Frodo stood on his favourite balcony in Rivendell, the 25th day of September in 1419, feeling now very much at home in the grandiose halls of Elrond's kin. As it happened, he found the view from that particular balcony very interesting, and it had nothing to do with scenery. Below him and a little to the left, a woman was embroidering clothes. Her hair was a rich brown, her skin was pale, and her dress a simple, loose robe of sky blue silk. Something about her, something Frodo found no words for, cast a glamour around her that made it impossible for Frodo to turn his eyes away. He had noticed the woman serving at their Birthday Party, his and Bilbo's, and had been troubled by her image ever since.

A tall elf walked to his side. Frodo kept his eyes at the woman, oblivious to all else.
"Master Baggins?"
"Huh? Oh! I'm sorry, I was lost in thought. Bilbo sent for me, I guess?" "No, not this time." Lindir smiled. "I was curious as to what has kept you here so long. And I see it is a flower of our fair gardens."
"It is, but I do not know the name of the beautiful blossom."
"Hear it, then: you are watching Ílian, a servant of Elrohir."
"Lindir, I would like to ask you something. You have been very friendly, and Bilbo trusts you. I hope this does not offend you."
"If you do not mean to offend, I take no offense, for different places have different habits and the best way to learn new ones is to ask."
"You guess, then, what question I have pondered?"
"I would guess you want to know how to get closer to fair Ílian."
"Yes." "First, a warning, as I was warned as a boy: two elves only share with each other their naked selves on their wedding night, not before. But before, one or the other may share his or her body. Never both at the same time. Here in Rivendell, there is a room called the 'Red Bath'. A youth may ask a maiden if he could serve her a 'red bath', and if she agrees, he must indeed serve her and think only of her desires. But the maiden may instead suggest that *she* serve the bath, and then it is the youth who has his wishes fulfilled, and the maiden who keeps her clothes on. Usually engaged couples take turns in serving each other. Sometimes a maiden serves a maiden or a man a man, or married people others than their spouses, but always one is clothed and the other is not."
"I see... So I could go and ask her?" "I must introduce you first, but then, yes."

****

Note: I'm no expert at squiggles and dots in strange positions above letters. I just put one in Ílian so that it would not look like llian of IIian or some other stupid thing. And I have no idea if it means anything in elvish - squiggle, name, or both of them. Even less idea I have why I did not think up an easier name to begin with...

Note II: The strange elven habits I picked from the top of my head, where all the garbage floats... deep down, I love elves, even blond ones!