A/N: Eep...that last chapter was a bit Mary-Sueish. Oh well! I won't do it
again, I promise :p Here's the next chappie then. Hope you like it.
Part 21 - There's No Sign Of Legolas
Alwyn's stomach fluttered as she stood behind the palace doors, steeling herself to march out and be done with it. She looked down, and sighed.
"It's pretty, I grant you that," she murmured, brushing an imaginary speck of dust off the dress, "but I just feel so silly wearing it!". She set her lips into a determined line, and then shoved on the doors. Before she knew it she was outside, the cool breeze on her face, and the sounds of music and laughter all around her. Festival had always been her favourite time of year. Alwyn began to perk up a little, and went down the steps into the clearing ahead. As she approached the ring of elves dancing on the grass, her eyes flicked around the glade restlessly, seeking out someone. Suddenly she realised what she was doing, and averted her eyes. 'I promised myself I would not think of him,' she thought to herself. But she couldn't help noticing that her quick search of the glade had been in vain. Legolas was not there.
Casually, Alwyn made her way over to the tents, peeking inside each one, but he was still missing. A hot flush rose in her cheeks, and she stamped her foot on the ground in anger. "What does he think he's doing? Not turning up, and...damn it! He's got me looking for him the silly block- headed elf!" she said, and suddenly she noticed Avardo standing next to her.
"And who is the unfortunate male you are talking to yourself about?" he inquired.
Alwyn ignored the question, blushing slightly, but then joy overcame her embarrassment. "Brother! You came all the way here for Festival! Is Mariyen with you?"
"Yes, she is over there eating cake. If you'll excuse me I think I will ask her to dance. I'll speak to you later, sister!" he added, and made his way over to the food table. Alwyn smiled to herself. Dancing sounded like a good idea.
The music playing was light and lively, and Alwyn remembered how much she had loved dancing when she was younger. She had grown out of it since, but suddenly she felt alive again - and she was enjoying it as much as she had when she had been merely a child. She spun and laughed with the other elves, and the cheerful atmosphere made her forget all her worries and anxieties over Legolas. That is, until she swirled and found herself facing him.
She stopped dancing, and Legolas moved closer to her. Alwyn's stomach wrenched. He looked wonderful, in the evening twilight...his blue eyes dancing. Then he was holding out his hand.
"Mind if I step in?" he said, the merest hints of a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Alwyn gave him a withering look. "That's a bit of a cliché line, isn't it?" she said, masking her surprise, but still stepping forward, taking his hand and smiling. "But no, I don't really mind."
"Good," Legolas replied, and spun her around. The dance was lively and fast, however, and when it ended Alwyn found herself a little hot. She was thankful, then, when Legolas drew her aside into a cooler, breezier part of the clearing.
"I didn't think you were coming here," Alwyn said, trying to keep her voice level. She still had not sorted out her feelings. Legolas looked behind him.
"I came with my sister, and...and Aribeth," he said, turning to study Alwyn's expression.
Alwyn nodded once, trying not to show her emotion. The memory of her conversation with the girl just before she had left Mirkwood flitted across her mind. "I see. Is she well?"
"Yes," Legolas said, simply. He opened his mouth to say something more, but instead suddenly made a small, surprised noise as Elsbeth, Mariyen's ghastly friend, came over, and put a hand on Legolas' arm.
"Prince, I would speak with you a moment," she said, and shot Alwyn a contemptous look. Alwyn widened her eyes.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, not bothering to keep her tone polite. Legolas bit his lower lip, and looked abashed. Alwyn glared at him, he had obviously brought her with him, and stalked away. Legolas rounded on Elsbeth.
"Shouldn't you be somewhere else? Doing...things?" he said, looking fervently through the crowd for Alwyn. She had disappeared.
"Legolas, listen. Aribeth told me about what's been going on," she said, matter-of-factly. Legolas thought he saw a hint of a sneer on her face.
"What?" he demanded.
"Between you and that wench Alwyn." Elsbeth spat out the name as if it had a nasty taste.
Legolas moved closer to her and gripped her wrist threateningly. "Don't ever say anything like that again." He glared at her with contempt. "What exactly are you trying to tell me?" his voice was grim. Elsbeth looked a little ruffled, but carried on nonetheless.
"I'm trying to tell you, Legolas, that the girl is indifferent to you. Don't you remember how she acted towards you last year?"
"People change."
"Not this girl. I've seen her, Prince, she really can't stand you! Don't you see it? I'm not surprised, really, looking at the way you acted towards her when we visited..."
"Don't speak to me like that."
"Your Highness, please, I'm saying this for your own good. Don't chase her, she won't let herself be caught. I'm sorry to say it but I really don't think it's going to happen."
"...Why?"
Elsbeth gave an exasperated sigh. "Just look! She is an ice maiden, Legolas, she will never love. She is not the one for you!"
Legolas twisted around and glanced into the crowd. He could just about make out Alwyn, sitting on a tree-stump quite a way away, with a face like thunder. He turned back to Elsbeth and frowned slightly, but was silent.
"Trust me, I have spoken to both Mariyen and Avardo and we all agree that you should act upon what is directly in front of you, and not upon what cannot be reached," she said, her tone soothing.
"What do you mean?" Legolas' voice was quiet and despondent.
"Why, Aribeth of course! She is besotted with you, it is plain to see. Don't waste your time on a cold hearted woman like Alwyn," again the name was said with disgust, "but turn to see what you have right here. Aribeth is young and beautiful."
Legolas stood silent, looking at the ground. "Think about what I have said," Elsbeth said, and then parted from him. Alwyn did not come over, she was still throwing dark looks at Elsbeth from across the clearing. Legolas merely stood, lost in thought, not noticing that Alwyn's eyes would every now and again flicker over to him, full of confusion.
