Chapter Four - HAIRBRUSHES
"Halt! Who goes there?" demanded Legolas drawing his sword and holding it in front of the cloaked figure creeping stealthily through his chamber.
"A spider in a dress," said Nadrwynna pulling off the hood.
Legolas smiled, and then sheathed the sword. "Thank the Valar for that. I'm not as professional as you with the blade."
"Your words are poison to my ears, especially when you don't mean them."
"But I do!" protested the Prince. Then seeing he was getting nowhere, he changed the subject. "So, why did you come down? And why did you decide to creep through my room?"
Nadrwynna contemplated her answer. Should she or should she not be sarcastic? She decided against being sarcastic. "I was hungry, and Lord Elrond's doors were locked. Your room was the only one with an open balcony. And I didn't want to awake you, so I decided to creep in."
Legolas nodded, then stood up and followed her to the door.
Slightly annoyed, Nadrwynna eyed him. "I do not need an escort to the kitchens, Green Ears. And I assure you, I will proceed to my room after this, not the pine."
"I'm hungry too, and besides I wanted to apologise for my detestable behaviour this morning," said Legolas cheerfully.
After looking at him suspiciously for a while, she nodded. "Apology accepted. But…"
Legolas cringed knowing she would make him do something embarrassing.
"But," she repeated, "I want to borrow your twin blades on the morrow. Elladan challenged me to a duel in the morning."
Legolas sighed in relief. "Granted, young one." Grinning at the grimace at this name, he shut his door and followed her to the kitchens.
An hour and a meal later, the two made their way back to the sleeping quarters.
Nadrwynna kept glancing in the Prince's direction, and Legolas found it strange.
"Are you ill, Legolas?" she questioned when they stopped before her room.
"No," he raised his eyebrows. "Not at all. I am quite well, thank you, though I appreciate your concern."
"Do not speak in rhyme all the time, Legolas," Nadrwynna snapped, then realising what she said, let out a delighted peal of laughter. Legolas couldn't help but grin, and soon the two were laughing like mad hyenas.
"I believe it is you who made up that poem," he said, after they had subsided. "But before I take leave of the Warrior of the Woods, may I be permitted to ask you a question?"
Another of those strange looks came his way. "Anything, considering that I have forgiven you."
"Why did you so kindly inquire about my health?"
"You are being very courteous all of a sudden, and when I was in Mirkwood, I realised that this is how you behave when you're flirting with the palace maids. Besides, I heard your conversation with Undomiel earlier. And she is right – I do seek your approval. But obviously, you are overdoing it. Quel du, my prince."
Legolas quickly sidestepped her and barred the door. "Whatever Elladan or Elrohir said on the balcony was mindless banter."
"I will think the same if you think the same, my lord. Now once again, good night," Nadrwynna said, a smile playing on her lips.
"I will throw you into the dungeons I mentioned to Arwen earlier if you use any more formalities on me!" Legolas threatened, eyes glinting.
"That's beside the point. And before I forget, one of your hairbrushes came to be in my set of clothes for some reason, and a hair clip. Sometimes I wonder why you weren't called the Evenstar of Mirkwood, Green Ears."
"That is because you are the Evenstar of Mirkwood," replied the Elf gallantly.
"I thank you for your compliment, Legolas. But I still can't resist. Your vanity exceeds the water in all the oceans and rivers and lakes in Middle Earth. I'll return your um………hairbrushes in the morning."
Then before Legolas could say anything, she brushed past him and gently shut the oak door.
The Prince smiled thoughtfully and left, though not before whispering into the doors.
"Quel esta, Wynna."
*
"Legolas, please go and awaken Nadrwynna. It is a wonder she slept late when we have so much to do!" said Lord Elrond as the son of Thranduil entered the dining hall. Grimacing, Legolas turned and disappeared into the vast palace of Imladris.
When he entered the room, the first thing he saw was the Princess stretched out lazily on the large bed (which was piled with tons of cushions, surprisingly), a slightly glazed look in her eyes which meant she was in the dream state.
"Good morning, my lady. It is indeed a pleasure to wake up the most beautiful star of Mirkwood."
