Title & Chapter Number: War of Daenova 5/?
Author(s): - Author's Index
Fandom: LOTR Crossover with Legend of the Swords
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: "Lord of the Rings," "The Silmarillion" and "The Lost Tales" belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, and I'm borrowing them without permission. They will be returned when I am through. Legend of the Swords (LOTS) is owned by the Chroniclers of Khaenna, and I borrowed that with permission. This is a non-profit piece of fiction, so all you lawyers can just bugger off and find someone else to swindle.
Warnings: Character resurrection (Ereinion Gil-galad); the very fact that this is a crossover.
Betas: None
Cast: Major players in the Trilogy; characters from LOTS
Timeline: War of the Ring for LOTR; AU for LOTS
Spoilers: A lot of things from the Trilogy, particularly ROTK. If you've only seen the movies, then stay away from the middle parts of the fic until you've seen all three.
Summary: LOTR AU CROSSOVER. Gandalf has brought in strange new guests for Elrond's Council. They are a mysterious group of people who hid from the Free Races of Middle-Earth - until now. In the lead of their Queen, Caelis, they have decided that it is time to lift the veil over their existence and fight alongside Elves, Men, Dwarves and Hobbits for the freedom of Middle-Earth. But the War of the Ring is only the beginning of another War, for in the realm of Khaenna, Caelis must rise up to claim her birthright and lead her people in a bitter struggle to wrest their lands from the darkness of the Shadow.
Notes: Mostly bookverse, though there will be times when it will occasionally slip into movie-verse - but mostly when the two coincide so seamlessly that it is possible for one to have occured in the other. Thoughts will be written 'like so', and dialogue will be written "like so". Also, many of the conversations in Elvish will be written ^like so^. Many of the conversations in Daenovan will be written ~*like so*~. Any words/phrases that are written in their original, whether Elvish or Daenovan, shall have asterisks beside them and then they will have translations at the bottom of every chapter. Same thing goes for unfamiliar terms.
Chapter Five: Of My Own Free Will
~*My Lady, that is folly!*~
Dives stared, aghast, at Caelis. The latter flicked her eyes upwards to look at the Moon Dragon. ~*And why do you think it is folly?*~
~*You know of the dangers you face, do you not? You have seen what Barad-dur is like.*~ Dives shot her liege-lady as pleading a gaze as she could muster. ~*Caelis, you are going on a suicide mission! If you die, then we lose hope of ever reclaiming Daenova!*~
~*But I MUST go,*~ Caelis insisted. ~*The Dragons will have to send a representative. I am that representative.*~
~*You could send someone else,*~ Dives insisted. ~*Send Rishkon, he is better at sword fighting than any of us. Or I could go - I could be the healer of the group.*~
Caelis shook her head with finality. ~*No, Dives. I will go. I stand for all the Six True Households as High-Queen. Responsibility is laid upon my shoulders for the safety of our people. I will go.*~
Dives closed her mouth, unable to continue arguing. Caelis had a point. She was, as she said, High-Queen, and thus the best person to represent the Dragons. And she was very capable, both as a fighter and as a healer.
'But she places too much responsibility upon herself,' Dives thought sadly. 'She knows her position, and she knows her duty. But she puts too much focus on that.'
This was quite true. Ever since the death of her mother Caelis had grown up swiftly - far too swiftly, as Urima had once said. Then again, Caelis was a child of war, born during a time of uncertainty and of strife. She, like many of the children born in times of upheaval, had a sense of maturity that came at an early age. They did not have the time to enjoy their youth.
This was something that Dives, whose childhood had been spent in what was now known as the Golden Age of Daenova, had the chance to see. Dives had grown up in a time of peace, when everyone thought that Dragonis was undefeatable, that no one would be able to make the Capital fall.
They had all been mistaken, of course, but at least they had pleasant memories to go by, hopes and dreams that never quite fade away because they had the time to grow up at their own pace, in their own time. Which was not the case with Caelis and her cousins, Kalendias and Yuqi.
Caelis stood up then, and began moving towards the door. ~*I am going out for a walk, Dives. Do you wish to accompany me?*~
Dives looked up, and gazed at her friend and Queen. Although Caelis had openly extended an invitation, it was quite plain in her eyes that she wished to be alone.
