Ok…here goes!
Chap 19
Venitia gasped. She blinked hard, then stared at the man in front of her.
"I…I'm sorry," she said. "I was supposed to meet someone here. Maybe I came to the wrong place…" she trailed off.
"No, you, um, came to the right place."
"Oh…did someone send you or…" She only asked this because, even in the darkness, she could tell he was dressed in servant's clothing.
"No," he said, sounding a bit hurt.
"No, it's not that…I just…" she faltered. She walked a little closer. He looked nervous, but didn't move back.
"Your highness, maybe I should explain. I only just started working for your father, and I…I was immediately…taken with you. I was careful not to let you know who I was and…and I always have been skilled at…well. I know it would never work, but I couldn't hide any longer," he said almost all in one breath.
She was still standing, stunned. She hadn't known what to expect, but she had definitely not been expecting this.
"Your notes were beautiful," she said softly.
"They were?" he said, sounding hopeful.
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"What…what is your name?" she asked.
"My name?"
She nodded.
"My name… is not important, your highness. I just wanted to let you know that someone…" Just then, the moon shone through the trees, and she caught a glimpse of him for a second. He was tall, with strong features. She couldn't tell what color his eyes were, but they glinted in the light.
She saw his eyes open wide, and he stepped back into the darkness. She tried to move closer to him, but he moved farther back.
"I'm sorry, your highness. Maybe this was a bad idea," he said as he continued to retreat.
"No! Wait…" she called as he reached the other side of the bridge and began walking faster.
"What's your name?!" she called after him, but he didn't stop.
She sat down on the railing of the bridge, staring at the moonlit waters. A servant? That was…strange. But sweet, too. It wasn't like she looked down on him or anything, but…she was leaving soon, and there seemed to be no point in starting anything now.
She sighed heavily and sadly. Things just never seemed to work out for her… maybe this trip was just what she needed to get away from it all.
She walked slowly and forlornly back to the palace. It took her a good forty-five minutes, for she kept stopping to look at leaves and mindless things. She finally reached the stable. Unconsciously she walked in and went to Crystal's stable. She absent-mindedly petted the horse, who had been trying to sleep. Venitia leaned her head against the horse's, and sighed again. Softly, she began to sing.
(A/N – this isn't Middle-earthy because it's from Aida – It's pretty long if you don't want to read it all just skip to the bottom)
We all lead such elaborate lives
Wild ambitions in our sights
How an affair of the heart survives
Days apart, and hurried nights
Seems quite unbelievable to me
I don't want to live like that
Seems quite unbelievable to me
I don't want to love like that
I just want our time to be slower, gentler
Wiser, free
We all live in extravagant times
Playing games, we can't all win
Unintended emotional crimes
Takes some out, takes others in
Too many choices tear us apart
I don't want to live like that
Too many choices tear us apart
I don't want to love like that
I just want to keep your heart
May this confession be the start
I know you gave me courage
To face what I must face
With all these complications
In another time and place
We all lead such elaborate lives
We don't know whose words are true
An affair of the heart survives
All the pain this world can do
I'm so tired of all we're going through
I don't want to live like that
I'm so tired of all we're going through
I don't want to love like that
I just want to be with you
Now and forever
Peaceful, true. (Lyrics by Tim Rice)
The horses were snoozing, and Venitia did not feel like walking back to the palace. A beat-up sofa was at the end of the stable…she staggered over to it and laid down, and immediately fell asleep.
She woke suddenly the next morning with a head full of hay. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, and sat up. She sat there for quite some time, thinking over the events of the previous night. She still couldn't get over how surprise she was. Some of the horses were gone; their owners must have come already. How stupid had she looked, the princess sleeping in the stable with hay hair? She shrugged and stood up. She stretched high, when her mother came into the stable.
"Venitia! There you are my darling! I was starting to get worried when I couldn't find you…what did you do, sleep in the stable?" she said.
Venitia nodded sheepishly. Her mother giggled and wrapped her arm around Venny's shoulder. Then they both walked back to the palace.
