A Rose By Any Other Name

A.N.: Okay, the song here is “Not A Day Goes By” By Lonestar. I thought it was perfect for this. Unfortunately my comp isn’t letting me see the list of reviews, and I don’t remember off the top of my head who reviewed to this last chapter, but many thanks to you all! I will try to give dues in the next chapter.

Enjoy!

~~~A Rose By Any Other Name~~~
Chapter Twenty-Five

Ascadholiel’s eyes widened in fear. A sea of monsters, like orcs but so much bigger and stronger swarmed before her. Thunder struck in the dark sky overhead, making her jump in surprise. The noise was incredible and was only made worse by the torrents of rain that suddenly poured down on them.

Them.

She was not alone. She tore her eyes away from the terrifying sight of the Uruk-hai army and looked around. The wall she stood on was tall and stretched far on either side of her, a battlement of sorts. All around her were elves, some she seemed to almost recognize, their bows drawn taught, ready to release their arrows into the hordes of creatures preparing to charge below.

It was terrifying.

Ascadholiel turned and looked to her side. Standing there, blonde hair flowing about his shoulders, amongst his kinsman, was her beloved Legolas. His silken locks were plastered to the sides of his face and neck. She forgot all else for a moment, staring at him, joy overflowing that he was alive and well. Then it all changed and there was a flurry of motion and noise and the confusion of battle. All she knew was that the Uruks outranked her friends and her husband 100 to 1.

There was a voice she recognized and her eyes sought out where it was coming from. She focused on Aragorn as he was running towards Legolas, screaming at him to take down one specific Uruk. The Prince shot arrow after arrow into the beast, none doing any good. Then there was light, blinding and hot, and the sound of a massive explosion the like of which Middle-Earth had never seen. She heard the scream of fair elven voices, voices once lifted in beautiful song, now lifted in agony and death, as she felt herself lifted into the air and thrown by the force of the blast.

As the ground soared below her flung body she vaguely saw all the bodies below her. So many of the Eldar meeting their ends on this battlefield, their once bright eyes now closed and sealed in death, covered in their life’s blood. She wept agonizing, bitter tears for all those who would never again see the sun or sing to the stars. She wept bitterly for the dead, who were never born to die. Then she knew no more.

**********

Ascadholiel sat up suddenly, screaming her throat raw, screaming until she had no breath left in her to scream, tears pouring down her face as her heart felt rent and bleeding for those she now considered her people. Her screams tapered off into gut-wrenching sobs. She ripped her eyes open, another scream falling from her lips as she felt hands on her shoulders. Her breathing was harsh as she looked at whoever it was who sat beside her on the bed.

As Ascadholiel gazed at Arwen, sobs chocked her again and she flung herself into the arms of the elleth, the sobs half screaming from her heart. Without prompting, she sobbed out to the elleth all that she had seen and felt in her dream and how real it had seemed, speaking in common in her grief.

Arwen held her friend tightly, listening silently, knowing that that was the kind of comfort she needed, and knowing somehow that this was not just a mere dream.

Ascadholiel did not know for how long she cried as Arwen held her, lending her support and love as she whispered comforts into the human’s ear, nor did she care to register the passage of time right then. Finally though, she was done crying and she pulled back and sat up, wiping her red eyes on the sleeve of the robe she was wearing, her breath still hitching a little. “*I apologize Arwen. I should endeavor to hold better restraint over my emotions.*”

Arwen shook her head, worry still so clear in her eyes as she gently brushed the stray strands of hair from the human’s damp face. “*No my friend. Your dreams were troubling. Were it I that was visited by such feel dreams, I too would weep and cry out. You must trust in Legolas though. He will return to you.*”

Ascadholiel smiled a small, but true smile. “*Thank you.*”

Arwen nodded, the smile returned on her beautiful face, and gracefully stood. “*I will always be here for you when you need me for such. Come now mellon nin. It is time to rise anyway. We will be expected at the morning meal.*”

Ascadholiel nodded and rose, quickly going about her morning routine, speaking about this and that with Arwen. She bathed and dressed before sitting down in front of her mirror to brush her hair out. By this time she had been there long enough that was able to braid her own hair elaborately, though she still liked it much better when one of her friends did it for her since it was always far faster and more efficient that way.