Dives smiled, and shook her head. ~*No, I think I will stay inside for a while. I have wished to speak with Lord Elrond about the healing techniques of the Elves, and I think it is time that I should go and speak with him.*~
Caelis smiled back, and nodded, exiting the room in a flutter of silver and white.
~*~*~*~
She could taste winter on the air, feel the slight sting of the cold as her breath hit the back of her throat with every breath she took in. And yet, winter did not seem to come to Rivendell. She could still smell autumn, and maybe, under that, a hint of a summer long gone.
She smiled slightly, remembering how, as a child, she would spend winters in the southern coastal mansions and palaces of the Sea Dragons, when the winters were brutal and not much fun even for Dragons. But if winter was mild, then she and the rest of her family would remain in Dragonis, and she would have the pleasure of running around in the palace compound, initiating mass snowball fights among the nobles and the royal guard.
'Rishkon used to disapprove of the snowball fights,' she mused with a smile. 'He used to tell me that I shouldn't act so childish, that I should act more maturely. But it was only because he always hated the snow because he was unused to it.' She shook her head. 'Flame Dragons can be so stiff sometimes.'
"It is a refreshing sight to see you smiling, My Lady."
Caelis looked up, startled. She blinked when she saw a tall figure with dark hair and glimmering gray eyes, clad in silver and royal blue, step out from behind one of the birch trees. Her smile broadened as she curtsied. "Indeed, My Lord?"
Ereinion nodded as he approached. "I have rarely seen you smile, My Lady. When we first met each other in Mordor, your smile was only one of courtesy, such as one that a well-bred lady would give when meeting someone. But to see you smile because something pleases you...well, I have seen that only once: today."
"Does My Lord assume that his presence pleases me, then?" Caelis asked teasingly.
"At the risk of being rebuked, I would be inclined to agree," Ereinion replied pleasantly.
Caelis laughed, and she felt rather surprised at the sound. 'It has been long since I laughed like this.' Indeed, it had been long since she had had cause to laugh the way she had when she was a child: truly, utterly happy, without a single care in the world.
But she had responsibilities now. She was Queen, whether she would admit it or not. And as long as she held that position, as long as she was the leader of her people, THEIR well-being came first, not her own.
'But can I not forget about responsibility, even for this brief moment in time?'
She started out of her thoughts when she felt a warm touch on her arm. She looked up, and saw Ereinion looking down at her, eyes twinkling merrily in the soft winter light. "Would it please the lady, then, to go for a stroll with me?"
She giggled, and nodded, looping her arm around his proffered one as they began to walk.
~*~*~*~
Urima smiled at the sight he saw below him. ~*Well, this is quite amusing.*~
Rishkon glared at him, then at the gardens below. ~*That Elf certainly has a lot of gall if he thinks he can go around with Lady Caelis on his arm. He will have to answer to me in a while.*~
~*Leave them be, Rishkon,*~ Urima said with a wave of his hand. ~*The Lady has the right to choose whose company she wishes to keep. We have no right to tell her otherwise.*~
~*But look at them!*~ Rishkon hissed, making sure that he did not speak too loudly lest Caelis catch the sound of his voice on the wind. ~*Does the Elf think he can seduce the Lady this way?! She is much too young! And besides, why should she marry an Elf, and an Elf of this realm at that?! She is QUEEN, Urima. She has a responsibility to her people. She CANNNOT allow herself to fall for a being of this realm, not when we are so close to leaving it!*~
Urima gazed at his friend directly, sapphire piercing ruby. ~*And what is so wrong with this sight you see, Rishkon? I see no harm in it. In fact, I can only see good things coming from it.*~
~*Urima is right, Rishkon.*~
Urima looked up, and smiled as Dives walked onto the balcony. Knowing that he now had someone to back up his argument, he bowed to the Moon Dragon. ~*My dear, please enlighten Rishkon on the benefits of our Queen enjoying the company of Lord Ereinion.*~
Dives laughed softly, and took Urima's outstretched hand in her own. ~*My beloved is correct, Rishkon,*~ she told the Flame Dragon. ~*You and I, we lived to see the Golden Age of Daenova. We had our chance at happiness and, yes, love.*~
