A/N: UH OH! Sorry guys, I know, it's awful. Poor girl. It will get better,
I promise! She needs help, but she can't tell anyone what is happening in
case the eeevil Dantir finds out. Let's see what happens.
Part 14 - Engagement Announcements
The hall went silent as Dantir stood up to announce his 'important news'. Alwyn sat next to him, wishing she could just get up and cry out about the evil things that were happening to her, but she knew she couldn't. She sat, with a false smile on her face, trying not to look at her brother.
"I would like to announce my engagement," Dantir said loudly, and the tension in the dining room could have been cut with a knife. The atmosphere was almost unbearable. The maidens bent their heads to each other and began to whisper animatedly, and the men simply laughed quietly or sat shocked. "To Lady Alwyn of Rivendell."
Alwyn saw Legolas twist in his chair and gaze at her, confused and angry, but most of all shocked. Aribeth turned with him, and they both stared at her, looks of disbelief registering on their faces. Alwyn did not look at her brother. She simply sat, smiling, as if she were the happiest girl alive. As if she loved Dantir with all her heart. As if this marriage was going to be perfect.
The meal was long and embarrassing. Alwyn couldn't count the number of times the ladies had asked her, in a hissing whisper, why she had agreed to marry that beast. The men came past, slapping Dantir on the back and congratulating him on a fine catch. Alwyn simply sat, bearing it all seemingly well, but with a gut wrenching feeling inside. She felt like screaming, crying, anything! But she couldn't.
Afterwards Legolas left with Aribeth, and Dantir stood up with a hand on Alwyn's shoulder. Thranduil had just finished a long speech about how happy he was, and then there had been a toast. Now it was the end of the meal and Alwyn was dreading the evening to come. Dantir leaned down to whisper in her ear, and Alwyn grimaced in disgust. "You are doing fine, beautiful one. Now, let us go to my quarters."
Alwyn drew in a shaky breath and stood up, linking arms with him and walking out of the room. Thranduil called merrily after them that he would arrange all the preparations for the wedding, and that it would be able to be held very soon. Alwyn tried to block out the congratulations that flew her way all the way up the corridor, but it was almost impossible.
She went through the door to Dantir's quarters and sat down heavily on a chair, looking away from her 'almost-husband' out of the window.
"You can sleep in here," he gestured to an empty room that a door behind him led into. "I will arrange wedding preparations with Thranduil, and you are merely to smile and accept it all graciously, is that understood?"
Alwyn nodded numbly. Dantir came over and bent down to kiss her, but she stood up quickly and strode defiantly into her new bedroom. She slammed the door, but then found that there was no lock. Dantir came in.
"You cannot run forever," he mocked, and came towards her. Alwyn let out a choked sob and darted away from his clutching hands.
"Leave me alone!" she cried, and Dantir's head snapped towards the open door, in case anyone had heard.
"Perhaps..." he said, backing out of the room. "You will be in a better mood tomorrow." He closed the door with a soft click.
Alwyn threw herself onto the bed and cried until she had no tears left. She knew she would never go home to Rivendell again when she was married. She would have to stay here, with him, for all eternity. She needed to talk to someone.
***
Alwyn ran lightly down the corridor to the library and poked her head around the door, to see if anyone was inside. One person was, Legolas. Alwyn stepped towards him, hesitantly, and he looked up from the book he was reading.
"Alwyn!" he exclaimed softly. "What are you doing here this late?"
"I...wanted to talk to someone," she replied, and sat down. Legolas put down him book.
"Of course."
There was a pause, and then he spoke again. "Congratulations...on your engagement. I am pleased you have found someone who can make you happy. I am sorry...it could not have been me." His eyes travelled down to the floor, and then up again, searching for a reaction.
Alwyn resisted the urge to spill her heart to him. She merely shook her head and looked away from him, trying not to cry. "Is something wrong?" he asked, quietly.
Alwyn looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I...Legolas...if you only knew...but I can't...I can't!" she burst out and then tears rolled down her face. Legolas' eyes widened and he put an arm around her awkwardly.
"I don't know what you mean!" he said, confused.
"I can't tell you! He'll...he'll...I just don't know. Oh, if only you knew. If only anyone knew!" she said miserably. She looked up at Legolas and suddenly realised how close she was to him. He leaned a little bit closer to her, and Alwyn could feel his breath on her skin. There was a pause, and then Alwyn stood up suddenly.
"Legolas?" she said steadily, looking out of the window.
"Yes Alwyn?" he replied.
"You've changed."
Legolas sat in silence for a while before speaking. "I have?"
"Yes, and I don't know why. Is it...because of Aribeth?" Alwyn said in almost a whisper, now turning to look at him. Legolas stood abruptly and then bowed politely. He shifted over to the door.
"You are soon to be married, Alwyn. I...wish you joy and happiness. Please excuse me." He walked away.
