Ardonelle woke up, and she knew that her sister had already left. She
dressed and met her father outdoors for her training. Her concentration had
greatly improved, she was hitting north or south of the target. It did not
occur to Ardonelle that her accuracy was due to Estel's mysterious
disappearance. In Lorien, Arwen and Strider fawned over each other. The
reason Arwen could not pick out his face was due to his new beard growing
and he had changed his name to Strider, his ranger name.
"Ardonelle you are doing famously well today, perhaps you would like to see my work in action?" Elrond asked her.
"That would be quite alright, I would enjoy that very much", Ardonelle smiled.
"Then, you may go and dress" Elrond said, this time much more quickly. Ardonelle dressed quickly, and met her father outside of his office. The two went to visit the people of Rivendell, and she learned how to conduct a council.
"Strider, how do you stay so hidden, yet everything about you is wonderful?" Arwen asked Strider, a gleam of happiness in her eyes.
"Oh, I do not know. It may be the fact that I do not stay in one spot for very long. Lorien has turned into my home, I believe." He said
"That is a very good reason." She said. Then she quickly added, "Oh, I must go. My sister is waiting for me back in Rivendell." She said, quickly.
"Rivendell? I have traveled there before. It is one of my favorite places in Middle-Earth." He said, smiling.
"Well, hope to see you soon then", she said, and with that she mounted her horse and rode off to Rivendell. Ardonelle heard her sister far off in the distance, yet she did not know why she had to run off in such a hurry. It was if something had happened in Lorien and she had to be there.
"Ardon, I am sorry I am late for our tea. It's just that something happened in Lorien and Grandmother wanted me to be there." She said, making up a white lie so that her own sister would not kill her.
"Alright then. Let me finish, and we will go off to tea", Ardonelle said. Ardonelle finished her practice, and the two girls ran off for some tea and biscuits. Meanwhile, Elrond had invited Mithrandir, more commonly known as Gandalf the Grey to discuss Ardonelle. She was a popular topic among all royals; due to the way she would stand out among crowds, and use her knowledge for the greater good.
"Gandalf, so good of you to join me on this fine afternoon." Elrond began. "I would not miss your daughter's engagement announcement for the world.
" Gandalf told him, although Ardonelle did not know that she was going to be proposed to anytime soon.
"Good, good. Come in and have something to drink, I am sure your travels have been long", Elrond said to him.
"Yes, I had a meeting with Saruman earlier this week. He has become most impolite." Gandalf to Elrond, though this news was not as exciting as the underlying news. Ardonelle and Arwen talked about their princes, though Ardonelle's mind could not help but wander to Estel's. Ardonelle drank her tea, and then went into her bedroom and took a bath. She donned in a rose colored dress, and had her hair braided eloquently.
Estel was packing up from his adventure in Lorien, and he remembered that he was supposed to write Ardonelle, yet it was too late to do that now. He quickly decided to visit her in Rivendell as a surprise, and propose to her, yet he could not take his mind off of Arwen. He mounted his horse, and rode off, as fast as he could toward Rivendell. There were no surprises that he had to stop and make camp during the night. Ardonelle was getting ready for bed when her father told her tomorrow that she should dress like a princess, yet Ardonelle was one to know that she dressed like a princess everyday. Ardonelle got into bed and slipped underneath the covers. Her first impulse was to begin to write in her journal, but instead she found herself reading an old journal from long ago. It spoke of old courtiers, and people that had left already to go to the Undying lands, better known as the Havens. But what it didn't address was how Estel and her came to be. It scared her; she checked all her old journals but nothing. Then it came to her, they had been childhood friends. As a smile came to Ardonelle's face, she fell asleep. Anything that had been on her mind was now gone. Morning came quickly, and her father's ordering for a bath to be drawn woke Ardonelle. Ardonelle came out of bed. Her father sent her to the bathroom, where a bath was waiting for her. She undressed, took her bath and dressed in a cerulean blue gown, with a train. Her father gave her pair of her mother's white gloves, and her mother's Rivendell crown.
Interestingly, Estel had arrived and he was sitting on a bench. "Estel?" Ardonelle asked him.
"Yes. I know, I have a beard now, and I have gotten taller, but I am still Estel", he said, beaming.
"Where have you been? I have been waiting for you to write me for three weeks." Ardonelle said, keeping her cool.
"Well, I've been picking out this", Estel said, presenting his lady with an engagement ring.
Ardonelle gasped. "You're serious aren't you?" she asked him, smiling and crying.
"Yes I am. I have asked your father, he has consented." Estel said. She smiled, and he knew. Arwen a few feet off realized it was Strider, her courtier, and she gasped. Ardonelle went to show her sister her engagement ring.
