- Chapter 9 -
A hot bath helped ease her anxiety, at least, for a little bit. Élane fussed with her damp hair while Shyloh's fingers fidgeted with the soft fabric of her robe nervously. She'd never met any guests before, most of them leaving just as quick as they came but she didn't mind that so much. What she did mind, was the constant thought of screwing this up and embarrassing her uncle and cousins.
Élane noticed the elleth's tension and tisked her tongue at her.
"Do not fret so much dear child," she said. "They are not the Valar themselves, nor even high lords like Lord Celeborn or King Thranduil. You will be just fine."
"They are still important, aren't they?" she asked, watching her handmaid's fingers work miracles on her already curling hair. The humidity in the air made the ends spiral out of control before the handmaid could do anything with them. While that was nothing new for Shyloh, Élane had never worked with such difficult hair before. Most elves had nice, long, sleek, cooperative hair, that flowed smoothly. This elf, well, was challenging to say the least.
"Yes," she said, not taking her eyes off the mass of curls. "They are, but you are just as important. Besides, by the time I am finished getting you ready, they will be rendered speechless, so I do not think you will have to do much talking."
Shyloh's pale face turned bright red, and her mouth dropped. Élane's mouth turned from a serious frown into a mischievous grin.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that there will be many fine ellyn that will be staying here," the elf said, with a small glint in her eye. "Perhaps one of them will catch your eye?"
Shyloh's eyes widened and she had to stop herself before she could shake her head and undo all the hard work Élane put into doing her hair so far.
"Boys," she muttered under her breath, wondering why it was so easy for the older elf to think about such things when it never even crossed Shyloh's mind as a possibility.
"Warriors, and fine ones at that," she corrected.
"I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you," Shyloh said sternly, rolling her eyes at the correction.
Élane just hummed a reply and smiled.
"I'm not interested in finding a man right now," she said, doing her best to convince her friend.
"That's the funny thing about love," Élane mused. "You never know when it will hit you."
With that thought now lingering on her, Shyloh felt even more restless. Now she really didn't want to go. She wondered how angry her uncle would be if she didn't show up...
"Done!" Élane smiled broadly. "Now let's get you in that dress."
Shyloh's assumptions had been right; Élane was over the moon excited that she was going to wear 'that dress.' Groaning inwardly, Shyloh stepped into the fancy white gown that she avoided for so long now. Well, at least the seamstresses will be happy to know she was wearing it, albeit reluctantly.
The sleeves were fitted to just above her elbow at the cuff and draped down in a waterfall of layered white lace. The back of the dress trailed along behind her like a train while a wide scooped neckline hung low on her frame and hugged the upper edges of her body before pooling off of her in rippling waves of more white lace. Small, glass beads adorned the entire gown, making it shimmer in the lighting.
She was afraid to move or even breathe as Élane fluffed the fabric around her, making sure it was all straight and perfect before stepping back and clapping her hands together in excitement. Shyloh looked down at herself, feeling completely out of her element. She couldn't help it when her eyes flicked to the boots she'd worn while riding earlier and the older elf caught her expression and then frowned.
"You're usually very compliant when it comes to wearing dresses, why is this one so different?"
Shyloh looked back down at it. Seriously, how was she supposed to keep this clean? The tiniest speck of dirt would show up easily on it.
"I look silly."
Élane looked completely taken aback, as if she couldn't believe Shyloh had just uttered those words.
"Nonsense!" the elleth snapped. "You look stunning!"
Shyloh hated to complain, but as she pulled a lock of her white hair over her shoulder, she placed it against the edges of the gown and looked worried.
"Don't you think this is too much white?"
The elf's eyes lingered on her for a few moments and Shyloh grew restless as she waited for a reply. Then she slowly shook her head no, and Shyloh felt her shoulders sag.
"No, you look like a vision."
Feeling her face flush, Shyloh frowned before the handmaid took her hand and walked her over to the long mirror.
"Come and stand over here, we're not done quite yet."
Shyloh suppressed a groan before speaking out loud. "If we take much longer, I will be late for their arrival."
