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#and then his (elf) family comes to visit and they finally see aragorn get the exact same treatment
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Ok, look:
We all find it cute/funny if Aragorn knew Borimir as a baby. But consider this: Aragorn babysitting Theoden as a child and through the entirety that we see them interact in lotr, Theoden’s inherent fear of disappointing a teacher is going off in the back of his mind.
Aragorn, coming into rohan for the first time in decades, accompanied by a wizard, elf, and dwarf: was there any trouble (while i stepped out of the (classroom) kingdom)?
Theoden, yeeting away any and everything that hints at his corruption and sitting up straight: No-
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tamurilofrivendell · 2 years
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Heart Of Stone | Chapter 1
plot: Tamuril Elanessë was in love with Haldir of Lothlorien, they were to be wed but the fateful battle at Helms Deep took away all hope she had for the future. As she struggles with her grief and desperately tries not to fade, her good friends do what they can to be there for her. Tensions eventually run high as Tamuril shares a moment with Lord Elrond she feels she cannot come back from and flees Rivendell, hiding herself away in the Elvenking Thranduil's Halls. What comes next, no one can know for certain
A/N: I’ve not written fanfiction in a few years so please bear with me while I find my footing again!! Some parts of this will be canon, some will be more AU to fit my own storyline etc. Some bits of lore may be changed, particularly elves only loving once lmao. Really just wanted to finally try and get my OC’s story written down as she’s been in my head for YEARS now!
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The birds were singing softly outside the window. She was listening, though she hadn’t moved in a good half an hour, her gaze fixed upon the ornate ceiling of her Rivendell bedroom. The sun was shining. It was nearing the middle of summer now. However, all she could feel was cold. It was coursing through her body, caressing her bones, wrapping around her heart.
He was gone.
Haldir was gone.
Dead.
No, not just dead. Killed. Murdered by orc filth during the Battle of Helms Deep. She had loved him and he had loved her and now he was just gone, torn from her by evil, and there was nothing she could do about it.
There was a soft knock at the door but she didn’t respond, didn’t turn to look. The door eased open, slowly and carefully.
“Tamuril.” Lord Elrond’s gentle voice sounded from the doorway. He stood where he was for a moment, observing her, before his careful steps came towards her, hesitating only momentarily before sitting down upon the edge of her bed. There was another silence in which he simply looked at her before he reached out his hand, ghosting the backs of his fingers gently across her cheek. “Why don’t you come and sit out in the sunshine, my dear.” He withdrew his hand, expression creased with worry.
“What for?” Tamuril asked after a long moment, finally turning her head to look at him, her blank eyes meeting his own.
“Darling girl.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Come.” Her rose from the bed and held out his hand to her, his face making clear that it was not a question. It wasn’t too often that Elrond ordered Tamuril to do anything, especially now that she was in such a state of heartbreak and grieving, but his worry for her outweighed any guilt he may feel about being demanding. He feared she was beginning to fade and that was the last thing Elrond wanted.
Tamuril had grown up in Rivendell, a half-elf much like himself, and her mother had been killed by orcs roaming the Great East Road many years ago. His daughter Arwen had taken to Tamuril instantly upon a visit home from Lothlorien and he had graciously allowed her to reside in the same halls as his family. Though they did not have a simple father/daughter relationship, they grew into great friends and Tamuril put a lot of trust in Elrond over the years. Truthfully, he felt just a little guilty, like some or most of this was his fault. For sending Haldir with the others. He knew it wasn’t just his decision, Galadriel had of course made the choice with him, and Haldir had been willing enough, but if he hadn’t made the decision he did, Haldir would still be alive and Tamuril wouldn’t be this shell, getting emptier by the day.
She stared at his hand and sighed, reaching out to take his hand. He pulled her to her feet, keeping hold of her hand as he led her out the door and down the corridor. 
Aragorn was to be crowned king in a few weeks and he was worried about leaving her. She had refused to come. Elrond thought it had something to do with the fact that she didn’t want to see Aragorn. It would remind her too much of Haldir. Of his final moments. Of what had transpired at Helms Deep.
Leading her outside, Elrond looked around, nodding gracefully at the elves of his realm as they passed by. Tamuril didn’t acknowledge anybody, keeping her gaze trained upon the walkway beneath her feet. She didn’t let go of his hand.
“It’s a beautiful day.” Elrond said, taking a seat on a bench in one of the sprawling gardens. He smiled over at her, studying her face.
“It is.” Tamuril looked up at him, wondering if she could fake a convincing enough smile. He would probably see right through her as always so she decided against it, turning to look out over the small river.
A silence engulfed them again and Elrond sighed softly. “Tamuril…” He didn’t continue but she knew that he wanted to say something about her unresponsiveness, her carelessness, her vacant expression.
“Elrond.” She merely shrugged, looking back up at him. “You do not need to worry so much.”
Elrond looked at her, an eyebrow raised to the heavens. “As if it is that simple, my dear.”
“It is.” Tamuril shrugged. “You just… stop.”
Her words caused his frown to deepen as he looked at her. “He would not want you to feel this way, Tamuril.”
“Then you shouldn’t have sent him to die.” Her response was immediate and razor sharp.
The silence that descended upon the two then was ice cold and Elrond found himself at a loss for words. After all, wasn’t he himself thinking this same thing? That it was his own fault. He couldn’t blame her for thinking it too. She had trusted him all these years and he had let her down.
“Elrond…” Tamuril’s voice came again quickly. She looked up, reaching out to take his hand again. “I… I didn’t mean that, I shouldn’t have… forgive me, I…”
He squeezed her hand gently, smiling a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “There is nothing to forgive.”
Tamuril shook her head. “Elrond, please.” She protested, guilt clawing its way around her heart. “I didn’t mean it, you have to believe that.”
“I do, darling girl, but you should.”
She blinked at him. “What do you mean?”
His kind eyes softened as he gazed steadily back at her, his thumb brushing comfortingly across the back of her hand as he held it. “You should have meant it.” He hesitated. “It is my fault.”
Tamuril frowned. “Elrond….” Did he truly think this way? Had he been living with this guilt? 
Guilt that likely bloomed because he cared for her, she knew he did, like she cared for him. She was heartbroken over Haldir’s death, over the loss of him, but Elrond was her friend and he had been in an impossible position, they all had. The War of the Ring. Sauron. Everyone had fought for Middle Earth and she knew deep down that Haldir would have gone whether Elrond and Galadriel willed it or not. It didn’t make it hurt any less but she didn’t truly put the blame on anybody other than Sauron and the Orcs and the War. She hadn’t meant it, she really hadn’t, Elrond had been nothing but good to her. He was her best friend.
“Do you really believe this?” She asked him, clutching his hand with a new intensity, one he hadn’t quite felt from her since Haldir’s death.
He glanced down, unable to meet her gaze for a long moment. Then he simply nodded. It broke Tamuril’s ice cold heart all over again.
“Elrond, you shouldn’t!” She exclaimed. “I don’t want you to feel this way.”
“And I don’t want you to feel this way.” He returned, lifting his head and gazing into her eyes with an intensity that shook her. She frowned and looked away, not sure what to say to him. She knew that he was worried about her, that he fretted over her wellbeing, her mental state. It hurt so much and the world seemed grey without Haldir here with her. Her days and nights were tormented by his laugh, his smile, the words he’d whispered in her ear on visits to Lothlorien with Arwen. 
He had written to her, before he went to Helms Deep, declaring that upon his return, he was going to marry her.
“It hurts, Elrond.” She whispered, finally. Finally admitting it out loud. Finally saying what everybody already knew but there was some power in her finally speaking it aloud.
“I know.” Elrond replied simply, keeping hold of her hand. A couple of elves passed by them on a walk through the gardens. They had been about to speak to Elrond when they’d noticed the seriousness of the conversation he was having… and who he was having it with. All of Rivendell knew of Tamuril’s broken heart.
She turned back to him, sniffing. She didn’t cry. She hadn’t cried in weeks, having run herself dry in the days and weeks following the news of Haldir’s death. She wasn’t sure she had any tears left in her. She thought perhaps something had snapped inside her. Maybe she would never cry again. 
Elrond wished that she would. Tears, he knew, were natural. They were healthy and healing. It was far better to let them out than to keep them bottled up, which is no doubt what she was doing, be it an unconscious decision or not.
“If I could take it from you, I would, without question.” He said to her, his voice earnest, his eyes gentle, misty with unshed tears of their own.
Tamuril felt herself touched by his words, by his kindness, as always. He was too good, too kind, too pure. Elrond, her best friend, her protector. She knew that he too had been separated from his love, from Lady Celebrian, an ocean away. It wasn’t the same for one day he would be reunited with her, he would join her, maybe soon now that the War was over. What would she do without him? Tamuril had considered sailing into the West… but it didn’t feel right. To take her grief with her, to allow herself to heal over there? Wouldn’t that be wrong? Forgetting? Cheating?
She didn’t know and she didn’t really like to think about it. Tamuril was simply taking it one miserably grey day at a time and had been since Haldir died.
“I’d like to go back inside now.” She said softly, moving to stand and letting her fingers drop their hold on Elrond’s hand. He smiled sadly, nodding as he stood up to escort her back in, most likely back to her rooms.
“Arwen is arriving soon.” He said. “She will want to see you.”
Arwen. 
Tamuril managed the softest smile at the thought of the other woman. She was coming back from Lothlorien, readying herself to be reunited with Aragorn. 
Lothlorien. 
Tamuril’s heart ached at the thought of that Golden Wood, where her Golden Archer had lived and breathed. Where she had visited him, tagging along with Arwen when she went to stay with her Grandparents Galadriel and Celeborn.
“She’s welcome to come and find me.” She said, glancing at Elrond upon reaching the door of her bedroom again. “Thank you.” She hesitated, turning, before she turned back and leaned up to give him a soft kiss on the cheek. “Please do not feel guilty anymore… my heart can’t take it.”
She closed the door, leaving him with a ghost of a smile and Elrond couldn’t help but smile himself. Her heart couldn’t take it. Meaning her heart was feeling something at all, and that gave him some hope.
He lingered in the hall for a moment longer, staring at the closed door in front of him, and then he turned and strode off in the direction of his study. He had work to attend to.
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elvish-sky · 4 years
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Hope {Aragorn x Reader}
A.N: So no prompts done today cause I was working on this, but I’m proud of it and will get right on prompts tomorrow! This is the completely reader-insert version! I honestly had so much fun writing it and am honored that this person wanted me to do so. I hope y’all like it!
Requested by @ask-the-elf-stuff on Tumblr
Pairing: Aragorn x Reader
Word Count: 1,799
Warnings: Kissing, fluff, the smallest bit of angst.
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Hope
“You’re really leaving?” You gazed into Aragorn’s eyes, hoping that it wasn’t true.
    “I have to, Y/N. The fate of Middle-Earth depends on it.”
Your head dipped in understanding, but also sadness. 
“Do not fear. I will return.” He cupped your chin with his hand, tilting your head and kissing you. It was a light kiss, nothing like the others you had shared before. This kiss was the hope that you’d see each other again.
Breaking away, you forced a smile as you hugged him, trying not to cry. Stepping back, you waved as he followed the rest of the newly formed Fellowship through the gates of Imladris. Your father stood next to you, and as Aragorn passed through the gates Elrond drew you into his side. 
“He’ll be back, hína (child),” Elrond said as he pressed a kiss to your forehead.
Nodding, you rested your head on your father’s shoulder as you watched the man depart.
Weeks later, you were pacing your room, determined to do something. Arwen stopped short in the doorway as she saw you pack open on your bed as you shoved things inside.
     “Y/N? What are you doing?”
“I do not know why, but I have felt a pull to follow. An ache, almost painful in its strength, has settled inside me and so I knew I must follow. We have not heard from the Fellowship in weeks, Aragorn could be hurt, or someone else could be, or he could be,” your voice broke, “dead.
The elf nodded in understanding. “The ache is telling you to be with the one you love.”
She then clasped your hand. “Y/N. Look at me.”
You looked at her, unshed tears of worry clear in your eyes.
“If he was dead, you’d feel it. And I know as your sister I should be telling you not to go, but I cannot help but notice the pain you’ve been in these last weeks. So go, find him.” She spread a map out onto a small table nearby, and you couldn’t help but laugh.
“Do you just carry that everywhere?”
She shot you a look, and you quickly clammed up, peering over her shoulder as she pointed things out. 
“After crossing the mountains visit our grandmother in Lothlorien, the Fellowship had planned to pass through there, and she will know where they are.” 
