A/N: Hehehe! So...Legolas has met a new girl, taking his mind off Alwyn for
a while. But meanwhile, Alwyn and Avardo must travel to Mirkwood with
Elrond. What has Elrond got planned, and what will Alwyn think when she
sees how quickly Legolas has forgotten her? But has he really forgotten
her? Read on to find out, and thanks for reading!
Part 12 - A Shock Discovery For Alwyn
Alwyn leaned sat back in her carriage seat and closed her eyes, sighing inwardly. She didn't want to imagine what Legolas would think seeing her here. Either he would be extremely angry, or extremely pleased, and Alwyn didn't think she could deal with either of those reactions. As she saw the palace loom closer, her heart sank. When they drew up to the doors, Elrond turned to the both of them and regarded them carefully.
"I...am afraid I have not been entirely truthful with you two," he said, and Alwyn stared. "I am leaving you here, I am afraid, as I must go back to Rivendell to deal with urgent business concerning my daughter."
"What do you mean?" Avardo said, confused.
"That does not matter now. Thranduil has agreed to let you stay, and I will send for you when I am ready. Now, off you go, and make sure to give my greetings to the Princess, Avardo."
Avardo grinned, nodded and jumped out of the carriage. Alwyn was slower in leaving. "You are leaving us here?" she cried, her voice unusually high. "With...with the Prince? Alone!?"
"Alwyn, off you go, you are wasting time!" Elrond said firmly, and called for the driver to turn around. Alwyn exited the carriage hastily and caught up with her brother.
"What *does* he think he is doing?" she said, angrily. Their conversation was interrupted, however, by Thranduil coming out to greet them. Behind him stood a tall, handsome elf with dark hair. His eyes were a pale grey, and his features were defined and attractive. Alwyn coloured slightly as he stared at her intently.
"My dears! Welcome, Elrond has told me of the situation. Now then, come inside." He turned to go back into the palace, but then stopped and gestured to the unknown elf. "Ah! Dantir, these are Elrond's niece and nephew, Alwyn and Avardo. This is my nephew Dantir, and is my most trusted advisor."
Alwyn noticed that Dantir's expression was silent and grim. He looked...somewhat frightening. She dismissed the thought immediately, however, and curtseyed lightly. "Pleased to meet you," she said, and Avardo tipped his head politely. The four of them made their way up to the palace and Alwyn and Avardo were shown rooms.
***
"Legolas! Please!" Aribeth chased the Prince around the fountain outside the palace. He had her silken shawl wrapped around his head and was acting like a complete fool. Aribeth had to clutch her stomach, for laughing as much as this made it hurt. She stopped and shook her head, still grinning, and, when he thought she had given up, she darted forward and grabbed the shawl. It unravelled from his head and he stood pouting. Aribeth laughed again.
"You're no fun!" he said, and splashed the fountain water in her direction. But Aribeth was staring at a spot some distance behind Legolas, at the figure standing on the steps. Alwyn stood there, surprised and hardly believing the Prince's behaviour.
Legolas spun around and almost fell over. "Alwyn!" he gasped, and she blushed a deep red colour. Legolas tried to compose himself. "Wha...what on Middle Earth are you doing here!?" he asked, trying to keep the shocked tone from his voice.
"I...I'm sorry..." Alwyn stuttered, looking from the Prince to Aribeth, her eyes wide.
"Uh...yes. Forgive me, Alwyn, this is Aribeth. I...uh, rescued her recently from the river. She lives here now," Legolas' head was clearly spinning. He turned to Aribeth. "This is Lady Alwyn, Elrond's niece...she is my...friend."
Alwyn couldn't have imagined a more embarrassing situation, for her and Legolas alike. She did not know exactly who this girl was, but it was evident that Legolas had forgotten about her rather quickly. She did not know what to think about this - but she wasn't pleased. Hadn't he been in love with her just a few months ago? Then Alwyn reasoned with herself. 'It's what you wanted, isn't it?' she thought. 'You wanted him to just move on, and he has.'
Legolas was still standing shocked, not quite able to believe she was here. Alwyn turned to leave, and he raised an arm. "Wait!" Alwyn turned around. "Are you...coming to the musical party in the library this evening?" he asked. Alwyn nodded slightly, and then hurried away.
"...Legolas?" Aribeth put a hand on his arm, but he simply walked on up the steps, determined to find out what was going on.
***
"She is a beautiful girl, is she not?"
"Extremely! And a wonderful singer. Just listen to her!"
"She is an angel!"
Whispers flew around the library as Aribeth sang in front of the palace nobles, her voice pretty and melodic. Alwyn had to admit, she was an incredible singer. She had never heard anything as pretty. Evidently, Legolas thought so too. He was gazing admirably up at the maiden as she sang, his blue eyes sparkling with happiness. Alwyn couldn't sort out her feelings. She looked away, and suddenly found herself staring straight at Dantir, the elf she had been introduced to that morning. He saw her looking at him, and then walked over and stood next to her. His eyes remained fixed on Aribeth at the front of the room.
"I used to think parties were a bore," he said, in a low monotone. Alwyn did not like his voice.
"And...have you changed your mind?" she said, trying to seem cheerful. This elf had an air of depression which seemed to follow him wherever he went.
There was a very long pause. "Yes, I believe I have," he intoned. "Are you very fond of music?"
"Well, yes, I suppose I am! My three favourite things to do in the world are singing, fencing and riding."
Dantir looked sidelong at her, as if not believing a maiden would do such things. "Do you like danger?" he whispered in her ear. Alwyn flushed angrily. What right had he to whisper in her ear? She found this elf very disturbing indeed.
"Yes," she replied, looking at him steadily.