"They have already arrived," the elleth said, and Shyloh's eyes widened in alarm.
"Am I running that late?"
"Nonsense dear, you are not expected to be present at their arrival. The company has traveled a long distance and must get settled before you are to greet them properly tonight."
"So, basically I'm getting dressed up for supper..."
Élane shrugged in defeat. "In a sense. The feast tonight is important though. We always welcome important guests like these with a great feast. You could say we do love to throw a good party. Now stand still please, you are fidgeting like a mad woman."
Shyloh did her best to stand still while her maid pulled open the middle drawer of the vanity; one Shyloh had never even acknowledged before. With delicate fingers, she raised a circlet of silver from the fabric holder it sat on.
It was stunning to say the least. The woven silver glinted as it caught the evening rays of the sun that filtered through the white sheer curtains. The design of the bands matched the ones she'd seen Elrond and his son's wear but hers was much more feminine. Upon further inspection she recognized the tiny engravings of the branches like that on her tunics and cloak clasps. It was her signature design, she figured, since many of her dresses now had that design plaited into the sleeves or on the skirts in beads somehow.
At a loss for words, she let Élane do the honors of putting it on her head and she waited to look at herself in the mirror until the elf was done tampering with it. Given the all clear, Shyloh's eyes met that of a stranger. Standing in the white gown with her white curly hair flowing about her, she didn't even recognize herself. Her mouth went dry as her eyes darted over the fabric that hung from her shoulders to the crown upon her head. Perhaps this was who she was meant to be, but it sure didn't feel like her.
She couldn't help but think that she looked like a big white puff of cloud. Her skin was kissed from the summer sun, and she still had a little redness to her cheeks from blushing. Her piercing wide blue eyes stuck out the most, she thought, as she stared into her reflection. Frankly, they were the only part of herself that she liked and felt had stayed the same since arriving in Middle-earth. Her pointed ears stuck out just under her mass of hair, reminding her that she was indeed an elf now. The crown, though very light on her head, was heavy on her mind and the weight of it pressed down on her.
"You will wear the other one during the day," the handmaid explained, pointing to a simpler circlet in the drawer, drawing Shyloh's eyes to the vanity again. "This one is for formal occasions, like tonight."
"I didn't know I had to wear one," she commented, feeling a little uncertain.
"You didn't before, but you are being introduced tonight as a Princess, so it will be expected now."
The weight of the circlet bore down upon her even more.
The gown highlighted the elf's slender frame and even though Élane felt she could do with a few extra meals on her bones, the elf was an image of perfection. She positively glowed in white, and the contrast of the small gems around her neck helped balance out the entire ensemble.
Finally, at long last, she was ready. Never in her life had it taken so long to get dressed before! Even when she went to her high school prom. Of course, she hadn't been royalty then and she supposed royals took longer to become presentable, especially after spending the morning racing through the woods on the back of a horse. Brown horsehair would definitely stand out in this get up.
The air in the hall was cool and refreshing as she stepped out and she took a big, deep, steadying breath. It came out in a rush, but it didn't help her feel relaxed. She walked the length of the hall, coming to a small set of stairs. Gathering her skirts very gently so as not to wrinkle them, she stepped down the stairs carefully, surprising herself with her own gracefulness only to come to the landing and realize she had an audience.
Stopping in her tracks, Elladan and Elrohir smiled at her, and she felt the heat rise to her cheeks in embarrassment. She wanted to snap at them sarcastically for staring, but she felt way too shy to speak.
"We would have happily helped you down the steps-," Elladan said seriously.
"But you were concentrating so hard we didn't want to make you trip by startling you."
Their gentle smiles made her forget her shyness and she groaned out loud. "This is not as easy to wear as it looks." She placed her hands on her hips firmly, squaring off with them.
"We would not know anything about that," Elladan said with a grin. "But you make it look easy."
"Ha! I feel like a clown. The only thing I am missing is a big red nose. My cousin Tony would say I looked like a fluffy cotton ball."
"A clown or ball of cotton would certainly not be how someone would describe you tonight, little cousin," Elrohir said, looking down at her, the smile gone from his face.
