Disclaimer: Disclaimer is not available at the moment, please read the message at the first chapter at the beep. Beep! The Music Room "Stop dreaming!" she told herself angrily. "Don't dream, you know the effect it has on you." "I'm afraid I can't control that." She jumped as Legolas' voice pierced her scolding herself. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and put his face in his hands in exhaustion. "Yes, you are and you know it." She smiled, "Besides I wasn't taking to you, I was talking to myself. I swear I am in perfect mental health." At this she rolled her eyes humorously, "What time is it anyway?" He raised his head, exposing dropped eyes with purple bags under them and stared at her dully. "I am not in control of my dreams, I in fact don't often have any. You are not in perfect mental health, if you were you probably wouldn't be here or have met me. You would be at home waking someone else up at Valar knows what time. I don't know what time it is, but I do know that it is still dark with no sign of dawn on the horizon and therefor hours earlier then I should be up." He replied, anger lacing his voice. She snorted quietly. "Someone needs a nap." She commented rather more loudly than she had intended. "I was having one until you woke me." "Then go back to sleep, genius." "Was that sarcastic?!" "Of course not, I would never do anything like that your highness." He narrowed his eyes and swung his legs back into the warmth of his covers, slipping the rest of his body in as well. He muttered goodnight and slipped off to sleep, his eyes dropping, glossy and unfocused. He looked very out of character when he slept. She sighed again and leaped out of bed, now fully awake. It was strange, being so awake, she had only gotten about half an hours sleep since should was unable to sleep after the first ten minutes then being woken by Pippin kicking something in his sleep. As a precaution she had tucked him into bed herself making the covers a tad bit tight but all the same he could still breathe so everything was all right. Except for the fact that she hadn't slept more then a half-hour in the past week. She limped over to the window, her foot was in a great amount of pain at the moment. She finally decided to limp her way down to whatever pitiful human healing resources they had. No matter how human she was there was no denying the effectiveness of Elven medicine. Silently she opened the door, slipped out, and began to walk around in search of a guard that might be of assistance. After about five minutes she found herself around a corner, down a flight of steps and around another corner at the entrance hall. At the doors were too guards, one she recognized as Hama and another she didn't know that name of. "Hello, there, gentlemen. How are you this fine night?" she asked cheerily as she walked slowly up to them. Hama turned to face her. "Milady, what are you doing up at such a late hour? You should be sleeping and resting for your long journey ahead." "Well, my good man, I was awoken by a pain in my foot. Upon investigation I found a bit of a nasty cut and I was wondering if you would happen to have any bandages I could use." She requested with a friendly grin. He smiled back, nodded curtly and left to his left. The guard she was left with wasn't very friendly and seemed quite shy to be honest. He had shoulder length brown hair with stunningly green eyes. He was, thankfully, clean-shaven but showed no sign of wanting to use his thin lips for talking. When she asked his name he simply muttered something quietly to his feet and looked at anything but her. She was just about to laugh out loud when Hama returned with a chair made of wood, a strip of gauze and a tiny-leafed herb that was redish in colour. "Please sit down milady." He said putting down the chair just behind her. She sat and stuck her foot in the air awaiting him to begin his work. He began to tie the herbs onto the cut with the gauze. It wasn't painful at all; in fact it created a slightly ticklish sensation. "What is that?" she asked curiously, glancing down at his work. "Just a common weed we found out helps heal. It grows all over the place." He informed her tiredly. He had obviously been posted for the overnight guard and hadn't gotten enough sleep that day. When her foot was properly bandaged and secured she asked Hama to direct her to the kitchens. He said to take a right down the next hallway, then the third left and the second left. After thanking him graciously, though not entirely sincerely if honesty is due, she took off. "I don't like her." The quite guard commented after she had left, shooting a dirty look down the hallway she had gone down. Hama nodded in agreement. When she left the two men she ended up taking a left down the next hallway, then the third right and the second right and found herself at a door at the end of a short hallway. She raised an eyebrow at it then slowly inched it open, peering around to see if anyone was occupying it that she might anger. Upon the realization of the contents of the room a smile appeared on her face. There were shelves lining every wall with various musical instruments laid upon them made of many different colours and materials, including mithril, silver, and wood. The walls were painting with redish-brown horses running through a golden plain. The shelves were painted bright red and deep bronze with tiny rubies embedded in some places. In awe she slowly walked over the threshold and gazed in wonder at the beautiful craftsmanship that was evident in the room. Her eyes traveled to the ceiling and a smile played on her lips as she saw the blue sky with white puffy clouds almost perfectly imitated in paint that she could have sworn that she had walked outside through some blissful portal. At the end of the row of shelves a exquisitely crafted string instrument caught her eye. Slowly and as carefully as she could she lifted it from its place. She plucked at the string and a cool crisp G flat sang through the air. She plucked again and several notes at once were heard. And so she played a delightful giddy tune that would make even the most sorrowful man in all of Middle-Earth moderately happy again. As she played her heart felt as though it were lifted and liberated. All of her worries and woes seemed to float away with each passing note. "That is a nice tune." A voice said from behind her scaring her out of her wits and making her jump five feet in the air. "Where did you learn to play?" Upon spinning around her eyes met those of the King Theoden and she hid her instrument behind her back, though she knew there was no point. "How long were you there?" she asked her heart still racing from the scare. He laughed merrily. "Long enough to know that you are one of my private rooms." He replied through a beaming smile. "Where did you learn to play?" "I really didn't know this was one of you're private rooms and I'm sure you don't appreciate me coming in here and playing you instruments so I guess I'll just leave then." She exclaimed with a reassuring nod to herself then started to the door. "You