced Thranduil to let her heal his leg completely.
"Be realistic, Thranduil – how are you going to ride back in any sort of comfort with a big, deep gash in your thigh? It is not like you even have a saddle to help you out," she argued.
He raised a brow. "Oh child… I am king. I can send for a carriage, I can order one of the wagons to be outfitted with no end of mattresses and pillows and lounge my way back, I can even opt to stay here until I am fully healed. Try again."
"Every time you put weight on it you wince and I am guessing all your hobbling around the last few days has done nothing but aggravate and reopen your wound continually and as there are no ramps in this house nor wheelchairs you would be better off letting me heal you at least partially," she tried.
"Better, but still no. You have only just recovered yourself," he said with a note of finality.
"The key word here being 'recovered'," she pointed out. "Besides, however else shall I know how I am doing if I do not test myself a little? I am certain I am well enough to not endanger myself or even need to spend a day in bed to recover. If, and I say if, I need to recover at all, lunch will be more than sufficient."
"Why are you so bent on this?" Thranduil asked.
"Because you and Legolas are likely the reason I am not sitting around wrapped in ten yards of bandages. It is the least I can do to thank you," she answered in all sincerity.
"Shall you be angry with me if I allow her to heal me?" Thranduil asked his son.
"Nay, but I warn you, Lothril – if you weary yourself doing this, I shall see to it you are kept on bed rest until you have made a full recovery," Legolas replied, giving Lothril that look that told her that was exactly what he would do and he was more than prepared to do it.
"Alright, but I will be fine," she assured.
Thranduil sighed. "Very well. Give me a few minutes and then come to my room."
While Thranduil saw about changing into a longer tunic and only taking off half his leggings while summoning a servant to bring clean towels so he didn't risk bleeding all over the bed, Lothril went to her first aid kit and made sure she had everything she needed. To be perfectly honest, her memories of how deep his wound was were a little blurry as she had been fighting to stay conscious at the time. However, she supposed what with a few days and the general elven constitution working in his favor, he was probably healing at a fairly good pace already. She just wanted to finish the job up for him. Once she was sure she had all she needed, she gave him a minute or two more before knocking on his door.
"Enter," came his voice from inside.
She came in to find him sitting on his bed, a chair pulled beside it, with a long, thick towel folded in half beneath his exposed leg and the other draped with another towel, though she could see at his ankle he still had the legging on that side.
"Are you ready?" she asked as she sat down on the chair beside him.
"I am ready whenever you are," he answered.
Legolas came in and after a brief acknowledgement of his entrance, Lothril began removing stitches. Lothril had done this a few times with Elrond just as casual accidents happened around the valley, but it still gave her a weird creepy feeling as she could feel the flesh pulling against the thread. She had been on the other side of this procedure just enough to know what it felt like and it always made her want to shudder. She stayed her impulse though and carefully worked away, doing her best to make sure nothing pulled any more than strictly necessary. He was healing a little, but she could see her guess had been right and that he had been pulling on the stitches and aggravating the wound the last few days. Carefully she slathered some more healing balm into the wound, just to keep it from bleeding too much into her hands, and then she very gingerly laid her hand on it and sang. This song drew less on her own strength and drew more on his to bring the healing about, though it still drew on her strength some. She didn't need to sing even a minute before she removed her hand and all that was left was a fresh looking scar.
"Thank you, Lothril," Thranduil said sincerely.
"You are welcome," she said with a smile.
"Alright healer, give me your hands," Legolas said, coming to kneel beside her and setting a bowl of water and a cloth beside his father on the bed. He washed her hands for her and dried them then he held them between his and studied her face. "How do you feel?"
"I am quite fine," she answered, feeling fine, if a little tired.
"Hmm… you look a little pale and tired though. I think you tried this too soon," Legolas frowned.
"You do look a little pale and tired at that," Thranduil said, sounding like a concerned ada again.
"That settles it. Leave your things and come with me," Legolas said, setting her box down on the bed and picking her up.
"Legolas!" Lothril began to protest.
"Did I not say if you wearied yourself I was going to keep you abed until you recovered fully?" Legolas asked.
"Well yes, but-"
"Did you not agree to those terms?"
"I did, but really-" she cut herself short and sighed and said, "You would think by now I would know you mean it quite literally when you say these things."
He gave a little smirk and said, "I take it then you shall come peacefully?"
"Yes, and if for no other reason, so I am not tossed over your shoulder and hauled out," she replied with an eye roll. He set her down and they left the room.
Thranduil waited until the door shut behind them before he allowed himself to chuckle quietly.
"Alright, warden – how long am I in solitary confinement?" Lothril asked sardonically as she followed him into her bedroom.
"Until you are completely recovered. But I said nothing about solitary confinement," Legolas answered with a grin.
