Darkest Nights | Love of Royals: Book II

XXXIX: True Freedom

Fíria's POV

I wake up still tangled among Legolas's limbs and the ruffled bedclothes, warm, content and with the smooth skin of his muscled shoulder against my cheek. He has yet to open his eyes, holding onto those last few minutes of slumber while I stretch and run my hand across his bare chest. Last night had been a night to remember: Fírion's coronation, the lights, the dancing, the drinks... and Legolas. Both of us.

It takes a minute to hit me that I am, in fact, the wife of Prince Legolas Thranduilion.  That I've just woken up in the arms of my husband.

Wait... I've woken up.

I've just woken up.

That means I was... asleep.

I, Princess Fíria of the Woodland Realm and Dû-edhil, who has not slept a wink in three thousand years, was asleep.  I didn't even know I was doing it at the time.  And this means only one thing: I am free.  Truly free.  For the Dû-edhil cannot sleep until they have found true freedom, the legend says.  All my life, I've doubted it, and accepted in my heart that I will be awake for eternity... until this morning.  I've been so distracted lately, I haven't spared so much as a thought towards the legend, but now that I do... it begins to make sense.

The one who was caging me is dead; my people have a home; Thranduil and Elena allowed me to stay and marry the elf I love; I'm safe and surrounded by friends.  Yes, I am free.

But what about Fírion?  And Lyrenna?  And the other Dû-edhil living here?

I have to know.  Now.  On top of all the other changes that are underway, this could be the greatest turning point in my people's history. 

'Legolas!' I hiss at the Prince still out cold beside me.  He shifts his body a little, finally opening his eyes to give me a squint glazed with fatigue.  I doubt he understands quite what's going on.

'Legolas, wake up!  We have to go!'  I proceed to wriggle out of his arms and untangle myself from him, all while shaking him urgently with one hand.

'What is it, meleth?' he murmurs.

'I slept!'

'And?'

'I slept!  For the first time!  That means I have found true freedom!'

A pause, while Legolas considers this, still half-asleep.  'What?' he says at last.

'Get up!' I pull him up into a sitting position against the pillows.  'Listen.  When the Dû-edhil were given their powers by Tilion, the Maia of the Moon, they were cursed by Arien, the Maia of the Sun.  They were cursed so that they would never be able to sleep until they found true freedom.  And I slept, Legolas.  I just slept.'  I find that my voice becomes hoarse, and I have to blink back an onset of tears.

My husband cups my face with his hand.  'Because you're free, meleth nín.  Because everything is alright.'

A brief moment passes where I smile at him with all the radiance of a sunrise, my heart filling with this indescribable euphoria.  I then snap back to reality, leaping off the bed and slipping into the nearest clothes I can find.  That happens to be a winter gown of a purple so dark it's almost black, complete with silver embroidery like patterns of frost on a window.  I don't wait for Legolas before I burst out through the door, my heart thundering, leaving the Prince to struggle out of bed and into some clothes by himself.

Within seconds, I'm haring down the corridor, straight for Fírion's room.  I ignore my silver-lined skirts swishing vigorously around my legs, and I ignore the feeling of my bare feet on the cold stone floor.  I know I'll look somewhat of a sight when I run into other elves, but at this point, it couldn't matter less to me.