Legolas' eyes lit up. "Father!" Legolas cried, sprinting up the stairs and hugging him. The Elf wrapped his arms around his son with care. Except for the extra weight his father had, the two looked almost identical. They had the same color hair that fell almost to the same length. I could not tell the color of Thranduil's eyes, but I was sure they would be some shade of brown. Thranduil looked older, of course, but not immensely old. The two looked like best friends who had just found each other after too long a time parted.
"Son, tell me everything," Thranduil pleaded as the embrace ended. Legolas glanced back down at me. I must have looked bewildered because Legolas began to laugh when he saw the look on my face, as if I had learned too much at one time.
"Father, this is Tialyn," Legolas said, pulling the King down the stairs and toward me. "I met her in Minas Tirith and convinced her to travel with me to visit Mirkwood. She lives in Imladris," Legolas explained. I was unsure of how to greet a King, and I was torn between curtseying and groveling. Instead, I stood there, baffled and wide-eyed.
"Seems a bit rigid," Thranduil laughed as he got closer to me. I kept looking around for some sign of what to do, when Thranduil put his arms around me and pulled me into a hearty hug. I was so shocked at this point that I stood still, frozen.
"Tialyn," Legolas whispered. "What in the name of IlĂșvatar are you doing?"
"It is okay, the girl is just stunned," Thranduil replied. "Come, son, come, dear," he said, walking to the hallway on the right. Legolas looked at me questioningly.
"Tialyn, Eru, what are you doing?" he insisted again in a whisper.
"S-sorry," I started, breaking my reserve.
"Come on, you idiot," Legolas insisted, grabbing my wrist and pulling me fast behind Thranduil. We walked down the hallway on the right, past a few dark, wooden doors and finally reached a door that Thranduil decided to go into.
"This will be your room," he offered. I stepped inside behind him and Legolas. As if Mirkwood could get much grander. The bed in the middle of the room began at my waist. The sheets were cream-colored and intricate. The carpet was blood-red and the walls were cream to match the sheets. Across the room was a doorway that led to what must have been the bathroom. A great, amber, wooden chest stood at the foot of the bed. I could not breathe.
"Th-thank you," I tried to mutter. Thranduil smiled at me.
"I will send someone in with your things," he said kindly. "Legolas, come with me and tell me of your journey and how you and yours defeated the Necromancer." With that, Legolas and Thranduil exited, closing the door behind them and leaving me standing alone in the room. Before I had time to look around, there came a quiet knock on the door.
"Come in," I said.
"Miss Tialyn," a tall, female Elf said, walking into my room carrying my bag.
"I can take that," I offered.
"No, I will handle it," she said almost rudely. I recoiled my outstretched hand. The Elf, whose blond hair fell down to her waist, busied herself by opening the trunk and unpacking my clothes.
"That really is unnecessary," I started, but the Elf cut me off with a quick motion of her hand.
"I am Nimaroel," she said, not looking at me. Her dress was a light yellow and hung close to her feet. "I am the keeper of this place," she continued, unpacking. "If you want to know anything, I would be the one to ask," she said, finishing and standing up, turning to face me.
"Thank you," I said gratefully.
"Why have you come to Mirkwood?" Nimaroel asked suddenly, almost accusingly.
"I, well," I stumbled. "I met Legolas at the wedding of Arwen Evenstar and Aragorn Elessar, one of the DĂșnedain and King of Gondor," I began. Nimaroel rolled her eyes, inviting me to get along with the story. I was upset that she had not taken to me right away as most do, but I went on. "Legolas and I talked and he convinced me to visit Mirkwood with him," I finished.
"Where are you from?" she asked.
"Imladris, the former Kingdom of Elrond Halfelven," I said regally and with pride.
"Wonderful," Nimaroel replied sarcastically. "Well, let me make it very clear that I do not easily take to strangers, especially those of foreign lands, and particularly those that Legolas brings back to Mirkwood, and especially females," she said defiantly. "Now if you will excuse me, I must return to Thranduil and Legolas to hear his story," she said, taking my leave and exiting the room faster than she had entered. Eru, Elves of Mirkwood really could be stuck-up. I had a feeling I was going to have trouble with this Nimaroel.
