A/N: WOW!! Thanks for all the great reviews! Here's chapter four.
Oh…and I don't know if Oakenshield is a dwarf name…it's the name of one of
the dining halls here on campus, so I figured I'd borrow the name!
At last, it had arrived. The last day. School, and, most importantly, Ancient Elvish History, was finally finished. Legolas smiled to himself as he got dressed. It was a huge relief to be out of Hyren's class, and an even bigger relief that he had actually passed, thanks very much to the late night, last minute tutorial sessions Elora had been kind enough to give.
As was custom, classes had ended early so as to allow the young elves time to dress before the dance. Legolas couldn't wait. He looked at himself in the mirror, making the final adjustments to his hair and moss green tunic. "Tonight is the night," he found himself whispering to himself. Tonight he would dazzle Norenna with his grace and wit, and she would fall madly in love with him. He drew himself up in the mirror. "This is it, Greenleaf," he muttered. "Don't muck it up."
The dance was held in the gymnasium and, hard as the teachers and students had tried to decorate it with streamers and flowers, it was still the same old gym. And it still smelled faintly of dirty socks.
But Legolas didn't care. To him, it was perfect because Norenna was there. He could just see her on the opposite side of the room if he stood on his toes.
He started walking towards her, but only got a few steps from the door when he felt a hand grab his arm.
"Wait," the low voice commanded.
Legolas whirled around to see Elora. She was dressed in a soft pink dress that was a bit too big for her. She looked a little unsteady on her feet and he realized her death grip on his arm was the only thing preventing her from falling.
"You ok?" he asked.
She regained her balance and slowly let go of his arm. She nodded and lifted up the hem of her dress to show him her shoes.
"Heels," she said scornfully. "I can barely walk in them. It's bad enough wearing my sister's old dress; Mother didn't have time to make me one, what with the babies and all. But heels!" She let out an unladylike curse and then stood up straight.
"How's the view up there?" Legolas teased. Elora had always been slightly taller than Legolas- like most young male elves, he had not yet had his growth spurt. But in the heels she towered over him by several inches.
"Shut up," she said distractedly. "I'm looking for someone."
"Your date?" Legolas emphasized the last word.
Elora gave him a death stare. "Styrn is not my date. He asked someone else."
"I'm sorry."
"There he is! Orc-faced fink!" She crossed her arms. "Why did I even come?" she pouted.
"To give me moral support?" Legolas ventured.
The young elf maid rolled her eyes. "Oh right. You and Norenna." She looked across the room. "I can see her…over there." She pointed.
"Is she alone?"
"Uh…yes. I don't see her date anywhere." She turned to her friend. "Better make your move now. Good luck Princey."
"I don't need luck," Legolas called over his shoulder as he disappeared in the crowd of dancers.
He saw her, standing apart from the crowd, talking with a few of her friends Legolas recognized as older students. He unconsciously tucked his hair behind his ears and cleared his throat. He approached the group, standing just outside it til they noticed him and their conversation dropped.
"Hello, Norenna," he said with a slight bow.
Norenna looked at him strangely. "Did I have a class with you?"
Legolas felt his heart fall, but mustered a smile. "Yes, Old Master Hyren's."
"Ah," she said. She turned back to her friends, but, noticing Legolas was still standing there, she turned back. "Yes?" she asked, slightly annoyed.
Legolas cleared his throat. "I was, uh, wondering if you would do me the pleasure, uh, the honor, of sharing a dance with me." There, he had said it!
Norenna's friends giggled. So did Norenna. She never did answer him, opting instead to simply turn around and resume her conversation. Legolas hesitated for a few moments, wondering if he should try again, but ultimately decided against it. Rejected, he turned to leave the dance.
From her vantage point at the punch bowl, Elora saw everything that had happened. He made her blood boil when she saw how Norenna had treated her friend, and she felt her heart break for him as he sadly walked away. She hurried over to him, reaching him just as he reached the door.
"Where are you going?"
The young prince wouldn't even look at her. "I'm leaving," he said softly. "I don't know why I even came to this stupid dance."
"Oh come on," Elora said, desperately trying to cheer him up. "Norenna's a stupid girl with mush for brains. Besides, are you gonna let all those dance lessons go to waste? Come on." She grabbed his hand to lead him to the dance floor but he held back.
"Come on," she tried again. "Let's show her what she's missing."
