Emerald

Title: Emerald (Chapter 1/?)

Fandom: Tolkien

Disclaimer: LOTR not mine, belongs to Tolkien, no money being made!!

Cast: Het (Orophin/OFC) (Haldir/OFC)

Beta: Fianna (you rock!!!)

Rating: PG-13 (later chapters R)

Warnings: mild profanity, violence

Genre: Drama, angst, action, humor

Summary: This story has several time periods. About 20 years before the Ring, the period of the ring, and many years after the ring. This story has a twist; Aragorn has a daughter in this.

FEEDBACK: PLEASE AND WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!
E-mail: Haldirswhore69@yahoo.com

Dedication: To my mother, who is my very best friend, for all the unconditional love and support she gave me growing up, for comforting me and holding me to her when I would come home crying so many times…You’re the greatest and I love you so much!!

To a certain history professor I met my second year of college who gave me the courage to pursue whatever I chose to dolifelife and for helping me see that not only did I deserve to go to college, but that I was indeed smart enough to be there.

To a certain Personal Trainer, an awesome older gentleman in his mid sixties who has been the one and only consistent male figure in my life who helped me escape from my downward spiral, helped me move past my disordered eating patterns and abuse of my body and inspired me to change my life and my college major to help others like me. His belief inmademade all the difference!
I am most thankful to God for leading me to these people. My life would not be the same without them.


Author’s note: This sounds silly I know, but the idea for this story came from a dream. I actually had a dream where Aragorn wattintting in my kitchen with one of my childhood tormentors and I made them breakfast. Then he proceeded to ask me why I have done various things throughout my life. We discussed my father whom I have never met and other things. This story is very much fiction as you will see, but I haveo peo personalized it by adding things that happened in my life. I also represented certain peopn myn my life with both elves and humans, but I have not ruined their characters. (I don’t think). I’ve just broadened them a bit to go with this story.


The first chapter is introducing Emerald and Aragorn’s relationship, or lack of rather.


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Chapter 1

It was her eyes! Her given name calling to mind the lush elven lands of Rivendell, Emerald’s eyes drew instant attention from the time she was a babe. Her eye color was a stark contrast to the soft paleness of her skin and her palest pearl of her hair. She had the look of her mother, the one the town folk called “witch”.

Emerald’s father had left when she was only two days old. A ranger he was, her mother had said. He had duties he had sworn to attend. Like her mother Emerald had the gift of sight. Emercoulcould see in her mind the dark haired elven beauty that had claimed her father’s heart long before he had met her mother.

Emerald’s childhood was a miserable one. She and her mother were poverty stricken. Her mother did the best she could to provide Emerald with basic necessities and strived to give her child some form of stability. Her mother was a healer and gifted with much power over magic. Her magic was pure, yet she was still feared by the simple folk of the town. Witch…She would hear as she walked with Emerald in tow down the pathways of the city.

Despite her mother’s complete devotion and unconditional love, Emerald was still lonely and depressed. The local children and the adults ostracized her as well. She was teased relentlessly due to her shabby clothing. Her silky pale blonde hair was always matted with mud that was hurled at her as she walked down the streets.

Emerald believed this was probably why her father had left her. She was stupid and repulsive as the town folk continually reminded her.

If the truth were known, the young child unnerved the town folk. She had an eerie silence about her. Many believed her evil because of it. Emerald did not speak because she feared how she would be treated. The child’s eyes seemed all knowing. It was as if she had a clear view into one’s very soul. If the adults had bothered to take the time to really look at the child, nothing but innocence and pain would be seen behind her lonely eyes.

Her mother tried to give her some sense of happinessten ten times people would call on her for healing services, paying her with food or other materials, claiming they had no money. She knew this to be an untruth, but as long as she could feed her child, she did not argue.

Her mother often over compensated Emerald’s misery with sweets. Emerald never wanted to play outside because no one would playh heh her. She once had a puppy, but it was drowned by several of the local boys.