You took it all in, remembering the route to Lothlorien from visits to your grandparents you had made before your mother went west. 
“Thank you, Arwen.” You smiled up at your sister.
She clasped your wrist before pulling away, placing her hands on your shoulders as she looked into your eyes. “Stay safe, Y/N.”
You nodded, shoving the last things into your pack before slinging it over your shoulders with your bow and quiver, daggers sheathed on your thighs, hugging your sister one last time before leaving your room.
   You strode down the hallway, dressed in leather hunting clothes as you made your way to the gates of Imladris. You had stopped by the kitchens to gather food supplies, making sure they thought you were only going for a hunting excursion. 
Entering the courtyard, you saw your father standing in the center, clearly waiting for you. Silently cursing Arwen, as you had hoped to slip away unnoticed, you made your way over to him.
“I should not let you do this.”
You frowned at his words, drawing breath to protest, but before you could Elrond spoke again.
“But you are free to go. I feel the ache and have felt it every day since your mother departed. I know that nothing but being with the one you love can ease that pain, and it would hurt me to know you are experiencing it. Go to Estel. I give you my blessing.” 
You hugged your father before turning and mounting your horse, brought from the stables. Turning to wave to your father one last time, you leaned down to whisper, “Let’s go, Daeroc. Let’s go find Aragorn.” The horse broke into a trot, and you left Imladris behind.
Weeks later, you led Daeroc into Lothlorien, waiting for the sentries to appear. One dropped down from a tree, and you smiled at him, recognizing the face.
“Haldir,” you greeted him with a smile.
“Y/N. It is good to see you again. I assume you are here to see the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn?”
You nodded, “Yes. I have not seen my grandparents in a long time. But before we go to them could you find someone to take care of Daeroc?”
Another elf came into view, nodding to you as she took the reins from your hands. 
“Thank you,” you smiled at her.
Later, you walked into the courtyard, bowing to your grandparents standing on the stairs above. 
“Y/N, my daughter’s daughter. What brings you here?” Galadriel smiled at you, descending the stairs with her husband to greet you, each clasping your wrist. 
“To see you, of course, and seek news of the Fellowship that I assume has passed through here.” 
Your grandmother smiled. “It seems you are in luck, for they are here as we speak.”
Your eyes widened. “But they should have been long gone by now. I wonder what has caused the delay?”
Celeborn’s face softened. “Then you do not know.”
“Know what?” You were beginning to grow quite worried. “What has happened?”
“They could not make it through the pass of Caradhras, so they turned and went through Moria, costing them the life of Mithrandir.”
You gasped, heart aching at the grief that must have caused them and the grief you now felt. 
“May I see them?” All you wanted now was to see your friends and the man you loved.
“Of course.” Galadriel beckoned you to follow her, and you did, softly conversing with your grandmother and updating her on the lives of her family in Imladris, as well as others she knew.
Stepping into the clearing, you turned to thank Galadriel, watching her fade from view behind you for a moment before continuing. 
There he was. Tall and handsome still, even grimy with dirt and dust from his travels. You debated casually walking up and greeting him more sedately, but watching him you just couldn’t hold back. All your elvish instincts left you, and you sprinted towards him, leaping into his shocked arms as kissing him for all you were worth. He kissed you back for a moment, and then pulled away, the surprise on his face clear.
“Y/N! What are you doing here?”
“I came to find you.”
His eyes widened. “You did?”
You smiled at him. “Of course I did, meleth.”
He smiled back at you, and drew you in for another kiss, hands holding you up as your legs wrapped around his waist. Deepening the kiss, he moved so your back was pressed against a tree and his hands were free to slide up your back, tangling in your hair as you lost yourselves in each other.
Sometime later, you sat with the rest of the Fellowship after the nighttime meal, talking. It was good to see them again, you had grown fond of all of them, even the dwarf, during their time in Imladris. But of course, the only person you really had eyes for that night was Aragorn, who sat next to you with an arm around your shoulders. 
Legolas had seemed puzzled with how comfortable you were with affection, it was rather un elf-like. You had explained to him that because of your father’s past, he was slightly more affectionate than a normal elf, and showed it. You hadn’t missed the wistful look on Legolas’ face as you spoke and recalled what you knew of his family, feeling sorry for him. 
Later that night, you sat by the dying embers of the fire alongside Legolas. Aragorn had gone with the hobbits to wash up, and Boromir and Gimli were sleeping, so it was just you and the elf.
“Legolas?” The older elf looked at you. 
“Can I ask you something?”
He nodded, and you continued, “I was just wondering, do you know of something like an ache? It began right after the Fellowship departed Imladris, and only subsided when I arrived here. What does it mean?”
He smiled. “Y/N. That was the bond between your soul and Aragorn’s, pulled taught with your fear of losing him. Now that you are reunited, it has gone because you are together. It is every elf’s greatest dream and worst fear to have that feeling.”
You smiled. “Have you?”
The pain in his eyes told you that maybe that was not something to be asked of others.
“I am not sure if it is in my destiny to ever feel that.” He gazed into the distance.
The two of you sat in easy silence for a long time, after that. 
“Y/N.” You turned to see Aragorn beckoning to you, and with a nod to Legolas, you rose.
“You do not have to come with us. It will be a journey of great peril, and I do not want to put you in that much danger.”
You gazed at him earnestly, “Aragorn. I shall be there when the crown is finally placed on your head. I shall be with you until the end.”
He smiled at you again and clasped your hand as you walked through the towering trees.
You had left Lothlorien the day after with the Fellowship, having officially joined up. Lots had happened after that, including almost dying with most of Middle-Earth, but months later, all was finally well. Frodo and Sam had destroyed the ring in Mordor, the forces of Mordor had collapsed along with the Black Gate, and today was the coronation of King Elessar, also known as Aragorn. 
You watched, standing next to Gimli on the dais, as Gandalf lowered the crown onto Aragorn’s head.
“Now come the days of the King!” Gandalf declared before Aragorn turned to face his kingdom. Everyone cheered as he stood there, silencing quickly as he spoke. His words were wise and sincere, and you couldn’t help but fall in love all over again. As petals began to fall, he started singing, the words quickly fading as he turned to you. 
You walked down to meet him at the bottom of the steps, gown trailing behind you. Once you reached him, he grabbed your hand, wrapping an arm around your waist as he dipped you into a spectacular kiss. Unlike the one you had shared in Imladris, this was not a kiss of sadness. This was a kiss of hope, peace, and promise. As the cheers rose around you again you knew that everything you had hoped for had come true.
Everything tag: @entishramblings @itgetsatadhazy @boyruins @anjhope1 @wellofeternalthirst @kumqu4t @katbby16
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meteor752 · 4 years
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More bardlings stuff yaaaaay
This is basically just a bunch of shit I a), couldn’t fit into their respective deep dives, or b) Just came up with after the fact/I forgot to mention them.
This will all be very random, so yeah.
Let’s just get into it
Neither Bain or Tilda go by their real names
Bain’s realy name is Benjamin, but as a kid Sigird couldn’t say that, so she just said Bain and the name stuck
Tilda’s real name is Matilda, but she hates the name as she finds it “Too formal” and just introduces herself as Tilda
Sigrid’s middle name is Marina, Bain’s is Lachlan and Tilda’s is Lucia
Tilda has ADHD
While Tilda has Aloe, Bain has his own “Pet”, a clydesdale stallion named Cocoa
He also has a cat named Whiskey, who just like him is blind
And a dog named Halo that help guiding him (Basically a guide dog)
Sigrid has an Appaloosa mare named Autumn
Bain is actually a twin, but she died in the womb
Her name was Ellen
If the Bardlings would have been animals, then Bain would have been a Cocker Spaniel, Sigrid a Nightingale, and Tilda a fox
And if they would have been dragons then Bain would have been a Swamp Dragon, Sigrid a Water dragon and Tilda, of course, a Forest dragon
Sigrid has insomnia, and usually spends the nights playing the lute peacefully
Bain on the other hand is a napping god
I’ve mentioned a few times that Tilda enjoys climbing, but I don’t think you understand, she climbs everything
When she gets to a new place, like a forest or a mountain, she immediately calculates what places to grab on to, how much force would be needed for a specific jump, which branches that would crack if she stood on them etc etc
Like, she’s doing a Sherlock Holmes in her mind, just to figure out what to climb
While both Sigrid and Tilda get along well with Bain, they have a pretty bad relationship themselves, and would rather just avoid being around each other all together
They still love each other though
Sigrid is the biggest sweet tooth out of the three, while Tilda would rather starve than eat things like sweets and pastries
While Sigrid is the more musical out of them, both Bain and Tilda are excellent singers and can both play the lute
Tilda is a horrible dancer however, but enjoys doing it anyway
Tilda was often insecure about the fact that she was a human and not an elf, as she often got weird stares from many of the elves she met
She once nearly cut an Elf’s throat for pointing it out, and then mocking her for it
Sigrid is a Disney Princess, in the regard that sometimes when she just casually sings small animals will come up to her. Both Bain and Tilda tease her about it constantly, but she finds it calming.
While Tilda absolutely adores Legolas, and Bain is just happy to finally have a brother, Sigrid is not really too fond of him, especially since he encourages Tilda’s reckless behavior
Sigrid’s theme song would be The Sound Of Silence
Bain’s theme song would be Awake and Alive
Tilda’s theme song would be Just Like Fire
Bain and Tilda started calling themselves the dragonchildren after their father became a dragonslayer, and it got to the point that they started introducing themselves as either Dragonson or Dragondaughter, which they adopted as their second names
The first time Tilda met Aragorn it was her first visit to Rivendell, before her da and ada wed
She was jumping through some trees when she miscalculated the distance between two branches, and accidentally fell right on Aragorn who was just chilling out reading a book
She was already then thinking about just going down on him
But she did see the looks Aragorn and Legolas had when they talked to each other later, so she took it cool
When Bain had a child, Sigrid surprisingly became the best aunt ever
Tilda was a horrible aunt to both Brand and Frodo and Sam’s adopted kids, since she didn’t fully understand how to take care of another living being.
Bain and Aragorn are Sword Bro’s
Sigrid and Gimli are Ax bro’s
All three of the Bardlings take Father’s Day very seriously (Assuming that they have that middle earth, which I do)
During Mother’s Day, Sigrid and Bain lock themselves in Sigrid’s room and just talk about Eleonore the whole day
Tilda ignores that Mother’s Day exists, and just carries on as natural while still feeling a slight pang in her heart every time she sees some kid give their mom a flower or something
Physically Tilda should not be alive, considering the amount of hits she takes from falling from a tall height or just getting punched into a wall like, a hundred times a day, but luck has stayed on her side
Sigrid constantly worries for her sister, because she knows that her recklessness or her snappy behavior will get her killed any day now
Everyone was surprised when Tilda outlived Sigrid
SPEAKING OF WHICH-
Tilda’s dead body was found three days after she died, by a young traveling elf that recognized her as the daughter of the elven king
She was brought back to Mirkwood, where what was remaining of her family had a bit of a breakdown
She had a proper burial, along with the horns of Aloe, so that the two friends would be I’ll with each other even after death.
AU Masterpost
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Scars and Spaghetti
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Imagine Legolas asking about your scars.
Pure fluff, mentions of minor scars.
______________
The bed sheets rustled and moved.  You felt strong arms wrap around you and you leaned into his chest. Lips kissed your jawline gently.
“And this one?”
“Mmmhh this one,” You smiled softly, tracing the scar under your chin, “is the result of childish antics.”  Legolas’s eyes followed the movement, and in your already vulnerable state the intimacy was almost too much.  You swallowed quietly, trying to distract yourself from Legolas’s gaze.  How do you explain playing Red Light, Green Light on rollerblades to an elf?
“Childish antics?” 
Legolas raised an eyebrow, “Well now I must know more.” 
“It was my eighth or ninth birthday party, and I was trying to win a game.  The goal was to run as fast as you could to the other side of a room when the ‘magic words’ were spoken.  I tripped right on the goal line and cracked my chin open” You blushed, embarrassed, “I was trying to beat a boy who said that girls were too slow to win the game.” 
Legolas let out a low chuckle, “I’m not surprised.  Did you win?” 
“I beat him, but I didn’t win.  My best friend, Katie, was quicker than all of us.  It wasn’t a bad birthday either.  Joey, one of the kids in my class, had fallen and hit his head as well and we stole my birthday cake and ate half of it before anyone realized it.”
“And what about this one?” Legolas asked, tracing a tiny scar on the middle finger of your left hand, next to the fingernail. 
“That one is much more recent.”
