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Tending Elrond's Heart	By : kathmco Category: -Multi-Age > Het - Male/Female Views: 3677 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Title: Tending Elrond's Heart

Author: Emmess

Rated: NC17

Genre: Fluffy romance

Tending Elrond's Heart

Chapter Four

Fitting In

Several more days passed before Elrond allowed Merenant to leave the House of Healing. That morning, he brought with him a lovely gown of palest blue, and his daughter, Arwen.

"Arwen will assist you in bathing and dressing, Merenant, then show you to your new chambers. If you have any questions, she will be most able to answer them," Elrond informed the young Elleth, before leaving the room.

"Welcome to our home, Merenant. I am certain you will be very happy here," Arwen smiled. "Everyone is looking forward to meeting you…though I must warn you that my brothers adore to play tricks, and will most likely use you as a target since the rest of us have grown wise to their antics."

"Mae Govannen, Lady Arwen," Merenant replied, awestruck by the beauty and grace of the Even Star. "You are most kind, but I am well able tend to my bathing and dressing alone…you should not be waiting on me."

"I am not waiting on you…I am helping you!" Arwen laughed, reaching for her hand to assist the freshly healed Elleth from the bed.

"But, my Lady…I need no help…really," Merenant said, even as she winced at her movements.

"Merenant… you are not a servant, here. You are my father's ward - our guest! It is my duty to assist you…you wouldn't want me to shirk my duty, now would you? Besides, it would please me to help you."

"As you wish, my Lady," Merenant replied, wishing only to please Lord Elrond's daughter. She hesitated when she saw Arwen reach for the pale blue gown. "My Lady, I fear some mistake has been made…that is the wrong gown."

"Do you not like it? My Ada thought you would…it will go beautifully with your complexion."

"It is…beautiful…far too fine for the likes of me. Have you not any cast-offs? I need not much, my Lady."

"You will not wear clothing cast aside as unfit by anyone else again, Merenant," Arwen said sternly. "Think of it this way - you now represent the House of Elrond. What would people think if they saw you, his ward, dressed in rags?"

"Aiya…I did not think of it that way…I will wear it, and will be very careful to protect it, my Lady," Merenant promised sincerely.

Arwen smiled, and finished helping Merenant bathe and dress. She sat her on the bed while she plaited her long ebony tresses into manageable braids.

"You look beautiful, Merenant…you will catch the eye of many Elves at the Summer Solstice, I think," Arwen said, plucking a fresh flower from an arrangement near the bed and fitting it behind Merenant's delicately pointed ear. "It will be the lucky Elf who receives your flower."

"Summer Solstice? What is that, my Lady?"

"Surely you've been to the Summer Solstice before, Merenant…" Arwen's voice trailed off at the blank look on Merenant's face. She struggled to cover her own shock, for every Elf in Imladris attended the Solstice, or so she had thought…it was one of their most treasured traditions. "My father will explain it to you, Merenant. Come, let me show you to your new chambers, and introduce you to the those who live within the walls of the House of Elrond."

Merenant turned and began to strip the bed she had lain on while recuperating from her injury. Quickly, although she could not help but wince as her sore muscles protested the movement, she ripped the sheets and comforter from the bed.

Arwen raised an eyebrow as she reached the door and realized that the young ward was not behind her. Seeing her working, Arwen shook her head. "Merenant…leave the bed. It will be taken care of later."

"My Lady…I must tidy up after myself…" Merenant said, looking shocked at Arwen's words.

"My name is Arwen, Merenant, and that is all that I wish you to call me. Secondly, we are going to your new chambers, and you can tidy them all you wish," she replied with a smile. "But leave the healing room to those whose duties include cleaning it. That would not be you."

Looking as though she didn't quite believe Arwen, and as if she were doing something wrong, Merenant laid the sheets and comforter back on the bed and followed Arwen out of the room. She cast several backward glances, as if expecting someone to pop out and accuse her of being negligent of her duties. She was quite surprised when no one did.

They walked the path through the gardens that led to Elrond's House as Arwen chatted amiably about the history of Imladris. Merenant listened avidly, but something in the garden caught her eye and she paused in her walking.

