**
Aunorey was ready by early afternoon.
Looking stunning in a velvet dress the colour of blood, it had a high waist, and a large V opening at the breast to show a brocade of fabric that lined the inside of the dress. The sleeves were tight until her elbows, where they tied off in gold and green ribbon, leaving excess fabric to drap down to the floor. The skirt also slip into a huge V from where it was tied under her breasts to show off the gorgeous fabric underneath.
She wore half her hair up in twists and curls, and attached to that was a headpiece of pounded silver that dipped low on her forehead, a small pear-shaped pearl attached at the end.
She went down the stairs, the velvet trailing behind her. At the bottom of the stairs was Legolas, and it looked as though Barlos was just coming up to get her. Both Barlos and Legolas turned to stare at her, their mouths dropping, then both caught themselves. Barlos bowed deeply, "Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood, my lady." He uttered, then rushed off.
Aunorey excused the two handmaidens that were following just behind her quietly, and they made their way down the rest of the winding staircase to find other business to attend to. Aunorey gripped the wrought iron railing of the staircase with her left hand, the one ring she now always wore glinting on it. "I was just coming to see you," she said quietly, not sure really what to say, and not even quite sure she said what she'd just said. But she figured since she had a while longer she might as well of, so she said nothing else.
"Aunorey..." Legolas walked to the end of the staircase, held out his hand. She walked down and took his hand, smiling at him. "You look absolutely gorgeous," he breathed. "Where are you going?"
"I've got to face those who were sent out to find me when I ran away," Aunorey said, finally face to face with him. "I figured if I looked my best I wouldn't be so nervous."
Legolas took a step back, drank her in. He nodded. "Understandable." His hair was now pulled back into a long ponytail. He seemed rather speechless, which made Aunorey uncomfortable, since it seemed he'd always had something to say. Until now, that is.
Before she knew it, Legolas was taking her chin in his hand, bringing her face up to his. His lips were a breath away from hers, and he looked at her, making sure it was okay, before he finally dipped his head and began to kiss her deeply.
Aunorey's arms came up and twined around Legolas's shoulders, her body pressed against his as he tightened his own arms around her waist. One hand came up to rest on the side of her neck, fingers skimming her cheek, her jaw line... He couldn't get enough of her.
They were interrupted by a small grunt.
Pulling back, absolutely terrified, needless to say mortified, they looked up to see Varione. "Mother!" Aunorey exclaimed, "Um, um..."
Varione's head raised in a way that she could look down at her daughter through sly eyes. "Aunorey, it's time to go. We've just received word."
Aunorey pursed her lips, looking away, knowing her face was red as a cherry. She looked to Legolas, who had his arms behind his back, and was also looking at the ground, hopping slightly from foot to foot in nervousness. He looked up at her and smiled, then at Varione, who was now staring at him also. "Aunt," he said, as he'd called her when he was younger, going to embrace her, "How are you doing?"
Varione hugged him back, looking at Aunorey over Legolas's shoulder with a cunning smile. "Ah, I'm doing just fine. And yourself?" Her eyes told both that she knew what was going on, but not quite.
"I'm just dandy." Legolas smiled at her. "I was just coming to ah-... To ah-... Uh, ask if Aunorey would sit by me at dinner tonight." He'd actually come just to speak to her about what they were to tell people about their relationship. But what happened instead... he didn't exactly mind.
"Ah." Varione said, reaching out her arm for Aunorey. Aunorey came, still not daring to look her mother in the face. "Did you answer him, Aunorey?"
Aunorey looked up at Legolas, her jade eyes swimming with laughter and slight worry as she looked him. Legolas gave a small smile, looked back to the floor. His cheeks were red. "I said yes," Aunorey said with a smile.
Varione looked between the two, then gave a small curtsey. "Well, if you'd excuse us Legolas, we've got to go to the hall to see those who've arrived from the search."
"Yes, of course," he said, looking at Aunorey with a smiling glance before, "I shall see you both at dinner. And might I add you look particularly lovely today, Varione, as do you Aunorey," he winked, then turned on his heel. "I shall see you later."
Aunorey gave a meek "Bye" and Varione just smiled.
As they turned to walk down the hall to the back of the house to collect a few things, Aunorey asked, "Is father coming?"
"No, he's rather busy visiting with Legolas's father."
"Okay." She paused. "About Legolas..."
Varione said, "You've got some explaining to do, miss."
Aunorey groaned.
