"You could give me the greatest treasure, and still its value holds low.

But offer to me your hand, and I'll follow wherever you go."

Chapter 9: Between Maidens

"I made one for each of you." Adah said as she placed flower crowns on her parent's graves.

"I know it's been a while since I last came, but I've been busy. I've never seen so big a party before, and I've been cleaning up for hours at a time. Arwen's leaving for Lorien tomorrow, and we don't know when she's coming back. Well, good riddance is all I can say. I know you wouldn't wish me to say that, but there's just something about her. Like she did something awful to me long ago, and can't remember. Every time I see her, I feel like a shadow. Well, then again, I guess I've always felt that way.

"Except, things are somewhat better now I guess. There's this Elven girl, Lainamay. She's a handmaiden with me. Elrond adopted her into the kingdom not to long ago, and she started talking to me. I ignored her at first. I thought she just probably hadn't been told that I, you know, but she kept her persistence.

"And I guess I finally caved. It felt good to be acknowledged. She's not so bad. She's not the best friend anyone could ever have but," Adah paused and closed her eyes as old memories poured back into her mind. "But what would I know of that?"

She stood up and looked over the cliff at the trees and falls. She smiled as a cluster of white birds rose from the green and flew into the massive blue above. It was all very much like a painting. A gentle wind blew back her golden hair which now had reached her womanly hips. She held out her tanned hands and caught the wind in her palms.

"It's spring." She whispered and turned back to her parents grave. "You should see how beautiful everything is. I saw two baby fawns on my way up here. Oh, I have something else for you." She pulled to red roses out of her soft belt. "Someone left them on my night stand. I found them next to a note that read "Happy Birthday" and some jewels for my hair.

"I was going to ask Lainamay if she did it, but she doesn't know, and anyways I don't think it's her. Someone's been leaving me roses since as long as I can remember. Since that day Legolas went away."

She took another sad pause before she continued. "I used to think it was a joke, but I've gotten two or three every week since. It's strange, but I almost feel like I kind of have a friend."

She kissed the roses and placed them on the graves.

"Adah, Adah!" A faint cry called from the distance, interrupting her trance. She turned and ran to the edge of the cliff, and looking down she found Lainamay waiting for her on a brown steed, standing next to Adah's own full grown Otho.

"Elrond sends for you." Lainamay screamed up.

"One moment. I'll be right there."

"It's going to take you forever to climb down!"

"No it won't. I found another way."

Lainamay searched the cliff wit her big blue eyes. She was much older than Adah, but they looked the same age. "I don't see any other way." She called.

"Just wait. Give me 15 minutes." Adah left her friend's sight, and walked over to a wall of vines. She pushed them aside. Behind the vines was a small entrance that Adah could bend down and walk through. It lead down the cliff and became dark wet caves. Adah knew the journey so well, she could make it blindfolded, even though blinds weren't necessary. The caves were dark enough already.

First you walked straight for a while, and then you climbed straight down. At the bottom, there was a river that lead to the entrance of the caves, and the closer she climbed down to the river, the brighter the caves got. The walls shined with many colors, and during the day, the falls created a rainbow across the cave. The moon gave the caves a silver glow, making the water look like silk. And the fall fell like a thick curtain guarding any dangers that dared to enter.

Before she entered the caves, she turned to her parents, and whispered, "Good bye, I turn 17 today."

***

When she got to the bottom, Lainamay and the two horses were waiting for her. Lainamay was looking in another direction when she came from behind the waterfall. Adah crept up behind her. "Hello!" She exclaimed.

Lainamay jumped startled, and her horse took a few steps back. "Adah! How on earth did you get down?"

"Maybe I'll show you someday." Adah smiled playfully as she climbed up on Otho.

"Fine. Have it your way. Elrond sent me to find you. The dinning halls not nearly finished, and there aren't enough elves to help."

"Why doesn't he get Arwen to help?" She sneered.

"It's her going away party." Lainamay said defensively.

"Well, it's my birthday!" Adah covered her mouth. "Never mind. Let's go."

But Lainamay didn't move. "You didn't say anything to me."

"Yes well, it doesn't matter anyway. It never did." And with that, she clicked her tongue, and Otho took off with great speed, making it hard for Lainamay to keep up.

