Chapter 32
Aevonien had moved. But her old house still had the same young elf maiden tending their garden, so she asked her and headed for Aevonien's new location. Looking up at the towering building where her best friend now lived she wondered how in the world she had managed to get there.
A slight elf answered her soft knocks, she was quiet and only glanced at her before gesturing her in and shutting the door soundlessly behind her before leading her through the airy hallways. It was uncommon for such children to work like this for pocket change. Often enough when soldiers to be wanted a real sword or their first bow well crafted they worked on their own to pay for it themselves. It was an issue of honor. For women it was often for jewelry or other things. She had bought working clothes so her parent's wouldn't find forge burns on her dresses.
The girl led her to an airy room filled from floor to ceiling with ornate bookshelves and comfortable chairs. Her friend was sitting straight and unnaturally proper in one just before the window, a book opened to the light. A quick look was all it took to tell the situation not entirely true if not false.
"Aevonien my friend, you are as talented as ever. One would think sitting like that it would be impossible to get all those crinkles in one's skirt!" she pointed out cheerfully.
Her friend abruptly slouched and stretched giving her a long thoughtful stare. "Lilluil, long time no see. And of course I'm talented, have I ever been anything but?"
Her friend leapt up and they embraced warmly. It was as if she had never left, the friendship between them was as strong as she had ever felt it. But there were other things to be done. She grasped Aevon's arms and put her from her. "We need to talk."
Her friend's stern voice shocked her as she replied. "Yes, we do."
Mutually serious they instinctively straightened and seated themselves, sitting straight and tense with importance. She waited for a moment before it was clear that she should go first. It had always been that way, but for courtesy's sake.
"Aevon, I've got a problem. And I want your absolutely unaltered opinion if what I'm doing is right or not." She took a long breath to continue but Aevon answered.
"Absolutely unquestionably wrong." Aevonien's voice was firm and unwavering and Lilluil knew she was telling her it exactly the way it was meant, and was aghast.
"But. I haven't even told you what I want you to judge."
The crooked smile spreading across her friend's face relaxed her but only slightly. "I'm not sure what exactly you were about to ask about was but if it has something to do with your marriage to Lord Rodariel then it is as I said."
Lilluil's mouth went dry as her words of explanation died before they could be born. She could only gape open-mouthed at her friends unnatural sternness.
Her friend's stony gaze fixed with annoyed frustration on a flower outside as she continued. "You've been gone for a while now, granted a few months doesn't seem like much but in these last few a lot has happened in a short period of time. I don't think you'd understand the impact your marriage will have on everyone."
Lilluil's hands clasped each other and tightened in her lap. "Including you?" she asked faintly.
"Especially me."
Tears formed just inside the lids of her eyes, hazing the edges of her vision but she refused to let them fall. She was strong, she knew she could get through this. She had faced so much in the past few weeks, so much! But none of it. nothing she had done had been able to hurt her this way. Why Aevonien too! She had come home to a completely different place, and suddenly it didn't seem to suit her. She firmed her voice, determined not to let it waver in the face of someone who had her utmost respect as a friend.
"I may not have seen things, but that does not mean I am blind. I may bow to opinions but that does not mean they are not also my own intentions. I will not marry Lord Rodariel for you, my friend."
Aevon's face, turned to the flower spun around to face her. Her eyes glittered with the slanted sunlight and it was a moment before Lilluil recognized the luminescence as tears. Her breath rasped at causing so much pain to her dear friend. Unbidden her own tears jerked loose and she swept to her friend enfolding her in a tight hug.
"Aevon, please Aevon don't cry. Please, it's not so bad as that is it? Please don't cry." If it really caused her so much pain, she couldn't help but consider the possibility of marriage. She loved Legolas dearly, that was true but she had known Aevon for centuries, they had grown up together, shared secrets and connected in a way that only two friends could. If it hurt her friend so. "If you really feel that way I'll.I'll consider it, please don't cry. I can't stand to see you so unhappy!"