“I suspect there is a story attached to it as well.”
“Of course! I was teaching myself how to cook.” You grinned proudly. “I can make my very own spaghetti sauce from scratch now!”
“Spaghetti sauce?” Legolas looked puzzled, “I’ve never heard of such a food.”
“It’s a kind of pasta.” When Legolas looked even more confused you had an idea. “I think it would be better if I just showed you.” 
“You want to cook for me?” 
“Yes, but there are some rules.” 
“Rules for cooking.” 
“Yup.  You see, spaghetti dinners require the whole family to be present, or in our case, all of the friends that we can manage.” 
“I’m glad you amended your statement, getting my father to leave the Greenwood has proven difficult for the last several centuries.”  
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A month later - after several private practice rounds - you and Legolas had managed to corral as many of your friends together as possible.  A stroke of luck had brought Aragorn and Arwen back to Rivendell for a brief visit, and though it had been difficult to schedule a small private gathering with them among their duties but they had been thrilled to come.  Gimli was as intrigued by this new food he had heard about; Legolas had been your test subject during the trial runs and had told him all about it.  The hobbits were always hungry and up for another ‘adventure’ so it was no problem getting them to make the trip from the Shire for a dinner party.  
“Ok, so we have the salad, and the garlic bread and the wine is already out on the table and…” you wrung your hands nervously, pacing back and forth in the kitchen.  
Legolas grasped your shoulders lightly, “What is it? I’ve never seen you like this.”
You let out a nervous chuckle, “I don’t know what I was thinking.  What if they don’t like it? This was a mistake.  Maybe we should just ask the cooks to make something else.”
“They will love it.��  Legolas said with certainty.  
“How do you know?” 
“Because you made it.” When you scoffed at his words he continued, “And because they are all together for a meal.  This is the happiest I have seen many of them in a long time.”  He gestured to the table, visible through the small window in the kitchen door.  You could hear Aragorn laughing at something Merry and Pippin were telling him.  
“I suppose.”
“Additionally, I find this spaghetti delicious and I am sure our friends will agree.”
“Alright then, you win.” brushing the hair out of your eyes you look up at Legolas with a small smile, “Help me bring the dishes to the table.”
--------
“That was exceptionally good!” Pippen exclaimed as the dinner was winding down.  
Hear hear! several other voices could be heard seconding Pippin’s announcement.  You smiled as Legolas’ arm casually found its way around your shoulders and a small elvish ‘I told you so’ whispered in your ear.  You stood to make the final toast. 
“My friends, thank you all for spending your evening with us.  I’m glad you all liked my dish, but more than that, I’m glad that we were able to spend the evening together.  Spaghetti dinners are so simple and so loved in my homeland because, while the food is good, company and time spent together is better.  Cheers, my friends, to a wonderful evening.”  
After a hearty round of cheers and clinking of glasses the company began to finish their drinks and wander off to a more comfortable seating area for some evening smoking.
“I’m glad I asked you about your scars.” Legolas’s voice came from behind you.  He had followed you into the kitchen with some dishes cleared from the table. 
“Hmm? Oh yes, that’s what started all of this isn’t it?” you bit your lip, leaning against the counter as Legolas set the dishes down and came over to you.  “I’m glad you asked me about them too.” you said softly, leaning into his side.  
“I have another question for you now.”
“Hmm?”
“Will you marry me?” You turned to look at him, eyes wide as he knelt on the kitchen floor. “I vow to love no other than you, (y/n), for as long as I live.”
“Which is forever,” the whispered words past your lips without a thought.  “Legolas… I … I love you.”  His face split into a grin. “I’m not immortal though.  I don’t want to see you bound to something that will wither and die while you continue on.  And I don’t want you to fade away.”  He rose again and cupped your face.
“I have thought about all of those things.  I’m certain that I will never stop loving you, no matter your answer to me.” 
“Well, then…” you took his hands from your face and lightly kissed the knuckles, “yes, I will marry you.”  you smiled into the kiss and once both of you came up for air you said, “I think we better go outside.  The others will get suspicious.” 
“Wait,” Legolas was fishing something out of his pocket, “not without this.  I think you told Merry something of your country’s marriage customs a while back and ... I had this made for you.”  He slipped an elegant diamond ring on your finger.  
“It’s beautiful.” you said, stunned and touched that Legolas had put so much thought into it.  
When you had emerged from the kitchen you were grinning ear to ear and your friends had immediately noticed joy radiating from both your faces.  The War of the Ring had left scars on everyone, but even though scars left their mark, ultimately they healed and the body made whole again.  
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The Art of Being an Eldar: Legolas x Reader Chapter 2
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Summary: You're a fantasy-loving, LARPing human from this world, who's the black sheep of society because of your obsession for the unreal and alienation of what's real. When you're in the middle of a LARP battle with some pretty phony boars, you fall out of a tree and bust your head. You wake up, alone, and are suddenly attacked by some very pissed-off, very real wargs. Without any idea of how you got there, you got dropped into Middle-Earth, with only bits and pieces of memories of Tolkien's masterpiece, though your recollection of everything else is perfectly clear. And of all places in Middle-Earth, you got dropped into Mirkwood, with some suspicious, potentially hostile, Woodland Elves...
Chapter No.: Chapter 1
Key: [Y/N]=Your Name [F/N]= Friend's Name [B/N]= Bro's Name [S/N]= Sis's Name [M/N]= Mom's Name [e/c]= eye color [h/c]= hair color [s/c]= skin color
Notes: Listen to Medieval Pagan Music, Runestones when reading this chapter.
Warnings: Fluff, angst, graphic depictions of gore and violence (Cuz of orc battles y'know?), more angst, slow burn, some light depression in the first few chapters, some amnesia about Middle-Earth because the Valar say you're not supposed to have foresight, hard-core language, feels, lots and lots of feels, mentions of NSFW content, maybe some eventual NSFW content, LGTBQ+ characters, Thranduil being a jackass at first because he's fabulous, Legolas being a hot edgy prince that nobody can handle, Kili being an innocent bean, Hobbits being smol innocent beans, except for Bilbo 'cause he's been through some tough shit, Bard being dad of the year, Thorin being one dumbass boi, awesome dragons, awesome Nazgul, awesome scenery, awesome stuff in general, Elrond isn't listened to by anybody, confused Aragorn is confused,  Denethor's a bitch as always, Boromir lives, brace yourself for creepy as fuck Cream of Worm Tongue Grima Wormtongue, Gandalf. (yes these are all legit warnings don't judge me)
Pairings/Ships: Legolas x Reader, Legolas x you, Aragorn x Arwen, Faramir x Eowyn, Thranduil x Elvenqueen, Galadriel x Celery Celeborn, Boromir x OC, Thorin x OC, Fili x OC, etc. general LoTR standard shippings plus some of my own cuz I can't stand my boys being lonely
Word Count: I try to keep my chapters short, under 2000 words.
Rating: Teen (14+) for now
When I said I hated reality, I didn't mean I wanted to be ripped from it without my family.
How they'd healed you so efficiently was beyond your comprehension, and nobody came to visit you. You couldn't bring yourself to eat much of what they brought you. To think you'd finally gotten your wish, you'd finally, somehow gotten sucked into some alternate reality where fiction was fact and what you'd known and lived in for your entire life was nonexistent... It was amazing. Surreal.
But you couldn't stay here. Not without your family. Not without your mom, not without [B/N], not without [S/N]. [F/N]... You wished you could've at least said goodbye to him. Life without the only people you'd ever had seemed unreal, incomprehensible, and too nightmarish. Too... Alone. You couldn't lose them.
For hours, you waited, pacing the ten-by-ten cell furiously. You had to find some way to get out, some way to find whatever portal you'd triggered... A sound at the barred door made you freeze in place, whipping around like a meerkat. It was Blue-Eyes, and some of his guards, one of which was unlocking the door. "Are you letting me go?"
Blue-Eyes stared at you as if trying to figure out whether or not you were desperate or stupid. Finally, he shook his head, probably deciding it was most likely both in your case. Well, screw him. "My father wishes to see you."
You glanced to each of the guards that came to grip either of your arms. "Is that... Bad?"
Blue-Eyes smirked. "It depends on his mood."
You glared at him as the other two Elves ushered you out of the door, onto the precariously thin ledge just outside of the cell. "You're trying to freak me out, aren't you?"
Blue-Eyes didn't answer, but took up the rear of the procession. They lead you to a platform overlooking all of the mazelike bridge-sets of the dungeons, and opened a pair of elaborately crafted doors. You balked, your jaw fell, your eyes widened as far as they'd go, stunned by the view.
The building you'd thought was surrounded by trees? It was a palace-city, which stretched back from the front wall as far as you could see. And it was made entirely of trees. Bridges of wood, twisting trunks, curling pillars of wood holding up a vaultrf ceiling which opened up to the orange-gold canopy, and beyond, the cloudless blue sky. Huge, arched windows with stained glass of amber filled the front wall, framed in wood, every few dozen feet, letting in a golden light that made the entire place seem more surreal than it already was. Leaves fell too slowly here, as if afraid that touching the ground would destroy their fabulousness. Elves inhabited every floor, sailing gracefully around like gorgeous swans that glared down at the sudden ugly duckling in their midst.
You felt tiny.
"This is your home?" You breathed in amazement, going where the guards took you on autopilot as you drank in the magnificent sight. "It's bigger than the town I live in!"
"This is just a small portion of it," Blue-Eyes had a hint of pride in his voice. You glanced over your shoulder to see him taking in the view with a faint smile on his face. "This part is my father's palace. Only nobles and militia reside here."
"It's beautiful..." You surveyed the palace in awe. I'm here. I'm really here! This is where I'm supposed to be! "Do you all have different floors? Is it flameproof? What happens if there's a forest fire? Can you even get forest fires here?"
"Why would you like to know?" Blue-Eyes demanded sharply, all kindness gone just as suddenly as it'd arrived, replaced with obvious suspicion and disdain.
You sighed, and dropped the subject. You wouldn't be finding anything out about this place today. The guards lead you up a short flight of stairs, which stopped at a huge circular pavilion, lined with a different type of guard in silver armor and navy-blue masks covering their lower faces. They stood almost impossibly still, and each carried a deadly spear.
More stairs, curving upward from each side of the pavilion, lead to a massive throne of carved wood. A regal Elf lounged on it, holding a curled wooden staff. He wore silver robes lined on the inside with a deep crimson, and a crown of thin branches styled like an elk's antlers --or maybe a thornbush-- sat atop his head of snow-white hair. Piercing blue eyes watched you from underneath strangely dark (And thick.) brows, but his catlike face was drawn into an unreadable expression.
Blue-Eyes stepped before you and the guards, and put his right arm over his chest, fist resting over his heart, as he bowed at the waist. "My king, we have brought the prisoner."
Inwardly, you winced. What kind of father forced his son to call him 'my king'?
The Elvenking flicked his fingers toward the guards on either side of you. "Leave us."
As they left with barely a clink of armor, Blue-Eyes grabbed you roughly by the shoulder, forcing you to your knees. His grip was like iron. He leaned down to snarl in your ear, "Show respect. His majesty has shown you a great kindness in allowing you to live."
Aw, fuck. You forgot that these guys had healed you. If Lord Fabulous over there had decided that by even so much as breathing near his lands you didn't deserve for your wounds to be healed, you'd be dead right now. "O-oh..." You quickly fixed your position, and even bowed your head with an arm over your chest, like Blue-Eyes had done. "Sorry..."
"My son tells me he found you trying to escape from warg-bound orcs on our northern border," Elvenking drawled slowly. Wargs... Those big dogs... Why does that sound familiar? Were they in a book? Mythology? A game? You couldn't remember, and Elvenking didn't give you time to. "You were found near-death, and without any apparent recollection of how you came to be there. Is that correct?"
You weren't sure how to adress him. "Yes, sir. My lord. Your majesty. I'm sorry."
Elvenking continued. "Would you like to elaborate on what you do remember?"
His tone wasn't kind. It was "Tell me bitch or I will throw you off into the chasms below."
And there were lots of chasms.
"You won't believe me," You started, and risked a glance; Blue-Eyes and Elvenking watched you warily. You could easily say you were from this world, but you didn't know anything about it. You couldn't lie believably. And even if you could, Elves can sense lies. You figured you'd get some extra points if you were totally honest. "But I'll tell you anyway." So you started out with your explanation of coming from a place called Earth, and that you'd been having a battle against some pretty fake boars played by unconvincing actors in Live Action Roleplay, when you'd fallen out of a tree, banged yourself up, and knocked yourself out. You then proceeded to explain about the big dogs and the orcs.
