Work Text:
The year between the betrothal ceremony and the wedding ceremony went by quickly. Nerdanel spent this time getting reacquainted with her son and her soon to be daughter in law. Nerdanel’s help in getting the wedding planned the way the bride wanted it proved to be invaluable. Finally, the day of the wedding arrived. Every detail had been planned out to the bride’s desires except one, the location. Both Maglor and Carisse had wanted their wedding to be in the grotto the way their betrothal ceremony had been, however Gil-galad would not allow it. The wedding of a member of the Royal House of Finwe was not going to be married in some secluded grotto. All of Lindon had been invited, though only those in the King’s city would be able to attend due to time and travel.
Once again Oropher found himself helping Maglor get ready, this time it was for his wedding. He entered the dressing room carrying a small box and saw Maglor wince slightly as he opened it to reveal it’s contents.
“You are to wear this, by the king’s command,” Oropher informed him. “I know how you feel about this, but it’s time you left your past in the past. Everyone else has.”
“I have, but do I really have to wear that thing, it’s irritating,” Maglor stated.
“I have one of my own I have to wear, as does Thranduil. So stop complaining and put it on before I turn you over my knee,” warned Oropher.
Just then protests from the next room over could be heard. It was obvious Elrond was trying to get Thranduil to wear his circlet and the elfling did not want to. Maglor was about to say something when Oropher gave him a warning look.
“I know, Elrond needs to learn to deal with this on his own,” Maglor said. “However, for the sake of my sanity would you please go deal with that?”
Meanwhile Celebrían was helping Carisse get ready. Carisse looked at the mithril circlet that lay on the dressing table in front of her. Celebimbor had crafted it for her for this occasion. Technically speaking she would soon become a noldorian princess. He had copied the designed from the one that had been found in Maglor’s wardrobe in the storage area. He changed some of the design elements to make it feminine. This day had been a long time coming, too long.
“I wonder when Elrond will ask me to marry him,” Celebrían said.
“I hope he doesn’t wait as long as Maglor did,” Carisse replied. “The fact that he is already courting you is a hopeful sign.”
“Though Adar will want him to finish his training as a healer before he will consent to letting us marry,” Celebrían remarked. “He has already sacrificed a chance to complete his training on the alter of personal responsibility. If another opportunity should arise, I do not want him sacrificing it on a marriage alter.”
“I am sure that when the time is right, Elrond will ask you to marry him. Let’s hope he doesn’t need any prompting from his younger gwador this time,” Carisse replied as both elleths burst into laughter.
“Well it’s time,” said Celebrían.
Celebrían helped Carisse with the last touches to her hair and makeup and the two of them left for the great hall. When they arrived at the hallway just outside of the great hall, Carisse held her breath for a moment as the doors opened and exhaled softly as she stepped though entrance. This was the first day of what would be a new life for her.
Maglor looked up as the music that announced the bride’s arrival played. When he saw Carisse enter he looked at her as if she were the most beautiful elleth in all of Arda and to him, she was. Today was the start of a new life for him. It was time to put the past away and look forward to a future, with family, friends, purpose in life and most importantly the love of a wife.
The wedding feast was a grand affair. Even though Maglor and Carisse both would have preferred a smaller reception, they understood that the two hundred years that had passed since the War of Wraith had not been long for the elder. They would not begrudge those who had fought in it any opportunity to celebrate life. Maglor was thankful he was not expected to perform this night. That happy duty fell to his students. Each one would have a turn to perform something. The whole affair had not been coordinated by his students. This was coordinated by Veryandil who before Maglor’s arrival had been the only fully trained minstrel in the king’s city.
Veryandil was a journeyman minstrel. This meant that Maglor was the only master present. Maglor was surprised when Veryandil wanted to join Maglor’s advanced class and study under him, even if it meant losing his journeyman’s status. Maglor accepted him as a teaching assistant so he could retain his journeyman’s status and study from him as well. Veryandil would help grade papers and assist with the instruction of the youngest and least experienced students. Maglor was looking for a teaching assistant since Erestor had informed him of the two adult rule and introduced him to his young assistant, a scribe named, Melpomaen.
Maglor was pulled out of his thoughts when Carisse’s parents sat down next to her. Maglor not known Ardil and Gwilwileth as well as he would have liked and had spent the last year trying to correct that.
“I hope that now Lindon’s populace has accepted your presence, you and Carisse will take up residence in the main settlement,” Gwilwileth told him. “I do not like the idea of you taking our iell all the way out to that lonely grotto of yours.”
“My grotto?” Maglor said laughing. “I was not aware anything belonged to me other than the house.”
“Everyone, including your cousins, Lady Galadriel and King Gil-galad are calling it Maglor’s grotto,” Ardil informed him.
“Why am I always the last to know about these things?” Maglor asked rhetorically. “As for moving, I will discuss the matter with Carisse and see what she wants. However, if we move it will be a joint decision between husband and wife.”
“Naneth, that’s what I told you when you this morning,” Carisse informed Gwilwileth.
“Melethnin, let the newly weds live where they wish to live,” Ardil told his wife gently. “Valar knows the last thing their first yeni of marriage needs is your constant hen pecking.”
“I only want…” Gwilwileth began
“I know,” Ardil told her gently. “However, Carisse is a grown elleth. She is married and now has a house and a family of her own. It is long past time for you to stop telling her how to live her life.”
It was late when Maglor and Carisse finally reached their home, climbed two sets of stairs and entered their bedroom. Upon entereing their room, the first thing that caught their attention was a small object sitting on the center of their bed. It was a stuffed bunny. The bunny was brown with white ears and feet. It had a pink nose and a green patch sown on to its stomach in the shape of a leaf. Maglor walked over to the bunny and picked it up.
“Legolas, I thought I left this with Oropher when I moved out of the houses of healing,” he said. “If only you could talk maybe, you could tell me how Thranduil got you in here and why he left you here.”
“Let’s ask Thranduil in the morning,” Carisse told her husband, “In the meantime let’s put Legolas in the next bedroom over. I am not sharing my marriage bed with a stuffed rabbit, especially if he has a name.”
Maglor went to the smaller bedroom and gently placed Legolas on a piece of furniture. When he returned, he found his wife lying on the bed. He closed the door behind him and went to join her.