There and Back Again: A Queen's Tale
Written by: Anime Girl Kim
Disclaimer: I own nothing, 'cept my own
Short A/N: Delayed also, sorry 'bout that
Before Raina had even properly stepped out from the threshold of Oropher's study, she immediately found herself face-to-face with a very angry Prince, the two of them barely an inch's distance apart, their noses just slightly in danger of coming in contact with each other. "Leithio nín!" She cried in surprise and anger, struggling with all her might to free herself from the cage Thranduil had formed around her with his arms, pinioning her body against the wall.
"You think you're so clever," he hissed, adding pressure to the arm that was forced against her windpipe, cutting off air that she most desperately needed. "How dare you come here?! I know what you must be planning; to overthrow me and gain my father's trust! But you will be banished before you can do so, because I myself will see to that!"
"How dare you!" Raina shrieked, forcing him away from her at last, her whole face livid, still gasping for air. "How dare you speak of me like that! You know nothing about me! I wish nothing more than to help King Oropher and his kin - your kin!"
Thranduil sneered at her, his once handsome features now twisted and tinted with red. "Do you think I am blind?" He took a step forward, closing the distance between them once more. "I can see it in your eyes, the pride you grew up with; you are incapable of learning respect. And without respect, you will gain nothing. Remember. Your. Place."
Without another word, the Prince stalked off, leaving a furious and shocked elleth in his wake.
"Ion lýg!" The apprentice cursed furiously, as she wandered around the lone corridors of Greenwood Palace, doing her best to find her way around the difficult maze-like structure. Where was everyone? "What did I just get myself into?" Raina slouched against a wall, glaring forlornly at the golden paint-coated marble pillar that stood in front of her, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"Oh, there you are!" Raina looked up to see a beautiful looking elleth running on her bare tippety-toes towards her, her golden dress hoisted up and the hem fanning out around her as she ran. She had the most gorgeous ringlets Raina had ever seen, the color of light wood. "Mas ce, brennil nín?" The elleth cried, reaching Raina and clasping both her hands with her own. "The King informed me that you would be staying in the Royal chambers under my care, but you never turned up! I was worried!"
"I sort of got lost," the slightly speechless apprentice mumbled, bewildered by the sudden appearance of the elf. "You must be Amoniel, I assume?"
Amoniel beamed at her, her pretty face lighting up even more. "You know my name? That's terrific! Come, come, let me show you to your new quarters, you're absolutely love it!" She started dragging Raina down the hallway. "I work as the caretaker of the private chambers, so you'll be staying with me; and if you have any problems, don't even hesitate to ask, I know everything! Man eneth gin?"
"Im Raina,"
"What a beautiful name." She sighed in adoration, starting to lead Raina down the hallway, moving at a quick and steady pace. "Well, I think we should backtrack a little on the topic," Amoniel took a sharp turn and hopped up a flight of steps with light feather-like steps. Raina found herself gawking at her grace; she could never be so silent when walking. Her boots were making awfully loud scraping sounds as she followed her new guide. "Why were you lost? I thought the King would apply someone to guide you!"
"Yeah," the shorter elleth grumbled. "he did. But Prince Thranduil did not want to cooperate, and left me alone stranded in a weird winding palace all by myself."
Amoniel breathed out a gasp. "The Prince? Why would he do that?" Her light brown ringlets bounced up and down her shoulders as she went up another flight of steps, her speed making it hard for Raina to keep up with her, even though she was an elf warrior.
The sound of water reached Raina's ears as they moved pass a real waterfall, seeming to come from the ceiling, which was decorated like the real sky outside. Patches of green grass, flowers and trees grew everywhere, surviving easily without the real sun. Stones of all kinds and colors were scattered all over the green grass, and Raina could make out some young elflings scramble around collecting them.
"Apparently, he hates me. A lot." The paths were widening, straightening out step by step. They passed doors, hallways, antechambers, and pavilions. Finally, Amoniel stopped in front of a wonderfully carved ornate wooden door. It was placed at a side of a smooth round lobby, with steps at the front that led down to a lovely green garden, complete with a marble fountain that spewed crystal clear light blue water, and wooden lounge seats. More doors could be seen alongside the wall, and a winding white staircase led up to the upper levels.
Raina watched as Amoniel pushed open the wooden door, stepping through the doorway and into the vast room within. "I've never heard of the Prince acting like that," Amoniel spoke, crossing the room to slide open the windows. "He's usually quite polite to new guests."
The apprentice spun in a slow circle, drinking in the beauty of the extensive chamber. Light from the sun bathed the whole room, giving everything a beautiful warm golden tint. The parlor was enormous, with light beige walls and an plush alcove reading corner complete with a seating area at one side, and one large bookcase at the other. An old fashioned fireplace was built into the farthest wall, across from the large deluxe sofa. Everything was perfect; the white curtains, the lavish window seat with numerous fluffy pillows, the square-shaped wooden coffee table, the round ornate mirror hanging over the fireplace, there was even a sleek black grand piano at one corner.
"Will I really be staying in this place?" Raina gasped in exclamation. "I couldn't!"
Amoniel laughed, a high tinkering laugh that was wonderful to listen to. "Yes, you can. Ce govannen hí na 'lass."
The young elleth threw her arms around the caretaker, grinning with ejaculation. "This is wonderful!"
