Matchmaking

Chapter 7: Tears and Preludes

Andhoth of Mirkwood was not an unbelievably breathtaking-looking elf. He was attractive, yes, but no where near as good-looking as Prince Legolas. What he lacked in looks though, he made up for in quick-wittedness and humor. He was an excellent match for Ameth. Or so he thought.

She seemed to think it as well. All her actions when she was near him were actions of complete devotion.

So why then, was Ameth sitting with Prince Legolas at the archery competition? It was a question Andhoth could not answer. He watched in calm jealousy as Legolas spoke with Ameth. Though, he noticed something: Legolas' eyes were always on someone below the two, and never on Ameth. From this Andhoth, in his wisdom, gathered that Legolas was what we could call "two timing" Ameth. It made his blood boil to think of how undeserving that pig of a prince was of his beloved. He resolved right then to do something about the situation. And whatever it was would be done that afternoon.

******

"I say there, Lady Tawny, what on earth are you doing?" Hamasen laughed at the girl's actions.

Tawny was currently bent over the railing of the arena, looking about what one could call a stadium for any sign of Legolas.
...And Ameth. Yes, Legolas and Ameth. They were who she had been trying to set up, right?

Yes, they were. And it was a good match. Tawny leaned back and sat next to Hamasen, smiling to herself.

"What makes you smile so, lady?" Hamasen turned to her, and the smile broadened.

"There is an excellent match that has been made today."

"By the one sitting before me, I gather?" His eyes lit up with merriment. The man wondered for a moment if there was a double meaning in this, but dismissed it quickly.

"By none other." Tawny laughed and Hamasen smiled at her joy.

"Well then you are to be congratulated." And with that Hamasen stood and bowed low to the ground.
The congratulations made Tawny smile, but despite her happy appearance she could not shake the biting feeling in the back of her mind that somehow in making the match she had also done herself quite a lot of harm.

******

Legolas watched from above as Tawny took pleasure in the company of Hamasen. Jealously he turned away from the scene, trying to control his temper. If Tawny was meant to be his then it would happen so. In the meanwhile, though, he was already conceiving a way to find out Tawny's true feelings for him.

"Ameth?"

"Yes, Legolas?"

"I'm going to kiss you."

The look on her face said she understood completely. He took her hand and they slipped from the stands, down to the entrance of the competition grounds. Once there he placed his thumbs on her lips, in effect kissing his own hands, while she did the same.

******

The crowd cheered about them, but neither Legolas nor Ameth were paying attention. Neither was Tawny, for that matter. Her eyes were locked on the two elves. Out of sight of most other elves, the two were kissing rather deeply. Pulling away from Hamasen (who was shocked to find her suddenly leaving his side) Tawny ran from the competition grounds. Legolas looked up just in time to see a short figure clad in blue rushing past them. To his dismay he noticed that she seemed to be crying. This was not going according to his plan.

He received a sudden hit to his jaw, and turned to see Andhoth standing there, seething. Well, this was a new development. He had never seen the caretaker looking so... furious.

"Yes?" He asked politely, as though he had not just been slugged in the jaw.

Andhoth stared at his hand, then at Legolas. "I really don't know why I just did that."

Legolas gave him a grim look. "I do, mellon." He saw the look Ameth was giving him, and it was most definitely a hint. "Explain, Ameth." With that he went stalking off, determined to find Tawny.

******

If the young human had wanted to be found, she would have gone to the gardens. But she was not there, meaning she preferred not to be. Instead Tawny was curled up on the floor of the library, leaning against one wall. She was not crying, but was thinking. Her concentration was not penetrated when the door to the library opened up, but it was when King Thranduil appeared.

"Why are you here, child?" He asked, taking in her somber expression and pained gaze at something beyond him.

Tawny stood, now shaking like a leaf. "I apologize, Your Highness." Her voice shook along with her knees.

"There is nothing to apologize for, Tawny." He spoke to her gently. "I just wonder why you are not out enjoying yourself with the other... younger folk." His smile made her feel more at ease, and she nodded slowly.

"Yes, you're right." She agreed, and curtsied that awful little curtsy she had been doing lately. Thranduil, noticing her demeanor had changed, shook his head as she closed the door behind her.

"And so it is with the young," He commented to no one in particular (which was something older elves were prone to do,) "in time they shall all realize that life is not one constant picture, and is not able to be boxed up."

As so many had said before him, "life goes on."

******

Being that Tawny had just recently exited the library and was going back to the competition, she ran into the one pursuing her on her way there. Legolas looked surprised to see her with a smile on her face once more.

"How do you fare, Lady Tawny?" His gaze pierced her somehow, but she recovered quickly.

"I'm fine, Legolas. Mellon. Why the formalities? Aren't we still friends?" With that she laughed, and he saw that she wasn't upset at all. This was a good thing. After millenniums of dealing with she-elves, he had quite come to expect vengeful attitudes. But this particular girl was seemingly fine with how life dealt its blows.

"I was just wondering." He stated. "I saw you exit the competition grounds at an alarming pace."

Well, that was a nice way to say "I saw you run from the crowd as though your life depended on it."

"I'm fine now." Tawny took his arm and smiled up at him, trying to push away her thoughts from before. She had picked the match, why feel enmity when it was her doing? "Let's go back. I'm sure Ameth wishes to see you."