So it was not only for the child’s shabby clothing, her bastard status, or even her eerie silence that she was relentlessly teased, but because of her size. Emerald was a very large child, much larger than the girls of her age. She was degraded and treated cruelly because of it. Her mother tried to tell her she was beautiful, but the only words Emerald heard were those of the town folk.

Emerald’s mother knew the local girls were jealous of her daughter’s hair and coloring, but Emerald would not hear it.

On this particular day, Emerald fared no better. It would be one of the worst days of her life. She had come home, sobbing to her mother. Her lovely pink satin gown was ruined beyond repair. Her mother had saved over a year’s wages to buy the fabric to make it for her. It had been a birthday gift. It had been destroyed when several girls had ambushed and beaten Emerald as she made her way home.

The mother held the broken, sng cng child in her arms wishing through her own tears that she could take away all of her daughter’s pain. She wished her child could see her as she saw her, a bright shining star standing out in the desolation of an ugly world.

The very worst day in Emerald’s life would come two days later when her mother would be taken and murdered by a raiding party of orcs.

There were whispers throughout the town of what would happen to the child now. Many had cruelly said that her mother, the witch, got what she deserved. There was one old woman who was not swayed by the ugly words of the town folk. She had befriended the girl and her mother. She alone knew of Emerald’s father and how to contact him if ever the day came when he would be needed. Today was this day.

So it was five days later that the town stood in fearful silence when the two dark haired elves rode into town. It was said they had come to fetch Emerald.

Friends of the girl’s father, they were. Twins, others said as if it weren’t obvious enough. The town folk were not surprised the witch had dealings with the elves. Elves were aloof and were to be feared. The people would be glad to be rid of the dead witch’s fat child.

Emerald had been petrified of the two elves. There was no one to comfort her. The old woman told her she must go with these elves or else starve to death. She could not take her. She could barely keep herself alive. The girl stood huddling beside the old woman, holding tightly to her skirt tail as one of the elves approached her.

He was going to take her to her father, he told her. She would have a new home and never have to need or want for anything again. He told her she would love her new home and no one would ever hurt her or tease her again. She must be a brave girl. Her mother would want her to be brave, he told her.

And so this was how Emerald would come to live with Lord Elrond of Rivendell and his family. She had been 8 years old when she came to them. Elrond had taken an instant interest in the child. He could sense her power and skill. He knew she would have much to do in this world, but the question remained, would she be ruled by her pain and bitterness? Would she be able to overcome the loss she felt in her heart or remain broken?

Estel of course decided it he he did not impose himself upon his child too quickly. After all, she did not know him and so much had happened to her in such a short time. He did not wish to overwhelm her. A coward’s way out, Elrond had thought to himself. Yet he allowed this, for the present. He dearly loved Estel, as his own son and had kept him as such. He would not force him to deal with something he was not yet ready to face. He only hoped it would be soon and embrace the child, as he should.

It was decided then that she would be known as Elrond’s ward. It did not take Elrond long to love the girl as did his sons and daughter.

Emerald had been thrust into a new home and shattered emotionally. Her mother’s body had not even been recovered, but left to rot if the orc hadn’t made a meal of her after they killed her. Since her father had disowned her in a sense, Elrond spent much time with her, schooling her in alchemy and herbs. He would become the father she never had.


Aragorn did love his child. He loved her dearly, but he was overcome with his own guilt. He admitted his cowardice openly and she suffered greatly for his guilt. Aragron had always run from his past. The knowledge of his own heritage was a heavy burden for him to bear. He had fled Rivendell nine years earlier and had stumbled upon the small town where he would meet Emerald’ mother. Her pale hair and skin had first caught his attention and he wondered briefly if she were elf kind. The pain from the loss of his own love, the Evenstar, had weakened him in both body and mind. He took Amaryllis to his bed, trying to purge the memory of Arwen from his memory. He could not. For once he was asleep, she would haunt his dreams.

Aragorn had already decided to return to his home and his beloved when he discovered Amaryllis was with child. He waited until the child was born, beheld her once, and the left for Rivendell never to return to his daughter.

