The Peacock of Ithilien
Chapter 1: Dreams
I can hear the sound of someone singing. It is a rousing song, one that makes you want to get up and dance .I do not know who is playing it, nor what it is, but I can still hear it. The song sounds like nothing a self-respecting Gondorain lord or lady would sing or play. I can see no one around, yet the music is not far away. I rise from my resting place under a tall cedar, but can still not see the musician. I search for him, but can see nothing. I am falling, with nothing but the music surrounding me…
10- year old Lothíriel of the Lord Prince Imreil of Dol Amoth and Lady Arnia of Ilatlithan woke with a start. She banged her head on the headboard as she sat up, quickly throwing her light sheet off of the rest of her body and slipping her feet into cotton slippers. Lothiriel slipped a dress on over her head and pulled open the door. Night air greeted her with the sound and smells of the sea by which she lived. With every window free of hangings to circulate the air, this was not uncommon, especially as far south as she and with the beginning of the summer months and warm weather, things like this had to be done to keep everyone cool. She began walking down the hallway towards the door at the far end, puling at her skirt and sleeves so as not to make her look as if she had simply pulled on something in a second. She wouldn't even bother with putting a dress on during her nighttime walks, if not for her parent's behavior towards going out in only her nightdress. She had received many punishments for doing just that.
Reaching the door, Lothíriel pushed it open and breathed in the sight of the sea. Even after living here for her entire life, seeing the everlasting sapphire ocean stretch out until she could see no end still amazed her, even more with the moon setting on the edge, turning the midnight-black sea into a reflection of the white-gold moon.
Leaning onto the railing, she began to muse about her dream. Although she had gotten it many times over the past year, none had been as vibrant as tonight's. Lothíriel had often pondered upon what it could mean. She rembered, barely a year ago, when the dream had began to occur more regurly, asking her tutor if he had any idea of its meaning.
"No! Does it have anything to do with mathematical reasoning? NO! I am here to teach you reason, not the meaning of dreams! For that, you should ask an elf!"
He had replied, and gave her four more problems to do for asking. Her tutor, Telmor, youngest son of the merchant Felmor, was known through out the palace for his hatefulness towards Rohan ("Barbarians, the lot of them!) and restfulness to speak of anything but his subject. Lothíriel had learned long ago not to ask him about anything other then the study at hand.
The gray light of pre-dawn began to creep across her face as vibrant yellow beams of sunlight started to dart across the eastern sky when she brushed away her thoughts of the dream. Leaning out over the railing, she reached a hand out as if to invite the sun to rise. Hearing foot steps, Lothíriel turned and ran back to her bedroom to get dressed for breakfast.
"I heard you were out again early this morning, Lothíriel."
Her mother's words interrupted her train of thought as she stared down at her plate. "Yes?" she replied as polite as she could, looking up.
"I said, you were out this morning, were you not? Why did you do nothing with your hair this morning either?"
Lothíriel glanced back down at her plate. "I didn't have time."
"So you were out this morning!"
There was no arguing with that. Her mother continued to glare at her as she moved food around her plate.
"Lothíriel." Her father ordered, commanding her to look up. "You must NOT continue these nighttime walks! They are too unlady-like for one of Dol Amoth!"
She couldn't meet his hard eyes. "I won't." She promised, keeping her head down. It was a lie, and she knew it. And they say some lies are made to be broken.
A/N- There you go, the first chapter of my very first fic. CC welcomed and needed. Flames will be used to burn my conformation homework.
Hopefully the more the reviews, the longer the chapters will get…
Help on my spelling is thanked. grin
Chapter 2: