Love Longed For, Love Found 5

Love Longed For, Love Found

Part 5

Posted: February 1, 2008
Title: Love Longed For, Love Found
Author: Tena

*****

Thranduil had been unable to rest, being over tired from the journey, and decided to get a book to read and calm himself. He entered the library and walked to where he thought he remembered Elrond’s prized poetry section to be. He turned the corner to the aisle of poetry and froze in his tracks.

Mithrellas knew instantly that it was not Gildor in the library and she hesitantly turned to see who was standing there. She gasped at seeing him staring back at her. She began to tremble.

Thranduil began to tremble as well, his eyes were wide and his lips quivered. “Faelivrin…” he whispered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mel came through the library door and saw Thranduil standing at the end of an aisle trembling. He immediately ran from the library to Elrond’s office nearby. He barged in without knocking.

“My lord! Gildor!” He pointed out the door. “Thranduil…the library…” No more needed to be said. Gildor and Elrond ran out of the office.

“Faelivrin?” Thranduil said again.

Mithrellas eyes filled with tears. She shook her head slightly. “No… I am Mithrellas. Faelivrin was my mother.”

Thranduil shook his head. “Mithrellas? Faelivrin was your mother?” She nodded, feeling her chest tighten. “Wait…” Thranduil stared, blinking rapidly. “She wasyour mother?”

Mithrellas tears began to streak down her face. She nodded. “Yes, she…she faded shortly after I was born.”

Thranduil began to tremble violently. “Fa…fa…faded?” Mithrellas gasped as his eyes rolled back in his head. She moved to help him as the library door flew open and Gildor caught Thranduil just before he hit the floor.

“Oh no! Is he all right?” Mithrellas grabbed Thranduil’s hand.

“I think he fainted. Are you all right, Mithrellas?” Gildor asked, holding Thranduil in his arms.

“I…I don’t know…” she replied. Gildor watched as she stroked Thranduil’s hand and looked worriedly at the king.

Elrond ran into the room. “What happened?”

“He thought I was my mother. I told him my name and that my mother faded. He began to shake and his eyes rolled back in his head. Gildor caught him as he fell. Lord Elrond, what is wrong with him?” Mithrellas reached up and stroked the hair from the king’s face.

Elrond assessed Thranduil quickly. “It seems that he has just fainted. Come, Gildor help me get him to the healing rooms. Let us do it quickly and quietly as to not bring too much attention. He will hate the fuss.” They lifted him together and Elrond motioned to Mel. “Melpomaen, go ahead of us and clear the hallway.”

Mithrellas followed quietly behind them, not quite sure what else to do. It was obvious from his reaction that Thranduil did not know her mother had been pregnant, and if his reaction was anything to judge by, he had cared for her very much. Mithrellas had not been completely convinced that she looked like the king until she had finally seen him. The resemblance was unmistakable.

Lord Celeborn came into the hallway and was shocked to see them carrying Thranduil, and then saw Mithrellas walking behind them, tears streaking down her cheeks. Celeborn stepped next to her and took her hand, escorting her to the healing wing.

Once inside the room, Elrond checked for any injuries. Seeing none, he grabbed the smelling salts and held them under Thranduil’s nose. Gildor quickly stepped away, not wanting to upset the king by being the first one he saw. Mithrellas stood next to the bed, and Celeborn brought a chair for her to sit in. She looked at Gildor who nodded, as did Elrond.

Thranduil’s head jerked when the smelling salts were out under his nose. “What!” he said, as he pushed the bottle away. The king rubbed his eyes and moaned. “What happened?” He looked at Elrond.

“You fainted, meldir. How are you feeling now?”

“Fainted? I was in the library. I…I…I thought I saw…” he turned his head and saw Mithrellas sitting there. The king reached out with his hand and touched her cheek. “Faelivrin…but it is not…”

Elrond cleared his throat. “Meldir, I would like for you to meet Mithrellas. She came to live here several years ago.”

Mithrellas bowed her head. “King Thranduil, it is an honor to meet you. I have heard so much about you and Prince Legolas.”

Gildor watched the events unfolding filled with fear. His heart pounded. He feared for his wife, for himself, and he feared for their new marriage. He had been surprised that Mithrellas was still sitting by her father, although that fact had yet to be stated. All he could do now is to wait and pray.

Thranduil was breathing heavily. He felt overwhelmed and was still dizzy. “I do not understand.”

