Chapter One – Life As We Know It
"Eldin," a deep voice bellowed from behind the grand doors of the throne room at the top of the citadel. A young woman clad in a violet gown entered the room without a sound, sinking low before the stairway that led to the throne.
"Yes, my lord?" The king smiled at the young woman.
"Please tell the queen that I request her presence," he told her. Eldin bowed and turned to leave the chamber. Once the doors shut behind her, she lost all of her previous dignity.
Hiking up her dress, she began to run across the courtyard, her footsteps echoing loudly on the pavement, toward the queen's chamber. As she rounded the corner to the stairway that led to the next level of the city, something hit her head on. She hit the ground with a grunt, knocking her head on a nearby wall.
Dizzy, she sat up and looked around. Recognizing the unmistakable laughter that she had heard daily for seventeen years, she looked up to see her friend, Arhiril. She was leaning up against the wall, arms crossed, doubled over with laughter.
"You should have seen the look on your face!" she said, gasping for air. "Priceless!" Eldin regained her footing and stood, brushing her pale brown hair from her face. Erran's expression became serious. "You really do need to watch where you're going." Eldin smiled.
"You aren't the most graceful, either. I'll bet I know what...or should I say who...you were thinking about!" Erran began to blush.
"So what? He's smart...and so handsome!" Eldin smiled and leaned in close.
"I probably shouldn't tell you this," she whispered secretively, "but he'll be here tonight. Your father invited him." Erran looked confused.
"What's tonight?" she asked. Eldin shook her head in a way that seemed to say, "Not again." She grabbed Erran by the shoulders and said,
"The banquet." Erran's confused look did not dissipate.
"What banquet?"
"You truly are hopeless," Eldin said. "Today is the Day of the Kings!" Erran's face went pale.
"Holy Valar! That's today?" Erran shrieked. "I completely forgot! Father is going to kill me!" With that, she flew down the stairs in the direction she had just come, screaming the name of her eldest sister.
Eldin walked the rest of the way to the Lady Arwen's chamber. She tapped of the door after adjusting her hair and robes to hide her collision in the corridor. The door opened almost immediately, revealing the beautiful queen in the room behind it.
She was dressed in a beautiful white and silver gown that flowed to the floor. Beautiful silver jewelry, studded with precious stones dangled from her neck and ears. Atop her head sat one of her magnificent headdresses, encrusted in diamonds with beautiful silk scarves flowing down the back of her head.
"Your majesty," Eldin said, bowing low once more. The queen nodded and Eldin stood. "The king requests your presence in the throne room, my lady. I know not what about."
"Hanta, melda," Arwen replied. Eldin lowered her head, and, leaving the chamber, made the short hike to her small room on the other side if the sixth level of the city. There, she washed and changed before preparing for her duties at the banquet.
"Eldin," a deep voice bellowed from behind the grand doors of the throne room at the top of the citadel. A young woman clad in a violet gown entered the room without a sound, sinking low before the stairway that led to the throne.
"Yes, my lord?" The king smiled at the young woman.
"Please tell the queen that I request her presence," he told her. Eldin bowed and turned to leave the chamber. Once the doors shut behind her, she lost all of her previous dignity.
Hiking up her dress, she began to run across the courtyard, her footsteps echoing loudly on the pavement, toward the queen's chamber. As she rounded the corner to the stairway that led to the next level of the city, something hit her head on. She hit the ground with a grunt, knocking her head on a nearby wall.
Dizzy, she sat up and looked around. Recognizing the unmistakable laughter that she had heard daily for seventeen years, she looked up to see her friend, Arhiril. She was leaning up against the wall, arms crossed, doubled over with laughter.
"You should have seen the look on your face!" she said, gasping for air. "Priceless!" Eldin regained her footing and stood, brushing her pale brown hair from her face. Erran's expression became serious. "You really do need to watch where you're going." Eldin smiled.
"You aren't the most graceful, either. I'll bet I know what...or should I say who...you were thinking about!" Erran began to blush.
"So what? He's smart...and so handsome!" Eldin smiled and leaned in close.
"I probably shouldn't tell you this," she whispered secretively, "but he'll be here tonight. Your father invited him." Erran looked confused.
"What's tonight?" she asked. Eldin shook her head in a way that seemed to say, "Not again." She grabbed Erran by the shoulders and said,
"The banquet." Erran's confused look did not dissipate.
"What banquet?"
"You truly are hopeless," Eldin said. "Today is the Day of the Kings!" Erran's face went pale.
"Holy Valar! That's today?" Erran shrieked. "I completely forgot! Father is going to kill me!" With that, she flew down the stairs in the direction she had just come, screaming the name of her eldest sister.
Eldin walked the rest of the way to the Lady Arwen's chamber. She tapped of the door after adjusting her hair and robes to hide her collision in the corridor. The door opened almost immediately, revealing the beautiful queen in the room behind it.
She was dressed in a beautiful white and silver gown that flowed to the floor. Beautiful silver jewelry, studded with precious stones dangled from her neck and ears. Atop her head sat one of her magnificent headdresses, encrusted in diamonds with beautiful silk scarves flowing down the back of her head.
"Your majesty," Eldin said, bowing low once more. The queen nodded and Eldin stood. "The king requests your presence in the throne room, my lady. I know not what about."
"Hanta, melda," Arwen replied. Eldin lowered her head, and, leaving the chamber, made the short hike to her small room on the other side if the sixth level of the city. There, she washed and changed before preparing for her duties at the banquet.