Elvenking lifted his chin slightly for the sole purpose of glowering at you. "Tell me more of this... Earth." You told him all you could. About cars and trains and jets and phones, then on to TVs and movies, and the huge skyscrapers, and how modern slang was different from what it had been, and how where you came from, Elves and orcs and dragons were all part of a genre known as fantasy. You even tried, for a brief period of time, to explain the subject of eMail and social sites like Tumblr and Twitter, but you gave up at their odd looks as they tried to comprehend the concept. You told them about all seven continents, presidents, world leaders, endless wars, hunger, trashing the planet and all other shit that was wrong with Earth.
You could've been there for hours explaining it all. When you were finished, Elvenking regarded you like he'd just came to the conclusion that you just weren't normal. "It seems, [Y/N], that your world is poisoned."
"It is!" You agreed excitedly. "Nobody cares about it anymore! It's why I grew up to be so... Un-normal, by my world's standards."
"I see..." Elvenking blinked slowly. "Then you are, since you are a spawn of this Earth, equal poison to this world, are you not?"
All the blood drained from your face. "What?"
He looked to Blue-Eyes. "Kill them."
Blue-Eyes gripped you by the back of the head, and your hands flew to his wrist as he yanked your head back. With a flourish, he drew one of his ivory-handled knives and pressed it to your throat. "Wait!" You screamed, and Elvenking raised a hand.
"Last words?" Blue-Eyes sneered.
"I don't know where I am," You choked out quickly; the cool steel of the blade was digging into your neck, cutting a fine line. "I don't know how I got here, but usually when stuff like this happens in movies, there's always a portal. Let me find it-- send an escort if you want! Take me back to where you found me, and I'll find the portal and go home. You'll never see me again!"
Elvenking dropped his hand, and your heart jumped, expecting your head to go with it. "Do you really think that is wise? I sense no dishonesty from you, but you could very well be a spy from your world, which seems so intent on conquering and destroying peace. I will not let this world, much less my own land, fall prey to yours."
"I won't tell anyone about you, or this place, I promise! I don't even know where this is!" Tears of frustration pricked the corners of your eyes. "I'm not a damn spy! I don't even know how I got here! Give me a couple of days to find the portal. Then I'll leave. What if there was a way for you to know I'll keep my word? Like a blood-oath, or something!"
"And if asked where you had gone?" Blue-Eyes countered, cocking an eyebrow.
"I'll tell them I went to Narnia, dammit! They never take me seriously anyway!" Your eyes widened. "This isn't Narnia, is it? Narnia didn't have Elves!"
"No, this is not... Narnia." Elvenking replied. "And you will not know the name of this land. You have three days to find your portal. You will be accompanied by a small assembly of my best warriors. If you do not find the door to your world within the given three days... I will give the order to kill you."
You swallowed hard. The steel dragged across your throat painfully. "Th-that sounds fair." It didn't, but, you just rolled with it.
"Legolas, you will go with them," Elvenking said; something clicked in your mind. You knew that name... You knew that name. But... Why?
Blue-Eyes-- Legolas-- nodded and finally removed the blade from your throat. Lord Fabulous inclined his head once, and you vaguely thanked him, too concerned with how you knew Blue-Eyes's name. He kept a tight, painful grip on your arm, actually digging his fingers in until you were pretty sure he cut off most of your circulation.
When you reached your cell, he thrust you in roughly, making you stumble forward. You whipped around to glare at him. "Could you be careful, Blue-Eyes?"
He paused in locking the door. Confused, he brought his sapphire eyes to meet your [e/c] ones. "What did you just call me?"
"Blue-Eyes," You suddenly felt a little embarassed about picking a nickname for him. Shit, you'd never let that bother you before. He could screw off. "I didn't know your name until a few minutes ago, so... I just picked something to call you."
He raised an eyebrow incredulously. "And you chose to call me after my eyes." It wasn't a question; it was a statement.
You flushed a little, glancing to the side with only your eyes nervously, then back to him. "Uh... Yeah. That's pretty much it."
He rolled his eyes and walked away. Before you even realized what you were doing, you'd ran to the bars and grabbed hold of them, pressing your cheek up against them to watch him walk away. "Blue-Eyes!" He stopped, but didn't turn around. "Your name... Legolas. I think I've heard it before."
He turned his head slightly, like he might be interested, but your hopes fell through the floor when he just continued walking. You immediately wished you'd've said something to get his attention, so he'd come talk to you. Like, Hey, I'm really a spy for Earth, MWAHAHAHAHAHA.
Ok, maybe not that drastic...
But you did wish he'd stayed to talk to you. Even if he'd tried to kill you. Legolas... You slid down the bars, sitting on the floor. Your knees came up to your chest of their own accord. Legolas... What do your Elf eyes see? You knew that you knew his name, but where did you know it from?
They're taking...
Aw, damn. It was right on the tip of your brain. Lord Fabulous looked really familiar, too. He reminded you of Ronan the Accuser from Marvel. Why couldn't you remember? Was it a side-effect of being tossed to another reality? What else did you not remember...?
You sat there for hours, until one of the guards brought you some food. You picked at the meal, as a tune got stuck in your head that you couldn't quite place...
Home is behind...
The world ahead...
Here, the song fizzed out like a radio signal, then you got another bit of it...
All shall fade..
All shall...
...Fade...
~ominous time skip~
You, Blue-Eyes, and a team of Elvish warriors like the ones who'd helped you escape the dogs and orcs set out at dawn, which was way too early for someone used to getting up at noon most of the time. All the Elves showed off their glowy perfect selves by leaping gracefully to pebble to pebble like the regal shits they were, including Blue-Eyes.
Actually, scratch that. Blue-Eyes was the fucking king of being a show-off.
They moved fast, and you were surprisingly able to keep up with them. Not one of the Elves wanted to speak to you; they seemed to consider you an abomination.
You kinda seen what they were getting at, though. You were still in your bright white, blue, and black sci-fi Elf outfit from yesterday, complete with the latex ears and bright blue faux-hawk, which had become much less faux-hawk-y after sleep. You were covered in dried blood, dirt, and parts of your outfit were ripped. You'd tried to clean up as best as you could when you were woken up by using the water from the cup you'd been given to scrub your face and arms with the stunningly clean sheets on your cot.
In other words, you stuck out like a bright blue flower in a field of dark grass. You didn't know the way back to the river, so most of the Elves surrounded you discreetly while Blue-Eyes took the lead. Every one of them had a bow or sword or knife out and ready, so one wrong sniff and you were dead.
You traveled for about an hour before anyone spoke. It was Blue-Eyes, to your surprise. "Why is your hair blue?"
"Huh?" Of all possible questions, that one hadn't been expected. Though, that was kind of dumb of you, to just assume they wouldn't eventually wonder if everybody from your world had crazy hair colors.
"Your hair," Blue-Eyes specified, sounding condescending, like his hair was much better than yours because it was long and perfect and almost white. "Why is it blue?"
"Oh," You cleared your throat. "It's dye. My real color is [h/c]. Lots of people do it where I come from. You can dye it a natural color, or an unnatural color, like so. Some keep their natural color and just add streaks that aren't their natural colors. Some dye their full hair, like me, for the sole purpose of cosplay--uh, dressing up as made-up characters for events--and others dye it just for fun. Or to stand out, I guess. But I wouldn't advise it. It ruins your hair. I just don't care, though."
"Why would anyone want to do that?" One Elf asked in horror, then sneered at you. "I suppose those of your world simply do not appreciate the naturalities of the body."
You shrugged. You should see the LGTBQ+ community... But you didn't feel like explaining any of that to these people right now. Especially when they obviously looked down on stuff like that.
"And what character are you meant to be?" Blue-Eyes asked in a challenging tone.
You flushed. "... A sci-fi Elf."
"...Sci-Fi?" A different Elf asked. "What is that?"
"Science fiction," You specified. "Basically, I'm supposed to be an Elf from another planet. It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"Is that why you have pointed ears?" Blue-Eyes questioned, and you nodded.
"Yeah. They're latex-- a kind of rubber. Wait, do you even have rubber here?" You waved a hand. "Nevermind. They can come off pretty easily, though. Speaking of which, I'd better take them off before they cause damage..." You reached up to one of your ears, despite the looks the Elves gave you.
Blue-Eyes stopped for a minute, halting the whole group. He looked at you like you were crazy. "Whyever would you put something on your body that could cause damage?"
You blinked. "That is a very good question, Blue-Eyes, and one I don't exactly have an answer for. Almost everybody does it at some point." You felt for the flap of latex, but you couldn't find it. Hell, you couldn't even find the edge of the prosthetic. "Oh shit..." You breathed.
"What is it?" Legolas huffed, and turned around impatiently.
Your eyes widened; you couldn't let them think you were panicking, but, well, you were, and shortly after, you did. "I-I can't get it off."
Blue-Eyes's brow furrowed. "Will it cause permanent damage if they are not removed?"
"Maybe? Yes? My skin goes red and itchy and starts to swell up if I touch latex for too long, so, I'm gonna go with a definitely on this one. Just keep walking. I should have them off by the time we get to the river."
But you didn't. There was no flap, no edge of the latex. If it weren't for the fact that you did put latex ears on, you wouldn't have known you had latex ears on. A suspicion grew in your core, so you grabbed hold of the pointed tip, and pinched down with your nails hard and fast. "Ow!"
Every Elf turned to look at you as you pulled your hand away. Some blood was on the tips of your fingers. "Why, in the name of the Valar, would you hurt yourself?" Legolas sighed like a parent lecturing a child, but you were staring at your fingertips in shock. Valar...
"I'm an Elf..."
"I beg your pardon?" Apparently the mere thought of being the same race as you was too much for Blue-Eyes to handle. It was fucking offensive.
"I'm an Elf!" You shouted, and snatched your hand to your chest. "The ears won't come off! They bled and hurt when I pinched them! I'm a damn Elf! When I fell through that portal, I was a normal human! Now I'm an Elf! I don't know whether I should be freaking out or excited!"
Legolas rolled his eyes. "It won't be permanent. Obviously, here you're an Elf. There, you're not. When we get you through the portal, you'll be a human again."
"But..." I don't want to be human... Yet, you were also trying desperately to get back to your family, on pain of death and loss of cool fantasy land. If only you'd wake up to learn you were in some kind of damn coma...
You waved your hands. "Ok. Alright, fine. Is this where you found me?"
Legolas gestured to a particular rock. "The exact spot. Do you think you could find your way from here?"
You smirked; you'd always been good at knowing your way. "Please. I was born with an innate sense of direction. Now how the fuck do we get over this damn river?"
Legolas grinned. "You're an eldar now, aren't you? See if you can get across it yourself." Eldar... That had to mean an Elf of some sort, right?
You stared him down for a second, hands on your hips. He smirked cockily back, pure smugness on his expression. "Ok. Sure. What's life without risk?"
So you took a deep breath, and headed for the opposite bank.
You and your siblings had this special hiking trail in a park, and on this trail was a creek slash pond area. Several of them. You'd always cross the creek carefully, each step placed just so, and quietly, too, so that you could see the frogs-- it was a frog hunt without actually killing said frogs. The exercise gave you all good balance and a know-how for shit not that rock.
But this river was much different than the creek back home. It was clear, and clean, and strong as fuck, so one wrong move and you'd be whooshed away, with Blue-Eyes giving Lord Fabulous the excuse of "Oh they died in the river tragically oops..."
The rocks were unstable. The river swelled over them every so often to make them slippery. Your rubber boots were less than zero help. But you were an Elf now, right? So that had to make you unfairly agile. You took another deep inhale, then took what you hoped was a graceful leaping step, only for you to slip and nearly bust your ass. Elvish powers have to be learned. Noted.
When you finally got to the other side of the bank, you were stiff, and your heart was pounding. Behind you, the Elves sneered and jeered and all kinds of other "eers". You whipped around, and flipped them off. They looked somewhere between shocked, offended, and terrified. You realized they might not know the symbolism of it, and might think you were cursing them. When they reached you, Blue-Eyes was the first to demand what that was all about. "What was that all about?!"
You panicked under pressure. "U-uh... I-it's a minor insult where I come from. Very minor. We use it frequently as a joke among close friends. A friendly insult. Yeah. Sorry. Won't happen again." He totally didn't believe you. So you quickly changed the subject. "O-oh, uh, this way!"
