Chapter 3-Confusion

Aethi,

I pray you are not busy on the morrow, as I was hoping you might ride to Kalvahkari Peak with me and show me the sights. One of the edain captains informed me of the amazing bird's eye view of the valley, the crystal caves, and the waterfall of ice. I can hardly wait to see it!

I will meet you at the north gates at dawn.

Love Anuwa

Waerhanuwa folded the note, and slid it into her pocket as she made her way to her chamber door. Looking quickly about to confirm no guards were in sight, she ducked into the corridor. It took her but a few minutes to climb the tower stairs to the prince's chambers. She found it a little odd that no guards were in sight, but she was partially relieved that she wouldn't have to play Lady Charming to get past Aelorothi's door. She knocked lightly, and then hurried into the room when there was no answer.

She glanced quickly around. Now where can I put this that no one but Aethi will find it, she thought. Ah, the bed! It was the best place she could think of.

Waerhanuwa jumped up on the edge of the bed and slid the note under the scarlet red coverlet. She slid down, straightening out the wrinkled blankets, and then turned towards the door when suddenly it opened.

Whoever it was was carrying a large pile of blankets, hiding their face from view, and clearly hadn't seen Waerhanuwa yet. She froze, looking frantically about for a hiding place. Her eyes caught the dark red curtains that were let down to the floor on either side of the window seat. Perfect! She slipped behind and held her breath, wishing herself invisible.

Namys was just setting her pile of blankets down on the table in the prince's rooms, when she saw one of the curtains by the window move. She frowned.

"Who's there?"

There was no reply. Namys marched over to the curtain and pushed it aside. Her eyes widened with surprise and she bobbed a curtsy. "M'lady! What are you doing here!"

Waerhanuwa gave her a wobbly smile. "I came to leave something for Prince Aelorothi. I'm just leaving now."

Namys nodded slowly. The princess clearly had no idea what was going on, and as Namys looked around, she found she had no idea either. The prince's pack and weapons were gone from his bed where they had been sitting not an hour before, when she had delivered his meal. She turned on her heel, glaring at the future queen. "Ok, what have you done with it!"

Confused, Waerhanuwa stared at the slave girl. "Done with what?"

"You know what!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about!"

"Ha! Just wait til I tell Aelorothi what you've done, you painted hussy!"

Waerhanuwa clenched her jaw, her eyes flashing fire. "Do not speak to me that way ever again!" She grabbed hold of the slave-girl's arm, dragging her forwards, until their faces were inches apart. "I can have you locked up in the dungeons without food or water for a week, or worse. Do you understand!"

Namys nodded, terrified. "Yes m'lady!" Waerhanuwa let go of her arm, and Namys rubbed it absently. "But what shall I tell the prince when he returns and finds it gone?"

"Finds what gone!" Waerhanuwa snapped, beginning to feel rather exasperated.

"You know what!"

Waerhanuwa gave her a tight smile. "Look, you, I have no idea what you are talking about, what is gone, and why this is my fault! I came here to leave a note for Aethi! Now you'd better start making sense, girl, or I'll have to knock some sense into you!"

OoOoOo

"Come in."

Aelorothi took a deep breath and opened the door to his father's study. He closed it, leaving the guards outside, and approached the dark pine desk, where the king was busy writing something. "My liege. You sent for me?"

Morisu did not reply, or even acknowledge his presence. The room was deafeningly silent but for the scratching of the quill pen and the sparks popping from the fire in the fireplace. Finally, after standing in the middle of the study for what felt like ages, Morisu sent his quill down and leaned back in his chair. "Yes. Yes, I sent for you."

There was something in his voice that made Aelorothi dearly wish to flee.

"How old is Waerhanuwa?" the king asked.

"What?" Aelorothi suddenly remembered he was addressing the king, and tried to reword his reply. "I mean, I think she has just come of age, my liege." He frowned slightly, wondering where in Arda this conversation was going.

"Mm-hm." Morisu's fingers thudded on the desk, over and over again in a rhythmic pattern. "And how old are you?"

"Uh, seventeen, my liege."

"Mm-hm. So she is four years older than you are."

Aelorothi nodded, and shifted his weight from one foot to the other, still clueless to the point of this conversation.

"I can't hear you," Morisu snapped.

"Pardon me, my lord. Yes, she is four years older."

"Very good." Morisu's eyes bore into Aelorothi's. "Now, we both know that Waerhanuwa is engaged. To me. Right?"

"Yes, my liege."

"Good. You may go."

Aelorothi nodded, still completely confused. He left the room with a short bow, wondering if his father had gone mad. What kind of conversation was that? He shook his head. Whatever. As long as he wasn't in trouble for something, it made no difference to him.

