A/N: Sorry about this chapter being so late, but over the weekend I moved from Denver, Colorado to West Jefferson, North Carolina. It has been hectic and I am presently in the process of getting plugged in to the community. Thank you for your patience while this process is going on.
WARNING: Mildly bad language will be used.
Our attitudes control our lives.
Attitudes are a secret power
working twenty-four hours a day, for good or bad.
It is of paramount importance that we know how
to harness and control this great force.
Tom Blandi
Chapter 11
Strange Happenings
Banion laughed so hard that he had to force himself to stop before he stumbled and fell or otherwise hurt himself because the tears were preventing him from looking where he was going. Behind him, his warriors looked at each other, as they wondered why such a casual and nonsensical statement would have caused their Prince to act in such a manner, while in front of them, the Thurin Tirith did the same.
"Ah, yes, the infamous shin incident." Banion put an arm around Anayah's shoulders. "I am happy to inform you that my shin recovered nicely although for a time there I had feared I would be horribly crippled for the rest of my immortal life!"
Anayah stopped and put her hands on her hips but Banion took her arm and walked on while she continued to look at her friend out of the corner of her eye that held a twinkle of mirth.
"I am glad to hear you recovered fully, my Lord, for I would have hated to start a war between us."
Banion laughed again and hugged her with one arm while they walked.
By the time they reached the bottom of the steps leading into the main house, Lord Elrond stood on the second to the bottom step while Lord Glorfindel stood slightly above him. After Anayah walked up the steps and had taken her place behind her father and on the same step as Glorfindel, Banion's warriors formed a formal military line behind the four Thurin Tirith who sat on their horses directly behind their Prince. Banion then bowed formally.
"I bring to you the greetings of my father, King Banuin, of the Avari, and my personal greetings as well, Lord Elrond, Lord of the elven realm of Imladris. It is by my father's will as well as by personal desire that my warriors and I have pledged our swords and service to your most honored guest, Lady Ederyn. Please know that our offer also extends to her host as well as her champion."
Elrond nodded in acknowledgement.
"Imladris and her elves welcome you and your warriors, Prince Banion, son of King Banuin of the Avari. When next you see your father, please tell him that we acknowledge his gracious and most welcomed act of kindness and accept it wholeheartedly. If you would have your warriors dismount and follow Lord Glorfindel into the house, he will show them to their quarters where they can rest and afterwards eat a hot meal for I am sure they are weary from their travels. Their horses will receive the finest care so please assure them there is no need to worry themselves on that matter. Now, if you and your Guards would be so kind as to follow me, I will show you to your own accommodations."
With another bow, Banion nodded to his Guards and warriors and while the warriors followed Glorfindel inside, Banion did the same with his Guards. While to some it may have seemed odd that the Prince and personal Guards would follow the warriors into the house instead of preceding them, Elrond fully understood why this was done. Banion was honoring the courage and valor of the warriors that had traveled to Imladris with him, silently conveying the thought that he considered them worthy warriors.
Once Elrond had reached the rooms the Prince and his Guards would be staying in, he told the Prince that one of his servants would let him know when the family would be dining and that they would all retire to the Sitting Room after the meal for a more informal visit. After a slight bow, Lord Elrond then took his leave and walked off to resume his other duties.
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After the formal greetings were over, Anayah went back to the conference room where everyone had once more gathered.
"So ..." Aragorn prompted.
Anayah paused, half-sitting and looked at her brother.
"So ... what?"
"Are they the same Avaris who fought with us at Hoth?"
"Yes, Elrohir, they are." Anayah looked at Aragorn. "We are going to be getting together after dinner, Estel, and you might want to attend. It's strictly informal, but considering you were the hero of the Hoth rebellion," she leaned her head on her brother's shoulder for a moment, "as well as my personal hero, you might want to stop in and say hello. None of us got to talk to the Prince after the battle, which was a shame, and now might be a good time to do what none of us had time for then."