still haven't answered my question, young Aradel." He observed as she was reaching for the doorknob. Her head fell and she turned to meet him. She hated it when people called her young, seeing as she was probably fifty times their age. Unless they happened to be an elf. "I don't see why it's important." She told him, "Besides, it's a little embarrassing." "It matters not to me, I have heard many an embarrassing story in my time. She laughed a little. "I learned it from a toad." He raised an eyebrow, skeptically. "I was walking past a lake one day and he offered to teach me. Of course as eager as I am to learn I said yes and he taught me and taught me well. And in only one week too." Theoden laughed as well. "Well you can thank that toad for me, you play wonderfully. What did you call that tune?" "It was the first one he taught me so I suppose I could call it one week. For how long it took me to learn." She answered completely randomly. "You know what about you caught my interest at first?" the king asked fondly. "What would that be?" "Your lack of formality. You didn't bow after Gandalf set me free nor do you call me sire, or lord. May I be so bold as to ask why?" he inquired curiously. She grinned. "I find formalities a separation. A way of saying that you are better then I, which I know is not true. Chances are I could take your position and do it just as well. I'm not saying I could it's just an example. You were born into this position and I don't see why I should have to bow to anyone who didn't earn their way into whatever their doing, with all due respect." She replied. "And most of the time I forget and make up a long and complicated explanation to avoid being charged with treason or something of the like." "I see." "I do mean that in the most respectful way possible. I do believe you've earned your position. That was just a general Lord thing." She added quickly. "I don't believe you meant any disrespect I was merely acknowledging your conclusion." He said with a grin. "But I do believe that you can talk a lot." She laughed heartily. "Oh, my yes. I can talk for hours on end. Ask Legolas or Aragorn. Or anyone in the fellowship for that matter, they will testify to my insanity. As will I as a matter of fact." "Naught but people who don't know you would not testify to your insanity I'm sure. But right now it is the middle of the night and I'm sure you need your sleep. Go to bed now and perhaps you can come here again tomorrow, you have my permission." Theoden said lightly brushing past Aradel to open the door with a slight creak. With a bright smile on both ends he continued on his way out the door, down the corridor and turned to his left, presumably to his own room to sleep. She stood there for only a few moments then sighed and left the dazzling room. She returned to her room to find both Pippin deep asleep and snoring rather loudly as was Legolas though not quite as loud. In more of a soft, deep elegant kind of way. Through the window she could see dawns pale beginning light on the horizon. She sighed again, she would not sleep tonight. The next morning Pippin awoke surprisingly early and even more hyper then usual. Which was a terrifying thing if you were in close proximity with him. He kept on chattering away so fast it sounded like gibberish and hopping around the room, practically bouncing off the walls. Legolas however was fast asleep still, late into the day and the other two occupant of the room had promised him they would wait until he woke up to go out and start the day. "Can I wake him, Aradel. He sleeps a lot. Why do Elves sleep with their eyes open? Why doesn't everybody else sleep with their eyes open? Do they see when they sleep or do they sort of zone out when they sleep? Can I wake him yet? Aradel why aren't you answering me? Should I try and train my eyes to stay open when I go to sleep? I wonder how I would do that. Oh, well I don't think it's that important. Why are Elves so tall? Why are all Elves blonde? Well not all of them are blonde you know. Like lady Arwen and her brothers, Lord Elrond and that famous Elf. What was his name? Eol I think it was. He married someone whose name is just like yours didn't he. Her name was spelt differently wasn't though, Aradel?" Pippin chanted very fast. She had given up trying to answer any of his pointless question and just sat by the window staring out, her face impassive. "Now can I wake him Aradel?" he whined impatiently, this time actually waiting for an answer. "Yes, but make sure you do it as loudly and irritatingly as possible." She said with a small smile forming itself on her face. He stood on the spot for a moment, thinking, then raced out of the room and into the bathroom. When he returned he had a pail of icy water in one hand and a large horn in the other. Grinning from ear to ear he placed the horn on Legolas' bedside table and prepared himself to pour the water. "Aradel, would you mind placing the horn to my lips please?" he asked in a sweet innocent voice, which didn't suite the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Of course, master hobbit." She hopped down from the windowsill and did as he had instructed. He drew in a long breath and released it with all his might into the horn. A blast so loud ensued from that it could have woken the entirety of Rohan. Legolas bolted upright in alarm and was turning to see Pippin laughing profusely as the icy cold sheet of water washed over the majority of his upper body. He sat there, shocked, for a moment. He blinked. Then his eyes flickered over to see Aradel, again, sitting on the windowsill, with a bright smile, then to Pippin rolling on the floor, grabbing his sides laughing. His face still impassive he got up and stood above Pippin. He stopped laughing but still held a grin on his face as Legolas' continued to grow more and more furious. "What in Valar's name did you do that for?!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "A simple push or nudge or 'Legolas wake up' would have done nicely! Why did you do that?!" The hysterical Hobbit tried to reply but couldn't find the words through fits of manic laughter. It was only when she saw Legolas' eye twitch in fury did Aradel actually laugh, and she had good reason to. It is not very often you see an Elf's eye twitch and it is indeed a hilarious sight. A/N: Hee hee, o that pippin. I don't know if Elves eyes actually twitch but i thought i would be a really funny sight to see. As for the music room I don't know if Theoden has a music room or not but i'm saying he does. Just for fun. I also don't know(i don't know alot of stuff) if Theoden would get really offended and have her head cut off if Aradel didn't call him Lord or King or whatever but i'm saying he wouldn't just for fun. I think that's everything. Nehoo, bye-bye!:D I like MINTS: I"ve had that blizzard! The Brownie Batter Blizzard, lol, i love that commercial, it's so funny!:D I also had this Jolt cappicinio thing and it was pretty disgusting but the original is OK. Glad you liked hte Aragorn/Aradel scene, hee hee:D Elven Script:O i will, don't worry. :D