She turned to look at Caelis and Ereinion. ~*But that has not been the case with the Lady. She was born in a time of turmoil, in a time of war. She was only a thousand years old when the Royal Family fled from Daenova to this world - a thousand years old when she saw her father slain before her very eyes. She has had to grow up too quickly, placing the responsibilities of our people upon her shoulders too soon. She has had little time to enjoy love. Lord Ereinion can only do good things for the Lady.*~
Rishkon did not wish to back down from the debate. ~*But he is an ELF! If the Lady were to lose her heart to him, then the Royal Line will be broken! You know how it is with our kind: once we have given our heart to another, that love can no longer be taken back. It is final and unbreakable. Have you ever given thought to what may happen should the Lady give her heart to the Elf?!*~
~*But we cannot prevent her from doing what she wills,*~ Urima said. ~*Her heart is hers to give, and none may tell her to give it other than to whom she chooses. The love of our kindred is based on free will, Rishkon. That much you must remember. If she should give her heart to him, then there is nothing that we may do to stop it, for we know that it will be given freely and with due reason. And I do not see anything wrong with her loving an Elf, whether he be of this realm or of Khaenna.*~
Rishkon scowled darkly. ~*But if she weds someone who is not a Dragon, she will most certainly abdicate the throne,*~ he muttered. ~*Do you wish for that to happen? She is the last direct descendant of the Dragon-Kings. We all know this.*~
~*That never did seem to matter with the Lady,*~ Dives murmured. ~*She never considered it such a great and important thing. She was never greedy for the power of the throne. To her, being born of the Royal Household was simply a matter of chance - and maybe a curse. If she chooses to wed anyone who is not of our kindred, then yes, I am certain she will abdicate the throne. But I am also certain that she will not abandon our people so quickly. She will choose another one to lead, another who can lead our people the way she would have.*~
~*Admit that you have lost this debate,*~ Urima chided Rishkon gently. ~*The Lady will do what she will. The tides will shift and dance, but I see that they can only be for her favor. I know the promise you made to our King, Rishkon. I know of the vow you swore to him, that you would defend and protect his darling daughter - his heir - for as long as you lived. You may have not realized it, but you smother her. Caelis is no longer the child who needs to be protected all the time. She can stand up for herself.*~
Rishkon sighed heavily, and Urima smiled amusedly. 'I do not seem to recall Rishkon ever looking so weak as he does now,' the Sea Dragon thought.
~*You are right,*~ the Flame Dragon said gruffly. ~*I suppose that I have been overprotective of the Lady. But I only wish to fulfill my oath. I only wish to fulfill the promise I made to His Majesty, the promise to the request he asked of me on his dying breath.*~ He turned to Urima. ~*But you have the gift of foresight, a gift that I do not have. If you foresee that Lord Ereinion,*~ he said the name with a slight snarl, ~*can only be good for the Lady, then so be it. I shall leave him be. But you cannot stop me from ripping him limb-from-limb should he so much as DARE hurt the Lady.*~
Urima chuckled, and nodded. ~*Very well then, Rishkon. Although I doubt if it shall ever come to that.*~
~*~*~*~
^Could you have foreseen such a thing, Mithrandir?^
Gandalf chuckled, and shook his head, leaning on his staff as he joined Elrond by the balcony. ^No My Lord, I did not. Although it does not surprise me that Caelis should be quite taken with Lord Ereinion. They seem to be quite familiar with each other.^
^I am not surprised, especially after finding out that the Lady used to send messages to Ereinion detailing Sauron's war strategies.^ Elrond chuckled, and shook his head. ^Now I understand why his strategies were so sound.^
Gandalf sighed. ^I am certain, though, that some of Caelis' friends will not approve of this union, should there ever be one.^
Elrond raised an eyebrow curiously at Gandalf. ^What do you mean?^
^Amongst the Serpentines, love is completely a matter of free will,^ Gandalf began. ^Since they are immortal like the Quendi, they believe that marriage for any other reason BUT love is a lie. However, there are prohibitions. Members of the Royal Line - particularly the heirs to the throne, like Caelis - are encouraged to choose lifemates amongst the other Dragons, and not amongst the other races. This is simply for the sake of practicality, because it is ideal to keep the lines of descent in the Royal Household as purely of Dragonkind as much as possible.
