Elrohir woke up before sunrise. He looked at his sleeping brother and grinned. No, he would not wait for him to wake up. He decided to pay the Elleth a brief visit - just to see if he could get a kiss, too - whether the Elleth was awake or not.
He sneaked away and headed for Elladan's quarters. Without knocking at the door he entered his brother's room. "Eeeeeek!" was the sound that greeted him surprisingly, for he just rushed in the room, almost into the arms of the Elleth, at the same moment she was about to undress and half of her gown already had sunken down to the floor.
With her quick reflexes, Idhrenwen's hand shot forward and she slapped the Elf across his face. Elrohir stood there like a stuffed dummy, wide-eyed and unmoving. However, he was not shocked enough to keep from eying up the Elleth's nude body. It was not until Idhrenwen started to throw things at him that he hurried out of the room.
Kristin awoke slowly. She had not slept well at all, and had tossed and turned most of the night. Morning had now come too early as far as she was concerned. Pulling the covers back up over her head she tried to wish the morning away, but to no avail. Slowly she sat herself up and rubbed her tired eyes.
“Good morning,” a soft voice spoke.
Kristin nearly jumped out of her skin, spinning herself around in the direction of the voice, eyes wide. Legolas sat quietly on the bench in front of the window.
“How...but...wha...” Kristin stammered. Finally glaring at him, she said, “Legolas, is it your mission in life to scare me to death?”
“No,” Legolas smirked, “only half to death.”
Kristin rolled her eyes. “Funny! Legolas, what are you doing here?” she asked, pulling the blankets up to cover her chest and nearly transparent nightgown.
“I wanted to apologize for last night. I didn’t mean to offend you,” he said.
“Legolas...”
He cut her off. “My gift obviously offended you, and I wanted to say I’m sorry. And I brought you these.” Legolas walked over to the bed and handed her a box of homemade chocolates.
Kristin groaned. This Elf just didn’t get it. He was truly a beautiful creature, but she had to wonder about his intelligence at times.
“Is something wrong?” the prince questioned.
Kristin sighed. “Legolas, I don’t like chocolate!”
“But chocolates are a traditional gift of Valentine's Day! As is jewelry and flowers!” Legolas snapped.
It was clear to Kristin now that this Elf had no clue what the true meaning of Valentine's Day was. He only thought it was for gift giving, and his tone, along with her bad memories of this holiday, only set Kristin’s temper on fire.
“You don’t get it, do you?” she snapped back.
“Get what?” Legolas asked. “That you don’t like chocolates?”
Kristin handed the chocolates back to him. “Insufferable Elf,” she muttered as she threw the covers off, not caring about her nightgown, and started to find something to wear for the day. “Just leave Legolas!”
“What?” asked the astonished prince.
“I said leave!” Kristin snapped, too many bad memories flooding back again. “I am in no mood right now to deal with you! I’m going to take a walk this morning and maybe take Knight for a ride later and try to clear my head. Then maybe this evening I can talk to you and explain a few things that you obviously don’t get!”
“But-”
“Out!” she ordered him.
Legolas tossed the box of candies back on the bed and stormed out the door, shutting it behind him. He turned around and paused, staring at the closed door. This was turning into a mess and the prince didn’t understand why. 'Mental note number one,' he thought to himself, 'she does not like jewelry. Mental note number two, she does not like candy.' What did this ill tempered maiden like? He would have to try a different approach. This maiden truly intrigued him and her red headed temper was only egging him on more.
Legolas set his jaw and headed off as another idea popped into his head.
Inside her room, Kristin sighed. What had she just done? She truly hoped she hadn’t scared the poor Elf away, but her temper had a habit of flaring up. Quickly she dressed and headed out for a walk in the garden.
The twins decided to order another Elf to bring Idhrenwen to their father, for they assessed that she was obviously dangerous. They knocked at the door to Lord Elrond's study room and entered without waiting for a reply.
"Good morning, Ada," the twins said in unison.
Elrond frowned. He held his sons' gazes for several minutes. "The guard told me you entered the city yesterday, late in the evening. You carried a young Elleth with you, one who does not belong to this realm," he said, fully aware that he had not greeted them. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"
Both twins blushed at once.
"Forgive us, Ada! We tried to inform you about the new guest last night, but your room was empty and we could not find you anywhere!" stammered Elladan.
"All right, I was not in my room, so I will forgive you for telling me the 'news' so late..." conceded Elrond. "However, I was wondering why the Elleth was asleep. At least the guards told me she was sleeping..."
Elladan and Elrohir swallowed and didn't know what to say, except the truth. They told Elrond everything about their dealings with the Lord of the Eagles, and how Gwaihir brought them the young Elleth.
"Idhrenwen is her name, you say? Idhrenwen o Lórien?" asked Elrond. He saw the twins nod, then added, "Interesting. Very interesting, indeed."
Both brothers looked puzzled.
"Well, you may not remember her name, for it is not the name she used to have when she was still very little," Lord Elrond smiled as old memories crossed his mind. "Her name is Merenwen Tur-anion, if it is really her that I am connecting to the name of Idhrenwen."
The twins jaw fell down immediately.
"You may have recognized her by the color of her eyes. They are..."
"...hazel with a slight touch of green in them," said Elladan dreamily.
Elrohir gasped. "You can not mean Merry, the little one that spoiled our birthday party..."
"...many centuries ago," interrupted Elladan.
"You can not blame her for being born on your seventh birthday," replied Lord Elrond as he shook his head.
"Oh yes, I can," pouted Elrohir. "She spoiled all the fun we had that day. But the worst part of all was that we had to stay with Gildor for the rest of the day! He is so awful at telling stories that I'm still shivering at the thought of being kept imprisoned with him for another whole day, and being forced to hear him singing and telling us tales."
In that moment, a loud knock came from the door.
"Enter!" Elrond said loudly.
In came Gildor Inglorion. He bowed low and said, "Lord Elrond, I am sorry for the disruption. I have just returned from my assignment and came across Ruorion and a young Elleth-"
"Yes, Gildor, we already noticed that we know her," interrupted Elrond with a smile on his face.
Gildor smiled back and bowed again. "She is waiting outside," he said. "Is there anything I can do?"
There was a mischievous glint in Lord Elrond's eyes. "No, Gildor, not at the moment. But I might ask for your assistance shortly," he said as he leered at his sons.
Gildor left the room and a few seconds later, Idhrenwen came through the doorway. She was wearing one of Arwen's gowns, a silken gown, dark green in color with wide sleeves and skillful embroidery at the top of both sleeves.
"Mae govannen! Eneth nîn Idhrenwen," greeted the Elleth in Elvish and bowed her head.
"Mae govannen! Welcome to Imladris," returned Elrond and the twins in unison and looked at the Elleth with shiny eyes.
When she saw the twins, her face paled.
"I assume you already know my sons. Elladan," he pointed to his son who had made a step back to the wall when the Elleth entered the room, "and Elrohir," he pointed to his second son, who stood right beside his brother. "You met them both before, I believe. I hope you are not too upset about the circumstances regarding your presence here."
Idhrenwen gave them a puzzled look and didn't know what to say. Her face turned pink and she stared down at her feet. Lord Elrond began to tell her the whole story regarding Gwaihir and gave no attention to his sons, who felt most queasy by their father's forthrightness. Elrohir couldn't help but to add that Elladan had kissed the Elleth while she was sleeping. Idhrenwen's eyes opened wide. That made Elladan's face blush very quickly, and he nervously started to bite on his lips.