"It's beautiful, Ardonelle" Arwen said.
"Thank you. I love it. We're going to have a dinner party, so I'd like it if you came. It would make my special day seem more special." Ardonelle said.
"Of course. I would not miss this for the world", Arwen said, and ran to find her father. Elrond and Gandalf smiled at each other, both men were proud of the two young children. Elrond knew that it would last forever, yet Gandalf knew something was up.
"Elrond. I believe something beyond our control will happen tonight." Gandalf said.
"Nothing will happen to them, they are perfect for each other. Look at them, she can't get enough of looking at him", Elrond said, oblivious to the fact that Gandalf knew something.
"I'd advise against your dinner party." Gandalf said, and went to congratulate the groom, his personal friend.
"Ah, Gandalf. So good of you to come." Estel began.
"Be careful tonight, this means you cannot do anything worth regretting tonight." Gandalf told him.
"Yes, of course, what a beautiful day it truly is", Estel oblivious to the facts again. Gandalf persevered on, searching for someone who would listen to his words of wisdom. The bride was changing, her sister taking a bath, her father enthralled by himself, the groom staring at nature.
"A wizard should never give up on any task, yet I have the urge to give up", Gandalf thinks aloud.
"What's that?" Ardonelle comes from her changing, this time a cream gown graces her every move. "Princess Ardonelle", Gandalf bows.
"Please, call me Lady Ardonelle if you must be so formal." She said.
"Then, Lady Ardonelle, I am a wizard", Gandalf said.
"Mithrandir, I have heard of you", she says.
"Gandalf, please. I dislike that name as much as you like Princess Ardonelle", he said.
She giggles.
"I enjoy your company. Why travel so far to come to my dinner?" she asked him.
"I have had my eye on you since your birth. You are a blessed one that you are. Bringing powers with you that reveal themselves as you age, is something not even a wizard understands." Gandalf said to her.
"Oh really. Do you know what these powers are?" Ardonelle asked him.
"No, not until you experience changes." Gandalf tells her. She nods; she thinks she will be out for these changes. They begin to walk toward the dining hall, onward to her dinner. She steps into the room, and the room becomes all a flutter. Floods of clapping and congratulations flood the room and her ears. She sits at the head of the table. She scopes the room and she does not see her sister's face. Outside, Estel and Arwen walk through the moonlit forest hand in hand. Ardonelle watches from the window and her heart sinks. I have given everything to Estel, and I have lost it all in one night, that is called betrayal.
"Ardonelle you are doing famously well today, perhaps you would like to see my work in action?" Elrond asked her.
"That would be quite alright, I would enjoy that very much", Ardonelle smiled.
"Then, you may go and dress" Elrond said, this time much more quickly. Ardonelle dressed quickly, and met her father outside of his office. The two went to visit the people of Rivendell, and she learned how to conduct a council.
"Strider, how do you stay so hidden, yet everything about you is wonderful?" Arwen asked Strider, a gleam of happiness in her eyes.
"Oh, I do not know. It may be the fact that I do not stay in one spot for very long. Lorien has turned into my home, I believe." He said
"That is a very good reason." She said. Then she quickly added, "Oh, I must go. My sister is waiting for me back in Rivendell." She said, quickly.
"Rivendell? I have traveled there before. It is one of my favorite places in Middle-Earth." He said, smiling.
"Well, hope to see you soon then", she said, and with that she mounted her horse and rode off to Rivendell. Ardonelle heard her sister far off in the distance, yet she did not know why she had to run off in such a hurry. It was if something had happened in Lorien and she had to be there.
"Ardon, I am sorry I am late for our tea. It's just that something happened in Lorien and Grandmother wanted me to be there." She said, making up a white lie so that her own sister would not kill her.
"Alright then. Let me finish, and we will go off to tea", Ardonelle said. Ardonelle finished her practice, and the two girls ran off for some tea and biscuits. Meanwhile, Elrond had invited Mithrandir, more commonly known as Gandalf the Grey to discuss Ardonelle. She was a popular topic among all royals; due to the way she would stand out among crowds, and use her knowledge for the greater good.
"Gandalf, so good of you to join me on this fine afternoon." Elrond began. "I would not miss your daughter's engagement announcement for the world.
" Gandalf told him, although Ardonelle did not know that she was going to be proposed to anytime soon.
"Good, good. Come in and have something to drink, I am sure your travels have been long", Elrond said to him.
