Red Snow (The Shadows bk.3)

Chapter 19: One Elf at a Time

Still confused as to his cousin's sudden departure, Legolas turned to his father, "why did she leave like that? Was it something I said?" Thranduil shook his head, "no Legolas, but I fear that the subject of her mother's passing will always be difficult for her to speak of."

"But, why then," the Prince frowned in thought, "are you able to speak of it with such ease? Was she not your sister?"

"Indeed she was," Thranduil nodded and took a sip of wine. "I have made my peace with what happened. I know that she is at peace and in a better place and that is all that matters to me."

Knowing that she would be unable to get even a wink of sleep that night, Sairene picked herself up off the floor and wandered to the balcony. Leaning against the smooth railing on her forearms, the exhausted royal let her head drop between her shoulders, her long hair creating curtains on either side. She did not know how long she stood like that, only when the cool night breeze brushed along her arms did she look up. Straightening, she looked below and saw a beautiful, almost secluded garden right under her balcony. The garden was illuminated by small lamps that were placed in various spots. Feeling the excitement of child course through her, the young Queen turned and rushed back into her room and all but tore the double doors open and dashed out into the hallway beyond.

Ignoring the startled and confused looks of the guards and servants, Sairene navigated her way through various passages and staircases before she finally made to the garden she was looking for. It took her breath away; a single tree dominated the middle of the garden, its wide-spreading branches creating a natural roof. At its base Sairene saw a stone bench that seemed to look out onto the beds of peach-coloured roses that made up the rest of the garden. Lamps hung from a few of the tree's branches and some were placed among the roses. The ground was carpeted in thick green grass, there were no pathways, dirt or otherwise. Wandering into the garden, Sairene forgot how to breathe, it was so beautiful. A single tear escaped Sairene's good eye, she imagined her mother spending hours there, reading or simply enjoying being outside.

Walking up to the roses, Sairene knelt down and brought one of the blooms to her nose and inhaled the scent. It was unlike any other flower that she had ever smelled, it was a gentle and a intoxicatingly beautiful scent. Gently separating the bloom from the stem, the young Queen stood up and carried the flower with her as she exited the garden.

Having finished his rounds for the day, Arvellon left the Healing rooms and was on his way to his chambers when an all-too-familiar scent washed over him. Curious as to see where it was coming from, he followed the scent and almost walked straight into Sairene. "Your Majesty!" He had not known that she was visiting and was very surprised to see her.

Shaken out of the trance she had fallen into, Sairene blinked and looked at the speaker who had addressed her. "Arvellon! I am so sorry, I did not see where I was going." She felt her cheeks grow red with embarrassment.

"No harm done My Lady," he smiled at her and it was then that he noticed that the scent he had been following was strongest now that she stood in front of him. Looking down, he saw that she was holding a flower, but not just any flower, a peach-coloured rose and Arvellon knew that there was only one place in the entire palace where that specific flower grew.
"If I may Your Majesty, in which garden did you find such a beautiful flower?" He had no idea how she would have found it, as it was quite secluded and could only be stumbled on by pure chance.

Smiling, Sairene twirled the rose in her hand, "there is one just outside my room. I was standing on the balcony when I looked down and saw a small lamp-lit garden. I was so excited, so much so that I ran straight out of my room and into the hallway and immediately started looking for that garden. After many twists and turns, I eventually found it." Her eyes turned misty with memory. "It was quite possibly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, my mother would have loved that garden. It was simple but still beautiful, like the ones she used to oversee at the palace. She would have loved the roses, the scent, the colour, everything!" Sighing sadly, she looked down at the rose in her hand, "it is almost like she made this one because it seems so much like her."

Arvellon had gone still throughout her short speech. The garden she was describing had been Eliean's favourite. "Your mother designed gardens?"

"Oh yes!" A happy wistful smile spread across Sairene's features. "We had many gardens but one would always be able to tell which one my mother helped create."

"Oh?"

"There would always be roses. They were her favourite flower you see."

"Your mother sounds like she had good taste." Arvellon suddenly had trouble breathing, the similarities between this girl's mother and his dead friend were becoming too much.

Sairene had noticed that the healer had gone a little paler and smiled inwardly, so he obviously knew her mother and well enough to know what her favourite flower was. "Indeed she did and do you know which ones were her favourite?" The healer shook his head.

"Peach, it was her favourite colour."

"Peach?" Arvellon was beginning to think that he was imagining things.

"Yes, she adored that colour, so much so that the roses she grew were only ever that colour." Sighing happily, Sairene smiled to remember her mother's gardens, always cared for with such love and devotion. "She had such a love for nature and all living things," looking sideways at the healer, she continued, "it was like she was more elf than human. Her knowledge of plants and herbs far outweighed the knowledge of our healers." Her words had a clear effect on the healer, he looked up at her words and looked her straight in the eye.

"Your mother sounds extraordinary My Lady."

"Oh she was alright! She was amazing, she was the best mother anyone could ever have asked for and she was so beautiful Arvellon! So very beautiful," looking down at her hands she smiled slightly, "people used to say that I looked like her, my father would say it the most. He used to say that even though she was dead, it was as though she still there with him because I was there." She smiled in fond memory of her father.

"Your mother must have been, like you say, very beautiful if you resemble her," he could not stop the words. The similarities between Eliean and the young Queen's mother was becoming overwhelming, so much so that he was beginning to think that this girl was somehow related to his friend. But he knew that was impossible, Eliean may have gotten married but she never had any children, at least that he knew of.

Sairene blushed at her friend's comment. "Thank you Arvellon. That is very kind of you to say. But my mother was very different to me, she had the gift of healing whereas I do not. She told me that she spent a lot of time here, in Mirkwood, although I'm not sure if you would remember her."

"Oh? I might, I have been alive for quite some time and many people have passed through these halls. What was her name?"

Taking a deep breath, Sairene looked him in the eye, "Eliean. My mother's name was Eliean."

Arvellon hardly dared believe what he was hearing, "Eliean?"

"Yes," Sairene nodded, happy with his reaction, "I have heard that the King had a sister with the same name and that she died roughly around the same time that my mother died. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

Arvellon simply stared at her before answering in a choked whisper, "all I know is that the King all but disowned his sister because she married a human. Aside from that I know nothing."

"And in turn cut off any communication and neglected to tell her that he had a son. He also never told his son that he had an aunt and a cousin. That is until a few hours ago when he overhead me talking to his father." Sairene pretended to be deep in thought as she spoke.

"What makes you say that?" Arvellon dreaded the answer but also wanted to make some sense of this situation.

"Because," Sairene took a step forward, "that human that his sister married was my father."