"Are you to ever come with me to Rhûn with me?" Prince Tellyn asked his lovely betrothed.

            "I certainly hope not," Laesien mumbled, not looking away from her book.

            "It shall be your kingdom.  I think that it would be best if you knew what it looked like, at least.  Perhaps we can arrange something-"

            "There will be no arranging," Laesien replied firmly as she turned the cream-colored page.  Yet, though she spoke with power, her words kept their even and apathetic value, the kind she always used when focusing her words on her betrothed.  The boy was insufferable, and it was a wonder that she had not yet gone insane from having to keep him company.  In the past, the lovely girl would vent to her older sister in order to deal with speaking to her prince, but more recently she discovered that the best way to face him was to simply not care.  Luckily, not caring was something that she did best.

            "What of the arranging of our marriage, hmm?"  Tellyn was rather excited at the idea of marrying the daughter of Aragorn and Arwen, and he always had been since the moment he saw her.  Her beauty was no secret to anyone that passed her.  Her sister Zerameth had a sort of hard beauty… it was hard to describe, but it was there.  It was sort of like the beauty of rushing rapids: beautiful and dangerous.  Laesien, however, was a more simple, innocent sort of beauty.  She was softer, and not as outspoken.  That was what Tellyn loved about her.  He could not deny Zerameth's fair features, but he always felt that he received the better of the two sisters.

            "You may leave now," Laesien told him.

            "I do not think that would be a good idea.  What would your parents have to say?  And honestly, you are not very entertaining, sitting there all day reading your books."

            "Royalty shall never begin a sentence with "and" or "but," " Laesien stated, repeating a lesson taught to her long ago.

            "I am the man, I will tell you what royalty does," Tellyn replied hotly.  "I-"

            "A king should never raise his voice to his queen.  Besides, Prince Tellyn, you are not a man, but a boy."

            "Nor am I a king nor you my queen."

            "We may as well start practicing.  It seems as if I am doomed to you."  Laesien closed her book on her finger to keep her place and stood.  She started to the door, and Tellyn walked after her.  "Good gracious," she breathed with a sigh as her hands pulled on the handle of the door.  "Must you follow me?"

            "What do you mean "doomed?" "

            "I mean precisely what I said, good prince.  Doomed: destiny or fate; hence, ruin; death."  Laesien was glad to announce the meaning of the word.

            "I don't appreciate-"

            "You are to never use contractions around me.  My mother is very strict at how Men are to speak."

            "What does your mother say of interrupting people, for that is the second time you have done so in the past two minutes?"

            Laesien held her head up and turned down the hall.  "Those that I do not care to hear shall not be heard."

            Tellyn sighed and followed her.  Though a beauty, Laesien could be quite a snobbish girl when she felt as if she wanted to be so.  He had vowed to change her the moment he found that out, which was about two years ago, starting the moment they were wed.

            "And where exactly are you going to now?" Tellyn asked her.

            Laesien cleared her throat to point out his error at the beginning of his question, but did not bother to point it out in words.  She replied, though stiffly, with the words, "I am hungry.  That, and I should also not mind finding out how Prince Addrynnyn performed this afternoon at his contest."

            "Is he staying until next month?" Tellyn asked.  He had thought that he heard something of that sort.

            "Mirkwood is arriving in three days, and they will be competing two days after they arrive.  After that, he is to return to Eriador."

            "Mirkwood… which of the elves will be going against him."

            "Prince Ohtar, among other citizens there," Laesien answered.  She knew that Zerameth would be excited to see Ohtar again, for they had not seen him since the Salerna Laut; that horrible war in which so many people who were close to them had vanished.  Zerameth still missed Yrinvan, Laesien knew, because she talked about him from time to time.  Had he lived, she may have married him.  Otherwise, perhaps she would have chosen to marry Ohtar, and perhaps her parents and his parents would allow it.  Arwen and Aragorn would have been more understanding, for they were a mortal/elven couple, but Legolas and Gwilith, Ohtar's own parents, would have been harder to persuade.  Zerameth, a mortal, and Ohtar, an elf, would have had quite the hard time, should they have ended up together.  However, they had loved each other.