^However, there are times when a member of the Royal House falls in love with someone who is not a Dragon. This has happened occasionally, in the long history of Daenova. But in such cases, the heir usually abdicates the throne, and goes to live with her husband.
^That is the other prohibition: male Dragons cannot have relationships with members of other races. This is not because of social or cultural reasons, but because of physiological reasons.^
Elrond nodded. ^Continue.^
^You know that the Dragons are highly magical,^ Gandalf said. ^They have often been mistaken for gods or Elves or Maiar spirits. Indeed, their power is great, greater perhaps than the powers of the Elves, but less in degree than those of the Maiar. This power is what causes complications for relationships between a male Dragon and a female from another race. Usually these races, being frailer than Dragons, cannot handle the great magical capacity that the Serpentines have. When such unions do occur - and there have been many - the child usually dies, along with the mother, for both are unable to handle the awesome power of the Dragon blood.^
^And what of female Dragons and males of other races?^
Gandalf chuckled. ^So you worry for Ereinion as well? You needn't worry so. It is only the females who may have relationships with the members of other races, for children from their wombs are conceived to be able to withstand the power of the blood that flows within them.^
Elrond smiled, and shook his head. ^Forgive me for being rather worried over Ereinion. He was both father, mentor, and friend to me and my brother, while we were growing up. It was his palace in Lindon that I considered my home for a very long time. I am very pleased to see that he is finally getting along to doing something he was not able to do when he was last alive.^
Gandalf looked at him, eyes twinkling merrily beneath bushy brows. ^And what would that be?^
^Producing an heir for the High-Kingship.^
~*~*~*~
Caelis threw her head back, and laughed. "My Lord, surely that DID NOT happen!"
Ereinion chuckled, and gave Caelis a mischievous smile. "Do you think I would lie to you, My Lady?"
"But I cannot imagine...certainly not Lord Elrond..."
"Simply because my friend seems quite proper and imposing does not mean that he does not have embarrassing moments," Ereinion stated simply as he leaned back, watching for the lady's reaction.
The Dragon Queen gazed at him for a while, then she chortled, and shook her head, turning away from him. "Perhaps you are right, My Lord. I certainly did have my own fair share of mishaps when I was young." A frown gradually crossed her face. "But now that I think about it, I was only a child then, so I suppose they were excusable."
Ereinion sobered up then, catching the note of sadness in his companion's voice. He reached out, placing a hand over hers. "If I may ask, My Lady...what happened to your father? How did he die?"
Caelis' gaze lingered for a while on where his hand was resting on her own, before she sighed, and looked up at him. "I was only a thousand years old then, by Daenovan Reckoning. The defenses of Dragonis had been breached, because a traitor had sold us out to the Shadow Dragons, and were making their way towards the palace, burning and slaughtering as they went. It is told now in our lore and lamented in our songs that when once Dragonis burned with the light of the stars themselves, she burned in that fateful hour with cruel black fire and stank of brimstone and burning bodies.
"My father, who had only been High-King for less than a month, went out to meet the enemy fighters, hoping that he and the rest of the elite soldiers would be able to hold them back long enough for the rest of those living in the palace to make an escape. Naturally, my mother wanted to go with him, but my father told her no, that my mother and I had to escape through the world-gates and into Middle-Earth. He managed to placate my mother, but he was not able to placate me.
"I suppose it was because I was young, and hotheaded, and loved my father so fiercely that I would have rashly faced death if I thought I could save him, that I broke away from my mother's grasp and chased after my father. I caught up with him at the entrance hall of the palace, just in time to watch the enemy soldiers break through the doors - and just in time to see them run my father through with their swords. My mother was able to catch up to me, and it was she who carried me away, senseless, to the world-gates."
Caelis closed her eyes, and Ereinion caught sight of the shimmer of tears amongst her lashes. He squeezed her hand gently, reassuring her. "I thank you for bestowing such trust on me, My Lady, that you would tell me of such a painful event in your past."
"Why would I not trust you, My Lord?" she inquired quietly when she opened her eyes, moist onyx-and-silver orbs returning his gaze. "You were the only one I felt I could trust to tell of the doings of the Shadow in the East during the Last Alliance. I gave you a copy of my signet ring; I would not have done that had I not felt I could trust you."
