Bouquet, for Femslash Bingo 2016 by Urloth

17th July - N19 Hollyhock : Ambition. Tauriel/Arwen

A precursor to 

Of A Certain Complication of Lady Arwen's Visit to Mirkwood And Of, After Moping For A While, How Tauriel Fixed it. (Though Not On The First Try. And Not Without A Little Help.)

Ambition.

Tauriel clasped her hands over her stomach and stared at the sleeping back of her vice-captain. There were probably orcs out in the woods.

They were being kind enough to be silent.

Sadly that did not help sleep, only intensified the paranoia that being on this most important of duties brought to her.

She breathed out her nose rather than give their position away with a sigh, and scanned the trees and then down below.

Nothing.

She sat down again.

Ambition.

What was her ambition?

She had thought becoming captain younger than any other had been her ambition but that had come and gone and she was still unfulfilled.

Happiness?

She considered that for the child of Oropher’s unwanted daughter she was doing very well for herself.

She glanced down at her wrist guards, Legolas’ last summer solstice gift to her, embossed hollyhock in the leather, and thought of the prettier and less utilitarian spray of carved amethyst and citrine hollyhocks upon a platinum band of leaves from King Thranduil and the Queen Dowager together, since they had noted her aversion to the more prominent crowns and tiaras available to her.

She was wanted by some, she reconciled herself.

That band was in her hair now. Incongruously decorative and fancy for a guard position but she had to look her best for their most important and eagerly awaited guests. The Queen Dowager would hear of nothing less.

Tauriel was there as their representative, her role was ceremonial.

That had not stopped her taking the last watch however. It had given her time to freshen up and contemplate how her dress uniform was actually very well designed and would probably survive action quite well.

Light broke upon the horizon. There was, from the ground, a longed for greeting called out upon the morning breezes and she rose to see the cavalcade from Rivendel finally coming out onto the flat broad lands right before the forest abruptly swallowed the sky.

They were too far away yet to do more than hail them back and finger her bow and arrow, aware that being out in the open was an obvious chance for an ambush.

The light of dawn shone upon a raven head of hair, cape pushed back to enjoy the chilly autumnal breezes whisking around them. It caressed the face of a star born princess, highlighted the alabaster of Arwen Undomiel’s creamy skin as with a whoop and no care for her own safety she charged ahead of her party towards the forest entrance and the guard tower that only elven eyes would perceive amongst the trees.

Tauriel could not look away.

What would it take, she wondered, to be worthy of being by that Lady’s side?