THE FORGOTTEN
Rhîw an Ethuil
Winter to Spring
Author's note: the chapter in which - we have happy married fluff and a parting scene. Also, DEEPEST APOLOGIES to all who have been waiting since November for me to post the last chapter! It's been sitting in my doc manager for ages and I could have sworn I uploaded it, but apparently not! Anyway, it's here now, and I hope you all enjoy.
The newlyweds were not seen at breakfast for a several weeks. In fact, they were barely seen at all. This was largely due to Legolas whisking his bride away to his small cabin on Long Lake, only telling his father where they were going in a note. Before leaving though, they spent a very long night under the stars during the new moon and Lothril decided then and there that it was a spiritual experience. Observing an ancient practice, sex under the sacred starlight, Legolas making her crannthennab three times before he did…
"What brings you that smile?" Legolas asked as he handed her a mug of coffee.
"I was thinking about the new moon. How many new moons can we observe like that?" she replied as she took the mug and gazed out across the lake. The sun was not quite clearing the trees yet, but the dawn colors were fantastic!
"Every new moon!" he answered and gave her a kiss. "The fact that you seem to enjoy outdoor love making thrills me to no end!"
She grinned but then turned her attention to her coffee. "I just enjoy making love with you." She took a sip then added, "Outdoors just makes it extra fun!"
"Would you like to indulge in a little before the sun rises all the way?" He propositioned.
"I hate cold coffee," she answered before taking another sip.
He stared into the lovely dark abyss of his coffee for a second before taking a drink. "As you wish," he said with a smile. "You have been indulging me so much these last few weeks, I am tempted to feel guilty but for our bond. It is clear you want it as much as I do."
"Yup," she answered. "I will be right back."
Legolas looked out across the water. The sun was just starting to peek through the tree tops and the bold rainbow of colors was turning to shades of gold to purple to blue. It was promising to be a gorgeous October day! He mentally ran through their provisions to decide if they needed to venture into Esgaroth today or tomorrow to replenish their pantry. He wondered if she felt like hunting or fishing with him for dinner?
He got up and headed inside to ask. He found her in the kitchen slicing up an apple. He leaned with his back to the counter and asked, "Hunting or fishing for supper?"
"Fishing. I keep seeing them jump not far from the shore and I just don't feel like skinning anything," she answered. "And it'll leave more time for dessert," she added casually.
Legolas raised a brow.
She gave a flirty little half smile and popped an apple slice in her mouth.
- ⸙-⸙ -
"Have you noticed Elrohir has been a bit scarce since Lothril married?" Elladan asked his father one morning after Elrohir disappeared.
"I have," Elrond said, keeping his face neutral. "I take it he isn't telling you where he goes?"
"He is being cagey and it worries me."
Elrond quickly thought it over. "Worries or bothers?"
"Worries. There is a shift in him, I can feel it and I worry what it might be," Elladan said with a frown. "He hasn't confided anything in you, has he?"
"No, he has not," Elrond answered.
Elladan's frown deepened. "Did Elros act like this before he decided to be mortal?"
It was Elrond's turn to frown, but slightly. "He did. But he may still be undecided and you must allow him to think through everything for himself."
No sooner did he say that, the door to their rooms opened and Elrohir came in and saw two frowning faces staring at him. "What is wrong?" he asked, getting a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Elladan rushed to him and took his twin's hand in his. "Are you thinking of becoming mortal?" he demanded of his twin.
"Elladan!" Elrond snapped.
"What?! No! Why on earth would you think that?!" Elrohir answered, thoroughly confused. He studied his twin's face. "Have you been injured?" he asked, studying his twin's pupils and finding nothing then looking to his father.
"You have been secretive and reclusive the last few weeks since the wedding and telling me nothing. What else am I to think?" Elladan said, sounding somewhere between relieved and upset. "What have you been doing?!"
"Spending time with Taraves the healer," Elrohir replied. Elladan seemed fine… mostly…
"Why?" Elladan asked, feeling quite thrown off balance by that answer.
"I have been seeing her," Elrohir answered, a small smile teasing the corners of his mouth.
Elrond raised a brow. Well this was a pleasant turn!
"Seeing her?" Elladan repeated blankly.
Elrohir nodded. "The last time we were here I found I enjoyed spending time with her, and decided if chance came again to pursue things further, I would."
"And you said nothing of any of this to me?" Elladan replied.
"As I had no idea of her feelings, there seemed little point in saying anything," Elrohir replied.
"And now?" Elladan asked.
"We are mutually interested," he answered with a smile. Elrohir turned to his father and said, "I know you are sailing next year, but-"
Elrond came over and laid a hand on Elrohir's shoulder. "You have my blessing to pursue your joy and happiness, whenever and wherever that may be. However, if you try to wed while I am still here and do not allow a proper wedding feast, I will be cross with you for a very long time."