*
Aunorey was ready by early afternoon.
Looking stunning in a velvet dress the colour of blood, it had a high waist, and a large V opening at the breast to show a brocade of fabric that lined the inside of the dress. The sleeves were tight until her elbows, where they tied off in gold and green ribbon, leaving excess fabric to drap down to the floor. The skirt also slip into a huge V from where it was tied under her breasts to show off the gorgeous fabric underneath.
She wore half her hair up in twists and curls, and attached to that was a headpiece of pounded silver that dipped low on her forehead, a small pear-shaped pearl attached at the end.
She went down the stairs, the velvet trailing behind her. At the bottom of the stairs was Legolas, and it looked as though Barlos was just coming up to get her. Both Barlos and Legolas turned to stare at her, their mouths dropping, then both caught themselves. Barlos bowed deeply, "Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood, my lady." He uttered, then rushed off.
Aunorey excused the two handmaidens that were following just behind her quietly, and they made their way down the rest of the winding staircase to find other business to attend to. Aunorey gripped the wrought iron railing of the staircase with her left hand, the one ring she now always wore glinting on it. "I was just coming to see you," she said quietly, not sure really what to say, and not even quite sure she said what she'd just said. But she figured since she had a while longer she might as well of, so she said nothing else.
"Aunorey..." Legolas walked to the end of the staircase, held out his hand. She walked down and took his hand, smiling at him. "You look absolutely gorgeous," he breathed. "Where are you going?"
"I've got to face those who were sent out to find me when I ran away," Aunorey said, finally face to face with him. "I figured if I looked my best I wouldn't be so nervous."
Legolas took a step back, drank her in. He nodded. "Understandable." His hair was now pulled back into a long ponytail. He seemed rather speechless, which made Aunorey uncomfortable, since it seemed he'd always had something to say. Until now, that is.
Before she knew it, Legolas was taking her chin in his hand, bringing her face up to his. His lips were a breath away from hers, and he looked at her, making sure it was okay, before he finally dipped his head and began to kiss her deeply.
Aunorey's arms came up and twined around Legolas's shoulders, her body pressed against his as he tightened his own arms around her waist. One hand came up to rest on the side of her neck, fingers skimming her cheek, her jaw line... He couldn't get enough of her.
They were interrupted by a small grunt.
Pulling back, absolutely terrified, needless to say mortified, they looked up to see Varione. "Mother!" Aunorey exclaimed, "Um, um..."
Varione's head raised in a way that she could look down at her daughter through sly eyes. "Aunorey, it's time to go. We've just received word."
Aunorey pursed her lips, looking away, knowing her face was red as a cherry. She looked to Legolas, who had his arms behind his back, and was also looking at the ground, hopping slightly from foot to foot in nervousness. He looked up at her and smiled, then at Varione, who was now staring at him also. "Aunt," he said, as he'd called her when he was younger, going to embrace her, "How are you doing?"
Varione hugged him back, looking at Aunorey over Legolas's shoulder with a cunning smile. "Ah, I'm doing just fine. And yourself?" Her eyes told both that she knew what was going on, but not quite.
"I'm just dandy." Legolas smiled at her. "I was just coming to ah-... To ah-... Uh, ask if Aunorey would sit by me at dinner tonight." He'd actually come just to speak to her about what they were to tell people about their relationship. But what happened instead... he didn't exactly mind.
"Ah." Varione said, reaching out her arm for Aunorey. Aunorey came, still not daring to look her mother in the face. "Did you answer him, Aunorey?"
Aunorey looked up at Legolas, her jade eyes swimming with laughter and slight worry as she looked him. Legolas gave a small smile, looked back to the floor. His cheeks were red. "I said yes," Aunorey said with a smile.
Varione looked between the two, then gave a small curtsey. "Well, if you'd excuse us Legolas, we've got to go to the hall to see those who've arrived from the search."
"Yes, of course," he said, looking at Aunorey with a smiling glance before, "I shall see you both at dinner. And might I add you look particularly lovely today, Varione, as do you Aunorey," he winked, then turned on his heel. "I shall see you later."
Aunorey gave a meek "Bye" and Varione just smiled.
As they turned to walk down the hall to the back of the house to collect a few things, Aunorey asked, "Is father coming?"
"No, he's rather busy visiting with Legolas's father."
"Okay." She paused. "About Legolas..."
Varione said, "You've got some explaining to do, miss."
Aunorey groaned.
*