"I'm not so sure about that, fair one."

At the new name Tawny stopped. "What happened to 'mellon?'" She asked inquisitively.

"This new name suits you better." Was his only reply.

Accepting it, she switched to the previous topic. "Now, why wouldn't Ameth want to see you?" in her mind she thought of the scene she had witnessed not fifteen minutes before.

"Another is more interested in her than I, and to deny him would be rather dangerous on my part." Legolas laughed and told her of how he had been accosted after she had left. It brought a smile to Tawny's face, and she acknowledged his singleness with a sigh.

"Well then I suppose it's back to the drawing board."

Legolas had no idea what a drawing board was, but he could only assume it meant back to planning his marriage for him again.

"I think I can handle it myself this time, mellon." Legolas looked down at her with a smile.

******

Andhoth was at a loss for words. "You tricked her just to find out her feelings?"

"It was not my original idea!" Ameth protested, her hands held up in defense.

"This is so unlike you, Ameth." He spoke, now pacing back and forth. Fortunately they were still removed from the main crowd, so he was not getting in anyone's way. "You must go about this more... detached from the situation." His head snapped up. "Why didn't you tell me about this? We can figure out something."

"Or we could just let it be." Ameth sighed.

"And where would the fun be in that?" He asked her pointedly.

"Very true. But what do you propose we do now?" She spoke back just as forward as he.

"We plan a picnic."

"My dear, sweet Andhoth, I realize what the mortals saying about food being the way to a man's heart, but it is not quite the same with womenfolk." Ameth put her hand on his arm comfortingly, and he chuckled in response.

"I was not thinking in those terms, but that is a nice thought." Andhoth replied, still laughing. "Rather, we might plan a picnic for the four of us, and then mysteriously become ill. Or have an elopement. Each is an excellent option."

"It sounds like an excellent idea, then."

"So you shall marry me?"

"No."

"Soon?"

"Keep your attention on the situation at hand, dear one." Ameth scolded him, but eventually could not keep her focus merely disdainful, and smiled. "We shall plan an outing, and then both feign illness."

"I would suggest you stop talking now." Andhoth spoke urgently, and she sighed.

"Why is that?"

"They are but fifty paces from you."

"Oh." Ameth turned to greet them. Tawny disengaged herself from her friend's courteous arm, and nodded to the new elf in their midst. "Friend Tawny, this is Andhoth. Legolas, I believe you have already met." At the mention of that, Tawny began to laugh. Legolas turned his head away for a moment, and when he turned back, Andhoth caught his eye. The other elf nodded in greeting, and Legolas felt certain he was acceptable in the other's eyes.

It did not occur to him until a few moments later that it was strange that an elf of average status did not normally decide on whether or not royalty was acceptable. But then, Legolas was not feeling like royalty at the moment, and he didn't think the other felt like any sort of average citizen. Strange, how emotions could sometimes make one totally unaware of such important matters...

"So then, you agree to the idea?" Legolas did not know what he was agreeing to, but he found himself nodding nonetheless.

The four continued in conversation, until Tawny remembered that she had left Hamasen alone in the stands without any idea as to why she was running away.
"Excuse me." She curtsied once again, finding it a bit easier this time (and it had been getting better, it just took practice,) and left to find her escort.

******

"Tawny, I was worried about you." The concerned look in his eyes conveyed that, and she immediately felt guilty.

"I'm terribly sorry, Hamasen." She took her place next to him, he placing an arm about her protectively. Tawny stared at his arm for a moment in confusion, and then shrugged out of his grasp. Embarrassed, the young Gondorian pulled his arm back. Luckily for him, Tawny seemed to have already forgotten the situation.

"It is alright. Was something the matter?" Well then, intuitiveness was not a strong suit for him. Of COURSE something was the matter.... at the time, anyway.

"Nothing that couldn't be resolved." She replied vaguely. He seemed to accept that, and so Tawny sat back with him and watched the rest of the competition.

******

"Hamasen seems a nice sort of man." Ameth commented later as she turned down Tawny's bed.

"Well yes, but not the nice sort I could come to care for." Tawny reasoned, coming from the bathroom. She had changed into a night gown, and her short hair looked as though it had been washed. Well, either that or she had fallen into the bathing tub.

"Why is that?"

"Unless you enjoy staying up until all hours of the night, I would suggest you leave it be." Ameth smiled.

"I bid you goodnight." She curtsied in a way that made Tawny sigh with envy, and then closed the door.

Tawny no longer knew what she wanted from life. And for some reason, that was alright with her. Looking heavenward, she sent a prayer of thanks up, and then crawled into bed.

******

****** Author's note: Thanks to all my reviewers. You guys are awesome.

Special thanks to Stephen for helping me by reading over certain bits, and for being a good friend.

I was slightly awed by the amount of comments I received about this fic. I mean... wow. It was very kind of you all to say the things you did, and I thank every one of you.

Also, thanks to Dan who pointed out that I made it seem like Ameth was setting Legolas up with himself. While that would be terribly funny, for the direction this fic is going in I just don't see it happening. *wink*

Alright, considering how the creativity has been coming lately, I should update soon. If I don't, yell at me or something.

~Mioni