~ Wynne learns a shocking truth about her horses and tries to handle her meddling mother. ~

55. Truths Revealed

"I'm charmed. A pleasure to meet you. Thank you, yes a very pleasant trip. Thank you, it belonged to my mother-in-law. Indeed, the quality was something else back in the day! Yes indeed. Yes. Yes. And I must compliment Your Grace on your marvelous robe, it goes so well with your fair complexion. Oh, Your Grace is too modest! Quite unpretentious!" Mother's sharp voice drowned all nearby conversations as she monopolized the Elvenking. "Oh they are, are they not, I'm so glad you were pleased with them! Yes sire, we bred them for generations. Outstanding. Finest meara breed!"

"Meara breed?" King Éomer cut in. "Who claims to breed mearas?"

"We do," said Wynne, surprised he wouldn't remember as he had even bought some of them before.

"Mearas cannot be bred like any simple horses, and even if they could, they would only allow a Rohirrim king to ride them." He frowned at her.

Éomer was intimidating when he was annoyed, every inch a warrior and not at all looking like a king.

Wynne took a step backwards. "But I thought–"

"Well, I never said they were only mearas." Mother's cheeks were slightly pink.

"Yes, you did. That's exactly what you said!" Wynne gaped at her, feeling the world as she knew it shattering. Her Vatna, and Stelpa and the others... not mearas?

Another implication struck her. The elves – she had tricked her friends all this time. How mortifying! Her face was burning and she didn't know where to look.

"Well there is a large... well moderately large part meara in them. And they are very fine. Even you said so, Your Grace." She had turned back to the Elvenking, all simpers and smiles again.

His features were neutral as usual but something about his voice made Wynne certain he didn't take such deception lightly. "Aye, they are very fine," he acknowledged and swiftly turned his back on her to speak to Éowyn, leaving Mother to open and close her mouth a few times in surprise.

"Well!"

"Shall we go and explore the city with Father?" Wynne took her arm. "You can show me where you used to live." She needed to get her mother away from here as soon as possible, before things got even worse, and she wanted herself out as well. She couldn't endure this embarrassing situation a minute longer.

"Oh. Well I guess we could..."

Wynne felt Legolas' eyes on her as they left and hoped he was not too disappointed. She would speak to him later and explain. Surely he and his father must realize she had not known about this?

oOo

Sightseeing in Minas Tirith proved to be a lot nicer than Wynne had anticipated. Mother was in a good mood and talked incessantly about how agreeable King Thranduil had been and how handsome he was, and his son too. She also knew a lot about the city and spoke about its history and what it had looked like when she was young.

The new gates built by the dwarves were not quite to her liking, however. "The old ones were more genuine, you know, I don't hold with these modern designs."

Mother's old home was located in a back street in the city's first level but she refused to go near it, she just pointed somewhat vaguely. "One of those doors, I'm not even sure which one anymore. This is not a nice part of the city. Let us go, I want to show you the fountain outside the Old Guesthouse."

After the tour, Mother was tired and needed to rest before dinner. Meanwhile, Wynne and her father went to the stables to check on the horses.

"They are in good shape." He scratched Vatna between her ears. "You have groomed them well."

"Why didn't you tell me? I've always thought they were real mearas."

He didn't reply, just silently moved on to the next loose box where Hlaupari calmly munched on a tuft of hay. Her father often did that; avoided an uncomfortable question or situation by walking away from it.

It was frustrating. Would her life until now have been different if her father had stood up to her mother? Taking Wynne's side, supporting her against her whims?

Would she have been spared the mortification of being sent against her will on a mission to seduce an elf king?

Well, actually, in retrospect she didn't regret that part of Mother's scheming anymore. Being sent away had been good for her, she had needed to leave home. She had just not been aware of it herself.

oOo

Before dinner, Mother again made Wynne change clothes, this time into a blue dress that looked like it came straight out of a brothel. What would her friends think of her? But as usual, her mother waved away all complaints.

"Males are weak. Showing a little skin will always do the trick".

As they entered the Hall of Feasts, she gave Wynne some last minute instructions. "You must be careful how you look when you eat. Take small, slow bites. Anything you can do to draw attention to your mouth is good."