Scenery seen at night was harder to recognize during the day, and vise versa, but you knew you hadn't gone too far up the river when you came across some massive paw prints and scrape marks from where you'd skidded down the bank. Another bonus clue was the scrap of bright blue fabric, from your skirt/tunic thing, hanging precariously from a branch.
It took you the better part of an hour to find the tree you'd woken up at. "Okay, this it it."
"Are you certain?" Blue-Eyes asked you.
"Wait." You laid down, and yep, everything was the same, except in daylight. Legolas frowned at you as you stood, probably ashamed to even breathe the same air as you. "Yeah, this is it."
Blue-Eyes ordered something in Elvish, jerking his head. The Elves immediately set about making camp. "So, in your world, you fell from the highest branches of an oak, yes?"
"Yep, breaking several things in the process."
"And you lost consciousness after you hit the forest floor?"
"Yep."
Legolas hummed and looked up into the canopy. "Then by all means... The portal should be where you laid."
You glanced down at your feet before bouncing up and down a little. "Nope. Nothing."
Legolas huffed. "You may have to try climbing this tree and falling into this spot."
A deranged laugh escaped your throat, which you quickly stifled. "I'm sorry, but are you crazy? What if I die? We don't have the same healing stuff as you guys unless you can pay for it up front, and I'm very poor. So is all of my family. We can't afford that shit. So if I die, what's the point in going back?"
Legolas glared at you. "I didn't mean from very high. Just high enough to hopefully send you through, but not high enough to kill you. Your healers will mend broken bones, will they not?"
You scoffed dejectedly. "Yeah, but for a pretty hefty bill..." You threw your hands up. "Whatever. I'll die anyway if I don't try. Might as well." With Legolas watching you carefully to make sure you didn't try to jump from tree to tree, you started to climb.
Was it really only yesterday that you'd been having a fun, standard LARPing day with your family and [F/N]? The real world seemed like fantasy, now. This felt real. This felt like where you should be. But if your family weren't here, you wouldn't be able to enjoy it. You'd always feel as if you abandoned them. You wondered, did time pass differently? Did it go faster there, and slower here? Or was it the other way around? Would you find the portal, and return to the real world to find your family long gone and the year a thousand into the future? Then you'd wish you'd never left this place. Or would you find not a moment had passed, and to them, it was still the terrifying moment of not knowing if you were dead or alive, to find you unharmed? Would you then be able to convince them to fall through, even on the chance that the portal could only be used a handful of times, and if it did work, would a millenia had passed here? Even Blue-Eyes would've aged by that point, however slightly.
Once you'd reached a suitable height, you braced yourself against the trunk. "How's this?"
Legolas nodded. "Fine. Jump when you're ready.”
You took a minute... Ah... Better get this over with. One does not simply... Damn, what was that meme? "Ok, ready when you are."
Legolas stepped back, and waited; you hesitated, then jumped, and you felt deja vu as you barreled toward the ground, landing flat on your back. The impact knocked the wind out of you, and you felt a painful snap in your right ribcage. You kept your eyes closed; you heard nothing aside from the birds in the trees. You hoped, then hoped some more, expecting at any moment to hear the frantic footfalls of your family rushing to help you...
"Well, I see I was entirely wrong on the matter," Blue-Eyes stated simply, and you frowned. Fuck...
"Ya think? I'm still seeing priss-ass Elves in a goddamn forest that isn't the one I fell in. Fuck you, Blue-Eyes, for having me break a rib for no good damned reason." You glared at him as you tried to sit up, barely making it halfway before Legolas helped you, albeit roughly.
"Watch your tongue," Blue-Eyes snapped. "If it were not for us, you would be dead."
You pursed your lips. "You're gonna kill me anyway just for breathing on your trees, so why didn't you just let me die?"
For a second, Legolas seemed to feel pity for you. "I am sorry. Truly, I am. Perhaps if we fail to locate your way home, I could convince my father to refrain from executing you."
You huffed, wincing as the action hurt your broken-on-some-level ribs. "Why? So I can live the rest of my suddenly immortal life in a dark cell, underground, just for existing? Hell no. I'd rather die."
"Perhaps you could have another use," Legolas offered, and you shook your head.
"Never in my life have I been considered useful." You eyed Blue-Eyes disdainfully. "Ever. By anybody. If you can find a place for somebody like me that doesn't involve imprisonment, fine. But I won't be able to live with myself if I can't find a way back to Earth. I need my family. They're all I ever had."
Legolas knelt beside you. "You... Seem to be very close with them. You love this..." He looked off into the trees, searching for the word. "...Life, so much, and have wished for it for so long, but you'd give it up, to be with them in a world that does not want you... You have a brave heart."
You took the compliment. "Thanks. Now let's find this damn portal, shall we? I've got a couple more ribs to bust."
Tag List: @tesserphantom​ @thedragonghostofmordor​
@taurlel​ @hauntedsiriel​
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bogariel-frogariel · 4 years
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The Bad Kids Visit Middle Earth Part 2
Part 2 of my fics. You can find it on ao3 as well, just look it up.
Aragorn tensed as Legolas' head spun around. The elf's heightened senses ensured that he was almost always the first of the Fellowship to become aware of anyone approaching.
 "Legolas! What do you sense?" he asked.
 Legolas frowned. "The trees are too thick to see them properly. But they do not look or sound like orcs, and the trees are telling me that they do not bring harm."
 "How many?"
 "Five… no six. I think it is the party that Mithrandir told us about."
 Aragorn nodded, and then looked around at the party. The hobbits had not noticed their exchange, but both Boromir and Gimli's hands had drifted to their weapons, though Gimli was scowling thunderously at them as they spoke in elvish.
 Gandalf was sitting on a moss covered rock, leaning back against a tree trunk as he smoked his pipe grumpily. The wizard had been even more grumpy than usual in the last day but Aragorn did not have time to be watching over him. Honestly, he should have been just about the only member of the Fellowship that Aragorn didn't have to worry about.
 Everyone else was so young.
 He knew, in standard human years, he was not much older than Boromir, possibly younger, but he still had the vaster experience between the two of them. He had seen much more battle than the son of the Steward probably ever would, and he knew he must accommodate Boromir's complicated feelings towards himself, for they were more than justified.
 Gimli was the other of a similar age to him if dwarvish years were translated into human ones. At just over a decade shy of one hundred and fifty years old, Gimli was in his prime. However, he had also spent much of his life protected within Erebor, ever since the dwarves returned there nearly eighty years ago. And, of course, Aragorn would need to manage the animosity that he held towards other species, particularly elves, an attitude of suspiciousness that had been deeply ingrained in him since birth. Only the hobbits seemed to get exemption from his prickly moods.
 Speaking of the hobbits, they were who Aragorn was most worried about. Though halflings lived almost as short a lives as Men, their youths stretched long, with almost half their lives taken up by youthful inexperience. It came from living in such a sheltered and peaceful place as the Shire, an environment that had done nothing to prepare any of them for the horrors to come.
 And then there was Aragorn's dearest friend, Legolas. He perhaps had closer friends in his foster brothers at Imladris, but Legolas was one of the few beings that Aragorn could trust completely. Every time they met, it was as if they had never left each other, and he truly enjoyed the other's company. However, if Aragorn and Gimli were of an age approaching thirty when their respective species were compared to Men, then Legolas was barely over nineteen. The elf was centuries old, having reached his physical maturity at the same rate as humans, and his majority within elven society at the end of his first one hundred years of life, but he was still some three centuries under a thousand years old, and he knew that all elves were not truly viewed as adults until they had seen their first millennia.
 It took much time for elves to overcome their inexperience within the world, their slowed ageing also slowing the latter of their youth years, so from the age of seventeen to one thousand, they would largely remain unchanged, and then mature slightly more rapidly for another hundred years before they remained in the unearthly beauty of their immortality for the rest of their unending lives.
 It had been one of the reasons that Aragorn had ultimately decided to branch out from his elven family; he knew they would be unable to truly treat him as an adult until he had gone off on his own and collected some experience outside their watchful gazes. He did not blame them for their stifling protectiveness, it was in their nature.
 So, in a way, despite physically being the second oldest in the Fellowship, he was also the youngest. Not that his foolish friend would ever let anyone other than Mithrandir and Aragorn ever discover that.
 At least, they would be getting help now.
 Mithrandir had explained to them that the gods themselves had sent them a gift, reached out and borrowed warriors from another world to aid them in their quest.
 He had warned them of what to expect: that the gods had been unable to send anyone of too significant a power, lest the secrecy of their quest be jeopardised, which was why the newcomers would be unable to physically interact with the ring, or any other weapon of Sauron other than his minions. (That, at least, was a positive in Aragorn's eyes, for he would not have to worry about them falling prey to the Ring's power.)
 They had one directive only: to help them defeat Sauron's forces within Middle Earth, and then they would be returning to their own home.
 Eventually, the group emerged from the tree line, and Aragorn couldn't stop the slight frown that pulled at his lips.
 Mithrandir had told them that they were from another realm, one beyond the reaches of even the gods, and that in their realm, different races lived together freely as there were no inherently evil races. He had warned them that three of their new companions would be of races that they would find rather distressing, but that they weren't like the orcs and goblins that the Fellowship knew of. They were… good somehow.
 Only the Fellowship and those who could practice magic would see their true forms, to all others the goblin would look like a hobbit, the half-orc (the thought of one of those made Aragorn shudder) would appear as an exceptionally tall human, and the… devil would look like a normal elf. Not that Aragorn had any idea what a devil was, but Mithrandir had seemed far too annoyed to bare trivial questions that would interrupt the rather clipped warnings he was giving them about their new allies.
 However, Mithrandir had been right, the goblin and half-orc (which he immediately knew were the shortest and tallest of the group respectively, the colour of their skin and unique body shapes) looked nothing like any orc or goblin that Aragorn had seen. There was a complete lack of the cloying darkness that seemed to surround them. Aragorn could not sense the energy as well as elves, but after so many years surrounded by elven magic, and the residual power in his blood gave him some ability to feel them. And none of the people in front of him were setting off any of his senses.
 So, Aragorn smiled and stepped forward.
 "Greetings, friends," he said, with as much warmth and confidence as he could muster.
 The blond elven girl and the girl that would have also appeared elven if it weren't for her light pink skin and the black horns protruding from her hair (Aragorn the slightly shorter girl must have been the… devil that Mithrandir spoke of) stepped forward.
 "Hello," the elf replied with a smile.
 "We’re happy to join you on your quest," the devil said, grinning openly.
 "We are grateful to have you," Aragorn returned, dipping his head respectfully. "I am Aragorn…"
 He went on to introduce the rest of the Fellowship, each of them giving a small gesture to call attention to themselves as Aragorn said their names.
 "… and the… esteemed wizard to my right is mostly commonly known as Gandalf the Grey," Aragorn finished.
 "Well met," the elven girl said before also giving a more formal greeting in elvish.
 "I'm Adaine Abernant," she introduced.
 "And I'm Fig Faeth," the devil chimed in.
 The dark skinned boy nodded as he introduced himself. "My name is Fabian Seacaster."
 The goblin also nodded. "I'm Riz Gukgak."
 The tall one gave an awkward wave. "Uhh… Gorgug Thisltespring."
 Finally, the human girl lifted one of the hands off her huge staff that was curled at the top and gave a more confident wave. "My name is Kristen Applebees."
 Aragorn was about to ask more questions about their skills but Legolas suddenly shifted behind him and when Aragorn looked at him, he had his bow in hand.
 "There is something very large approaching," he explained, reaching back to grab an arrow.
 Master Seacaster clapped his hands together. "Ahh, that is just my animal companion… the Hangman."
 "Please don't shoot him," Miss Faeth requested. "He won't hurt anyone here."
 "Well, unless they attack Fabian," Miss Applebees said only to be elbowed in the leg by Master Gukgak.
 "He won't hurt anyone unless Fabian orders him to," Adaine assured them. "And Fabian won't order them to hurt anyone. Right Fabian?"
 Master Seacaster, who was looking off into the forest, in the same direction that Legolas was glaring in, shook himself and glanced back at the female elf.
 "What?" he asked, blinking. "Oh yes. Of course, I won't ask him to attack anyone here. He's only roaming around the forest to scout for danger."
 Before anyone could say anything else, a black mass burst from the tree line, zipping straight to Master Seacaster's side and coming to an abrupt stop.
 Now that it was no longer a blur of movement, Aragorn could see that the figure was a great, hulking hound, as big as any warg that Aragorn had ever encountered. The hound as leaning up against Master Seacaster, its tail wagging as the boy patted it's head.
 "Yes, hello, Hangman," the boy said, grinning more brightly than he had been previously. "What did you find?"
