Author's note: Okay, this is the rest of the ball…it will pick up right where the last one left off.

            Just as Venitia was about to reply, her father came over. 

            "Sorry my dear, but may I borrow our daughter for a moment?" he said.

            Arwen smiled and said, "Of course."

            Aragorn led his eldest daughter out onto the dance floor and they started waltzing.

            "What you said was really touching," he said. "I did not know you felt that way."

            "Neither did I," she replied. "I had no idea that that would come out…I guess I got caught up in the moment."

            He smiled.  "Speaking of your sister, why has she suddenly been clinging to Teagan all night?"

            "I introduced them and they seemed to get on well. Very well, as a matter of fact," she said.

            Her father seemed to think before saying, "Do you think she could have fallen in love?" he said with a smile.

            Venitia merely shrugged. At that moment the waltz ended and Aragorn mischievously led Venny right to Donovan, who was standing on the sidelines, watching.

            Aragorn winked at his daughter, and left to find his wife. Venitia rolled her eyes, but said to Donovan, "Want some more practice?"

            He laughed and nodded.  They waltzed for a half hour when suddenly little Muriel came running up to Venny and clung to her skirts.

            "I don't want to leave.  They can't make me! Tell them, Venitia, that I can stay! Please?" she exclaimed.

            Venitia laughed, but said, "I'm sorry, dear, but it's only fair. I had to leave balls at eight when I was your age, as did Almira."

            "But…"

            "No buts…tell you what, how about you can stay in your dress until you feel sleepy?"

            Muriel seemed to think for a second, and then nodded. She bounced out of the ballroom followed by two very harassed-looking servants.

            Turning her attention back to Donovan, Venitia said, "Want to go outside? I feel very hot in here."

            "Of course," he said, and they left out the entrance that led to one of the gardens.

            "I did not believe in love at first sight until tonight," they heard Teagan's voice saying. 

            "Oh, stop," Almira's giggling voice said.

            "Would it be presumptuous of me to say I'm in love with you?"

            "Oh, Teagan I…that is, I…I think I'm in love with you, too," Almira finally said.

            Donovan and Venitia were pressed against a tree, trying very hard not to breathe heavily.  Teagan and Almira must have been kissing, for they stopped talking.

            Venitia beckoned Donovan to follow her, and they made it to the other side of the garden without being noticed.

            "Whew…I'm not sure if I wanted to hear that," Venitia said.

            But Donovan was only laughing.

            "What? What are you laughing about?" Venitia said, unfortunately realizing that his laughter was contagious, and she started to laugh as well.

            "That man is something, isn't he?" Donovan managed to say.

            "What do you mean?"

            "Well, most men would never be able to tell a woman how they felt until long after they met, and he just goes ahead and says it," he said, still laughing.

            "Yes, I guess you're right," she said, now laughing, too. "Of course, I never would have thought that Almira would say that so soon, as well.  She really must be in over her head."

            They eventually stopped laughing, and Venitia sat down on a bench.  Donovan, however, remained standing, looking up at the stars.

            "It is a beautiful night," he said.

            "Yes, it is," she agreed, and involuntarily shivered.

            "Oh, here," he said, and took off his jacket and gave it to her.

            "Thank you," she said, and laid it across her shoulders.

            "It's a funny thing, love – isn't it?" she said suddenly.

            Donovan shrugged, "Yes, I suppose so."

            "I mean, some people fall in love straightaway, some people take years to fall in love. Some people think they're in love when they're not," she said, more to herself than to him.

            "It is hard thing to express," he said, sounding somewhat restrained. "I mean, there are some men like Teagan, who just say whatever is on their mind.  Then there are others who can never seem to find the right words to say."

            "My mother's father tried to tell my father to forget about my mother, that she should leave him to be with her own people.  They didn't exactly listen to him," she laughed.

            "I guess not," Donovan said, smiling.

            "But isn't it strange that some people have to fight obstacles to get their love while others just find it?"

            He nodded and sat down next to her. "It seems to me that the people who most deserve love always have to fight for it while others just…find it," he finished.

            She turned her head to look at him. "But why? Fate?"

            He turned to face her as well. "Maybe. Maybe some people are just lucky."

            "Then why are some people so good at expressing it?"

            He shrugged. "Who knows? Some men are just more… debonair than others."

            "But the men who aren't as debonair shouldn't have to suppress love just because they can't express it," she said, aware that they were getting closer and closer.

            "I…know," he said softly, and finally reached her lips. Venitia closed her eyes and saw fireworks.  He was strong but soft and she was fully aware that she was kissing him back.

            When they finally parted he said, "I'm sorry…I…I shouldn't have done that," as he got up.

            She found herself not able to say anything.

            "Excuse me, your highness," he said and quickly started walking away.

            "But-" she said too late. He had already reached the palace, and was no doubt halfway to his quarters by now.

            She sat back down with a plunk and stayed there.  She found it impossible to overcome the amazement at what had just happened. 

            How could I have been so blind? Not even blind, I've just been plain dumb! I love him!…wait, I love him? How?

            She continued in this vein for some time. Suddenly her head became very clear, and she leapt up from where she was sitting.  She headed back through the gardens, past Teagan and her sister passionately kissing, and into the ballroom. 

            In vain she looked around the ballroom, but saw no sign of him.  Her parents were dancing and many courtiers remained.  She glanced at the clock, which read ten o'clock. She tried to leave the ballroom, hoping to be unnoticed, but she had no such luck.

