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𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑬𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻𝒀 𝑺𝑰𝑿
❝ 𝒂 𝒄𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 ❞
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SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, THE FIRES of their supper die down, and the flame of their joy eventually follows. The sounds of laughter soon dwindles to softer chuckles of drunken men, the smell of food and wine blend in with the winds as they are whisked away from them, the fires diminished to smaller flames, and little by little, the crowd thinned.
Miraculously, Èmiliya and Edmund just so happened to be one of the last people to leave from the large amount of Rohirrim invited. Thèoden and Trewyn retired to the Main Hall first, Thèoden offering to aid Trewyn when the woman undergoes a dizzy phase. A few moments later, Aldwin had been requested to join the elderly in order to check up on Trewyn and bring her home — apparently, Trewyn was just experiencing dizzy spells due to the lack of connection...Corin suspects it has something to do with the mermaid tears.
Vera reckons he's right. Mermaid tears are incredibly powerful; a drop too much and one could deteriorate in a matter of seconds.
Gradually, the night began to blend into earlier hours of the morning as the night passes them by very soon. Gimli and Grimmund, after a long drinking game, are passed out on the table with their heads stitched together and their hair braided with one another — which is the work of a very bored Edmund and Èmiliya, as their guardian was too busy flirting with Princess Hope to notice the two other children.
Èowyn and Èomer were then left to take care of the dinner table and festivities as Hope requested that Vera did as few tasks as she possibly could. Vera hadn't been so happy about that but her presence was quite necessary; Legolas was one stroke away from confronting Henry and telling him to back off her sister. She had enlisted Edgar's help in ensuring that Legolas doesn't do anything he shouldn't before Èowyn requested her presence later on.
The brunette mermaid is carefully folding the clothed napkins into their compartments under Èowyn's strong appeal. She ignores everyone else around her and tries to focus on the patterns of her napkins, her ears tuning in every now and then to ensure that Legolas hasn't murdered Hope and Henry, who would need to entertain the two children at one point. Vera worriedly brings her head up, attempting to find the two children to see if they are causing mischief.
She finds them...slowly slipping something they found in the tall grasses into Gimli's ear and Grimmund's hair.
Vera takes that as her cue to stop the tasks, having enough of the short list of duties she did. As the days go by, her fatigue and exhaustion catch up to her, and Vera worries about what it may do when she is needed for battle. The thought hasn't really crossed her mind at all, as Vera never allowed herself to think about that. The symptoms of a pregnant mermaid on land is already hard — the symptoms of pregnancy itself is difficult to deal with — but what now that she has an elf-mermaid hybrid in her stomach? During a darkened war?
There is a reason Vera never let herself think about it too much.
She has so much to lose now.
The mermaid Queen walks towards Èowyn, who is conversing rather quietly with Èomer about something Vera is not sure about, but she doesn't bother asking. Her cousin immediately brightens at Vera's appearance, ignoring whatever it is that Èomer said to her as she turns around completely, obscuring Vera's view from Èomer. She raises an eyebrow.
"Vera!" Èowyn chirps. She seems to be rather enthusiastic despite the time. It must be the wine.
"Èowyn!" Vera greets back, just as cheerily, though her tiredness is evident.
"What brings you here? Are you finished with the napkins?" Èowyn asks, her motherly voice coming out as she worriedly inspects Vera. Vera frowns.
"Err, yes. They are at the tables over there. Listen, I'm planning to take some rest from the...environment here. I think I'll take Èmiliya and Edmund with me; those poor things must be in need of a break, as well. Do tell Henry when he's done flirting with Hope," Vera informs Èowyn, rolling her eyes playfully at the last part. The shieldmaiden giggles.
"Will do, Vera. Get some rest. I will see you later," Èowyn bids her farewells, embracing Vera warmly as she places a chaste kiss on Vera's forehead.
The mermaid feels her stomach flutter and she smiles.