"Am I understanding things correctly and there was an Avari present when the vow was made to protect the Old Ones?"
"It is a puzzlement to me, Legolas, but apparently there was." Anayah answered.
"We spend millennia not seeing, or interacting with the Avari in any fashion and now not only have they surfaced but are pledging their swords and service to our cause. I just wish that they had not always been so isolated and had interacted with the other elf races before this."
"I absolutely agree with you, Legolas." Elrohir said, nodding his head. "We have all missed much in not knowing each other."
Aragorn noticed that Anayah was sitting silently, staring down at her hands.
"Anayah? Your thoughts?"
Anayah sighed.
"After we returned to Imladris from Hoth, I sent Shakir to find the Avaris and when he did, delivered a message of thanks to the Prince. Though our communication has been infrequent, we have kept in touch - to a point. I get the sense that the Prince has somehow known that the time was right for the Avaris to start emerging from the shadows. They are a fierce and passionate race of elves and have a beautiful and rich culture and even though it may not come all at once, I sense that we will start seeing more of them."
Everyone around the table nodded for they all knew that this moment should have come long before. The Avari may have refused to answer the first summons to follow the rest of the elves to Valinor, but that did not mean that they had to retire from life altogether and forever.
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By the time the meeting was over for the morning, Banion had settled himself into his quarters then had rested and had eaten a hot meal. He was walking through the Common Room, when Anayah exited the conference room where the meeting had been held. Together the two walked out to the gardens then sat on one of the stone benches and after they had hugged each other again, Banion pushed her away to arm's length and looked at her seriously.
"You look tired."
Anayah sighed deeply.
"It has been a strain, not only on me but on my whole family, although if I was presented with the opportunity of doing all this again, I would gladly accept the honor of having one or even both of the Old Ones for my Charges without hesitation."
After another sigh, she made a conscious effort to push away the dark mood and smiled.
"So, my friend, how are Hirilorn and Ivarë?"
"Hirilorn is fine. She spends much of her spare time teaching the young females such skills as they want to learn."
"And I suppose your son is growing like a little weed!"
"Oh, I'm afraid he is growing much faster than that! He is already talking ... and the questions ... I don't think they ever stop."
"Cherish the moments, Banion."
"I do, Anayah. Every waking moment, even when I am away."
The two sat silently for a bit then Banion took one of Anayah's hands in his.
"I wanted to speak to you about our Guards, Anayah."
She frowned.
"Why? Has something happened?"
He shook his head.
"No, it hasn't although there is something about the Thurin Tirith that I don't know if you are aware of."
"And what might that be?"
"Well, from what I have learned from our lore masters, when they are in each other's territories, they often do not get along. Since this is your home, and if you see something happening, understand that you have my full consent to handle things as you see fit."
"Hm." Anayah's brow furrowed in thought. "Rahan has said nothing to me about this although in all honesty, I don't know if he thought we would ever see you again. The two units seemed to get along fine on the battlefield - from what I could see from where I was - so maybe nothing will happen. I will take your consent seriously though."
"Excuse me."
Anayah and Banion turned to see Legolas walking toward them. As was proper, Banion rose to his feet, followed soon after by Anayah who stepped between the two.
"Crown Prince Banion, son of King Banuin of the Avari, I would like for you to meet Crown Prince Legolas, son of King Thranduil, of the Mirkwood Realm."
"I am honored to meet you Prince Legolas."
"As I am honored to meet you, Prince Banion. Perhaps we might dispense with formal titles in private - please call me Legolas."
Banion nodded.
"As you wish, Legolas. Please call me Banion, for it is also my wish to dispense with formal titles."
"Please call me 'falling asleep with my eyes crossed from all of this formality' - both of you may call me Princess Anayah."
The two Princes looked at Anayah, at each other, burst out laughing then clasped forearms. When they had once more mastered their emotions and had quit laughing, Legolas turned to Anayah.
"Anayah, I have come to ask if I could escort you to dinner this evening."
