Chapter One
They saw the port two days before they arrived in the capital of Valinor, Valmar. A tropical port city, Valmar was home to the Counsel of the Wise and the palace of the high king, left empty since Gil-galad had left for middle earth and died. He had been unmarried and died without heirs. As far as Legolas knew, he had not been reborn yet as most elves were eventually. He wondered if his mother had been reborn yet. When she was it would be in Valinor. She could have been reborn centuries ago. He wondered if his father had looked for her at all.
Manwathiel watched the buildings approach excitedly over a couple of days. It was the greenest city she had ever seen, with plants and trees everywhere even up and in buildings. She had never seen anything like it. There was nowhere in middle earth, at least where she had been, that had this climate.
"Is it hot all year around?" she asked Legolas as they sailed on the smooth waters.
Legolas nodded. "Yes, based on what I've heard. It is summer all year round in Valmar."
"Solstice without snow!" she said trying to imagine such a thing.
"I'd be shocked if father settled near Valmar. My guess is we'll still have snow at solstice." Legolas said. His father would want autonomy. He wouldn't want to be at the beck and call of the Wise. Even when Gil-galad had been alive Thanduil had been a thorn in his side. Thranduil had picked and chosen when to listen to Gil-galad, despite Gil-galad being high king, and on more than one occasion and simply not shown up to battle because it hadn't been in his best interests. Thranduil was interested in himself, his family, his people and then elves in general in that order. In middle earth he had listened to no one at all since Gil-galad had died, except for his wife and occasionally Galadriel or Legolas, and Legolas doubted that had changed in the last forty years.
"You know there must be someone waiting for us. How else has your father gotten all the people to him all these years?" Manwathiel said thoughtfully, willing the boat to move faster. It had been a long three months and now the end was literally in sight.
Legolas shrugged. "We'll find out soon." He said. He had no idea how his father had been organizing things for the past forty years.
"We there yet, Laddie?" Gimli asked yawning loudly and coming out from the cabin. He stayed up late drinking most nights and then wandered out around noon.
"Couple more hours." Legolas said as they slowly approached the port. Boats dotted the water line and as they got closer Manwathiel saw the high king's empty palace rise in the distance with ivy covered turrets. She leaned over the railing to get a closer look. She could make out elves walking the streets and could just hear yells and calls from what she assumed was a marketplace.
When they finally floated into port, the other four boats had arrived first. There was chaos as elves disembarked and moved about. Legolas saw Melian standing on the top of a set of stairs that led away from the port. He waved to him. Melian bowed back. Legolas helped Manwathiel off the boat, pushed through the crowd and ran up to Melian.
"My lord." Melian, his father's assistant said, bowing again. "You father-in-law foresaw you coming. Your father sent me to bring everyone home."
"Where has he settled?" Legolas asked, looking at his people and thinking how best to corral them.
"Two weeks by foot northeast in the Woods of Orome. I brought horses for you and the Princess." Melian said.
"Do you have carts for all the luggage and cargo?" he asked, looking at the fifth ship containing all their personal belongings and the treasury.
Melian nodded. "Yes my lord. I make this journey fairly often. Every time new ships arrived from middle earth."
Legolas nodded. Of course, they would have a system by now. He went back down to Gimli and Manwathiel.
"Ok we have to get everyone organized. Melian will take us to my father." Legolas said, preparing to herd everyone onto their destination.
"Can we come back?" Manwathiel asked, looking at a nearby beach longingly.
"I think your grandparents live here so we'll definitely be back." He said and called for everyone's attention. It took a couple of hours to organize everyone and load all the cargo but eventually they snaked through Valmar towards Orome. Manwathiel was overwhelmed. She had never seen so many elves in one place before. The streets of Valmar were teeming with activity. They passed food stalls, marketplaces, healers, blacksmiths, pubs, restaurants, a theater and countless homes. It was the biggest city she had ever seen, bigger even than Minas Tirith. The city was dotted with parks and green spaces and white beaches stretched across the coastline. It was the most beautiful city Manwathiel had ever seen. To keep everyone together, Melian and Manwathiel rode in the front and Legolas and Gimli (riding together) brought up the rear. With so many elves and all the crowds, it was slow going and late afternoon before they finally left the city limits and entered open pastures.
