When The Trees Sang: Part XIII
by Nicole
-----


Garania and Legolas returned to the palace several moments later, to find Galadriel awaiting them in the main hall. She wore a solumn statement on her face, and her gaze was fixed upon Legolas. Garania knew instantly that something was not right.

"Grandmother, what is it? Is something wrong?"

She did not answer, but continued to look at Legolas. He squirmed a bit under her intense scrutiny. Finally, she spoke

"I have just recieved word by messenger from Rivendell. He was sent by Elrond to inform me of a matter that has occured at Mirkwood. A large band of roaming orcs attacked just days ago. Your father was killed."

Legolas felt his breath escape him, as if he had just taken a swift blow to the stomach. He stumbled back a few steps, shock overtaking him. Garania looked from him to Galadriel, unsure of what to say or do.

"You have been summoned to return to Mirkwood immediately, to take your place as king."

He looked up at her, still unable to speak. Garania could see his obvious state, and voiced his words for him.

"We will leave at first light tommorrow. We will be needing a travelling party, to take us at least as far as Rivendell, as there may still be wandering orcs in the woods."

Galadriel nodded, and Garania noticed the shadow of a figure standing behind her.

"Aragorn, where is Haldir?"

The Ranger stepped forward, the light bringing him into view.

"He is in council with your grandfather, my lady. Do you wish for me to summon him?"

She shook her head.

"No, I will go to him myself. Please, stay here with Legolas. He is in need of some comfort right now, and I need you to do this for me until I return."

Aragorn nodded, and walked towards Legolas, gently leading him into a smaller room off of the hall.

When they had disappeared, Garania turned to Galadriel.

"I fear he is in no condition to rule a kingdom. The stress of the past few weeks is weighing heavily upon him, and he is in need of rest."

Galadriel stepped towards her granddaughter, her eyes shining.

"Then it will be you who must take over his duties as king, until he is better able to handle them himself. I have a great deal of faith in you, Garania. I believe you will do fine, as well as any male would. Have strength and courage, and you will prevail."

Garania smiled at these words, and slipped up the long winding staircase to Celeborn's throne room.

When she entered, she saw her grandfather, Haldir, and several other Elves gathered there discussing some matter. When they saw her approach, they bowed to her, and Celeborn stretched his arms out to greet her.

"My child, come, has Galadriel informed you of the sad news?"

She nodded.

Yes, she has. Which is why I have come to speak with you." She turned to the blonde Elf beside her grandfather. "Haldir, we will be leaving immediatly to return to Mirkwood, and we will be in need of a travelling party. I fear that there are more orcs roaming the land, and we will not be safe with just our weapons alone. I need you to organize one for us by the morning."

Haldir bowed slightly to her, a smile on his face.

"My lady, I will escort you myself. Along with my finest archers. You will be well protected by our arrows."

Garania smiled at him, glad to know he would be occompanying them.

She nodded to them and turned to go see to Legolas. She found him in the small room off the main hall, with Aragorn, Gimli, and the Hobbits. They were trying to calm his fears, but were not succeeding in helping him very much. Garania walked over beside him and took the seat to his right which Gimli gladly offered to her. She reached for Legolas' shaking hand and took it in her own. He looked up at her, his eyes filled with fear. She gave him a reassuring smile and looked deeply into his eyes.

"Legolas, listen to me." He gazed into her eyes. "You have no need to fear, for I am here by your side, to help you in whatever way I can. I will rule the kingdom myself if I must, if you feel yourself unable. Do not fear for the santity of our kingdom. You will be a fine king, I know you will be. Do not be too proud to be weak, and do not fear your own strength. More courage lies within you than you could ever have thought possible, and you need only to find it. You may think now that it does not exist, but this is because you look with only your eyes, when you should be searching with your heart. Find it, and you will excell. Believe me, melamin, for I know your heart is true."

He looked at her, finding his strength renewed at her words. He stood from his chair, and walked towards the hall, pulling close behind him. He stopped when he reached the opening, turning back to the group.

"Come, friends, let us rest, for we have a long journey ahead of us in the morning."

