"Hello, mother," I said. I closed my eyes slowly in defeat.
"I thought I told you not to go around being like that," she said, "Why can't you be like Calwaiel, she would never be like that- going off, bothering royalty, partaking in sword fights and archery competitions." I hated her so much. I did not want to care what she thought of me, yet my eyes started to water. She was my mother, how could I not care?
"Why must you always compare me to Calwaiel? Yes, we are twins, but we are also different people. Why can you not accept that?" I said, tears flowing down my cheek, "We are not alike, only physically. She is always right, and I am always wrong- is that not how it is? Are you embarrassed by me?"
"Canyaiel, you know that is not how it is. You are just so disagreeable and improper-"
"If father were here, he would understand!" I shouted back, "I hate you, mother! I hate you so much!"
"You are the worst daughter anyone could ever ask for!" she said back, before tossing her hair over her shoulders and walking out. I stood there, silent tears covering my face. The warmness stung at my eyes, and I could feel the hot crystals making their way down my cheek and onto the floor.
"I am sorry," I said, not looking at Legolas. I started walking back into the room.
"Wait," he said. I turned around.
"Please stop crying," he said, "it looks quite dreadful. I have never seen an Elf cry."
"Well, this is the first, and perhaps the last. I do not blame you if you should not like to spend anymore time with me," I replied, looking away.
"No, if anything, this should just make me spend more time with you. You are a mysterious one, Minaiell," he said, "And that makes me more interested."
"What does Minaiell mean?" I asked. It was not of the Quenya language, which most Elves in Imladris spoke.
He smiled, "So, the smart and wonderful Canyaiel does not know Sindarin?"
"Not quite, only a little- well, it sounds sort of like 'mína', eager, and 'iel', daughter."
"Ah ha! In Sindarin it means, well, if I split it up it is 'minai', unique, and 'iell', daughter. You were very near to the true meaning. Therefore, I name you 'unique-daughter.'"
"I did not wish for a name."
"Well, I did not either. Alas, now I am stuck with 'Lencundu'- 'slow- prince.' You can not say that 'Minaiell' is worse than 'Lencundu,'" he said grinning.
"No," I said slowly, still upset, "I suppose not." He sighed.
"What?" I asked him.
"Why will you not laugh and be happy as before?"
"I never knew Elf-boys to be so ignorant! You are not a disgrace to your family, are you? Have you ever been?"
He frowned a little, "No. I suppose not. Still, you should not let you, I mean, you should not let that despair you," he seemed to be trying to find the right words, "you are a very different person, Minaiell. You are different.
"And that makes you lovely and interesting. There are many maidens like your sister, but there are none quite like you. I like you, Canyaiel, you are not artificial. You do not fear the thoughts of others," he said, "Do not change to please others."
His words made me smile, "Thank you. Those are the nicest words I have ever heard anyone say." I sighed. We both stood there in silence; waiting on the balcony for something neither of us knew what. The sun was making its way across the horizon- she was nearly setting. I could still feel it on my cheek- the dry paths that tears had once traveled.
"Canyaiel and Legolas? I would have never thought. . ." trailed off a voice that came from the room.
"Elrohir!" I shouted happily. I turned around and ran into the room and threw my usable arm around him.
"Now, now," I mockingly scolded him, "Do not jump to any conclusions."
"How is your arm?" he asked. I shook my head a little.
"It is all right. I fear I shall not be able to use a sword properly, even though I use my other arm- or a bow and arrow."
Elrohir smiled, "Of course, leave it to Canyaiel to immediately think of using weapons."
"Perhaps it is time that a maiden could actually use a weapon. I dislike ruining these moments like this, but times are changing," came the voice of Lord Elrond. I looked to the hall and saw him standing there with Lord Thranduil and Lady Celebrían.
"I thought I told you not to go around being like that," she said, "Why can't you be like Calwaiel, she would never be like that- going off, bothering royalty, partaking in sword fights and archery competitions." I hated her so much. I did not want to care what she thought of me, yet my eyes started to water. She was my mother, how could I not care?
"Why must you always compare me to Calwaiel? Yes, we are twins, but we are also different people. Why can you not accept that?" I said, tears flowing down my cheek, "We are not alike, only physically. She is always right, and I am always wrong- is that not how it is? Are you embarrassed by me?"
"Canyaiel, you know that is not how it is. You are just so disagreeable and improper-"
"If father were here, he would understand!" I shouted back, "I hate you, mother! I hate you so much!"
"You are the worst daughter anyone could ever ask for!" she said back, before tossing her hair over her shoulders and walking out. I stood there, silent tears covering my face. The warmness stung at my eyes, and I could feel the hot crystals making their way down my cheek and onto the floor.
"I am sorry," I said, not looking at Legolas. I started walking back into the room.
"Wait," he said. I turned around.
"Please stop crying," he said, "it looks quite dreadful. I have never seen an Elf cry."
"Well, this is the first, and perhaps the last. I do not blame you if you should not like to spend anymore time with me," I replied, looking away.
"No, if anything, this should just make me spend more time with you. You are a mysterious one, Minaiell," he said, "And that makes me more interested."
"What does Minaiell mean?" I asked. It was not of the Quenya language, which most Elves in Imladris spoke.
He smiled, "So, the smart and wonderful Canyaiel does not know Sindarin?"
"Not quite, only a little- well, it sounds sort of like 'mína', eager, and 'iel', daughter."
"Ah ha! In Sindarin it means, well, if I split it up it is 'minai', unique, and 'iell', daughter. You were very near to the true meaning. Therefore, I name you 'unique-daughter.'"
"I did not wish for a name."
"Well, I did not either. Alas, now I am stuck with 'Lencundu'- 'slow- prince.' You can not say that 'Minaiell' is worse than 'Lencundu,'" he said grinning.
"No," I said slowly, still upset, "I suppose not." He sighed.
"What?" I asked him.
"Why will you not laugh and be happy as before?"
"I never knew Elf-boys to be so ignorant! You are not a disgrace to your family, are you? Have you ever been?"
He frowned a little, "No. I suppose not. Still, you should not let you, I mean, you should not let that despair you," he seemed to be trying to find the right words, "you are a very different person, Minaiell. You are different.
"And that makes you lovely and interesting. There are many maidens like your sister, but there are none quite like you. I like you, Canyaiel, you are not artificial. You do not fear the thoughts of others," he said, "Do not change to please others."
His words made me smile, "Thank you. Those are the nicest words I have ever heard anyone say." I sighed. We both stood there in silence; waiting on the balcony for something neither of us knew what. The sun was making its way across the horizon- she was nearly setting. I could still feel it on my cheek- the dry paths that tears had once traveled.
"Canyaiel and Legolas? I would have never thought. . ." trailed off a voice that came from the room.
"Elrohir!" I shouted happily. I turned around and ran into the room and threw my usable arm around him.
"Now, now," I mockingly scolded him, "Do not jump to any conclusions."
"How is your arm?" he asked. I shook my head a little.
"It is all right. I fear I shall not be able to use a sword properly, even though I use my other arm- or a bow and arrow."
Elrohir smiled, "Of course, leave it to Canyaiel to immediately think of using weapons."
"Perhaps it is time that a maiden could actually use a weapon. I dislike ruining these moments like this, but times are changing," came the voice of Lord Elrond. I looked to the hall and saw him standing there with Lord Thranduil and Lady Celebrían.
