Dawnstar and Friend

Eleanor’s POV
The only thing that mars the next several weeks is the non-stop teasing from my friends and family about the relationship between me and Legolas.
This results in us going off to some of the more remote parts of Rivendell to escape and be gooey.
On one such occasion, my prince looks troubled so I bug out of him what.
“What would you think if I were to go off on a long, dangerous journey on which I may well not return?” Right, Elrond has approached him about joining the Fellowship. I try to answer without giving away what I know.
“Depends on the purpose, if it was just a suicidal stunt then I would bloody well kill you, but if there was a good reason then I would tell you to write when you can, then kiss you senseless for a while and let you go.” He looks relieved and engages in some of that kissing senseless.
“Your great nephew has asked me to join a fellowship to help Frodo take the Ring to Mordor. I have not answered yet, because I wanted to ask if you minded me going, for I would not leave without your blessing.” I now kiss him senseless; his main reason for saying no was me? This guy cannot be real.
The Fellowship are due to leave on the evening of Christmas day, which means that they are present for the insanity that we know as Christmas.
Thankfully, this year everyone is warned in advance so, apart from everything else, we have help decorating.
The Hobbits seem to think that Christmas is a particularly good idea.
Legolas seems amused by the fact that we all spent the 25 days beforehand being very excited.
That year we give rather more presents than usual, and we receive many more too, much to our personal enjoyment.
I particularly enjoy it because Legolas wakes me up with kisses (even though he is not supposed to be in my room) and the present of a truly lovely dress in Mirkwood-green, which is made in the Rivendell style. Apparently, though his father does not approve, Legolas does like the local highly revealing dresses.
Why doesn’t that surprise me?
The dress is actually in a very similar style to the ones we rode in on Thanduil in, but instead of the laces on the other dress, there is a single, tenuously tied, piece of dark green ribbon that goes under my arms and round my back, attached to the dress under to rolling ‘neckline’ and another attached under my bust that also ties at the back. I am amazed that it stays up. The fabric is taffeta and it rustles delightfully when I walk.
I wear the dress that day and put on a gold necklace, matching earrings and foliage crowns we made out of winter plants the previous day. I have to admit I not only look lovely, but very much like a forest nymph of the medieval-Celtic myths.
Legolas seems suitably charmed by my outfit that is for certain. He cannot seem to take his hands from around my waist all day.
The Christmas meal is wonderful and the Hobbits are happy because, not only is there a ‘proper’ meal, but we also make sure that there are some mushroom dishes for their eating pleasure.
In the afternoon, the Fellowship have to go to their rooms to get ready to leave at dusk, a time that I think is blooming stupid, but no one asked me so...
Before he leaves to get ready, Legolas takes me out into a private part of the gardens.
Much to my amazement he gets down on one knee, despite the snow and his nice clothing.
He then asks me a question I thought I would never hear.
“Will you do me the honour of binding with me?” I have to admit that I stared at him in incomprehension. After a few seconds, his head dropped, taking my silence as a no.
His movement knocked me out of my shock and I flung myself into his arms, sitting on his knee and kissed him until we had to stop to breath. He looked up at me hopefully and asks me if that is a yes.
“Legolas, you couldn’t get a more resounding yes if you tried.” We sort of degenerate into a pair of love sick fools for a little while after that.
He then whips out a beautiful gold ring with some blue jewels and one large diamond. He then explains the blue ones are some extremely rare blue diamonds. He apparently made the ring for me immediately after my escape from Mirkwood, how is that for dedication?
After that we go to his room and I leave him to get ready, suddenly feeling a bit mopey.
Suddenly I remember something and rush to my room to get it.
I had forgotten that on my travels I had got a little locket with a picture of me in it. It was probably not very good quality, but anyway.
We waited on the steps for the Fellowship to convene and a little while before the Hobbits came out, Legolas came out and I was able to talk to him. I gave him that locket and he seems utterly charmed by the gift and promised me he would never take it off.
Though we had an audience I couldn’t help kissing him to insensibility. There was a loud cough behind us and Elrond was watching us with a sardonically raised eyebrow.
I take this opportunity to announce our betrothal.
The looks from those around us is classic, I don’t think they expected that.
Once everyone is over their shock, they all come round and congratulate us, though I sense their joy is tempered by the knowledge that my fiancé is about to leave for a potentially deadly quest; only Miriel and Ginny are not burdened by this, they both know that he will return.
I sing the Fellowship off with the rest of the elves, mournful that Legolas is now gone and I will not see him for a long time.
I have to admit to spending the next few days moping.
During this time, Arwen is an absolute gem. She is the same situation as me, her betrothed has also gone on this quest and she does not know if he will return.
We spend much time talking together and she gets to know my cat well. Nyx can obviously sense that I am unhappy and will not leave my side.
I find it is very comforting to have the giant fluff ball to curl up with. It is the first time I notice how long our cats have lived, yet they don’t seem to be getting old. Then again we always realised that they are not normal cats in any description.
