Legolas stalked back through the woods in a silvery silk tunic with pewter
celtic knot toggles. He detected the strong smell of spices in the wood.
Inevitably Evelyn was cooking. "Hopefully her delicately prepared cuisine
won't give her away." Legolas thought to himself. Just why did he care if
it did? This was all too confusing for him to sort out on his own. Maybe,
since Gandalf knew now, he could talk to him.
When Legolas re-entered the camp grounds, everyone was gathered around, and Caleb was ladling generous amounts of a delicious looking fish stew into wooden bowls. Pippin and Meri were fighting over which bowl would be theirs as Gandalf light the weed in his pipe. Even Gimli seemed to be eyeing the stew with interest. However, Aragorn seemed aloof. He seemed concerned, and his concern was clearly aimed toward Caleb.
The bowls were passed around and almost everyone dug in. Legolas, who had forgot his own hunger was rapidly slurping the soup down before he realized. The girl did wonders with dried fish and a few wood weeds. However Aragorn made very sure to sniff and taste the soup out before gulping it all down. Legolas who inevitably was the only one who noticed this, allowed himself a little chuckle. Then looked to Caleb, and evidently caught "him" in a stare. The two blushed and averted their gaze. Shortly after the clacking of wooden bowls and spoons was interrupted by the wise wizard.
"Tomorrow we set toward the Corrino valley." He instructed sternly. Caleb looked as if he had choked on something foul.
"The Corrino valley M'lord? What do you want of there?" Caleb asked frantically.
"I wish to pay a visit to my Friend's daughter, who's dear mother has since passed away." He answered dutifully.
"The lady Merial is long dead M'lord, and if you don't mind me saying, I've heard the young lady is just as unreachable." Caleb argued, in a fatal attempt to sway the wizard's mind.
"Aye, that is why I must go." Gandalf answered with a pain-soaked face. The others watched closely.
"I wish a word with ye, M'lord." Caleb pleaded, shaking visibly now.
"What is it boy?" Gandalf asked irritatedly.
"Let me go to tell the Lady of your arrival. I am from Corrino, I have served as a squire in the kingdoms stables." He lied cunningly. Aragorn eyed him with interest as he shot this lie so convincingly forward.
"Aye, that is a good Idea. You and Legolas will set forth tonight." He instructed calmly as he sucked on his pipe. Legolas looked franticly to Gandalf, as if pleading with him to change his mind. "Best to pack those clothes Legolas. You will need all of the finery you can produce. If that girl is anything like her mother, there will be a ball." There seemed to be a twinkle resonating from his stormy blue eyes as he said this.
"Aye, and we shall be waiting there upon your arrival." Legolas assured him, trying to hide his frayed nerves.
The two started out towards the rim of the forest. Evelyn seemed to hold a glare of contempt to the horizon of budding stars. Legolas eyed her for a while. Her skin was so white in the moonlight it took on almost a bluish glow. Her harsh look had begun to make him feel uncomfortable.
"Why'd you leave?" Legolas asked coolly as he carefully stepped over the sprouting plants, and around the saplings toward the edge of the forest.
"I couldn't give them the kingdom they wanted." Evelyn answered simply.
"Why's that?"
"My mother was a goddess. A half elf. She was beautiful, kind, brilliant, and talented."
"But?" Legolas interjected for her.
"But, my mother did something unheard of."
"Which was?"
"She had a child outside of wedlock." She rested a hand on her chest. Legolas looked at her funny.
"So? She just marries him before anyone knows…right?"
"Wrong. He disappeared. I've never even met him."
"So how does this affect your rule?" Legolas asked confused.
"Well, after my mother died…" She paused for a moment before finishing her thought. "I couldn't hold up the illusion of the happy royal family. So I left it in the care of a good friend, hoping that I could make a real difference out here, on the outside. Hoping I would meet people, and live a real life…" She stopped as they came to the edge of the forest into the middle of a field.