***

They let their horses go at the stables, and ran to the dinning hall. Once inside, Adah's feet slipped from under her on a water spill. She fell to the floor, and Lainamay, who hadn't been too far behind, stumbled in tripping over Adah and toppling over her.

They fell into hysterics, but stopped as a pair of large feet stopped at their eyes. Both girls turned to find Elrond standing tall, arms crossed and a firm look planted on his face. Slowly they stood up to face him.

The girls stood before the great elf like two guilty prisoners standing before a judge, but when he sent them to work, they ran off laughing.

Within the next few hours, the dinning hall was decorated, and dishes were laid out, waiting to be filled with the food that now engrossed the hall with it luscious smells to be placed upon them.

When all was finished, Adah departed for her room to clean for the party. She was the only handmaiden in all the kingdom with her own room. When she told Elrond she'd wanted the job not more than two months ago, he agreed, but left her all her belongings. She didn't care if she was treated better than the other maidens. None of them liked her anyway, save Lainamay.

She had hot water brought up, and she bathed quickly. When she was done a dress had been laid out for her over her bead. The dress was velvet, and colored a deep gold that would bring out her eyes. As she held it up to her form, she noticed it would fit tightly against her skin. Even Adah knew this dress was fit for a queen.

Next to the dress was a note. "Please join us as a guest tonight. Not a server of the kingdom. Happy Birthday, Elrond."

Lainamay walked in just then, and claimed as soon as she saw the dress, "Oh, it's beautiful!" She went to Adah, and ran her fingers down the fabric. She saw the note, read it, and then looked to Adah. "Are you going to wear it?"

Adah studied the dress for a moment, and then dropped it on her bed. "No." She said, and quickly made her way to her closet, where she pulled out her work dress. "I will serve with the others."

"If this is some desperate attempt to get accepted by the others, it wont work. You and I both know you're beyond that."

Adah glared at Lainamay, and put the jewels she'd received that morning into her hair. "That's not why."

"Then why?" Lainamay was now holding the dress, still admiring its beauty. "I would still wear this dress if it meant I would be despised by everyone in the world."

"Everyone does hate you."

"Oh? And why should they?"

Because you're friends with me."

"No, they think I'm weird because I'm friends with you. Everyone doesn't hate me. I'm too nice. You know, you could stand to work on your personality a bit."

Adah ignored the comment, and slipped on her shoes. She watched Lainamay stare greedily at the dress. "Why don't you wear it?" She offered.

"Oh, I couldn't." Lainamay answered, suddenly becoming aware of the value of the treasure in her arms.

"Why not?"

"I don't have the same connections you do."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look, I'm a handmaiden because I was adopted into the kingdom from a lowly stature. But you... For some odd reason you choose to be a handmaiden, even though you were accepted into Elrond's family. You could be treated like a queen if you wanted, and yet you deny it."

Adah laughed at the irony in her friends comment. "No one wants to serve me. When I was a child, my handmaidens used to take turns watching me so they could each have long breaks away."

"And now you serve the same scum that always treated you so?"

"Being a handmaiden hides me from their eyes. No one notices me. No one stares. No one bothers me."

"Is that why you wont wear the dress?"

Adah stared at the golden dress, long in silence. "No."

Lainamay didn't respond. She waited for Adah to continue, who at the moment, seemed far away where no one could touch her. She moved to the dress, and fingered the velvet. Then she took the dress, and held it to her heart. "I can pretend as much as I want, but he'll never love me."

"Who?" Lainamay asked.

"Elrond." She smelt the dress, and the gold reflected in her eyes. "He tries. He gives me what I need. He tries to make me happy here, but I know how he truly feels. He wishes me gone. To him, I am but a burden, and a danger."

Lainamay looked away to where Adah could not see her face.

Adah continued. "This dress is a token of his guilt, and I will not wear his pity. Nay, I will serve him tonight, for until I leave this place, that is where I belong. You may wear the dress if you chose, and I will inform Elrond of my consent."

Lainamay turned back to Adah, and released the piece of the dress she was still clinging to. Adah let go as well, and Lainamay took her hand.

Before they walked out of the room, Lainamay looked to her friend and said, "Happy Birthday Adah."