When Elrond had ended his report of events, the Elleth shook her head. "Nay, Lord Elrond, I am not angry anymore," said Idhrenwen, smiling while looking into his eyes. "However, I am not sure if my absence will displease the Lady Galadriel, for it is my duty to sew all of her new garments."
With a sigh of relief, Elladan stepped forward from the wall and walked to one of the chairs where he sat down. At last it seemed as though their dealing with Gwaihir would not have any serious consequences for them. Meanwhile, his brother looked after him and pouted. It just seemed unfair to Elrohir that he would be the only one who had been punished - even if it was for what happened that morning, when he was storming into his brother's room without knocking at the door first. That had been his own fault, but he felt that Elladan should get some sort of punishment, too.
"You don't need to worry about that, my lady," said Elrond. "I will see to it personally."
"Thank you, Lord Elrond," answered the Elleth. "If there is nothing else, I will ask you to excuse me."
"Of course," he bowed slightly.
Idhrenwen turned then and headed for the door. When she passed the place where Elrohir stood, she stopped and slapped him across his face, giving him an angry glare.
"What was that for?" shouted Elrohir, appalled, rubbing his flushed cheek for a second time that day.
"That was for kissing me without my consent while I was in reverie," said the Elleth snootily.
Elladan covered his mouth, trying not to laugh out aloud, and even Lord Elrond chuckled to himself a little bit.
Before Idhrenwen reached the door, she stopped and turned back a second time, this time slapping Elladan's face. "Just in case I picked the wrong one," she said. "You both deserve it, anyway!" With that, she gracefully floated out of the room and left three perplexed Elves behind.
Elladan and Elrohir looked completely shocked. Both were rubbing a cheek, mumbling and pouting. Lord Elrond watched his sons and pretended to be shocked as well, shaking his head.
After a few minutes trying not to laugh, Elrond gathered himself and looked as serious as he could, clearing his throat. "I am most disappointed by your behavior. That goes for both of you," began Elrond. His gaze promised the twins a long scolding, a very long scolding - half an hour at least. Both brothers sighed and met their fate calmly.
As a matter of course, Lord Elrond told them how ill-mannered their dealing with the eagles had been. Then he furrowed his brow and reproved them for bringing the Elleth in needless danger. For more than half an hour he walked up and down in his study room, upbraiding and cursing. The twins made sure that their faces always stayed as remorseful as possible.
"But most important of all," said Lord Elrond as he wagged his finger at the twins, "I am deeply appalled that you obviously have no negotiating skills at all. You gave that little cutthroat three wicker baskets of the finest chocolate cookies and got only one Elleth... " He shook his head. "You should at least have had him bring two for that, or even three." He was lost in thought for a while. "Well, let us forget that last part."
The twins' jaw dropped down. "But Ada...?!" called the brothers in surprise.
"Yes, yes, yes," admitted Elrond, raising his hands. "Gwaihir tends to do that from time to time. He seems to have a cheeky delight when he can 'puzzle around with little Elf-maidens' as he calls it himself." He shook his head. "It runs in the family. Thorondor brought me several elleths whenever the original deal bored him somehow or if I made the mistake to place my order wrongly."
The twins listened with their mouths and eyes wide open. They couldn't believe that their father once did the same. But even more unbelievable was the fact that he confessed such an act to them.
Well, he didn't tell tell everything exactly. He still uses the eagle's services in times of need.
Kristin spent much of the morning wandering around Rivendell, thinking about what had happened that morning and the night before. Her temper had finally settled down and she was thinking clearly again. This wasn’t entirely Legolas’ fault. He just didn’t understand the meaning of the holiday and needed someone to explain it to him. However, he seemed to have rather bad timing, and combined with Kristin’s past experiences, it had resulted in fireworks!
Sighing, she headed back for her room. She would take Knight for a ride and then sit the Elf down for a talk. As she walked, she had the distinct feeling that she was being followed. Several times she stopped and turned around, only to find that no one was there.
“Well, that’s strange,” Kristin muttered, continuing on. A few moments later she swore she heard a twig snap behind her. Spinning around she saw a dark shadow dart off around a corner. Kristin raced after the fleeting figure, not truly able to catch a glimpse of it. She lost sight of the shadow around another corner and quickly raced around after it, only to find the figure had disappeared completely.
Kristin looked utterly confused. She thought for sure she had seen someone. She looked around for a few minutes, then just figured her imagination was playing tricks on her and left, heading back to her room.
Lord Elrond let out the breath he had been holding. He had nearly been caught. Watching the confused maiden leave, Elrond jotted down a few more notes. Once Kristin was out of his sight, he silently jumped down from the tree he had taken shelter in and headed off in the opposite direction.
Whistling as he walked, Celeborn enjoyed the breeze coming through the open windows of the hall and the bright sunshine that covered patches of the floor here and there. Lost in thought, he nearly ran into an Elleth that was walking swiftly down the hall. Pardoning himself, he continued on, but only for a moment. "Excuse me, you there," he called out, and the Elleth turned. "Idhrenwen! As I thought I saw you!" Walking briskly to the maiden, who was just as surprised to see the Lord Celeborn as he was to see her, Celeborn halted mere feet from her. "What are you doing here? I do not recall you asking for leave for Lórien and the service of my lady."
Idhrenwen, who had looked greatly angered when he had first seen her, now looked upon the verge of tears, and he regretted the harshness of his voice. "Forgive my absence from Lothlórien, my lord," apologized Idhrenwen, bowing low, "but I was abducted on the borders by the great Eagles and brought her unbeknownst to me. I only awoke after I was brought within the House of Elrond."
"My dear child, this is most disturbing! Are you hurt?" Celeborn took Idhrenwen's hands, looking her over protectively as a father would his daughter. Idhrenwen shook her head negatively, blinking so that she would not weep. "There, there. I shall speak with Elrond about this matter. I was unaware that the Eagles did such things!"
"He is speaking with his sons now," sniffled Idhrenwen, "for it is they who are at fault for my capture."
"Ah..." Celeborn nodded, putting the pieces of the puzzle in place. "Although we are in Elrond's House, and it is his right to discipline his sons as he sees fit, I would formally request they be punished for their act against you if you wished it."
"Oh, no, please, they are your grandsons," said Idhrenwen.
"And should know better!" said Celeborn. He sighed. "I will not pursue the matter if you do not wish it. They are, after all, my family, and I would not wish ill upon them. However, I understand you are upset, and as a subject of my realm, I am responsible for your safety and well-being. I have business here in Imladris, after which I shall escort you back to Lothlórien. Can you wait a few weeks to return?" Reluctantly, Idhrenwen nodded. "I am sure Lord Elrond will have guest rooms prepared for you. Consider yourself on holiday until I am ready to return home, I will have Elrond send word to Lothlórien so that your disappearance is not worried about."
Again, Idhrenwen nodded, and after a deep curtsey, continued on her way down the hall, feeling much better now that she knew her lord was here. Suddenly, the Last Homely House seemed much more homely than it had when she had arrived.
Kristin had returned to her room and changed out of her simple gown, now wearing her black riding clothes once again. Carefully, she hauled on her tall black leather boots and hurried out the door, not even bothering to grab her cloak. She would just go for a short ride. Just enough to let Knight stretch his legs and for the two of them to breathe the free air. She marveled at the idea of being able to explore the woods outside the gates a little.
Legolas saw the red haired maiden heading for the stable, once again dressed in black from head to toe. Quickly he dropped down out of the tree he had been keeping watch in and dashed into the stable. Everything was all set. Kristin would be very surprised indeed.