But she had not needed to bother, the royal elves wouldn't see Wynne take small bites. They were seated according to rank and her family were placed far down from the head table.

It had Mother almost throw a fit. "Outrageous! Has Aragorn forgotten we are related? And I helped him with horses for his quest and everything."

Luckily she had said it in an angry hiss and Wynne didn't think anyone else heard. Well, Galion, Nodir and Bronedir might have, their table was nearby, but if so, they politely pretended not to.

After they had eaten there was music and the guests began to mingle. Mother took the opportunity to reestablish their House's importance, and with a reluctant husband and daughter in tow she approached the Gondor king.

"Dear cousin, we are enchanted to finally meet you in person!" Her curtsy was very elegant.

Wynne tried not to wince at the informal approach but Aragorn inclined his head slightly in reply, wearing his ever-present, polite smile.

"We heard King Éomer and you have been working hard in the former Dead Marshes and Ithilien, doing much good work restoring them. My daughter here described how beautiful Osgiliath has become."

"Thank you."

"You may not know this, but my mother-in-law – that's your cousin Arbes..."

"Third cousin," Wynne corrected.

"...used to live in Arnor with the rangers before she married Lord Örn. She speaks very warmly of her homeland and laments what has become of it. Our House can help finance the restoration of Fornost."

Aragorn's eyebrows rose in surprise. "I have considered rebuilding Fornost," he admitted.

"I know." Mother smirked. How did she find out about these things? Had she planted spies in the court? "And if you need more horses we are always happy to oblige."

A movement caught Wynne's attention. Legolas sauntered by, seemingly innocently, but when he saw she had noticed him he beckoned his head in a follow-me gesture.

She glanced at her mother, still discussing city rebuilding with Aragorn, and silently sneaked after the elf.

He led her to a far corner of the Hall where they were partly hidden by a statue of a swordsman. "Finally," he said, looking around him before planting a small peck on her cheek.

"Aren't you angry with me for deceiving you?" She couldn't meet his eyes.

"What?"

"About the horses!"

"Oh, I knew that. I met a meara once, Shadowfax, the one Gandalf rode. There is really no comparison."

"You knew? From the very beginning?" She stared blankly at him. "Then why didn't you say?"

"I figured it did not matter. They were good horses, and if my father had thought you were trying to deceive him he would have refused to let you come. And then we would have nothing to ride on and it would take forever to scout the Brown Lands." He grinned. "At least, that was what I told myself at the time." He stole another quick kiss. "In retrospect, I think I was quite taken with you already and just wanted you to join us."

A pang of guilt hit Wynne. She had deceived them – just not about the horses.

In that instant she knew she had to tell him about Mother's plan. No more secrets, no more lies.

"Legolas, about that... My mother, the reason she sent me along..." She faltered, clenching her suddenly damp hands, heartbeat increasing. This was it. The moment of truth. "Mother wished me to... attract..." She couldn't continue. It felt even cheaper, more shameful when she said it out loud.

"A husband?" he suggested.

She hesitatingly met his gaze. He didn't look angry, nor disappointed.

"Yes... I should have told you before. I'm so sorry, I–"

"Nay... Nay, Wynne, no need to be sorry." He pressed her hand earnestly. "If Lady Morwen wants you to marry one of our company, is that not good news? I had been worried your family might object to the match."

Wynne was speechless. She wished she could fall into his arms, hug him hard and kiss him, really kiss him, but of course that was impossible in a room full of the king's guests.

How could he not be furious with her after learning the truth?

"Was it she who took out your braids?" He touched her pearl hairnet.

"Yes."

"And she selected the dresses you have worn today? Much as I enjoy seeing you in them, the way they make the men here look at you... Hm. I do not like it."

"Sorry."

"It is not your fault. But... if she still wants you to attract that kind of attention it must mean you have not yet told her of us?"

"No... I couldn't, she would ruin everything with her meddling. Run to Thranduil and start planning the wedding on the spot."

"Father can handle a human woman, I am sure."

"What if he refuses?"

"I do not think he will. He is beginning to understand my feelings for you. Yesterday night he told me about my mother for the first time. They had a bad relationship in the beginning, because they married hastily, without love. Father didn't tell any details, only that they fell in love eventually, but that was why it took so long until I was born."

