Chapter 4.

Miriel stared as though transfixed at the stranger whose face was half hidden, but whose eyes were bright like the sun. Then, the trumpets sounded again in the distance. Miriel and the stranger broke their gaze and looked towards the city. By the time the stranger looked back, Miriel was gone.

~*~

Legolas furrowed his brow and quickly looked up and surveyed his surroundings. He spotted the maiden in the blue dress running swiftly between trees, back to the city. Why had she run? Who was she? The questions ran through Legolas' mind, while the image of her beautiful face lingered in front of his eyes. He spurred his horse on and resumed his journey towards the city, all the while looking out for the girl. As he reached the castle, he saw her, slipping into one of the nearby houses, with a last glance back towards him.

The cheering that erupted as he dismounted and threw his hood back, revealing his true identity, interrupted Legolas' thoughts. His face spread into a grin as he bounded up the steps of the castle, to see his father.

The reunion was a tearful one. Thranduil was so relieved and happy that Legolas was home that he ordered for a feast to be prepared and for the whole of Mirkwood to be invited.

~*~

Later, Miriel stood in the doorway of her home with Silien as they read the invitation. The feast was to be held the next night at the palace. Now Miriel knew who the stranger on horseback was. Somehow, after she had glanced into his piercing blue eyes, she had not been able to stop thinking about him. She would never have thought, from the way he dressed, or his mannerisms that he was a prince and then she had found out that he was in fact, Legolas, prince and heir to the thrown of Greenwood, the largest, most spectacular forest in all of Middle Earth.

The next evening, Miriel surveyed herself in the full-length mirror in her bedroom. She was wearing a white and silver silk gown, with a form fitting bodice and long flowing skirt. The sleeves were long and billowing, slit at the wrists. Miriel had done nothing special to her hair but pulled the top layer back and secured it with a string of beautiful white flowers. She had tied her hair back with flowers for the past one year, in memory of her mother who had done the same when she was alive. Miriel's thoughts drifted to her beautiful mother as she picked up the turquoise pendant on the silver chain her mother had given her.

"Miriel, are you ready?" Silien asked, entering the bedroom and stirring Miriel out of her reverie. She took the chain and fastened it around Miriel's neck. The pendant gleamed at Miriel's smooth neck.

"Yes, where is Dormallen?"

"He has been at the palace since morning helping to set up the dining hall along with the rest of the guard. That elf lives for the moments he spends with his fellow soldiers," Silien said with a laugh.

"Nay my friend, he also lives for the time he spends with you," Miriel said, grinning at the older maiden.

Silien grinned and took Miriel's hand in her own. They proceeded towards the palace, following the large crowd of elves already making their way there. They were ushered to a table by one of the servants where Dormallen and a few of his fellow soldiers and their families were already seated. Miriel and Silien waved and said hello to many of their students on the way.

"I wonder if any of the other maidens look as stunning as the two of you tonight," he said, kissing both their hands. Silien laughed and planted a kiss on her husband's cheek.

"And I wonder if any other soldier is looking more handsome than you tonight." She said, gesturing to Dormallen's dark green outfit.

At that moment King Thranduil stepped up onto the podium. "I would like to thank each and every one here for gracing this truly wonderful occasion. I must admit that for many months I feared Legolas was in grave danger when he did not return from his journey to Rivendell as a messenger. When I heard the trumpets signaling the arrival of my son, joy that no words can express filled my heart. Legolas has told me that his return was postponed for almost a year due to his involvement in great part in the War of the Ring. Ladies and gentlemen, in addition to celebrating the return of my son, it gives me great pleasure to inform you that we are also celebrating the final destruction of the Dark Lord Sauron!" Thranduil said. The cheering of all the elves drowned his voice out.

Thranduil held out a hand to someone at the side of the podium and Legolas, dressed in beautiful, dark blue raiment that brought out the color of his eyes, stepped onto the podium, after which the volume of the cheering increased.

~*~

Legolas took another sip of his wine as he watched the turquoise-eyed maiden he had seen the day before laugh with her friend. She was extremely beautiful. He wondered whether he should ask her to dance; yet he felt slightly nervous. As though she could feel him staring at her, she turned, and looked straight at him. She smiled slightly and held his gaze, then turned back to her friend.

Legolas set down his goblet of wine and walked over to the maiden. "Would you like to dance," he asked, extending his hand for her to take.

She looked stunned for a moment, then took his hand and gracefully followed him to the dance floor. They found a rhythm and started dancing.

"You are a wonderful dancer," he told her as they twirled around the dance floor. Miriel blushed at the compliment.

"You are a wonderful dancer as well Prince Legolas," she replied.

Legolas chuckled. "You know my name, o fair lady, yet I do not know yours," he said, smiling down at her.

"My name is Miriel, I am a tutor," she said, only then realizing how tall Legolas really was. She herself was taller than many elven maidens she knew, but Legolas still towered over her. She smiled to herself quietly as they continued to dance around the floor.

~*~

Later that night, Legolas finally escorted Miriel back to her seat. "Well goodbye, Prince Legolas, thank you for the wonderful evening," she said politely.

"Please call me Legolas. And this is not goodbye my lady. I think we will see much more of each other as time progresses," he said, holding on to her hand slightly longer than necessary before smiling and turning away.