Mithrellas took a deep breath. “King Thranduil, my mother told the mortal family that raised me that my father was a warrior who died in battle.”

Thranduil held her hand tightly. “I am so sorry. I did not know. I did not know…” he began to sob. Mithrellas did not know what to do, so she looked at Gildor, pleading with her eyes.

Gildor pulled a chair next to her and sat down; praying Thranduil would not make a scene. He put his arm around her and kissed her temple. “It is all right, my love,” he whispered. Mithrellas leaned her head on his shoulder.

Thranduil cried for some time and then became quiet. “He is sleeping,” Elrond whispered. “Gildor, take Mithrellas and both of you do the same. Someone will stay with Thranduil. I will send for you if I need you here.”

Gildor pulled Mithrellas to her feet. “Is he going to be all right, Lord Elrond?” She asked.

“Yes, he is just in shock, pen neth. Go, I do not want you here in the next bed. Get some rest and some food. I will let you know when you can see him.”

Gildor held his wife close to his side as they returned to their room. They lay on the bed, Gildor spooning his wife’s body. Neither spoke for a long time. Mithrellas turned to face her husband. She stroked his cheek. “You should have seen his face, Gildor. He really thought I was my mother. I do not think he had any idea she was pregnant, and he was devastated to learn she died. He must have really cared for her.”

“I think you are right. I have never seen the king cry before. It was really very sad. Your mother must have been very special to him.”

“I am anxious to find out what happened between them and find out why she left.” Mithrellas smiled. “I am so glad you got there when you did, else he would have a very bad headache right now.”

“It is good to see you smile. You were very distressed this morning when I last saw you.”

“Well, our meeting did not go as I imagined but at least I have a few answers. Although, we have not actually acknowledged that I am his daughter; the ice is broken.

Gildor chuckled. “That it is, my love; that it is.”

Thranduil awoke again, more calm than before and had talked to Elrond, telling him about Mithrellas’ mother. Elrond was stunned by the story. Finally, feeling it was safe for Thranduil to go back to his rooms, Elrond walked with him. Thranduil had not said much, obviously still trying to process the events. They entered his chambers and sat on the sofa.

“Elrond, she is my daughter.”

“Yes, she is. You have a young beautiful, rather smart daughter. She has been very happy since coming here with Gildor.” Elrond said cautiously, wondering if Thranduil had noted Gildor’s presence.

Thranduil tensed. “I saw him there. They are…”

“Married.” Elrond stated, waiting for Thranduil’s reaction.

Thranduil moaned and put his head in his hands. “How did they meet?”

“I think that is a story best for them to tell you, but Thranduil, I must warn you. They love each other very much, and they are very protective of each other. She knows all about Gildor and his past. She also knows you do not like him and why. If you want to know her, you are going to have to accept Gildor. If you say one word against him, if she is made to choose, you will lose her before you have had the chance to know her. So think before you speak, meldir.” Elrond stood to leave. “One more thing, she needs to know what you told me earlier about you and her mother. She has been very confused about why her mother would leave the father of her child or what must have happened to make her mother leave. She needs to hear it from you.”

“Thank you, Elrond, and thank you for caring for her.”

“I am not the one to thank. She would not be here were it not for Gildor.” Elrond gave him a sympathetic smile.

Elrond walked to Erestor and Glorfindel’s room. He knocked and opened the door.

“How is Thranduil, Elrond?” Erestor had just learned about the earlier incident from Glorfindel.

“He is fine. Sit down, both of you. You are not going to believe what I just learned.” After exchanging a worried glance, Erestor and Glorfindel sat down. “Where is Legolas?”

“He asked to be allowed to ride out and meet Haldir and the twins. I told him their route home from patrol and he left with Saelbeth. Why? Are you worried about his reaction to having a sister?” Erestor asked.

“I do not think he would object to having a sister, but he may object to this particular one.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Gildor was setting out some wine, bread and cheese for the afternoon snack while Mithrellas was freshening up in the bathing chamber. They were both feeling better after they rested since the day’s excitement. When a knock came to the door Gildor opened it, surprised to find Thranduil standing there.

“King Thranduil, please come in.” Gildor bowed slightly and moved back to allow Thranduil inside.

The king walked just inside the door, feeling very awkward in the same room as Gildor Inglorion. “I am sorry to intrude. I was hoping Mithrellas would talk to me. It seems I have some explaining to do.”

