We entered the palace together. It was strangely quiet. I guessed it was
because everybody was at the council. I asked Legolas why he hadn't gone,
but he just shrugged and didn't answer.
As we approached the throne room, suddenly a whole barrage of elves swarmed out. I spotted Alassé and waved. She came over to us, darting through the sea of people like a fish.
"So, did you have a nice time by the river together?" she joked. I blushed so hard I probably looked like a lobster. Legolas glared at his sister and said nothing. Since we had left the field, all his almost- friendly attitude had evaporated.
Alassé seemed to realise that she was not going to get an answer out of wither of us. "Father wishes to see you," she said to Legolas. He left for the throne room without speaking.
"Weird," I said, half to myself. Alassé looked at me. "What?"
"It's just...while we were by the river," I felt myself turning red again, "he was being realty nice, but suddenly in public he's acting like I'm an amoeba, or something."
Alassé laughed really hard like I was joking. "My brother, being nice to someone?" she spluttered. "That's about as likely as my father hiring him as an archer."
"But he's a really good archer," I protested. "I saw him, just now."
Alassé laughed again, but uncertainly this time, like she was undecided whether I was joking now.
"No, he's not," she said, but unsurely. "He was in this arching competition about three years ago. He sucked."
"He might have practised a lot since then," I said, thinking that if Legolas sucked at archery for an elf, I did not want to be enemies with any of these other guys.
"You're telling me he practised," Alassé agreed. "He spends every millisecond of spare time down that field. But no amount of practise can make him really good. He'll be awful forever."
"Well, maybe he wouldn't be if people had some faith in him, like his sister for one!" I shouted, surprising even myself.
Alassé looked shocked. "Look, I'm sorry," I apologised. "I'm just mad because he's acting so two-faced."
Alassé smiled. "It's OK. Come on, let's go and see him. He'll be with my father in the throne room."
As we approached the throne room, suddenly a whole barrage of elves swarmed out. I spotted Alassé and waved. She came over to us, darting through the sea of people like a fish.
"So, did you have a nice time by the river together?" she joked. I blushed so hard I probably looked like a lobster. Legolas glared at his sister and said nothing. Since we had left the field, all his almost- friendly attitude had evaporated.
Alassé seemed to realise that she was not going to get an answer out of wither of us. "Father wishes to see you," she said to Legolas. He left for the throne room without speaking.
"Weird," I said, half to myself. Alassé looked at me. "What?"
"It's just...while we were by the river," I felt myself turning red again, "he was being realty nice, but suddenly in public he's acting like I'm an amoeba, or something."
Alassé laughed really hard like I was joking. "My brother, being nice to someone?" she spluttered. "That's about as likely as my father hiring him as an archer."
"But he's a really good archer," I protested. "I saw him, just now."
Alassé laughed again, but uncertainly this time, like she was undecided whether I was joking now.
"No, he's not," she said, but unsurely. "He was in this arching competition about three years ago. He sucked."
"He might have practised a lot since then," I said, thinking that if Legolas sucked at archery for an elf, I did not want to be enemies with any of these other guys.
"You're telling me he practised," Alassé agreed. "He spends every millisecond of spare time down that field. But no amount of practise can make him really good. He'll be awful forever."
"Well, maybe he wouldn't be if people had some faith in him, like his sister for one!" I shouted, surprising even myself.
Alassé looked shocked. "Look, I'm sorry," I apologised. "I'm just mad because he's acting so two-faced."
Alassé smiled. "It's OK. Come on, let's go and see him. He'll be with my father in the throne room."