A/N: Liv Tyler has my due respect as is deserved of a fine actress. Book Arwen has my full respect, as is deserved of a good character from the Lord of the Rings. Movie Arwen doesn't. And if she by some chance steals Éowyn's part in the Return of the King, I will send letter bombs to Peter Jackson until I blow up New Zealand. Well, perhaps not ALL of it. I have to visit it first. But I WILL be very annoyed.
That said, I own absolutely nothing having to do with the Lord of the Rings. For the sake of the story, I'm assuming Legolas would have met Elrond's kids already.
Chapter Three: Remember, Legolas, You're Not a Winter Anymore.
I must admit that I could not resist staring at my reflection in the store windows as I strolled away from Glorfindel's shop. My, but I looked good with blonde hair. What was it Glorfindel had said about beating ladies off? The idea of beating women repulsed me, but on my journey to Rivendell I had noticed quite a few human ladies staring at me. Some of the younger ones had even been following me around during the duration of my stay. I hadn't paid them much attention then, and to tell the truth, such attention made me a little uncomfortable. I only hoped that age would knock some sense into their heads . . . and that my new hair color would not add to the problem.
I was still pondering this when someone stepped in front of me, causing me to jump back in a decidedly Un-Elvish manner. Was I that off my guard?
"Excuse me, but the Mall is not yet . . . Legolas? Is that you?"
"Arwen?" I inclined my head politely to the puzzled elf woman before me. For who else could this stunning creature be but the Evenstar? "Three thousand years have done nothing to lessen your loveliness, my lady." She was as beautiful to behold as ever, I thought, taking in her lovely face, dark hair, sapphire blue eyes . . . wait a moment, weren't Elrond's only daughter's eyes gray?
The lady preened slightly. "I thank you, Prince of Mirkwood, but the Mall is not yet open to the public. What are you doing here? Did Daddy send for you?"
I blinked. 'Daddy'?
"And WHAT happened to your hair?" she finished.
I chuckled.
"This is Glorfindel's handiwork, my lady. I would say it is somewhat becoming, wouldn't you?" I said, grinning impishly to let the lady know I was merely jesting. Arwen's blue eyes (I was still quite certain that they were gray last time I saw her) flicked from my hair down to my clothes. She seemed to be taking an unusual interest in my appearance.
"Quite," she said slowly, her full lips forming a strangely crafty smile.
"As for why I'm here, I was summoned by Lord Elrond. He made it clear that he had a matter of great importance to -"
"Yes, yes," Arwen said, waving her lovely hand to silence me. "Legolas, those clothes are simply all wrong for your new hair color. You MUST let me outfit you with new garments."
I stared down at my clothes. They were quite comfortable, and served me well for travelling from Mirkwood to Rivendell. As far as I knew, I had no reason to change them.
"These will suffice, I am sure. Please, lady, I must speak with Elrond . . ."
"Absolutely not! You'll be the laughingstock of the fashion community if you visit Daddy wearing that. I will not allow it." She said sharply. With that, the Evenstar grabbed my arm and began to steer me into the shop she had come from, which was filled with racks of garments. Ladies dresses were hung on the walls next to cloaks and well-made breeches, all of them constructed of fine fabrics and beautifully sewn. I reached out and ran my hand across a smooth dark green tunic, faintly patterned with a design of silver leaves.
"Oh no you don't!" Arwen exclaimed, gently slapping my hand. I recoiled in surprise. "You keep forgetting you're not a winter anymore. Come with me."
Arwen continued to drag me about the store, holding tunics and cloaks against my body, her lovely face contorted into a lovely frown. I was silent throughout the procedure.
It was clear to me that something very strange was happening in Rivendell, something that affected not only Imladris itself, but the Elves who made it their home. True I had only encountered two Elves so far, but neither Glorfindel nor Arwen were acting at all like their usual selves. I could assume that Elrond had been affected as well, if he had allowed this to happen to his home. What it was, I couldn't imagine, for who in Middle-earth would desire this to happen to the Last Homely House?
Arwen's voice intruded upon my thoughts.
"This, and this, ooh, and this too!" she said, adding to the already large pile of clothing she had been heaping into my arms. "Why don't you just go in there and try them on?"
"My lady, I really must see . . ."
"Oh no!" Arwen scolded. "Not until you are properly garbed." And with that, she shoved me into a very small room and shut the door.
I must have tried on a hundred different combinations of clothing before Arwen was satisfied. Nearly all of my options had been exhausted when I came out of the dressing room in my final outfit. Immediately, Arwen's frustrated face broke into an immense grin as she beheld my ensemble - an exact copy of my previous outfit, several shades lighter.
"Oh, Legolas, that is so YOU!" She gushed, and immediately ran over to straighten my collar.