The lovely maiden walked into the stable deep in thought, but was stunned at what she found. Legolas stood in the aisle, patting Knight gently and smiling at her. Knight was brushed from head to toe, his coat gleaming and mane and tail completely free of bedding. His bridle had been cleaned and a beautiful Elvish saddle was strapped to his back.
Kristin just stared at the two, Legolas having braided blue satin ribbons into the great stallions black mane. Knight looked back at her as if to say 'I feel ridiculous!' Kristin gritted her teeth. This Elf just had no clue whatsoever!
“What have you done?” she shrieked without thinking.
Legolas’ silly grin of triumph once again became a look of confusion. “I have taken care of Knight for you. You said you wanted to go for a ride today, so I groomed him and readied him for you,” Legolas explained.
Kristin walked over to the Elf and stallion, her temper taking over once again. “I can take care of my own horse, Legolas! I don’t need your help!” she snapped. “And furthermore, I never ride in a saddle!” She quickly uncinched the saddle and hauled it off Knight’s back, shoving it into the prince’s arms.
Taking Knight’s reins away from Legolas, she tossed them over the stallion’s head, then vaulted up onto his back with nearly the grace of an Elf. Horse and rider then charged out of the stable, leaving Legolas holding the saddle in their dust.
Legolas watched them go. 'Mental note number three,' he thought to himself, 'do not take care of her horse for her.' This maiden was impossible, but now Legolas was more determined than ever to find the one gift that would woo her. And he didn’t care how many tries it took.
Putting the saddle away, he headed out of the stable as his next idea started taking shape in his head.
The Friesian stallion stormed out of the stable and toward the gates of the city. The mane of both horse and rider flew in the breeze as Knight’s long gallop ate up the ground below.
As Kristin and Knight approached the gates, two rather alarmed Elves raced to block their path, waving their arms, and yelling at them to stop. Knight sat back deep on his haunches and slid to a stop then reared high in the air, striking out with his front feet. His rider stayed easily with him until the stallion finally dropped back to the ground, tossing his head in frustration, and prancing around.
The two Elves looked a little white in the face, but stood their ground. “What is the meaning of this?” the red haired maiden shouted.
Dorindil stood up slightly taller, not liking the way he was being addressed. “You are not allowed to leave, by order of Lord Elrond.”
“What?” Kristin yelled, glaring daggers at the Elf. “I am not leaving, just going out for a ride.”
“I’m sorry, Lady Kristin, but I am not allowed to let you leave the city gates for any reason, for you might not return.” If looks could kill, Dorindil would have surely been dead. He shifted slightly, uncomfortable by this maiden’s obvious anger.
Kristin took advantage of her temper and his discomfort. “Captain Dorindil, do you really think I would be leaving? I am not dressed to travel! I do not have a traveling bag! Nor even a cloak! I merely wish to ride in the forest surrounding Rivendell, now let me pass!” she nearly yelled at him.
Dorindil opened and closed his mouth a few times, not entirely sure what to say. He had never seen a maiden this upset or straightforward before, and wasn’t quite sure how to handle her.
“I said, let me pass!” Kristin growled, then urged Knight forward. The great stallion charged at the two Elves, and both dove in opposite directions to get out of the way. Horse and rider roared out through the gate.
Dorindil picked himself up, brushing the leaves off his tunic, as Terlin did the same. “That woman is mad!” Dorindil exclaimed, watching the retreating form. Terlin nodded in agreement. Dorindil shook his head. “Legolas can have that one!”
Idhrenwen lifted a hand to touch the gilded edge of the ornate frame which held a large and beautifully drawn map. She could tell that the colors were vibrant, but in this darkened place, it was difficult to see the details of the work.
"'Tis Lindon, before the war," came a voice not far away. Idhrenwen backed up and looked around her, seeing in the shadows someone in riding pants and boots, a cream colored shirt whose sleeves were pushed up to the wearer's elbows and a tan vest pulled over the shirt. At first glance, Idhrenwen thought she was being spoken to by a young Elf, but she soon noted it was an Elleth addressing her.
"It is very lovely," remarked Idhrenwen.
"Aye. It was." The Elleth looked down into the book she was reading. She leaned back once more against the pillar and situated herself comfortably, turning the page of her book.
Tilting her head, Idhrenwen tried to see the title on the spine of the book. "What are you reading?"
"I'm not reading." The Elleth looked up and smiled. "I'm researching."
"Oh." Idhrenwen tried again. "What are you researching?"
"Rohan," the Elleth replied. "I have been considering a vacation there with someone special to me."
"Ah, your lover?" asked Idhrenwen with a tinge of romance in her voice.
"My horse," answered the Elleth, and though her answer was dry, her eyes were filled with mirth.
"I see." Idhrenwen moved to the next picture, and the Elleth stood, approaching the painting as well.
"The Battle of Daggorlad. Last Alliance of Men and Elves." Pointing to the various Elves in the picture with her free hand, the she Elf continued to impart bits of information to Idhrenwen. "The war was a brutal one, a very trying time in our history. You can see Lord Elrond here in the background, Herald to the High King Gil-galad. King Thranduil, a Prince then, he continued to lead his father's troops even after King Oropher had fallen. He is an Elf with a keen mind for strategy."
"How do you know?" asked Idhrenwen.
"I have met him," answered the Elleth, but Idhrenwen shook her head, pointing to the canvas.
"How do you know about the battle? You speak as if you were there."
"I was there." The Elleth slid the book on Rohan into a leather pouch that hung from her belt. "Bloodiest thing I've ever witnessed."
Idhrenwen shuddered. "You fought in the war?"
"No, I said I was there, not that I fought." Tying the pouch shut, the Elleth folded her hands in front of her. "I was sent along to document the battle. I wore armor and carried weapons to defend myself, but at no time engaged the enemy. I took notes, counted the casualties, and recorded all important military information."
Idhrenwen gave an apologetic look to the Elleth. "I am so sorry."
"Why? Someone had to do it." Smirking, the she-Elf turned from the picture and said, "I would give you my name so that you could find the book about it in the library, but it is the dullest piece of work in all of Imladris."
"I would like you to give me your name regardless, so that I may tell the Lord Elrond how hospitable his subjects are to his guests." To this, the Elleth laughed.
"My name I shall give you is Zhie, though you will not find me named among his subjects any longer. I have been a wanderer for some years now, though not without my duties to the realms. I am a messenger for the librarians of the four Elven Realms East of the Sea. What is your name, may I ask, and your homeland, for you are obviously not of Imladris."
Idhrenwen blushed. "Does it show?"
"A little," admitted Zhie. "Not many in this realm exhibit such curiosity in this room of wonders."
"I am from Lothlórien, and my name is Idhrenwen. I only just arrived in Imladris."
"Lórien!" Zhie looked surprised. "That is where I traveled from, but I do not recall seeing you on the path."
"I was delivered under an usual set of circumstances." Idhrenwen looked one final time at the painting before making an offer. "I could tell you about it on the way to the library to find your book."
"You don't want to read it. Boring as anything."
Idhrenwen shrugged. "I won't know unless I try it."
Zhie considered this. "I suppose, if nothing else, it will work to cure insomnia if you have it."
"You will have to lead, for I do not know the way," said Idhrenwen.
"Not a problem. It's this way." Zhie started to walk one way, and then stopped, nearly causing Idhrenwen to walk into her. "No, hold on...I think...yes, that way," she said, changing directions.