For two weeks they walked toward Thranduil, making camp at night since the children couldn't dreamwalk. For Manwathiel it was pleasant. It was the only time in her whole life she had gotten to travel without worrying about anything but animals. There was no war in Valinor. There were no orcs. At night the elves cooked and sang around the fires and Manwathiel slept soundly in the tent Melian had brought her.
When they reached Orome, it took only a couple of hours to see the first of their people. Settlements dotted the forest. She could tell immediately who had been one of her grandmother's people and who had been Thranduil's. The Galadhrim had settled up in the trees, building their homes among the branches and carving staircases to them. The wood elves had built villages in clearings as they had in middle earth. The people were mostly separate but the settlements were intermingled throughout the forest. After walking for some hours they reached the western edge of the forest where a palace rose up in the distance. Manwathiel noticed immediately how many windows there were. It had been built for form not function. There was no fear of invasion in Valinor. She imagined it wasn't enchanted either. There would be no need in Valinor.
When they arrived at the palace, Melian went inside to get help and came back out with two more elves. The three of them went from elf to elf giving them their housing assignments and giving them directions. Thranduil had prebuilt homes for all his people. It was one of the benefits of having them come in waves. He had new homes constructed before the next shipment of elves could arrive.
"Come on." Legolas said to Manwathiel and Gimli and led them past the crowd into the palace. They got directions to the throne room and found Thranduil looking as he always did sitting in large lavish throne with two smaller ones next to his. The room was different and the throne was different but down to his crown he was exactly the same. Manwathiel found it extremely comforting. She realized she was a little homesick. Seeing Thranduil at all, let alone looking so normal, felt like a piece of home. She hoped she could see her family soon.
"Legolas!" Thranduil said standing up and striding across the room. He hugged his son. Legolas froze in surprise. His father never just randomly hugged him. He had been gone for forty years before in his youth and his father had just waved hello to him when he returned. Legolas hugged him back awkwardly. He must have really missed him. Legolas was surprised but touched.
Manwathiel and Gimli bowed to Thranduil.
"How were your travels?" he asked, sitting back down. He smiled warmly at Manwathiel.
"Long. I am so glad to be here." Manwathiel said. It had been a long almost four months.
"Let me give you a tour. We only finished building five years ago. Here are your offices," he said gesturing to three doors behind the thrones. He showed them large, airy rooms right next to each other. Legolas' office was like a hunting lodge with dark wood paneling and matching desk. There were dark leather couches and a view of the formal gardens. Manwathiel's office was brightly lit with bay windows and a very comfortable chaise lounge. Her furniture was white.
Thanduil had gotten to build the palace to his exact specifications. They walked past all the rooms his and Legolas' staff worked in. He showed them the music room he had built for Manwathiel filled with instruments she both played and did not play, yet at least. There was a physical training room for Legolas with room to spar and run drills. The great hall was almost identical to the original Mirkwood except there were paintings on the walls instead of tapestries. Thranduil gestured towards a downstairs staircase that led to the kitchens, dungeon, library and infirmary and a staircase that led to guest quarters. He took them up to the private quarters.
"Your family comes to stay quite often so I had eight bedrooms put in. Gimli, this will be your room." He said, opening the door to a large, comfortable room with a four-poster bed. "Your mother is completely charming by the way, as ever, and completely recovered." Thranduil said to Manwathiel. She got excited.
"When can I see her?" she asked, her heart in her throat. It had been over a century since she had seen her mother. She had been only a child when her mother had had to come back to Valinor. She was aching with excitement and nerves.
"Knowing your father, probably tonight. He's been tracking your progress. I'm glad I don't have foresight. It seems like a lot of work." Thranduil said, rolling his eyes. Elrond had settled at the very edge of Thranduil's realm. He saw him a couple times a week and Galadriel and Celeborn a couple of times a year. He imagined now that Manwathiel was back those visits would increase exponentially.