As Ascadholiel was tying off one of her braids, she spoke up about something that had been concerning her since she had thought of going to breakfast this morning. “*Arwen, do you think Thranduil will be at morning meal?*”

Arwen nodded as she pulled a wrapped parcel out of the wardrobe where she had hidden it. “*Oh I should very much think so. In fact I have little to no doubt. Of it*”

Ascadholiel almost groaned out loud, but remembered well Galadriel’s teaching, which fortunately and a little surprisingly came very naturally to her. She said instead, “*Would you assist me in placing the flower in my hair again then?*”

Arwen shook her head again, knowing that Ascadholiel could see her in the mirror. The look on her face was almost sly as she smirked, a light of slight excitement in her sparkling eyes. “*I have something much better.*”

Ascadholiel gazed at her friend in the mirror, her eyebrow slightly quirked upward. “*Better you say? What are you up to mellon nin?*”

Arwen just smiled again as she walked back over to the human. “*My mother ordered this made for me years ago when she still dreamed of me wedding Legolas.*”

Ascadholiel was a little surprised, but smiled, not at all threatened as many of her race would be at this news. “*Your mother wanted you to bond to Legolas?*”

Arwen nodded. “*His mother and my mother were best friends from the time they met. They both dreamed of their children bonding. Legolas and I spent much time together in our years, and though we grew to love each other, we never fell in love and the bond formed more of a sibling bond, and it never went as far as a betrothal. This gift would suit you far more than my self.*”

Ascadholiel took the parcel carefully, noting the slight weight of it. She opened it and gasped as it was revealed to her eyes. In her hands lay a circlet of the finest mithryl and gold in the shape of entwining flowers and beech leaves, the symbol of the royal family of Mirkwood and it befitted only a princes of the realm as it was fine and seemed very delicate.

Ascadholiel stared down at it and then turned in her chair so that she could look at Arwen face to face and not just in the mirror. “*I can’t take this! I have nothing to give you for it in return, and your mother had it made for you! I know what it must mean to you for that fact alone!*”

Arwen smiled brightly and took it from Ascadholiel’s hands before placing it on said human’s brow. “*My mother indeed had it made for me, and I know she would want it used. I would be so gratefully happy to see it on you, for you are the Princess of Mirkwood. The woman who brought my dearest brother Legolas heart back to life for the first time in centuries. Who better to wear it than you?*” She stepped back and admired her friend for a moment as the human sat there blushing with a suspicious gleam in her eyes. “*There. Beautiful.*”

Ascadholiel turned and looked at herself in the mirror again, smiling tearfully at her reflection. She stood then and hugged Arwen tightly. “Hannon lle mellon nin! Hannon lle.” (Thank you my friend! Thank you)

Arwen smiled again and nodded, hugging Ascadholiel back, not used to this close embrace often, but enjoying it greatly as always.

The two friends ended their embrace and Ascadholiel checked her appearance one more time, to make sure she looked her best, in the floor length mirror, a gift from Celeborn. This morning she had chosen a gown of deep forest greens and light creams, colors Legolas had always liked on her. The bodess of the gown was low cut on her bosom and clearly showed most of her scar. It had an empyreal waist to it, which emphasized the slight evidence that she was indeed with child. The mithryl in her circlet and pendent and the gold in the same circlet and of the plait of Legolas’ hair all accented the gown perfectly.

