~ Someone Wynne neither expected, nor needed back in her life has arrived. Mother is Not Happy™ and a lot gets overturned. ~

54. Mother Knows Best

Wynne tried to hide her shock and surprise. Why was Mother here? The plan was for Wynne to return home with the horses and an elf fiancé as soon as they finished their quest. Mother had not mentioned any intentions to meet them on the way. How had she even known they would be here? Through Éomer?

"Oh my darling, how I missed you!" Mother caught her in a hard hug, and then held her at an arm's length as if to memorize her features. "You look so well, so healthy, only a little tanned but that is only natural I suppose!" Despite her warm greeting her smile didn't reach her eyes. Instead her penetrating gaze scanned Wynne from head to toe.

Maybe she was trying to discern symptoms of pregnancy?

Now Wynne noticed her father, waiting patiently behind his wife. Her chest grew tight with emotion. "Father!" She wrapped her arms around him, drawing in his familiar smell of tobacco, horses and leather. "I missed you," she murmured against the wool of his tunic.

As usual he replied only with an approving hum, but his strong arms around her spoke clearly enough, and when he pulled back his eyes were damp.

"How are Grandmama and Grandpapa?"

"Oh they are very well, my dear, don't you worry about them now." Mother took her arm and herded her toward the guesthouse. "Let's have you changed into something nicer."

King Éomer and his lords would stay down another corridor in the same house as Wynne. She noticed none of the other lords had brought their wives, only her father. It was not hard to figure out whose idea it had been.

Mother looked around in her room with satisfaction. Father and her had been assigned a suite; two rooms joined by a door in the middle, the latter completely unnecessary as it would probably never be opened if Wynne knew her parents.

"Lovely place. Finally I shall sleep somewhere decent!"

She explained they had initially planned to arrive yesterday evening, but then the king's horse had come down with a limp and they had been obliged to sleep another night on the road, with Minas Tirith less than a league ahead. "It was horrible, I tell you. But what would I not do for my dear daughter?"

Two servants came in, heavily burdened with bags and a chest.

"Oh, here is my luggage. Wonderful!" She picked out a large bag. "I brought more clothes for you, my darling. I can only imagine what state your old ones must be in by now."

Her friendly smile disappeared as soon as the door closed behind the servants. "Now, how did it go? Have you succeeded with the elf king?"

"No."

"No? No?" She sighed dramatically. "Vána, give me strength... How could a girl fail at something so simple? Didn't you show skin?"

"I did." Wynne found her gaze had wandered to her feet. How come Mother always could make her feel this small and weak?

"And serve them fire water?"

"Yes!"

"Well no wonder it didn't work if this is how you have been looking! What on Arda happened to that dress?" Without asking permission she swiftly pulled it over her head. Then she tut-tutted over the chemise too and removed that as well.

Wynne hugged her naked chest, feeling exposed and slightly ill while Mother rummaged in the bag. "Here, put this on. But what have you done with your hair? Wynne, Wynne... Have I taught you nothing at all? With that round face of yours you must wear your hair up." She briskly untangled the braids Legolas had plaited.

She had to bite her lips to hold back her tears.

When Mother was finally satisfied, she wore a dark gown with a wide skirt and very low decolletage, painfully tight around the waist. Her hair was combed back and confined in a pearl hairnet, and between her breasts rested a heart shaped diamond pendant on a silver chain, one Wynne recognized as belonging to her Grandmama. It was a dreadful, heavy thing.

Mother eyed her critically. "It will have to do, I guess. Now, during the meeting today you must introduce me to King Thranduil and I shall see what I can do. There is probably something he needs that I can supply in exchange for his taking you as a bride. A large dowry, jewels, horses... there is always something. And now that he already knows you it will be easier to persuade him. You have made friends with him, at least?"

"Yes." Her stomach sank; this would end in a disaster. Should she tell Mother of her feelings for Legolas and end this circus? But she was still not sure Thranduil had agreed to their courtship, and the minute her mother realized Legolas liked her she would be on Thranduil's back, making plans and demands. Something which might very well make him change his mind.

No, it was best to keep silent for now.

The first meeting with the uruk-hai would be held in Merethrond, or the Great Hall of Feasts as it was called in the Common Speech, which was larger than the throne room. To this event all the more notable citizens of Minas Tirith were invited, for Aragorn had decided during the dinner the previous day that it would be beneficial if as many as possible could hear Nugu's story. Gossip would spread through the city and enable him to walk freely on the streets without anyone attacking him or sounding the alarm by mistake. Later, the kings and lords would council alone and discuss the peace treaty.

The Hall was indeed great; it was the most grandiose room Wynne had ever been in. White stone pillars held up a far distant roof and the curved windows were more than twice a grown man's height, with stained glass panes assembled into pictures of queens, kings, animals and dragons. A round window above a platform on one side was the largest of them all, painted midnight blue with the white tree in its center and seven stars around its branches.

The Hall was almost full of finely dressed guests. On long tables along the walls sat bowls and platters with fruit, nuts and cheeses, from which they helped themselves while waiting for the king to arrive and open the meeting.

"Don't eat anything, it makes you seem immoderate," Mother instructed.

Wynne had no appetite anyway and instead silently observed the people. It was easy to spot the Rohirrim among the Gondorians; they were more simple dressed and had blond hair and beards, as compared to the others' dark brown or black nuances. Her parents were exceptions; Father had inherited his dark colors from Grandmama, who was Dúnedain like Aragorn, and Mother was born in Gondor.

