Well, hi, everyone! I really hope you like this story. I have worked very hard on the ideas and the details and everything. I understand that it may not appeal to everyone's tastes, but please, NO FLAMES. If you don't like it, just say so and go on. I am open to any new ideas or suggestions. If any of you should offer up a good idea, I might just use it in the story. :) Again, I really hope you like it! PLEASE R&R!!!!!
Chapter 1: A Proper Lady
The month of April was always beautiful in Imladris. The gardens surrounding the Last Homely House were alive with blooms of flowers from all over Middle-Earth. Some, both unusual and beautiful. The golden-leafed trees had hints of green around the edges of their leaves and the grass below them grew green and lush. The air was beginning to warm from the iciness of winter, and with it came a calming aura throughout the Elven estate in which Lord Elrond Undomiel lived with his four children: his twin sons Elladan and Elrohir and his two beautiful daughters Arwen and Kira.
On this particular day, Lord Elrond could be found in his study, which doubled as and extensive library filled with all kinds of books on the tales and lore of the Ages. Ellrond sat at his heavy, oak desk, absorbed in writing an in-depth composition on the founding of Rivendell. He frequently wrote compositions such as this on a variety of subjects. He was briefly distracted as his two sons Elladan and Elrohir ran past just outside, laughing as they practiced their sword-fighting skills with wooden swords. He smiled fondly as he watched his sons play. His smile quickly faded, though, as he saw his youngest daughter, Kira, running after them, her skirts pulled up so they wouldn't drag the ground.
Almost ever since she could walk, Kira had followed her brothers around, longing to learn the ways of soldiers. She loved to practice sword-play, ride horses, and play rough with her brothers. She was independent and outspoken, a trait looked down upon among Elven-ladies. She would frequently come home scuffed up and dirty with her dress torn and filthy. Despite Elrond's constant scolding, Kira refused to give up her outspoken ways.
Elrond sighed heavily and went back to his work; he would have to have a word with Kira later on this evening. Elrond worked well into the evening, referring to several books in his library to finally complete his composition, which he'd been working almost a week on. Putting his eagle-feather quill away and capping his bottle of black ink, Elrong looked up and saw that the pale orange sun was beginning to set below the craggy horizon in the distance. He closed the open book on his desk and lay his composition aside so the ink could dry. Blowing out the candle which set on the corner of his desk, he stood and crossed his study in long, graceful strides. He exited his study and closed the finely-carved door behind him. He made his way down a series of beautiful hallways to the back lanai to await the return of his children; his sons usually came in from their combat training around this time. Not seeing his sons anywhere, Elrond sat down in one of the three chairs on the lanai to wait. He waited patiently for about ten minutes until he saw three figures approaching the house. He stood, smiling to greet his children. Again, his smile faded when he saw the state his daughter was in. She was a sight for sore eyes; smudges of dirt covered her face, her auburn hair was mussed and dirty, and her dress was torn in several placed and smudged with dirt.
"Kira!" Elrond gasped, "What have you been doing?!"
"We were just wrestling." Kira answered, referring to her two brothers standing beside her.
"You two go inside, please." Elrond said, gesturing to Elladan and Elrohir.
Elladan and Elrohir obeyed their father and quickly stepped inside.
"What do you have to say for this?" Elrond asked, clearly angered by Kira's state.
Kira stayed silent, trying to avoid eye-contact.
"Well?" Elrond said, getting impatient.
"We were just wrestling." Kira said.
"Wrestling. You are a young lady, you should not be doing such things!" Elrond said, "You must give up these ways!"
"Why? What is wrong with wanting to have a little fun?" Kira asked.
"Respectable young ladies do not do such things." Elrond said.
"Well maybe I don't want to be respectable." Kira said.
Elrond sighed heavily, "You do not see your sister coming home in such a state, do you?"
"Why must you always compare me to her?" Kira cried, "I'm not her!"
"That's enough! Go to your room and clean up for dinner." Elrond said.
Tears beginning to form in her eyes, Kira ran up the steps and disappeared down the hallway. She ran down a series of hallways, almost running head-on into one of the maids. She quickly apologized and made her way to her room at a slightly slower pace. She reached her room and opened the finely-carved door depicting a fair Elf maiden petting a white, winged horse. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Her room was a very nice size, larger than most of the other bedrooms in the house. On the long wall directly in front of her was a queen-sized bed with light blue silken sheets and a beautifully-carved headboard. Beside the bed was a small night-stand with a thick, scented candle. Beside the night-stand was a make-up table with a large, crystal-clear mirror hanging behind it. At the foot of the bed was a bookcase built into the wall that housed all of her favorite books and few small figurines. On the wall to her left was a large, oak desk that was scattered with papers and a couple books. On the far side of the room was a soft love-seat with polished wooden legs. A gentle breeze blew in from the open windows that lined the wall behind the love-seat and it gently ruffled the chiffon curtains.
