Eru Help Me

XVIII

Nenlissë's lips formed a large grin when her gaze crossed a familiar one.

She let her mother's hand go to run toward the blonde.

"Turko!" She exclaimed, hugging her cousin with a laugh. The elf hugged her back, laughing too and sort of nuzzling his head in her hair.

"Lissë, darling, how are you?" He asked, his eyes and voice full of softness.

Nenlissë looked up at him and smiled fondly at her cousin. "I'm more than great and you?

-Perfect." He whispered before kissing her forehead, his nose just slightly furrowing when he smelt Teivel's odor all over his cousin. "I missed you." He added, brushing off his beginning of jealousy for the sake of his friendship with the human.

Nenlissë just smiled more warmly at the elf. "It's been too long since we last saw each other." She whispered, "What do you have to tell me, dear cousin?" She then asked.

Turko slightly glanced behind her before taking her hand to pose it on his arm.

"Let's take a stroll, Lissë" he said softly, leading the human girl back in the garden, away from prying eyes and ears. Turko walked in silence for a good dozens of minutes until they reached a bench. He made Nenlissë sat before taking place beside her. He hesitantly took her hand in his, the action more affectionate than it should be.

"You are not... unaware of the tension between our parents." He began, his gaze fixed on their interlaced hands, his thumb instinctively rubbing the back of her hand. "My father... created three jewels. He called them Silmarils and became paranoid. Even of his own family. He's trying to find more and more ways to protect them. He created a... weapon. Able to hurt more than an arrow. To kill."

Nenlissë frowned, gently squeezing Turko's hand in reassurance. "Did he give them a name." she asked softly.

"Swords." He replied and opened his month to add something but was cut off by one of her brother's voices. "Trying to woo my engaged sister, cousin?"

Turko turned his head toward Lissë, astonishment draw all over his features and she just gave him a small smile before whispering "Later."

She let go of his hand and stoop up, letting Finrod hug her tightly and ruffling her hair.

"Congratulation, baby sister!" He teased her. She rolled her eyes with a smile. "I'm not a baby."

Finrod chuckled before poking her forehead. "That's half a true, after all, you are to be wed." Before she could reply, Lissë heard the voice of another of her brothers, calling for them to come back in to eat. Finrod passed his arm on Nenlissë's shoulders and with a teasing wink to his cousin who was standing beside the human, made them go back in the castle while babbling about his last trip to the northern cities of Arda.

Nenlissë exchanged some glances with her cousin and the male elf managed to take seat beside her at the dining table.

Chatter filled the atmosphere as they ate, Nenlissë's siblings giving her their congratulations on her engagement. She could feel Turko tense beside her every time the name of her fiance was said but quickly brushed it off to the back of her mind, reminding herself to ask him about it later on the evening.

As the silver light slowly fell upon the sky, they reached the end of the dinner and Nenlissë let Turko accompany her back to her chambers. They sat in a quiet silence on one of the couches in her bedroom.

"So, what's bothering you?" She finally broke the silence.

"Nothing is bothering me, Lissë." Turko lied, avoiding her gaze. The woman rolled her eyes before nudging his shoulder with hers. "Come on, you know you can't lie to me."