Anayah looked at Legolas and frowned.
"Why? Do you think I will get lost on my way from my room to the dinner table?"
Legolas blushed as he tried to think of something to say in response. Fortunately, Banion came to his rescue.
"Anayah, stop teasing your friend - he's asking if he can take you to dinner and you tease him! Honestly - I don't think that even my son would have done that and he's just two years old."
Anayah maturely responded by sticking her tongue out at Banion then turned to Legolas and after formally bowing, accepted his invitation. The three elves then spent some time visiting, laughing and telling tall tales about things that had gone on in their lives since last they had met. Casual time was soon over, however, and the three finally turned back to the house to attend the afternoon council meeting.
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The heated mating cavern rocked on it's foundations and bits and pieces of the bodies of dead Orcs and Uruk Hai flew through the air and landed on their cowering companions, on the walls and even on one of the female fell beasts who was quivering in fear as she hid her head under one wing. To say that the Witch King was angry would have been an understatement of epic proportions.
He looked across the cavern at the sedated dragon who took up about a third of the available space. Through magic, he had tried to trick the dragon into mating with one of his female fell beasts but Asgorath had seen through his ploy and had turned away from her, making his thoughts and intentions clear to all - he had not been fooled and would not dishonor his missing mate. Though his condition would have improved and some of the physical and extremely uncomfortable restraints would have been removed, he still would not accede the Úlaire's wishes.
Asgorath was becoming an unmanageable problem and he knew that the time was fast approaching when he would either have to set the creature free or destroy him. His idiot Orcs had almost prematurely accomplished just that the last time they had tried to sedate him, for they had almost overdosed him with the sedative and if he hadn't arrived back at his lair just when he did, the dragon would more than likely have died.
Then to add insult to injury, one of his Captain's had returned and told him that none of the searching groups had managed to find the female and even Zoraht had gone out looking for her and could not find her even though the different groups had searched from Carn-dûm almost to the Gap of Rohan. None of the groups had even found a single trace of her and not for the first time did the Witch King wish that his warriors had more skill as well as intelligence. It was inconceivable to him that a dragon the size of the female could slip through their lines as easily as she had without leaving some sort of evidence behind her as to where she had been taken.
Zoraht was another matter that he would have to attend to in the near future, for the dragon was becoming more and more unstable and uncontrollable, and would no longer even come into the mating cavern when Asgorath was conscious. It was as if the dragon was letting the guilt he felt for betraying the two he had sworn to protect during their time on Arda, to eat as his spirit unchecked.
The Witch King raised his head and shrieked, causing the remaining living beings in the cavern to cover their ears. After he had blown apart three more Orcs, his fury, for the moment, seemed to settle. He began to think.
Where could the female have gone - how much distance could she have covered while wounded and alone with hundreds of Orcs and Uruk Hai in the same area searching for her? He would find her, no matter what he had to do or how long it took - he would find her.
He had heard her call for help and he knew that someone had to have answered the call, so the logical conclusion would have been that the dragon was wounded and would need care. Neither could she have been taken far, even if aided by others and therefore, the likelihood of her being discovered, grew in proportion to the distance she would have been travelling. She could not have gotten that far away and since even his magic had been unable to detect her, the female dragon was now more than likely under the protection of the elves in one of the three elven realms. The closest and easiest elven realm for the wounded dragon to reach while injured, would logically have been Imladris.
The Witch King walked down from the upper level to the main floor and stopped in front of the sleeping dragon, not intimidated in the least by the dragon's immense size as he stood before it. He looked at the gold horn in the middle of the dragon's forehead and a desire suddenly came upon him and slowly he began to extend his hand towards it. First the air began to hum around the two, then a large spark leapt forward, landing on the Úlaire's rotting clothing, where it began to smolder. Nonchalantly, the Witch King waved his hand and the smoke from the smoldering ember died away as quickly as it had appeared.
