When The Trees Sang: Part III
by Nicole
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The table was covered with food, piled high and nearly pouring from
their plates. Garania sat between Legolas and Elrond, barely
touching the food that had been piled upon her plate. Instead, she
watched the ones around her eat. She nearly burst out laughing at
the sight of Gimli hoisting food into his mouth nearly as fast as he
could chew it, and the hobbits, hungry as always, eating as much as
their mouths would hold. She stifled the laughter that was
threatening to bubble up inside of her, and took a small bit of the
lemba that was lying on the plate in front of her. Elrond noticed
her lack of hunger, as did Legolas, however, Elrond knew the
reasoning behind her not eatingm so he pressed no further. Legolas
did not, and became quite worried about her lack of appetite.
"My love, don't you think you should eat a little more. You've
hardly touched the food on your plate. I fear you will become ill
from hunger if you don't eat. Is there something wrong?" he
whispered softly to her.
She shook her head and gave him a small smile.
"No, no nothings wrong. I'm just not very hungry, that's all," she
lied.
In a few more moments, the meal had ended, leaving a grumbling dwarf
and four very full hobbits.
"I don't think I've ever eaten so much. At least not so much that
tasted as good as that!" said Pippin as he stretched out in his
chair and patted his stomach.
Elrond laughed and looked at him kindly.
"Little one, while you are here, you shall eat like this as often as
you like."
The halfling's eyes lit up like a sky full of firecrackers and he
grinned at his comrades happily. Elrond then rose from the table,
followed by Legolas, and Garania. Legolas took Garania's hand,
bidding goodnight to his friends and Lord Elrond and leading his
wife towards the stairs leading up to her flet. He had thought that
they shared the same intentions, but knew that she had other plans
when she pulled him into the library and saw Lord Elrond follow them
in and close the door. He stood there confused for a moment until
Elrond motioned for him to sit. Garania stood near him, walking
around a bit nervously, until Elrond motioned for her to take a seat
as well. She sat beside Legolas, refusing to meet his confused gaze.
He looked over at Elrond, who was looking at Garania with sympathy.
He turned his gaze over to Legolas and began to speak.
"Legolas, when you became a member of the Fellowship, you took an
oath to see to the destruction of the ring, no matter where it may
take you, or what kind of danger it could possibly put you in. You
agreed to these terms, and you set out on a journey that ultimately
led to the freeing of Middle Earth from the clutches of evil. You
have been told of the origin of the ring, about Sauron and his
incredible powers, and of the Witch King himself. However, there
were a few things that have been left out of the story, some which
will prove to be very personal to you, and could also prove to be
very difficult."
He then looked at Garania, and placed a gentle, reassuring hand on
her arm, and she raised her head to look at Legolas. After looking
at him for a few moments, she rose from the chair, and began to walk
around the room, looking outside the library at the forests
surrounding Rivendell. She spoke with a bit of fear in her voice,
and it took on a cold edge as she paced.
"Legolas, there is very little that you don't know, as you have been
educated on the history of Middle Earth and it's people since the
time that you were young." She wasn't sure how to start out. She
knew that what she was about to tell him could quite possibly
destroy him. He thought of her as good, pure, and to an extent,
quite innocent. Never before had she lied to him, only about this.
She could hardly bring herself to tell him what she knew would
change their relationship in a way that it had never been before.
She continued, somewhat unsure of herself, but slowly gaining
confidence as she got more of the story out. "Well, there are
several parts that you do not know. That have been left out for your
own good, and for the good of our people. Do you remember when your
father told you about the Witch King for the first time?"
He nodded.
"Yes, I was very young, but I remember it very well. He told me that
he was powerful, the source of all evil in Middle Earth. For most of
my life I feared him, but now, that I know he has been destroyed,
and there are no more of his kind about. I no longer have any fear
for him at all."
Garania turned around, her back to him.
"He is my father."
Legolas nearly shot from the chair in pure shock. Elrond watched in
concern as Legolas' statement went from that of shock to anger, to
fear, and then to a combination of all three. No words could leave
his mouth, no matter how hard he tried. It felt as if his voice had
disappeared right at that very moment. He sat in silence until
Garania spoke again.
"I did not wish to tell you like this, Legolas. I never wished to
tell you ever, but it had to be done. I had no choice. Middle Earth
is in danger, Legolas. Even more so than it was before the ring was
destroyed. My father has not been destroyed. He remains still, and
wishes nothing more than to claim all of Middle Earth for his
ruling. I am sorry that I lied to you all of these many years, but
it had to be done. If you had known, it could have meant destruction
of both myself, and the rest of our people. Please do not be angry
with me, Legolas. I never meant to cause you any sort of pain or
hurt. Believe me, that was the last of my intentions."
Legolas looked at her hard. Anger and pain burning in his eyes.
Never before had he had any wish to cause her pain of any kind, but
now, he wished only that he could denounce her as his wife and
banish her to the most desolate part of Middle Earth. These thoughts
scared him, and they were quickly pushed away by the love he felt
for the Elf that was standing before him. The anger slowly faded
from his eyes and he looked at her with a softer gaze.
"Why did you not tell me sooner? And why is it that you do not fight
for the dark side, as you are his daughter?"
She looked at him, desperate to make him understand.
"I couldn't. My father was not always evil, Legolas. I was born
several years before the dark side finally lured him totally over to
its evil clutches. He married my mother, one of Galadriel's
daughters, in order to have an heir to his throne. However, instead
of a male, I was born. At first, he despised me, never letting me
near him, fighting hard with my mother to have me banished to
another kingdom, but she would have no part of it. In time, he grew
to love me, and I soon became one of his most prized possessions. I
was nearly four when he crossed over to the dark side. He cast off
my mother, who was soon attacked by orcs and left to their mercy. He
kept me by his side for several more years, until he could no longer
deal with me and rule a kingdom as well. I was sent to live with my
grandmother, Galadriel, and my grandfather, Celeborn, in the woods
of Lothlorien. I was forbidden to ever talk about my past, or my
father, or even my mother for that matter. My childhood was to
remain a secret, never to be known by anyone except the three of us,
Elrond, and Gandolf. Galadriel and Celeborn tried as only they knew
how to raise me in the ways of the light Elves, teaching me the ways
of pure, goodness, and how to never stray to evil. However, my
father's blood runs through me, and they soon discovered that I had
enough power harnessed in myself alone to combat that of my
father's. They told me never to use it for evil, only for good. That
I was much too powerful to ever try to use it at all for that
matter, but I soon learned the ways of it, and taught myself to use
it to the best of my ability. When I was nearing adulthood, they
discovered that I had inherited my mother and grandmother's ability
of mind reading. By this time, I was old enough to choose my own
way, I chose to come to Rivendell to learn more about the ways of
the Elves and my past from Elrond. This is where I met you. I had
only been here for a few months when you arrived, and swept me off
of my feet. You know how the rest of the story goes, up until the
ring, that is. On the day the Fellowship departed from Rivendell, I
saw a vision of my father in his dark castle on Mount Doom. He was
waiting, waiting for your arrival. However, for some reason, he
allowed the ring to be destroyed, for reasons of which are still
beyond me, and it has confused me very much. Until recently, that
is. Several days ago, I saw another vision, of my father travelling
with a band of orcs through the mountains. I fear they are planning
an attack. Where and when, I do not know, but I fear that they wish
to go to war with the goodness of Middle Earth."
Legolas sat speechless for a few moments, as Elrond watched him,
waiting for him to speak. Finally, he found his voice again, and
looked up at Garania.
"We must tell the others."
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