Vera departs from the sibling duo, flashing Èomer a quick smile — which is returned half-heartedly — before bringing herself over to the table consisting of the passed out men and the bored children. She approaches them quietly, ensuring that her presence doesn't alarm them anymore...or awaken Gimli and Grimmund. As much as she knew it wasn't good, she wanted to let the children have some fun...and entertain herself in some sort of way.
She supposes seeing bugs crawling all over their faces is enough.
Edmund sees her instantly, and he inches closer to Èmiliya protectively, giving Vera a glare. The mermaid chuckles to herself at the scene; Edmund obviously didn't need someone taking his best friend and leaving him alone to take care of two, overgrown men. Thankfully, though, Vera is here to save them both. Perhaps this will gain her some favor with Edmund, who seems to resent her presence quite a bit. She didn't really blame him.
"Well, what are you rascals up to?" Vera breaks the silence between the group, causing an instant reaction from everyone.
Edmund considerably pulls Èmiliya closer to him while the little girl struggles to swat him off in her excitement of having her friend here, while Gimli and Grimmund stir simultaneously. Vera rolls her eyes dramatically at the scene but she couldn't banish the smile breaking on her visage; they were all so adorable.
"Vera!" Èmiliya exclaims excitedly but cringes after Vera and Edmund shush her loudly. "Sorry...Vera!" she repeats in a whispered tone.
Vera grins. "Well, well, well...look what we have here. I don't reckon it's enjoyable watching two overgrown men snore on one another, isn't it?" They shook their heads and grumbled. "No, I didn't think so. What do you both say about running around for a while, and then returning home? The fires are still lit, and as long as there is light, the night is as young as ever." They hesitate. Vera smiles. "I won't begrudge you both of anything. I promise."
That seemed to do the trick, as the two children brightened immediately. In seconds, they were scrambling to get away from the table of snoring and snotty men, threatening to attack one another in an effort of getting away. Vera could hear them chirping 'tag!' at one another, and sighs to herself. Maybe she should have enlisted some sort of limits; she didn't need anyone to get hurt now.
But she couldn't change that anymore.
Vera sighs but lets the amusement get to her before she follows after Èmiliya and Edmund, who are running freely through the tall greens and wide fields. The woman stops at the archway, her feä feeling the smallest tugs in her stomach. Vera turns around, her eyes connecting with Legolas. She beckons him over; a signal that he should follow her and the children into the grassy fields. He abides.
With the children babbling and screaming in the background as they participate in a friendly game of tag...well, Vera didn't know whether to call it friendly anymore — she swears she can hear Èmiliya threatening to break Edmund's arm if he went near her (and it quite ruined the whole point of the game.) — but she decides not to interfere...Edmund can handle himself and Èmiliya.
Legolas is standing next to her as they silently watch the children play, using their skilled eyes to ensure that no trouble reaches them and everything remains steady and peaceful between their location and the gathering. Vera fumbles with her hands nervously; she had decided to let Legolas tag along, but only because she wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him about the child in her stomach...his child.
The moon is shining rather luminescent in the night sky of blanketed stars, who wish Vera the greatest of lucks, and the cold breeze of Rohan brush upon them. The atmosphere is peaceful and steady and light, something that Vera hasn't experienced or appreciated in a long time. There is no awkwardness between the duo and there is no thick tension that could ruin the moment they have. Vera smiles to herself; he always brought her comfort...no matter what.
Legolas intertwines their fingers slowly together as their faer communicated with one another; there is no need for words.
Slowly, they merge with each other.
Vera is pulled to his side almost instantly afterward and his arms embrace her in response to the arms slithered around his waist. The brunette rests her head on his chest as she lets herself breathe his scent in and feel his presence; adore his spirit tingling with hers. She wonders if he can feel — or if he even suspects — that there is something else within their bond...something they both have created with the strength of her spirit and his soul.
They remain in that position for a long while, merely letting the silence fill them in. Love is shared between them, maybe not in the form of verbal words but it is evident there.
Vera decides to break the silence.
"Hope told me a story."