 The new group nodded along at the hound's huff, as if they could understand it.
 "Well," Miss Applebees said. "That's good news. There's nothing in the forest that's going to try and kill us."
 "What would you like to do?" Adaine asked. "We have been instructed to follow your directives whenever possible."
 Aragorn contemplated this for a few moments before he answered, "We're less than three hours from the forest borders and then we'll be on open plains until we hit the next ridge of mountains. We will walk for an hour before we make camp again. Tomorrow will be a long day."
 From tomorrow, there would be no more hiding in forests along the mountains, they would need to find rock formations to camp under. Soon they would need to choose what path we would take.
 Everyone acknowledged Aragorn with a nod.
 "We can help you make you break camp, if you would like?" Adaine asked.
 Aragorn shook his head. "We should be ready to travel in five minutes. Take the time to rest."
 Miss Faeth smiled at him. "Thank you! Adaine made us get up really early."
 Adaine glared at her. "You agreed to get up at that time. It's not my fault it was my job to get you all up."
 Miss Faeth rolled her eyes and all of the newcomers drifted towards each other, forming a circle around the Hound as they quietly talked amongst each other. When Aragorn glanced at them half way though his sweep of the camp to make sure they didn't leave anything behind, he saw various bits of food in all their hands.
 The newcomers easily dispersed themselves as the party walked. As usual, Legolas scouted far ahead in front of them for their next campsite, though Master Gukgak walked off to the side of them, almost disappearing into the trees. Master Damian and the Hangman flanked the hobbits, who walked at the centre of their party and Master Thistlespring and Miss Faeth reinforced the rear, where Boromir and Gimli were walking, whilst Adaine and Miss Applebees walked along only a few metres behind Aragorn and Mithrandir, murmuring quietly between each other.
 True to form, after an hour, Legolas returned to them, informing them of a suitable clearing not far off, with a few birds in his hands that they could cook up for dinner.
 Sam perked up at the sight, bustling forward and taking it from the elf with a hesitant 'thank you' before he started preparing them and Miss Applebees wandered off with him whilst Master Thistlespring and Master Seacaster went into the forest with Bormoir and Merry and Pippin to start collecting firewood.
 As usual, everyone else went about their own business, setting out their bed rolls and tending to their personal gear as they whiled away the hour or so until dinner would be ready. Aragorn asked Legolas to stand watch, for he knew that the elf preferred that activity, as he was uncomfortable speaking with large groups of unknown people.
 The young elf would need to learn to become friendly with the group, but Aragorn didn't want to push his friend. Hopefully, with another elf here, everyone would open up. The Hangman paced a circle around the camp, apparently joining the elf in his watch.
 Adaine walked over to Aragorn just as he was trying to decide what job to assign himself.
 "How would you like to assign overnight watches?" she asked.
 "Am I correct in assuming that you only need half as much rest as the others in this group?" Aragorn questioned and the elleth nodded.
 "You are. I was thinking that Legolas and I could take alternating shifts each night, with someone else also up to cover blind spots," she suggested. "If that is what you want to, of course."
 Aragorn smiled and nodded. "That sounds reasonable. And good for the whole company. It should ensure that everyone gets as much rest as possible. We usually don't have the hobbits stand watch, as they are all rather young and they need to conserve their strength. Besides, none of them have seen proper combat before, and would not know what to look for whilst on watch."
 Adaine frowned at that but did not argue. Instead, she was distracted by Miss Applebees coming up to her and grabbing her arm.
 "We need you down by the fire, Adaine," she said. "Sam's wants a few ingredients for the soup he's making us. And I want to braid your hair before it gets too dark. We probably won't have time tomorrow and it might get in the way on open plains."
 Aragorn's eyes widened at that statement. For elves, hair braiding required an incredible amount of trust. It was not a duty given out lightly. Aragorn himself, had only ever been given the privilege a few times, and that was with elves that he had spent his whole life with. However, Adaine just smiled, nodding goodbye to Aragorn and allowing herself to be led over to a rock that had been dragged over to a fire that was already blazing healthily.
 As he watched the human started braiding a complicated design into the elf's hair, as the blonde pulled items out of a pouch at her waste, producing potatoes and herbs seemingly from mid-air, much to the delight of Samwise.
 Aragorn couldn't help but marvel at the scene.
 These new folk were strange indeed. However, they had a strong bond of trust that would not be broken easily, and they would truly help the Fellowship in their endeavours.
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a new beginning - 01
Pairing: LOTR! James “Bucky” Barnes x Reader
Warnings: so far go right ahead, no danger.
A/N: i should just stop watching things that give me fanfic ideas.
Main Masterlist
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Fear and disillusion always creep in the Middle Earth and peace never last forever. The age of peace within kids would end up with the uproar against the united kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. Whoever, war pays a difficult price and those to pay it had been the King, the Queen and their descendants who died protecting the very thing they fought years ago to bring back. The Middle Earths were now a remnant of what it was when the ring was destroyed. The only surviving realms where some relative calmness existed were those of the Hobbits in the Shire, the Humans in Rohan, the Dwarfs and some remaining elfs. All behind that was said to be lost lands and places where no man could ever survive without losing his sanity.
   - However ... - the young princess said making all the children gasp in suspense which caused her to smirk as her eyes went back to the red leathered book in her hands. - It is said that Aragorn’s line survived the war and his heir will lead the age of darkness away and install new peace into the Middle Earth.
  - Princess Y/N, do you believe it to be so? - one of the lord’s daughters said, her voice insecure and looking around. Y/N smiled sweetly at the child, closing the book. - Do you believe peace will return?
  - It’s all about hope, milady. - she replied which clearly light up a a conversation between every child in the room who seemed to be excited over the return of an heir. 
  - You’re an excellent story teller, my daughter. - Faramir walked into the library along with his wife and the princess’ mother, Éowyn. 
During the beginning of her childhood, Y/N had been called Lady Y/N of Rohan, never the princess she was now called. That had come to be after her uncle and king Éomer passed on while fighting for the freedom of some of Gondor’s people after the rebels and orcs took over. After that, her mother and father had been proclaimed Queen and King of 
They were smiling at her and the children, who quickly thanked the princess and ran out to plan on the gardens as the weather had been rather sympathetic since no rain was falling down on Rohan. - I’m starting to think you believe these tales. 
  - You know my beliefs, father. - Y/N replied to him, walking over to the white shelf that had been a gift from Legolas so she could put all her books full of tales. She was one to stop travellers when they stayed in the castle and ask them about their adventures, their life stories or even tales they’d heard from their families and friends. The young princess was also the owner of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins book who had been offered to her by Sam when she had turned eighteen. It was safe to say she had the best collection of books in all of Middle Earth, even some elven books. - You once believed it could be better.
  - You concern yourself to much with things you shouldn’t concern yourself with. - Éowyn cupped her daughter’s face, pushing the locks that had fallen in front of her face behind her ear. - You have other things to concern yourself with.
  - Like coming to see your favourite dwarf instead of leaving him to see your father’s face. - Gimli pushed Faramir aside to look at the girl he hadn’t seen in a year. Both him, Legolas and the Hobbits from the Shire had became rather close to each other and would usually come over to see her parents which lead to them getting closer to the princess. - And to think I rode all the way here to celebrate your birthday. 
 - I apologise. - she smiled, lowering down to his height to give him a hug.
 - You should apologise to me, I had to ride with him. - Legolas made himself known, smiling at the young princess. - You sure grow into your mother’s beauty every day.
 - She sure does. - Faramir commented. - Starting to become rather hard to make sure no man tries and steal her away.
 - Father. - she rolled her eyes. 
 - So, Faramir, where’s that nice room I was promised? - the dwarf turned to the King who laughed whole heartily and along with his wife started to walk into the main bedrooms which were below the library and other activity rooms. Y/N and Legolas remained in the room and silenced was settled as she stared at him.
 - I know what you want, princess. - he said, crossing his arms. - Do you wish my death by the hands of your mother so deeply?
 - You promised. - she said, mimicking his position with her arms crossed too and an eyebrow cocked. - You said “once you turn twenty I’ll teach you”. Well, I’m turning twenty tomorrow so you have to. You promised and elves don’t break promises, you said it yourself. 
  - Why should you learn archery? You’re a skilled sword fighter, you don’t require archery. 
  - Consider that my enemy is rather far. I could protect myself better if I could shoot an arrow onto him. Or do you expect me to send my sword flying?
  - Who taught you to argument like that? - he chuckled.
  - You did. - the young princess pointed at him. - C’mon, it’s better if you do it now then tomorrow where everyone’s gonna be looking for me?
  - Fine. Lead the way, milady. - he said as she ran out of the library and down the stairs of the palace onto the hill filled garden where she would go whenever she felt trapped. It was also one of the only places she could escape her mother and father’s eagle eyes and where she had learned to sword fight by the hand of Legolas and watching some of the army men practice. It was also a place where she could look outside the border that had been built around Rohan after the King of Gondor fell. She liked to call it her little peak into the world. - Must you always be running?
  - I thought elves were immortal, Legolas. You mean to tell me age is finally catching up to you? - she teased as she reached the top of the hill. - You’re growing old.
  - I don’t grow old, Princess Y/N. - the elf replied back, taking his arrow from his back and handing it to her. - Don’t you dare break it.
  - I’ve never broken anything. - she replied, analysing the mythical, at least to her, weapon in her hand. She raised it up, admiring it. - It’s gorgeous.
  - Yes, it is. Now .... - he pushed her feet apart with his, making her stay shoulder width apart. - Maintain this position always, it’s better for aiming.
She nodded before stopping once she noticed in the horizon something that didn’t use to be there. The outside was a barren land with dead grass and mostly no one and those who came to visit normally held up the banner of Rohan in their hands or horses in order to call attention to have the gates open. Although, someone or something seemed to be laying down on the grass.
The young princess dropped the arrow to the ground and started rushing down the hill to the gates who were opened for her by the guards recognising their princess. Without even looking back she crossed the border of Rohan onto the outside. It didn’t take her long until she found what was different in the horizon,
It was a men covered in blood soaked clothes whose face was unseen by the princess as his face was upon the grass. Legolas had followed right behind her, only thinking about what Faramir and Éowyn would do to if their precious daughter was to suffer any harm. He also wouldn’t wish any harm upon a woman who he saw as family. 
 - Go call for help. Run and don’t look back. - he told her.
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Under The Rose {Eomer x Reader Oneshot}
Requested by:@rachelcarroll1819 Wordcount: 2701 Summary: You plan a party with your husband Eomer. Your guests include your best friends, Arwen and Samwise, their spouses, and your brother Legolas.
There were many flowers blooming, despite the rough start to Spring. However, it was the roses outside of your Rohan keep that you were looking most forward to. The roses were what set yours apart from all of the other gardens in the area - everyone knew that the ones that bloomed under your touch and care were always more beautiful, sweet smelling and even longer lasting than any other rose in the Kingdom. There were people who came from outside of Rohan to come and see them when they finally bloomed, including your two best friends, as unlikely as they were. If word got to Samwise Gamgee of The Shire, or Arwen of Rivendell, they could be expected to travel to Rohan with their families - King of Gondor included - to celebrate these roses. And you couldn’t forget about your brother, Legolas, who always came to visit you, roses or no.
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Eomer walked out of the keep to see that you were looking over your garden, and wrist-deep in the fertile soil. You were never afraid to get your hands dirty, and that’s one thing that your husband loved about you. “The dawn’s barely broken, do you ever let yourself rest?” He asked, sauntering towards you, blonde hair hanging down around his shoulders. “Didn’t you stay up weeding, too?”
“Eomer, it’s almost time,” You said, smiling at him over your shoulder. He knew exactly what that meant. Did you stay up weeding because it’s almost time to hold the annual garden party at your home, yes, of course you did. You knew that the garden wasn’t exactly something that he was interested in, but it was important to you so it was important to him. “Sam might bring something up from his own garden for us, so I need to make some space. His marigolds are always gorgeous, I hope it’s those.” You realized that you were ranting, and Eomer was just looking at you blankly. You chuckled, getting to your feet and wiped your hands on the long skirt you were wearing.
“The riders are on patrol today, and I don’t have any appointments until the afternoon...” He said, suggestively. By the time that you approached him, he had a grin on his face, not just his usual smirk.
“You mean that I get the King to myself for the rest of the morning?” You questioned, raising an eyebrow. Climbing into his arms, he held you securely in his chest and carried you up the stairs, back into the warm castle that you called home. You pressed small kisses into the crook of his neck, and though of course he was on your mind as he so often was, you couldn’t help but think about the invitations you were going to send out to your friends.