"But you're living a lie Evelyn…" Legolas looked at her deeply. She looked even more upset after he said this.
"Better than living dead." She answered solemnly as she set her pack down, and made it clear that they would be stopping here for the night.
When Legolas re-entered the camp grounds, everyone was gathered around, and Caleb was ladling generous amounts of a delicious looking fish stew into wooden bowls. Pippin and Meri were fighting over which bowl would be theirs as Gandalf light the weed in his pipe. Even Gimli seemed to be eyeing the stew with interest. However, Aragorn seemed aloof. He seemed concerned, and his concern was clearly aimed toward Caleb.
The bowls were passed around and almost everyone dug in. Legolas, who had forgot his own hunger was rapidly slurping the soup down before he realized. The girl did wonders with dried fish and a few wood weeds. However Aragorn made very sure to sniff and taste the soup out before gulping it all down. Legolas who inevitably was the only one who noticed this, allowed himself a little chuckle. Then looked to Caleb, and evidently caught "him" in a stare. The two blushed and averted their gaze. Shortly after the clacking of wooden bowls and spoons was interrupted by the wise wizard.
"Tomorrow we set toward the Corrino valley." He instructed sternly. Caleb looked as if he had choked on something foul.
"The Corrino valley M'lord? What do you want of there?" Caleb asked frantically.
"I wish to pay a visit to my Friend's daughter, who's dear mother has since passed away." He answered dutifully.
"The lady Merial is long dead M'lord, and if you don't mind me saying, I've heard the young lady is just as unreachable." Caleb argued, in a fatal attempt to sway the wizard's mind.
"Aye, that is why I must go." Gandalf answered with a pain-soaked face. The others watched closely.
"I wish a word with ye, M'lord." Caleb pleaded, shaking visibly now.
"What is it boy?" Gandalf asked irritatedly.
"Let me go to tell the Lady of your arrival. I am from Corrino, I have served as a squire in the kingdoms stables." He lied cunningly. Aragorn eyed him with interest as he shot this lie so convincingly forward.
"Aye, that is a good Idea. You and Legolas will set forth tonight." He instructed calmly as he sucked on his pipe. Legolas looked franticly to Gandalf, as if pleading with him to change his mind. "Best to pack those clothes Legolas. You will need all of the finery you can produce. If that girl is anything like her mother, there will be a ball." There seemed to be a twinkle resonating from his stormy blue eyes as he said this.
"Aye, and we shall be waiting there upon your arrival." Legolas assured him, trying to hide his frayed nerves.
The two started out towards the rim of the forest. Evelyn seemed to hold a glare of contempt to the horizon of budding stars. Legolas eyed her for a while. Her skin was so white in the moonlight it took on almost a bluish glow. Her harsh look had begun to make him feel uncomfortable.
"Why'd you leave?" Legolas asked coolly as he carefully stepped over the sprouting plants, and around the saplings toward the edge of the forest.
"I couldn't give them the kingdom they wanted." Evelyn answered simply.
"Why's that?"
"My mother was a goddess. A half elf. She was beautiful, kind, brilliant, and talented."
"But?" Legolas interjected for her.
"But, my mother did something unheard of."
"Which was?"
"She had a child outside of wedlock." She rested a hand on her chest. Legolas looked at her funny.
"So? She just marries him before anyone knows…right?"
"Wrong. He disappeared. I've never even met him."
"So how does this affect your rule?" Legolas asked confused.
"Well, after my mother died…" She paused for a moment before finishing her thought. "I couldn't hold up the illusion of the happy royal family. So I left it in the care of a good friend, hoping that I could make a real difference out here, on the outside. Hoping I would meet people, and live a real life…" She stopped as they came to the edge of the forest into the middle of a field.
"But you're living a lie Evelyn…" Legolas looked at her deeply. She looked even more upset after he said this.
"Better than living dead." She answered solemnly as she set her pack down, and made it clear that they would be stopping here for the night.