In a corner Wynne spotted her friends; the elves, Gimli, Sidra and her husband. Nugu wore his hood up so he wouldn't cause fear among the assembled before he had been introduced.

Thranduil and Legolas were both looking at Wynne and her parents, probably curious about who they were. She wished she could tell them to look away; if Mother perceived it she might understand the truth.

Luckily a herald sounded his trumpet then and everyone's attention was turned to the big double doors from the throne room that opened to announce King Elessar, the queen and the young prince. The people parted, bowing and curtsying deeply, as the royalty walked through the Hall to stand on the raised dais under the round window.

Aragorn began with a short speech introducing the topic, and thanks to the room's acoustics his voice was easy to hear. "Extraordinary news has reached me, news of a new colony whose inhabitants wish to establish peace with the free races of Arda. Long have they been our enemies but now they humbly come before us, seeking to overcome past grievances."

A murmur rose in the Hall when the guests whispered to one another, probably trying to guess who those enemies were and very likely guessing wrong.

"If you would come forward, Nugu son of Staurz." Aragorn's clear voice carried over the chatter.

The uruk-hai obeyed and stood next to him. Even from this distance, Wynne saw he was trembling and felt sorry for him. How would the audience react?

Nugu folded back his hood and there was a collective gasp, shortly followed by shrill squeals from some of the finer ladies as they feigned swooning.

As soon as she perceived the other ladies' reaction Mother screamed too. "An orc! Darling, hold me or I shall swoon!" She leaned heavily on Father's shoulder, fanning herself.

When the Hall became silent at last, Nugu told his story. He spoke well, but his nervousness shone through and made it sometimes hard to hear. When he came to the part where he had met Sidra, she joined him on the stage with the orclings, again generating gasps of surprise, and in many cases, disgust.

"She wedded that... thing? I feel sick. Races should not mix! It's unnatural!" Mother's loud whispers were less than subtle and Wynne clenched her jaw not to snap at her to shut up.

So mixing races was unnatural, was it? Well, she shouldn't try to make her daughter marry an elf then!

The elf in question and his son just then went to stand by the uruk-hai's family. Thranduil elaborately described how well he had been treated in the orc town, and how his son had been healed. Legolas filled in some details of the graveness of his injury and that he would probably not have survived without Goltur's skill. Since he was a Fellowship hero, that probably added weight to the argument.

"They are beautiful! So tall, so muscular! And that blond hair, too," breathed Mother, clearly not listening to what the elves said. She nudged Wynne. "The son is almost as handsome as the father."

She bit her lip to hold back a sharp answer. She didn't like at all to see her mother drooling over Legolas like that.

When Aragorn at last ended the meeting, the Hall again was filled with an excited din as the guests discussed what they had learned. Wynne left her parents to walk around the room, subtly eavesdropping on the Gondorians to learn how they had taken the news. It appeared that most seemed not altogether negative to the idea of friendly orcs, though there were of course many who were opposed to it as well. There were also disgusted – but also fascinated – whispers about Saruman's evil deeds in the breeding dens. Particularly among the ladies, surprisingly.

Wynne had come to the other side of the room when she almost bumped into Gimli, who was talking to Éowyn and King Éomer. He had known the king since they fought together in the war.

"You must meet my brother," said Éowyn when she caught sight of her. "This is Wynne Örn of Limliht. Lord Vinur's daughter."

She curtsied as deep as she could without losing her balance, awed to be in front of her fierce warrior king for the second time in her life. Just like last time though, he barely noticed her, except for a slight dip of his head.

"How do you think it went?" asked Éowyn. "I do hope this will work. Sidra's boys should not be forced to grow up in a cave, it is not healthy for them."

"The people seem mostly positive," said Wynne, recounting some of what she had heard.

"When they ken the mighty Dwarf Lord of the Glittering Caves has signed the treaty they'll agree to it," said Gimli.

"I am not so certain." Éomer frowned. "I cannot trust an uruk-hai so easily, and neither can my vassals, I dare say. Helm's Deep is still fresh in our memories, as well as other ill deeds done by those abominations."

"Ach, ye will come around when ye talk with the laddie. He's a bit shy, but there's a good heart in him. And his wee bairns are lovely."

"They are," Galion cut in. He and the other elves had joined them and Wynne's heart fluttered with happiness when Legolas came to stand next to her. Again he wore his pale blue prince outfit, and though she was getting more used to seeing him look elegant she still preferred him in his hunter's green.

Thranduil wore an impossibly wide, red velvet robe with a white leaf pattern. How many luxurious garments had that elf brought?

"I like your dress," whispered Legolas. "But what happened to your braids?" He seemed disappointed but before she could explain, Mother had caught up with her.

"Wynne my darling! I looked everywhere for you!" She kissed the air an inch beside her cheek. "Well? Are you not going to introduce me to your friends?"

A/N:

How will Legolas react when he realizes what her mother is like?

When I wrote this fic I had not thought of a name for Wynne's mother, so I asked the readers to suggest one. The winner was LH Wordsmith's "Morwen", which was the name of Húrin's wife in the First Age, and she was cold and strict just like Mother. The name means "dark maiden" in Sindarin, which I also found very fitting.

Image Credits:

Screenshot from the movie Euphoria.