"I suppose." I muttered as Arwen busily tucked my hair behind my ears and dusted off my tunic.
"Now . . . how will you be paying?" she asked eagerly. I blinked.
"Payment?"
"Well certainly. You don't expect me to give away these fine clothes for free?" Arwen scoffed.
"I brought no money, my lady."
Arwen blanched slightly.
"No money?" she asked, as if the idea were quite shocking. "What ever possessed you to travel all the way from Mirkwood to Rivendell with no money?"
"I had no need of it. Or thought I would have none, at least." I replied.
"Oh . . ." Arwen groaned as she looked me up and down. "And you look so GOOD in them. Pity."
"Quite." I muttered. "Might I have my own clothes back now?"
Arwen glanced from my new garb to my rather dusty and travel-stained clothes in the dressing room.
"Oh, keep them, Legolas. I'll send your father the bill." She said briskly. "You can't POSSIBLY attend Daddy's council in those."
"Do you know why your father summoned me?" I interrupted.
"Well . . . I'm sure Daddy will tell you all about it when you see him." Arwen said, and I noticed that she was making her way out of the shop. "See you later, Legolas."
"Wait!" I called, dashing after the Evenstar. "Could you please take me to your father? I need to speak with him!"
"Sorry, Legolas, no can do." Arwen said, and I blinked at the Lady's odd talk. "I have to make sure Estel keeps his appointment with Glorfindel, you know, the man wouldn't shampoo at all if I didn't insist upon it."
I did not know what shampoo was, but I had more important things on my mind.
"Well do you have any idea where I could find him?" I asked.
"Oh, somewhere around here . . ." Arwen said vaguely, waving her hand about the hall as she walked into it. "He loves to wander the Mall."
"Thank you," I called, remembering to keep my manners around the daughter of Lord Elrond. I watched her walk away as I continued puzzling over my situation.
Arwen, like Glorfindel, seemed to have taken leave of her usual wise and kind manner. The Lady who I had encountered was almost nothing at all like the Arwen I knew, and more like some of the very young human females I had encountered. I was certain now that something was terribly wrong with Rivendell, and if it was bad enough to affect Arwen and Glorfindel (and perhaps Lord Elrond too), then it had to be put to a stop.
"Don't worry, my Lady." I whispered, casting a last glance at the Evenstar as she glided down the hall towards Glorfindel's salon. "I will find out what is causing this. I will return Imladris . . . and you, too, to their former selves."
Arwen looked back. "Did you say something?"
"No, my lady."
And I continued on my way to find Lord Elrond.
---
A/N: Hee hee. That was fun. ^_^
That said, I own absolutely nothing having to do with the Lord of the Rings. For the sake of the story, I'm assuming Legolas would have met Elrond's kids already.
Chapter Three: Remember, Legolas, You're Not a Winter Anymore.
I must admit that I could not resist staring at my reflection in the store windows as I strolled away from Glorfindel's shop. My, but I looked good with blonde hair. What was it Glorfindel had said about beating ladies off? The idea of beating women repulsed me, but on my journey to Rivendell I had noticed quite a few human ladies staring at me. Some of the younger ones had even been following me around during the duration of my stay. I hadn't paid them much attention then, and to tell the truth, such attention made me a little uncomfortable. I only hoped that age would knock some sense into their heads . . . and that my new hair color would not add to the problem.
I was still pondering this when someone stepped in front of me, causing me to jump back in a decidedly Un-Elvish manner. Was I that off my guard?
"Excuse me, but the Mall is not yet . . . Legolas? Is that you?"
"Arwen?" I inclined my head politely to the puzzled elf woman before me. For who else could this stunning creature be but the Evenstar? "Three thousand years have done nothing to lessen your loveliness, my lady." She was as beautiful to behold as ever, I thought, taking in her lovely face, dark hair, sapphire blue eyes . . . wait a moment, weren't Elrond's only daughter's eyes gray?
The lady preened slightly. "I thank you, Prince of Mirkwood, but the Mall is not yet open to the public. What are you doing here? Did Daddy send for you?"
I blinked. 'Daddy'?
"And WHAT happened to your hair?" she finished.
I chuckled.
"This is Glorfindel's handiwork, my lady. I would say it is somewhat becoming, wouldn't you?" I said, grinning impishly to let the lady know I was merely jesting. Arwen's blue eyes (I was still quite certain that they were gray last time I saw her) flicked from my hair down to my clothes. She seemed to be taking an unusual interest in my appearance.
"Quite," she said slowly, her full lips forming a strangely crafty smile.
"As for why I'm here, I was summoned by Lord Elrond. He made it clear that he had a matter of great importance to -"
"Yes, yes," Arwen said, waving her lovely hand to silence me. "Legolas, those clothes are simply all wrong for your new hair color. You MUST let me outfit you with new garments."
