A/N: I don't own any characters, places or ideas from The Lord Of The
Rings, but I do own all the characters you don't recognize in this story.
Loosely based on P&P by the wonderful Jane Austen. Thanks everyone for the
reviews, it means a lot to me. Here's chapter five, in which we meet an
extremely annoying new character!
Part Five: Alwyn Meets The Idiot Cousin
Legolas led Alwyn up to the palace, and stopped at the bottom of the large staircase in the middle of the entrance hall. Alwyn looked around in wonder at the place, taking in the beautiful architecture and intricate designs and detail. She looked at Legolas expectantly when he did not continue up the stairs.
"Go up the stairs, left along the hall, then right at the very end of the corridor," Legolas said, gesturing up the staircase. "Then go on down until you see a wooden door on the left hand side. Your brother is in there."
Alwyn paused for a moment regarding Legolas derisively, and then turned on her heel and marched up the carpeted stairs. He watched her go, again smiling to himself. Suddenly a tall elven maiden came up behind him and put her hand on his arm. She had very dark curled hair, blue-grey eyes and a pale complexion. She smiled flirtily at Legolas and looked up the staircase at the retreating form of Alwyn. The maiden was Elsbeth, Mariyen's friend, and she had taken a shine to the Prince ever since she had first met him when Mariyen had introduced them. She was a stupid, conceited brat, however, and Legolas did not care for her at all.
"Who on earth is that?" Elsbeth exclaimed in an aggravating, high-pitched, nasal voice, looking into Legolas' eyes and pouting her lips. Legolas stepped backwards to avoid her crushing his arm with her vice-like grip.
"Alwyn of Rivendell, my sister's friend. Her brother is ill and she has come to see him," he replied.
Elsbeth snorted unattractively. "She's not very pretty is she?"
"I did not think so at first," Legolas said quietly. "But now I think her one of the most attractive girls I know."
Elsbeth glanced at the Prince sidelong. A flash of irritation crossed her face, and she resolved there and then to make Alwyn's visit utter hell.
Suddenly, a movement at the top of the staircase caught Legolas' eye. He looked up and saw that Alwyn was standing a few steps down from the landing with an embarrassed expression. Legolas left Elsbeth standing where she was, and he ascended the stairs two at a time. He looked at Alwyn.
"I..." she started, going slightly red. Legolas smiled and began to walk down the corridor, beckoning Alwyn to follow with his finger. She exhaled noisily in annoyance and followed him. It wasn't her fault she'd forgotten his directions! 'He should have made them clearer,' she thought to herself. 'Or at least taken me to Avardo himself.'
When they reached the bedroom Legolas knocked once and put his head around the door. "Your sister is here to see you," he said, and stepped back so Alwyn could enter. She nodded to the Prince in thanks and went inside, closing the door behind her and looking over at the four-poster in the middle of the room. Avardo lay on it, his face pallid and drawn. Alwyn smiled warmly at him as he turned his head to look at her, and she went over to sit by him.
"How do you feel?" she asked gently, putting a hand on his forehead. Avardo managed a weak smile.
"Fine," he said, and Alwyn laughed.
"You don't look fine!"
"Thank you," Avardo said quietly.
"What?"
"Thank you for coming."
"Ah," Alwyn said, smiling. "I persuaded Uncle to let me. Though I take no pleasure in being here really..."
"Alwyn!" Avardo said, frowning at his sister. "Mariyen and Legolas have been very good to us."
After a pause, Avardo said, "Have you met Mariyen's friend yet?"
Alwyn shook her head slowly. "No...what is she like?"
Avardo closed his eyes and chuckled. "You'll soon see!" he said, and after a little more chat, Alwyn left the room and made her way downstairs. She was just walking across the hall when a maid appeared out of nowhere and said to her, "You'll find Mistress Mariyen in the library, my dear."
"Oh! Thank you," Alwyn replied, and, not having the slightest clue where the library was, walked across the hall and through the nearest door. Surprisingly, it turned out to be the library.
"Ah Lady Alwyn! So good to finally meet you!" came a high, drawling voice. Alwyn looked at the speaker and saw it to be a tall, annoying looking female who reminded her very much of the silly ladies she had left behind in Rivendell. The maiden came over and introduced herself as Elsbeth, Mariyen and Legolas' dear friend. Legolas raised his eyebrows at this, but Elsbeth didn't notice, and proceeded to step back and take in every minor detail of Alwyn's clothing and hair. After sneering slightly, and making her disapproval clear to everyone in the room, she went to sit down again on a chair by the window. Mariyen sat near her and Legolas stood alone by the opposite wall, fixing Alwyn with another penetrating gaze. Alwyn shifted uncomfortably.
"Alwyn, you are welcome to stay with us for as long as it takes your dear brother to get better. Longer, if you like?" Mariyen said kindly, and Alwyn smiled gratefully.
"I thank you, you have been very good to us," she replied, and sat down on the nearest chair hesitantly. A long pause followed, in which everyone felt too awkward to say anything.
"And how did you leave you Uncle?" said Mariyen finally. "Well, I hope?"
"Oh yes, thank you, he is fine." Alwyn said, and there followed another uncomfortable pause. After about a minute or two, a maid came into the room and announced, "The doctor says Master Avardo will be fit to leave in about two days, Mistress."
"Thank you Sella, you may go now," Mariyen replied, and looked at Alwyn.