"That explains a lot, actually."

"Aye. But I am not him, I know my heart, and it definitely belongs to you."

"And mine to you."

They probably looked very silly, looking into one another's eyes with giddy smiles for quite some time, but Wynne couldn't care less.

"You think I should tell Mother then?" she said at last.

"Aye. I long to be allowed to court you officially."

"Me too."

They parted with another stolen kiss before Wynne bounced away to tell the good news.

oOo

Mother was overjoyed when Wynne told of her attachment to the prince.

"But King Thranduil has not agreed to the match yet," she said with emphasis. "We must not do anything hasty."

"Of course not, I will act quite according to protocol in this matter. Your father and I shall approach the elf king with a formal request, and offer a suitable dowry, naturally." She was almost dancing around the room with excitement. "Oh, this will be wonderful, Wynne, you shall have such beautiful children. I shall be forever coming over to your palace and see the little darlings, and of course they shall spend every summer with their Grandmama – that will be me, you know – and I shall often have my daughter and her new family over for visits as well. How charming it shall be with elves in my house. Oh the parties we shall have! Our neighbors will be green with jealousy when they are introduced to the elf king himself! Who is then my relative!"

"Mother! He will never agree to that. It's bad enough that I'm neither royalty, nor an elf, and he would certainly not want his subjects to know about my family."

"Unheard of! He can't refuse his son's mother-in-law to see her daughter and grandchildren, or have them come visit her."

"But he will. You should be happy if he accepts me coming there!" Wynne's stomach churned. This was exactly what she had been afraid of, that Mother would let her plans run away with her too far, too soon.

"Well, if he refuses, I shall bring it up with my king. You know how influential our House is – or our money, at least – and he will listen to my complaints. I'm sure King Thranduil wouldn't want bad relations with Rohan. It could even cause a war if worse came to worse."

A war? No, that couldn't be possible... King Éomer would never go to war over a noblewoman's claim to her grandchildren. Or would he? Was Wynne's family really that powerful?

Either way, it must not happen. If Thranduil felt someone forced him to comply he would hate it and that would be a horrible way to start a life as his daughter-in-law.

Again it struck her how cheap and ugly all this scheming was. Mother only wished to take advantage of the situation; she didn't care whether Wynne was happy or not, and as for wishing to see her future grandchildren she knew that was an excuse as well.

Suddenly her mother's behavior angered her. It was not right to use the elves like this. They were her friends!

"If King Thranduil agrees to the match Legolas and I shall live with him. We will not visit you often, and you will not visit us often. This is my life, my marriage – not yours." She tried to speak calmly and resolutely, checking her upwelling annoyance.

Mother stared at her in surprise and two telltale crimson spots appeared on her cheeks. Her hand darted out and struck her hard.

Wynne couldn't hold back a yelp when the side of her head exploded in pain.

"How dare you! I willed this, I made this journey possible. You will not oppose me!" She talked between clenched teeth, her voice distorted.

Wynne straightened her back and looked her squarely in the eyes, conveying all her resentment and indignation into that stare. For the first time her mother's white-hot fury didn't make her knees weak and her fingers tremble. For the first time the pain didn't intimidate her. Instead she felt her own anger grow.

Without a word, she turned on the spot and stormed out, almost colliding with someone in the corridor.

"You come back here right now, or–" Mother abruptly broke off, changing into a completely different voice. "Why, good evening, Your Grace! And goodnight Wynne, dear, sleep well and we shall talk more about this tomorrow." She quickly shut the door.

Thranduil looked baffled at first, but then his eyes filled with concern. He touched Wynne's throbbing cheek. "What happened?"

"I accidentally walked into the door. It's nothing." She forced a smileca, trying to lm the raging storm within.

"I see." It was clear he didn't believe that at all, and she felt him looking after her when she hurried back to her room.

How much of the argument with Mother had he heard?

Oh, what a disaster! She would ruin it all. And if Thranduil against all odds agreed to the courtship, she would keep meddling, corrupt Wynne's marriage and use her future grandchildren as hostages. It would never work.

Wynne couldn't hold back her tears as she flung herself down on her bed.

A/N:

Things never go quite as planned, do they... 

Image Credits:

Screenshot from Pride and Prejudice, BBC.