"No. No!" Aevon pulled back, smiling weakly, and a bit embarrassed. "You misunderstand me." She giggled slightly, confusing Lilluil to no end and wiped away tears with a sleeve that probably cost more than her entire dress. Where had Aevon gotten such fine fabric? "You see Lilluil, I don't want you to marry Lord Rodariel." She giggled a little. "Quite the opposite in fact."
Lilluil slipped back into her chair, frowning slightly. Was Aevon going mad? "I don't comprehend. . ."
Aevon wiped the last traces of emotion from her face and announced calmly. "What I'm saying is if you even think of getting close to my Giesran I'll be forced to. do something distinctly unpleasant."
Lilluil grinned wickedly. "Aevon! How come you didn't tell me sooner? You could have saved a lot of misunderstandings if you had said that in the beginning you know." She grumped.
"Well I would have told you sooner but you were taking an extended vacation up north." Her friend remarked dryly.
"This is wonderful, you've never taken to anyone before. How'd you meet?"
Aevonien grinned madly, "well if you truly must know I was in an awful hurry, and so was he and we both reached the corner at the same time. When we woke up in the healer's guest room equally disoriented we had plenty of time to get to know one another." She spared a glance at Lilluil one corner of her mouth twitching in annoyance. "I'll agree that it was funny, but not quite that funny. You can stop anytime now."
Lilluil, laughing hysterically on the floor barely heard her.
Later.
"So we took towards each other, he naturally had only met girls intended for marriage for power, that sort of thing. Naturally after meeting me how could he desire any other?"
"Well don't be too humble about it."
"So anyway to make a long story short we enjoy each other's company. Merchant rank is not what my parents are expecting of me so they've no objection to my socializing with the higher class and so I'm 'apprenticed' to the lore master's wife, consequently good friends of my Giesran." She sipped from her cup. "He visits often." She grinned into the cup.
"I bet, so what's he like?"
Aevon's eyes flicked to hers and twinkled with playfulness. "Don't get any ideas or anything, but he's perfect. Simply perfect. I'd do anything for him. Speaking of which who's this northie who's apparently doing everything for you?"
"Ahh Legolas.well he's. perfect simply put.
"Hahahahaha."
Aevonien had moved. But her old house still had the same young elf maiden tending their garden, so she asked her and headed for Aevonien's new location. Looking up at the towering building where her best friend now lived she wondered how in the world she had managed to get there.
A slight elf answered her soft knocks, she was quiet and only glanced at her before gesturing her in and shutting the door soundlessly behind her before leading her through the airy hallways. It was uncommon for such children to work like this for pocket change. Often enough when soldiers to be wanted a real sword or their first bow well crafted they worked on their own to pay for it themselves. It was an issue of honor. For women it was often for jewelry or other things. She had bought working clothes so her parent's wouldn't find forge burns on her dresses.
The girl led her to an airy room filled from floor to ceiling with ornate bookshelves and comfortable chairs. Her friend was sitting straight and unnaturally proper in one just before the window, a book opened to the light. A quick look was all it took to tell the situation not entirely true if not false.
"Aevonien my friend, you are as talented as ever. One would think sitting like that it would be impossible to get all those crinkles in one's skirt!" she pointed out cheerfully.
Her friend abruptly slouched and stretched giving her a long thoughtful stare. "Lilluil, long time no see. And of course I'm talented, have I ever been anything but?"
Her friend leapt up and they embraced warmly. It was as if she had never left, the friendship between them was as strong as she had ever felt it. But there were other things to be done. She grasped Aevon's arms and put her from her. "We need to talk."
Her friend's stern voice shocked her as she replied. "Yes, we do."
Mutually serious they instinctively straightened and seated themselves, sitting straight and tense with importance. She waited for a moment before it was clear that she should go first. It had always been that way, but for courtesy's sake.
"Aevon, I've got a problem. And I want your absolutely unaltered opinion if what I'm doing is right or not." She took a long breath to continue but Aevon answered.
"Absolutely unquestionably wrong." Aevonien's voice was firm and unwavering and Lilluil knew she was telling her it exactly the way it was meant, and was aghast.
"But. I haven't even told you what I want you to judge."