Legolas looks at her, confusion shining in his beautifully blue eyes. Vera smiles, hoping it would pacify his unease at her abrupt statement in the midst of the silence that surrounded them. It seemed to do somewhat of the trick as Legolas' shoulders relax. Good Eru, if he is tensed about this, he is going to faint at what I have to tell him! Do elves faint? Vera dismisses her thoughts and forces another smile; though this one is more confused and reluctant. She regrets her actions now. How is she going to tell him something like this?
Vera didn't think this through thoroughly enough. She didn't know how she could extend this to reach over what she had to say, but her brain had been forcing her to say something and to get it over with before the night ends, and it had uttered the first thing that came to her mind...which just so happened to be the most adorable story about their childhood when Vera had first told Hope about the pregnancy. Still, the woman didn't give up, and let the word vomit flow...it seemed her mind knew what to say as it was.
Perhaps she should learn to trust it more.
"Hope told me a story...about you and her, as children — elflings, if I am being precise," Vera begins, putting amusment and nonchalance in her tone so he won't suspect more than he already does (as if it isn't weird enough that she is talking so suddenly about their childhood.) She continues after a long breath and pause, "about your Naneth's gardens. Hope tells me that it is larger and wider than the forest within your borders, because it is a magical world of happiness and memory."
Legolas frowns. Vera knows he is trying to search for the memory she is talking about, andit may take a while as he had lived a long life. Vera isn't so sure if she was even born during this time...they are a lot older than her.
When he doesn't reply, Vera takes this as her oppurtunity to explain further, "Apparently...you were quite the overzealous sort. You had challenged her to a friendly game of 'tag!', similar to Èmiliya and Edmund's. Although, considering both you and Hope are highly competitive and driven, it is far from friendly. There was a bruise, no? On your shoulder?"
Legolas' eyes light up in recognition. He chuckles, bowing his head in slight embarassment and shame. Hope liked to rub that certain memory every now and again. "Please tell me she didn't tell you more...that is already humiliating enough," Legolas complains, groaning a little under his breath. Vera laughs, leaning into his side to nuzzle her nose affectionately with his. "Do continue...I would like to see the point of this sudden conversation."
Vera pushes herself off him, practicallt shoving him to the ground at his sarcastic remark. Legolas laughs. Vera rolls her eyes. "If you wouldn't interrupt then perhaps I would."
"Well go on with it then...I shan't say another word," Legolas counters, a knowing smirk plastered on his face.
Vera grumbles, "I was getting to it." She swallows nervously, now that the thick silence settled in once more and she was getting closer and closer to the point. "I—I was just wondering..."
"Yes?" Legolas inquires, his patience running thing. Vera scowls petulantly at Legolas.
"Will you let me finish?"
"Sorry."
"Anyway — I was wondering..."
"You've said that twice now," Legolas points out.
"I swear to Eru if you make another comment I will cut your mouth off!"
"I was joking!"
"Joke less!" Vera complains, frowning at Legolas as she sighs in slight annoyance.
Legolas pulls her in. "You may continue now...I promise I won't interrupt you."
Vera believes him this time, and she decides to take the leap. "Do you ever ponder our future?"
The blonde tree elf seems taken aback by the out-of-the-blue question, and Vera cringes as the silence takes over them once more...more awkward than it was before. He fumbles over the question, seemingly taking his time with his answer.
As Vera is about to open her mouth to dismiss the stupid question, Legolas answers, "Yes."
A simple word that sent shivers down her spine. They meet eyes. Legolas's sincere orbs press into hers, causing her to lose her mind just for a few moments. Thankfully, he decides to further his answer. "I think about our future a lot...a world where there is only light, just for us."
"Just for us?" Vera repeates questioningly.
"Well..." Legolas trails off, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. Vera smiles delightedly, knowing where he is leading to this. Suddenly, she isn't as nervous.
"I remember when I had hidden from Neptune during our youth years," Vera starts again, "he had done something to upset me, and Mother had sided with him. Littler me had thought it was unfair, so I packed everything I had and left the Castle. Not that it mattered, for I couldn't find my way out of our borders...no matter how much I wanted to explore. Mother was scared, though...she didn't want me to leave. That night, she told me a story...when she was with child. Apparently, we had bonded even in earlier months...something about a stronger feä. She had promised me that night that she couldn't lose me, and it would break her completely. I suppose Motherhood does that."