"There you see? Two days and you can return to Rivendell."
Alwyn smiled to herself. Maybe she wouldn't have to spend too long in the company of the two elves she really couldn't stand after all.
Part Five: Alwyn Meets The Idiot Cousin
Legolas led Alwyn up to the palace, and stopped at the bottom of the large staircase in the middle of the entrance hall. Alwyn looked around in wonder at the place, taking in the beautiful architecture and intricate designs and detail. She looked at Legolas expectantly when he did not continue up the stairs.
"Go up the stairs, left along the hall, then right at the very end of the corridor," Legolas said, gesturing up the staircase. "Then go on down until you see a wooden door on the left hand side. Your brother is in there."
Alwyn paused for a moment regarding Legolas derisively, and then turned on her heel and marched up the carpeted stairs. He watched her go, again smiling to himself. Suddenly a tall elven maiden came up behind him and put her hand on his arm. She had very dark curled hair, blue-grey eyes and a pale complexion. She smiled flirtily at Legolas and looked up the staircase at the retreating form of Alwyn. The maiden was Elsbeth, Mariyen's friend, and she had taken a shine to the Prince ever since she had first met him when Mariyen had introduced them. She was a stupid, conceited brat, however, and Legolas did not care for her at all.
"Who on earth is that?" Elsbeth exclaimed in an aggravating, high-pitched, nasal voice, looking into Legolas' eyes and pouting her lips. Legolas stepped backwards to avoid her crushing his arm with her vice-like grip.
"Alwyn of Rivendell, my sister's friend. Her brother is ill and she has come to see him," he replied.
Elsbeth snorted unattractively. "She's not very pretty is she?"
"I did not think so at first," Legolas said quietly. "But now I think her one of the most attractive girls I know."
Elsbeth glanced at the Prince sidelong. A flash of irritation crossed her face, and she resolved there and then to make Alwyn's visit utter hell.
Suddenly, a movement at the top of the staircase caught Legolas' eye. He looked up and saw that Alwyn was standing a few steps down from the landing with an embarrassed expression. Legolas left Elsbeth standing where she was, and he ascended the stairs two at a time. He looked at Alwyn.
"I..." she started, going slightly red. Legolas smiled and began to walk down the corridor, beckoning Alwyn to follow with his finger. She exhaled noisily in annoyance and followed him. It wasn't her fault she'd forgotten his directions! 'He should have made them clearer,' she thought to herself. 'Or at least taken me to Avardo himself.'
When they reached the bedroom Legolas knocked once and put his head around the door. "Your sister is here to see you," he said, and stepped back so Alwyn could enter. She nodded to the Prince in thanks and went inside, closing the door behind her and looking over at the four-poster in the middle of the room. Avardo lay on it, his face pallid and drawn. Alwyn smiled warmly at him as he turned his head to look at her, and she went over to sit by him.
"How do you feel?" she asked gently, putting a hand on his forehead. Avardo managed a weak smile.
"Fine," he said, and Alwyn laughed.
"You don't look fine!"
"Thank you," Avardo said quietly.
"What?"
"Thank you for coming."
"Ah," Alwyn said, smiling. "I persuaded Uncle to let me. Though I take no pleasure in being here really..."
"Alwyn!" Avardo said, frowning at his sister. "Mariyen and Legolas have been very good to us."
After a pause, Avardo said, "Have you met Mariyen's friend yet?"
Alwyn shook her head slowly. "No...what is she like?"
Avardo closed his eyes and chuckled. "You'll soon see!" he said, and after a little more chat, Alwyn left the room and made her way downstairs. She was just walking across the hall when a maid appeared out of nowhere and said to her, "You'll find Mistress Mariyen in the library, my dear."
"Oh! Thank you," Alwyn replied, and, not having the slightest clue where the library was, walked across the hall and through the nearest door. Surprisingly, it turned out to be the library.
"Ah Lady Alwyn! So good to finally meet you!" came a high, drawling voice. Alwyn looked at the speaker and saw it to be a tall, annoying looking female who reminded her very much of the silly ladies she had left behind in Rivendell. The maiden came over and introduced herself as Elsbeth, Mariyen and Legolas' dear friend. Legolas raised his eyebrows at this, but Elsbeth didn't notice, and proceeded to step back and take in every minor detail of Alwyn's clothing and hair. After sneering slightly, and making her disapproval clear to everyone in the room, she went to sit down again on a chair by the window. Mariyen sat near her and Legolas stood alone by the opposite wall, fixing Alwyn with another penetrating gaze. Alwyn shifted uncomfortably.
"Alwyn, you are welcome to stay with us for as long as it takes your dear brother to get better. Longer, if you like?" Mariyen said kindly, and Alwyn smiled gratefully.
"I thank you, you have been very good to us," she replied, and sat down on the nearest chair hesitantly. A long pause followed, in which everyone felt too awkward to say anything.
"And how did you leave you Uncle?" said Mariyen finally. "Well, I hope?"
"Oh yes, thank you, he is fine." Alwyn said, and there followed another uncomfortable pause. After about a minute or two, a maid came into the room and announced, "The doctor says Master Avardo will be fit to leave in about two days, Mistress."
"Thank you Sella, you may go now," Mariyen replied, and looked at Alwyn.
"There you see? Two days and you can return to Rivendell."
Alwyn smiled to herself. Maybe she wouldn't have to spend too long in the company of the two elves she really couldn't stand after all.