With a secret mission to marry an elf, Wynne must join Legolas' and Elvenking Thranduil's new quest as a horsekeeper. She begins an adventurous journey, encountering orcs and monsters, friendly uruk-hai, a lady dwarf and many Fellowship heroes - but...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
~ Wynne tries to stand up for herself against her mother. Mother is Not Happy™. ~
63. Home to Rohan
Her room smelled different. Dusty and empty, uninhabited. It was dim, the only light coming from a small window beneath the ceiling.
Wynne put down her bags beside her bed, too tired to unpack them. The long journey back home had been toiling; she had had to endure Mother's endless ramblings about the wedding and their married life in the Elvenking's palace.
It felt strange to have been separated for so long from Legolas, like some part of herself was missing. She longed to see him, touch him, talk to him.
Soon, she told herself.
The time had come to stand up to Mother and explain that none of her schemes would come to pass. Only, now when she must do it, Wynne felt weak and frightened. She hated loud voices and fighting and she knew that would be the result.
"Do you need help with your bags, love?" Grandmama entered the room and with a pang of sadness Wynne looked at her. It would probably take a long time before they could meet again, maybe never if Mother was angry enough to disown Wynne entirely.
Her grandmother was tall, her hair nearly black without a single strand of white despite her age. She looked like Wynne imagined Aragorn would have done if he were female. Father and Wynne had not inherited much of her looks; they took after Grandpapa.
"I'll unpack later. But thank you."
Grandmama sat on her bed. "I have missed you around the house. This place is so cheerless with only us old folks."
"Sorry." Wynne sat next to her, realizing she would soon be alone again. Grandpapa was nearly blind and spent most of his days just sitting in his chair while Grandmama made him company with her embroidery or poetry books.
It must be so boring, she realized. Did all married ladies have to endure such lives? No wonder Éowyn had wanted to be a warrior so badly she dressed up as a man.
"Don't be sorry, love. I was happy for you to go and to be on your own. See some of the world. How did you like Minas Tirith?"
"It was wonderful. So beautiful."
"Yes, it is striking. I went there once with your grandpapa to fetch our son's bride. Your mother." Her face clouded slightly. Did she regret the choice?
Wynne wondered how things would have been if her father had been allowed to choose a wife for himself. They would have been poor, probably. Poor but happy.
"Grandmama, I met someone."
"I know love, Morwen has talked of little else." She smiled. "I'm happy you chose one you like."