He made his way down through the maze of corridors across the fortress back to the hall where he'd left his pack and weapons. As he ducked into the small recess behind the pillar, he suddenly realized they were not where he'd left them. Frantic, he raced from pillar to pillar, breathlessly searching for his missing belongings. But they were gone.

It was a dejected elven-prince that made his way up the tower stairs a little while later. As he neared his door, he suddenly heard loud shouting from behind it. It was two voices, both familiar, and his eyes widened with surprise. He edged up to the door and put his ear against it straining to hear the conversation.

"... I keep telling you I don't know what you're talking about! Will you just stop already? I am your princess, soon to be your queen, and I'm done listening to it!"

That would be Waerhanuwa, Aelorothi thought. I wonder what she's doing in my room though?

"I know you took it! You had to have taken it! There is no other explanation. You just want to get out of this mess and the easiest way is to pretend you have no idea what I am talking about. Just wait until Prince Aelorothi returns. He'll fix you, you meddling witch."

A loud smack resounded from beyond the door, followed by a gasp, and Aelorothi winced. What is going on in there? he wondered. Having waited long enough he open the door and stepped inside.

Sure enough, it was the princess and Namys. How they had gotten into his rooms, and why they were there to begin with, was baffling mystery on his part, considering they were evidently not there to socialize. Waerhanuwa had Namys by one of her long red braids, and the slave girl in return, had the princess by her curls. They both whirled around as the door opened, glaring daggers at the intruder. Upon realizing that it was Aelorothi himself, whose rooms they had no right to be in, both took a few steps back, utterly silenced.

"What is the name of Arda is going on here!" Aelorothi exclaimed, quickly shutting the door, and striding up to the girls. "Waerhanuwa? Namys?"

Both had the grace to look embarrassed. After a moment, Waerhanuwa spoke up. "I... I simply came up here to leave you a note... or rather an invitation to go riding with me tomorrow morning. When I was just leaving, the door opened, and fearing it was one of the guards, I hid behind one of the curtains, and she-" here Waerhanuwa directed a nasty look at Namys- "found me. But when I turned to leave, she accused me of... well, I'm still not even sure what of." Waerhanuwa crossed her arms and gave him a very childish frown.

"Humph," Namys snorted, plopping herself onto one of the red upholstered chairs. "I was merely coming to leave some thing for your highness-" Upon seeing Aelorothi's questioning look, she hesitated. "you know what I mean. The thing we talked about earlier. Well anyways I found her in here and that's when I noticed your things were missing. Your pack and sword, I mean. naturally, she appeared to be the likely suspect. But she refuses to admit it, or tell me where she put the stuff."

Aelorothi chuckled. "Believe me this is a much less complicated situation than I was expecting... needless to say, I am quite relieved. Princess Waerhanuwa couldn't have taken my things, because I had them with me." Then he sighed heavily, recalling that his pack was indeed missing, after leaving it behind the pillar in that lower hall. "Or at least I did." He clapped Namys' shoulder as she stood up flushing slightly. "You just go on and finish with what I assigned you and report to me tomorrow."

Namys bobbed a slight curtsey, and then turned to Waerhanuwa. "Forgive me, my lady for my accusations. I had no excuse to behave as I did, and I beg you have mercy on your slave."

Waerhanuwa sighed. "We are both the blame here. I forgive you, and I pray you may do the same."

Namys looked frightfully relieved. "Thank you my lady. Good night m'lord."

After she had gone, Waerhanuwa turned quickly to Aelorothi. "Will you come riding with me tomorrow? Please? I was so hoping to ride up to Kalvahkari peak."

"I simply cannot," Aelorothi replied, pouring himself a glass of wine. He had no intentions of further angering the king for one and two, he had no time if he were to execute his plans and escape. Suddenly he stopped. Maybe he could just take her riding tomorrow. There was no time tonight to leave with his things missing and Namys' brother being locked in the dungeons as he was. Maybe tomorrow would just work out after all.

He turned back to the princess. "On second thought I would be delighted to escort you, my lady."

Waerhanuwa flashed him a bright grin, nearly bouncing on her toes an excitement. "I will meet you at the north gates at dawn! Thank you."

Before he could do anything to object, she kissed his cheek and ran from the room.

OoOoOo

A/N. There is no romance between our mystery elf and Waerhanuwa, just to confirm that in case you had any suspicions. Thank you so much for reading!!! Love you guys and plan to post soon ;)

~Aërlinwë Greenleaf

(and there's NO notes this time! :D)