Legolas is confused once more. "Vera...what is this about? Are you...alright? Do you miss your mother?"
"Quite so, actually," Vera replies, "I suppose she would be the only one able to assist me in this situation."
"This...situation?" Legolas asks in confusion.
The elf sits upright completely, his eyes confused and wild with curiosity as he attempts to comprehend Vera's epiphany. Vera bites her lips nervously and picks at her fingernails, the nerves and anxiety getting to her as she lets his mind work. The brunette already has one hand placed on her stomach in hopes that it would suggest something and give him a hint. Vera could practically see the gears in his mind working in order to gather the correct outcome and Vera knows that he is slowly reaching there...just a little more.
Vera forces a smile as his eyes click.
"Vera..."
"I—I...I am with child," Vera says.
Silence.
A beat passes.
Another beat.
Vera can hear her heart beating in her chest against her ribcage and in her lungs. She coukd feel it echoing through her body and resonating in waves. She could see the red blood pumping through her body and the running of it in her ears. She waits. She waits for an answer, for a reaction, anything. But the moments pass and it seems that Legolas has entered a state of shock; the elf merely didn't speak. Vera bites her lip.
She leans forward. "And...they're yours...in case you were wondering."
She thought she'd give it a shot. But her trick seemed to work just as well, as Legolas abruptly moves to his feet, causing Vera to follow his movements cautiously and slowly...she wonders what is happening in that pretty head of his. He points at her stomach, eyes wider than a bambi deer, and mouth agape as if he needed to say something. Vera would find this funny if it weren't for the context of the situation.
"You are...with child? My—our child?" Legolas manages to stutter out in a series of breaths; he just couldn't believe it, it seems.
Vera nods, worried tears clouding her vision as she sends him a nervous and timid smile. "Yes. I...I—I truly am with child."
The ecstatic new father didn't seem to let anything cloud his judgement as he lurches forward and does the unexpected: he embraced her. Legolas wrapped his arms around Vera in happiness and in slight sadness. The overjoyed parent wanted nothing more than to start a family with the woman — err, mermaid — he loved, but the circumstances of their situation was making it harder. Additionally, it seemed a little too soon...but Legolas didn't think of that (he wouldn't let himself think that.) for their moment now is a happy one. Sure, he would've wanted a family with Vera a little later and preferably after a war, but there is nothing he can do to change it now.
Èmiliya and Edmund watch from a safe distance in confusion as Legolas plucks Vera up and twirls her around, happy exclaimations and laughs leaving their lips as they share kisses and affirmations of love in between. The duo share a look. "What do you think is going on there?"
"It's best not to ask, Èmiliya, adults are strange. Especially those two. Grimmund told me that they hit each other..."
"Edmund...what?"
"You know, like bang."
"Oh. I don't think Grimmund knows what he's saying. Why would they hit one another in one moment and then look happy the next?"
"It's best not to ask. Like I said, dearest Èmiliya, adults are a different breed."
"Agreed."
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As the hours roll into the later night and early dawn, Vera and Legolas decide to retire back to the gathering, not long after their discussion concerning their child. Vera had informed him previously that only Hope had known about the child and the fact that she is pregnant, and that she had only told Hope the night before. He seemed pleased with that answer and continue the conversation like normal. Although, they tried touching every topic and aspect of their circumstances as best they could, Vera and Legolas chose to neglect the awaited conversation about the darkness and the upcoming wars.
Legolas may not have bothered with it in an effort of keeping Vera protected, but Vera just chose not to think about it. She knew what would happen if they were to be in battle, and she wasn't going to risk it. The prospect gave her too much of a headache; she couldnt't quite think about it.
But Vera would later discover that this conversation is inevitable, because at the end of the day, she would have to sacrifice something — or someone — in one way or the other.