Ereinion smiled, latching onto a topic that was certainly more pleasant than death. "I lost your ring, during that final battle on Dagorlad, but I treasured it while I had it in my possession."
A flash of memory passed through his mind momentarily...
~*~*~*~
^My Lord, are you even paying the slightest bit of attention?^
Gil-galad snapped out of his thoughts, looking up at the rest of the gathered generals and commanders - all of them joined by the Alliance that swore would bring Sauron down. His fingers untwined themselves from the mithril chain that hung around his neck, and he rested them quite deliberately on the tabletop. ^Yes, I am listening.^
A shrewd smile appeared on Celeborn's face. ^Then My Lord, what do you think of Isildur's comment?^
Gil-galad blinked. ^What comment?^
Isildur, son of Elendil, suddenly burst out laughing. ^Forgive me, My Lords,^ he said when the initial spate of hilarity had faded, ^but it would seem that he does not know that he is the one being spoken of.^
^What is the meaning of this?^ Gil-galad asked, his voice low and carrying just a hint of indignation. He hated it when someone had made a joke and he did not understand - especially if the joke seemed to be at HIS expense.
It was Elrond who spoke up. ^Lord Celeborn was wondering why you seemed so...out of yourself lately, and Isildur speculated that you had been thinking of a lady.^ An amused and teasing smile appeared on the face of the usually serious herald. ^Is this speculation correct, My Lord?^
^Carathir told us that you were paid a visit by a mysterious being cloaked in black velvet only a few nights ago. He also said he heard a female voice speaking to you, and caught a glimpse of silver hair through the tent flap,^ Glorfindel remarked lightly from his seat. His blue eyes twinkled as he gazed at the High-King. ^Certainly there are no secrets between us who are gathered here, My Lord. You must give us ample warning if there is to be a royal wedding sometime soon.^
Even Elendil, who had remained politely quiet until that moment, couldn't stifle the chortle that emerged from his lips. Elrond's smile became larger; Celeborn was eyeing Gil-galad with an amused expression on his face; while Isildur and his brother Anarion were leaning against each other, their shoulders shaking with hilarity.
^Who I speak to is none of your concern,^ Gil-galad said, though he was certain that he was quite flushed already and that the lamplight would not be able to disguise the redness in his face.
^Certainly,^ Glorfindel said mildly, though the smile never left his face. ^And you have not been receiving sealed letters from an unknown source, and that ring on the chain around your neck is not a lover's token.^
The laughter finally burst out from all who were gathered there, and Gil-galad would have loved nothing more than to dissolve into water so that he could sink into the ground and disappear and never be seen again.
^Who is she, My Lord?^ Anarion inquired cheerfully, as he was the first to recover from his laughter. ^Please, do indulge us and tell us what she is like. We promise to stop speculating about that particular angle of your life if you would but tell us.^
Gil-galad sighed, and closed his eyes, his hand unconsciously drifting to the ring that he had hung around his neck. ^I shall not reveal her name to any of you, but I shall describe her. She is slender, and tall, and carries herself with the bearing of a queen. In her hair are woven the silver beams of moonlight and starlight together, and she always wears it loose around her shoulders. Her eyes are of jet, but sparkle with flecks of silver, as if her eyes were the evening sky in the darkest hours before dawn in Imladris. Her voice is melodious, and she speaks with the wisdom of a thousand years, as well as with infinite sadness.^
Elendil raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. ^She sounds very beautiful, My Lord. An Elven princess, perhaps?^
Glorfindel shook his head. ^No Elves have eyes like what My Lord has described. Very unusual...almost as if the firmament in the night were captured in her eyes.^
^That is certainly what I felt when I gazed into her eyes,^ Gil-galad murmured, his hand closing around the ring.
Just then, a messenger appeared in the entryway of the tent. ^My Lords,^ he said breathlessly, bowing to all those who were gathered, ^I have just received a message. It is for His Majesty Gil-galad.^
Gil-galad straightened up as he accepted the letter from the messenger. He had been anticipating the arrival of this one, and it came right on schedule. ^Did the one who gave it to you say anything?^
^No My Lord,^ answered the messenger. ^I was only told that it was for your eyes alone.^
The rest of the generals stood up, one by one leaving the tent. They all gave encouraging smiles at the High-King, who merely flashed a dry smile in return. He thought he heard Isildur mutter, ^a lover's message^ before he finally departed and disappeared into the night, the messenger following behind them.