And now she was here in Rivendell and he was forced to relive the guilt he had felt for so long. Emerald did not call him father. She called him “Estel” or “Sir”. Elrond had tried unsuccessfully to persuade her to call him father, hoping to weaken Aragorn’s reserve, but she would refuse, saying softly, “I have no father but you, My Lord.”

Aragorn did not begrudge this relationship she had with Elrond. He felt he had not right to her and when had he ever been a father to this girl?

***

As the years passed, Emerald would try to discover ways she could make Estel love her and accept her. She had never given up hope that someday, she would be good enough for him if she could only be beautiful or her body lithe like the elves, mayhaps he would not be ashamed of her any longer.

Emerald had just turned thirteen when she decided to make drastic changes to herself in the hopes that it might warrant affection form her father. Aragorn had just left Rivendell and would be gone for many months, as was his usually trait. He was often gone for months and months at the time returning only for a few days’ visits, which were never spent with her. She was fairly certain she would have time to make her surprise ready for him.

Being a very talented alchemist and herbalist, she knew which herbs would aid her in her quest. She would drink goblets upon goblets of what she called her “secret elixir”, so much so that oftentimes, she could go without food.

She began helping with the more laboring chores around her adopted father’s lands. She could be seen many times with the wardens, helping them tote their heavy weaponry or in the stables helping them with their horses. She would walk far distances, building her stamina and endurance to physical activity. Both Elrond and the Lady Arwen who felt her time should be spent indoors with activities of the courts and other things befitting her station frowned upon this new endeavor. Elladan and Elrohir would also been seen plying games with her and teaching her to ride.

And she would run…

She would run far distances. Oh, how she adored running. Never had she felt so free and alive in her life. She was flying when she ran, her mind, body, and spirit freed with the rush of tingling sensation pulsating through her when she ran. Nothing could feel as exquisite as running as fs shs she was concerned.

It was not difficult for her to hide her surprise from her family, as she always wore the twins’ tunics. She was never questioned about her garb for the only time she had ever worn a dress was the dress her mother had made for her. She had never felt pretty enoughwearwear gown before anyways and she refused the many gowns given to her by Arwen.

And her she was, now fourteen years of age, one year ago to the day her father had left with the other rangers. Elrond had received word he would be returning this day and she waited anxiously for his return. Finally, he would love her and accept her.

Emerald downed another goblet of her elixir as she waited. She had come to discover, not only did it give her an unlimited supply of energylp hlp her to go long periods without food, but also it helped give her a “boost” in her confidence. She conveniently ignored the fact that it was taking more and more of her elixir to feel its effects and it was not lasting as long. She always felt sick and weary when it wore off.

Emerald fingered the soft, pale green gossamer gown. She had spent the last two weeks sewing it for herself in secret. It would be the first time she had worn such a lovely garment since her motNay…Nay…she would not dwell on such things now. Tears brimmed her eyes, as she knew her mother would be so proud of her.

Sounds of welcoming and laughter could be heard from outside and she moved to the window to see her father riding toward them upon his great steed. She watched as his once weary face lit into joy upon seeing the Evenstar waiting for him. She wondered if he had ever looked at her mother in such a way. She swallowed down the feelings of rage that began to wit within her.

Emerald turned to make herself ready for her father when a sheen of something golden caught her eye. She turned back to the window to see what it was that had caught her attention.

A new elf!

How exciting! T’was his golden head that had caught her attention. She had heard tale of the golden elves of Mirkwood and the silver elves of Lothlorien from her adopted father Elrond. She could tell by this elf’s coloring he must be of Mirkwood. The regal tunic he wore with its detailed embroidery made her think he was of some importance. She would later learn he was indeed a prince, Prince Legolas of Mirkwood.

She was even more nervous and more excited about this unexpected visitor. She turned from the window and hurried about, making herself ready. She downed one last goblet of her elixir and hurried out of her room. Surely now Aragorn would love her. Surely now her would want her.

Emerald descended the stairwell to the lower level of the castle to make her way to Elrond’s audience chamber. She was sure they would meet and take refreshments in there. She heard the quiet gasps from the house elves as she made her way down the corridor. She kept her head to the floor, as she always did, fearing what she would see on their faces. If she had bothered to look, she would have seen many joy filled faces as well as pride for her as she passed.