With that, he walked from the room, and walked with Garania to their flet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was barely making its presence known when the party set out on their journey. The rest were already mounted upon their horses, but Garania stood before Galadriel and Celeborn, bidding them goodbye. Galadriel grasped her hands in hers.

"Have strength, my daughter, and to your path stay true. Send word to me when you have arrived, and inform me of the happenings there, for I will worry much until you do."

She nodded, and turned to Celeborn.

"My child, what a sight you are to behold. You will make a wondrous queen, as you have always possessed the qualities of the great kings. I do not doubt that you will suprise even yourself with what you find yourself capable of. Do not forget who you are, and what you have become, for there will be days to come when you will need these things the most."

She bowed her head before him, and he gently kissed the top of it.

"Goodbye grandmother, grandfather."

She gave them each a quick hug, and walked to her horse, mounting it in one graceful move. She gave one last look back at them, and beckoned her horse to move, falling in step closely behind the rest of the group.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had been travelling for nearly two days with no stop, when Aragorn suggested that they make camp for the night to rest. The rest of the group eagerly agreed, and they tied their horses, finding a secluded spot surrounded by trees. Legolas, Aragorn, and the rest of the group sat around the fire talking late into the night, but Garania and Haldir managed to sneak away to a tree a short distance away from them where they leaned their backs against it, glad to be able to rest themselves for the first time in the past few days. Haldir turned his face to hers, looking at her closely. She noticed this, and gazed back at him.

"What is it?"

He shook his head, smiling.

"It has been to long since we have last had the time to speak, in private that is."

She returned his smile and nodded, trying to recall the last time they had talked.

"I often miss the long walks we used to take in the woods when I was young. I sometimes wish that I could return to Lorien, and leave Mirkwood behind me altogether, but I know that Legolas has duties to his kingdom, and there is no way for it to ever be."

Haldir looked at her, sadly.

"Why did you make the choice to go to Rivendell those many years ago? We could have been happy in Lothlorien together. We both know that you love the wood, and that you grow homesick for it. Why did you leave it, and me, when you hold the both of us so dear to your heart?"

She tore her eyes from his, gazing down at the leaves covering the ground.

"I often wonder that myself. I suppose I just longed for new sights to behold. I also hold Rivendell very dear to my heart. When I left, I wished to learn more about the ways of our people, to be taught the ways of a princess and of royalty. It pained me more than you know to have left you, but I could not have stayed. Elrond is like a father to me, he wished me only the best."

The Elf beside her took her chin in his hand, raising her face to his.

"You could have refused the marriage, and returned to Lothlorien....and to me."

She shook her head, pulling her face away from him.

"You know that I could not. Besides, I do love Legolas, more than I believed in my heart to ever be possible."

"That was not always so. As I remember, when I arrived for your wedding, you wished nothing more than to return to Lorien, and be free from the marriage. You despised him, as he did you, and yet you still allowed yourself to be wed."

"I did not care for him as much at the time, yes, but he cared deeply for me. Enough to take me as his wife despite the fact that I could not bear him children."

"Garania, answer me something, and answer me truthfully."

She returned her gaze to his.

"Yes?"



"Do you still love me?"

She brought her eyes back down to the ground, refusing his gaze.

"I fear that my marriage could be in peril by my answering, when we know that what you wish can never be, but I will answer you all the same....yes, I do. But not in the way that I once did. My love for Legolas surpasses any that I have ever known, and to him my heart will remain true. You will remain a dear friend to me, but never more than this."

He nodded, not wanting to hear this answer, but knowing that he had to accept it.

"Then that is all I need to know. I will always love you, know this, and you will always be my dearest friend." He looked back towards the group, who were now beginning to spread out to claim some much needed sleep. He stood, and offered her his hand.

"Come, we must rest. We have still a long journey yet ahead of us, and you will be needing your strength. Go to Legolas, he waits for you."

She smiled at him, and gently leaned up to him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

"Get some rest yourself, Haldir. You are much needing of it."

With that, she left him there, and walked back towards the camp, to take her place beside Legolas, beneath the large tree under which he lay. Haldir watched her leave, sighing softly to himself as she returned to her husband, leaving him behind her alone.

| Part XIV |
| Index |