A/N: Yes, I know, the prologue was overly angsty, sad, cry cry cry, I know, I know, I know. But I promise, it'll get more romantic and junk as we go on, but for now, here's chapter 1. Oh ya, by the way, the name inside the backwards parenthases is the point of view. Like duh. And if you hate dramatic, mushy, sometimes fluffy stories, don't read this. PLEEEASE review but PLEEEEEASE don't flame me.
Love ya always and thanks in advance
Meg AKA DramaQueen
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--(-Eight Hundred Years Later-)--
)Larien(
As Éowyn zipped up the back of my dark green dress and I gave it one last tug, I sighed. As always, this was as good as it was going to get.
"Why do you seem so upset about tonight, Larien?" Maranwë insisted. "You look stunning."
I took another glance into the mirror. There was a single strap that held my dress up on my right shoulder, connected to the body by a white rose. The dress itself was a vibrant forest green that Éowyn said brought out my eyes. I knew it was unusual because it did not have a puffy skirt, as many of the ladies were wearing that evening. It was slender and form fitting from my neck down to my ankles where it was hemmed. I usually didn't see my honey-colored hair so disheveled since all of my hair was normally braided in tight cords all around my head, but Éowyn had insisted that for Éomer's 27th birthday, I shouldn't be so predictable, and that included my hair.
I turned to my sister. Maranwë was in a deep red tube dress that stuck against her skin until the fabric met her knees and elbows where it flared out. There was no neck to it- it began at her collarbone and exposed her shoulders until the sleeves met the entire dress. Her dark brown hair, that she was deciding what to do with, was so deep in the firelight that it looked black. We were all ready except for Éowyn.
"Éowyn, you must get ready as well. I mean, it is your brother's birthday party," Maranwë insisted.
"I know, but he is like a brother to both of you, too. I mean, you've lived here since before he was born."
I mulled it over in my mind. "He's not really our brother per say, Éowyn. We've just lived in the same kingdom for eight hundred years."
"But you were raised with him as well as raising him and myself," she declared somewhat firmly.
"Well, sort of, I guess, but come, Éowyn. Let us get you into your dress. The party starts in half an hour," I reminded her. In less than ten minutes we had strapped her into her usual brown fur-collared dress, which we insisted suited her, although she complained that it looked too much like a traveling frock.
As soon as we had finished her, we began working on each other's hair. We sat in a circle, Maranwë in front of me and Éowyn behind me. I began curling my sister's hair into a high bun- as she always wore it. Éowyn took pieces of hair by the tips of my ears and braided them down, attaching them to five beaded braids she created at the back of my head while Maranwë brushed and straightened Éowyn's unruly, wavy locks.
I giggled and playfully elbowed Éowyn in the shoulder as I looked at myself in the mirror. "Are you trying to make me look like Legolas?" I was surprised by the way she made the style so uncanny in it's similarity to the Mirkwood Prince's.
"Hey, I think it looks nice. I mean, on Legolas anything looks nice anyway, but that style looks beautiful on you, Larien," Éowyn insisted.
"As long as you say so, Éowyn. I'm trusting you," I warned. "Don't worry. You look gorgeous," Maranwë said, supporting Éowyn. There was a pregnant pause before she continued. "Now that I think about it, Éowyn's right. I mean, Legolas would look fantastic in a dress for goodness' sake."
Éowyn and I began to laugh.
Without warning, King Théoden knocked and entered before we had a chance to respond. I was a little frightened, I had to admit, because he had been looking frightfully sick for a few weeks, but now he was as pale as I had ever seen him. "Ladies, Éomer wishes to speak with you." He ushered us out of the room and into the mahogany throne room that had been cleared for a dance floor and a banquet table.
Éomer was standing on the opposite side of the room, speaking to Gamling and Háma. When he saw us he smiled, excusing himself. "Good evening, Éowyn, Larien, Maranwë. May I speak with the three of you outside for a moment?"
He led us through the front doors so we could see the whole of the city. It was nothing new to see- we had grown up with the sight- but was still breathtaking all the same.
"I know this may be a little too sentimental and maudlin for the four of us, but I just want to let you all know how much you all mean to me and how much it means to me that you could be here for my birthday." And a seldom seen smile appeared on Éomer's face.
"You're right," Maranwë put in. He looked at her curiously. "That was way too sentimental and maudlin."
"And also," he continued after he had stopped chuckling, "a lot of my friends are going to be here tonight, so please don't do anything that might embarrass me," he pleaded with a grin.
