Disclaimer: I only own: Tysan, Aleyna, Star and that's it. Sorry people
Chapter 4
First meetings
After Elladan left her to the mercy of her maids Aleyna was left puzzling what it would actually be like to meet Legolas. She was startled out of her reverie by being dumped into a bath. All the maids were tutting over the state of her. After they had made sure every inch of hair and skin were clean they pulled her into a slip and left her for a few minutes. They soon came back and dragged her into yet another room, this one a dressing room, and pulled her into a dress.
This one was a dark forest green. The bodice was low cut and showed off her skin to its best effect. The skirt flared out from her bodice. The sleeves were long and flared towards the bottom. They were held in at either elbow with silver cords that fitted snugly. The sleeves bodice and skirt were trimmed with silver brocade. The whole dress was quite light, for all the appearance of being heavy. Aleyna made herself practice lifting the skirts and petticoats so she would not embarrass herself. Finally the maids made her put on stockings and slippers
Next came her hair. It was first allowed to dry. Then it was curled so it hung in loose ringlets. Then taking her hair some delicate white roses were added. A silver circlet came last, intricately worked. Looking at herself Aleyna gasped at the change that had been worked on her. She looked magically transformed. It seemed as if she really was the daughter of a princess of Lorien and a fey knight. Finally the maids added a light emerald necklace that was in the shape of a delicate flower. There were also earrings to match and a bracelet. All in all it felt fairly different to how she usually was.
There came a knock at the door and Aleyna opened it to see the twins. They were both wearing deerskin trousers. Elrohir was wearing a deep blue tunic though and Elladan was wearing a deep red tunic. Aleyna knew it was so that people could tell the twins apart. She was one of the few who could tell them apart without them wearing things to tell them apart. She was aware of how she must look from their point of view, she was incredibly, and painfully, aware of them staring at her.
"Wow cousin, you clean up well." Elladan exclaimed.
"And I never realized you were two separate people." Aleyna quipped back.
"Sharp cousin, sharp." Elladan muttered.
"I wouldn't expect anything less." Elrohir smiled.
"Do I pass the inspection?" Aleyna asked, twirling around.
"No question of it." Elrohir smiled.
"Time to go now." Elladan offered Aleyna his arm.
Aleyna took her cousin's offered arm with just a hint of nervousness. She knew she was going to be formally introduced to Legolas tonight. She had seen him in the library, it was true, but that was only a glimpse. Even then she hadn't got too good an impression. Add that to the fact that her dress wasn't the most comfortable thing she had ever worn and she was almost terrified. She managed to hide it all behind a mask and compose herself, stopping to tuck a few stray ringlets behind her ear.
"Here we are." Elladan stopped outside some doors.
"Stand up straight, breathe, and above all smile." Elrohir muttered somewhat helpfully.
"Thank you, and remind me to murder whoever got me into this dress." Aleyna muttered.
"That would be our dear sister." Elladan smiled evilly.
Aleyna didn't have a chance to retort as she was led into the large hall. It took her breath away as she glanced around her. The walls were much the same as she had come to expect in Rivendell, but the sheer height of the roof and the size of the room seemed to dwarf anything she had ever been in. There were three large tables, one at the head, and two running down either side of the hall. The twins led her to the top of the hall where they led her to her seat, before bowing and moving off to their seats further down the table.
Looking around her Aleyna felt slightly nervous. Her cousins were a few feet away and there was no one around her. All in all she felt pretty lonely and scared. At that moment some other elves entered the hall and Aleyna had time to view them as they came towards her. One of them was the prince of Mirkwood and the others were his companions. One of her cousin, Elrohir, sidled up and led the prince away, towards her. She knew that the prince had been put next to her, on purpose, by Arwen, but that didn't make it any less awkward.
"And may I present to you my cousin, Arlia, Lady of Lothlorien and Princess of Avalon." Elrohir came to a stop next to Aleyna.
Aleyna stood and curtsied. When she stood up she found her eyes being engaged by that shocking blue pair she had only a glimpse of earlier on that day. She held his gaze for a few moments before dropping them. Legolas had changed into a midnight blue tunic; otherwise he was clad as he was before, apart from the overcoat.
"Nice to meet you." Aleyna said as she curtsied again.
"And you." Legolas nodded his head.
"I think father's asking for me." Elrohir excused himself.
"Worst escape line ever." Aleyna muttered.
"Can you blame him though?" Legolas asked.
"No, I'll get him back for it later though." Arlia smiled wickedly from over her cup.
