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Ortholeine: Well you can in a very short amount of time.

Chapter 10

Legolas had asked Iasbelin to accompany him to the festival about two weeks before it was scheduled to take place. During those two weeks Legolas would come by every day if he could and if he wasn't able to make it one day he sent Luin to check on Iasbelin. Legolas had been extremely wary to let Iasbelin go back to her home alone but she seemed to be content with living their again. She would make dinner for him every once in a while and he would stay into the late hours of the night talking with her. He loved talking to her about history, literature, and philosophy. One topic she stayed far away from was politics and economics. She throughly hated those subjects and wanted nothing to do with them. Legolas could see Iasbelin getting better every day. Her face was no longer hollow and pale and she had regained her glow that all Elves have. She even began to laugh on occasion, which was a huge step in the right direction.

It was a day before the festival was set to take place and Legolas had just left Iasbelin's house. It was about nine o'clock when Legolas left and he was planning on making it to his father's office before he retired for the night. Legolas roamed the halls waiting for his father to be done talking to whoever he was busy with at the moment. He decided to sit outside his office and wait for him. He had only been sitting for about ten minutes. when his mother had come up behind him and kissed him on the cheek. He scowled and turned around to face his mother.

"Naneth. Must you do that?" Legolas asked.

"When you have children you will want to kiss them frequently as well." Adiual smiled. She offered Legolas he hand. "Would you care to talk a walk with me?" She asked. Legolas smiled and took her hand in the crook of his elbow. He had been so busy lately that he had forgotten how much he loved walking with his mother. Legolas looked back at his father's door before they left. "He will not be done for some time, I'm afraid. Most nights he does not even come to bed. I worry for his well being."

"He works too hard." Legolas agreed.

"It is for the good of the kingdom." Adiual smiled. Legolas nodded back. "What were you waiting to ask him?" Adiual asked as Legolas held a door open for her that led out into the courtyard.

"I had some questions about the festival." Legolas said, absently.

"Why? You attend every spring, this year will be no different." Adiual replied.

"I have invited an elleth to come with me this year." Legolas answered. Adiual smiled and continued to walk around the beautiful moonlit gardens with her son.

"Ah. I see." Adiual smiled. Legolas rolled his eyes and found a very interesting tree to look at. "It is no matter of embarrassment, my son. I would have found out sooner or later."

"I know." Legolas replied.

"Who have you invited? I have not seen you around many elleths in the past few weeks. You do not seem to have time any more between your Guard duties and your father." Adiual wondered.

"Her name is Iasbelin. She is the sister of Halchon. He was my lieutenant when I first entered the Guard two months ago. He died while on duty." Legolas said quietly.

"Iasbelin. She is the one whom you had to restrain at the funeral?" Adiual she asked.

"Yes, she lived in the palace here for two weeks while her mental state returned to normal. Her father put her in my care until she was married when he and his wife sailed. She is living back at home now and she is doing well. I check on her as often as possible. I have found that I enjoy her company." Legolas answered. Adiual stopped walking and turned to Legolas. She looked up at her son.

"I am sure she is a wonderful elleth, Legolas. I just want you to know that the elleths of the court are not fond of her. Why, I do not know, but they whisper about her and her mental state." Adiual explained.

"I do not care what the collective courtesans have to say about her." Legolas replied sternly.

"I just want you to be prepared for that reality." She whispered.

"I will figure it out, mother." Legolas replied. Adiual smiled and laughed.

"It is about time you turned your interests to finding a suitable wife. You are one hundred and ninety- seven years old. I would have expected you to have been married long ago. Is it too much to ask for a daughter?" She smiled.

"I never said anything about marriage, mother. Plus, the reason I am unmarried is because all the elleths I meet are the same. The court Elves are only interested in furthering their standing." Legolas scowled.

"I told your father that he should have let you join the Guard sooner. I told him that locking you up in the palace would make you hate everything about it." Adiual sighed. Legolas smiled, his mother had always been on his side.

"Thank you, Naneth." Legolas replied. Adiual smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek before retreating from the courtyard.

Iasbelin sat in front of her mirror and scowled. Her hair was never going to turn out the way it was suppose to. She had tried everything but it kept looking stupid. She was all ready to go except for her hair. Her dress was on and she had bathed but her hair was a different story.

"Ihalwen!" Iasbelin called to her friend in the other room.

"What." She answered.