"And if any of them do, they will have us to deal with."
"They should be warned then, that I have my own personal bodyguards." She tried not to grin but found it hard not to with these two.
"Indeed," Elrohir mused and he held out his arm for her to take.
"Arwen is missing out on all the fun," Elladan said and she frowned.
"Who?"
"Our sister," said Elrohir cheerfully. "She loves a good party."
"Wait!" she stopped in her tracks and stared at the both of them incredulously. "You have a sister?"
Elladan smiled. "Yes, she is staying in Lothlorien for a while, visiting our kin."
"No one ever mentioned her before."
"A hundred years to an elf is nothing," Elrohir said, offering her his arm again.
Shyloh raised her eyebrows. "A hundred years? She's staying there for a hundred years?"
Elladan sighed dramatically beside her. "So young, so much to learn."
She rolled her eyes.
"That is not very ladylike," Elrohir muttered. She narrowed her eyes at him but then she smiled as she laughed.
"No, you can't do that either," Elladan said seriously.
Confused, the smile faded. "Can't do what?"
"Smile."
"I can't smile?" she blinked thinking that he was just joking but the serious look on his face said otherwise.
Surely, he was teasing...
"You dazzle people without even realizing it when you do." Elrohir said, growing serious and her eyes widened.
"I dazzle people?"
"Very much so."
"It leaves them speechless..."
"...and we can't have speechless elves..."
"What kind of party would that be?"
"Look, you two, I don't believe I've dazzled anyone, but I'm not very good at this party stuff and I am already nervous," she said seriously now as she took her cousins arm, and he escorted her down the hall. "Just promise me one thing?"
They raised their eyebrows at her simultaneously as she glanced down at her feet.
"Don't let me fall."
They looked at her and the promise rang out in their eyes.
"Never."
She stood behind Elrond to his right while Elladan and Elrohir stood to his left. The three ellyn were dressed similarly in deep brown robes with greens and tans, silver circlets upon their brows. She clasped her hands in front of her and laced her fingers together to keep from fidgeting, praying she didn't look as nervous as she felt. She stood tall, well...as tall as she could next to the elves beside her...and took a few steadying breaths to calm herself.
Lord Glorfindel and Lord Lindir were also present, and they stood respectfully to the side with the rest of Elrond's high council members who surrounded them on both sides of the hall. She wasn't very familiar with their names, but their faces she recognized, and she caught a few of them watching her. Feeling the heat rise to her cheeks again, she averted her gaze and stared at the ground in front of her until their guests arrived, mentally going over everything Élane taught her regarding 'manners' and 'proper behavior.'
Elrond stepped forward just as the party of Lothlorien elves stepped up to greet their hosts. They looked refreshed from their travels and her eyes widened a little in surprise. They were tall and beautiful! There were no silver haired elves in Rivendell, but the tall elf that stepped forwards to meet Elrond had silver hair that was straight and fell over his shoulders. He was handsome, just like the rest of them. The other elves that followed him had either light blond hair, silver like their leader, or soft sandy brown. Their robes were of silver and blues and the gowns the ellith wore were similar.
They simultaneously bowed courteously to Elrond and his family. Shyloh did her best not to look at any one of them directly, but she found herself staring at the captain as he straightened. His eyes locked on hers for a moment, but his expression was difficult to read, and her face flushed again. If she had to guess his expression, it was filled with surprise and wonder.
"My Lord Elrond, a pleasure it is to see you again," the elf said with a small smile on the corner of his mouth.
"Haldir of Lorien, welcome," said Elrond, returning the smile with one of his own and a bow of his head.
"Lord Elrohir, Lord Elladan," Haldir said, with another bow.
The twins returned the gesture and greeting just like their father had and then Haldir's eyes flicked towards Shyloh, and she felt the blood drain from her face this time as her nerves started to flare up. She could feel every set of eyes upon her now as her uncle turned to her.
"May I present my niece, Princess Shyloh, daughter of Prince Atanalcar, son of the first King of Númenor." Elrond announced. The hall seemed to fill with a stunned silence as the eyes that were originally filled with curiosity were suddenly filled with shock, wonder, and curiosity over the heavenly elf in white that stood before them.