Legolas shook his head. "Don't you get it Elora? I don't want to dance with you or anyone else. Just Norenna. I'm leaving." And with that he turned and ran out of the dance.
At last, it had arrived. The last day. School, and, most importantly, Ancient Elvish History, was finally finished. Legolas smiled to himself as he got dressed. It was a huge relief to be out of Hyren's class, and an even bigger relief that he had actually passed, thanks very much to the late night, last minute tutorial sessions Elora had been kind enough to give.
As was custom, classes had ended early so as to allow the young elves time to dress before the dance. Legolas couldn't wait. He looked at himself in the mirror, making the final adjustments to his hair and moss green tunic. "Tonight is the night," he found himself whispering to himself. Tonight he would dazzle Norenna with his grace and wit, and she would fall madly in love with him. He drew himself up in the mirror. "This is it, Greenleaf," he muttered. "Don't muck it up."
The dance was held in the gymnasium and, hard as the teachers and students had tried to decorate it with streamers and flowers, it was still the same old gym. And it still smelled faintly of dirty socks.
But Legolas didn't care. To him, it was perfect because Norenna was there. He could just see her on the opposite side of the room if he stood on his toes.
He started walking towards her, but only got a few steps from the door when he felt a hand grab his arm.
"Wait," the low voice commanded.
Legolas whirled around to see Elora. She was dressed in a soft pink dress that was a bit too big for her. She looked a little unsteady on her feet and he realized her death grip on his arm was the only thing preventing her from falling.
"You ok?" he asked.
She regained her balance and slowly let go of his arm. She nodded and lifted up the hem of her dress to show him her shoes.
"Heels," she said scornfully. "I can barely walk in them. It's bad enough wearing my sister's old dress; Mother didn't have time to make me one, what with the babies and all. But heels!" She let out an unladylike curse and then stood up straight.
"How's the view up there?" Legolas teased. Elora had always been slightly taller than Legolas- like most young male elves, he had not yet had his growth spurt. But in the heels she towered over him by several inches.
"Shut up," she said distractedly. "I'm looking for someone."
"Your date?" Legolas emphasized the last word.
Elora gave him a death stare. "Styrn is not my date. He asked someone else."
"I'm sorry."
"There he is! Orc-faced fink!" She crossed her arms. "Why did I even come?" she pouted.
"To give me moral support?" Legolas ventured.
The young elf maid rolled her eyes. "Oh right. You and Norenna." She looked across the room. "I can see her…over there." She pointed.
"Is she alone?"
"Uh…yes. I don't see her date anywhere." She turned to her friend. "Better make your move now. Good luck Princey."
"I don't need luck," Legolas called over his shoulder as he disappeared in the crowd of dancers.
He saw her, standing apart from the crowd, talking with a few of her friends Legolas recognized as older students. He unconsciously tucked his hair behind his ears and cleared his throat. He approached the group, standing just outside it til they noticed him and their conversation dropped.
"Hello, Norenna," he said with a slight bow.
Norenna looked at him strangely. "Did I have a class with you?"
Legolas felt his heart fall, but mustered a smile. "Yes, Old Master Hyren's."
"Ah," she said. She turned back to her friends, but, noticing Legolas was still standing there, she turned back. "Yes?" she asked, slightly annoyed.
Legolas cleared his throat. "I was, uh, wondering if you would do me the pleasure, uh, the honor, of sharing a dance with me." There, he had said it!
Norenna's friends giggled. So did Norenna. She never did answer him, opting instead to simply turn around and resume her conversation. Legolas hesitated for a few moments, wondering if he should try again, but ultimately decided against it. Rejected, he turned to leave the dance.
From her vantage point at the punch bowl, Elora saw everything that had happened. He made her blood boil when she saw how Norenna had treated her friend, and she felt her heart break for him as he sadly walked away. She hurried over to him, reaching him just as he reached the door.
"Where are you going?"
The young prince wouldn't even look at her. "I'm leaving," he said softly. "I don't know why I even came to this stupid dance."
"Oh come on," Elora said, desperately trying to cheer him up. "Norenna's a stupid girl with mush for brains. Besides, are you gonna let all those dance lessons go to waste? Come on." She grabbed his hand to lead him to the dance floor but he held back.
"Come on," she tried again. "Let's show her what she's missing."
Legolas shook his head. "Don't you get it Elora? I don't want to dance with you or anyone else. Just Norenna. I'm leaving." And with that he turned and ran out of the dance.