He once more turned his attention back to the matter of the missing dragon. Assuming the female had been taken to Imladris, retrieving her would be an almost insurmountable task for even if his Orcs and Uruks could find the place, they would not be able to enter, for some force - some magic - protected the place. He was sure that even if he had flown directly over the top of the place on his own fell beast that he wouldn't have been able to see it.
If such was the case, how then, would he be able to not only determine if the dragon was there, but also how he would be able to reach her and retrieve her? How indeed...
Then a thought came to him. He knew the general area of the Imladris realm and he also knew that there were warriors he could send in who could make the living arrangements for the dragon so dangerous that the elves would be forced to move her. When she emerged from where he was guessing Imladris existed, he would capture her and return her to Carn-dûm where she belonged. It was understood that the degree of effort made to repel his warriors by the inhabitants of Imladris, would tell him if the dragon was there or not.
Though the Witch King was incapable of humor in any form, as he turned away from the sedated Asgorath, he waved his hands and dropped two Orcs in front of one of his hungry fell beasts. They had no time to show either fear or resignation before they died and if the Witch King would have had a visible face, he probably would have been smiling.
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Anayah was on her way to where the dragons nested to check on Lady Ederyn and apply more of the numbing salve on her healing wound. When she started to walk across the Common Room, she was alarmed to see both her Thurin Tirith as well as those of the Avari Prince standing nose to nose with each other. Her heart clenched, for she had been hoping that this type of event could have been avoided. Neither Thurin Tirith Unit was moving and it looked like the eight warriors were going to have a go at each other at any moment.
As she was approaching the group from one side of the room, she saw Prince Banion, her father and King Thranduil enter the Common Room from the opposite direction. When she met the eyes of the Prince, she saw him bow to her then make a "they're all yours" gesture with his hands. She slipped her Healer's Pack off her back then unbuckled her sword and laid it beside her pack on a nearby chair. Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the group and stopped where the two Captains stood staring each other down. She noticed that other warriors, both Rangers and elves, were beginning to gather in the Common Room as well.
"Excuse me." She said politely. "Do we have a problem here?"
When she didn't get an answer, she tried again.
"Excuse me, but do we have a problem here?"
Again she was ignored. She sighed and rolled her eyes then turned to her Captain.
"Rahan, I want you and your children to move five steps backwards, please."
She saw him glance at her before he looked back to the other Captain.
"Captain Rahan, I gave you a direct order and I expect to be obeyed without question or hesitation. Move backwards as requested. NOW!"
Without taking his eyes off the other Guard, Rahan and the other three Guards backed up five steps. When she heard the Avari Captain snort sarcastically, she spun to face him. From across the room, she heard a chorus of "uh-ohs."
"Captain Erenol, did I just hear you make a rude sound to me as well as to my Guards?"
"Yes, my Lady, you did. Do you wish me to repeat myself?" He looked at her with defiant eyes.
This time from across the room there was a chorus of "oo's."
"What I want from you, Captain Erenol, is for you and your Guards to back up five steps."
"I don't think so."
She got directly in front of the Avari Captain.
"I'm sorry, Captain Erenol, I must have heard you wrong. I swear I heard you say, 'I don't think so.'"
"That is exactly what I said."
In a move that was almost too fast for anyone to see, Anayah grabbed the other Captain, hip-rolled him, then straddled his chest, her dagger at his throat. Her eyes were furious.
"I will not use this dagger on you, Captain, for I was one of those who welcomed you into this house. You and your elves are guests here, and I expect you to show this house all the respect you would expect to be shown in your own. I would also like you to know that when it comes to pissing contests, you will find that this particular bitch can piss more, farther, faster and better than any of you males. Now, I am going to let you get up. Do I have your word that you will behave yourself for the remainder of your stay and that the next time I ask you to do something that you will willingly comply?"
"Yes, my Lady, you have my word."
She got up, then after sheathing her dagger, extended a hand and helped the elf up.
