Chapter One: Awakening
"In one of these lonely Orkney Isles, there dwelled a maiden fair. Her cheeks were red, her eyes were blue, she had red flowing hair." Loreena McKennitt
I had always known this day would come. The day I would be old enough to make my own decisions. Still, my mother insisted she knew what was best for her only daughter. Time had come for me to leave home. It was time for the little girl that my mother loved so dearly to make a life of her own. Of course she wanted me to marry more than anything. She said what kind of injustice I would be doing to the family name if I didn't get married and bare children. Injustice I thought. What the hell was she talking about? I know she wants the best for me, but sometimes she can pose too much of a nerve.
It was time that I venture outside of my small village and into the kingdom where I can live my life to the fullest. There had always been something missing in my life, something that I could not grasp. All my life I had people to do things for me. I wanted to do things for other people. I decided that when I got to the kingdom I would seek out a job as a caretaker. The least I could do is to take care of someone else that was not as fortunate as I.
Of course my family had planned on my marriage to a Prince from another land; the vow that I had made to my family was about to be broken. I knew nothing of love, especially when it came to an arranged marriage. I did not want to be apart of something that I would not be happy in. But my family on the other hand, didn't care what I wanted. Whatever was in the best interest for them was good enough for me.
I have been traveling ever since that day I found out that I was to be married off. I wanted to hide. I didn't want anyone to find me. I had to get away and start a new life. But I needed to settle down first. I made up my mind; my new life was going to start tomorrow. I will be leaving for Mirkwood in the morning.
My journey began in the early morning; I had left before anyone in the house had awoken. I didn't want to see my mother cry. I didn't want to cry. I went out to the stables and grabbed my horse. I took one last look at my home. This was it; time to live out my life the way I wanted. It would be a 2-day journey to the city of Mirkwood. As I rode my horse through the forests, into the fields, and out in the open land, I reflected back on my life. I wondered if I could really make it on my own. I could not regret what I have chosen to do now. Looking back on things, maybe I should have second-guessed myself.
Dawn of the second day of my journey had begun. I packed up my belongings and headed out for the last part of the trip. It was a half days journey from here, a half day until my life began again. What was I going to do when I got to Mirkwood, I thought to myself. I didn't have a clue. All I knew was that I was determined to help people, in any way possible.
It was mid-day when I arrived. The town was alive with laughter and playfulness. It had been a long time since I have remembered those two things together. Standing there in the middle of the courtyard that day, man, if I would have known how things would have wound up…I might have turned back. I was suddenly pushed out of the way by an oncoming cavalcade of horses steered by elves. I was strangely pre-empted by the mysterious oncoming elf riding in the middle of the cavalcade. His eyes looked like they glared right through me. I could only manage to force out a half smile, while everyone else around me bowed to him. I had never seen such beauty in male elf before. I can't remember if I was in shock, or if I was so subdued by his magnificence, but I couldn't move. The cavalcade finally passed by and I was left alone in the middle of the courtyard.
It was beginning to get dark and the clouds started to move in. I had to find a place to stay for the night before the weather became torrential. All the places I went to were taken for the night. I guess I was a little late. I ventured out a little ways from the town to a neighboring forest. I decided to take my chances outside by setting up camp for the night. I was getting hungry, so I started a small fire and was about ready to prepare some soup before I went to bed, when a hooded person on a horse interrupted me. Strangely enough it was the same horse I saw earlier that evening. It couldn't be, I had thought to myself.
"Can I help you with something sir?" I had asked him.
"You shouldn't be out here by yourself milady," he answered back.
"Well, I would have stayed in town, but all the rooms were full. Besides, I don't mind staying out here. I'll be okay." I told him.
I still couldn't see his face, so I had no idea who he was, or why he so concerned.
"You shouldn't be out here because of what has happened as of late."
"Which would be?" I questioned him.
"There have been attacks by wild animals out here. I wouldn't want you to get hurt, or worse."
"Well thank you for your concern, but like I said before, all the rooms are full. Besides, I can take care of myself." I told him sternly. I guess that was a mistake.
"Milady, I cannot have you staying out here by yourself. It is not safe. I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."
"Who are you, anyways?" I asked. I thought I was the one who was supposed to take care of other people. Oh well.
"That is not important at this moment milady. But we really must be going now," he said.
I reluctantly packed up my things, got on my horse, and followed this strange man.