            "You are hiding something," Tellyn observed by the expression on Laesien's face.

            "Of course not," she replied.  "Why would you think such a thing?"

            "You like this Prince of Mirkwood, perhaps?" Tellyn pressed.

            Laesien laughed.  "Oh, no, not me."  Then, after her words, her smile disappeared and she looked at Tellyn in alarm.  "I mean… that- that is not what I meant."

            "Zerameth?" Tellyn demanded.

            "No!"

            "She seemed so happy with Addrynnyn.  I never thought that she would be in love with someone else…"

            "Tellyn, listen to me, you cannot speak of this to anyone," Laesien told him.  Her usual apathetic tone was totally dissolved, and now she spoke with panic and worry.  "She does love Addrynnyn, she truly does, and he loves her.  If you dared to tell anyone, it could destroy any relationship that they have together.  You cannot, under any circumstance, say anything to anyone.  Do you understand?"

            " 'Tis not a big deal," Tellyn told her.  "Many people have other loves than their betrothed."

            "Tellyn!  Please, you mustn't.  It is not about destroying them getting married, but about destroying their marriage in itself.  He would never forgive her, and they would be bitter together forever.  Please."

            "What of this orphan boy?"

            Laesien's eyes grew yet again.  He was, no doubt, speaking of Yrinvan.  The surprising thing was that he knew about him at all.  Yrinvan had been a sort of secret between Laesien and Zerameth, and few other people knew of him.  Aragorn and Arwen did, but they never spoke of him.  Some of the servants knew of him, but they, also, never said anything.  What's more, how did Tellyn not only know of Yrinvan, but have a suspicion that Zerameth had loved him as well?

            "What do you know of him?" she demanded.

            "He was in the Salerna Laut, though that is about the extent of my knowledge.  Why, have you something to say of him?"

            "You think that I would tell you more than you already know, you snake?!" his firey maiden snapped.  "You already know too much.  Now, you must not say anything, agreed?"

            "What shall you tell me for my silence?"

            Laesien glared at him.  She would not speak of Yrinvan, no matter what the consequence.  The less he was remembered, the less pain everyone would have to go through.  They had all loved the boy on some scale, though for her she loved him more as a brother than anything else.  Maybe that was why she always wanted Zerameth to marry him… because she thought that he would make a fine brother.  In any case, she would tell Tellyn nothing of him.

            "Nothing.  Say what you wish, but we have no deal."  Laesien turned to continue walking, but Tellyn grabbed her arm.

            "Respect," he said.  "You pay me respect for my silence.  Is that fair?"

            "Do not think that for a moment you have me fooled," Laesien told him.  "What kind of respect."

            "The kind that fiancés are to have for each other.  That means kisses occasionally, and pleasant tones, and more than a glance from you.  Agreed?"

            Tellyn had been trying to kiss her since the moment they met, and she now thought I should have known it would come back to this.  No matter what he or she thought, however, she could not let him ruin Addrynnyn and Zerameth's relationship, for they were close.  Much closer than she was to Tellyn, anyway, and she wanted her sister to have a good marriage.  She had one thought, that you could not have a good marriage without honesty, and so Addrynnyn should know about Ohtar anyway, but then she told herself that it was much better if Zerameth told him herself than Tellyn.  So, she still needed his silence, which was currently being offered.

            "You shall only put your lips to my cheek, do you understand?" Laesien said, now talking down on him once again, as she had come into the habit of doing.  Tellyn nodded.  "Also, the moment that I suspect you have said anything, the deal is dropped."

            "Should you fail to cooperate with me, then I will mention something to the prince," Tellyn replied.  "It works both ways."

            Laesien nodded.  "Agreed.  You must give me a chance, though.  If I am doing something wrong you are to tell me, and if I refuse, then and only then are you clear to speak.  If you tell me something and I consent, then you have no reason to speak."

            Tellyn nodded.  "I wonder what your sister shall say when she finds out of this agreement."

            "She shall never find out," Laesien continued.  "No one ever shall.  The moment that she tells Prince Addrynnyn of him is the moment that our pact ends, and we are each free to do as we please."

            Tellyn nodded.  "All right."