Chapter 4
Lady Erisana
It had begun to rain by the time Irene and Natannael entered Silverymoon. "I think I will take you to the house of my fiencee, Erisana," he told her. "she is an only child and I think another female would be of some good influence on her." Irene nodded and they walked through the streets of the city, until they came to a large oak palace surrounded by beautiful gardens. He led Irene down a stone path, till they came to the front door, made of marble, and knocked on it. The door opened to reveal Erisanna's father Audric Merythin , a wealthy, well-known Elvan merchant. "Ah, Natannael. Erisana will be very pleased to see you. Come in." he frowned when he saw the young Irene by Natannael's side. "Who is she?"
"This is..." Natannael looked at the young elf by him.
"Irene." Irene nodded respectfully.
"Irene. Irene what?"
"She is an orphan. I found her in the woods...she has come from Mirkwood."
"Mirkwood? The kingdom of Thranduil? I did not know he had a daughter."
"He does not...Legolas adopted her when he found her as a child by the river."
"Ah. Well, come in then, both of you. My daughter is in her chamber." Natannael smiled and followed the elder Elf upstairs. "Erisanna? Your Natannael has come!" Erisana rushed downstairs immediately, throwing her arms around him.
"Tannael! I thought you were not going to be home for a month!" She kissed him tenderly as he steadied her on the stairs.
"Careful...you do not want another broken ankle."
"Oh stop that." she teased, leading him downstairs to the lower floor. "What are you doing back so soon?"
"I brought someone for you to meet. She..."
Erisana's eyes widened. "SHE?"
"No! You misunderstand me!"
"I understand all too well!" Erisana snapped, starting to walk off, but Natannael grabbed her roughly by the arm.
"Erisana Merythn, listen to me, please. I would never be unfaithful!"
Irene cowered behind Natannael, not sure what the issue was.
"Well then...you had best explain to me about this...NOW!"
"Irene, it is all right...there has been a bit of a misunderstanding," Natannael laughed, helping the young Elfess out from behind him. Under Erisana's glare, Irene felt very small. "She was hurt in the woods...she's lost."
"Lost."
"Yes...she told me she ran away from Mirkwood, after finding out the truth that Legolas Greenleaf was not her real father. She is frightened, I think, and just wants somewhere to stay until we can contact Legolas."
Erisana's expression softened at Natannael's words.
"Is this true?" she asked, looking at Irene.
"Yes. It is true, Lady."
"Lady."
"She is used to being with Royalty."
"I see. Well... suppose I can take her in to be my lady in waiting. At least till she is grown."
"Lady in waiting? I beg your pardon, but I am NO servant!" Irene snapped. "Natannael!"
"All right, all right...Erisana, how about you take her in just to be your kind loving self?" he touched her cheek, smiling sweetly.
"Yrch." Erisana growled (Orc) in a teasing way, recieving a laugh from Natannael.
"All right, I will take her in. We will see how we get along. But you, child, must be fixed up...look at how dreadfully dirty you are!"
Irene frowned, looking down at her clothes. "I must be off. I will come later," Natannael promised, kissing Erisana before leaving. "I will write that letter to Legoals tonight so he can know she is alive."
"Good. Come, let me introduce you to father," Erisana told Irene, taking her hand.
"I have already met him," Irene protested as Erisana drug her away.
Later that night, the two young women sat in Erisana's room. "First, your hair. You have beautiful brown hair, did you know that?" asked Erisana, smiling at the young Elfess sitting on her bed. "I did." Irene grinned proudly.
"You would look lovely in green."
"Would I? I usually am put into white."
"White makes your skin look too pale...your lovely face is washed out. Here, let us try this on you."
"You expect me to undress in front of you?" Irene asked, horrified.
"I will turn around if you wish me to," Erisana chuckled.
"I can dress MYSELF." Irene snatched the dress away and motioned for Erisana to turn around. Erisana did as she was told and waited until Irene said "All right, I am done."
"Oh my..." Erisana started to laugh. Irene had dressed herself, all right, but her buttons were all crooked. "What?" asked Irene.
"You are a bit crooked. Let me help."
"Eeee! Your hands are cold!" Irene screamed as Erisana began to unbutton Irene's dress to re-button it correctly.
"I am sorry!"
"Stop that!" Irene squealed, scrunching her neck once Erisana got to the collar. She snapped at Erisana's hand before jumping away.
"Ticklish there, are you?"
"You will not touch me anymore." snapped Irene. "THANK you very MUCH."
"I tried to help. That is all." Erisana folded her arms. "Green is definitely your color, but not in a dress with such a high collar. I have one that is more revealing..."
Irene raised an eyebrow as she watched the elder Elfess rummage through her closet.
Erisana spent most of the evening fixing up Irene to make her look more presentable. Soon she was satisfied, and the two girls made their way down to dinner.