Idhrenwen crossed her arms. "You don't really know where we're going, do you."
"Not a clue." Zhie grinned. "I had my good friend Elladan get this book for me," she said, patting the pouch, "and Elrohir just dropped me off here after we walked and talked our way around, and now I am completely lost. It takes me a few days to reacquaint myself with the place, and the twins know it. I'm sure they are having a grand time laughing about my plight."
"Elladan and Elrohir. I should have known." Idhrenwen said no more, and Zhie did not press the matter. "Come, then, we shall be lost together." Idhrenwen linked arms with Zhie, and the pair walked from the gallery and began to wander the halls of the homely house.
Knight thundered down the path, trees flying by on both sides. The great stallion could feel his rider’s frustration. She was urging him to run and he wanted to run, yet she was holding him back with the bit in his mouth. Her attention was not focused on what she was doing and Knight knew it. He wanted his head and he wanted it now!
Kristin was lost in her thoughts when Knight bucked hard underneath her, nearly sending her off his back. Kristin refocused her attention to where it should be and realized her mistake. Smiling, she let her body sink down into the horse’s stride and loosening the reins, gave him his head.
Knight responded with joy and bolted forward, galloping as fast as he could, enjoying this pure freedom. Kristin laughed softly at the feeling of the wind on her face and in her hair.
Knight ran for quite some time before finally slowing down to a trot. They traveled through the forest for nearly an hour, just enjoying the sheer beauty around them when they found a nice little clearing and stopped for a while.
Kristin sat on the ground beneath a tree, her back against its trunk. She watched her hands as they fiddled with one of the blue satin ribbons she had taken out of Knight’s mane. She was rather upset with herself. She had let her temper best her again, and though she felt Legolas somewhat deserved it this time, Dorindil and Terlin did not. Dorindil almost looked scared out of his mind to have a lady address him in that way. He would probably never speak to her again.
Legolas, on the other hand, was another story. Kristin didn’t know what to do with the Elf. He was truly driving her nuts with his terrible sense of timing. Still he had no clue why she was reacting the way she was, and had probably given up on her all together.
“Serves you right if he did!” she muttered to herself.
Knight walked over and softly nuzzled her. Kristin reached in a pocket and took out a small piece of candy. Unwrapping it, she offered the caramel the stallion, who took it gratefully. She patted him on the neck and he went back to grazing on the wonderful grass.
Standing up, Kristin patted Knight again. “Come on, my friend. We better head back.” Gently putting his bridle back on, she noticed the blue ribbon on the ground where she had dropped it. Picking it back up, she ran the soft satin through her fingers again. Knight nuzzled her hand gently. Kristin smiled and quickly used the ribbon to tie her hair back in a high pony tail.
Climbing up on Knight’s back, they headed for Rivendell and her talk with the Elven prince.
Kristin and Knight returned from their ride, once again approaching the gates of the city. Dorindil and Terlin were both still standing guard, but neither reacted to her approach. Kristin stopped Knight in between them, looking at each of them in turn. "I wanted to apologize to both of you for my actions earlier," she said softly.
The two Elves looked at each other, then back at Kristin, not really sure what to say. Before either of them could speak, Kristin smiled shyly at them and continued on her way. They both watched her go. Terlin rolled his eyes. Dorindil shook his head. "Women," he commented, and they both went back to standing guard.
Legolas was working as fast as he could to finish up his newest surprise for the Lady Kristin. He knew that she would be returning from her ride soon, if she hadn't already, and he wanted it to be perfect. He was so wrapped up in his work that he didn't hear the approaching foot steps outside the door, nor hear the door open.
"Legolas!" someone shrieked.
Legolas spun around, nearly jumping out of his skin. "Ah...hi," he stammered.
Kristin stood in the doorway of her room, looking around in amazement and growing frustration. Her room was covered in flowers. Literally, flowers everywhere, of every shape, size, and color, adorned her room.
Kristin groaned. "Legolas, what have you done now?"
"Ah...surprise?" Legolas tried. He wasn't sure of her reaction. She was not happy - that was clear - but she was not flying completely off the handle either.
Kristin shook her head, "Legolas, do you even know what the meaning of half of these flowers are?"
Legolas squirmed a little. "Mmm...no." He had screwed up big time, and he knew it.
Looking around the room again, she replied, "Obviously not!" Kristin started to point at random flowers and give their meanings. "Buttercup means childishness. Anemone means refusal. Yellow Carnations - distain and rejection; Orange Lily - hatred," she trailed off in frustration. "Oh, never mind!" Turning around, she shut the door and left.
"Mental note number four," he thought, "don't give her flowers." Now Legolas was really confused. That was the second time today she has shrieked at him, and the fourth time she had balked at his gift. Dejectedly he gathered up all the flowers and got rid of them. Stopping to think for a moment, another idea occurred to him, and he decided it was worth a shot.
Kristin stood in the stable brushing out Knight's coat, her attention only half on what she was doing. Knight was resting one foot and snoozing lazily with pleasure at being brushed out for the third time that day.
Kristin was so lost in her thoughts that she barely noticed a brush go across Knight's back on the other side. Confused, she rested her hands on the stallion's side and stood on her tip toes to look over his back.
"Legolas?" she asked in surprise.
Legolas smiled uncertainly. "Ah...hi."
Kristin gave him a confused look. "What are you doing?"
"Helping," he replied hopefully. She just stared at him. "If you want me to leave I will."
"No," she said softly, "as long as you're not up to anything other than helping."
"Nope, just helping," he said as he continued to brush his side of Knight.
"Why do I not believe that?" Kristin questioned wearily.
Hearing Legolas sigh on the other side of Knight, Kristin ducked under the stallion's neck and moved over to the other side. Knight roused slightly, then went back into his slumber, bottom lip drooping in complete relaxation. Kristin looked at Legolas questioningly.
"I wanted to talk to you." Legolas looked at her shyly.
Kristin smiled. "Well, as long as you aren't going to pull any more gifts out from behind your back, then maybe we can talk."
Legolas smiled, "No, no gifts."
"Good." Kristin set her brush down and hopped up on the edge of the stall, patting the spot beside her. Legolas put his brush down as well and hopped up next to her.
Legolas sighed. "I wanted to say I am sorry for this whole mess. I never meant to hurt or upset you. I've only been trying to do all of the traditional things for Valentine's Day that should make a maiden like you happy-"
"Wait, stop right there." Legolas looked at her as if she was going to bite him. Kristin took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Legolas, I think you are missing the whole meaning of Valentine's Day. It's not about just gift giving and finding the right gift to make a lady happy! Valentine's Day is about love, commitment, honesty, friendship, not just gifts. The gifts are more of a side note." It was obvious by the look on the prince's face that he didn't totally understand her.
"But aren't gifts a token of love and friendship?"
Kristin tried to find the right way to explain it to him, "They can be, but only if given for the right reasons. And I am partly to blame for this mess as well, as Valentine's Day has never treated me kindly."
"I'm afraid I don't understand," said Legolas, shaking his head.
"I didn't mean to react so badly to everything you have done, but past experiences have lead me to be that way." Kristin explained to him. "Let me give you some examples. There have been a few who have tried courting me. Valentines Day would come around, a day for love and passion, most of the time those others would forget all about me. They would say how much they cared about me, but on that day, they acted as if they hardly even knew I existed. Someone gave me a dozen roses one time, as symbol of love. Only I found out shortly after that he was courting another as well," Kristin explained. "Another one could only remember to send me flowers for Valentine's Day after the courtship had ended. Now do you understand a little better and see why I have been so bitter? It's not that your giving gifts was bad, you were just giving them for the wrong reasons and not fully understanding the true meaning of the holiday. That, and you have terrible timing!"