He took them to a large set of double doors. He opened them to reveal a small hallway. "Here is your sitting room." He said gesturing to a comfortable room in front of a crackling fireplace. Maids were already working on unpacking their trunks.
"Please leave these ones unopened." Manwathiel said, gesturing to the trunks Arwen had given her. The maids bowed and nodded.
Thanduil opened a door off of the sitting room to reveal a very large rectangular room. The last third of the room jutted out from the palace walls and was glass from floor to ceiling and all four walls. A large dining table stood on the glass. It would feel like they were eating in the trees. "Dining room." Thranduil said. "I'm sure there are times you'll prefer to eat alone. Another office for Legolas." He said, opening another door to find a small room with a desk and a large window with a small couch. "This is the bedroom." He said walking into a room connected to the sitting room. A large bed was on a platform. On the left, steps led down to another sitting area with a balcony. On the right was their closets, dressing rooms and bathroom. "Finally, shooting gallery." Thranduil said, opening a room off the bedroom with targets lined in a row and bows hanging on the wall. Thranduil had thought of everything. Legolas could do target practice from their bedroom.
"Thranduil. I don't know what to say. This is perfect." Manwathiel said, blown away. He had built them a house in the palace.
"Well you're used to your privacy so I thought you would appreciate having your own space." Thranduil said, leaving out that her family was around so often that they would need their own space. "My rooms are down the hall. Similar layout." He said gesturing to another set of double doors at the end of the hallway but making no movement to show them. "I imagine you want to get settled in. Legolas can you join me downstairs for a little bit?"
Manwathiel and Gimli took the hint and went to their respective rooms. Legolas followed his father downstairs.
"Can we go over workload tomorrow? It really has been a long journey." Legolas said once they were back in the throne room. He wanted a drink and to be alone with his wife. He loved Gimli but they had been sharing a room with him for months.
"Yes, I've already set aside the time. That's not what this is about. Your mother is alive. She has been reborn." Thranduil said, sitting down.
Legolas stared at him. "Where is she?" he asked, unconsciously looking around.
Thanduil shrugged. "I have no idea." He said.
"Then how do you know?" Legolas asked, completely confused.
"I can feel it. Just as I could feel it when she died. It's the soul bond. It's how elves marry for eternity. Somehow I have to find her." Thranduil said.
"Soul bond? Is that how I knew Manwathiel was injured during the war of the ring?" Legolas asked. He had been physically ill when she had been injured. He had heard of soul bonds but had never asked or thought much about them and by the time he and Manwathiel were living as a married couple, all the elves had started to leave so he had never gotten around to asking about it.
"Yes. All married couples have one. When you marry your souls merge. Some couples can even communicate with their minds. Celeborn and Galadriel for example. Others can dream together. Others can feel each other's feelings. Each soul bond is unique and takes centuries to develop." Thranduil said.
"Will you recognize her? She's been reborn." Legolas said, trying to figure out how this was going to work. His mother had been tall and blonde. Maybe she was short and dark now. How would they even know.
"Yes I would know her anywhere." Thranduil said confidently. It didn't matter what she looked like. Thanduil would recognize her. Legolas thought about it. He would probably know Manwathiel anywhere too and his parents had been married for thousands of years. "I just have to find her."
"Have you asked Elrond?" Legolas asked.
Thranduil shook his head. "I haven't told anyone. I'm not even sure how old she is. I mean at least forty but beyond that I have no idea. I felt her almost as soon as I arrived."
"We'll find her." Legolas said. "I will help you. Let's ask Galadriel." Legolas said. "She'll at least know where to look." Now he understood why his father's room had the same layout as his room. He had also built it for two people. "How is everything else?"
"I'll catch you up tomorrow, but the first priority is we have to build a school. We've had a bit of influx of births and now have twice as many elves." Thranduil said, disappearing into his office to get the plans. He handed them to Legolas. "I'm hoping to break ground next month."
