Roswehn of Mirkwood

The guardian of the night

The new thought of ​​a ghost with sharp teeth under the bed had made her shiver.

The king felt the fear in Roswehn: all her muscles had stiffened and she was trembling like a squirrel just survived a hawk's attack.

He had to help her, and quickly. That tension that had a mysterious origin could hurt his lover, and also hurt their son. What if she had lost the baby? No, it needed a little balm on her nerves that were tangling like a roll of wool.

"I made a decision." he whispered, caressing her neck. "Once you have given birth to the baby, I will give you some time to recover and then we will let Morath take care of him. She will do a good job, like she did with Legolas."

"Why ?! I do not want to leave my child!" she protested. "I want to take care of him."

"Let me finish," Thranduil continued. "I have planned a trip, you and I, alone. I'm afraid I'm not giving you enough attention, maybe that's why you're confused and you see things that do not exist."

Roswehn raised her head to look at him. She leaned on an elbow. "Another trip? Where?"

"In the territory of the Lindon, in the West: there lives a community of Sindar Elves , my kin, they will welcome us with all the honors in the part of the Harlindon, where they live, but if you want we can visit also the Forlindon, where the Green Elves live. Didn't you want to see them? " he asked.

"Where Regan of Arnor was hiding in old age? ....no, I do not think I want to go." she answered. She had the bad feeling that a terrible chapter of her life was reopening.

"Then, if you prefer, we'll visit the Gray Havens, we'll go to the shores. I miss the sea, I only saw it once when I crossed the Mithlond with my father. " the Elf explained.

"I've never seen it. I only know the lake water." Roswehn answered. She did not believe that Thranduil would leave his kingdom to go on vacation with her. Perhaps he was telling those things to reassure her.

"Would you leave your kingdom and your people?" She asked him.

"I will give full powers to Legolas, Feren and Varian - they won't have any difficulty." He explained. "And I will leave the king aside during our journey, leaving here crowns, scepters, and the symbols of Eryn Galen, we will be only two lovers who see the beauties of this world together.
Do you like the idea? " he said, kissing her forehead. "I have to think of you differently, so far I've been tough, I know, I even regretted that story ..." he murmured, thinking of the day they'd come back from Rivendell and sent her to a cell. "Talking to your mother made me feel guilty."

"I do not want to think about it anymore, Thranduil ... It just happened, we both learned something from that, I hope." she replied.

"Yes, we also have to think about how to call our son, I am evaluating different possibilities, I would avoid the name of my father, Oropher, it would charge him with excessive responsibility, which would be too difficult for him to bear." said the king.

The girl wondered if that was the time to tell him her idea about the matter. See, I would call him Haldir. Yes I know it's not nice to give him the name of the Elf of Celeborn's realm...but I decided so and, as you know, we human women are not exactly the most malleable creatures in the world when it comes to our children.

"... I thought of an elven name that has a special meaning, in which strength and authority resonate, a name suitable for a sovereign." Thranduil said. He was so concentrated in his reasoning that he had not read in her mind.

Roswehn was amazed. "Why a name for a king? Our son will not have this fate, unless something happens to Legolas, and I really hope not ..."