Chapter 3
Narinya had plenty of time over the journey to think about what she had done. She realized it had been reckless, but she knew of no other way to express her resistance so powerfully.
As the pair followed the Forest River path, well inside Greenwood's borders now, it felt as though the woods were closing in around her. Gone was the wide open expanse of the lake, replaced by tall trees and twisting branches. Despite her growing distress, there was also an energy permeating the forest that Lake-town had lacked; it resonated somewhere within her.
She looked up into the dense branches above, her eyes taking in the tapestry of new details all around her. Her father regarded her look of wonder, "Greenwood is your true home, Narinya. Amongst your kin. I am sorry for keeping it from you all these years."
Broken out of her reverie, Narinya shook her head, "Lake-town is my home."
Eventually, the pair reached the gates of the elvenking's home. The impressive halls were carved deep into a sloping cliff of stone, the main entrance a tall and ornate gate. A stoic guard acknowledged them and they were led inside. Narinya tried to focus on the intricate elven architecture rather than the defeat she felt in her heart.
They entered a cavernous and richly decorated hall, the air cool and surprisingly fresh. They were met by a formidable, striking elf. He was wearing a long robe and an elegant circlet, both a fine silver in color, offsetting his golden hair. Narinya hurriedly bowed, realizing the king now stood before her. Thranduil smiled good-naturedly, "Welcome to our home. We've been awaiting your arrival, Lady Narinya. You will make a fine wife for my son..." Thranduil paused, seeing that the prince was not present, "Please forgive his absence."
Narinya stood silently as her father and the king conversed. She had no desire to meet her betrothed and was rather glad he did not make an appearance, but the king was clearly less than pleased.
"Lady Narinya, Melda here will lead you to your chambers, and will henceforth be your handmaiden."
"Thank you, your highness."
"There's several weeks yet before the ceremony, you will have your own quarters until then. Your father and I agreed that it would be best for you to get accustomed to living here before being married. Feel free to explore the caves but I would advise against wandering into the forest without an escort."
Narinya nodded, bowed again, and then followed the handmaiden Melda through a maze of hallways to a spacious bedchamber.
"Here you are, milady. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask. An evening meal to welcome you will be set in three hours' time, I'll return before then to help you prepare."
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Narinya explored the quarters she had been given. She found in a wardrobe a selection of quite beautiful and well-made dresses. She chose a forest green gown for the evening's meal, thinking it would be more appropriate than any of the simpler garments she had brought from home, and perhaps befitting of her new residence. Shortly after, Melda arrived at her door to assist with preparing her for the evening's meal.
When Melda was done with her work, Narinya felt perhaps more beautiful than she ever had before. She had never imagined having a handmaiden to assist her with complicated dresses and braids. Melda seemed kind, too. She thanked her for her generous help before dismissing her awkwardly, unsure exactly what the expected protocols for this new relationship were. She made a mental note to ask someone.
While she waited for her father to arrive to escort her to the dining hall, she reflected on the increasing tangibility of her situation. She realized that there was little she could do to change her fate now that she had arrived in Greenwood. It was going to happen and she would have to accept it. But, that didn't mean she had to be entirely submissive with her new husband.
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When Narinya and her father entered the great hall, her eyes landed first on the king, and then drifted to the ellon seated next to him, engaged in hushed conversation and wearing a serious expression. He bore a resemblance to King Thranduil and she knew immediately that it must be her betrothed.
He wore a simple circlet on a head of light blonde hair, with a few precise braids signifying his status. His deep green tunic was embroidered with an inlay of gold. He looked every bit the prince that he was.
Whatever conversation he had been involved in ceased and he looked in her direction, both he and the king standing to acknowledge her.
She felt her face flush as their eyes met for the first time, suddenly self-conscious meeting his deep blue gaze.
He bowed his head politely in a reserved greeting, "Well met, Lady Narinya."
Unexpectedly, Princess Lindethiel hurried in, graceful even in her rushed movements, "Forgive me my tardiness, it is wonderful to meet you, Narinya."