"Could you braid my hair please?" She asked. Ihalwen appeared at her bedroom door a moment later and leaned against the frame. The two elleths were getting ready for the festival's inaugural feast. There would be food, dancing, music, and good times had by all. After the feast the Elves would be treated to a week of nightly dancing, tournaments during the day, and feasts for dinner. It was a merry time in Mirkwood when the Elves celebrated the resurrection of the trees and plant life. If an ellon had asked an elleth to accompany him to the festival she was meant to be with him for all the feasts, dances, and tournaments he participated in. The elleth always gave her ellon her favor for the tournaments.

"Of course I will." Ihalwen smiled. She walked up behind Iasbelin and began braiding her hair tightly. "I still cannot believe the Prince asked you to accompany him." She swooned.

"It is nothing to read into, Ihalwen." Iasbelin replied.

"You know that the Mirkwood legend is that if an ellon asks an elleth to the festival they are destined to marry." She smirked.

"And how many times has that actually happened?" Iasbelin countered. Ihalwen shrugged her shoulders.

"You never know." She said. Iasbelin blew a piece of hair out of her eyes and slumped.

"Maybe he will kiss you on the last night." Ihalwen smiled. Iasbelin snarled and gave her worst look to Ihalwen.

"I do not know why you are taking this the complete opposite way of how it is meant." Iasbelin snapped.

"Why else would he have asked you if it were not to woo you." Ihalwen asked. She pulled a little harder at a braid and made Iasbelin scowl even more.

"He is only interested in my well being. We are good friends and he has been there for me when no one else was. I am only his responsibility until I am married." Iasbelin explained.

"It would be a lot easier if you just married him." Ihalwen snorted. Iasbelin smacked her arm.

"Go kiss an Orc." Iasbelin snapped.

"I'm sure my husband would love that." Ihalwen smiled.

"Whatever." Iasbelin snarled under her breath.

"Just let me know if you come back with tainted innocence." Ihalwen laughed. Iasbelin shook her head. Sometimes her friend could take things a little too far. She knew that Elves would never engage in premarital relations. Not even she had been so daring with her husband when they had been betrothed. The two Elves heard a knock at the door and they both looked up. "I had lost track of time. The sun is already down." Ihalwen said, worried.

"Are you done with my hair?" Iasbelin asked.

"Yes, I am." Ihalwen smiled. Iasbelin nodded and threw her flat shoes on and raced down the steps to get the door. Ihalwen followed behind her slowly not wanting to interrupt anything.

Iasbelin pulled open the door and saw Legolas standing behind it with his royal garb on. She laughed in her head at how uncomfortable he looked. She knew he hated formal tunics. He wore a sliver ensemble and a simple circlet on his head that signified his position as Prince. It was tradition for ellons to wear sliver and elleths to wear white at the first feast. It symbolized the purity of spring. Legolas smiled at her and Iasbelin gestured for him to come inside. Legolas nodded a greeting to Ihalwen and turned his attention back to Iasbelin.

"You look beautiful." Legolas smiled.

"You don't look too bad yourself." Iasbelin smirked. Legolas chuckled and offered her his arm. Iasbelin gladly took it and waved good-bye to Ihalwen who needed to go find her husband. Leoglas held open the door for her and led them both outside.

"You are looking better with each passing day." Legolas noticed.

"I feel better with each day. It is easier to live with now even though I know the pain will never be fully gone." Iasbelin lied smoothly.

"I am glad to hear it." Legolas smiled as they walked down the road to the place where the festival would be held. This year Thranduil had chosen to use a clearing in the woods to host the main activities. They neared the clearing and Iasbelin could see the lanterns that had been set up in the trees and around the tables lighting up the night. It was truly a beautiful sight to see. The trees reflected the dim light of the lanterns in such a way that it made the entire clearing glow. Iasbelin saw a huge table set up at the head of the dance floor and it sat raised from all the other tables. The clearing was very large and there were about one hundred tables set up around it. Many other feasts would take place around Mirkwood that were similar to this. Only the Elves that a received and invitation would attend this festival. The Royal feast was not limited to courtiers, any Elf that the King and Queen seemed fit to invite were welcome. Most of the Mirkwood Guard attended this festival so Halchon had been a frequent visitor here. Iasbelin had attended another festival with her family because her family usually celebrated with family who live about a day out of the city. This was her first time at the Royal festival and she was terrified. Iasbelin gripped Legolas' hand a little tighter. Legolas smiled down at her. "You will be fine. There is nothing to worry about."

Legolas led her to the eastern part of the clearing where his parents and some high ranking advisors stood. Only the royal family, the Captain of the Guard, and the King's Chief Advisor were announced at the festival.

"I am to be announced with you?" Iasbelin whispered as they neared his family.

"Well, yes. You did not know that?" He asked.

"I just did not realize." Iasbelin said quietly. Legolas pulled her closer and directed her to his family.

A/N: I hope you guys like the festival! Please leave a review!