The hour was growing late indeed and all Irulan could think of was the Obnox race. She was sitting in her chair as erect and as graceful as possible and trying to put up a smiling face. But as the hours passed, she was growing more and more tired of the chit chat going on all around her and even the rare wine served splendidly tasted sour tonight. She took another little sip and sighed again. "I still have time... I can make it if I sneak out now" she thought. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Enaia above her. "How are you doing Irulan? You look wonderful tonight!" Irulan was glad to finally getting a chance to talk to someone sane in this crowd. "How do you think I am doing" she hissed between clenched teeth and smiled deeply "I will die very soon of boredom!" she added melodiously. Enaia chuckled and bend deeper to make sure that nobody else heard her "Endor is desperately trying to catch your eye, I see" she said. Irulan turned to sneak a look in his direction. He was seated rather farther away on the table, close to her father, heartily talking to someone across him that Irulan could not see from her angle. Just when she was turning away her eyes met with the deep blue eyes of Legolas, who was sitting a few chairs further down from Endor, closer to her father. He smiled and bowed his head slightly. Irulan quickly turned away and prayed not to blush again. "Damn! He must think that I am such a fool!" she said angrily.

"Ah I think he adores you too much to think that" said Enaia.

"Not him! Him!" whispered Irulan, "the elf. Don't look Enaia. I have made myself a fool enough".

Enaia seemed tempted. "Which one?" she asked curiously and bent even lower towards her sister. "The blonde one" said Irulan and then, remembering that a great deal of the elves present that night were blonde, added "sitting between Amen and Rbis.

Enaia sighed slightly and pretended to pick up lint from Irulan's shoulder. She deftly looked towards his direction while patting her sister's shoulder. Irulan had to admit that her sister was getting better every day in this art of looking-without-betraying-oneself. "I really need to learn to do that!" she thought. Prince Legolas was not hard to pick out. He was a dashing beauty among men -especially the two he was sitting between- and he was patiently listening to a conversation going on between Rbis, the man on his left and another seated next to Rbis. "Oh... you met him?" Enaia said in a causal as possible tone.

"I guess you could say that" sighed Irulan. She took another sip from her goblet. "I will not bore you with the embarrassing details though".

Enaia chuckled and bend over towards Irulan's ear again "I know your rather infamous encounters with important people all too well sister. But I have to say, you never repeat yourself in these dashing performances. Every story I hear is harder to believe than the previous one!"

"Believe me, I am beginning to surprise even myself with my performance" said Irulan before she took another gulp from the wine. "I think he is from Mirkwood" Enaia laughed softly. "Oh yes, indeed. He is from Mirkwood, all right. My dear sister, Legolas happens to be the very prince of Mirkwood himself". With that she stood upright and slowly walked away.

"Open up ground and just bloody devour me!" Irulan whispered and not caring what the people would think, loudly slapped herself on the forehead.