"Good." Dantir then proceeded to walk away, his gaze fixed on hers. Alwyn shifted and looked away. A cold finger traced down her spine and she frowned. What an extremely odd person, she thought, and then resolved to reflect no more upon the matter that evening.
Part 12 - A Shock Discovery For Alwyn
Alwyn leaned sat back in her carriage seat and closed her eyes, sighing inwardly. She didn't want to imagine what Legolas would think seeing her here. Either he would be extremely angry, or extremely pleased, and Alwyn didn't think she could deal with either of those reactions. As she saw the palace loom closer, her heart sank. When they drew up to the doors, Elrond turned to the both of them and regarded them carefully.
"I...am afraid I have not been entirely truthful with you two," he said, and Alwyn stared. "I am leaving you here, I am afraid, as I must go back to Rivendell to deal with urgent business concerning my daughter."
"What do you mean?" Avardo said, confused.
"That does not matter now. Thranduil has agreed to let you stay, and I will send for you when I am ready. Now, off you go, and make sure to give my greetings to the Princess, Avardo."
Avardo grinned, nodded and jumped out of the carriage. Alwyn was slower in leaving. "You are leaving us here?" she cried, her voice unusually high. "With...with the Prince? Alone!?"
"Alwyn, off you go, you are wasting time!" Elrond said firmly, and called for the driver to turn around. Alwyn exited the carriage hastily and caught up with her brother.
"What *does* he think he is doing?" she said, angrily. Their conversation was interrupted, however, by Thranduil coming out to greet them. Behind him stood a tall, handsome elf with dark hair. His eyes were a pale grey, and his features were defined and attractive. Alwyn coloured slightly as he stared at her intently.
"My dears! Welcome, Elrond has told me of the situation. Now then, come inside." He turned to go back into the palace, but then stopped and gestured to the unknown elf. "Ah! Dantir, these are Elrond's niece and nephew, Alwyn and Avardo. This is my nephew Dantir, and is my most trusted advisor."
Alwyn noticed that Dantir's expression was silent and grim. He looked...somewhat frightening. She dismissed the thought immediately, however, and curtseyed lightly. "Pleased to meet you," she said, and Avardo tipped his head politely. The four of them made their way up to the palace and Alwyn and Avardo were shown rooms.
***
"Legolas! Please!" Aribeth chased the Prince around the fountain outside the palace. He had her silken shawl wrapped around his head and was acting like a complete fool. Aribeth had to clutch her stomach, for laughing as much as this made it hurt. She stopped and shook her head, still grinning, and, when he thought she had given up, she darted forward and grabbed the shawl. It unravelled from his head and he stood pouting. Aribeth laughed again.
"You're no fun!" he said, and splashed the fountain water in her direction. But Aribeth was staring at a spot some distance behind Legolas, at the figure standing on the steps. Alwyn stood there, surprised and hardly believing the Prince's behaviour.
Legolas spun around and almost fell over. "Alwyn!" he gasped, and she blushed a deep red colour. Legolas tried to compose himself. "Wha...what on Middle Earth are you doing here!?" he asked, trying to keep the shocked tone from his voice.
"I...I'm sorry..." Alwyn stuttered, looking from the Prince to Aribeth, her eyes wide.
"Uh...yes. Forgive me, Alwyn, this is Aribeth. I...uh, rescued her recently from the river. She lives here now," Legolas' head was clearly spinning. He turned to Aribeth. "This is Lady Alwyn, Elrond's niece...she is my...friend."
Alwyn couldn't have imagined a more embarrassing situation, for her and Legolas alike. She did not know exactly who this girl was, but it was evident that Legolas had forgotten about her rather quickly. She did not know what to think about this - but she wasn't pleased. Hadn't he been in love with her just a few months ago? Then Alwyn reasoned with herself. 'It's what you wanted, isn't it?' she thought. 'You wanted him to just move on, and he has.'
Legolas was still standing shocked, not quite able to believe she was here. Alwyn turned to leave, and he raised an arm. "Wait!" Alwyn turned around. "Are you...coming to the musical party in the library this evening?" he asked. Alwyn nodded slightly, and then hurried away.
"...Legolas?" Aribeth put a hand on his arm, but he simply walked on up the steps, determined to find out what was going on.
***
"She is a beautiful girl, is she not?"
"Extremely! And a wonderful singer. Just listen to her!"
"She is an angel!"
Whispers flew around the library as Aribeth sang in front of the palace nobles, her voice pretty and melodic. Alwyn had to admit, she was an incredible singer. She had never heard anything as pretty. Evidently, Legolas thought so too. He was gazing admirably up at the maiden as she sang, his blue eyes sparkling with happiness. Alwyn couldn't sort out her feelings. She looked away, and suddenly found herself staring straight at Dantir, the elf she had been introduced to that morning. He saw her looking at him, and then walked over and stood next to her. His eyes remained fixed on Aribeth at the front of the room.
"I used to think parties were a bore," he said, in a low monotone. Alwyn did not like his voice.
"And...have you changed your mind?" she said, trying to seem cheerful. This elf had an air of depression which seemed to follow him wherever he went.
There was a very long pause. "Yes, I believe I have," he intoned. "Are you very fond of music?"
"Well, yes, I suppose I am! My three favourite things to do in the world are singing, fencing and riding."
Dantir looked sidelong at her, as if not believing a maiden would do such things. "Do you like danger?" he whispered in her ear. Alwyn flushed angrily. What right had he to whisper in her ear? She found this elf very disturbing indeed.
"Yes," she replied, looking at him steadily.
"Good." Dantir then proceeded to walk away, his gaze fixed on hers. Alwyn shifted and looked away. A cold finger traced down her spine and she frowned. What an extremely odd person, she thought, and then resolved to reflect no more upon the matter that evening.