Tonight, was the first time her uncle had introduced her like this, using her title and lineage together and it made her throat tighten. The words sounded foreign to her ears, but they rolled off his tongue like he'd been saying it for centuries.
Haldir blinked his surprise away before placing his hand over his heart and bowing to her.
"My Princess, it is an honor to meet you."
The elves behind him followed suit silently, either bowing or curtsying, and she didn't know if her face could have paled any more than it already had.
Feeling the eyes of her uncle and cousins on her, she found her voice as he straightened, and she eased a smile on her face.
"Princess, I am pleased to introduce you to Haldir of Lorien, marchwarden to the Lord and Lady of the Goldenwood," Elrond said. He proceeded to introduce several others of his company of higher rank – both ellon and elleth – but she found it difficult to pronounce their names...much less remember them.
"My Lords and Ladies," her voice rang clear and steady even though she was trembling inside. "It is a pleasure to meet you." She bowed her head like she'd been taught, and she silently thanked Élane for all of her lessons on proper etiquette. When she saw the elleth next, she was going to give her a huge hug.
Haldir was the marchwarden for Lorien; a captain of the guard and herald to the Lord and Lady so she did not curtsy, but her knees felt weak, and she clasped her hands together even more to keep from trembling.
Elrond's facial expression didn't change, however, the look in his eye told her she'd done well. Haldir's eyes lingered on her again before turning back to Lord Elrond who held out his arms towards the great hall, inviting his guests to join them.
Elrond was the one who offered Shyloh his arm this time, as he would have his daughter had she been standing next to him that evening. Shyloh tucked her small, trembling hand into the groove of his elbow, happy to finally turn away from the pressing eyes of the court before her. Haldir fell into step with Elladan and Elrohir behind them, their chatter starting up immediately. The rest of the hall followed, and the steady rhythm of voices echoed through the open halls.
Elrond covered her hand on his arm with his free hand and patted the top of hers approvingly. She wondered if he could feel her tension and fears radiating through her fingertips.
"You look beautiful by the way," he said quietly to her. "A vision of your mother."
She looked up at him, surprised by the compliment and the smile that formed on her face trembled a little. He patted her hand again and then pulled out her chair for her but she didn't sit. It was proper to wait for the head of the house to be seated first so she let her fingers brush over the soft polished wooden table before her while Elrond took his place at the head of the table. Lindir sat to his right, as was appropriate for his station and Haldir sat next to him, while she sat down the table on Elrond's left side next to his sons.
Elladan sat to her right, and he waited until she was seated to push her chair in. He gave her a quick wink before straightening out in his own seat and she smiled nervously.
Glorfindel, she was pleased to note, took the seat to her left and she was thankful for that. He gave her an encouraging smile as he sat, and she breathed a little easier.
"Didn't want to feed you to the wolves too quickly," a voice whispered mischievously in her right ear, and she shot him a sly look that didn't go unnoticed by his brother.
"Remember," Elrohir said under his breath, his face very serious. "No smiling."
She couldn't help herself and did exactly what she wasn't supposed to do. A soft laugh escaped her smiling lips.
Elrohir shook his head in disappointment, doing his best to keep a straight face. "She did it."
"We're doomed."
She tried not to laugh again, completely aware now that every single pair of eyes around them were focused on her.
Glorfindel nudged her arm with his elbow gently and leaned over towards her just as the servers started filling the table with food and drink before them.
"Are they causing you trouble already?" he asked quietly, and she grinned at him.
"When aren't they?" she asked, and he shrugged a shoulder simply in reply.
"That is a very good question," he said thoughtfully. "The stories I could tell you..."
"Which he won't," Elladan said quickly, hearing Glorfindel's rising threat.
"I would love to hear stories," she said with a genuinely interested look, ignoring her cousin as he glared at the warrior to her left over her head.
"No, you wouldn't," Elrohir piped up.