Part 21 - There's No Sign Of Legolas
Alwyn's stomach fluttered as she stood behind the palace doors, steeling herself to march out and be done with it. She looked down, and sighed.
"It's pretty, I grant you that," she murmured, brushing an imaginary speck of dust off the dress, "but I just feel so silly wearing it!". She set her lips into a determined line, and then shoved on the doors. Before she knew it she was outside, the cool breeze on her face, and the sounds of music and laughter all around her. Festival had always been her favourite time of year. Alwyn began to perk up a little, and went down the steps into the clearing ahead. As she approached the ring of elves dancing on the grass, her eyes flicked around the glade restlessly, seeking out someone. Suddenly she realised what she was doing, and averted her eyes. 'I promised myself I would not think of him,' she thought to herself. But she couldn't help noticing that her quick search of the glade had been in vain. Legolas was not there.
Casually, Alwyn made her way over to the tents, peeking inside each one, but he was still missing. A hot flush rose in her cheeks, and she stamped her foot on the ground in anger. "What does he think he's doing? Not turning up, and...damn it! He's got me looking for him the silly block- headed elf!" she said, and suddenly she noticed Avardo standing next to her.
"And who is the unfortunate male you are talking to yourself about?" he inquired.
Alwyn ignored the question, blushing slightly, but then joy overcame her embarrassment. "Brother! You came all the way here for Festival! Is Mariyen with you?"
"Yes, she is over there eating cake. If you'll excuse me I think I will ask her to dance. I'll speak to you later, sister!" he added, and made his way over to the food table. Alwyn smiled to herself. Dancing sounded like a good idea.
The music playing was light and lively, and Alwyn remembered how much she had loved dancing when she was younger. She had grown out of it since, but suddenly she felt alive again - and she was enjoying it as much as she had when she had been merely a child. She spun and laughed with the other elves, and the cheerful atmosphere made her forget all her worries and anxieties over Legolas. That is, until she swirled and found herself facing him.
She stopped dancing, and Legolas moved closer to her. Alwyn's stomach wrenched. He looked wonderful, in the evening twilight...his blue eyes dancing. Then he was holding out his hand.
"Mind if I step in?" he said, the merest hints of a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Alwyn gave him a withering look. "That's a bit of a cliché line, isn't it?" she said, masking her surprise, but still stepping forward, taking his hand and smiling. "But no, I don't really mind."
"Good," Legolas replied, and spun her around. The dance was lively and fast, however, and when it ended Alwyn found herself a little hot. She was thankful, then, when Legolas drew her aside into a cooler, breezier part of the clearing.
"I didn't think you were coming here," Alwyn said, trying to keep her voice level. She still had not sorted out her feelings. Legolas looked behind him.
"I came with my sister, and...and Aribeth," he said, turning to study Alwyn's expression.
Alwyn nodded once, trying not to show her emotion. The memory of her conversation with the girl just before she had left Mirkwood flitted across her mind. "I see. Is she well?"
"Yes," Legolas said, simply. He opened his mouth to say something more, but instead suddenly made a small, surprised noise as Elsbeth, Mariyen's ghastly friend, came over, and put a hand on Legolas' arm.
"Prince, I would speak with you a moment," she said, and shot Alwyn a contemptous look. Alwyn widened her eyes.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, not bothering to keep her tone polite. Legolas bit his lower lip, and looked abashed. Alwyn glared at him, he had obviously brought her with him, and stalked away. Legolas rounded on Elsbeth.
"Shouldn't you be somewhere else? Doing...things?" he said, looking fervently through the crowd for Alwyn. She had disappeared.
"Legolas, listen. Aribeth told me about what's been going on," she said, matter-of-factly. Legolas thought he saw a hint of a sneer on her face.
"What?" he demanded.
"Between you and that wench Alwyn." Elsbeth spat out the name as if it had a nasty taste.
Legolas moved closer to her and gripped her wrist threateningly. "Don't ever say anything like that again." He glared at her with contempt. "What exactly are you trying to tell me?" his voice was grim. Elsbeth looked a little ruffled, but carried on nonetheless.
"I'm trying to tell you, Legolas, that the girl is indifferent to you. Don't you remember how she acted towards you last year?"
"People change."
"Not this girl. I've seen her, Prince, she really can't stand you! Don't you see it? I'm not surprised, really, looking at the way you acted towards her when we visited..."
"Don't speak to me like that."
"Your Highness, please, I'm saying this for your own good. Don't chase her, she won't let herself be caught. I'm sorry to say it but I really don't think it's going to happen."
"...Why?"
Elsbeth gave an exasperated sigh. "Just look! She is an ice maiden, Legolas, she will never love. She is not the one for you!"
Legolas twisted around and glanced into the crowd. He could just about make out Alwyn, sitting on a tree-stump quite a way away, with a face like thunder. He turned back to Elsbeth and frowned slightly, but was silent.
"Trust me, I have spoken to both Mariyen and Avardo and we all agree that you should act upon what is directly in front of you, and not upon what cannot be reached," she said, her tone soothing.
"What do you mean?" Legolas' voice was quiet and despondent.
"Why, Aribeth of course! She is besotted with you, it is plain to see. Don't waste your time on a cold hearted woman like Alwyn," again the name was said with disgust, "but turn to see what you have right here. Aribeth is young and beautiful."
Legolas stood silent, looking at the ground. "Think about what I have said," Elsbeth said, and then parted from him. Alwyn did not come over, she was still throwing dark looks at Elsbeth from across the clearing. Legolas merely stood, lost in thought, not noticing that Alwyn's eyes would every now and again flicker over to him, full of confusion.