"Go have some breakfast, melamin," her mother said.
A growling in her stomach answered for her, and Venitia left her mother in the hall. She stopped by the kitchen, where she was laughed at for her hay hair. She laughed with them, then went to her room to begin the removal process.
However, when she reached her room, she found her sister inside.
"There you – what happened to you?" Almira said as she started to laugh hysterically.
"I slept in the stables. Why, do I look odd?" Venitia asked innocently.
"You…you have…hay…everywhere," Almira got out while laughing uncontrollably.
For the first time, Venitia looked in a mirror. She started laughing wildly as well, and the two sisters rolled on the bed.
When they finally calmed down, Venitia asked why Almira was in her room.
"Well, I wanted to give you something for your trip," Almira said.
"Oh, Almira you don't-"
But Almira interrupted her. "It's nothing big, but, well, here." She handed her something wrapped in paper.
Venitia took it and slowly opened it. It was beautifully carven leaf pendant.
"I got it in Mirkwood for you when I went to visit Legolas, but I never found the opportunity to give it to you," Almira said.
"It's beautiful," Venitia said, and reached over to hug her sister.
Her sister smiled and got up.
"I have to go meet…well, I, uh…I have to go," Almira said hastily.
Venitia laughed and waved. She placed the pendant on her dresser and sat down in front of her mirror. She pulled hay out of her hair for half an hour and then took a bath.
She was wondering what she was supposed to pack when a knock came at her door.
"Who is it?" she called.
"General Gautier, your highness."
"Oh! General, come on in."
He opened the door and came into her room. He surveyed the floor, which was strewn with clothes and odd objects.
"I was just…deciding what I need to pack," she explained.
"I see. Well, I came to inform you that we leaved Friday, bright and early. Also, you, ahem, don't need to pack too much," he said.
"Right. Thank you!" she said as he left. He bowed briskly and shut the door.
She found what she had used to call her 'mannish clothes' from the piles on the floor. She giggled softly at the first time she had met Donovan, and how she hadn't even known how to get the clothes on. She sighed and pushed them into her pack.
The week came and went, and Friday morning came. Venitia was woken up at four in the morning by her father, who said she needed to get up now if they were ever going to get to say good-bye.
She got dressed and grabbed her stuff. She left her room and went to the front of the palace, where she saw Crystal her horse waiting for her. She secured her pack to the horse, and petted her on the nose.
She saw her family waiting for her on the steps. She walked over to them.
"I'm going to miss you, Venny," Muriel said, wrapping her arms around Venitia's legs.
"I'll miss you too," Venitia said, bending down and giving her a hug.
"Here, this is for you," her littlest sister said, holding out a painting.
Venitia took it, and saw that it was a painting of her family. Somehow Muriel had drawn herself right into the picture.
"Thank you," Venitia said, squeezing her tight.
"Well, I hope you have as much fun as I did," Almira said. Venitia smiled and hugged her.
She moved on to her parents.
"This will be an experience for you," her mother said in Elvish. "Be careful. We will be desperately waiting for you to return." She hugged her daughter tight, and Venitia saw tears in her eyes. Determined not to cry, Venitia screwed her face up really tight and took a deep breath.
"This is for you," her father said. He pulled out a long, shining sword, gilded with jewels. "I had it made for you. It's name is Katima." He placed it in her hands. She held it up, then placed it in her gilt.
"Thank you," she whispered in his ear as she hugged him. "I love you, Father."
"I love you, too. Be careful. But more importantly, have fun," he said with a smile.
She grinned back at him.
"Your highness! Are you prepared to leave?" the general called.
She turned and called, "Yes!" and walked away from the palace steps. She mounted Crystal, and with one last wave to her family, left the palace.
A/N: Hehe, I know, I was being evil. But it worked, right? Ok, I don't know if that was a stupid resolution to the admirer thing. Hope it was ok. Please review!!! What will happen on the expedition? Who knows! Also, I tried my hand at Legolas fic, so go over and read that as well, please! I decided to post the next chapter as well so you won't lose interest. :) *Emma*