Gildor smiled. “Let me get her, she is just refreshing herself after our nap.” Gildor walked to their bedroom door. Mithrellas was coming out of the bathing chamber smiling. “Did I hear you talking to someone?”

“Thranduil is here. He would like to talk to you.”

Mithrellas let out a long breath. “How is he?”

“Nervous.” Gildor smiled. “Come on.”

Thranduil was still standing in the same spot when they walked into the living area. He gasped again at seeing Mithrellas, but then smiled as she came closer. “Hello, Mithrellas,” he yearned to take her in his arms and hug her. He suddenly realized how much he had missed out on.

“Hello, King Thranduil, you look much better now. How are you feeling?” She motioned for them to sit down.

“Well, I do not think I will faint again,” he chuckled. “I am still shocked,” he looked at her for a moment. “You are so beautiful.”

“I take it you did not know about me.”

Thranduil shook his head. “No, pen neth, I never knew.”

“What happened? Why did my mother say you were dead?”

Gildor cleared his throat. “My love, I think I will go talk to Elrond. I am sure the king would feel better if I were not…”

“Gildor, please stay,” Thranduil interrupted. “I mean, I would like for you to stay if you wish.”

“I want you to stay too.” Mithrellas pulled Gildor back down on the sofa next to her. Gildor nodded and poured them each a goblet of wine.

“I fell in love with Faelivrin the moment I saw her. She came to work in the palace library. She was so beautiful she made me nervous to be around her, but she was also very friendly and always wore a smile. Everyone liked her. It started very simple, seeing each other in the library, talking, spending time together. I knew I had found the love of my life. We were together for about 3 years, we were so in love.” Thranduil became quiet; she could tell he was lost in a memory.

“What happened? What went wrong?”

“I love my son, Mithrellas. After Legolas was born, he became my reason for living. He was devastated after his mother died. He was still so young when she died and he mourned her for a long time. I feared he may fade from his grief. But he did not. He grew and thrived and applied himself to becoming a great warrior.” Thranduil stood and paced. “He thought Faelivrin was just a fling, a temporary lover, and he was angry when he realized how deep my feelings were for her. He was away on patrols for much of the time, but each time he came back he was more and more angry. He was not kind to your mother. I forbid him from being disrespectful to her, but he found ways to make her uncomfortable and it was not until much later that I found out about his behavior.”

Thranduil sat down and took another goblet of wine Gildor handed him. “I was getting reports from the captain and his fellow guards that my son’s behavior was getting reckless. I was beside myself with worry. Your mother, Eru bless her, she told me she would stay away to give Legolas some time. I would not hear of it. When Legolas return from his latest patrol we had a huge fight. He called your mother terrible names and blamed me for his mother’s death. I did not know what to do. I feared losing him. I was afraid he would do something foolish and get himself killed. I did not even have to tell your mother, she knew. We were apart for a few weeks. I was miserable, but everyone could see the difference in Legolas for the better. Faelivrin came to me and told me that she was going to sail. She could not live with me so close and not be able to be with me. I wanted to beg her to stay, I should have begged her to stay, but…I did not. I let her leave. We spent one final night together and then she left.”

Mithrellas did not know what to think. At the moment she wanted to run Legolas through with Gildor’s sword, but part of her understood his grief. She moved to sit next to her father. “She never made it to the ships. She realized she was pregnant while she travelled. She was very sick and was separated from the group she was travelling with. My grandfather found her and brought her to their home. My grandparents and mother cared for her until she had me. They had planned to take us to the Grey Havens after I was born, but she faded a few weeks later. She told them my father had died in battle. The difficulty of my birth and her grief caused her to weaken quickly and she faded. My family promised to care for me like their own and they did. They were a wonderful family and loved me very much.”

Thranduil wiped his eyes. “I am so sorry, Mithrellas. I did not do right by your mother. It is something I have regretted from the moment she left. I was wrong to give in to Legolas, I indulged him from the moment he was born and even more so after his mother died. I was wrong to do so at the expense of my love for your mother. I hope to beg for her forgiveness one day when we are reunited in Valinor.”

“I am sure you will see her there.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

“I do not know what I have done to be so blessed.” Thranduil smiled.

“That makes two of us.” Gildor smiled.

“Will you tell me how you met?” Thranduil smiled as Mithrellas returned to Gildor’s side. As he watched their interaction, he realized that Gildor looked at Mithrellas just as he used to look at Faelivrin. They were in love. Thranduil would do all he could to accept Gildor, for his daughter’s sake.

*****

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