"Now, Captain Erenol, will you and your elves please take five steps backward?"
This time the four Avari Guards complied. Anayah then began to pace up and down in front of the eight warriors as she gathered her thoughts.
"I have been informed that upon occasion, when Thurin Tirith Units meet, that they do not get along. Does anyone know why?"
When she didn't get an answer, she continued.
I think it is all about territory. But," she whirled and pointed at each of the elves, "the eight of you are forgetting whose territory this is. It is not yours just as it is not mine. This territory belongs to Lord Elrond and all the elves who live here. I, however, help defend this home and her people, and that, my dear elves, I do with lethal intent. While you are in Imladris, you will behave and get along because if you do not, and if I have to ride your collective asses, you will not find it a pleasant experience. Now, I will tell you that I am not one who usually holds a grudge, so when I am finished speaking here, this situation will be over and done with. Are you all going to get along?"
"Yes, my Lady." The eight elves spoke in unison.
"Good. Now if you will excuse me, I have a wounded dragon to see to."
After she had exited the house, the two Captains looked at each other, then Erenol shivered.
"Is she always like that?"
Rahan chuckled.
"You should count yourself lucky - you just happened to catch her on a good day!"
The two elves laughed then the others joined in and after mutual apologies and hand shakes, the entire group left the house.
Across the Common Room, Banion turned to Lord Elrond.
"I am suitably impressed - the Lady is quite formidable."
Elrond nodded and smiled.
"Indeed, Prince Banion, she certainly can be when the occasion warrants it."
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The afternoon council meeting had been going on for about half an hour and the group was fielding ideas for what they would be doing. At the beginning of the meeting, Banion, who was attending the meeting, had been invited to take part in the rescue and he had accepted. Aragorn kept glancing at Anayah who had spent the time since the council meeting had begun, leaning back in her chair and throwing a wadded up piece of paper into the air and catching it. Finally, the distraction became too much.
"Anayah, I intend no disrespect or rudeness, but repeatedly throwing a piece of paper up into the air then catching it might not be the most productive way for you to spend your time here. Perhaps you would derive more benefit from the proceedings if you turned your attention to the matter at hand, so we might not have to tell you what we talked about at a later time."
Anayah threw the paper up into the air then caught it one final time before she turned to Aragorn and smiled.
"We walked into the room in this order ... You, Legolas, Halbarad, Elrohir, Soron, Greyfell, the young map maker who nobody has introduced yet," she frowned at Greyfell before continuing, "Banion then me. Soron and his young friend whispered to each other, and yes, Soron, they are real, Greyfell sighed, Legolas asked how Elladan was feeling, Estel ate a handful of peanuts, Elrohir elbowed Estel in the ribs so he would begin the meeting, Estel sneezed and Halbarad has a headache and should go to the infirmary after our meeting has been concluded and ask for an analgesic. The meeting started and Banion was asked if he wanted to be included in the rescue and he accepted. You all then spent from that time until now fielding ideas about how we would conduct the upcoming rescue." She looked around her. "Did I miss anything?"
Greyfell cuffed Soron along side his head as everyone else stared silently at Anayah. Finally, when everyone else's minds had finally caught up with not only the speed with which she had spoken but also with what she had said, they all turned their heads and looked at Aragorn who just smiled back at them.
"She's my sister!"
With the tension of the moment finally broken, everyone began to laugh. After the laughter had died down, Aragorn again turned to Anayah.
"Anayah, I know that you have a talent for being able to think of many things at the same time, but there are those of us who do not possess such a talent and who find it a bit disconcerting when you keep throwing that paper into the air and catching it. Would you mind having a little mercy on us and not do that?"
"I would not mind at all, brother."
She smiled at Aragorn as she nonchalantly threw the wad of paper over her right shoulder and into the waste receptacle sitting against the wall behind where she was sitting.