Ascadholiel’s eyes riveted at once to what she thought and knew was her best feature, the swell of her belly where her child grew. He hands traveled down and she rubbed it gently speaking softly to the unborn elfling. “*Let’s go eat little one. And remember, we want to continue to impress your grandfather, don’t we?*”

Arwen smiled in reflected joy as she watched and listened to her friend talk to her unborn child, clearly already bonded with it and head over heals in love with the tiny life. “*And you will mellon nin. Both of you.*”

Ascadholiel smiled and nodded walking out the door with Arwen and closing it behind her. She kept one hand lightly on her belly. “*Arwen… do you think my bonded’s father will insist that I remove the circlet and pendant again?*”

A voice from behind them spoke up suddenly, answering the question. “*He will not.*”

Ascadholiel jumped and gave a slight squeak of surprise. On reaction she whirled around and smacked the speaker on the arm. Belatedly she looked up to see who it was, and gazed into the silver eyes of Lord Elrond. She was about to apologize when she saw the smirk on his lips. Seeing that, she planted her hands on her hips. “*Valar! What is it with you elves? Do you all take some sort of perverse pleasure in scaring the hell out of me? I think I’m going to have to spend the next few years making belled collars for your whole race!*”

Elrond chuckled. “*That you might my dear. May I escort you two Ladies to morning meal?*”

The two ladies smiled and Ascadholiel nodded. “*Of course. I would be honored my Lord Elrond.*”

Elrond held his harms out and Arwen and Ascadholiel wrapped one of their own arms through them. As they walked, Elrond spoke. *”As I mentioned before, you will not have to worry much about Thranduil today. After you and Arwen departed for your room yester-eve Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel and I spoke to him in great length concerning you. He has agreed, albeit reluctantly to acknowledge you as his son’s bonded, mostly considering that you in fact carry the prince’s child.*”

Ascadholiel smiled again at that and her left hand moved down to her belly, the joy once again beaming from her face. “*Then I see I own you and them more thanks. I want as little stress on me and my child as possible.*”

Elrond patted her right hand, which was still curled around his arm before taking Arwen’s again. “*There is no thanks needed Ascadholiel. Thranduil can be quite stubborn. Our hearts are simply overjoyed that Prince Legolas has found someone like you to awaken his heart after so long. He was never the same after his mother was killed. She was a good woman and they were the apple of each other’s eyes.*”

Ascadholiel smiled and nodded, her hand still on her abdomen. “*He has freed my heart as well. He told me about his mother after I saw the scar on his back. He said you were the one who saved him. For that alone you would ever have a deep, unshakeable, place in my heart. I cannot imagine life without him anymore.*”

Elrond smiled at her, but in his heart he knew where Thranduil was coming from. After all, Legolas was Thranduil’s only son, just as Arwen was his only child, both of them the youngest of their families, and both having chosen the same fate, knowing of the doom it would lead them to… to love a mortal. Still, in the end, he knew what both would choose. He had after all, already had this conversation with his daughter many times. He jerked his mind away from these dark thoughts as he led the two into the dinning room where the other three nobles were already assembled.

Celeborn, who sat in his customary place at the head of the table, brought attention to the new arrivals by rising to his feet. Galadriel remained seated at his left and the seat on the other side of him was left empty for Elrond to occupy, Thranduil rising to his feet from the chair beside that one.

After greeting were made, Elrond escorted his daughter over to her chair beside her grandmother, while etiquette dictated that Thranduil assist Ascadholiel into the seat at his right. Thranduil did this, staring a little at the now blatant evidence of the human’s pregnancy, now emphasized by the imperial waist of her gown.

She ignored his staring and thanked him properly as she sank down into her high-backed chair, her right hand moving to her slightly distended belly for support. She smiled at the other elves, who had become like family to her and saw the love and welcome in their gazes that, to a stranger, or a normal human would have seemed mysterious and unreadable. Ascadholiel could not help but be a little tense at first, nearly certain, even with Elrond’s assurances, that Thranduil would have some sort of scathing comment or remark for her.

Surprisingly and thankfully, he was quite polite… in a cold way… when he had no choice but to acknowledge her, but mostly he preferred to ignore her, simply pretending that she was not there, while they all carried on quiet conversation throughout the meal. After the meal, Celeborn and Thranduil bid them all a good day and the cousins walked off together, speaking quietly. Galadriel excused herself next and Elrond assisted Ascadholiel in standing, though she blushed and insisted that it was not necessary, a little embarrassed that she was being treated so gingerly.

Before Ascadholiel could thank the Elf Lord and let go of his hand, Elrond spoke quietly, his deep voice easily heard. “*Please accompany me Ascadholiel. I have something that I wish to give to you. It was sent to my wife by Legolas’ mother when they were entertaining the idea of a marriage between our houses.*”

Arwen smiled knowingly and with a kiss to her father’s cheek, glided quietly away.

Ascadholiel saw the smile and was bursting with curiosity. She spoke as the two of them walked along the high pathways, her hand once again tucked securely around Elrond’s strong arm. “*Legolas told me some about your family, and what happened to your wife. I am sorry for all the pain you have had to go through in your life, the pain you must still be going through.*” She saw the emotion in his silver eyes before he could mask it, and he patted her hand and hushed her.

