LORDS OF MIDDLE EARTH & NARNIA (Magical Creatures)
"Is anything the matter, Queen Lucy?"
The young queen gave a small gasp of surprise, her hair flying in a soft arc as she she twirled around to face the prince of Mirkwood who was looking at her in curiosity.
"Oh, it's... it's nothing... really..." Lucy mumbled, shuffling her feet on the mossy ground.
When Legolas heard the disappointment in her voice behind the shyness he pressed, "Something troubles you, Your Majesty?"
"Just Lucy, please," Lucy insisted as she turned back around to the tree that she was looking at earlier. Slowly, she lifted her hand up to the trunk and pressed her palm on the bark, in deep thought again.
"What is it?" Legolas asked.
"I thought that, well, in a place like Rivendell, I would have thought that the trees would sing and dance."
The elf-prince blinked at her in confusion. "Why would they sing and dance?"
"Because they are happy," Lucy replied, caressing the bark with the her hands as if petting it would submit the tree to her will. "They do in Narnia. Well, used to, anyway when we first ruled."
"Did they?" Legolas smiled. "They must be really happy then, in your rule."
"The Golden Age they called it." Lucy sighed in reminiscence. "Where the trees dance and the animals talk. Now only a few animals do. The rest has gone to become wild."
The elf's voice held a note of amazement. "Talking animals? How magical!"
"Oh, but Middle Earth is wonderful as well! We don't have elves in Narnia! Much less in England!"
"I am happy that my kind pleases you." Legolas laughed. "Well, Lucy, maybe we can pass by Fanghorn forest and see whether we can find you some talking trees."
The queen smiled in delight. "Talking trees?! Oh, please, can we?"
"Though I've heard from some friends that Treebeard, the Ent can talk your ear off," the elf warned her with a grin.
"Ent?"
"The Ents are a race of trees that can walk and talk. They are very old."
"Oh," Lucy said, "Would he want to sing and dance with me since he is very old?"
"You can ask." Legolas chuckled. "Come, Lucy, it's time to dine."
Lucy nodded and with one last pat on the tree, she followed the elf-prince to where the council has already begun to gather for dinner.