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The group was just about to resume their meeting when the door to the conference room slammed opened and a tousled and extremely excited Elladan ran into the room. He ran to where Anayah was sitting and after grabbing her by the arm, ran back out of the room and with the rest of the group running after them, the two ran into the family's Sitting Room and closed the door behind them. The others would have entered the Sitting Room as well, but Rahan, Semoro and Saeros stepped in front of the door, barring entrance to the others.
Behind the door the very large and determined looking Guards were standing in front of, came the sounds of a fierce battle. Furniture was being overturned, glass objects were breaking and there was much yelling and foul language as well, not all of which was being used by Elladan.
"You are not running away from this one ... OW! You little shit ... so you think biting is going to save you ..."
There was a loud crash then the sound of a chair violently hitting the wall. Even Anayah's Guards were cringing at what was happening in the room. Drawn to the area by the sounds of fighting and the yells of Elladan and Anayah, Elrond and Glorfindel arrived. Elrond looked at the Guards then reached for the latch on the door only to be gently pushed back by Rahan. Elrond was puzzled.
"Captain, would you mind telling me not only why you are preventing me from entering that room and stopping the fight between my oldest and my youngest and also why the three of you have not already intervened?"
"Captain Rahan, would you and your elves please step aside?" Glorfindel was not smiling.
There was more cursing, banging and crashing before Rahan answered the two elf Lords.
"I am sorry, my Lords, but we have been asked NOT to intervene and to prevent anybody from entering the room."
"Captain, this is my house and those are my children in there. Now please stand aside!"
Elrond once more reached for the door's latch and was once more prevented from reaching it.
"Captain, your conduct is unacceptable ..."
He stopped speaking as Súrion ran up to the group, carrying Shakir. Rahan opened the door just far enough for the Silvan Guard to reach inside with the falcon and release him. After the bird had taken off, the door was closed and Súrion took his place beside the other three Guards. Everyone who had been at the meeting as well as Elrond and Glorfindel were extremely confused as they continued to listen to the brother and sister fighting and the falcon screaming.
Gandalf suddenly appeared on the fringe of the group gathered outside the Sitting Room and walked up to Rahan.
"Do the young ones or the falcon need assistance with this matter, Captain Rahan?"
"Thank you for your concern, Gandalf, but this is something only they can do at the moment."
With a nod, Gandalf walked off a pace then, leaning on his staff, settled down to wait with a very confused group of elves and humans. Finally, the noise, yells, cursing and screeches died away until there was once more only silence.
"I believe that it would be safe to go in now."
Rahan stepped aside and Elrond opened the door and stepped into the room.
"Oh my!" Was all he said.
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"I think I am going to be sick." Elrohir said as he stepped outside the room to take some deep breaths of untainted air.
Elrond and Rahan knelt beside Anayah and Elladan who were sitting back to back on the floor, heads hanging in exhaustion. On a nearby overturned chair, Shakir was sitting and cleaning his feathers as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
All around the room - on chairs, couches bookshelves and on and under various tables, lay the dead bodies of close to 300 rats. There was not a single elf or human - Gandalf excluded - who was capable of speech for the carnage was not something they had ever witnessed before, in their own home, and probably ever witness again.
"Elladan? Son? Have you been injured?"
Elladan just silently shook his head but remained silent. Without removing his supportive hand from the eldest twin's shoulder, he looked at Rahan.
"Captain?"
Rahan had given Anayah a quick examination and other than exhaustion from the battle, had found nothing but a few bites.
"I have found nothing serious, Lord Elrond, although I suggest that we take these two away from this for I am sure that we will need to tend to the bites and clean them both up a bit."
Elrond nodded his head then both he and Rahan helped the two to their feet while Súrion checked Shakir for injuries before releasing him outside. Before father or Captain could put a supportive arm around either of the two, they put an arm around each other's waist then silently walked from the room.
Once everyone had reached the infirmary and Elrond and his sons had started cleaning the two up, Anayah gave a tremendous shiver.
"Anayah?" Her father said.
Anayah said nothing but pointed to Elladan.
