Threads of Time by Kaylee Arafinwiel

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No One Is Alone

Aside from the actual prompt, I was inspired by my friend Susana's favorite quote of the day: 

“Child, child, do you not see? For each of us comes a time when we must be more than what we are.”- Lloyd Alexander, The Castle of Llyr

...as well as a source that will probably be obvious to anyone who enjoys musicals. That is not an accident.

OCs mentioned include:

Saelrien, Elwing's Nurse, who is an important OC of mine (and is the same character simply called "Nurse" in the fic I linked - I hadn't named her yet.) 

Lady Aerlinniel - one of the more important Noldorin noble ladies, her husband is a member of Gil-galad's court.

Lady Miriel - new for this story, a friend of Aerlinniel's. She is also one of Princess Idril's new friends, which is why Elwing knows her - in my-verse, Tuor and Idril have practically adopted the motherless Elwing, who is now their son's best friend.

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"You wished to speak with me, my dear?"

 

Elwing snuggled into Galadriel's side, letting the Lady hold her and inhaling the sweet scents of the solar.

"Yes, Aunt. People...people have been acting oddly around me ever since my last Begetting Day. Do you think...I didn't know who to ask. Maybe something is wrong with my threadwork? I don't know what else I could have done wrong."

 

"Hmm. Perhaps so, perhaps not. What concerns you about your threadwork, my dear? I think your last blanket was especially beautiful. Did Lady Aerlinniel not say so?"

 

Elwing grimaced. "Lady Aerlinniel said it was well done for a Sinda," she replied. "Because as everyone knows, the true gifts of crafting can only be mastered by the Noldor."

 

"She said that, did she," Galadriel raised an eyebrow.

 

"The 'for a Sinda' part. The rest was...mostly implied. Well, you know how she is," Elwing sighed.

 

"Unfortunately, I am well aware of 'how she is'," Galadriel agreed. Elwing nodded. "She really shouldn't judge the threadwork competition if she can't be fair."

 

"No, she should not," Galadriel said. "What do you plan to do with your blanket, sweetness?"

 

"It is intended as a name day gift for Lady Miriel's newborn son. But Lady Miriel...I heard her talking to Lady Aerlinniel. She said she recognised the yarn I used for the blanket, it was the same yarn Saelrien bought from her for my Begetting Day and it was rude of me to use it. I entered it in the faire...I don't know, to make sure that it was good enough? What if she still hates it?"

 

"Oh, my dear child." Galadriel hugged Elwing close. "There comes a time when each of us must be more than what we are," she said gently. "I know, you are only an elfling yet--"

 

"Half-elfling," Elwing said primly, and Galadriel laughed a little.

 

"Yes, that, though I would say you are a little more Elven than not at least. But remember, that is what you are, but you must know who you are."

 

Elwing sucked on her lower lip. "Elwing Dioriel, daughter of Nimloth, granddaughter of Beren and Luthien, of Galathil and Aglarwen, of Elu and Melian--"

 

"Just so," Galadriel said, lifting a hand to stop her. "You are the scion of kings and queens, and with your brothers lost to us, you are queen of the Iathrim."

 

"But Uncle Cel--"

 

"Is older than you, of course, but not of the senior line, child. You are queen of the Eglath - forsaken again, I deem, but bereft of home rather than leaderless."

 

Elwing drew in a breath, and let it out, shuddering. "I am queen of the Eglath," she said softly. "The blanket...is just a blanket. Lady Miriel can like it, or not. But I must not let her scorn touch me."

 

Galadriel nodded, giving the child a kiss. "If she troubles you, Elwing, you may always come to me. You are not alone."

"No one is alone," Elwing murmured. Forsaken or not. "All the same, I wish--" She never finished her sentence. Above the glass roof, the seagulls screamed, and with the attention span of a child who has sat still too long, she dropped her sewing and ran outside.

 

What do you wish, daughter of Dior? Galadriel wondered. She looked through the glass, and saw Earendil running toward the little Queen. Ah, so that was it. Time enough for Elwing to be a queen on the morrow - today she was still just a little girl.