As she closed the distance, her nerve began to fail her. She thought perhaps she might go back to her room and have one more goblet of her elixir when she felt a warm hand on her arm. Emerald turned to see her very own handmaiden, Hero standing beside her. The brown haired elf’s soft brown eyes twinkled with warmth as she looked at her. She gave her a gentle squeeze while murmuring gentle word of encouragement. Emerald smiled at Hero, trying hard not to let the tears that welled in her eyes spill over her cheeks. Emerald took a deep breath and nodded, motioning for Hero to open the chamber door.

The handmaiden entered first. Emerald followed.

Elrond was sharing a story with Aragorn when his gaze rose to see who had entered. He had wondered why Emerald had yet to make an appearance and was about to send Elladan to fetch her when she entered. Elrond nearly dropped his goblet of wine when he saw her; the story he told fell silent from his lips.

Elrohir and Elladan turned to see what had caught their father’s attention. Their sharp intakes of breath caused the entire room to turn and look upon the girl. Arwen’s hand came to her mouth as she stared in shock, tears of joy filling her eyes. Never had anyone seen Emerald so lovely before.

The girl’s hair was worn free, a stark contrast to the normally severe bun she kept her hair in. The glorious pale locks flowed nearly down to her bottom in thick, soft waves. A few of her curls cupped her face, making her olive green eyes more evident. The green gown hun son soft layers over her now slim figure. The thin straps complemented her feminine arms and her bone structure was elegantly represented by the detail of the gown. Her family stared at her in awe and wonder, while Legolas’s exploration of her was strictly male. This did not go unnoticed by Aragorn, whose face formed a tight frown.

Arwen was at her side in an instant, embracing her with tears in her eyes, “Oh Emmie, you are so lovely.”

Emerald’s adopted brothers now stood beside her, taking turns embracing her. Elladan chuckled, “You have been busy, little sister.”

It was her turn to chuckle, “Aye brother, but no more than you.”

Elrohir grinned widely as he spoke, “How ever did you do such a thing Emmie, without us knowing this?”

Emerald smiled, tucking her small hands in each of the twin’s arms, “T’-was not such a difficult thing, Elrohir, since you both constantly complain to Ada that I am always borrowing your clothes!”

The twins led her to stand before Elrond and he took her in his arms and whispered words of praise, pride, and encouragement to her, and then kissed her forehead. He also whispered that he now expected her to wear such clothing, that which was befitting to a lady at any rate. When she paled, he laughed softly, telling her only teased. Well…for the most part he teased.

Aragorn now stood before his child. His face showed a whirlwind of emotions. Elrond could feel her tremble and stood behind her, holding her firmly in place. Emerald was still too young to understand the turmoil happening inside of her father as he looked down at her. Elrond only hoped Estel would do right by her and finally embrace her. It proved to be too much to hope for.

Aragorn tentiveley reached out and stroked his daughter’s hair. Her eyes were wide, partly from fear of his rejection and her deep desire for him to love her. Aragorn’s hand now moved to cup her face, this being one of the few times he had ever shown physical affection to her in her fourteen years. He favored her with a small, sad smile, “You are looking well Emer…daughter…as your mother looked before…” his hand fell as his voice failed him. He turned from her and her shoulders fell in despair. She felt the small squeeze of Elrond’s reassuring hands, but it did nothing to still the pain in her heart.

Her sigh was heavy. So it was not to be. He still did not want her. She had done all she knew to do and it was not good enough. She was not good enough.

As the introductions were then made, Emerald barely heard them. What had she done wrong? She had worked so hard and lost so many sizes. She had sewed such a lovely dress, why could he not accept her? Was she still so wretched to him? What was so terrible about her? Perhaps it was simply not enough. She would just have to try harder…become better…become smaller. It had always been obvious to her that he father preferred elves to his own kind.

Emerald bade her leave shortly after her entrance. As she turned and left the chamber silently, she did not notice the soft blue eyes of the golden elf, which followed her as she left the chamber.