Elrond sat back in his seat, a bemused expression on his face as he watched his sons and niece. Haldir mirrored his gaze, watching the elleth that captivated everyone as she smiled at her cousin's embarrassment.
Glorfindel leaned back in his seat, pretending to think really hard about a story when Elladan turned to Haldir quickly and attempted to change the subject. Haldir pulled his eyes reluctantly away from the elleth who's smile so easily ensnared his attention, and eagerly fell into conversation about his parties travel to Rivendell, which, he was pleased to see had interested the she-elf and she listened closely to his story.
There were other ellith at the table as well, and many more at the other occupied tables in the hall but Elrond had lost track of how many times ellyn eyes had sought out his niece during the meal. She talked mostly with Lord Glorfindel, who he was silently pleased with for taking the seat next to her so as not to 'feed her to the wolves,' as his sons had described earlier.
She listened as others around her talked, their eyes speaking volumes as they looked at her compared to their words. He would not have suggested the white gown, despite the fact that the head seamstress had looked slightly disheartened when she mentioned it to him not too long ago, if it wasn't for the fact that he knew she would be able to wear it well. It suited her far better compared to the darker tones she seemed to favor, the colors of mourning, and he knew it would draw the attention of the entire host of Rivendell and Lothlorien. He felt slightly guilty for putting his niece on the spot so suddenly, but he hoped it would help bring her out of her darkness and back into the light.
Had Arwen been here, she would have scolded him for making her cousin feel so uncomfortable, but then he smiled to himself, because he knew his daughter would have done the exact same thing. Her laugh rang out, clear and melodious through the hall as she laughed at something his son and Glorfindel said. Her cheeks flushed, bringing color into her face and he smiled deeply for the first time that night.
As supper came to a close, Shyloh's cheeks hurt from smiling. Despite her reservations about the entire affair, she couldn't deny she had enjoyed herself. Thankfully, Glorfindel and her cousins had come to her aid most of the evening, engaging her in stories and conversations. Even the elves that sat across from her included her in their talk almost greedily, telling her about their homelands and the magnificent mallyrn trees that grew there, shining silver and bright instead of deep green like the tall trees of Rivendell. Most of the conversations were discussed in Sindar, as most of the Lothlorien party rarely had need to speak in Westron and she was very thankful her uncle had taught her so well.
They described their homeland so poetically that it left her speechless and to their delight, it captivated her attention for a while, and they enjoyed telling her more stories and tales. If the ellyn sitting near her received any jealous looks during the meal they went unnoticed except by Elrond, who smiled to himself as he discussed many things with Haldir and Lindir.
When finally, he stood, the hall went silent and he extended his hands graciously towards his guests and kin, inviting them to retire to the Hall of Flame for music and relaxing. To Shyloh's surprise, Lord Elrond walked around the table, extending his hand to her as everyone remained seated. As politely as she could, she took his hand and let him lead her from the hall, followed by his sons and honored guests.
"You survived I see," he said quietly to her as he led her down the hall.
She met his gaze and blushed. "Yes. The food was great and so was the company."
He could tell there was more she wanted to say so he raised his eyebrows, asking his question silently.
"I'm just not used to these kinds of parties," she whispered. Her face reddened even more.
His suspicious were right, she had noticed everyone's eyes on her that evening.
He smiled gently. "Understandable dear niece, but know you are doing just fine."
Smiling at his encouraging words, she felt a little more confident as they walked together.
The Hall of Flame was large, with vaulted ceilings and pillars of carved pillars and various comfortable looking chairs. In the center of the hall, a great fire was always lit, and it licked the logs in the pit and warmed the cool night air. It was a hall that was used mostly at night for songs and stories. Harp and flute music played softly at first and as the night wore on several songs were sung, stories were told, and the music played. Some even took to dancing when faster paced music invited them too.
Her confidence didn't last long as her cousins swept her away to dance despite her reluctance. She wasn't a very good dancer even though Élane had spent many afternoons teaching the she-elf the basic steps. To her great embarrassment she danced with Haldir and a few other ellyn from Lothlorien that were bold enough to ask her. Not having the heart to turn them down, she agreed and was swept away.