"Could you at least show your face to me, I'd like to at least see who I'm being kidnapped by," I said jokingly.
He threw off his hood and gave me a glare that could have lasted for days.
"That's not funny," he said.
"Hey, you're the elf from earlier this evening, the one riding into town," I said surprised.
"Forgive me milady, but I'm Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, the town that you're in now.
"Oh, I'm sorry," I said confused. By this time Legolas had a strange look upon his face. I know what he was thinking. How dare her…
"Where are you taking me anyways?" I asked wondering where this strange elf was heading.
"I'm taking you back to my residence; I cannot have you stay out in that forest alone. It would not be a likely situation for you." He said.
"But I cannot take this offer from you. Just let me go back, I'll be fine." Of course arguing with a Prince was not going to get me anywhere but in trouble. I finally gave in and continued on with him. We reached the Palace gates where some guards promptly stopped us.
"Halt!"
"It is only I Faladon," Legolas said,
"And who is this? Another one of your whores you wish to bed?" he said angered.
"Faladon, mind your tongue, you're in the presence of a nice fine Elven Woman," Legolas said,
"Sir." Faladon said.
"Pay no mind to that silly guard." He said trying to reassure me. Whores, I thought, how interesting. My intrigue about this fine elf began to grow; I wanted to know more about him, more about his life. Now that I think about it, maybe I wished I never had wanted to know more; because more is what I got.
"Don't worry about it, I don't really care," I said to him looking into the distance.
We walked up the long pathway for what seemed like an eternity. Looking around at my surroundings, I could tell I entered a whole new world. It was a lot different than I had expected.
"Kind sir, how can I every repay you for your kindness? You know, you still could have just left me where I was. It was only going to be for one night." I said.
"You don't need to repay me milady, I only want to protect my people." He said.
"But I'm not part of your town, I would like to be, but as of yet I have only time to find a place to settle into before I can find a place to work where I can help people. I explained to him, I hadn't noticed that tears were streaming down my face. I guess the fact that I had left my home hadn't really hit me until that moment.
"Are you okay, um I never did catch your name?" Legolas asked.
"My name is Llewellyn," I said.
"And Llewellyn, milady, how do you propose you will help the people in my town?" he asked, wondering the full extent of this elves intentions.
"I don't exactly know yet, but I'll let you know when I figure it out," I giggled.
Our conversation could have went on for hours, It was getting late in the evening and I was starting to yawn uncontrollably. Legolas showed me to one of the rooms upstairs near his own. When I opened the double doors to this room, I was in amazement. I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life before. The room was illuminated with bright candlelight, with the gentle smell of Jasmine in the air. I inhaled the scent as I continued to walk further into the room. 'This is amazing" I thought. Legolas walked me around the room to get me familiar with the place. In the next room there was a hall that led to the balcony that overlooked the garden down below. I could barely see the lake that ran through the palace's rear. The moonlight that shown through the clouds reflected off of the lake as the wind danced along the lake. By this time I would have wished I walked out of this room, out of this palace, and far away from this place. I might not be telling you this story if I had. Legolas graciously told me that a servant would be up shortly to see me off to bed and that in the morning breakfast would be served in my room. He also told me that if I needed anything he would only be a doorway down.
"I'll see you in the morning Llewellyn. I hope you have a good nights rest." He said before closing the door behind him.
I walked over to the bed and unpacked my bedclothes. It was rather chilly that night, so that when the servant had come in later on that evening she had lit a fire for me to keep warm. Strangely enough though, as if that night could have been any weirder, she confessed to me that before she had come in to bid me a night's sleep, Legolas had mentioned that a new visitor had arrived. When she had asked who this person was, he was vague, but he couldn't hide the emotion that he was conveying in his eyes and in his smile. The servant had told me that she knew it was a female elf that had arrived. She also said it had been a long time since she had seen the Prince like that. I know this may sound strange, but I had taken a liking to this fine Elf. Though we had only met briefly, I felt a connection like no other. Yeah, I know what you're thinking; it's too early to be sure. And at that point, you're right, I wasn't sure of anything.
I laid my head down on the pillow, snuggled under the warmth of the blankets, and closed my eyes.
'Wherein the deep night sky
The stars lie in its embrace
The courtyard still in its sleep
And peace comes over your face.'
Loreena McKennitt