After a few days of my moping, Ginny and Miriel get fed up and decide a new scene is necessary.
They pack up and bully me into joining them.
Shortly after midday, a week after the Fellowship leaves Rivendell, we too leave and cross the mountains to Lorien, my friends not wanting me out of safety for too long in my distracted state.
There is another reason for going there, of course.
Not long after we arrive, going much faster than the Fellowship because we are on horses, we reach Lorien and are met by the guards and Haldir is ecstatic to see us, as are his brothers and, when I tell them about my engagement, they congratulate me enthusiastically, though a certain pair of younger brothers act disappointed by the fact that they have lost out to Legolas.
We stay on the borders for the night then ride onto the city to be greeted by Celeborn and Galadriel who are also extremely happy at my engagement.
They ask if Thanduil has been told and we realise that no one has sent him a message telling him. This amuses Galadriel hugely and she agrees to send a messenger once we have written our messages to him, we being Miriel and I.
The next day we sit down a write to my soon-to-be-father-in-law. My letter goes something like this.
Dear King Thanduil
I am not sure if Elrond has sent you a note and I am fairly sure that your son has not, though I am not certain of this. The reason for this letter is to tell you something I am sure you should know, and that is that not long ago your son asked me to bind with him and I have agreed, after having courted him for a certain time while in Rivendell.
Within hours of us getting betrothed it was necessary for him to leave on a quest, that I am sure you already know about, and we parted ways. I am now in Lorien, largely because your daughter and Ginny felt I was being over soppy about parting from your son. It is my missing your son and the subsequent travel that has resulted in me being lax in ensuring you were informed of mine and Legolas’ betrothal, for I was only reminded to make sure by Celeborn and Galadriel. I think they find all this rather funny.
Sincerely,
Eleanor, Princess of Gondolin.
I don’t read Miriel’s letter as I am sure that I really don’t want to know what she has said, even though she offers me the opportunity.
I am sure that Ginny has read it though and her expression confirms that I really don’t want to know.
That afternoon a messenger leaves with the message, along with one from our esteemed hosts.
Us girls then sit back and wait for the arrival of our favourite Hobbits, humans, Dwarf, and Elf. The guy is going to get kissed senseless on his arrival, no matter how much he is grieving.
Ginny’s POV
Naturally, none of us can stop teasing Ellie and Legolas as the days become colder and darker. I become particularly fond of a little tune that starts: Ellie and Legolas sitting in a tree...
Miriel joins in, as does Vanlanthiriel even if she doesn’t truly understand its significance.
Ellie becomes so annoyed with us that we soon only start chanting it when we’re either out of range of flying snowballs or are protected by other elves (Ada for me, the twins for Miriel).
Murrlin and I are both very glad that the Fellowship won’t be embarking on their quest until the end of December. She seems to have become inordinately attached to the Hobbits; whenever she’s near them, she drowns out the conversation with her purrs as she rubs her head against theirs.
Another good thing about the Fellowship not leaving until that time is we get to introduce even more people to Christmas; this makes Christmas Day even more exciting and rowdier than ever before.
The look on the Hobbits’ faces when they see the table laden with Christmas dinner is a picture – I think they may just have a go at introducing Christmas to the Shire. They may not understand the reasons behind Christmas, but that certainly won’t stop them from making an excuse for even more feasts and celebrations.
Even so, the day is slightly tainted by the Fellowship’s preparations to start on their quest.
When we all assemble on the steps leading down to the main courtyard, I notice that Ellie seems to be very cheerful and dreamy about something. She’s slightly pink in the face, when she tells me it’s the cold I nod, but I don’t believe her somehow.
She goes even pinker when Legolas passes us and runs to join him. I watch her put something into his hand, he then whispers into her ear and the next minute, they’re locked together in a warm embrace.
They only stop when Elrond coughs significantly. Ellie then announces their betrothal, causing everyone to stare at them in shock. I don’t why though, the way those two were carrying on just now I would have thought it was obvious that something was on the cards.
Only Miriel and I are truly ecstatic at this news, I think everyone else was slightly worried at the potentially lethal quest that Legolas is about to join. Foreknowledge may be a burden at times, but it sure as hell has its benefits too.
Having said that, even foreknowledge cannot stop Ellie from becoming a lovesick bag of misery – she must really have fallen head-over-heels for Legolas.
In the end, Miriel and I get so bored of it that we persuade Ellie to come with us on a little trip.
Where do you think we choose? Why, Lorien of course!
In these darkening days, Ada isn’t quite so keen for me to go gallivanting off over Middle Earth, until I remind him that Lorien is probably just as safe as Rivendell; he gives in gracefully.
Lorien also has the added advantage of getting a bit of action sometime in the near future.
Little did we know that we would soon be getting a whole lot more action and danger than any of us had ever bargained for...