Chapter 2
A Turn Around The Floor
Rodwen tossed her dark hair over her shoulder and pouted. It mattered not that there was no one in the ladies' lounge to see her, for she was standing before a large mirror admiring her feminine wiles. The pout slipped into a triumphant smirk as her eyes glittered in confidence. Surely, he will not be able to resist that expression! she thought to herself, carefully arranging the dark curls over her shoulder once more. A few more tugs on her golden gown to get it to hang just so, and she glided from the lounge, her eyes scanning for her prey among the multitude of guests mingling in the huge formal hall of the Citadel.
At first glance, he was no where to be found. She searched more carefully through the crowds, her brown eyes hunting among the many male guests who seemed to be the center of the attention of several small groups of unwed ladies. Nothing. He was not here! Rodwen felt tears begin to form in her eyes, but she could not let them fall. Crying would make her eyes red and puffy, most unattractive and improper for the daughter of a nobleman.
She smiled demurely at a passing lord, and continued to glance over the room. Rodwen was proud of her father. He was on the king's council and a good man. It was regrettable that he had married later in life, and that it had taken several years for her mother to conceive her. Her parents were much older than those of her friends, and anxious to see her married off to some noble or lord of Gondor. Unfortunately, the best ones were already taken. The king himself had wed soon after claiming his throne and the new Steward less than a year later. Many of the young eligible men had been killed during the war, and now she was simply another of many young ladies of title with few acceptable prospects when it came to making a good marriage.
But there was one unwed noble in the king's court, one who was most desirable by all the unwed ladies, and not only among the younger generation. Rodwen had watched single ladies as old as sixty chase after him. She shook her head in disgust. He would never be attracted to them, not when he was so beautiful himself. Perfect…yes, he is perfect, she thought.
Rodwen walked the perimeter of the room, passing a set of open balcony doors. She paused near a wine table when she heard faint mumbling. A flash of green and gold caught her eye, and she realized she had finally found the one she sought…and he was alone! She inched closer, avoiding eye contact, to make it seem as if their meeting were only coincidental. Yet her eyes could not help but stray to his form, clothed in elegant attire and holding a large goblet of deep red wine. A light-green formal tunic, embroidered with leaves in gold and silver thread, graced his lithe body, offsetting the darker green leggings. Upon his golden head sat a silver circlet, seemingly made of beech leaves intertwined. He was simply breathtaking, and Rodwen could not stop the sigh which escaped her lips.
Bright, grey eyes darted uneasily in her direction at the sound, widening at finding her standing close to him. She smiled as decorously as she could, lowering her eyes in proper respect as she curtsied to the Prince of Eryn Lasgalen and the Lord of Asgarnen in Ithilien. When she raised her eyes again, she noticed the much larger space that now existed between them and the suspicious look he was giving her. She cringed inwardly as she realized her plan was not working as she had dreamed. Time to employ other tactics, Rodwen. Think! In seconds, her daring mind had thought up a rather devious scheme.
She bit her lip nervously and pretended to be searching the room for someone. Bringing her eyes back to the elf nearby, Rodwen smiled sweetly and asked, "Excuse me, Lord Legolas, but have you seen Lord Gimli? I was hoping he would ask me to dance, but he seems to have disappeared."
As she had planned, the suspicious look in the elf's eyes disappeared immediately, and to her delight, he smiled. He moved swiftly in her direction, stopping only a pace before her. "My lady," he declared as he bowed, "I fear the good dwarf has taken some respite, outside with the king, to settle a misunderstanding we had earlier. I am sure he will be rejoining the party shortly, and would be most pleased to dance with a lady as beautiful as yourself."
Fighting the urge to squeal at the complement, one she had previously heard him only bestow on the queen, Rodwen smiled brightly and batted her eyes. "Do you really think so?" she asked hopefully. He nodded amiably, and she knew it was now or never. Reaching deep inside, she employed her best acting skills. She let her face fall in sudden alarm and her lower lip began to tremble slightly. "But I am not a very good dancer," she told him, looking up anxiously at the prince. "What if he does not like me because I have not had a chance to dance often enough to improve? I fear my heart would break if he refused me." She finished in a whisper and was delighted to see immediate concern in the elf's face. Keeping her own mask in place, she waited, not daring to say any more.
"Perhaps, my lady, you and I could take a turn around the floor, and I could show you a few easy steps? Though I am certain Lord Gimli will not notice whether you dance well or not, he is not one to dance often either." He offered his hand gallantly, and smiled encouragingly.
Rodwen stared at the long fingers, wanting with all her heart to reach out and latch onto him and never let go. It took all her will-power to resist. "I am certain you must be mistaken, my lord! Surely, such a handsome and noble dwarf is an expert on the dance floor." Now, she sounded almost indignant as she raised her chin, challenging him to deny it.
"Handsome dwarf?" The prince muttered almost under his breath, looking quite distressed at the thought. He raised his eyes and voice, extending his hand further in invitation. "My lady, dance with me first, and then you shall see who is an expert on the dance floor!"
Hesitantly, Rodwen took his arm and allowed him to lead her to the floor. Legolas never saw the smirk of victory that crossed her face or the smug looks she surreptitiously gave the other ladies who looked on in envy. She smiled at him and engaged him in lively conversation as he twirled her expertly around the room. All the while, her partner thinking it had been his idea to ask the lady to dance.
TBC