~*~*~*~
"My Lord?"
He snapped out of his memories then, and found Caelis gazing at him with curiosity and puzzlement. "Yes, My Lady?"
"I found it strange that you stayed in such a trance for so long," she murmured, and followed this with a laugh. "Forgive me, I am acting like a silly youngling."
"I saw the question in your eyes, My Lady," he said as he caught her hand in his once more. For some odd reason, the feel of her hand in his sent pleasant sensations through him. "Your eyes betray you. Ask me this question, that your mind may be set at ease."
She gazed at him for a long while, trepidation clear in the night-scape captured in her eyes, and she replied, "I found it rather strange that you could simply stay the way you did while hardly ever blinking. Does it not become hard for you to maintain such a posture?"
He chuckled, more at the innocence that accompanied the question than at the question itself. 'It seems that there may still be things one can teach to a Dragon Queen after all.' "I was merely lost in memory, My Lady, so deep that I think that for a while, I was dreaming."
Her voice was a murmur, speaking to herself, "The Elf Kindred of Iraxa have no such talent." She stared at him, and her eyebrow went up slightly as she spoke more clearly, for him to hear. "So what I heard is indeed true: your kind DO sleep with their eyes open."
"Only when necessary," he answered with a laugh. "It is a gift granted to us, but it takes practice to learn properly. In safe havens like Imladris we are granted the luxury of sleep with our eyes closed. Otherwise, when we are on the battlefield or on a journey, then sleeping with one's eyes open becomes a useful tool. It is easy to rouse oneself from sleep when one's eyes are open than when one's eyes are closed."
Caelis shook her head. "It must be quite difficult to learn how to do such a thing," she murmured. "My kind certainly do not have the skill."
A light flared from the horizon, and they both turned to look. The sun had disappeared at last beyond the mountain ranges around Imladris, throwing out one flash of golden brilliance before letting the twilight take over the heavens.
She sighed, and stood up from where she was seated on the grass beside him. She looked behind them, beyond the circle of trees that surrounded the little grove they had come to, towards the grounds of the main complex of Imladris. "I must go now. No doubt the others will be looking for me - for us." Here she smiled, and gazed at him.
He nodded, and stood up as well. "You are right. I have a feeling that Elrond will want to seek me out concerning the representatives who shall be sent to escort Frodo to Mordor."
She seemed to stiffen slightly at the mention of the mission of the Ringbearer, but he did not attach any importance to it. Instead, he took her arm in his.
"Come," he murmured, leading her away from the grove, "let us walk back to the halls, My Lady."
~*~*~*~
He waited for her until she returned from her stroll in the gardens, leaning against the doorframe of her chambers.
When she appeared at the other end of the hall, he felt pleased, in the depths of his heart, that she seemed so happy. Her eyes fain glowed with the light of the stars, and her face itself was shining with the brilliance of a smile he thought had long disappeared with her childhood.
~*Ah, Rishkon!*~ she greeted him when she drew near. ~*What brings you here this wonderful winter evening?*~
He bowed to her, as befits a knight to his queen. ~*I wish to have a word with you for a moment, My Lady,*~ he said, his voice deliberate and slow. ~*Will you permit it?*~
She must have caught on the formality of his tone, because her face immediately went from cheerful to serious. *~Very well then,*~ she replied with a nod, ~*let us go inside so that we may talk in comfort.*~
He stood up straighter, and followed her into the room, closing the door behind him. He looked up, and watched as she walked towards a pair of comfortable armchairs that sat near the windows, the dying light of the sun for that day drenching the normally gray furniture with touches of gold.
Sitting there, staring at him, bathed in a golden light, she did indeed look like the queen she was, the queen she was meant to be.
~*What do you wish to speak of with me?*~ she asked quietly, gesturing towards the empty chair in front of her, indicating that he too was to sit. ~*It is not everyday that you approach me with such formality, Rishkon.*~
He sat down in the chair, and then spoke. ~*I come to speak to you of Lord Ereinion, My Lady.*~
The change of expression on her face was clearly apparent. ~*What do you wish to speak of?*~ she inquired, her voice polite, though there was a hint of coldness and formality in it that was not normally there.