Thank the Valar she's asleep! He thought when he realised what he had just said. He then saw the pillows waiting to be used. Quickly, he picked one up and gently thumped it on her face. Legolas tried this several times, but received no response from the sleeping Elf. He gave this up, and then lightly sat on her stomach. When this didn't work, he screwed up his face and bent over her.
*
Nadrwynna ignored the annoying voice which kept proclaiming her the most beautiful in all Mirkwood. She was then aware of a pillow hitting her face quite a few times, and an awful weight on her middle. But she ignored it. Must be the ignorant maidservant whom she had specifically told not to disturb her in the early hours of the morning.
A dark shape loomed over her eyes, and the next second something brushed itself against her lips. That was enough! Uttering an exclamation, she sat up to see a grinning Legolas and an equally grinning Elladan and Elrohir behind him, peering through the doors.
*
"Yee! Tampa tanya!" the princess shrieked, when Legolas kissed her. He stood up in satisfaction, grinning at the angry Elf before him, but in his laughter, failed to see the twins behind him. To top the effect, he picked up the jug of icy water by Nadrwynna's bedside and emptied the contents on her head. The already furious Elf was now apoplectic with rage, and she resumed her angry tirade in Elvish.
"Rima ten'ta, lle nadorhuan!" Nadrwynna shouted, pulling out her own set of twin blades and brandishing them in the offender's face. Both Elladan and Elrohir were even more convulsed in laughter when the prince obliged to her taunts.
*
"What is wrong with them now, Arwen," said Elrond exasperatedly when a howl of laughter, a thunderous shriek and the words 'Rima ten'ta, lle nadorhuan' reached the ears of all Elves in the dining hall. "Pray find out!"
Most of the Elves in the dining room were Elrond's 'lords' as he called them, and they were having a difficult time ignoring the laughter – several were choking with the attempt of trying to smother the humour threatening to escape their lips.
Trying to hide her own smile, the Evenstar rushed towards the chambers from where the sound of laughter issued. When she reached the correct corridor, she was amazed to see one of her brothers rolling on the floor in mirth, and the other, hanging onto the door of the room providing the entertainment, while watching the scene inside and snorting uncontrollably at the same time.
"Ada can hear you," Arwen countered reproachfully, when the twins let out a fresh round of laughter. Elladan (still sniggering) pointed into the room. When she looked into the room, even the normally composed Evenstar had to smile.
Nadrwynna, still in her nightclothes, stood on several cushions on the bed, trying her very best to maintain her balance on the tottering pile, holding her twin blades, whilst Legolas, quite firmly attached to the ground waved around his twin blades. Besides that, the female Elf was positively dripping with water, and her eyes were blazing furiously.
"How dare you awaken me in such a rude manner, you blasted Elf? And how dare you do such a disgusting thing? I will personally cut your throat and throw all your favourite hairbrushes out the window!"
Elladan and Elrohir roared.
A full-fledged fight would have occurred, if it had not been for the timely arrival of Glorfindel – through Nadrwynna's window. He separated the two and disarmed the angry Elf, before turning on the culprit.
"Legolas, it is not nice to awaken one by kissing them!" he lectured.
"I told you he likes her!" gasped Elrohir from the floor. "And he just proved it!"
Trying to muster all his dignity, Legolas cast around for words to say, then finally smiled, flashing his teeth at the maid who had come to awaken Nadrwynna (a few minutes late) and leaving her staring in his direction in admiration no matter how many times Elrohir cleared his throat.
"Elrohir, I would not speak if I were you. But as you force me to defend myself, I will. How is Filande?"
Elrohir subsided at once. Unfortunately, Legolas' comment stirred a memory in Elladan's mind.
"Haldir's sister? I should've known! That is why you two were always missing at night when we visited Lothlorien."
"Traitor!" grunted Elrohir, mock punching Legolas.
*
When the Elfings finally arrived in the great hall, it was empty, except for Elrond.
The meal was served, and all ate hungrily, without anything drastic occurring until Nadrwynna decided to present Legolas with his missing hairbrush.
When this happened, even Lord Elrond couldn't help laughing at the look of horror and embarrassment on the Prince's face.
*
*Translations:
Quel du – Good night
Quel esta – Rest well
Tampa tanya – Stop that
Rima ten'ta, lle nadorhuan! – Run for it, you cowardly dog!