It had begun to rain by the time Irene and Natannael entered Silverymoon. "I think I will take you to the house of my fiencee, Erisana," he told her. "she is an only child and I think another female would be of some good influence on her." Irene nodded and they walked through the streets of the city, until they came to a large oak palace surrounded by beautiful gardens. He led Irene down a stone path, till they came to the front door, made of marble, and knocked on it. The door opened to reveal Erisanna's father Audric Merythin , a wealthy, well-known Elvan merchant. "Ah, Natannael. Erisana will be very pleased to see you. Come in." he frowned when he saw the young Irene by Natannael's side. "Who is she?"
"This is..." Natannael looked at the young elf by him.
"Irene." Irene nodded respectfully.
"Irene. Irene what?"
"She is an orphan. I found her in the woods...she has come from Mirkwood."
"Mirkwood? The kingdom of Thranduil? I did not know he had a daughter."
"He does not...Legolas adopted her when he found her as a child by the river."
"Ah. Well, come in then, both of you. My daughter is in her chamber." Natannael smiled and followed the elder Elf upstairs. "Erisanna? Your Natannael has come!" Erisana rushed downstairs immediately, throwing her arms around him.
"Tannael! I thought you were not going to be home for a month!" She kissed him tenderly as he steadied her on the stairs.
"Careful...you do not want another broken ankle."
"Oh stop that." she teased, leading him downstairs to the lower floor. "What are you doing back so soon?"
"I brought someone for you to meet. She..."
Erisana's eyes widened. "SHE?"
"No! You misunderstand me!"
"I understand all too well!" Erisana snapped, starting to walk off, but Natannael grabbed her roughly by the arm.
"Erisana Merythn, listen to me, please. I would never be unfaithful!"
Irene cowered behind Natannael, not sure what the issue was.
"Well then...you had best explain to me about this...NOW!"
"Irene, it is all right...there has been a bit of a misunderstanding," Natannael laughed, helping the young Elfess out from behind him. Under Erisana's glare, Irene felt very small. "She was hurt in the woods...she's lost."
"Lost."
"Yes...she told me she ran away from Mirkwood, after finding out the truth that Legolas Greenleaf was not her real father. She is frightened, I think, and just wants somewhere to stay until we can contact Legolas."
Erisana's expression softened at Natannael's words.
"Is this true?" she asked, looking at Irene.
"Yes. It is true, Lady."
"Lady."
"She is used to being with Royalty."
"I see. Well... suppose I can take her in to be my lady in waiting. At least till she is grown."
"Lady in waiting? I beg your pardon, but I am NO servant!" Irene snapped. "Natannael!"
"All right, all right...Erisana, how about you take her in just to be your kind loving self?" he touched her cheek, smiling sweetly.
"Yrch." Erisana growled (Orc) in a teasing way, recieving a laugh from Natannael.
"All right, I will take her in. We will see how we get along. But you, child, must be fixed up...look at how dreadfully dirty you are!"
Irene frowned, looking down at her clothes. "I must be off. I will come later," Natannael promised, kissing Erisana before leaving. "I will write that letter to Legoals tonight so he can know she is alive."
"Good. Come, let me introduce you to father," Erisana told Irene, taking her hand.
"I have already met him," Irene protested as Erisana drug her away.
Later that night, the two young women sat in Erisana's room. "First, your hair. You have beautiful brown hair, did you know that?" asked Erisana, smiling at the young Elfess sitting on her bed. "I did." Irene grinned proudly.
"You would look lovely in green."
"Would I? I usually am put into white."
"White makes your skin look too pale...your lovely face is washed out. Here, let us try this on you."
"You expect me to undress in front of you?" Irene asked, horrified.
"I will turn around if you wish me to," Erisana chuckled.
"I can dress MYSELF." Irene snatched the dress away and motioned for Erisana to turn around. Erisana did as she was told and waited until Irene said "All right, I am done."
"Oh my..." Erisana started to laugh. Irene had dressed herself, all right, but her buttons were all crooked. "What?" asked Irene.
"You are a bit crooked. Let me help."
"Eeee! Your hands are cold!" Irene screamed as Erisana began to unbutton Irene's dress to re-button it correctly.
"I am sorry!"
"Stop that!" Irene squealed, scrunching her neck once Erisana got to the collar. She snapped at Erisana's hand before jumping away.
"Ticklish there, are you?"
"You will not touch me anymore." snapped Irene. "THANK you very MUCH."
"I tried to help. That is all." Erisana folded her arms. "Green is definitely your color, but not in a dress with such a high collar. I have one that is more revealing..."
Irene raised an eyebrow as she watched the elder Elfess rummage through her closet.
Erisana spent most of the evening fixing up Irene to make her look more presentable. Soon she was satisfied, and the two girls made their way down to dinner.