Greenleaf&Imladris 20-Calenlass: Heart of a Prince
Prologue: Unspoken
Title: Greenleaf & Imladris 20 - Calenlass: Heart of a Prince
Author: Eressë (eresse21@yahoo.com)
Pairing: Elrohir/Legolas
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: All the Elves belong to the most esteemed Prof. JRR Tolkien.
Summary: A steadfast warrior decides he’s had his fill of waiting and sets out to capture his beloved prince’s reluctant heart.
Author’s Note: First story in the series set in the Fourth Age. According to tradition, the Dúnedain passed on when their heirs reached ninety years of age. If Aragorn’s son, Eldarion, was ninety at the time of his father’s death, obviously he wasn’t born until nearly thirty years after his parents’ wedding. But the date of his birth is not stated in the books and so I’ve taken the liberty of having it occur much earlier.
Calenlass: Heart of a Prince
Prologue: Unspoken
Gondor, Gwaeron FA 1
The Queen of Gondor gently lifted her firstborn son from his cradle. Smiling with maternal pride and joy, Arwen Undómiel turned to the four Elves who watched her with indulgent smiles.
The older of her twin brothers peered at the face of his newborn nephew. Elladan shared a chuckle with his wife, Nimeithel. “He looks like you, Arwen. What say you, Legolas?”
The youngest prince of Northern Eryn Lasgalen, the great forest once known as Mirkwood, stepped forward and gazed at the babe. The child was raven-haired like his parents and very fair. Legolas thought he did have a strong resemblance to Arwen.
“Aye, he is more like an Elf than a human child.”
“That must irk Estel that his heir looks so little like him,” Elrohir remarked much to his siblings’ amusement.
He bent to get a closer look. At that moment, the babe focused his gaze on him. The infant’s eyes widened at the sight of the raven-haired lord. With a gurgle, he insistently reached out to his uncle.
Taken aback, Elrohir glanced at Arwen with raised eyebrows. With a soft laugh, she handed her babe to her brother. He cradled the child in his arms.
“Well met, Eldarion,” the Elf murmured.
As if in response, the infant prince grasped at the raven hair that spilled over the Elf’s shoulders. He then broke into a wide toothless smile.
Arwen’s eyes widened. “Why, that is the first time he has ever smiled,” she observed. “He has obviously taken to you, Uncle Elrohir.”
“I am glad,” Elrohir grinned.
“Like father, like son,” Elladan chuckled. “You may very well have him following you about some day, gwanneth”—older twin—“just as Estel did,” he added.
“I will not mind,” Elrohir smiled. He stroked the curved ridge of a tiny ear with his finger and laughed when Eldarion cooed with pleasure.
“You will if he comes to think of you as his pet and insists on knowing your every thought and move,” Elladan warned with a smirk. “Or even worse, dictates what you can or cannot do.”
“You have a gift with children,” Legolas said. “They always respond to you in just that way.”
"'Tis a response worth having even if it is but from a babe,” said Elrohir softly.
Legolas glanced up at him. There had been something in his friend’s tone that he could not quite place.
Elladan reached out and clasped a hand on his twin’s shoulder. Legolas noted that the older twin seemed to squeeze his brother’s shoulder comfortingly and wondered why.
"'Tis a pity your adar could not be here to see him, gwanur”— kinswoman—Nimeithel said to Arwen. “He would have been very proud to call him grandson.”
Arwen smiled a little sadly. “I had hoped he would stay on a little longer,” she admitted to her law-sister, “to at least see this first grandchild.”
Elrohir shook his head. “It would have been yet another loss to bear, muinthel”—sister—he said. “I think Ada”—Papa—“did not wish to know and love his grandchild only to be parted from him at the last.”
Arwen sighed a little mournfully in agreement.
Nimeithel sought to dispel the pensive mood she had inadvertently introduced. “I would remind you of your promise to come to Imladris this Ivanneth, Arwen,” she said. “It will be the twins’ first begetting day celebration since your father’s departure.”
The Queen brightened. “Most assuredly, Estel and I will be there. We would not miss it even should all the orcs of Middle-earth stand in our path! And we shall bring Eldarion with us. I cannot bear to be parted from him overlong. Do you know he already has several offers of marriage?” she suddenly giggled. “And him but a babe!”
Legolas shared a chuckle with Elladan. “I wonder how Estel will choose for him one day,” the older twin said. “It will be no small feat I imagine.”
“We have agreed that he will marry for love and not just political expediency,” Arwen said firmly. “‘Tis inconceivable that my son should languish in a loveless marriage when his own parents were allowed their choice.”
“He is fortunate then,” Elrohir said. “He will have a surfeit of maids to choose from and mayhap will never know the travails of love. Would that all of us were so blessed.”
Arwen looked at him with some surprise. “You are not your merry self, tôr nîn”—my brother—she said. “Is something wrong?”
The younger only smiled. “Nay, thel neth”—younger sister—he averred. “What could be wrong? I was merely remembering a time past when my life seemed so simple and straightforward.” He pressed a gentle kiss to a petal-smooth cheek, causing Eldarion to snortle happily. He handed his nephew back to Arwen. “Now, if you will excuse me, I think I shall return to my room.”
With that he departed. Somehow, he left an impression that the time he spoke of had nothing to do with the age that had just passed. What he truly meant Elladan and perhaps Nimeithel seemed to know but neither was talking.
***********************
Glossary:
Gwaeron - Sindarin for March
FA - Fourth Age
adar - father
Ivanneth - Sindarin for September
To be continued…