Legolas smiled. "I think I finally understand now. And I do see my mistake and why you reacted the way you did to all of the gifts, save but one."
"Which one?" Kristin asked.
"When I got Knight ready for you for your ride."
"That was partly me being too darn independent for my own good, and partly you and your bad timing!" Kristin smiled. "I don't like having things taken away from me like that. I love the time I spend with my horses and don't like it when someone else does it for me. Helping me is wonderful, just don't take it completely away from me! And you need to observe things a little more Legolas. Step back and take a look at the whole picture. You need to notice what a person likes and dislikes. When I arrived, I insisted on taking care of Knight myself and I also rode in without a saddle. A true friend or lover would have noticed those things and not made the mistakes you made. I don't like chocolates, but that was something you didn't know and I shouldn't have gotten so angry. But my red hair gets a little carried away with me sometimes. Besides, sometimes a helping hand or a nice walk together can mean so much more than any material gift in the world. And I'll admit that bath was pretty wonderful!"
Legolas grinned. "I think I fully see my mistakes now and I am sorry for making them."
Kristin smiled. "Everyone makes mistakes, Legolas. And I am truly sorry, too! We just need to learn from them and move on. No harm done. And as long as you don't shower me with gifts for all the wrong reasons, then I will promise to keep my temper on a leash."
Leaning forward, Legolas kissed her forehead and smiled. "You certainly are an amazing lady," he smiled, looking deep into her sapphire eyes. He reached up and brushed a small curl away from her face and noticed the blue ribbon that held her hair back in its pony tail. They sat there staring at each other for a few minutes, until the trance was broken by a loud sigh from Knight.
Kristin and Legolas both turned to look at the horse, who was now standing more relaxed than ever, in a deep slumber, one hind foot resting easily. "Is he ok? He looks like he is going to fall over!" Legolas said.
Kristin laughed. "He's fine. Here, watch this." Kristin carefully pulled a wrapped candy out of her pocket and crinkled the wrapper in her hand. Knight's head jerked up and his eyes flew open, craning his head around in the direction of the noise. Seeing Kristin sitting on his stall, he turned around and walked over to her, bumping her hand with his nose.
Unwrapping the candy, she gave it to him and pulled out another. Legolas laughed. "What is that?"
Kristin showed him the candy she had just pulled out. "Caramels! Want one? Knight loves them and so do I!"
Legolas took the candy she offered and tried it, as she pulled out one more for herself, and yet another one for Knight.
As Legolas and Kristin sat talking and laughing for several hours, a dark robed figure snuck out the back door of the stables.
Legolas and Kristin bid Knight good night and left the stable walking arm in arm. "Shall I escort you to your room?" Legolas asked.
Kristin smiled and reached up to kiss him on the cheek. "I think you shall! But I think we should take the long way there through the gardens."
Legolas smiled in agreement. He had finally come to understand the true meaning of Valentine's Day, and was enjoying spending time with Kristin. This young maiden was utterly beautiful, gentle, and kind, as long as her devilish temper was kept under wraps. But even that fire in her intrigued him. This one's heart was not easily won.
The two of them strolled slowly through the gardens, until Kristin stopped in front of the fountains. The moon light glistened on the water. Legolas watched her with interest, then stepped behind her, gently undoing the blue ribbon that held her hair up a pony tail, letting the long red curls spill down over her back. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her gently back against his chest. Kristin relaxed against him with a sigh, and Legolas rested his cheek against her red hair.
They stood together like that for a long time, before Kristin finally turned around in Legolas' arms to face him, resting her hands on his chest. Their blue eyes met and Kristin smiled. "I do believe in a few days I am going to have a wonderful Valentine's Day here in Rivendell." Before she knew it, his lips met hers, and Legolas pulled her tighter to him. Kristin melted into the kiss, which was growing more passionate. She slipped her hands up around the prince's neck, letting her fingers play with his long blonde hair.
When the kiss finally ended, they smiled at each other, slightly breathless. Kristin tightened her grip and hugged the Elf, while Legolas picked her up by the waist and spun her around, both laughing like crazy.
Finally putting Kristin now, Legolas smiled. "It is getting late. I should get you back to your room." He leaned forward and kissed her lips again, then escorted her off to her room.
Celeborn sat in the overstuffed leather chair just inside the door of the library. From here, he could see all that went on in the main room, and all who came and went. On the table next to him were a number of small books of poems, open to various pages. In his lap was a book that listed rhyming words, which he flipped through now.
The door was flung open and in hurried Elladan and Elrohir. "I told you we should have done this first," hissed Elladan as he pulled his brother to the far side of the library. They seemed not to have noticed Celeborn sitting in the chair.
Celeborn temporarily forgot the task at hand and silently watched as his grandsons scurried over to one of the shelves. He decided to watch and listen, for now.
Elrohir blushed. "It's not my fault," he said. "It was your idea to join the picnic with the others instead of getting this done first!"
Elladan tried to look innocent and said nothing in return. He took a few books and gave them to his brother.
"A play from Ada? You must completely have lost your mind!" wailed Elrohir.
"Try the works of Ithilrion. Much more interesting than what your father considers entertainment," Celeborn suggested, finally revealing himself. "Not that one does not enjoy seeing the reenactment of the rise and fall of Gil-Galad, but the play tends to leave one more in a state for bed than for an encore, in my humblest opinion."
Both twins were startled and gave a cry of horror when they heard the voice of their grandfather. Elrohir dropped all the books his brother has given to him and both brothers stared with wide eyes at Celeborn.
Celeborn smirked and closed his own book, placing it on the chair he was vacating. He stepped over to the pile of books on the floor and with the grace only the Eldar possess, retrieved the volumes, handing them back to Elrohir one at a time. " 'Gil-galad, The Elven King: A play in three acts'...'Erenion: Monologues for the Dignified Elf'...'A Funny Things Happened on the Way to the Last Homely House'...oh, this last one is truly dreadful." Celeborn said, giving it special acknowledgement before putting it on the top of Elrohir's stack. "The copy I was gifted with makes for a lovely doorstop."
The twins swallowed hard.
"W...wh...wha... what are you d..doing here..." stammered Elrohir.
"...in Rivendell?" added Elladan.
"Am I not welcome in Rivendell?" questioned their grandfather, raising his brows, although, he himself did not yet know what he was doing in Rivendell. At least, he didn't know of anything he could tell the twins. What was he to say? 'I'm here because I'm chasing after the messenger, and your grandmother doesn't appear to have a problem with that.' No, not at all something he could say. Instead, he remained calm, and folded his arms in front of himself. He hoped he would be able to turn the conversation away from what he was doing there and get the twins to talk about what they were doing instead.
Both brothers blushed at the same time.
"You are always welcome, grandfather," said Elladan.
"... in Rivendell," added Elrohir.
They embraced Celeborn in a bear hug, careful not to drop the books a second time.
"Ada ordered us to organize a play for the ladies," Elladan and Elrohir sighed and lowered their heads.
"A play? How marvelous. As long as it is not one of his, I am sure the ladies will enjoy it," said Celeborn, hugging them both fiercely with an arm around each of them. "Wait, what ladies?" he suddenly asked.
Elladan chuckled. "The ladies of Imladris ... but especially our non-Elvish guests. Well...this is a very long story to tell you."