They spent the rest of the afternoon reviewing the school plans and catching up on Legolas' journey.
Sure enough, at 6:30 Manwathiel's family arrived. She watched with bated breath as her parents and brothers walked in. She burst into tears as soon as she saw her mother.
"Mother!" she cried and ran to her. She felt like she was forty again. Her mother cradled her.
"I have missed you so much. Let me look at you." Celebrian said and pulled back, holding Manwathiel's face in her hands. "You're so grown up and beautiful. Your father told me everything you accomplished before he left. I'm so proud of you."
"Everyone says I look like you." Manwathiel said, clasping her hand.
"No, you are more beautiful than I am. I can't wait to hear everything I've missed." Her mother hugged her closely.
Legolas was bowing to Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir. Elrond waited patiently to greet his daughter. He held his arms out to her. She ran to him and hugged him.
"I missed you so much. I wore my locket every day." She said, touching the locket around her neck. Her grandmother had given it to her. It had her parents' portraits in it. She had stared at their images every day for decades.
"I'm so glad you're finally here." Elrond said. "We've been waiting for you." Manwathiel hugged her brothers.
"I brought presents." Manwathiel said and gestured to Melian. He brought forth the trunks that Arwen had sent. Manwathiel opened the first one and pointed to Elladan. The next went to her mother, then her father and finally Elrohir. She whispered to Melian to bring the last two back upstairs. They were for her grandparents. "They're from Arwen." She said. Her mother looked at her with tears in her eyes as she opened her trunk and found it teeming with letters.
"These are for you too." Manwathiel said and handed a portrait of Aragorn, Arwen and her children to her parents and one to each of her brothers. "They send their love." She said.
"You really must tell me everything." Celebrian said, looking through the letters. Arwen had written nearly every day for fifty years.
"I will, I promise." She said.
"Where are Frodo and Sam?" Legolas asked. He had thought they were staying with Elrond.
"At home, you can come see them and Nessa and Morwen whenever you like. It's about a three hour ride." Elrond said. "They are getting quite old so it would be easier for you to come to them." Legolas nodded. Frodo would be close to a hundred by now.
They had a long and enjoyable dinner, staying up late talking and drinking. Apparently regardless of his location, Thranduil kept a full wine cellar. Manwathiel was the happiest she had been in decades. Everyone she loved but Arwen was in one room. It was late when dinner broke up so her family decided to stay the night. She followed her family up the stairs and between the drinking and the journey got turned around. She opened the wrong door to find a huge room completely unfurnished. The walls were painted with children's stories. There were skylights with starlight shining down. It was a charming room. She stood staring around, confused.
"There you are." Legolas said, finding her and following her into the room.
"What is this place?" she asked looking around.
"It's a nursery." Legolas said, looking at the walls. She looked at him, eyebrows raised. He shrugged.
"Father probably didn't want to build addition when the time came. Come on let's go to bed. It's been months since we've slept in a proper bed." He said, reaching for her. It was true the accommodations on the boat had not been the most comfortable. She took his hand and followed him to their bedroom. They got ready for bed.
"My mother is alive." Legolas said suddenly. He was thoughtful. Manwathiel was shocked. She put down her hairbrush.
"Where is she?" she asked.
Legolas shrugged. "I don't know. I'm going to help father find her."
Manwathiel grinned. "Your mother and my mother? I'm so glad we came." She was bursting with happiness. Coming had been the right decision. She climbed into bed next to him and put her head on his chest.
"How can I help?" she asked, snuggling in close to him.
"We need to visit your grandparents eventually." He said and stroked her hair. She nodded. Yes, her grandmother would know.
"I'm really happy for you." She said and kissed him. "Will she remember you?"
"I have no idea. I hope so." He said, getting lost in his own thoughts. They had traveled across the world and had barely time to settle in. It was a lot to take in. "Try to sleep. It's been a long few months."
She smiled up at him and closed her eyes. That night they both dreamed of their mothers.
