A/N: This is an edited version of Lylalva. I spent some time the other day revising and revisiting her history, so here's the new version. I changed her name to be more Elvish and also a bit of her history to make her more believable within Middle-earth! Hope you like it.
Iaelyn Evenstar {ale-LYN eve-van-STAR} (also known as Iaelyn the Twilight and later called Iaelyn Greenleaf) was born in Lorien in the year 241 of the Third Age, the same year Arwen was born. Iael's parents were distantly related to Tunviel, making her half-elven, but only in a small precentage, as many of the marriages after the famed Eldar-Eidan couple were of pure-blood elves.
Iaelyn was called the Twilight by the Lorien elves due to the fact she had dark hair. While influenced by the superior magic of Galadriel as a child, she had ocean-green eyes that were traditionally covered by a silk veil (because of the fact that if any elf that hadn't had the yearning for the sea awakened within them could be cursed into doing so). She blamed herself for making her friends for going over the Sea to the Grey Havens. After being adopted by Elrond, which was something Galadriel arranged to protect Iaelyn, her eyes became as dark and grey as the night sky. Later, when shown her true self (a lot like how Aragorn was told of his) after the destruction of the Ring, her eyes became ocean-green again and she became known as the Sea-child.
She was also known as the Lady of Song and Shield (given to her after the events of Helm's Deep) , the Nightingale (to how Galadriel refers to her), the Daughter of the Ocean, Spirit of the Water (both names given by Galadriel in passing, but she is only referred to by these names once or twice), Maiden of the Forest (a generic name used by fellow elves and by men), Greatest of the Shieldmaidens (received after the events of the second War of the Ring), Queen of the Sea (Galadriel's last name for her), Angel of the Stars (given to her by the Rivendell elves), and lastly the Princess of Mirkwood.
History
History: the Third Age ( the Years Before the Great Years )
Years after being born into Lorien, Elrond, King of Rivendell and of Elves, adopted her as his niece. She grew close to Arwen and Elrond's sons (the latter who taught her how to be a shieldmaiden while she was young). Desiring to fight against Sauron, she attempted to sneak away to fight after Celebrian, Elrond's wife, left for the Grey Havens. Elrond was intensely angered and forbid her to adventure or go to battles for a few hundred years, and basically limited her to the safety of Rivendell. This time was dubbed the Years of Caging of the Nightingale by Galadriel, who heavily disapproved of her son-in-law's decision.
Within this time, Iaelyn and Glorfindel, the elf-lord in Rivendell, established a close relationship. Many elves within Rivendell noticed their chemistry and teased them by saying they would be "the best Lord and Lady since Celeborn and Galadriel". Iaelyn took this as a well-meant joke, but Glorfindel had indeed fallen in love with her, despite the age and experience difference.
The day the ban on her adventuring was lifted, Iaelyn travelled to Lorien.
History: the Great Years of the Third Age (1318-19)
Iaelyn had written to Sam Gamgee on Elven culture for several years prior to his arriving in Rivendell, where he was surprised to meet his pen-pal. She remained in Rivendell for only a couple days before returning to Lorien (where she had been sent to deliver a message), long enough for her to witness the Council of Elrond and say hi to her adoptive uncle.
Iaelyn met the Fellowship for a second time when they travelled to Lorien after losing Gandalf. She offered them assistance, but Galadriel and Celeborn refused to let her go. During the Fellowship's stay, she became friends with them. Legolas asked her to wait for him so they could become better friends after the whole fiasco was over, and she agreed,
However, during the battle of Helm's Deep, Iaelyn snuck into the elven archer army that set out to help. She fought in the battle, helped Legolas and Gimli, and bested them both in their orc-killing contest (Gimli said that she hadn't been apart of the original contest when it started so her score, which was higher than theirs anyway, was null and void). She joined the Riders of Rohan when they went to help Gondor, and fought in all the fights succeeding Helm's Deep as an elven archer and swordswoman.
History: After the Great Years
Ialeyn, after the War of the Ring, retired being a shieldmaiden. Galadriel of Lorien named her the Queen of the Sea (and gave her a special jewelry tiara with a Elven sea-stone within it) during Aragorn's coronation. She became King Elessar's (Aragorn) main minstrel for a few years before marrying Legolas of Mirkwood. She had a daughter with Legolas who died young, and decided to go to the Grey Havens with Legolas and Gimli when everything was over.
During the years after 1319, Iaelyn preformed within King Elessar's kingdom regularly. She was a great attraction for the kingdom, and people of all races came to see her sing and preform traditional elven songs and a few more un-traditional songs she had wrote herself. She even went to the forest of Fragorn to sing for the Ents, but it took so long for her to get done with everything she vowed never again would she do it ("even though elves created the Tree-people to talk to," she said, "I cannot spend another minute with them, as it is quite insufferable to sing and be asked to repeat the same song until one's voice effectively gives out"). Instead, Ents were required to make their way to wherever she preformed if they wished to hear a song.