"I was passing by the Sitting Room on my way to sit in on the council meeting, and heard some of the strangest noises coming from inside. First, I put my ear up against the door but even though it was evident that something was going on, the sounds were too indistinct to determine who was making the noise. I opened the door just far enough to peek inside the room and that is when I saw the rats climbing all over everything. At first, I tried to handle the situation myself but it seemed the more rats that were killed, the more that came into the room, although where they were coming from, I cannot tell. I thought that perhaps Anayah and Shakir could help and I truly did not mean to alarm anybody by barging into the meeting so discourteously, but I didn't feel I had any time for even a hurried explanation."
Anayah reached across the space between her bed and Elladan's and took her brother's hand.
"Elladan picked me to go to 'rat war' with him, not because I was in any way rat-like in appearance or demeanor, but because I had the falcon who could help us keep the rats from getting into the rest of the house." She looked at Elladan and winked. "And we emerged ... victorious!"
Rahan got Anayah's attention.
"Anayah, perhaps you might consider sending Shakir to Carn-dûm tomorrow morning instead of today, especially in light of his participation in what just happened."
"I have to agree, Rahan."
Anayah looked around until she found Súrion.
"Súrion, you checked Shakir closely for injuries? He has a tendency to make light of such things and might not want to admit that he had let a rat bite him."
"He was fine, Anayah, and was quite proud of the number of the creatures he had 'dispatched' as he called it."
The others in the room laughed, for they knew that the falcon was always quite happy when he got to fight alongside one of his elf-friends or human-friends. After getting both Elladan and Anayah to promise that they would rest until dinner, Elrond sent them on their way and the rest of the crowd dispersed for the rest of the afternoon.
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Anayah had just woken from her nap and was sitting in a chair beside the bed, yawning mightily when there was a knock on her door. Walking across the room she opened it and when she saw that it was Greyfell, invited him inside. When she saw the package in his hand and when Elenath and Míriel, her personal ladies-in-waiting, followed him inside, she narrowed her eyes at her friend. When she started to back away from the elf while holding her hands up in front of herself defensively, Greyfell stopped.
"Now Anayah, just listen to me, please."
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Outside in the hallway, Anayah's on-duty Guards suddenly cringed when they heard her practically yell, "I am NOT wearing that!"
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The elves and humans were gathering for the evening meal and were standing inside Elrond's Hall, where formal meals were served when important guests were present. Celeborn and Galadriel were talking to Thranduil, Elrond and Banion while the twins and Aragorn laughed and joked with each other. Aragorn put his hand on Legolas' shoulder.
"Legolas, you are awfully quiet this evening - is there something wrong?"
Legolas was just about to answer when everyone's attention was drawn to the doorway.
"To quote my father ... oh my." Aragorn said quietly.
Greyfell entered with Anayah gracefully holding his arm. She was dressed formally, for the first time as well as what was probably the last time in her life - in a gown. Her raven hair was unbound yet pulled back at the sides and braided while a delicate golden thread intertwined with the hair within the braid. The deep, rich green fabric of the gown came close to matching the color of her eyes, and thin gold piping accented the high collar as well as the cuffs and hemline. A delicate gold filigreed circlet completed the formal look by accenting both her eyes and high cheek bones. For the first time, her family saw Anayah as she should always have been if the circumstances in her life had been normal - the perfect picture of a royal Lady.
The two walked through the silent room until they finally stopped in front of Legolas. Anayah bowed deeply then with much ceremony, Greyfell placed her hand on top of the Prince's and after bowing, turned away to join the others. Legolas turned and escorted Anayah to her place at the table where the two stood and waited for the elder elves to arrive and take their seats. When Celeborn had turned towards the High Table, he had almost walked into Thranduil who was still standing and staring. As Celeborn took his wife's arm to guide her around the still-immobile Thranduil, Galadriel leaned close to the King and whispered.
"Fathers are always the last ones to find these things out."
TBC