She cocked a brow at him as led her over to one of the arm chairs by the fireplace and drew her onto his lap.
"Uh-huh, so then this was all a ruse?" she asked accusatorily.
He shook his head slightly and with a smirk answered, "No. Because I do not think it wise for you to traveling back until you are fully recovered. Winter shall be upon us soon and it is too cold for you to be traveling if you are not wholly recovered. However, I think you will go mad if left alone with nothing to do and if allowed to roam you will undoubtedly push yourself to be more social than is good for you and take even longer to recover. Besides, you seemed to do well under my ministrations the last few days. Perhaps I can help speed things along."
"Or I could have lunch and a nap and be fine," she retorted.
"You may certainly have lunch and a nap, but even if it restores you to how you were before healing Ada, you will still not be wholly recovered. I remember how you looked after you healed yourself in Minas Tirith, which was perfectly fine. That you look pale and tired now tells me you are still far from whole," he replied, gently pulling her closer.
She snuggled into him and put her head on his shoulder. "Well… you are not wrong," she admitted. "Alright, so what is your plan to help speed things along?"
"It seemed to me over the last few days you would do better, that is, recovered faster, when I was tending to you. So I plan on tending to you."
"Uh-huh, and by tending you actually mean holding, kissing, and massaging me when you are not doting on me, feeding me, and putting me to sleep."
"As I said, meleth nin, tending. It is my joy and duty to see to all of your needs," he said with a smile.
"By holding and kissing me?" she asked sitting up so she could look at him with a raised brow.
Legolas saw the ever so faint smile tugging on the corner of her lips and said in a low voice, "Ȋr nôd. (sexual desire counts.)"
"As a need?"
"Certainly," Legolas answered with a grin. "Especially when I can feel it rolling off of you."
"Oh do you now?" Lothril asked with that faint smile tugging a little harder at her lips.
"I do," he replied. "I feel it in your breathing and the heat from your skin and even the way you are sitting against me."
"And how, pray, am I sitting against you that makes you think îr is rolling off of me so strongly as to be called a need?" she asked, nuzzling her face into his neck.
"Oh, just little things," Legolas teased. "Your hand on my breast, your body pressed against mine, your fingers in my hair, your lips on my neck…"
"Alright, alright, point taken. So now what shall you do about it?" she asked, sitting up to look at him with a grin.
"Tend to it," he replied with a smile before drawing her lips to his.
All told, they stayed with Farion for eight days. It had taken Legolas six days to recover so fully that he only had a pink scar left. After she healed Thranduil, Lothril needed another four to recover completely. And by completely, it meant that Thranduil and Legolas were both satisfied she was fine and when she used her powers she didn't look pale afterwards. It also meant Legolas basically having to sit on her to keep her in bed and from trying to get up and do things for a couple days.
Well, Legolas said he had to sit on her. Thranduil suspected it looked more like hugging… while lying down… and involved his lips a good deal given the more than a little pleased grin he had on his face when he said it. Those two… did his son really think he was fooling him? Really Legolas, just admit to using it as an excuse to *mîbed nûr with your betrothed for four days!
Estelneth, in her efficiency, had gotten the message about the dresses the same day it was sent and they showed up the next day shortly before Lord Himben left. It proved to be a good thing she sent them anyway because one or two of them were dresses Lothril really didn't much care for but Tulussil loved them and so Lothril gave them to her. It also gave Lothril a little wardrobe variety outside of two different hunting outfits and one dress.
However, recoveries were made and very swiftly and news was sent to Farion's house that the hunting party had unanimously decided to hold the celebratory feast as soon as their royal persons could make it back. It seemed they wanted to celebrate the recovery of the prince and the king and the quick work and thinking of Lothril as well as the success of the hunt. Lothril was, surprisingly enough, actually flattered they were even thinking of her. Everything had happened so fast and she was so focused on keeping Legolas alive that she honestly hadn't realized anyone else was there except Thranduil, Mindonith, and Belneth. She honestly wasn't even sure until Thranduil told her later how the wood, water, pot, and cloths even showed up. She thought remembered hearing dogs barking and a horse, but there were horses and dogs everywhere so it meant little to her.
Regardless, the eighth day dawned bright, chill, and clear and it saw the king, the prince, and his lady saying goodbye to Farion and Tulussil and thanking them for everything before they mounted their horses and headed towards home, a wagon full of their things following behind them.
Author's note: *mîbed nûr – deep kissing ie: my construction for making out. As an interesting linguistic side note though, the infinitive and gerund conjugations for both "i stem" and "a stem" verbs both have the same suffix. So unlike English where the sentence could read either: …you used it as an excuse tomake out with your betrothed… or …you used it as an excuse for making out with your betrothed… the elven conjugation remains "mîbed nûr" for both. With Sindarin, context dictates a lot of things.
