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"You're very quiet," Arwen commented.

Elsa only looked at her friend, no longer even trying to hide her grief. She had wakened not long ago in her own bed with Legolas hovering over her. He had requested that she stay with Arwen for protection and in her weakness, she had agreed. But now her strength was returning to her and she felt she had been tricked.

"What's wrong?"

"He doesn't believe me," Elsa said quietly. "Though I may have been a bit strange before, it did happen as I said."

"Would you tell me?"

"I was walking when a man jumped out at me. He pinned me to a tree and then reached for my necklace. The next thing I knew, he ran away cradling his hand. Legolas doesn't believe me, and now he is treating me as a child! I am a grown woman and am capable of taking care of myself."


"You carry a heavy burden on your heart and you must speak with Legolas in order to lighten it. In the meantime, we must find some other way to brighten your spirits."

"I can think of nothing else."

Arwen smiled. "The trick is not to get you to think of something else, but to not think at all."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "And how do I do that?"

"Well, when I need to forget something, I read tales from my father's collection. Do you like stories?"

"Yes, I do."

Arwen did not hesitate. "Would you like to come with me now?"

Elsa smiled. "You are so kind to me, and I have nothing to give you."

"You are a ear friend to me, Elsa. That is what you give me."

Arwen led the way to her father's library, growing a bit more excited with each step. Once they were inside the large room, Arwen motioned for Elsa to sit and then sat across from her. Arwen sat on the edge of the chair to get closer.

"May I tell you my favorite story?" Arwen asked, her eyes twinkling.

Elsa laughed. "Yes, please do."

Arwen settled into her story-telling mode, her voice becoming filled with expression. "It is the story of The Lady of Fire. She was a beautiful mortal woman. She had fiery red hair that reached down to her waist. Her skin was so fair and clear; and set deeply in her feminine features were two beautiful green eyes that glistened like pools of emeralds.

"Now it came to pass that the Lady made camp in the woods outside of an elf city. Every night, she danced around a bright fire. It did not take long for the elves of the city to notice the slender beauty, and they began to attend her dances. Each night, the numbers grew. And this is when she received her name- The Lady of Fire.

"Now the elven king had heard many rumors of the Lady and her incredible beauty. He grew curious and so decided one night to go and see the Lady for himself. He was not disappointed. He fell in love with the mortal.

"That night, all his dreams were of the Lady. The next morning, he sent for her. She appeared before the King, scared and unsure of what was going to become of her.

"Her fear only made her more appealing to the King and right then he asked for her hand in marriage. The Lady accepted - for who would say no to a king? - unknowing of the elven maiden who had fallen in love with the King. And the maid hated the Lady.

"But the King had received a bonus - he had not known of the Lady's surpassing wisdom and gentility. Because of these qualities, he fell even more in love with his bride.

"One day, the King presented the Lady with a wedding gift: a beautiful gold necklace. She loved the fine piece of jewelry and could never bring herself to take it off.

"The Elven maid's hatred grew even more and she desperately tried to turn others against the Lady, but no one listened. Her words happened to fall on the ears of a good friend to the King. He hurried to the King and told him of what he had heard. The maid's words deeply disturbed the King and he grew worried for his Lady's safety. So, he gave her yet another gift. He gave her great power. He taught her Elf magic and how to nurture it. Her magic became stronger than every other elf's, save the King and others higher in authority.

"The King also cast a spell on the necklace he had given her. No one could harm her as long as she wore it and no hand, not even his own, could remove it - except for her own of course."

Elsa smiled, enchanted by the tale. "Of course."

"At last, the couple was married. The jubilation that spread through the kingdom was unimaginable and it was even greater when within the year the new Queen produced a daughter. A princess. Her features were just the same as her mother's, but she was elven like her father - only noticeable because her ears were pointed. The King wished to give her an elvish name, but to please his Queen he allowed her to have a mortal name. But the King most often used an elvish nickname. He called her Tadriendra.

"But once the people learned that the tiny princess with mortal blood would rule over them, they began to slowly turn against the Queen and her child. They did wanted an elf with pure elven blood on the throne, not the child. They even disapproved of the princess' looks because she was the only elf to have red hair. So, they began to plot to kill the baby.

"Somehow, news of their evil plans made their way to the Queen and she began to fear for her child. She knew her child would never be safe among elves so one night, she brought the princess into the forest. She clasped her child to her chest, tears streaming silently down her porcelain face. Then, she gently laid the baby in a bed of moss. She removed her necklace and put it on her daughter. She then cast the same spell her husband had.

"To be sure it had worked, she reached out to take the necklace, but before her fingers even reached it, she could feel the intense heat. The Lady withdrew her hand and looked deeply and sorrowfully into the quiet child's mirror eyes.

"Her heart twisting, the Lady turned violently away from her child and began to hurry back to her chambers. But…she no longer had the protection of the necklace. A few elves who happened to be against her found her, and killed the Queen they had once loved.

"They returned to the King with tears in their eyes as they told him that they had seen the Queen and her babe being attacked by a bear. By the time they had reached them, it was too late.

"The King waved them away in disbelief because he remembered the necklace. But then they brought forth the Lady's cloak streaked in her own blood. When the King saw this, he sank to his knees, clutching the robe to himself. Tears poured down his face as he cried out for his beloved wife and child. He mourned them for three months, only to later die from his grief.

"Meanwhile, in the woods, the princess still lay in the bed of moss. She was found by a skilled hunter. He saw the baby, and strange feelings overcame him. He had always longed for a child as had his wife, but they were unable to have any. He felt most fortunate to find a baby, and such a beautiful one at that. Without hesitation, he brought the babe home to his wife who also fell in love. They raised her like a normal mortal girl and even gave her a mortal name. But whenever they went out in public, they made sure that her ears were covered in some way, for they wanted no one to question about the matter.

"When the child began to walk, the parents worried that she may stumble into the elf city and discover her real parents. So, they moved far away and nothing has ever been heard of the family again."

"Oh," Elsa breathed, "that was wonderful…"

Arwen smiled modestly. "Thank you. I learned it from my father. He was a master story-teller."


"Such a tragic story. If only it could have ended happier…"

"There are different stories about what happened to the princess if you care to know. You can find them scattered throughout here." Arwen swept her arm around the library.

Elsa leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and her necklace slipped out from beneath her dress collar.

Arwen cocked her head to one side as she tried to see the necklace. She had never noticed it before. But she did not get a good look at it for her attention was drawn to the doorway when she felt another's presence. And indeed she was right.

There, just inside the door leaning calmly and patiently against the wall, was Aragorn. They read each other's eyes.

Elsa noticed the change in Arwen and followed her gaze to Aragorn. She quickly lowered her eyes, embarrassed at having intercepted the silent messages. She quietly excused herself, and swiftly left the room.

Arwen's eyes flickered to Elsa as she left but then returned to Aragorn. Was that disapproval or anxiety she read in his eyes? Whatever it was, Arwen was sure of one thing: they were going to have a long, intense talk.

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