The crooked smile spreading across her friend's face relaxed her but only slightly. "I'm not sure what exactly you were about to ask about was but if it has something to do with your marriage to Lord Rodariel then it is as I said."
Lilluil's mouth went dry as her words of explanation died before they could be born. She could only gape open-mouthed at her friends unnatural sternness.
Her friend's stony gaze fixed with annoyed frustration on a flower outside as she continued. "You've been gone for a while now, granted a few months doesn't seem like much but in these last few a lot has happened in a short period of time. I don't think you'd understand the impact your marriage will have on everyone."
Lilluil's hands clasped each other and tightened in her lap. "Including you?" she asked faintly.
"Especially me."
Tears formed just inside the lids of her eyes, hazing the edges of her vision but she refused to let them fall. She was strong, she knew she could get through this. She had faced so much in the past few weeks, so much! But none of it. nothing she had done had been able to hurt her this way. Why Aevonien too! She had come home to a completely different place, and suddenly it didn't seem to suit her. She firmed her voice, determined not to let it waver in the face of someone who had her utmost respect as a friend.
"I may not have seen things, but that does not mean I am blind. I may bow to opinions but that does not mean they are not also my own intentions. I will not marry Lord Rodariel for you, my friend."
Aevon's face, turned to the flower spun around to face her. Her eyes glittered with the slanted sunlight and it was a moment before Lilluil recognized the luminescence as tears. Her breath rasped at causing so much pain to her dear friend. Unbidden her own tears jerked loose and she swept to her friend enfolding her in a tight hug.
"Aevon, please Aevon don't cry. Please, it's not so bad as that is it? Please don't cry." If it really caused her so much pain, she couldn't help but consider the possibility of marriage. She loved Legolas dearly, that was true but she had known Aevon for centuries, they had grown up together, shared secrets and connected in a way that only two friends could. If it hurt her friend so. "If you really feel that way I'll.I'll consider it, please don't cry. I can't stand to see you so unhappy!"
"No. No!" Aevon pulled back, smiling weakly, and a bit embarrassed. "You misunderstand me." She giggled slightly, confusing Lilluil to no end and wiped away tears with a sleeve that probably cost more than her entire dress. Where had Aevon gotten such fine fabric? "You see Lilluil, I don't want you to marry Lord Rodariel." She giggled a little. "Quite the opposite in fact."
Lilluil slipped back into her chair, frowning slightly. Was Aevon going mad? "I don't comprehend. . ."
Aevon wiped the last traces of emotion from her face and announced calmly. "What I'm saying is if you even think of getting close to my Giesran I'll be forced to. do something distinctly unpleasant."
Lilluil grinned wickedly. "Aevon! How come you didn't tell me sooner? You could have saved a lot of misunderstandings if you had said that in the beginning you know." She grumped.
"Well I would have told you sooner but you were taking an extended vacation up north." Her friend remarked dryly.
"This is wonderful, you've never taken to anyone before. How'd you meet?"
Aevonien grinned madly, "well if you truly must know I was in an awful hurry, and so was he and we both reached the corner at the same time. When we woke up in the healer's guest room equally disoriented we had plenty of time to get to know one another." She spared a glance at Lilluil one corner of her mouth twitching in annoyance. "I'll agree that it was funny, but not quite that funny. You can stop anytime now."
Lilluil, laughing hysterically on the floor barely heard her.
Later.
"So we took towards each other, he naturally had only met girls intended for marriage for power, that sort of thing. Naturally after meeting me how could he desire any other?"
"Well don't be too humble about it."
"So anyway to make a long story short we enjoy each other's company. Merchant rank is not what my parents are expecting of me so they've no objection to my socializing with the higher class and so I'm 'apprenticed' to the lore master's wife, consequently good friends of my Giesran." She sipped from her cup. "He visits often." She grinned into the cup.
"I bet, so what's he like?"
Aevon's eyes flicked to hers and twinkled with playfulness. "Don't get any ideas or anything, but he's perfect. Simply perfect. I'd do anything for him. Speaking of which who's this northie who's apparently doing everything for you?"
"Ahh Legolas.well he's. perfect simply put.
"Hahahahaha."