Rishkon leaned forward. ~*Have you given your heart to him, My Lady? Does he hold sway in your heart, as I think he does?*~
Caelis stared at him. ~*What makes you say such things?*~
~*How can I not say such things, when I constantly see you in his company, always beside him, always speaking with him?!*~ Rishkon hissed, trying to keep his anger at bay. ~*One would think that you were his betrothed.*~
~*But I am not,*~ Caelis stated. ~*He is a friend to me, one whom I thought was lost during the Last Alliance, and has now come back to me whole and still the same as he was. Why would others think that I am his betrothed?*~
Rishkon gazed at her in the eyes, brilliant ruby meeting silver-flecked onyx. ~*Because we see how he looks at you, My Lady. There is more than friendship in his gaze. Or have you become so blind that you cannot see it yourself, even when you are so close to him?*~
Caelis' eyes sparked in anger as she stood up. ~*I will not have you speak of Lord Ereinion in such a manner!*~ she exclaimed. ~*He is my friend, and I know him to be true and good. I will rise to his defense - even if his accuser should be one of my own kind.*~ Her eyes narrowed at him. ~*And who are you to tell me who my friends should be? Who are you to tell me who my betrothed should be? Free will is at the very heart of what makes us who we are, Rishkon. You cannot dictate upon me whom I should and should not befriend, whom I should and should not love. And you will do him no harm, Rishkon. This is an order from your Queen.*~
Rishkon took a few steps back, stunned by this outburst from Caelis. He had never seen her angry, never seen her in such a fury over another person. 'And I doubt it will be the last time that she will defend him.'
He stepped away from Caelis, bowing to her as he did so. ~*Then it shall be as you order, Your Majesty.*~ He turned on his heel, ignoring the look that Caelis gave him, and swept out the door.
When he was safely behind it, in the empty hall, he sighed, his shoulders slumping forward. He closed his eyes, and hot tears welled up from behind his closed eyelids. 'I have failed you, My Lord Skyevola. I have failed to protect your daughter.'
~*~*~*~
Elrond gazed sternly at Caelis and Gandalf, though he focused particularly on Caelis. "You do not have to do this, My Lady. It is a journey fraught with danger and peril. I do not think one such as yourself should embark on this quest at Frodo's side. It is not, after all, your responsibility. The Ring is the problem of the Peoples of Middle-Earth. There is no need for your people to endanger yourselves on our behalf."
The Dragon smiled at him, and shook her head slowly. "It is my will, My Lord. I go on this journey to accompany Frodo because it is what I choose to do. I was counseled by no one to do this, save for my own heart and my own mind." She paused, and then spoke once more, though her voice was somewhat softer and more subdued. "And though you are right to say that Middle-Earth is not our world, you are wrong to say that its safety and the safety of its peoples are not our affair as well.
"Though we have indeed come here seeking sanctuary from the Darkness of our own home, we have lived here for far too long, and thus we cannot deny responsibility for what happens here. We have younglings in our ranks who were born here, and have only heard of Daenova as tales told to them by their elders. They know no other home except for Middle-Earth. Does being born a Serpentine make them any less a citizen of this world? I think not. It is for the sake of these younglings, as well as on the behalf of my people, that I go on this journey with Frodo to Mordor - for the sake of the young ones, as well as to rectify the mistakes of the past." Here she bowed her head, and was silent.
Gandalf sighed, and gave Elrond a small smile. "I tried talking her out of it, My Lord, but she seems quite resolute with regards to her decision. On the other hand, I cannot say that having her on the journey will make it harder. She is both healer and fighter, a combination that will have many uses in the journey ahead."
Elrond sighed. He had seen that this would come, sensed that Caelis would try to atone for the supposed sins that her foremother had committed by not choosing to openly aid the races of Elf, Man and Dwarf during the Last Alliance. 'And who am I to deny her, when I know that she will try to come, whether I refuse her or not?' He smiled at her. "Very well then, My Lady. You may join Frodo and his companions, if you wish it. Have you spoken to Aragorn of it?"
"I have," Caelis answered with a smile of her own. "He did not object to my decision."
Elrond nodded. "Very well then, it is decided. I shall speak to Frodo on the morrow."
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