            "Your highness!" It was that odious Lady Bernadine. "Your highness, that was such a stirring speech you made! Oh, it positively put tears in my eyes!"

            "Thank you, Lady Bernadine," she said distantly. "If you'll excuse me…"

            "Oh, your highness, you will dance with my son, won't you?" the pompous woman went on, paying no attention to her.  A nervous looking young man of probably seventeen walked over to them.

            "Now, Noam, don't be shy," the poor boy's mother said to him. He bowed nervously to Venny.

            "Would…would you care to dance?" he said timidly.

            Completely torn with wanting to run from the ballroom and pity for the young man in front of her, Venitia was about to speak when Lady Bernadine practically forced her hand in her son's and guided them to the floor.

            "I re…really enjoyed your…your speech earlier," he said, trying to make conversation.

            Venitia impatiently smiled and tried to force the orchestra to play faster with her eyes.

            The boy occasionally said something polite, but Venitia never answered so he soon stopped trying.  The waltz finally ended.

            "So sorry, Noam, was it?  It was wonderful, really it was!" she said as she scurried up the stairs.

            "Nice to…meet you," she heard him say.  She waved while running out of the room.

            Taking off her shoes, she ran barefoot through the halls until she reached the east side of the palace.  She bounded through the door that led to the soldiers' quarters, where they all poked their heads out of the door in surprise at the princess running through their hall.  She reached Donovan's room and threw the door open.

            "Donovan, I just wanted to –" she abruptly stopped.

            The room was empty. Completely empty.  Not one thing was left in it, except a note.

            Lieutenant:

                        Sorry to have left so soon and with no reason.  Please inform the king that I will no longer be able to fulfill my duties as trainer of the princess.  Tell him that she has completed her training wonderfully and need not study more. 

            Donovan Second Class

Venitia froze.  He left? But, why? This night hadn't been enough to scare him away, had it?

            Then another thought entered her mind. What if she couldn't find him? What if he had gone away where no one knew that he was there and never came back? Then what would she do?

            Slightly panicking, she dashed back out of the room.

            "Where is the lieutenant?" she asked a nearby soldier.

            "Third door on the right, your highness," he answered.

            "Thanks," she said and ran toward the room.  She entered and thrust the note in his hand. The burly lieutenant read it quickly with a look of puzzlement on his face.

            "Donovan? But, why would he have left?" he said in a grizzly voice.

            Venitia only shrugged and said, "Where would he have gone?"

            "Home, maybe?"

            "Where's home?"

            "Somewhere out in the country…to the west, I think."

            "Are you sure? Could you show me on a map?"

            He nodded and went to the large map hanging on his wall. "Somewhere around here, I believe, your highness."

            "How far is that?"

            "On horseback, it would probably be a two-day journey."

            Venitia nodded, staring at the map, trying to memorize the spot he was pointing to.

            "Are you going to try and retrieve your trainer, your highness?" the lieutenant asked.

            Oo, good cover, she thought. "Yes, yes that is exactly what I was thinking."

            "Well, I'm not sure why the man would go home…from what he's told me, his family wasn't exactly loving."

            "Maybe he went to mend that," she offered.

            The lieutenant only shrugged. "Seems like a strange way to leave, though.  Just scurrying off like that, not even bothering to properly say good-bye or take his leave."

            Venitia feigned a puzzled face.  "You don't think…I mean, you don't think anything would scare him away, do you?"

            "That soldier? Nah, he's tough. Not even a woman would scare him off," he said.

            Venitia sighed.

            "I could accompany you, if you like.  Or I could have one of my soldiers to do it," he offered.

            "Thank you, but I think I'll go alone," she said.

            He nodded. "Whatever you wish, your highness," he said.

            She nodded. "Well, thank you for all of your help, lieutenant."

            "Of course, your highness."

            She left the soldier's quarters and made for her own room.  Without even bothering to undress she crawled into bed and involuntarily began to cry. She cried for what seemed like a long time when her door softly opened.

            "Darling? Are you alright?" her mother's voice came from out of the dark.

            Venny only sniffled. Her mother crossed the room and lay down next to her daughter.

            "You never returned, I was worried," she said.  "I accidentally ran into a soldier; he said that Donovan left?"

            Venitia only nodded. Her mother started to stroke her hair.

            "Oh darling," she said. "Men are strange, aren't they?"

            Venitia looked up at her mother in confusion. Arwen smiled.

            "One time, I knew my father had talked to your father, and it had not been good.  He tried to give the evenstar back to me, saying I should leave to be with my own people, to forget about him.  Well, needless to say that didn't happen."

            Venitia laughed softly.

            "They seem to always be stronger in body, but we always seem to be stronger in mind, don't you think?" Arwen said.

            Venitia smiled.

            "They don't become scared at the sight of fifteen hundred orcs, but they can become scared of one woman and love," her mother laughed. "I think you may have noticed your sister fell quite in love tonight."

            Venitia laughed and said, "Yes, I noticed."

            "If I miss my guess, I think you may have just realized you have been in love tonight as well," she said softly.

            Venitia sighed. "Yes, I'm afraid so."

            "Well, there is only one thing to do."

            "What is that, Mother?"

            "Go find him. Don't let him get away. If he knows what's right for him, he won't stay away," she said.

            Venitia smiled. Her mother kissed her forehead and got up to leave.

            "Mama?"

            "Yes, dear."

            "You never gave up Father, did you?"

            "No, I never did. Go to sleep, melamin."

            Somehow much more relaxed and clear-minded, Venitia fell asleep.