Narinya was relieved to be seated next to Lindethiel, spared from having to make any conversation with the prince apart from their brief greeting. She noticed that he slipped away quietly as soon as he could while she was distracted answering Lindethiel's many questions.
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A few weeks passed rather uneventfully. She decided that she liked the Woodland Realm, and she did not hide this fact from her father, for she could see it lifted his spirits when she took a more welcoming approach to her new life. She was grateful that he was willing to show her places that had been important to he and her mother long ago, and introduce her to old friends and acquiantances. By now, she had met a great many elves, many of whom she liked and felt welcomed by.
However, the prince had remained elusive, much to King Thranduil's disapproval.
Narinya wondered why her promised was not kind enough to spend some time with her prior to the wedding. She was of the understanding that he had willingly agreed to this pairing, but now was beginning to have doubts. She wondered if he had been disappointed by her at their first meeting.
Already apprehensive about her upcoming marriage, she now had an additional worry.
She was over a week late for her monthly cycle. She thought back to her shortsighted night with Calanon and remembered that he was only half-elven, and thus it was quite possible that he had impregnated her that night.
She found herself no longer able to get much enjoyment out of exploring her new home. Much of the time, she was thinking over her predicament. No, she told herself, she couldn't be with child; it was simply the stress of the ordeal interfering with her body. She assured herself that in a day or two her cycle would return and she would laugh at herself for worrying so much.
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The day of the ceremony drew closer and both Legolas and Narinya savored their last few moments of freedom. Legolas had managed to slip away to hunt spiders in the far reaches of the forest, but even his good friends saw folly in his approach of avoiding the situation at hand. Finally, they convinced him to return and properly prepare for his wedding.
Narinya similarly was trying to distract herself, but her worries were always following her. She endured her dress fittings and threw herself into preparing for the ceremony. It was her only way of coping with the reality ahead. Planning out her wedding was much easier than dreading the marriage that was to come.
Elven ceremonies were not typical. Common elves often did not have a ceremony at all; their bonding, which required both spoken words of intention and a deep emotional connection at the time of physical joining, was considered their marriage. However, with royalty, public spectacles of some sort were still expected and well-attended.
When she was old enough to learn of such things, Arandion had explained to her the differences between men and elves, their habits, marriages, and bonds. Elves could lay together before they were wed, but Narinya knew that even if she wished to form a true bond with her new husband, after saying the words of intent before the people of Greenwood as she would soon do, the foundation of connection it would require would take time to develop, if it ever did.
She had not planned on ever experiencing what it was like to be pair bonded with an ellon she loved, and so the thought of never forming such a connection with her new husband was not particularly disappointing to her. While a bond sounded as though it had its merits, she had seen what it had done to her own father when her mother had passed. The emotional intimacy did not seem worth the added vulnerability.
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The warmth of early summer had settled over Greenwood, the forest teeming with life. It was usually Narinya's favorite season, the summer heat being perfect for jumping into the cold lake. But on this day, in this new place, she could find little joy in it.
The handmaiden Melda arrived earlier than usual that day to assist with preparations.
Narinya would not deny that she looked beautiful in the flowing wedding gown, with her dark hair woven into ornate braids that would later support a silver circlet, when she was formally crowned the Princess of Greenwood.
"My lady, you look wonderful. Lord Legolas will be left speechless." Melda had taken a liking to Narinya and had been trying to draw some sort of excitement out of the elleth about her upcoming wedding to the prince. Unfortunately, it had yet to be found.
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Narinya breathed sharply in when she walked out of the cavernous halls and into the large courtyard, lined on either side by rows of tall trees. A royal wedding had not been had in Greenwood for millennia and almost all of the Woodland elves had come to attend the wedding of their prince.
Narinya contemplated fleeing, but then remembered her father standing proudly next to her, waiting to lead her to her intended. She sighed. She knew it was what he wanted, what he needed. Today, she would try to please her father.
A melodic sound began drifting over the courtyard, signaling Narinya's entrance. The guests turned to view their new princess. Her cheeks flushed as she felt hundreds of eyes studying her. Her father squeezed her hand in encouragement and urged her to quicken her pace.
