Blossoms Appearing in the Land, Green Figs Forming on the Trees by janeways

Chapter 1

“Ah, yes, there—no, ow!”

“Sorry, here, if you just…”

“Oh, that’s—hmm.”

“Better?”

“Mmm.”

“Here, let me…How’s that?”

“It’s—ah—it’s fine.”

“Fine?” Caranthir sat up. “It’s fine?” he repeated.

“It’s fine.” Haleth’s voice was like a shrug.

“I don’t want it to be fine. You deserve better than fine.”

“Maybe it’s supposed to feel like this.”

Caranthir simply gave her a look.

Slumping into her pillows, Haleth sighed defeatedly. “I know, I know. If it were supposed to feel like this, your parents wouldn’t have had seven children.”

Now Caranthir was giving her a different look.

“What?” she asked, cocking her head.

“I have no desire to make as substantive an addition to the House of Finwë as my father and his half-brothers,” he began slowly. “My brothers were enough to make sure of that,” he added under his breath. A smile cracked Haleth’s face. “But I fear I miss your understanding with regards to my parents.”

Haleth’s smile vanished, replaced with a quizzical frown. “Your six brothers. That is considered an unusually large family among your people, is it not?”

“Yes, it is. Apparently, my uncles felt the need to be competitive.” Caranthir rolled his eyes as he spoke. “But what does that have to do with…?” His voice trailing off, he gestured towards their bodies.

Haleth gave a short, unbelieving laugh. “I mean that they clearly…enjoyed each other’s company.” His expression remained befuddled. “Enough to forego, or forget, precautions,” she added.

“What?”

“Precautions. To prevent children.” Haleth said the last bit slowly, the tone of her voice suggesting that this ought to be a sentence Caranthir understood. “Precautions. By what polite word do your people call it?” Met with a blank look, she broke out in exasperation, “Precautions—to prevent you accidentally impregnating me, Moryo.”

“What?”