"That's the main reason you asked to speak with us, isn't it?" I asked him with a questioning glare.
"Yeah, pretty much," he replied, smiling. Put off, Maranwë and Éowyn walked back into Meduseld.
I remained outside, gazing at the arriving guests outside the city gates. I recognized Estel, Elladan, Elrohir, and Legolas, but few others. I sat on the edge of the stone wall and Éomer joined me.
"Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight, Larien?" Éomer questioned, playing with strands of my hair, staring at me as I looked at my friends approaching.
"I cannot say that you have," I admitted, blushing.
"Well, you look gorgeous," he complimented, kissing my cheek as he got up to go inside and I followed.
"You know," I teased, "You're supposed to be flirting with the guests, not me." He forced out a chuckle but said no more, as if embarrassed. I shouldn't have said that, I thought to myself. Stop being so adorable. Stop making me like you. Stop it all now before I do something very unlady-like.
I had no clue what he was doing lately that was causing me to fall for him, but whatever it was, it was working quite well.
I changed my mind and decided to stay out to greet my friends.
Before they arrived, I saw another familiar face coming up the steps to Meduseld. "Théodred!" I yelled, running to him. As soon as I reached him, he caught me in an embrace. "Larien! Nae saian luume'." It has been too long
I was impressed by his talent of learning Elvish so quickly, but soon had my doubts.
"Do you even know what you just said?"
"No, but I do remember you saying it to me last time I came back to Edoras."
"It has been too long- that's what you just said."
"I'll have to remember that," he said, smiling, kissing the crown of my head.
"Hurry inside- the party has already begun." I said, shooing him inside where he was quickly met by Éomer.
"Larien!" I turned at the sound of my name. Estel was rushing up the steps, and for once he did not appear greasy or rugged.
"Estel!" I exclaimed, racing to meet him, almost knocking him down the stairs. I hugged him tightly as he twirled me around through the air. When he let me down, I looked into his dancing gray eyes that forced me to smile.
"Oh," he said, interrupting my thoughts. "Certainly you must remember Elladan and Elrohir?"
"All too well," I replied, glaring at the Rivendell twins.
"Hey, it's not our fault that you just happened to walk under our test bucket of fish in Imladris!" protested Elladan.
"But it is your fault that you poured the bucket on top of me!" I protested back.
"You certainly can hold a grudge. That was, what, six hundred years ago?" asked Elrohir.
"Seven hundred and twenty three years, five months, and two weeks," I grunted testily.The twins had nothing more to say.
Estel was chuckling at their antics. A polite cough from the blonde elf behind the twins brought him back to his senses. "I apologize," he said. "Larien, you remember Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, do you not?"
"Of course," I said, smiling as the Prince grasped my hand lightly and touched his lips to it.
"Cormamin lindua ele lle au', hiril nîn. Oio naa elealla alasse'," Legolas whispered, bowing down. My heart sings to see you again, my lady. Ever is thy sight a joy I wasn't accustomed to such gentlemanly manners.
"Eithetol, Legolas, mellon nîn," I responded shyly. Welcome, Legolas, my friend
He gently let go of my hand and I retracted it. Then he smiled, tugging at one of his braids at the side of his temple. "Copy-cat."
I smiled, finding myself at a loss for words, leading the four of them inside to the party.
Maranwë was the first to see them when we walked in. She hugged the twins and smiled at Legolas who kissed her hand, freezing when she saw Estel. "It's a sign of the apocalypse!" she exclaimed clutching her hand to her chest. "Estel bathed!" Then she grabbed both of his cheeks, one in each hand, and kissed his forehead in ecstasy.
Legolas was horrorstruck. "Maranwë, hiril nîn, at our last meeting I do recall you saying that you would rather fall into the pits of Mt. Doom itself than lay your lips upon any part of Estel!"
"Thanks, that makes me feel a whole lot better," the Ranger said sarcastically as the twins began to chortle.
"I never wanted to kiss a Wild Man that resembled those of Dunland, yes, that is so, but right now he looks... better at least..."
"And are we chop liver or something?" yelled the twins, pointing at their foreheads. Maranwë went and kissed Elladan and then Elrohir. As a bonus, she went up to Legolas and kissed his head as well. A white blush lightly colored his cheeks, hardly noticeable by those without keen eyes.
"And Larien, don't think you're getting off the hook so easily," Elladan said silkily, pointing at each of their heads in turn. I sighed before I conceded to their smiling faces.
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