She found herself dreading the end of the aisle but at the same time desperate to reach it. She had never been on display like this before and had not anticipated that it would bother her so. She focused her eyes straight ahead of her and ignored the curious glances she got from the crowd of elves that had gathered.
Finally, it was over. She reached the end of the aisle. What else was over for her? Her independence, her freedom, and her hopes for the future. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and looked up at her elusive betrothed.
He certainly was stunning, from the cleanly polished boots on his feet to the silver circlet on his head. She studied him for the next few moments and she was certain he was doing the same.
His light blonde hair shone white gold in the light of the sun. Her eyes traveled over his strong features, more striking to her now at such a close distance. Finally, they made eye contact, his blue eyes gazing back at her intensely, as if trying to read her tumultuous emotions. Just as she was about to avert her eyes to avoid the awkward moment, he gave her a slight smile. She smiled back instinctively and then looked away. She was brought out of her reverie by the words of the ellon leading the ceremony.
"Please take the lady's hands."
Legolas brought his hands to hers. For a moment he thought about how amusing it was that this was the first time he had ever touched her – certainly very chaste.
She could feel the callous from his bow work against her palms as he took her hands in his. She found it difficult to concentrate on the ceremony, but was brought back to attention when asked the question that would forever change her life.
"Do you wish to be wed and eternally bound to Legolas Thranduilion?"
Narinya faltered. She could say no, but she was unsure of what would happen if she did. She glanced over at her father, who was looking on proudly. Legolas was silently hoping she might decline, given her sudden hesitation, but he doubted she would, assuming she was another maiden who aspired to be princess.
"Yes. I do." Narinya let out a breath she did not know she had been holding and looked down.
Legolas answered the question similarly, as she had expected him to do. Maybe he did want this after all; maybe she had been too quick to assume that he had been avoiding her.
Before she knew it, he was leaning in to kiss her. She started to pull back at first, but then remembered the crowd that they stood before. His thin lips lightly brushed over hers, and while she had braced herself for worse, the kiss was over as quickly as it had begun.
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The king announced the start of a celebratory feast in the large elven banquet hall after the ceremony. Thranduil was seated at the head of the table, with his son on his left and the new princess on his right. The hall was filled with guests. Narinya suspected that many of them had come primarily for the ample supply of good food and miruvor, though many seemed genuinely happy at the marriage of the prince.
Like last time, she was relieved that she did not have to sit next to her new husband. Instead, she was placed next to her new sister, of sorts: the true Princess of Greenwood, Lindethiel. She had been very happy to find a friend in Lindethiel, but she still dreaded what awaited her that evening, and all the rest of her days after.
After several hours of feasting, King Thranduil stood up to make an announcement, "Thank you all for coming today to witness the marriage of my son to Lady Narinya. I am quite certain you will love your princess as you do your prince. Prince Legolas and his lady will now share a dance."
Legolas looked over at his new bride. She wore an uneasy expression. He approached her and extended his hand, "My lady?"
All Narinya could do was nod. She stood up and let him nearly drag her to the center of the large room. Her face burned with the embarrassment of dancing in front of all these people. Her father had not warned her that she would be expected to come in to her first day of being princess as a dignified lady of the court. Maybe that was what she was supposed to have done with the month of preparation she had been given.
She had no time to think before Legolas took one of her hands into his and extended his arm, resting his other hand lightly on her hip, and said quietly, "Follow my lead." His movements were both strong and graceful; it was clear he was well-practiced.
Legolas could feel the trepidation in her steps. He was surprised that she was so uncomfortable, but then, perhaps this was not something she was used to in her prior life. He wondered about the emotions radiating from her but decided it was best not to question her, hoping the dance would end as quickly as it had begun.
That was the only dance that they shared that evening. Once the other couples had joined the floor, Legolas and Narinya broke apart, and she managed to slip away to the edge of the room. She was frustrated with the expectations already being put on her and she longed to escape to the isolation of her private quarters, though her stomach tightened with worry when she remembered that she would not be returning to her own chamber that evening.
Thank you for reading!