"I can cut it short," said Elrohir hastily.
"No, you can not!"
"Yes, I can," pouted Elrohir. "It is all about this Valentine's Day thing. That's short, isn't it?"
Elladan rolled his eyes and let his hand rest on his grandfather's shoulder. "I will tell you the longer version," he said to Celeborn with a smile. Elladan quickly told his grandfather everything about the council - except his awkward mishap with his chewing gum - and of the upcoming holiday of Men. He certainly left out their dealing with the eagles, but he told Celeborn every tiny detail of their assignment to gather the white water lilies, especially as he came to the part when Elrohir had fooled him. His brother listened very carefully and added his own comments whenever he considered it as necessary - and that was a good many times.
"Come, then, and tell me of this play, for I would very much like to help in any way that I can." Celeborn steered them in the direction of a table near the back of the library, deep in the stacks of books where many dared not go, for the lighting was poor and the books very ancient, but it seemed the place perfect for whatever it was that Elladan was to tell him about.
"It is all Gildor's fault," complained Elrohir.
"It is," agreed Elladan. "It had been his assignment to arrange the play. A one-act play...maybe a love story...with love poems...or a comedy...with love poems...something that would make the ladies smile."
"...or let them swoon," added Elrohir with a smirk.
"Yes, my brother wants to see the ladies swoon as well. I wonder why..." said Elladan dryly.
"Maybe we might find a play with a little of everything," mused Celeborn, thinking to what he had been trying to do before the twins had entered the library. "Well, certainly, then, you do not wish to use any of your father's works." Celeborn swiftly took the books he had restacked in Elrohir's hands away from his grandson, placing them on a nearby cart to be shelved. "There is a play about a pair of maidens who both fall in love with the same young Elf, or so they think. Have you heard of it?" asked Celeborn. Both Elladan and Elrohir shook their heads. "That is because we have yet to write it. We must keep it secret, now, I shall tell you how the story goes, and then we will have to write it all down and practice it. Of course," added Celeborn, "We will also need some assistance - we can not do a play about love without a pair of lovely young maidens."
"Young maidens?" asked Elrohir, excited. "Then we better hurry with the writing, we will need a lot of ...err... practice before the play"
"Yes, to practice is very important," agreed Elladan with a grin. "But I believe grandfather has meant it in a different way."
Elrohir pouted slightly and crossed his arms.
"I'm curious about this play. Tell me, how does the story go, then?" asked Elladan. "We don't have much time left to write the play and to practice it. We had been quite occupied with some other errands for Valentine's Day..."
"...while all the others have done as they please," snorted Elrohir.
"Elrohir is right. We have been deprived of our share of having a nice time with the ladies. We need help...as you have already said. But who can we ask for assistance?"
Celeborn stood and motioned for his grandsons to follow. Around a stack of books they swiftly turned, and then another, until they came up behind a pair of elleths who were straining to hear more of the conversation that had been taking place. "There are our assistants." The pair of elleths turned in sudden shock.
"My lord, we were just…helping Master Erestor with the shelving!" insisted Zhie, shifting a book on a shelf, but Idhrenwen was not so bold as to lie.
"How did you know we were here?" she asked with wonder.
Celeborn looked them over with raised brow. "You breath so loud, we could have found you in the dark."
"That's Haldir's line, Grandfather!" insisted Elladan.
Celeborn shook his head. "How many times must I tell everyone, it is I who teaches the Galadhrim."
Elrohir, who had been studying the two elleths, finally nodded his approval. "They will be perfect."
"Perfect?" asked Idhrenwen, narrowing her eyes, fairly certain she was about to be trapped into being in the play she had overheard the twins speak of.
"Come, you shall see!" insisted Elladan, taking hold of Idhrenwen's arm. "Let us find a room more secure," he suggested. Idhrenwen wanted to walk swiftly away from them, but found her hand tucked around Elladan's arm, and instead of taking a step away, she stood where she was as Elladan slid closer.
Elrohir nodded, throwing one arm around Celeborn's shoulders while drawing the other around Zhie's waist.. "I know just the place." The group collectively moved out of the library before the ladies had any time to object.
Moments later, Elrond walked around one of the stacks, scribbling in his log. "Who's the sneaky one now, Celeborn?" he asked to no one in particular.
The next few days passed rather uneventfully. The rain continued to pour from the heavens, and although Valentine's Day was fast approaching, the dreariness that lingered over the valley made time seem endless. For five of the Elves beneath the roof of the Last Homely House, boredom was not issue.
"So? What does everyone think?"
Celeborn was having supper late in the evening with his grandsons, which was usual when he was in Imladris, and two elleths by the names of Idhrenwen and Zhie, which was not usual. Twice he had found himself biting his nails, and was keeping both hands tightly wrapped around his mug of coffee to keep from repeating the incident.
"This is brilliant," Elrohir finally said. "It has humor, it has romance-"
"-and it isn't written by Ada!" grinned Elladan. "It is perfect!"
"When should we begin rehearsals?" asked Zhie, but Idhrenwen held up her hand for silence.
"I do not recall agreeing to be in this production." Idhrenwen crossed her arms over her chest. "In fact, I am beginning to rethink staying here. I am certain my presence in Lothlórien is missed."
Zhie glanced around at the blank stares from the Elves around the table. "Would you, uh, excuse us for a moment? Thanks ever so." Zhie pulled Idhrenwen away from the table into the hallway. "You aren't still thinking of going home, are you?"
"If the Lord Celeborn decides to leave, then so shall I. It is too dangerous to leave without escort," reasoned Idhrenwen.
"Yes, but…" Zhie pulled Idhrenwen further down the hall. "My lady, this is an opportunity not often presented. To spend time with the sons of Elrond, the heirs of Imladris. They are both noble, and what is more, have a great sense of humor, and what is more, are two of the most attractive Elves west of the mountains and east of the sea, and what is more-"
"Stop, please, you do not need to press the idea upon me further." Idhrenwen put her hands on her hips. "So, which one are you after?"
"Me? Neither."
"Oh?" Idhrenwen raised a brow. "You speak too highly of them not to have some interest in the pair."
Zhie shrugged. "No interest in either of them, other than the fact they are a delight to speak with on a variety of topics, provided they do not lose me in the gallery afterwards."
"Perhaps a relation of theirs, then? I have to wonder why you so eagerly offered to help."
"Because I am a kind and caring soul," Zhie said, but knew she was found out.
"Is it their sire?" pressed Idhrenwen.
"Grand-sire," admitted Zhie, hanging her head.
"Celeborn?" Idhrenwen hissed, and lowered her voice. "He is married! And how!"
Zhie put her finger to her lips. "Shhh! I don't want to be intimate with him, at least not inappropriately intimate, I just...want to spend time with him. No need to worry on that."
"No need to worry! Over the Lady Galadriel? You do know your history, do you not? Of the Noldor? Ai!" Idhrenwen placed her hand to her head feeling faint.
"Minor details," Zhie said with a wave of her hand. "Truly, I do not believe anything shall come of it, but I would cherish the time I would be able to spend with the Lord Celeborn, even if it should mean being a fair maiden in a play."
Idhrenwen looked over the messenger librarian, who, despite having been in the valley for a few days now, had chosen to continue to wear clothes suitable for traveling – shirts and vests with suede leggings and leather boots. "Even if the fair maiden has to wear a frilly frock."
Zhie sucked in a deep breath and let out a sigh. "Even if."