The mermaid had assisted Hope and Henry in escorting the passed out Èmiliya and dozing off Edmund to their beds while Legolas participated in cleaning the last of the celebration up, too overjoyed to care that he was forced to take care of Gimli consequently. Apparently, Èomer and Legolas were in charge of delivering the unconscious Grimmund and Gimli, as Èowyn had scolded her brother after he made the suggestion of leaving them in the open field with no protection.
Needless to say, the remaining guests of the supper were occupied and otherwise unable to entertain or assist Vera.
In fact, she didn't know where the others were now.
She hopes that Gimli and Grimmund are in their beds, asleep and snoring the night away. She hopes that Edmund and Èmiliya are passed out and resting after the long night of running about and causing mischief. Vera hopes that Henry and Hope are sorting their differences and moving closer to the obvious feelings between them. Vera hopes that Èowyn, Edgar, and Èomer are returning to their bedchambers now, ready for a long night og sleep and rest.
She hopes that Legolas is happy. The tree elf was accompanying his sister towards Meduseld, where Vera had last saw him. Apparently, the elf wanted to spend some time with his sister — after Vera had convinced him and spent a few minutes trying to persuade him to leave her alone just for a moment to think — so Hope had agreed to the request. Vera is thankful for the time she has alone.
Currently, the woman is sitting down at the steps looking over the mountains and high regions of Rohan. The larger sectors behind the beautiful country made up for the exhaustion Vera felt, as she mentally jotted down the mountainous areas in her list about 'best experiences on the land of Middle Earth.' The leaves beside her rustle, indicating that someone is beside her. Vera turns her head, and smiles immediately at Aragorn as he sits beside her comfortably.
They adjust their positions so that Vera is leaning on his shoulder, and they stay there for a long time in the night. Vera learns that Aragorn spends as many days as he can watching the fires outside to ensure that they don't miss the signals sent by Gandalf, meaning that they would start the battle. They would be in the war. Vera gulps.
"Aragorn?"
"Yes, Vera?"
"If Arwen were still here," Vera quietly starts, pausing when he tenses a bit, "would you want her to be safe...no matter what you are sacrificing?"
Aragorn is silent, and Vera doesn't know what he is going to say next. But she definitely didn't expect this.
"No," Aragorn answers, causing Vera to whip her head in shock and appall. "Sometimes, my dear Vera, one must sacrifice something for the greater good. Even if it hurts..."
"Which is why you let her go...so she wouldn't get hurt...and the world would be safe. Because they need you, don't they?" Vera quietly asks.
Aragorn nods. "Vera...is everything alright?"
The brunette swallows the lump in her throat. How could she be so ignorant towards her friends? Aragorn, in pain and under a lot of stress it seems, asked her if she were ok when she is not the one that the world depends on. Yet she is weak, and asking him for help, when he is the only one who needs it. She sighs. "I am with child..."
"Oh."
"And...everything is falling apart. I was happy, Aragorn, and now...it's changed," Vera finally expresses, letting the tears fall down too. She didn't have to say more, because Aragorn understood her and knew what she was thinking. That was always how they worked. Instead, her dearest Ranger friend pulls her in closer so she could cry quietly, and Vera does everything she can to focus on something else.
The mountains glow with the light of the moon falling upon them, the early shades of blue appearing across the patterns of the sky to create and emit a luminscent aura. Vera has never seen something so beautiful.
Vera hopes her child will see this too.
Although that thought seemed happy and peaceful, it brought Vera more shame and regret than it should've. It seems that the long times in which she avoided serious discussions that are important and needed for her child's survival is catching upto her, now that she told the family of her children, it was more real now. It makes sense and it's real and it's going to happen...it's not some fantasy created in her mind.
Vera is going to have a child who is going to enter this world...this world of evil and darkness and pain and sorrow and bloodshed. And she cannot fight a battle for a better world while her child is in her womb, at risk and in danger constantly.
Soon, it would come down to a choice, and sometimes, whatever she chooses...may not be what she wanted.
What the hell is she going to do now?