She took two steps over to the door just to the right of the door she just entered through and found herself in her washroom. The washroom was also a nice size. To her left was a large vanity with a marble sink and a spacious counter. The wooded cabinets below the counter housed extra toiletry items and such. A large mirror hung on the wall and stretched the length of the vanity. In the corner on the far side of the vanity was a large garden tub carved out of stone. To Kira's right was a large wardrobe with tiny, intricate carvings covering the front. Next to the wardrobe was a stone shower with glass doors. In the back, right corner of the room was a small, enclosed area, which housed a privy. A full-length mirror hung on the back of the door.
Kira walked over to the vanity and retrieved a white washcloth, a fresh bar of soap, and a towel. She set the three items on the counter and disrobed from her torn, dirty dress. The dress fluttered down her shoulders, over her full breasts, and over the smooth curve of her hips to softly land on the cool, stone floor. She kicked the garment aside and wrapped the white towel around her torso. She ran some water over the washcloth, soaking it. She then worked up a slick lather with the soap, the scent of orange blossom filling the room. She set the soap aside and began scrubbing away the smudges of dirt from her face, arms, and neck. Once the dirt was scrubbed away from her face, she noticed a small, red scratch on her left cheek. Just then, there was a knock at the washroom door.
"Come in." Kira called.
The door opened and Idrial, one of the maids, stepped inside.
"Yes? Did you want something?" Kira asked, turning around to face Idrial.
"Your father requested that I come help you get ready for dinner; we have a guest." Idrial explained.
"Really? Who?" Kira asked.
"That handsome soldier your father speaks so highly of." Idrial answered.
"Lothrindel?" Kira asked.
"Yes, ma'am." Idrial confirmed.
Kira had a slight sense of inner dread; Elrond was almost constantly introducing her to prestigious Elven Lords and soldiers in the hopes that they would develop a romance.
"Well, we can't keep them waiting, can we?" Kira said, trying to sound enthused.
"What would you like to wear tonight?" Idrial asked, walking over to the wardrobe and opening it.
"I think I'm in the mood for something green." Kira said, walking over to the wardrobe also.
After a moment of thought, Idrial retrieved a green gown from the many hanging in the wardrobe.
"How's this? Tasteful. Elegant." Idrial suggested.
After surveying the gown, Kira agreed. The gown was long and silken in the most beautiful shade of green. The gown had very thin straps and a small, silver design adorned the neckline. A sash the same color of the dress was sewn into the waistline and hung loosely in front. After Kira sponged off quickly, Idrial helped her into the dress.
"Would you like to wear your shawl? It's a little chilly tonight." Idrial asked, holding up the green shawl that went with the dress.
"Yes, I believe so." Kira said.
After giving her hair a quick brushing, she adorned her shawl and made her way to the dining hall. She reached the dining hall and opened the large door and stepped inside. The long hall was decorated with intricate carvings and ancient tapestries. Two chandeliers hung from the ceiling and the candles that adorned them illuminated the room with a soft glow. In the center of the room was a long, wooden table laden with all kinds of delicious-looking food. Five Elves stood gathered at the corner of the table talking. Among them were her two brothers Elladan and Elrohir, her older sister Arwen, her father Elrond, and a handsome Elf named Lothrindel. Upon hearing the door open, they all turned around to greet her.
"You look nice this evening." Elrond said as Kira approached them.
"Thank you." Kira said.
"I believe introductions are in order." Elrond said, "Kira, this is Lothrindel. Lothrindel, this is my daughter Kira."
"Good evening." Kira said, extending her hand.
"Well met, milady." Lothrindel said, taking Kira's hand and placing a light kiss upon it.
"Shall we sit down?" Elrond asked, gesturing towards the table.
Lothrindel politely pulled out a chair for Kira and she sat down, spreading her dress over the sides of the chair. To Kira, the whole evening passed by in a boring blur as she tried to look and sound entertained. To be honest, she hated these formal dinners her father was always planning, most of the time to introduce her to some new Elven Lord; Kira had very little interest in any of them. Although, she had to admit, the dinner was always delicious. As they finished up their dinner, the stood from the table, Kira and Arwen standing first.