Idhrenwen pulled Zhie back to the room with a wicked grin. "Come on, then, we don't have much time!"
"Time for what?" asked Zhie, a little worried.
"Time for practice, silly!"
Elrohir took out a fresh sheet of parchment and listed the characters on the paper. "Now, obviously, the ladies will be the maidens and we will be the princes," he said, referring to himself and Elladan. "Grandfather will be the narrator, of course, but we shall need to decide who will pair with who." Elrohir glanced up across the table at the elleths. "How shall we solve this?"
"First, who is going to be the Handsome Rider and who is going to be the Brave Knight?" Celeborn asked.
Elrohir chewed his lip, waiting to see if Elladan would answer. Elladan opened his mouth to say something, but closed it suddenly and smiled. "You have a preference, brother?"
"Well I-" Elrohir looked up nervously. "You always get to go first, being the eldest…" Elrohir folded his hands and said very quietly, "I would like to be the Handsome Rider."
Elladan nodded. "I think I would have an easier time playing a Brave Knight. I do not envy that you will need to find a way to get your horse on the stage."
"It will not be difficult for me," insisted Elrohir.
"That leaves the maidens." Elladan looked at the ladies, his eyes lingering on Idhrenwen for a moment.
"Remember," spoke Celeborn, "Whoever is with the Brave Knight will have to sing the tune at the beginning."
Idhrenwen and Zhie glanced at each other. "That would be you," laughed Idhrenwen.
"Do you mind?" questioned Zhie.
Idhrenwen shook her head. "Please, take the part. It is not for me."
Zhie smiled. "Thank you."
"Well, that was certainly painless. Or less painful than expected." Celeborn laughed uneasily as he flipped through the script, remembering the very end. "Perhaps we should end the play with something more sedate. A friendly embrace?"
"Grandfather, no one will like that. It is a romance, there must be kissing. I only wish there were more of it!" Elladan chuckled and everyone joined him, even Celeborn.
Celeborn smirked. "Perhaps in the sequel. For now, you will need to content yourselves with this story. Think that you can do that?"
"Absolutely!" Elrohir rolled up the parchment now that everyone had been assigned a part. "When shall we begin practice?"
"Right now!" Elladan stood up from his chair. "My lady?" he inquired, holding his arm out.
Idhrenwen began to stand, but sat back down quickly as she realized whom Elladan meant. Zhie stood up, tossing an apologetic look to Idhrenwen before taking Elladan's arm. Elrohir came to Idhrenwen's side and offered his hand to her, which she accepted.
"I asked Elrond if there was somewhere we could practice where we would not be disturbed," explained Celeborn as the group walked out of the Library. "We will perform the play on the outdoor stage, but for now, this will have to do." Celeborn pushed open the doors to the Hall of Fire. Along one wall, a long stage had been built, following the same dimensions of the stage outside. There were no curtains, only poles where the curtains would hang outside, but there was a back to the stage so that one could walk around it just as one would be able to outside. "What does everyone think?"
"I think we should have asked Ada for one of these when we were elflings," Elrohir said, eyeing up the stage.
"Wonder if he'll let us keep it," mused Elladan. The stage, though makeshift, was still of Elvish design, and great care had been taken in the making of the structure.
"If he doesn't let you keep it, I'll take it," said Idhrenwen, looking at the hand carved steps and intricate inlay.
Zhie slid her hand along the polished wood. "We are using the stage outdoors because…?"
"Because that is what Elrond wants," Celeborn said. They all stared in awe at the stage until finally Celeborn asked, "Shall we practice?"
"Just…five more minutes," pleaded Elrohir.
They watched the empty stage for another half hour.
Forest sat by the window in her room, propped up on her elbow, watching the steady downpour trickling over the pane.
“Daydreaming again?”
Forest looked up, startled at the sudden voice. “Yes. It seems so long since the other night, a millenia at least. But it has only been a few days.”
“Aye. I know,” replied Erestor, joining her by the windowsill. “Still, this weather should be clearing up soon. Then we shall smell the sweet gardens again, and your heart shall be glad.”
“I do long for that day,” Forest murmured. “For all this somber weather makes my heart and mind weary.”
“That day shall come soon, I am sure,” said Erestor softly, placing his arm across her shoulders. “However, Imladris has ne’er seen such a downpour, for many a year.”
Idhrenwen walked across the make-shift stage that had been constructed in the Hall of Fire and sat down on the boxes that were to represent a bench that had yet to be built. "Not only are my gifts ignored, but he looks at me sometimes as if he knows me not!"
Zhie threw her arms into the air. "I have the same problem! I fear he may be mad!"
"Perhaps he is confused," Idhrenwen said, taking one of Zhie's hands and patting the back of it.
"Perhaps he is mentally disturbed," suggested Zhie darkly.
"Perhaps he is overwhelmed," added Idhrenwen. She patted Zhie's hand a few more times as her eyes darted to the left side of the stage. She knew Zhie was looking in the same direction. The rain hit against the windows and thunder rumbled in the distance. Finally, Celeborn threw down the pages of the script and stomped around the stage.
"Elladan! Elrohir! That is your cue!"
"We can only handle so many costume changes," grumbled Elrohir, still hopping around and trying to get his pants on.
"Perhaps if we could do the final scene naked…?" wondered Elladan as he pulled the shirt over his head.
Celeborn rolled his eyes and returned to the stage. "Once you have finished, please, let us try to get through to the end and we shall go back to see if we should write out any of the changes for the sake of time." A few minutes later, Elladan and Elrohir stepped out onto the stage in the outfits they would have been wearing at the beginning of the play.
"Perhaps you are both wrong!"
"Back!" Celeborn waved with his arms. "Go back and do that again. You can't stomp onto stage like a troll and shout your line like that."
Elrohir glared before sweeping his cape around and heading offstage, knocking into Elladan as he went. A moment later, the pair reappeared, and Elrohir began his line as he approached the ladies. "Perhaps…you are both wrong."
"Perhaps...he is really they," added Elladan. Idhrenwen and Zhie exchanged looks of surprise, then looked at the twins, and at the same time asked, "El?"
"Yes!" Elladan and Elrohir proclaimed, both of them stepping forward. Elrohir took Idhrenwen into his arms while Elladan did the same with Zhie.
"And so, the Elves and their lovely maidens lived happily ever after until the end of time. The end." Celeborn glanced over to the two pairs and cleared his throat. "The end. Done. Enough. We can all stop kissing now," he added, shuffling the pages of the script.
"I think we should do that again," said Elrohir with a grin.
"We will do it again. Right from the top, right after lunch," agreed Celeborn.
Elladan shook his head. "Just the last part, just before lunch. We should just run through it again to be sure we have the timing right."
"I think the last lines were perfect," said Celeborn.
"But, well, I know we have the last line perfect, grandfather," said Elladan, "but I really think we should practice the kiss after the last line once again, perhaps twice. Just so that we're all doing it at the exact same time." Elrohir nodded, and neither of the 'lovely maidens' seemed to be objecting. Celeborn rolled his eyes, but motioned that they should proceed with 'practice' as he walked offstage to find someone from the kitchens who could bring them something for lunch.
Emmi sat gazing out at the rain that had been falling constantly since the eve of her fight with Rúmil. Since the rain prevented them from wandering far, they had spent most of it curled upon a soft bench together. Over the passing days, she had learned many things about the handsome Elf and enjoyed the feeling of intimacy that had accompanied the closeness they now shared.
