We walked along an endless corridor towards a set of grand doors, which
opened onto yet another corridor with a different colour scheme. Geez, what
was this, Palace Labyrinth or something?
Alassé was silent. I couldn't think of much to say so I said, "Your brother doesn't like me much."
Her mind seemed to have been on something else. She shot me a brief smile and said, "Oh, I'm sure he does really. He just takes a while to warm up to people."
"Oh." I felt slightly better but couldn't help thinking that it would take him a long time to warm from his current state - sub-zero.
We finally came to the dining-chamber - which, incidentally, was almost as big as the throne room - and waiters pulled out our chairs. I was seated opposite Alassé and next to Legolas, who stood up when I entered, and who had an expression of complete surprise on his face.
"Einëssa, you look. really, really nice," he said with what seemed like honesty, thought I couldn't be sure. Even so my heart was drumming so loudly against my chest I was surprised nobody yelled out "Earthquake!"
But from then, as usual, it all went wrong. Legolas saw the necklace around my neck, and suddenly his tone was harsh as he demanded, "Where did you get that?"
Inwardly, I rolled my eyes. I knew it was too good to last. "Alassé gave it to me," I explained.
Legolas turned to Alassé, and, with a laser glare like that from those piercing blue eyes, I was surprised she wasn't a pile of jelly on the floor by now. But wither she was not afraid of her brother, or had an extra- sting force field, because she glared back just as hard.
"Yes, Legolas, I gave it to her," Alassé announced coolly. "Is there a problem with that?"
"You know perfectly well there is a problem with that," her brother blazed. "We were not given that jewellery so you could hand it out to whichever ungainly human thing passed by."
Well, great. So now I wasn't only a clumsy girl with an ugly name, I was an ungainly human thing too.
"How are you supposed to know what Mother told me we could do with her jewellery?" Alassé cried.
"Do not speak about our mother!" Legolas bellowed, and, knocking over his chair, stormed out of the room. Alassé stared at her plate with teas in her eyes. I decided not to push the matter, and we ate dinner in silence.
Alassé was silent. I couldn't think of much to say so I said, "Your brother doesn't like me much."
Her mind seemed to have been on something else. She shot me a brief smile and said, "Oh, I'm sure he does really. He just takes a while to warm up to people."
"Oh." I felt slightly better but couldn't help thinking that it would take him a long time to warm from his current state - sub-zero.
We finally came to the dining-chamber - which, incidentally, was almost as big as the throne room - and waiters pulled out our chairs. I was seated opposite Alassé and next to Legolas, who stood up when I entered, and who had an expression of complete surprise on his face.
"Einëssa, you look. really, really nice," he said with what seemed like honesty, thought I couldn't be sure. Even so my heart was drumming so loudly against my chest I was surprised nobody yelled out "Earthquake!"
But from then, as usual, it all went wrong. Legolas saw the necklace around my neck, and suddenly his tone was harsh as he demanded, "Where did you get that?"
Inwardly, I rolled my eyes. I knew it was too good to last. "Alassé gave it to me," I explained.
Legolas turned to Alassé, and, with a laser glare like that from those piercing blue eyes, I was surprised she wasn't a pile of jelly on the floor by now. But wither she was not afraid of her brother, or had an extra- sting force field, because she glared back just as hard.
"Yes, Legolas, I gave it to her," Alassé announced coolly. "Is there a problem with that?"
"You know perfectly well there is a problem with that," her brother blazed. "We were not given that jewellery so you could hand it out to whichever ungainly human thing passed by."
Well, great. So now I wasn't only a clumsy girl with an ugly name, I was an ungainly human thing too.
"How are you supposed to know what Mother told me we could do with her jewellery?" Alassé cried.
"Do not speak about our mother!" Legolas bellowed, and, knocking over his chair, stormed out of the room. Alassé stared at her plate with teas in her eyes. I decided not to push the matter, and we ate dinner in silence.