"Dinner was quite delicious, Lord Elrond." Lothrindel said, standing along with Elladan and Elrohir and Elrond.
"Thank you, Lothrindel." Elrond said, "Shall we retire to the gathering room for tea?"
"Sounds wonderful." Lothrindel said.
Both Arwen and Kira curtsied before proceeding across the dining hall, followed by the others. Kira sighed and rolled her eyes when no one was watching, getting tired of all these formalities. They followed a series of dimly-lit hallways to the small gathering room. This room, too, was dimly-lit with several candles dotted around the room and situated in intricate candelabras. There was a large rug on the stone floor depicting an eagle flying over Lorien. On the rug set two small couches facing each other and in between them set a polished coffee table. On the coffee table was a silver tray with a silver tea-set on it. Full bookshelves lined the walls. On the far end of the room, there was no wall and it opened onto a small balcony with steps that lead to the extensive gardens. The rushing waterfall could be heard from the nearby river and it created a relaxing aura about the room.
Kira and Arwen sat down opposite each other. Lothrindel and Elrohir sat down beside Kira, and Elladan and Elrond sat down beside Arwen. Elrond poured them all a small cup of tea, handing it to each of them as he filled it. Kira thanked him as he handed her her cup of warm tea. She sipped at it, trying to look dainty as the rest of them carried on a conversation she tried to look like she was interested in. She didn't know how long they'd sat there when the conversation turned to her.
"You know, Kira recently planted a willow tree in our gardens." Elrond said.
How the subject of gardening came up, she did not know.
"Really? I would very much like to see it sometime." Lothrindel said.
"Kira, why don't you take Lothrindel out to the garden and show him the tree you planted." Elrond suggested.
"Yes, father." Kira said, setting her cup of tea on the coffee table.
She stood, nearly stumbling over her long dress, but the manaed to maintain her composure. Lothrindel stood and offered is arm to her. She slightly smiled and laced their arms together, leading Lothrindel across the room to the balcony and down the stone steps to the garden. The leisurely followed the natural trail formed between the lush bushes and flowering shrubs to the far end of the garden where a small clearing was. In the center of the clearing was a small willow tree, its long, green fronds swaying lightly in the cool breeze.
"This is it." Kira said, motioning to the small but beautiful tree.
"Very nice. How long ago did you plant it?" Lothrindel asked.
"It's been about six months now." Kira answered.
"Six months? And it's already this tall?" Lothrindel said, bewildered; the tree was over six feet high, "Extraordinary!"
"Well, I just read some of my father's gardening books and followed their instructions." Kira said modestly.
"It would seem that you have a green thumb. I, myself, cannot get a thing to grow in my garden." Lothrindel said, still admiring the tree.
Kira smiled at the thought of Lothrindel scuttling around in his garden, trying without success to get something to grow.
"Shall we walk?" Lothrindel asked.
"Yes, thank you." Kira said.
The turned and walked slowly about the garden, chatting on a variety of subjects from gardening to travel. It seemed like forever to Kira, but it was probably no more than an hour that they walked, passing the same tree at least three times.
"It's nearing late. I suppose it is time I take my leave." Lothrindel said as they neared the balcony to the gathering room.
They paused before they reached the stairs.
"I would like to thank you, milady, for a most enchanting evening. I do hope that we may do this again soon." Lothrindel said, lightly kissing Kira's hand.
"Yes, I do hope as well." Kira said, trying to sound as though she looked forward to it, though she was yelling 'no' in her mind.
Lothrindel turned politely and climbed the stairs to be lead to the door by Elrond. Kira sighed and made her way to her room. Closing the wooden door behind her, she tossed her shawl over on her bed and kicked her shoes across the room, allowing her feet to 'breathe'. She entered her washroom and disrobed from her silken dress and adorned her sleeping clothes, which consisted of a pair of soft, loose, white pants and a loose tunic to match. She was much more comfortable in these clothes. She stepped back into her bedroom and snuggled down under her soft sheets, sleep capturing her almost instantly.
A/N: Whew! I'm finally finished with the first chapter! Believe me, writing this has not been easy. I have recently experienced the WORST case of writer's block EVER! Ugh, I think writer's block has got to be one of the worst feelings in the world. I HATE IT!!!!! But, I'm making a 'come-back' and getting my creative edge back! I really hope you like this. PLEASE R&R!!!!!!!!