Feeling a soft touch on her shoulder, Emmi turned her head slightly to see Rúmil standing behind her. Letting herself relax against his strong body, Emmi gave a contented sigh. 'Oh, sweet Valinor! If it could only stay this way forever!' she thought to herself.
Rúmil held the young lady in his arms and thought upon the time well spent. He had never realized the fun to be had spending so much time in the presence of a female. And not just any female at that! The past days had been a valuable learning experience for him and he had come to hold this very lovely female in high regard. She was not just a simple headed miss, and was unafraid to give as good as she received.
'I must think of something unique to do for her on the morning of Valentine's Day,' he silently told himself. 'Her dress is ready for the banquet, but I need some little way to start the day off right for her...'
"I still don't understand it," complained Zhie. "Why do I bring him flowers?"
"Because," sighed Celeborn, "we can not have two maidens bringing apples in a basket."
"It needn't be apples. What about oranges? Or kittens. Perhaps, instead of a basket, I could bring him…a wolfhound."
"A wolfhound?" Celeborn asked with raised brow.
The twins and Idhrenwen sat laughing as Zhie continued to suggest other possible gifts the maiden could give to the brave knight. Finally, Celeborn threw his arms into the air. "You are most impossible!"
"That is not true!" Zhie said, holding her chin high. "I just do not see why I would bring flowers. It isn't a very wise gift."
"Whoa…" breathed Elladan from across the room. Celeborn shot him a look, and Elladan bowed his head.
"It is too late to change now. We have little time left before the performance. It will remain flowers." Celeborn tossed the ratted and tattered manuscript onto the bench that was on the stage. "Tomorrow will be the final time we run through the play before we present it. We begin at midday, after lunch." The ladies both nodded, and made for the door of the Hall of Fire. "Remember to wear the dresses," called out Celeborn just as they reached the doors, stopping Zhie dead in her tracks.
Zhie turned swiftly on her heel with a sour look. "I was led to believe the dress would be required only for the play itself, my lord."
Without meeting her glare, Celeborn answered, "Tomorrow is the final rehearsal. Everything must be practiced as it will be performed."
"Besides," added Elrohir, "they don't call it a `dress' rehearsal for nothing."
Zhie turned her glare on Elrohir for a moment before going to the door, causing the other twin to bow his head. "As you wish," she said, leaving. Idhrenwen looked back at the twins apologetically and followed Zhie into the halls.
"Whoa..." Elladan looked over at his Grandfather. "That one…she's…"
Celeborn waited patiently for Elladan to finish. "Yes, Elladan? What is she?"
"She's…uhm…" Elladan glanced at Elrohir.
"She's a lot like Grandmother," Elrohir finished for his brother.
Celeborn nodded, saying nothing as he stood up and left the room.
In the halls, Idhrenwen was chasing after Zhie as she headed back to her rooms. "What was that all about?" asked Idhrenwen, finally catching up to the other Elleth.
"It's just that…this isn't what I thought it was going to be," said Zhie, doing something she rarely did – pout. "I thought spending time with him would be great, but it just isn't what I had hoped for. If only-" Zhie stopped, pausing at her door.
"What? What is it?" asked Idhrenwen. Zhie pointed at a folded piece of paper attached to the door. "What's that?"
"If I had to guess, I'd say it was a love poem." Zhie unfolded it and showed it to Idhrenwen.
"Wow. You're good. You're `lady of the mirror' good," she laughed.
Zhie smirked. "If I were that good, I wouldn't have the trouble I'm having with Celeborn. Let's see what we have today…" Zhie cleared her throat and read, "Roses are red, Mallorn leaves are gold, The night flowers are lovely, or so I've been told."
"What does it mean?" asked Idhrenwen.
"It's a riddle. I've gotten one every day now. I go to the place it says to go to – in this case, the gardens after dark – and I shall find some small gift hidden for me. Another poem, sometimes a flower, simple things. It has been rather intriguing. I have yet to find who it might be."
Idhrenwen thought. "Couldn't it be Celeborn doing this?"
Zhie shook her head. "Not with the way he acts during play practice. Hardly do I see him when we are not at practice. I would guess it is someone native to Imladris, to know the grounds so well, and to be able to sneak through the house. Not a single guard or page has seen anyone near my door, and I have asked them all to keep a sharp eye."
"Oh." Idhrenwen shrugged. "It was just a thought. So, how many of these have you received?"
"One for each day since I arrived," admitted Zhie, "and I've yet to miss an appointment."
That evening, Zhie found herself wandering in the gardens after many had retired for the night. Every other time she had found a note attached to her door, she had little difficulty finding the gift left for her. Usually, it had been no more than a flower or another poem, rolled as a scroll and tied up with a ribbon. This time, however, she had spent quite a time scouring the gardens, and did not know if she should give up her quest.
"Good evening." Zhie turned upon hearing the familiar voice. Reclining on a bench was the Lord of Lórien, the moonlight helping to give him a pale glow. "You…you're wearing the dress," he said suddenly, his voice softening.
Zhie looked down and lifted the skirt of the dress a bit to one side, letting it fall back and causing the material to sway. "I wanted to try to get acquainted with it before tomorrow. It's a bit more fabric than I am used to, but I shall manage." She turned from one side and then to the other, letting the peach-colored material move along with her. "You like it?"
"I love it," said Celeborn, quickly adding, "It looks quite nice."
"Thank you." Zhie suddenly noticed a box wrapped in pale gold paper sitting under the bench Celeborn was lounging on. "I think I see what I came here for," she said, moving toward him.
Celeborn raised a brow in surprise, until he watched as Zhie crouched down and pulled the box out from underneath the bench. "Oh, I hadn't noticed that there," he said, sitting up on the bench so that Zhie had room to sit down.
Carefully minding her dress, Zhie sat before pulling the red ribbon off of the package and dropping it into her lap. The paper came next, and lifting the lid, she found hidden within was a set of hair combs, very simple with an inlay of peach colored marble and ivory stones. She stared at them for a time, and then lifted one of them up to better look at it. "These are beautiful," she finally said.
"Do you know who they are from?" asked Celeborn, hoping he did not appear anxious to know her answer.
"A secret admirer who fancies himself a poet," laughed Zhie.
"I wonder how they would look with the dress," said Celeborn, trying to concentrate on looking at the gift box and not the Elleth beside him.
Zhie smiled. "I suppose they would go well with the dress, the colors match exactly. Shall we see now?"
"Allow me," offered Celeborn. He took the comb from her hand, brushing his fingers against hers. Leaning close, he pushed her hair back over her ear, resisting the sudden urge to do something most inappropriate, and inserted the comb so that it pulled her loose hair back and away from her neck. Again, Celeborn held himself back, ignoring the exposed and inviting flesh. "Perfect," he breathed, looking at the image of beauty before him.
"Thank you." Zhie closed the box and gathered the paper and the ribbon as she stood. "I should really get back. I wouldn't want anything to happen to the dress before the play."
Celeborn nodded slightly. "No, we wouldn't want that."
"Good evening to you, my lord," said Zhie with a curtsey.
"And to you, my lady," Celeborn heard himself say before he could stop it, but if Zhie had noticed, she said nothing.
Stepping away, Zhie unexpectedly turned back and asked, "My lord, what color are mallorn leaves?"
"Gold," he answered without thought.
Zhie smiled. "I always thought they were green, but changed gold only in the fall."
"That they do," answered Celeborn. "Though I like them best in the fall."
"I see. Thank you again, my lord," said Zhie, and Celeborn nodded. She turned swiftly so that he would not see the grin she now wore with her dress.