Elrohir smiled. "Oh, I sincerely doubt we shall move that quickly. Knowing Lothril's plans… well, I am getting ahead of myself."
"But you do love her," Elladan stated quietly. "I suppose another sister is not so bad a prospect, especially one like Taraves."
"Now you are getting of us," Elrohir said. "Now, before she starts wondering where I am-" he went over to the instrument stand and grabbed his lute. "I am off! And sorry for making you worry, brother!" And with that he left.
"Out of curiosity, did Arwen tell you two of her attachment to Aragorn first or me?" Elrond asked.
"She told us first, but said she figured you had either foreseen it or guessed it by then and that she was going to tell you as soon as she saw you next," Elladan answered.
-⸙ - ⸙-
Thranduil meanwhile, was keeping busy about his royal duties and spending spare time making a bed for Gladhrion and Thalaves. He almost hated to admit it, but he was missing his son and new daughter those few weeks, and he realized part of this was thanks to the absence of Lauríel. The resolve he felt to sail when they did strengthened daily.
When a quiet word reached his ear that Legolas and Lothril were seen heading back, it took a fair amount of restraint not to walk out of the council meeting and go wait for them by the gate. Instead he stayed and jotted out the songs and spells he and Lauríel used for creating the clearing until he deemed they had reached the gate and were close enough to intercept. That was when he told his secretary to keep taking notes and deliver them to his desk later and then swept out, Marion in tow.
"Marion, go tell our kitchen the prince and princess have returned then inform Lord Elrond also, thank you," Thranduil said before parting company with the servant. He quickly headed towards the gate and met them just as they were coming in.
As soon as Lothril saw him she redirected towards Thranduil and with a big grin asked, "Did you miss us?"
"Terribly!" He answered with a smile, only somewhat exaggerating for effect. "Come, let me see how marriage suits you both!" It was clear at a glance to any elf they were married, even without the pleased smiles and tender glances at each other, but stars, did they look happy, joyful, and content! "It suits you both very well. Welcome home!"
"Thank you, Ada Thrand," Lothril said with a grin."So, what really brings you to the gate hall to greet us? Are you about to announce my new hervenn must go do princely things now, or must I now do things as a princess?"
Thranduil laughed. "Neither! I do not want either of you thinking of anything but each other until this time next year. As it stands, I have used you for an excuse to escape an exceedingly dull council meeting. I also wish to ask you both join us for dinner tonight."
"Of course!" Lothril said.
"That council meeting really was dull, and so if you will, I will walk back towards our rooms with you and catch up," Thranduil said.
"Certainly, Ada," Legolas replied. All told they only had been gone four weeks, but they had sensed snow in the air and decided to hurry back before it fell. However, it seemed to him that his father really had missed them or else he was just over eager to figure out how things were between them.
They chatted about the weather and speculated about the snow and Thranduil commended them for doubtlessly cutting their time away short just so he wouldn't be tempted to worry.
As soon as they reached their corridors Lothril asked, "Now be honest, Thrand, did you really miss us that much or are you just overly curious and wanting to wheedle out how I'm doing and how things went between us?"
"An adar is permitted both," he answered, face straight.
And that tipped Legolas off to just how curious and concerned he was. He rolled his eyes slightly. Lothril's perceptiveness and her answer though made him want to kiss her.
"Then know that I am perfectly happy in every way," she answered with a smile. "Our wedding was perfect and beautiful and your son proved himself to be the best of ellyn. And whatever advice and instruction you gave him was- thank you!"
Thranduil smiled at that, and Legolas was certain if he wasn't trying to keep a straighter face, he would be beaming.
"You are most welcome," Thranduil replied and leaned over and kissed her temple.
She gave a happy little involuntary half smile at that.
"Legolas said he was planning on using my clearing for i cýron. What did you think of it?" he asked.
The answer that came into her head came in the form of "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis. For half a second she thought about trying to render this into an original thought, then thought the heck with it, opened her mind to the both of them so Legolas could hear her reply, and let the song play through her head.
This took Thranduil by surprise a little and he stopped walking. If she hadn't shown him her memories before, this would have been a lot stranger. However, the shock wore off by the first, "Goodness, gracious! Great balls of fire!" and he laughed.
"That certainly answers it!" Thranduil said with a smile.
-⸙ - ⸙-
Supper was more interesting than Lothril thought it would be. Come to find out, getting used to a marriage bond is one thing, getting used to it while being with other people is another. She kept getting distracted trying to talk to Elrond and Elladan by feeling Legolas' mood and reaction to the conversation he was having with Thranduil. Legolas didn't seem to be struggling though.