Noticing that once again the young ward had stopped moving, Arwen turned to look at her, wondering why she had stopped.

"My Lady…er…Arwen," Merenant corrected herself at the stern raised eyebrow of Elrond's daughter, "What is that plant back there - the one separated from all the others? Why does it look so barren? Everything else in the garden is alive and blooming."

"Ah, that one…we do not know why it doesn't bloom. My father tends it constantly, babies and pampers it, yet it still does not respond. I do not know why he doesn't have it removed and replaced with some other plant. He pours his heart into that plant, and gets naught for it."

A look of understanding passed over Merenant's features as she gazed at the bare branches of the blossom-less shrub. She held her tongue however, as Arwen led her on into her new home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merenant's eyes grew large and round as she entered the rooms Arwen said would be hers. She stood stock still in the center of the large, airy bedroom, her eyes darting from the bed with it's rose-colored dressings to the intricately carved mahogany armoire to the fieldstone fireplace and back again.

Smiling at the young Elleth's obvious impression of the rooms, Arwen said, "That door leads to your bath, Merenant. The armoire holds several more gowns, so that you may change each day. Have you any questions?"

"No, Arwen…thank you very much. I will be fine, I think," Merenant replied, turning to give Arwen a grateful look.

"Good. I will return in a short while, and we will go to dinner together. You will meet everyone there…Erestor, Glorfindel, Elrohir, and Elladan. Ada will be there also, I think. You must lay down for a while…Ada was very specific about that. He was very insistent that you rest before dinner."

"I will. Thank you again, Arwen."

Arwen's heart warmed further toward her father's young ward when she saw the tears of gratitude that filled her wide eyes. Smiling, Arwen nodded and patted her shoulder before leaving the room, closing the door softly behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several hours later, a soft knock at her door failed to fetch a response from the newest member of the House of Elrond. Arwen put her ear to the door, listening for movement within the room, but heard none. Easing the door open, she peeked at the bed, surprised to find it as neatly made as when she had first brought Merenant to her room earlier in the day.

Frowning, Arwen entered the room, wondering where in Arda the young Elleth had gone. She was walking toward the bath, wondering if perhaps the ward was in there, when she spotted a shape curled up on the floor in a corner of the room.

Shaking her head, Arwen knelt next to the figure, gently shaking her uninjured shoulder. "Merenant, wake up…it is time to go to dinner."

Merenant awoke with a start, and grimaced at the pain the quick movement brought to her shoulder. Recovering quickly, she immediately apologized to Arwen for oversleeping.

"Nonsense, Merenant. Your body requires sleep to heal. But, pray tell me, why are you sleeping on the floor?" Arwen asked, cocking her head at the young ward.

"I thought whoever shares this room with me must already sleep in the bed, Arwen. This seemed like a good place, where I would not be in the way."

"Merenant…no one else shares this room with you. It is yours - I thought you understood that."

"Mine? Alone? But it is so big! Much too big for just me, Arwen. Surely there is some smaller room…the kitchen! I can sleep there…"

"You will sleep here, Merenant. This is room assigned to you by my Adar…and this is where you will stay, by yourself, in that bed!" Arwen ordered, trying to look firm, but failing. She smiled at the young Elleth, wondering what kind of life she must have had to think that sleeping in the kitchen would be a suitable alternative.

"Come," Arwen said, standing and holding her hand out for Merenant, "we must go or we will be late for dinner. I am hungry, and my brothers eat like pigs at a trough…I wish to get there before they swallow everything in sight!"

Merenant couldn't help but cover her mouth with her hand and giggle at Arwen's assessment of her brothers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arwen led her into the dining hall, where the rest of the inhabitants of Elrond's House were already seated, waiting. Merenant blushed crimson as they all turned as one to look at her.

Elrond couldn't help smiling at the change in his new young ward, thinking that the gown was indeed a fine choice for her. It showed off her complexion perfectly, as well as her trim, softly rounded figure. Her dark hair shone in the torchlight, and he could see her green eyes sparkle, though with pleasure or embarrassment, he couldn't be sure.

Erestor and Glorfindel stood up, Erestor eyeing the twins to do the same, as Arwen led Merenant toward the table. One look at the twin's faces was all it took for Elrond to order that Arwen and Merenant be seated next to him - away from his often troublesome, sometimes lecherous, sons.