There were breaks in between songs as stories were told and she took advantage of the quiet time to sit and attempt to become invisible.
It was Elladan who saved her as he took her hand and pulled her away from the dance floor as another fast-paced song started up and she was almost pulled into another dance.
Her eyes met his and were filled with gratitude. He winked before guiding her to a chair by the fire. Her feet ached and she was very much relieved to be free for a moment.
"You're welcome," he whispered in her ear, not bothering to mention the number of disappointed looks he received when he led her away. He kissed her hand and then left her to go back to his own crowd of guests. She took a moment to smooth her skirts and brush her hair back over her shoulder before she was interrupted.
"My lady," said a pretty blond haired elleth. Her smile was slightly hesitant as she approached, followed closely by four other ladies, all of whom were from the Lothlorien party. She gave Shyloh a small curtsy and then gestured to the seats near her. "May we join you?"
"Please!" she said, finding she had had plenty of male attention that evening to last her a very long time. The women smiled as they took the empty seats and they looked at Shyloh excitedly.
"We have been wanting to talk to you all evening," a brown haired elleth said shyly, "but you have been kept very busy." Her eyes darted to the dance floor and Shyloh wondered if the look on her eye was envy or annoyance.
"We hope you do not mind, but we asked Lord Elladan to snatch you away," the blond said.
"I don't mind at all! I don't think you know how grateful I am," Shyloh said, putting the tension at ease with a big smile.
"Are you not a fan of dancing? You do it so gracefully." another brown haired elleth said, her eyes genuinely curious.
"It is not my cup of tea," Shyloh admitted with a slight grimace. "And honestly I'm not very good at it anyways."
They smiled at her, looking a little more at ease and then introduced themselves and try as she might, she forgot their names right away.
"Your dress is beyond stunning," one brunette said, and the others mused in agreement, their eyes flowing over the pooling white fabric that stood out so brightly in the light of the fire and torch light that danced along the walls of the hall.
"And your hair is so beautiful," the blond said, her words full of awe as she leaned a little closer as if to get a better look. "Like freshly fallen snow."
"Does it always curl so wonderfully?"
Other ellith had come to sit with them before long and slowly their circle grew. For a while they all fawned over Shyloh's hair and dress, admiring both equally. She sat quietly, smiling politely and doing the same in return for their gowns of which were very beautiful as well, doing her best to be interested in the design's that were different from the fashion in Rivendell. Her face flamed from the attention, and she tried not to shift uncomfortably as their eyes gazed at her. She was not used to being the center of attention. There were other equally beautiful she-elves there, so why did she have to be the one they drooled over?
It was a very girly bunch of elves, she decided, despite the fact some of them were a part of the guard, and she did her best to pay attention to the flow of the conversation, asking questions to appease them and learning some in the process. The conversation covered many topics though, and she found that the Lothlorien elves were much more talkative than the elves in Rivendell, talking to her more easily and listening intently when she asked questions even though their circle was now a mixture of both parties.
"-and I have heard the dresses are heavier in the Woodland Realm." A murmur of agreement followed the she-elf's words.
"A shame none from Mirkwood could travel for the council," a blond elleth commented sadly and giggles followed shortly after, as if she had missed a hidden joke.
Seeing Shyloh's confusion, the she-elf sitting on her left leaned towards her. "They are referring to Ernil Legolas, of course, son of King Thranduil."
"Oh! Does he usually attend council meetings?" asked Shyloh quietly but the group heard her, and another series of giggles floated through the group.
"It is very rare the elves of the Woodland Realm travel outside of their own lands," she said a little awkwardly. "But Ernil Legolas is very handsome, and a highly skilled warrior. If there is a need for counsel between Mirkwood and other lands, he usually comes in his father's place."
More giggles.
"Have you not met him yet?" a she-elf asked, looking almost surprised.
Slowly Shyloh shook her head. "No, I haven't."
"Then it really is a shame they could not make it," said the she-elf to her right and the ellith giggled again. Not all of them were obviously head over heels for the prince though, as some of the she-elves were already married and they looked at the giggling ellith with disapproval.