I stared down at my clothes. They were quite comfortable, and served me well for travelling from Mirkwood to Rivendell. As far as I knew, I had no reason to change them.
"These will suffice, I am sure. Please, lady, I must speak with Elrond . . ."
"Absolutely not! You'll be the laughingstock of the fashion community if you visit Daddy wearing that. I will not allow it." She said sharply. With that, the Evenstar grabbed my arm and began to steer me into the shop she had come from, which was filled with racks of garments. Ladies dresses were hung on the walls next to cloaks and well-made breeches, all of them constructed of fine fabrics and beautifully sewn. I reached out and ran my hand across a smooth dark green tunic, faintly patterned with a design of silver leaves.
"Oh no you don't!" Arwen exclaimed, gently slapping my hand. I recoiled in surprise. "You keep forgetting you're not a winter anymore. Come with me."
Arwen continued to drag me about the store, holding tunics and cloaks against my body, her lovely face contorted into a lovely frown. I was silent throughout the procedure.
It was clear to me that something very strange was happening in Rivendell, something that affected not only Imladris itself, but the Elves who made it their home. True I had only encountered two Elves so far, but neither Glorfindel nor Arwen were acting at all like their usual selves. I could assume that Elrond had been affected as well, if he had allowed this to happen to his home. What it was, I couldn't imagine, for who in Middle-earth would desire this to happen to the Last Homely House?
Arwen's voice intruded upon my thoughts.
"This, and this, ooh, and this too!" she said, adding to the already large pile of clothing she had been heaping into my arms. "Why don't you just go in there and try them on?"
"My lady, I really must see . . ."
"Oh no!" Arwen scolded. "Not until you are properly garbed." And with that, she shoved me into a very small room and shut the door.
I must have tried on a hundred different combinations of clothing before Arwen was satisfied. Nearly all of my options had been exhausted when I came out of the dressing room in my final outfit. Immediately, Arwen's frustrated face broke into an immense grin as she beheld my ensemble - an exact copy of my previous outfit, several shades lighter.
"Oh, Legolas, that is so YOU!" She gushed, and immediately ran over to straighten my collar.
"I suppose." I muttered as Arwen busily tucked my hair behind my ears and dusted off my tunic.
"Now . . . how will you be paying?" she asked eagerly. I blinked.
"Payment?"
"Well certainly. You don't expect me to give away these fine clothes for free?" Arwen scoffed.
"I brought no money, my lady."
Arwen blanched slightly.
"No money?" she asked, as if the idea were quite shocking. "What ever possessed you to travel all the way from Mirkwood to Rivendell with no money?"
"I had no need of it. Or thought I would have none, at least." I replied.
"Oh . . ." Arwen groaned as she looked me up and down. "And you look so GOOD in them. Pity."
"Quite." I muttered. "Might I have my own clothes back now?"
Arwen glanced from my new garb to my rather dusty and travel-stained clothes in the dressing room.
"Oh, keep them, Legolas. I'll send your father the bill." She said briskly. "You can't POSSIBLY attend Daddy's council in those."
"Do you know why your father summoned me?" I interrupted.
"Well . . . I'm sure Daddy will tell you all about it when you see him." Arwen said, and I noticed that she was making her way out of the shop. "See you later, Legolas."
"Wait!" I called, dashing after the Evenstar. "Could you please take me to your father? I need to speak with him!"
"Sorry, Legolas, no can do." Arwen said, and I blinked at the Lady's odd talk. "I have to make sure Estel keeps his appointment with Glorfindel, you know, the man wouldn't shampoo at all if I didn't insist upon it."
I did not know what shampoo was, but I had more important things on my mind.
"Well do you have any idea where I could find him?" I asked.
"Oh, somewhere around here . . ." Arwen said vaguely, waving her hand about the hall as she walked into it. "He loves to wander the Mall."
"Thank you," I called, remembering to keep my manners around the daughter of Lord Elrond. I watched her walk away as I continued puzzling over my situation.
Arwen, like Glorfindel, seemed to have taken leave of her usual wise and kind manner. The Lady who I had encountered was almost nothing at all like the Arwen I knew, and more like some of the very young human females I had encountered. I was certain now that something was terribly wrong with Rivendell, and if it was bad enough to affect Arwen and Glorfindel (and perhaps Lord Elrond too), then it had to be put to a stop.
"Don't worry, my Lady." I whispered, casting a last glance at the Evenstar as she glided down the hall towards Glorfindel's salon. "I will find out what is causing this. I will return Imladris . . . and you, too, to their former selves."
Arwen looked back. "Did you say something?"
"No, my lady."
And I continued on my way to find Lord Elrond.
---
A/N: Hee hee. That was fun. ^_^