A year into this, Legolas came to the kingdom were Iaelyn was staying with her (adoptive) cousin, Arwen. During this time they related the adventure of the Ring and talked about the future of Middle-earth. The conversation turned to their future, and within a couple months Legolas had proposed to Iaelyn.
The marriage took place in Mirkwood on a beautiful blue-sky summer day in 1320. Gimli the Dwarf, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin of the Shire, King Elessar and Arwen, and several others were among those in attendance. Iaelyn received the title of "Princess of Mirkwood" and was from then on referred to as Princess Iaelyn, as well as the Princess Nightingale.
She got pregnant a couple years into the very happy marriage, and gave birth the year of 1323. However, in the winter of 1325, Legolas and Iaelyn's daughter died due to an orc-raid that broke the defenses where the family was staying for a vacation. Iaelyn fell into a depression, and the couple agreed not to have children. By the year 1330 (when the couple had been married 10 years), she had became a happier person. Many people who saw the royal elven couple compared them to a newlywed one, still happy and full of vigor.
They lived for many, many years together before heading for the Grey Havens.
Other Information
Appearance & Personality
Iaelyn is a shorter female elf of about 5'1" or 2". She has long waist-length dark brown hair, a child-like but fair face, and ocean-teal eyes (altering with dark grey eyes during her history). She wore, while in the house of Elrond, dark grey robes with pale blue accents. While Princess of Mirkwood, she wore a green-and-yellow robe with an image of a tree on each sleeve. She also wore a crown given by Galadriel and a Dwarven necklace given by Gimli.
She has a sweet but silent personality. She can be rather sarcastic when annoyed, and nothing much surprises her. She is serious at times and gives the facts straight without much metaphor, but still speaks poetically.
Weapons (Named) & Abilities
Autumn-bringer and Vala were her first two named weapons. Autumn-bringer was a short white bow with carved orange leaves etched into it, and was a gift made by Galadriel. Vala (elvish for "angelic power") was the birthname given to her and later bestowed on her most beautiful sword. Ocean-queen was the name of an elven dagger that she received after her unnamed one broke during an orc raid (when she was an adventurer).
She is an expert horse-rider, frequently riding elven-style (bareback). She has a stallion called Ice-Dancer, a tall and lean black horse with snow-like markings on various parts of his pelt. He also had a pure white mane and tail. She worked well with many animals and actually had a young hawk as a child who she trained to hunt mice. She is an expert archer and swordwoman. She is a good planner, very agile, and keeps her aces to her chest when in the company of unfamiliar people.
Family & Friendships
Iaelyn is the adoptive niece of Elrond and adoptive cousin of Arwen and Elrond's sons. She was adopted much like Bilbo adopted Frodo. She is related directly to Tunviel (the same Tunviel of the myths and legends), and her parents were Lorien elves who left for the Undying Lands shortly after she was born, and she was raised chiefly by Galadriel and Celeborn as a baby. She has a loving relationship with her adoptive family.
She is married to Legolas of Mirkwood, with who their marriage is happy, loving and romantic. Elrond initially was against her living in Mirkwood, but later learned that her and Legolas were a good match. He had an easier time letting her go than he did with Arwen.
She is good friends still with the members of the Fellowship, as well as Eowyn of Rohan. She is mainly friends with elves from Rivendell (such as Glorfindel), but she has many friends that are Hobbits (Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Rose, Goldilocks, etc) ,Men (Eowyn, Eomer, etc), and Dwarves (mainly Gimli).
Quotes and Conversations
1.
"The Lady of the Wood sends her blessing," the young elf-maiden said softly to Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli.
"And of what does she speak of?" asked Aragorn in a kind voice. "For gracing us with your presence is blessing enough."
The elf-maiden smiled warmly, and took up her short white bow.
-In a conversation at the battle of Helm's Deep
2.
"Stones and rocks in themselves are but another part of my beloved forest, but set them all around and bath them in darkness-! That is to reveal to me my worst fear. For monsters lurk in the darkness and get closer the further you go down, and the narrower the stones become around you."
-To Gimli
3.
"I am the bird who sings in the mine, but I would rather be the nightingale who sings in the night."
-To Gimli when going into a cave with him, referring to her desire to be out in the forest
4.
"Urak-hai! For I saw and disposed of many on my way here, but ai! they are but a cloud of gnats to what I see now and despair of!"
-To Legolas during the battle of Helm's Deep
5.
"Ents talk a lot, because elves bid them to, but I shan't speak to save my life, for there is nothing to be said."
-To Treebeard
7.
"You appear to be not to be of here," Legolas said to her. "For you are dark of hair and eye, not fair as the folk here may be. Yet you say you born here. But I say you are of Rivendell. Is what I say true?'
"Nay, prince: for my home may be Rivendell, my heart was born here. One's head will always follow one's heart, and ai! Mine is too weak to not resist to follow my heart." Iaelyn told him sadly.
And Legolas the elf did smile, and said to her, "And I am the same."
-A conversation at Lorien
6.
"Blessed are they who have not seen the sea! for their hearts still lay under branch and tree! Do not look upon my gaze, lest you be cursed."
-To her friends in Rivendell