"They have been having issues with their borders," a quiet, tight faced elleth said from the Lothlorien party. She'd sat mostly quiet during their talk, but Shyloh knew she was part of the guard. "The spiders are causing many problems. I do not blame them for not coming."
Murmured agreements came from many of them and Shyloh couldn't help but wonder what spiders had to do with anything.
Catching the eyes of Glorfindel and her cousins standing across the crowded hall, they looked at her then spoke to each other, and she felt a jolt of annoyance. It wasn't hard to tell they were talking about her, and she narrowed her eyes just the slightest. Elrohir's eyes lingered on her and then suddenly he was strolling across the room towards the group. As he walked along the outskirts of chairs, he came to stop just on Shyloh's left side and then he acknowledged the ellith, who finally, at long last, were looking at someone other than Shyloh.
"Ladies, if you will pardon the intrusion, but I must steal my cousin away," he spoke so apologetically that Shyloh grew a little hesitant. He held out his hand to her, but she took it eagerly, longing to be free from the girl talk that surrounded her.
"Ladies, if you will excuse me," she said, doing her best to keep her face polite. A dozen beautiful faces turned towards her, their eyes looking slightly disappointed by her sudden departure, as if she were the sole purpose for the group.
Heads bowed to her, and they all watched her leave; her white gown flitting wondrously behind her like a waterfall, leaving the she-elves of her circle feeling slightly envious and in awe. The princess had such a glow about her that she drew the eyes of everyone that was near her, and they doubted that she even knew her beauty.
Instead of leading her over to Glorfindel and Elladan, Elrohir swept her up into another dance and she had to laugh at his antics. Once again, he saved her. Man, she really owed them big time!
As the dance came to an end, he smiled mischievously at her before pulling her behind him towards his brother.
"You're welcome again," Elrohir said smugly, and she grinned up at him.
"We knew you were enjoying yourself over there, but we couldn't let you hog the ladies all night. There is dancing to be done, stories to be told, and songs to sing, and all of these ellyn are standing here without dancing partners." Elladan looked down at her, giving her a stern look but she laughed again.
"When we stole you away earlier, we thought we were doing us a favor," Elrohir said.
"You had captured every ellyn's attention at first-,"
"-and of course, those were the ones we wanted to talk to-,"
"-but we couldn't talk to them, because they were dancing with you."
"Which ultimately made the night quite boring."
"So, we stole you away-,"
"-and then we talked to all the Lords we wanted to-,"
"-which was when we found out you stole all the available Ladies-,"
"-which ultimately made the night quite boring."
She tried so hard not to laugh but failed miserably. She cleared her throat and sobered her expression in mock seriousness.
"My deepest and most sincere apologies my Lords, for making your evening so dull. You may have the Ladies back for now if your done with all the others..." Her voice trailed off playfully, and she looked around the hall as if suddenly desiring to pick out a new dance partner.
Glorfindel raised his eyebrows, trying not to laugh at the cousin's exchange. His eyes swept the hall as the twins tried to play along.
"And has one of these Lords caught your attention?" Glorfindel asked curiously and the twins' faces looked suddenly interested.
"Not a one," she admitted but they didn't look very convinced, and she could feel her face flame. Sure, many of the ellyn that surrounded them were exceptionally handsome, but she knew better than go on that alone. Besides, she'd dated two handsome guys before and it hadn't ended well at all.
"Are you sure, dear cousin?" asked Elladan, his eyes skimming the crowd.
She nodded. "I am sure. Not a one has snagged my attention."
Glorfindel hummed.
"Perhaps the marchwarden would like to dance again," Elrohir suggested to her, and that was when Shyloh could take no more.
"He's over there if you want to ask him. I am going outside," she said, nudging her head to the corner of the hall where Haldir and Lindir were talking together with other Lords. "It is too crowded in here."
Glorfindel and Elladan laughed at Elrohir, who looked less than amused at her suggestion. She didn't stick around to hear his retort though, because she squared her shoulders and walked away from them as gracefully and poised as she could manage, a smug smile on her face.