"Welcome, Merenant. You are looking much better than last I saw you," Erestor said, nodding at her. "I am Erestor, Lord Elrond's Chief Advisor. This is Glorfindel, my bonded," he continued, gesturing toward the blonde Slayer. Glorfindel smiled at her, nodding at her acquaintance.

Merenant curtsied, still blushing furiously. Elrond frowned at the twins, who were still staring at his new young ward, obviously quite taken with her.

"May I introduce my sons - who apparently have forgotten what few manners they had managed to learn over the years. This is Elladan, and that is Elrohir."

Merenant flicked her eyes to the twin's faces, taken aback by their alikeness. She wondered how she would ever be able to tell them apart.

"Mae Govannen, Merenant. Welcome to the House of Elrond," Elladan said, his eyes centered on a point somewhere just below her neck.

"She is lovely. Isn't she lovely, 'Dan?" Elrohir commented, his eyes transfixed in exactly the same place as his brother's. "Lovely gown, too."

"Enough! She's nervous enough without you two gawking at her. If you cannot behave yourselves you may leave," Elrond said sternly.

Merenant's eyes remained on her shoes, until Arwen touched her arm. Glorfindel was holding a chair for her, and Arwen urged her to sit.

Elrond rang a small silver bell, and within moments, servants entered bearing several platters with them. Soon, the sounds of clinking silverware and crystal glasses filled the hall, and conversation turned to mundane things. They spoke of the weather, hunting, and new wares available at the market. After a while, Elrond addressed Merenant.

"Merenant…you eat not enough to keep a bird alive. You must eat more than that to stay healthy."

"I…yes, my Lord," Merenant answered, not wishing to argue yet again with a directive from her new guardian.

"Is the food not to your liking? We could have something else brought from the kitchens…what would you like?" he asked kindly.

"Oh, no, my Lord! This is fine…just wonderful, really. I never eat much at one time…"

"Probably because that wretch of an Elleth she lived with wouldn't allow her to," Glorfindel said under his breath. He received an elbow in the ribs from Erestor for his trouble.

"Very well…but know that I will order food be sent up to your room later. I wish you to eat well…you are too thin."

"Yes, my Lord," Merenant answered obediently, her eyes never leaving her plate.

The twins put their forks down, drinking the dregs of the wine in their glasses, each letting out a long, loud belch, and pounding on their chests. Arwen rolled her eyes in exasperation, and Elrond nearly rose from his chair to throttle them both.

They rose as one unit, bowed to their father, and wished Merenant a good night, before leaving the dining hall. Elrond shook his head after his unruly sons, wondering for the millionth time exactly where he had gone wrong in their raising.

"Please excuse my sons, Merenant…they have the manners of barnyard animals," he said by way of apology.

She couldn't help the smile that curled her lips, her eyes darting to the laughing eyes of the Peredhil Lord. "That's much better…I order you to smile all the time," he said, before rising himself. He bid everyone a good night, and went off, presumably to his study, soon followed by Erestor and Glorfindel.

Merenant rose, and began collecting the plates from the table. Arwen sighed, and put a hand out to stop her. "Merenant…the servants will clear the table."

"But Arwen…if I cannot make the beds, or serve the food, or clear the table, then how will I earn my keep?" she asked, confused and upset.

"Merenant…you do not need to earn your keep here. You are my father's ward! You are family now. If I do not clear the table, then neither do you."

Comprehension finally dawned on Merenant's face, followed shortly by surprise so complete that her legs gave out and she sat down hard on the chair. She hadn't really understood what being Elrond's ward had meant…she knew it meant not having to live with her aunt anymore, and for that alone she would be eternally grateful to the Lord of Imladris. But…a member of the family? Treated as Arwen was treated? That was nearly beyond her ken. Suddenly, in a rush, all the pain she had felt in her lifetime, all the loneliness and sadness collided with her newfound happiness and great font of gratitude, resulting in a torrent of tears and sobs that tore at her throat. She found herself in her Arwen's arms, as the older Elleth finally understood, and rocked the younger gently.
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Tending Elrond's Heart