"Yes, I had a meeting with Saruman earlier this week. He has become most impolite." Gandalf to Elrond, though this news was not as exciting as the underlying news. Ardonelle and Arwen talked about their princes, though Ardonelle's mind could not help but wander to Estel's. Ardonelle drank her tea, and then went into her bedroom and took a bath. She donned in a rose colored dress, and had her hair braided eloquently.
Estel was packing up from his adventure in Lorien, and he remembered that he was supposed to write Ardonelle, yet it was too late to do that now. He quickly decided to visit her in Rivendell as a surprise, and propose to her, yet he could not take his mind off of Arwen. He mounted his horse, and rode off, as fast as he could toward Rivendell. There were no surprises that he had to stop and make camp during the night. Ardonelle was getting ready for bed when her father told her tomorrow that she should dress like a princess, yet Ardonelle was one to know that she dressed like a princess everyday. Ardonelle got into bed and slipped underneath the covers. Her first impulse was to begin to write in her journal, but instead she found herself reading an old journal from long ago. It spoke of old courtiers, and people that had left already to go to the Undying lands, better known as the Havens. But what it didn't address was how Estel and her came to be. It scared her; she checked all her old journals but nothing. Then it came to her, they had been childhood friends. As a smile came to Ardonelle's face, she fell asleep. Anything that had been on her mind was now gone. Morning came quickly, and her father's ordering for a bath to be drawn woke Ardonelle. Ardonelle came out of bed. Her father sent her to the bathroom, where a bath was waiting for her. She undressed, took her bath and dressed in a cerulean blue gown, with a train. Her father gave her pair of her mother's white gloves, and her mother's Rivendell crown.
Interestingly, Estel had arrived and he was sitting on a bench. "Estel?" Ardonelle asked him.
"Yes. I know, I have a beard now, and I have gotten taller, but I am still Estel", he said, beaming.
"Where have you been? I have been waiting for you to write me for three weeks." Ardonelle said, keeping her cool.
"Well, I've been picking out this", Estel said, presenting his lady with an engagement ring.
Ardonelle gasped. "You're serious aren't you?" she asked him, smiling and crying.
"Yes I am. I have asked your father, he has consented." Estel said. She smiled, and he knew. Arwen a few feet off realized it was Strider, her courtier, and she gasped. Ardonelle went to show her sister her engagement ring.
"It's beautiful, Ardonelle" Arwen said.
"Thank you. I love it. We're going to have a dinner party, so I'd like it if you came. It would make my special day seem more special." Ardonelle said.
"Of course. I would not miss this for the world", Arwen said, and ran to find her father. Elrond and Gandalf smiled at each other, both men were proud of the two young children. Elrond knew that it would last forever, yet Gandalf knew something was up.
"Elrond. I believe something beyond our control will happen tonight." Gandalf said.
"Nothing will happen to them, they are perfect for each other. Look at them, she can't get enough of looking at him", Elrond said, oblivious to the fact that Gandalf knew something.
"I'd advise against your dinner party." Gandalf said, and went to congratulate the groom, his personal friend.
"Ah, Gandalf. So good of you to come." Estel began.
"Be careful tonight, this means you cannot do anything worth regretting tonight." Gandalf told him.
"Yes, of course, what a beautiful day it truly is", Estel oblivious to the facts again. Gandalf persevered on, searching for someone who would listen to his words of wisdom. The bride was changing, her sister taking a bath, her father enthralled by himself, the groom staring at nature.
"A wizard should never give up on any task, yet I have the urge to give up", Gandalf thinks aloud.
"What's that?" Ardonelle comes from her changing, this time a cream gown graces her every move. "Princess Ardonelle", Gandalf bows.
"Please, call me Lady Ardonelle if you must be so formal." She said.
"Then, Lady Ardonelle, I am a wizard", Gandalf said.
"Mithrandir, I have heard of you", she says.
"Gandalf, please. I dislike that name as much as you like Princess Ardonelle", he said.
She giggles.
"I enjoy your company. Why travel so far to come to my dinner?" she asked him.
"I have had my eye on you since your birth. You are a blessed one that you are. Bringing powers with you that reveal themselves as you age, is something not even a wizard understands." Gandalf said to her.
"Oh really. Do you know what these powers are?" Ardonelle asked him.
"No, not until you experience changes." Gandalf tells her. She nods; she thinks she will be out for these changes. They begin to walk toward the dining hall, onward to her dinner. She steps into the room, and the room becomes all a flutter. Floods of clapping and congratulations flood the room and her ears. She sits at the head of the table. She scopes the room and she does not see her sister's face. Outside, Estel and Arwen walk through the moonlit forest hand in hand. Ardonelle watches from the window and her heart sinks. I have given everything to Estel, and I have lost it all in one night, that is called betrayal.