Alwyn sank down into a chair and stared out of the window at the pattering rain, not wanting to go back up to her quarters.
Part 14 - Engagement Announcements
The hall went silent as Dantir stood up to announce his 'important news'. Alwyn sat next to him, wishing she could just get up and cry out about the evil things that were happening to her, but she knew she couldn't. She sat, with a false smile on her face, trying not to look at her brother.
"I would like to announce my engagement," Dantir said loudly, and the tension in the dining room could have been cut with a knife. The atmosphere was almost unbearable. The maidens bent their heads to each other and began to whisper animatedly, and the men simply laughed quietly or sat shocked. "To Lady Alwyn of Rivendell."
Alwyn saw Legolas twist in his chair and gaze at her, confused and angry, but most of all shocked. Aribeth turned with him, and they both stared at her, looks of disbelief registering on their faces. Alwyn did not look at her brother. She simply sat, smiling, as if she were the happiest girl alive. As if she loved Dantir with all her heart. As if this marriage was going to be perfect.
The meal was long and embarrassing. Alwyn couldn't count the number of times the ladies had asked her, in a hissing whisper, why she had agreed to marry that beast. The men came past, slapping Dantir on the back and congratulating him on a fine catch. Alwyn simply sat, bearing it all seemingly well, but with a gut wrenching feeling inside. She felt like screaming, crying, anything! But she couldn't.
Afterwards Legolas left with Aribeth, and Dantir stood up with a hand on Alwyn's shoulder. Thranduil had just finished a long speech about how happy he was, and then there had been a toast. Now it was the end of the meal and Alwyn was dreading the evening to come. Dantir leaned down to whisper in her ear, and Alwyn grimaced in disgust. "You are doing fine, beautiful one. Now, let us go to my quarters."
Alwyn drew in a shaky breath and stood up, linking arms with him and walking out of the room. Thranduil called merrily after them that he would arrange all the preparations for the wedding, and that it would be able to be held very soon. Alwyn tried to block out the congratulations that flew her way all the way up the corridor, but it was almost impossible.
She went through the door to Dantir's quarters and sat down heavily on a chair, looking away from her 'almost-husband' out of the window.
"You can sleep in here," he gestured to an empty room that a door behind him led into. "I will arrange wedding preparations with Thranduil, and you are merely to smile and accept it all graciously, is that understood?"
Alwyn nodded numbly. Dantir came over and bent down to kiss her, but she stood up quickly and strode defiantly into her new bedroom. She slammed the door, but then found that there was no lock. Dantir came in.
"You cannot run forever," he mocked, and came towards her. Alwyn let out a choked sob and darted away from his clutching hands.
"Leave me alone!" she cried, and Dantir's head snapped towards the open door, in case anyone had heard.
"Perhaps..." he said, backing out of the room. "You will be in a better mood tomorrow." He closed the door with a soft click.
Alwyn threw herself onto the bed and cried until she had no tears left. She knew she would never go home to Rivendell again when she was married. She would have to stay here, with him, for all eternity. She needed to talk to someone.
***
Alwyn ran lightly down the corridor to the library and poked her head around the door, to see if anyone was inside. One person was, Legolas. Alwyn stepped towards him, hesitantly, and he looked up from the book he was reading.
"Alwyn!" he exclaimed softly. "What are you doing here this late?"
"I...wanted to talk to someone," she replied, and sat down. Legolas put down him book.
"Of course."
There was a pause, and then he spoke again. "Congratulations...on your engagement. I am pleased you have found someone who can make you happy. I am sorry...it could not have been me." His eyes travelled down to the floor, and then up again, searching for a reaction.
Alwyn resisted the urge to spill her heart to him. She merely shook her head and looked away from him, trying not to cry. "Is something wrong?" he asked, quietly.
Alwyn looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I...Legolas...if you only knew...but I can't...I can't!" she burst out and then tears rolled down her face. Legolas' eyes widened and he put an arm around her awkwardly.
"I don't know what you mean!" he said, confused.
"I can't tell you! He'll...he'll...I just don't know. Oh, if only you knew. If only anyone knew!" she said miserably. She looked up at Legolas and suddenly realised how close she was to him. He leaned a little bit closer to her, and Alwyn could feel his breath on her skin. There was a pause, and then Alwyn stood up suddenly.
"Legolas?" she said steadily, looking out of the window.
"Yes Alwyn?" he replied.
"You've changed."
Legolas sat in silence for a while before speaking. "I have?"
"Yes, and I don't know why. Is it...because of Aribeth?" Alwyn said in almost a whisper, now turning to look at him. Legolas stood abruptly and then bowed politely. He shifted over to the door.
"You are soon to be married, Alwyn. I...wish you joy and happiness. Please excuse me." He walked away.
Alwyn sank down into a chair and stared out of the window at the pattering rain, not wanting to go back up to her quarters.