"Where is Elrohir?" Lothril asked.
"He is with Taraves this evening," Elrond answered.
"Taraves?!" Lothril repeated.
It was Legolas' turn to be distracted. "Taraves?" he echoed.
"It seems my brother has been harboring secret feelings for her for a few decades and has finally decided to act upon them," Elladan explained with a smirk.
Thranduil frowned. "I hope he has no designs of stealing her back to Imladris. She is the best healer I have."
Lothril's face froze into something neutral and Legolas realized she felt very uncomfortable suddenly.
"What is wrong?" Legolas asked with the ósanwe.
"I was rather hoping traced would come with us to Ithilien," she answered in kind.
"She could still. Your brothers have said they wish to come help us," Legolas replied.
"No, your father. Will he let her go?"
"I think he is more worried about her being taken to Imladris than anything else.
"I am sure I have no idea," Elladan replied to Thranduil.
-⸙ - ⸙-
Winter came and went with the celebration of Naur Thand Loss and Turuhalmë and all the winter moons, followed by the thaw and soon again, Methor and Iestor were upon them again. Methor was very sweet for Lothril as the whole year past had been nothing but good recollections, even her telling Thranduil about her past she could look back on and smile. Iestor though…She did not want Methor to end. Iestor meant the new year and that meant Elrond was leaving and that she had a little over a century before she could see him again. That weighed upon her heart like a stone, despite everyone assuring her, it would go by in a blink. But time stops for no one, not even the elves, and so the day after Iestor, Elrond prepared to leave with Galadriel and Celeborn and he and Lothril had one last meeting in their rooms.
"I know you keep saying a century is a blink, but it feels like a very long time," Lothril said as she slumped her head onto Elrond's shoulder.
He smiled and put his arm around her. "I know how it seems, but in thirty or forty years you will begin to understand that a century is nothing. And you will see in another five or ten years how twenty and thirty years seem like nothing," he said kindly. "Besides, you be busy restoring Ithilien, you will have Legolas to keep you busy at night and Elladan and Elrohir with you along with many of your new friends and kin, I am certain. I dare say you will not have time to miss me!"
She gave a soft amused snort. "Oh, I'll miss you alright, but I reckon you are probably right about the time. Do you promise you will do your best to meet me at the docks when I arrive?"
"I will do my best. I wrote down the year you say you will sail, and I will do my best to spend that year by the Sea," he pledged.
"Thank you- oh!" Lothril bolted upright where she sat. "I just remembered something I should really probably mention to Galadriel!"
"What is that?" Elrond asked.
"Gimli is going to ask to sail with us, and Legolas is going to say yes. He is going to sail so he can see Galadriel again. Though I'm sure I have no idea what the opinion of anyone is about Dwarves in the Blessed Realm, I reckon it will be better for everyone if someone with some clout knows about it first and we don't just try to show up with a dwarf," she answered.
"He is?" Elrond asked incredulously.
"Oh yes. And I imagine it'll rankle Feanor from the Halls of Mandos. See, as we were leaving Lothlórien, Galadriel was giving us all gifts and when she got to Gimli she said she had no idea what to give him and asked him to name something. At first he refused, but she insisted, and so he humbly asked for a single strand of hair. She gave him three."
Elrond looked stunned for a second then laughed. "Oh, I shall surely tell her as much! And Gandalf too. You are right, I think, in wanting someone to know aforetime. But…" His eyes looked very far away suddenly and Lothril realized he must be having a moment of foresight. Weird. "It shall all go smoothly, I think."
"Oh good!"
There was a knock on the door and a servant entered, bowed, and then said, "Lord Elrond, everyone is preparing to assemble by the gate for departure."
"Thank you," Elrond said and dismissed the servant. "Shall you come down to see us off?"
"I shall, but I want to say goodbye to you here so I don't turn into a blubbering mess down there. I know it's only for a time but… I am going to miss you!" Lothril said as tears started falling down her face.
Elrond pulled her into a hug. "I know, iell nín. I know. Parting from those we love is never easy, even if it is for a short while, but we will be reunited soon. In the meantime, turn your mind to what is before you and know that I am waiting for you."
She nodded and took a shuddering breath before slowly letting it out and then said fairly calmly, "I know. And will you… tell Celebrían I send my greetings and that I am eager to meet her. Lauríel too, if you run into her. I am looking forward to having a mother or two." She gave a smile, such as she could while being so melancholy at the thought of parting from her dear ada.
"I shall," Elrond replied. He hugged her again, gave her kiss, and together they descended to the gate.
- ⸙-⸙ -
And so here we end The Forgotten.
But like all the great stories, it doesn't really end...