The caretaker smiled back, patting Raina's cheek with amusement. "Go explore, take all your time. You'll be living with the other royals, along wit the King and the Prince. I'm sure we'll going to be perfect friends!"
The private chamber was consisted of the parlor, a large comfortable bedchamber, a white-tiled bathroom, and an old woody-smelling study that felt absolutely cozy. It was different from Rivendell, which was mostly open and alight; but in Mirkwood, it was an indoors kind of coziness. The rugs were all made out of fur, varying in colors; some had longer and fluffier hairs, others were made out of short spiky fuzz.
Raina had momentarily forgotten her little spat with the Prince, now a little too distracted by her new living quarters to care what must be in store for her; even a mere son of the King could not shatter the happy bubble had formed her. It felt good to just relax and not care about how other people saw her; to smile and laugh and feel completely at ease with her pride.
"Is there anything I should do or can do?" The joyous elleth finally stopped her prancing around, and seated herself comfortably on the soft window seat, her energy slightly drained. "And are there anything or anyone I should be aware of? Schedules? Training? Lessons?"
"A Raina! Avo drasto ge!" Another light laugh rolled off Amoniel's tongue as she perched on top of the sofa armrest. "You are a royal here, a strong warrior, you should be at ease. All you need to do is complete your own duties, be respectful, all that; and as the King's apprentice, you will need to stay by his side most of the time. Every week, each elf that is part of a Royal family, must attend the weekly feast at the Royal Dining Room. As for seating arrangements… I assume you will seated beside the Prince."
"Oh god," Raina moaned, covering her face with her hands in a rather dramatic gesture. "way to destroy the mood."
Her new friend gave an amused titter. "Oh, Thranduil's not so bad. I know him quite well; my Naneth was his nanny when he was just a wee elfling, so we kind of grew up together." Amoniel rose from the sofa. "Anírach aes?"
"No, le channon." The pillows on the window seat flattened as Raina leaned against them, the mound perfectly soft and comfortable. Outside, the pavilion glowed as if made out of pure gold, the plants shaking in the wind. The elleth found herself mesmerized by the beauty of everything in this palace; how the water gushed out from the top of the fountain and spilled down past the marble statue, the sounds of birds singing their complicated yet lovely chorus, as well as the breathtaking architecture.
Yet, despite the beauty, Raina found herself still homesick for Rivendell, for her brother and her parents. Oh, Lindir dear Lindir. Her brother had always been the one for her, had always stood up for her. Despite how much annoying Lindir was, Raina needed him, badly. But here, at Greenwood, the elf that had her back was Amoniel instead; not that she minded, it had been a long time since she had had a real friend.
"There you go, mellon nin!" Speak of the elf. Amoniel set a tray of buttered bread and a pot of warm milk on top of the table. "Come on over; you look famished."
Raina was indeed famished. Pouring herself an overwhelming amount of milk into her mug, she settled down against the luxurious sofa, melting into the cushions and sighing with content. "Where did you get all this food?" She asked in curiosity as her teeth tore a chunk off of the piece of bread she was holding in her hands. "This is absolutely delicious!"
"Oh, the pantry is always stocked. There is also a small kitchen within your chambers, there are many ingredients in the larder, so you may whip up something whenever you like." Amoniel helped butter another slice of toast, placing it on top of the already tall mountain of bread. "I have a friend that works in the kitchen, he always helps me to stock up every chamber with enough food. The chefs cook to feed the royals, but it's always better to know how to cook, so you won't need to take a trip to the kitchen every time."
"Well, I'm sure glad I can cook!" Raina laughed softly, a little embarrassed. Despite being a warrior, her Naneth had urged her to learn how to feed herself. 'Every ellyth must learn to cook!' was what she had said.
As if reading her mind, Amoniel waved her hand airily. "Oh, knowing how to cook is nothing to be embarrassed about! Don't worry!"
Raina smiled. "Thank you, Amoniel. I'm so glad I have you as my friend."
Translations:
Leithio nin: Release me
Ion lýg: Son of snakes
Mas ce, brennil nín: Where were you, my Lady
Man eneth gin: What's your name
Im Raina: I am Raina
Ce govannen hí na 'lass: You are welcome here
A Raina! Avo drasto ge: Oh Raina! Don't worry
Anírach aes: Do you want food
No, le channon: Yes, thank you
Mellon nin: My friend
Wow, this chapter is… still a filler chapter; a very boring filler chapter. As I had revealed before, the name Amoniel would be in this story. Yes, Amoniel is the caretaker/keeper of the Royal chambers. I really think Raina's starting to turn OOC. She really isn't showing that cold icy side of her… I think I should tweak her personality a bit in the next chapter.
So… I don't think there's much to say about this chapter. Anyway… thanks to - Nuredhel, K-Athelas and xLyraCharlottex for their favorites and follows.
To my reviewers -
Wunderkind4006: Yep, Thranduil's huge ego is really being threatened, but he really doesn't need to be so… mean. Raina really didn't mean to do anything bad! Yes, I'm sure Raina would really give him a good lesson for messing with her. Thanks for pointing out the mistake in the previous chapter! I really am enjoying my story as well, and I'm also enjoying your story really much!
Rousdower: Uh-huh, Thrandy was really really rude. Oropher will be quite strict in my story! Thanks for your review!
Perasia: Thanks, I'm really glad you liked my story. I really don't like my female character to be weak and female-ish. I too was really looking forward to this chapter! Hope you like it!
Hope you guys'll like this chapter more than I do!