“*Shh… do not worry your self about that. It is indeed difficult and painful, but I know the time is soon coming when I will leave these shores with the rest of my people and be together with her again on the shores of Valinor. Do not dwell on such sad thoughts. This is a happy thing I give you, and I know, like the coronet you now wear, Celebrian and Legolas’ own mother, Ithilwen, would have wanted you to have this. It seems to have been made especially for you. It will fit perfectly into the pendant you now wear where Legolas’ braid rests against your heart.*”

Ascadholiel was more curious now than ever, but she could not have been prepared for the shock of what he gave to her. She looked at him fully when they finally stopped along one of the bridges, a bridge that was, in fact, one of the ones she and Legolas used to favor.

Elrond reached into a tiny purse that was hidden in the wide sash of his robes. He pulled out a tiny parcel and handed it to Ascadholiel.

The human looked down at it and gently unwrapped it, gasping as it came into full view, her hand shooting up to cover her mouth in shock. The face of her beloved, perfect in every tiny detail, smiled back at her from the miniature portrait. She noticed that, while he looked the same, the artist had captured a purely innocent and youthful joy in the prince’s eyes. A joy and innocence that no longer seemed to be there in real life.

Ascadholiel looked up at Elrond, and with tears in her eyes asked, “*This was painted before his mother died, wasn’t it*?”

Elrond nodded. “*Just before he reached his majority. It is over two and a half thousand years old.*”

The human’s eyes widened and she switched out of elvish in her shock. “I can’t take this! I want to but… but I might ruin it or something!”

Elrond smiled again and stopped her, answering likewise. “It is yours. Keep it in your pendant and it will be more than safe from all conditions. Legolas never smiled like this again after Ithilwen, his mother, died. That is, I am told, until he met and fell in love with you. Now worry not about it. It as well as Legolas have been treasured by my whole family, and I know it will be treasured by you as well… like Legolas.” He paused for a moment, as if listening to something only he could hear. He smiled and squeezed one of her hands again as he refocused on her. He switched back to elvish. “*I must leave you now. It seems Galadriel wishes a word with me in person by her mirror.*”

Ascadholiel acted on another whim, something she seemed to be doing more and more since she came to this world, and threw her arms around the tall elf Lord’s neck. She kissed his cheek, tears glittering from her tightly shut eyes as she whished a heartfelt, “*Thank you My Lord Elrond. Thank you so much!*” in his ear.

He nodded and embraced her back briefly. “*You are most welcome Lady Ascadholiel.*” Then he released her and went on his way, leaving her standing on the bridge still gazing at the miniature portrait.

She didn’t know how long she just stood there looking at the face of her beloved bonded, but after a time she realized that she was humming. She gave up on just humming and released the whole song that was again bursting from her very being, not noticing that Elrond, Galadriel, and even Celeborn and Thranduil, had returned and were watching her from a distance, hearing how much she truly loved the Mirkwood prince, by both her words and the feeling in them.

“Got a picture of you I carry in my heart
Close my eyes to see it when the world gets dark
Got a memory of you I carry in my soul
I wrap it close around me when the nights get cold
If you asked me how I'm doin' I'd say just fine
But the truth is baby, if you could read my mind

“Not a day goes by that I don't think of you
After all this time you're still with me it's true
Somehow you remain locked so deep inside
Baby, baby, oh baby, not a day goes by

“I still wait for the phone in the middle of the night
Thinkin' you might call me if your dreams don't turn out right
And it still amazes me that I lie here in the dark
Wishin' you were next to me, your head against my heart
If you asked me how I'm doing I'd say just fine
But the truth is baby, if you could read my mind

“Not a day goes by that I don't think of you
After all this time you're still with me it's true
Somehow you remain locked so deep inside
Baby, baby, oh baby, not a day goes by

“Minutes turn to hours, and the hours to days
Seems it's been forever that I've felt this way

“Not a day goes by that I don't think of you
After all this time you're still with me it's true
Somehow you remain locked so deep inside
Baby, baby, oh baby, not a day goes by.”

Ascadholiel wiped a tear from her eye, struggling with herself not to burst into sobs again as she snapped the pendant closed again, sealing the hair and tiny portrait of her lover safely within, just as she had sealed their love for each other deep within her heart.

**********

A.N.: Finally! I have updated! Yeah, I know it was a hell of a long wait, but then again, RL, College included, is kicking my ever-lovin’ ass! I know I keep saying I’ll try to hurry up and get the next chapter out, and I really will try my damndest. Well, do review, and I hope you all Enjoyed it! Tell me what you think ne?! Much luvs!

~Celesta Hellewise Harman