He carried you into the bedroom, humming an affirmative to your question and laid you down on the bed. You laid back against the pillows, hair spread out around you. “You know that means I want the Queen to myself all morning,” He said, returning the kisses that you had given before. You closed your eyes and moaned as the sensations spread from the hair on your head to the tips of your curled toes. You quickly got over the distraction of planning the party, and focused on him and him alone.
-
Eomer retreated to the gardens outside once the last of his meetings were over. As he was still dressed in his Kingly attire, and had been sitting down on the throne for the last couple of hours, he was feeling stiff, and was looking forward to a stroll around to loosen up his legs. Something was different though - there was a male voice in the garden with yours, making you laugh. He turned the corner to where the benches were, under the shade of the large, sweet smelling trees.
“Samwise Gamgee,” Eomer said, seeing the mop of curly hair. You beamed up at your husband and motioned him to come and join the two of you where you were sitting. Sam stood up and behind him was revealed a just as pleasant looking woman and four young bairns. “Oh - and ... family.”
“There’s another on the way!” You said, cheerfully, laying your hand on Rosie’s round stomach. You always were a sucker for babies, especially when they were young, so having these children here and knowing that Rosie could burst at just about any second was exciting. With Eomer, children made him soften only slightly - he had a tough childhood himself and no one had ever taken it easy on him, so it was hard for him to remind himself to take it easy on them.
“Something for you  here,” Sam said, fishing around in a sack that he had brought. He pulled out some fresh ears of corn from the Shire, shining as golden as the sun above. You stood up and took one out of his hand. “Usually I’d bring more but we’ve been having trouble with the carrots lately,” He said, sheepishly.
“It’s good enough for us,” Eomer said, taking the sack from Sam. “It’s going to make a good meal, once everyone else gets here.”
“I brought Lembas Bread,” Legolas said, coming around the corner that Eomer had just arrived from. He had been eavesdropping clearly, and came straight for you. Over everyone else, you were the one that your brother cared about the most, and he showed it in the way that his arms lifted you into the air as he hugged you. You laughed joyfully and wrapped your own arms around your pretty, blonde brother, having missed him over the past year. Although that year for you and Legolas had been short, it had been long to all the others, and that way of thinking had begun to rub off on both of you. “Y/N, you’re looking well,” He said, once he put you back down.
“As are you, Legolas,” You said, taking in the never-changing appearance of your big brother. “What a surprise, Lembas Bread,” You teased. Legolas always brought Lembas bread to these gatherings, mainly for Sam to take home for Merry and Pippin.
Legolas and Eomer embraced, but only for half a moment before separating. They had fought together in the Great Battles sure, but there was a discomfort in knowing that they both cared about you above all else. It almost made them competitive with one another - at least on Legolas’s end. You usually had to force Legolas to stand down, and remind him that Eomer was only human, after all.
Aragorn and Arwen were the last to arrive. You stayed standing to greet them, though you did bow down just to tease the King, who always insisted that you didn’t have to bow. He stood with the rest of the men while you and Arwen embraced and kissed each other on the cheek.
Arwen was counted among your two best friends, with Sam being the other. You agreed with your husband that it was an odd mixture of friends, but the core aspects of your personalities were the same. All three of you would die to protect your friends and the ones that you love, that was the main thing. You’d missed them terribly, and it felt amazing to have your favorite people back together again.
-
The next evening was filled with color as the roses finally bloomed at last. You had arranged the large table to be beneath the climbing roses that took over the majority of one of the back walls of the castle. There was an array of red, white and pink, mixing in with the golden buds of the marigolds Sam had brought and that the two of you planted together that morning. This may be the best turn out your garden has ever seen.
Arwen walked noiselessly on the cobbled garden path, holding a large silver pitcher of water for the table. “Is Rosie going to  be able to walk this far?” She asked, setting it on the table.
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“Sam will take care of her, carry her down if he has to,” You giggled, picturing Sam crawling on all fours with his pregnant wife sitting on his back. Arwen laughed as well, it sounding like musical bells against the quiet of nature. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she gives birth here in Rohan.”
“Can you imagine, a little newborn hobbit baby,” Arwen sat down at the table, her cheeks glowing with happy thoughts. The others weren’t due down here for another half an hour, but she knew you would be down here making sure that everything was perfect. Most of the food was still in the kitchens, being kept warm, but you already had the large plates of fruits, cheeses and finger vegetables set out for appetizers. She picked a ripe cherry tomato off of one of the plates and ate it without the littlest bit of juice dribbling from her lips. Nothing less from an elf, of course. Or from the Queen of Gondor.
“It’s nice to hear children running around in these halls - it has been much too long,” You sighed dreamily, remembering some of the laughter you heard. You had started the morning playing with the little ones so that Sam and Rosie could get some rest in. Elanor had wormed her way into your heart, and started acting like a little princess straight away.
“As you are my best friend, I’m going to let you in on something...” Arwen said, leaning in to make sure no one else would hear. “Do you remember that vision I had of Aragorn, and our son?” You nodded and leaned forward, craving the good news. “We’ve been trying - but you cannot tell anyone.”
“You’re worried that I would tell your father?” You asked, and she nodded slowly. “He would be happy for you if it happened, we all would. Or should I say will, since it was a vision and is sure to come true.”
Being an elf with a human as a husband, much like yourself, made it very difficult to have children. You’d been thinking about it since you first laid eyes on the rider on the way to Rohan. It seemed fitting that your best friend was having the same contemplations with her own husband. Despite the hardships that would come with trying, you supported her endlessly, and proved that to her with a hug - something that elves did so rarely.
-
You held Sam’s hands when he came out of the castle, ready for dinner, with his wife following along behind him. Tonight was what you were most looking forward to - a great meal, great friends, and the blooming roses overhead. It was a great thing that Eowyn and Faramir were in the city, and agreed to watch all of Sam’s little ones. Having them around was great fun, but also greatly chaotic - you wondered how they could handle it at all.
“Sometimes it’s nice being away from home,” Sam said, “if you’re around the right people.” You smiled at that and let go of his hands to lean in and peck Rosie on either cheek. You loved their round cheeks and their sweet smiles - there was something so happy about the couple that was entirely infectious.
“You know you’re always welcome here, and I hope to visit the Shire one day.” Sam and Rosie looked at each other and both started to laugh, making you furrow your brow in confusion. Without asking, Eomer walked behind you and put his arm around your waist.
“Normally, even humans in the Shire would look odd, but an elf?” Eomer explained on the Hobbits’ behalf. It did make sense and you giggled behind your hand. “Y/N, sometimes you forget that other places aren’t like home, don’t you?”
“Can you blame me?” Getting into your seat at the intimate table that seated seven comfortably, you flushed and put your hand on your husband’s thigh. There was no one looking at the two of you anymore, but rather they were all fixing their plates. “You brought me to a perfect home.”
Working on dinner, the seven of you didn’t have much time for chit chat. You had provided them with a feast with all of the foods that they loved. You were particularly fond of the roast pork and vegetables that you had the kitchens whip up, salted of course with salt from The Shire that Sam had sent by rider a few months before. You also made sure that there was plenty of wine - enough to make everyone’s nose and cheeks go rosy, even Legolas’s and he had a very high tolerance for alcohol. Save for pregnant Rosie’s, of course. All around you, the smell of roses hung in the air, the fragrance enriching the senses to where it even seemed to flavor the food.
In true Kingly fashion, Aragorn and Eomer were attempting to out-eat one another. As always, you and Arwen made fun of them, sneaking more food onto their plates when they were too busy looking at each other competitively. Your husbands would be feeling that later, that’s for sure. There was even some surprise as Sam and Rosie were both keeping up, but were taking their time of it. You, Arwen and Legolas, as the elves, were more picky with how you ate, making your plates look clean and pristine once you have eaten the last morsel but you hadn’t had your plate heaping either.
You called for the maids to come clear the table once all of the food had been eaten, and suggested a walk in the gardens to help the food settle. From when they first arrived, you wanted to have some time with just Arwen and Sam, and this was the first time that it was finally materializing.
“Of course you’re the first one out of the Fellowship to have a baby,” You smiled down at Sam as you and Arwen took smaller steps to match his stride. “A few, in fact, unless - oh please don’t tell me that Pippin has reproduced.” Sam laughed at that and shook his head, his curls flying around his face. “No, not yet, but he might.”
You listened as Arwen and Sam caught up with one another, for they didn’t speak to one another as often as they spoke to you. Being more on the quiet side, Arwen mostly listened as Sam talked about his family, the Shire, the love of his home and his friends, and of course - how much he missed his best friend Frodo Baggins.
You slowed down and a hand caught yours, fingers intertwining. No other person would dare touch you like that other than your husband, so you knew immediately that it was him, and squeezed. You looked to your side to see that he had caught up to you, and under the twilight sky, he looked absolutely beautiful. His hair was loose and flowing past his shoulders, golden as the mane of the horse that he rode. His dark eyes sparkled as they always did when he looked at you - only when he looked at you. Since the moment that you first set eyes on one another in the field, while looking for the two young hobbits Merry and Pippin, a connection had been formed that a dangerous war and the risk of impending death did nothing to sever.
“Having a good time?” Eomer asked you, matching your steps.
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You reached just past his ear to one of the rose vines behind him, and plucked a deep red one, narrowly avoiding the thorns. It’s scent was strong, and vibrant. You twirled it between your fingers and caught your husband’s eye once more.
“Nothing in this world could ever be more perfect than tonight has been.” You assured him, and tucked it behind his ear in a teasing manner.
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mimikoflamemaker · 6 years
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Hey, do you have any head canons about Lithien that readers might not know? Ones that aren't spoilers of course.;-)
What is this? A random question  about my fic?! Thank you so much!! That would be a first and i am honestly beyond excited to get it ;)
Now, whenever I think about some facts pertaining to Lithien I always try to think how they would incorporate into the great river that her story is, but let’s face it - I would need a lifetime and then some to write it all down ^^’ JoO is the last slice of it so to speak and we are starting the 6th year of working on it with book I not even done yet (but soon)… I think I can as well share some.
About my LotR AU in general: if only to show you what kind of nerd I really am - I planned (or at least thought about) not only Lithien’s story since she was born, but also about the stories of her family, which, except for Galaren, involves her other older brother Authion, and her parents Daugion and Belluthiel. And somehow I ended up with a plot dating back to the Years of Trees and filled with plenty of your favorites…
Lithien’s name. I think this is one of my favourites - so, I was 11 (or 12) when Lithien first came to be and her name first was simply because I took Luthien and swapped a letter. Luthien was cool. I wanted my character to be cool too. Fast forward to me being around 20 and stumbling a bit deeper into sindarin. Lo, and behold ‘lith’ now means dirt/ashes. Lithien is not a cool name anymore, but it is also an integral part of my girl (I don’t change characters name once give, because to me it’s like creating a completely new person) and I can’t just rip it off. So I now have ‘Child of the Ashes’ glaring at me in mild offence - her back story helped me. I just included a bit where Daugion named her while still filled with grief after the death of ger wife, which he subconsciously blamed his newborn daughter for. Grieving people sometimes don’t think clearly. And I gifted her with a nice, fitting eppese later on.
Lithien’s occupation. Never once in any of his text Tolkien mentions that elven women were forbidden to take up arms. They just rarely did it. And when they did they could be just as badass as men. So I built on that and hile I think that female soldiers/wardens were not your everyday occurrence, they were not as much of a rarity as one would think (for one, one of Lithien’s fellow wardens Belfaer is also a woman). Lithien went into that with her eye wide open, knowing full well what that choice would entail. And she never regretted it. Later when she was out of commission due to injury and went to live in Rivendell, she picked up some knowledge about healing, but she was never a full-fledged healer. What I find the most interesting about it is that, personality wise, Lithien was the closest thing to what her father would deem to be a perfect heir - Resilient, courageous and living by the sword so to speak. Unfortunately, she was a girl. So the title fell on Galaren, who does his job well and is a formidable warrior, but he would be much more content with his life if he could have chosen a different path for it - whether it would be a healer or a hunter.
A few little facts from Lithien’s childhood: Galaren was the one who tried to be both a brother and a father where their could not be. He still wonder’s if Lithien would have come out to be a bit more lady-like if she had only spent more time in the company of women instead of his friends. Lithien on the other hand wouldn’t change a thing. Speaking of friends - Maethion, Galaren’s best friends (his brother from another mother really :) ) was the one to steal Lithien’s first kiss. and she was barely considered an adult then. It almost came to knives then. Also, stay tuned for more Maethion in JoO - his role expanded for beyond what I initially had planned for him. When Lithien was still a wee tiny self and feeling lonely because Galaren wasn’t home much, he gifted her with a dog - a great black hound that she could ride like a pony if she wished. Lithien was a dog person ever since.