It was much cooler outside, and it sent a chill across her skin. The hall had been warm near the fire but as she stepped out from underneath the roof, the change of air was immediate. Gardens surrounded the hall behind her, and her footsteps slowly carried her down a stone path a short way to a small terrace and there, she sank down onto the cold stone bench. For the first time that evening she allowed herself to slouch. The gardens were mostly deserted except for a stray couple here or there that passed by silently in the night.
What a day, she thought to herself as she sighed. The music behind her stopped, happy voices carried through the open hall into the night sky, and a new song started up. She closed her eyes, listening as the harmony floated through the night air and a shiver shook her. She should have maybe stayed in the hall.
"So," said a voice to her right. "This is where you have come to escape."
Startled, she twisted around and caught sight of Haldir. His handsome face smiled at her, and his silver hair was the same color as the moon in the sky.
How is it they all still look so perfect after a night of partying and I don't? she wondered, feeling slightly jealous at how he managed to look like he came out of a magazine. Her hair was probably tangled and messy from all the dancing, and she had to use a serious amount of self-control not to run her fingers through it all night. Her dress was probably wrinkled too while his silver robes were still nice and neat.
His gray eyes watched her curiously as he stepped towards her, meeting her wide blue ones with interest.
She suddenly felt shy, and she was glad that it wasn't as well-lit in the gardens as it was in the hall because her face reddened.
"Fresh air is good for the soul," she said sheepishly, and his smile widened.
"Yes, I have to agree," he looked to the bench next to her. "Would you like some company?"
Now her face really did heat up so without answering, she slid down the bench to make room, silently giving him permission to join her. She fidgeted awkwardly with a piece of fabric before clamping her hands inside one another to hide her nervousness.
"It is a nice night tonight," he said as his eyes swept the gardens around them.
"Yes, the stars are lovely." Her eyes focused on the blanket of stars above them so she wouldn't have to look at him.
"Yes, they are," he agreed quietly. As he spoke though, she felt his eyes on her and she had an inkling that he wasn't really referring to the stars. Feeling even more awkward, she let her eyes watch the night sky until he finally looked away and she sighed inwardly.
Her dating life before coming to Middle-earth hadn't been all that exciting. Jason had been her first boyfriend and they only dated about a year. She broke it off with him because he enjoyed controlling every part of her life, arguing with her about school, making her feel bad if she had to study instead of party and boy, did the list go on. Nope, not for her. It didn't help they went to the same school and the pressure from their mutual group of friends hit her hard.
Luke on the other hand, had been really sweet and all around a good guy. They dated for around two years until she found the messages on his phone to two other girls he was seeing on the side. Well, wasn't that just the icing on the cake? Both guys had been duds, so she'd written men off, vowing to be rid of them until school was at least over.
Well, obviously now everything had changed, hadn't it?
"I have interrupted your thoughts," he said after a moment, and she pulled herself away from the stars and stared at him.
"No!" she said a little too quickly. "No, not at all, I'm just...it's been a long day is all and I find the stars to be relaxing."
She hoped the ending didn't sound too lame, but he smiled again and turned his beautiful face skyward.
"They can be rather enchanting," he agreed. "Do you look upon them often?"
"As much as I can," she said, following his gaze. "I expect, they look a little different where you live."
He looked at her questioningly and she fumbled to explain.
"You and others from your company talked so passionately about your city earlier, that I can't help but imagine the stars would be even more brilliant." She almost rolled her eyes at herself for sounding so ridiculous, but he obviously didn't think so.
"Perhaps one day you will come to Lothlorien and see them for yourself," he suggested, and he shifted a little more to face her.
She shrugged through a shiver and tilted her head a little. "Perhaps one day I will."
At that, he smiled again but he noticed her shiver.
"You are cold," he said and then he stood suddenly and shook out the cloak he brought with. "Here, take this."
Before she could protest, he wrapped it around her shoulders and then sat back down next to her. Feeling a little flattered, she smiled bashfully. No man had ever done that for her before.
"Thank you," she said.
For the rest of the night, they sat there together while the music played behind them, and they talked.