Early on (for an elf) in her career as a warden, Lithien took part in a skirmish with orcs. When she jumped in to protect her fallen comrade she herself was wounded - the blade caught her in the side, tearing the skin and muscle from her hip almost to her spine on the other side. She barely survived that. Galaren, absolutely devastated forced her to swear off being a warden. Lithien relented and took up the position at the Royal Palace. There she met Celebrian, who took pity upon the girl and whisked her away to Rivendell as her personal maid.
Lithien never felt like a maid, more like another child. She got on well with all three of their children and found herself with the growing admiration for Elrond. He made a lot of strong friendships there and met a men she fell in love with. It was a great time. The best time. She would have probably remained there if it wasn’t for what happened to Celebrian and Calanon. But she never forgot to come back for a visit, which sometimes taken years (what is a couple of years to an elf?)
Glorfindel was the one who encouraged her to pick up the sword again, clearly seeing that needle will never become her weapon of choice. Galaren is still jealous that she got to train with him though he will never admit it out loud.
During one of her visits to Rivendell, Lithien met Gilaren, Aragorn’s mother. Her life was never the same since that point onward. I still plan on writing a story based on this premise, but let’s just say that I shifted years a wee bit and Gilraen came to Rivendell pregnant and not with 3yo Aragorn. The two bonded over time, despite Lithien being terrified at first and hovering over Gilraen at every step. She was also one of the first people to hold tiny Aragorn. It was a love at first sight.
Lithien did travel a fair bit over the years. Mostly to Rivendell true, but she was also in Isengards twice, saw a bit of Rohan, and trudged Northern lands with Dunedain for about 15 years. She also briefly visited Mirkwood, had a chance to meet the people of Beor, saw the Lonely Mountain, the Lake Town and the Ruins of Dale. She was in Moria twice, but that’s not worth mentioning.
Dunedain are Lithien’s favourite and best known group of people.  Not only because they are Aragorn’s people, but also because she got to travel and live with them for about 15 years after the events of the Hobbit (just enough time to allow one’s hair to grow back) It was a harsh lesson sometimes, but Lithien wouldn’t change it for anything else.
Lithien’s favorite ‘lady-like’ activity is dancing. Probably because it involves a lot of movement. She is no stranger to needle work or playing harp or singing, but dancing plays well with her dislike of sitting idly, doing nothing.
Despite the initial panic Lithien turned out to be rather great with kids of all races. This might have something to do with wanting to prove that she can do better than what she knows, but she will never admit it. Besides she does really like children.
I still have a burning desire to write a fill up story in this AU with includes the scenario in which Maglor did not die/drown. What I’ve written so far includes a hunt, a great deal of distrust, wounds and blows to the back of the head… But since I never know where to stop once I’ll start a writing project…
And finally, because I’m going to run out of post space - Lithien name’s all of her horses Pilin (arrow). Yes, I shamelessly stole the idea from Geralt, but really - Lithien is an elf. She goes through A LOT of horses, even if they don’t expire before their time. And keeping your loyal companion nameless is not exactly her style. 
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elvish-sky · 4 years
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Aragorn and Taniara [an elf] (That's what my sister calls herself. Lol.)
Hmmm... maybe Taniara is Elrond's youngest daughter and she sneaks away from Imladris to go with the Fellowship. She could meet up with them in The Golden Woods? Um... and Legolas explains to her that the pain she had felt was her fear of Elessar not returning to her...? And maybe a time skip to when Elessar gets crowned King of Gondor?
Is this what you mean by "ask"?
A.N: So this was an insert request and uses someone’s name but I’ll be posting a completely x reader version for everyone else. I hope this is what you wanted, and I’m wishing your sister a very happy birthday! I hope she likes it!
Requested by @ask-the-elf-stuff on Tumblr
Pairing: Aragorn x Character Insert (Taniara) {Not an OC! I’m also posting a full x reader version for everyone else!}
Word Count: 1,790
Warnings: Kissing, fluff, the smallest bit of angst.
****
Hope {Aragorn x Taniara}
“You’re really leaving?” You gazed into Aragorn’s eyes, hoping that it wasn’t true.
“I have to, Taniara. The fate of Middle-Earth depends on it.”
Your head dipped in understanding, but also sadness.
“Do not fear. I will return.” He cupped your chin with his hand, tilting your head and kissing you. It was a light kiss, nothing like the others you had shared before. This kiss was the hope that you’d see each other again.
Breaking away, you forced a smile as you hugged him, trying not to cry. Stepping back, you waved as he followed the rest of the newly formed Fellowship through the gates of Imladris. Your father stood next to you, and as Aragorn passed through the gates Elrond drew you into his side.
“He’ll be back, hína (child),” Elrond said as he pressed a kiss to your forehead.
Nodding, you rested your head on your father’s shoulder as you watched the man depart.
Weeks later, you were pacing your room, determined to do something. Arwen stopped short in the doorway as she saw you pack open on your bed as you shoved things inside.
“Taniara? What are you doing?”
“I do not know why, but I have felt a pull to follow. An ache, almost painful in its strength, has settled inside me and so I knew I must follow. We have not heard from the Fellowship in weeks, Aragorn could be hurt, or someone else could be, or he could be,” your voice broke, “dead.
The elf nodded in understanding. “The ache is telling you to be with the one you love.”
She then clasped your hand. “Taniara. Look at me.”
You looked at her, unshed tears of worry clear in your eyes.
“If he was dead, you’d feel it. And I know as your sister I should be telling you not to go, but I cannot help but notice the pain you’ve been in these last weeks. So go, find him.” She spread a map out onto a small table nearby, and you couldn’t help but laugh.
“Do you just carry that everywhere?”
She shot you a look, and you quickly clammed up, peering over her shoulder as she pointed things out.
“After crossing the mountains visit our grandmother in Lothlorien, the Fellowship had planned to pass through there, and she will know where they are.”
You took it all in, remembering the route to Lothlorien from visits to your grandparents you had made before your mother went west.
“Thank you, Arwen.” You smiled up at your sister.
She clasped your wrist before pulling away, placing her hands on your shoulders as she looked into your eyes. “Stay safe, Taniara.”
You nodded, shoving the last things into your pack before slinging it over your shoulders with your bow and quiver, daggers sheathed on your thighs, hugging your sister one last time before leaving your room.
You strode down the hallway, dressed in leather hunting clothes as you made your way to the gates of Imladris. You had stopped by the kitchens to gather food supplies, making sure they thought you were only going for a hunting excursion.
Entering the courtyard, you saw your father standing in the center, clearly waiting for you. Silently cursing Arwen, as you had hoped to slip away unnoticed, you made your way over to him.
“I should not let you do this.”
You frowned at his words, drawing breath to protest, but before you could Elrond spoke again.
“But you are free to go. I feel the ache and have felt it every day since your mother departed. I know that nothing but being with the one you love can ease that pain, and it would hurt me to know you are experiencing it. Go to Estel. I give you my blessing.”
You hugged your father before turning and mounting your horse, brought from the stables. Turning to wave to your father one last time, you leaned down to whisper, “Let’s go, Daeroc. Let’s go find Aragorn.” The horse broke into a trot, and you left Imladris behind.
Weeks later, you led Daeroc into Lothlorien, waiting for the sentries to appear. One dropped down from a tree, and you smiled at him, recognizing the face.
“Haldir,” you greeted him with a smile.
“Taniara. It is good to see you again. I assume you are here to see the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn?”
You nodded, “Yes. I have not seen my grandparents in a long time. But before we go to them could you find someone to take care of Daeroc?”
Another elf came into view, nodding to you as she took the reins from your hands.
“Thank you,” you smiled at her.
Later, you walked into the courtyard, bowing to your grandparents standing on the stairs above.
“Taniara, my daughter’s daughter. What brings you here?” Galadriel smiled at you, descending the stairs with her husband to greet you, each clasping your wrist.
“To see you, of course, and seek news of the Fellowship that I assume has passed through here.”
Your grandmother smiled. “It seems you are in luck, for they are here as we speak.”
Your eyes widened. “But they should have been long gone by now. I wonder what has caused the delay?”
Celeborn’s face softened. “Then you do not know.”
“Know what?” You were beginning to grow quite worried. “What has happened?”
“They could not make it through the pass of Caradhras, so they turned and went through Moria, costing them the life of Mithrandir.”
You gasped, heart aching at the grief that must have caused them and the grief you now felt.
“May I see them?” All you wanted now was to see your friends and the man you loved.
“Of course.” Galadriel beckoned you to follow her, and you did, softly conversing with your grandmother and updating her on the lives of her family in Imladris, as well as others she knew.
Stepping into the clearing, you turned to thank Galadriel, watching her fade from view behind you for a moment before continuing.
There he was. Tall and handsome still, even grimy with dirt and dust from his travels. You debated casually walking up and greeting him more sedately, but watching him you just couldn’t hold back. All your elvish instincts left you, and you sprinted towards him, leaping into his shocked arms as kissing him for all you were worth. He kissed you back for a moment, and then pulled away, the surprise on his face clear.
“Taniara! What are you doing here?”
“I came to find you.”
His eyes widened. “You did?”
You smiled at him. “Of course I did, meleth.”
He smiled back at you, and drew you in for another kiss, hands holding you up as your legs wrapped around his waist. Deepening the kiss, he moved so your back was pressed against a tree and his hands were free to slide up your back, tangling in your hair as you lost yourselves in each other.
Sometime later, you sat with the rest of the Fellowship after the nighttime meal, talking. It was good to see them again, you had grown fond of all of them, even the dwarf, during their time in Imladris. But of course, the only person you really had eyes for that night was Aragorn, who sat next to you with an arm around your shoulders.
Legolas had seemed puzzled with how comfortable you were with affection, it was rather un elf-like. You had explained to him that because of your father’s past, he was slightly more affectionate than a normal elf, and showed it. You hadn’t missed the wistful look on Legolas’ face as you spoke and recalled what you knew of his family, feeling sorry for him.
Later that night, you sat by the dying embers of the fire alongside Legolas. Aragorn had gone with the hobbits to wash up, and Boromir and Gimli were sleeping, so it was just you and the elf.
“Legolas?” The older elf looked at you.
“Can I ask you something?”
He nodded, and you continued, “I was just wondering, do you know of something like an ache? It began right after the Fellowship departed Imladris, and only subsided when I arrived here. What does it mean?”
He smiled. “Taniara. That was the bond between your soul and Aragorn’s, pulled taught with your fear of losing him. Now that you are reunited, it has gone because you are together. It is every elf’s greatest dream and worst fear to have that feeling.”
You smiled. “Have you?”
The pain in his eyes told you that maybe that was not something to be asked of others.
“I am not sure if it is in my destiny to ever feel that.” He gazed into the distance.
The two of you sat in easy silence for a long time, after that.
“Taniara.” You turned to see Aragorn beckoning to you, and with a nod to Legolas, you rose.
“You do not have to come with us. It will be a journey of great peril, and I do not want to put you in that much danger.”
You gazed at him earnestly, “Aragorn. I shall be there when the crown is finally placed on your head. I shall be with you until the end.”
He smiled at you again and clasped your hand as you walked through the towering trees.
You had left Lothlorien the day after with the Fellowship, having officially joined up. Lots had happened after that, including almost dying with most of Middle-Earth, but months later, all was finally well. Frodo and Sam had destroyed the ring in Mordor, the forces of Mordor had collapsed along with the Black Gate, and today was the coronation of King Elessar, also known as Aragorn.
You watched, standing next to Gimli on the dais, as Gandalf lowered the crown onto Aragorn’s head.
“Now come the days of the King!” Gandalf declared before Aragorn turned to face his kingdom. Everyone cheered as he stood there, silencing quickly as he spoke. His words were wise and sincere, and you couldn’t help but fall in love all over again. As petals began to fall, he started singing, the words quickly fading as he turned to you.
You walked down to meet him at the bottom of the steps, gown trailing behind you. Once you reached him, he grabbed your hand, wrapping an arm around your waist as he dipped you into a spectacular kiss. Unlike the one you had shared in Imladris, this was not a kiss of sadness. This was a kiss of hope, peace, and promise. As the cheers rose around you again you knew that everything you had hoped for had come true.
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