"I don't think I've heard of anyone willing to pay the twins back for one of their pranks." Legolas smiled.
"Really? Well I think you just have." Aleyna's smile was disarming.
"If I can help you in any way I gladly will." Legolas and Aleyna sat.
"I might need your help sometime; right now I think we should enjoy ourselves." Aleyna nodded with a small smile on her lips.
Right at that moment everyone sat down and waited for the food to come in. It was quite hard for Aleyna not to look impressed. There were some dishes that left her wondering what they were; she had never seen anything of the like in her whole life. Wait, maybe she had a dim distant memory of sitting at a table like this one, filtered dimly in. Aleyna shook her head to clear it before looking around her again. It was a relief to see that there wasn't just meat hanging around, although it was all the dwarves were eating.
Delicately Aleyna selected a few morsels and put them on her plate. She suddenly didn't feel as hungry as she had earlier, she just didn't understand it. Sighing to herself she gazed out over the room, allowing her eyes to unfocus and her mind to wander. She frowned slightly when she realized Tysan wasn't there, she had every right to be. Although, you got the impression that no elves really liked Tysan all that much. They seemed much more welcoming to Aleyna, even though she was half fey, which was a little strange as she had got the impression that fey weren't really liked all that much, well most of them apart from a few, of whom her father must be one she supposed.
Aleyna shook her head, now was not the time for these kind of thoughts. Looking down to her plate she started to eat a little. After a while she was aware of someone's eyes on her. Looking up she saw Legolas observing her, a puzzled look on his face. She returned his curious gaze with her slightly irritated one. A small piece of satisfaction was that she was the one to outstare him. Legolas looked to his plate, which was empty.
"You're not what I expected." Legolas smiled wryly when he looked up.
"What were you expecting?" Aleyna asked looking slightly confused.
"I suppose someone more like the maidens I know from Mirkwood." Legolas shrugged.
"And what would they be like perchance?" Aleyna smiled.
"They're nothing like you." Legolas claimed diplomatically.
"I see, so none of them would even dream of playing pranks on anyone?" Arlia asked a slightly amused smile on her face.
"You have to admit, you're not the conventional maiden." Legolas finally settled on after a pause of a few moments.
"Well I suppose I haven't had the usual upbringing, being brought up in a world where everyone is as good as their worth." Arlia explained.
"It would be interesting to live like that." Legolas nodded, showing his interest.
"Where I grew up and here are so different, I'm not used to being told I can't do something because I'm me, it's a little disconcerting." Aleyna confided.
At that moment Tysan burst in through the door. Her hair, which had been pulled back into a plait originally hung down in front of her, soaking wet. Her clothes were ripped and torn, and her hands chalk white. At her side hung a sword from which Aleyna got the sensation of dark power emanating from it. Tysan stalked up to the top table where Elrond was sitting. The talking had stopped and everyone sat silent, feeling the anger emanating from Tysan. The guards hefted their spears, and took a few steps forward, but at a glance from Elrond went back to their places, though still alert.
"What else did you not tell me?" Tysan demanded her voice silky smooth yet commanding.
"I told you everything." Elrond calmly replied.
The conversation went on like this for a while. Elrond and Tysan seemed to be unaware of the tension in the room, but Aleyna was more than aware of it. The guards were standing just that bit straighter, ready to come to their lord's aid if he needed, maybe if he didn't need. Aleyna glanced to Elladan and Elrohir who both shook their heads. No one had seen Tysan like this before, so it was a shock. By now Tysan was yelling, and Elrond was still calmly replying. After one particular piece of speech made by Tysan the guards stepped forward, not even Elrond could stop them. No one could have predicted what would happen next.
The guards carried on slowly walking towards Tysan, their weapons drawn. Aleyna watched with a growing feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. Tysan obviously had anticipated this, and turned to stare at each guard one at a time. They all eventually looked away, unable to stand the look of pure malevolence in Tysan's eyes.
Tysan had ignored one guard though, a fact this particular guard was all too willing to take up on. He hefted his weapon in his hand, testing its weight, before advancing on Tysan. Aleyna stood suddenly, turning all the other guards, and Tysan's, attentions on her.
"Stop." Aleyna cried, flinging out her hand. The guard's sword went flying away from him and ended up at Elrond's feet.
Aleyna moved silently from her place to where Tysan was standing. Tysan was shooting her furious looks from behind her mask, somewhat upset at the fact that she had been robbed of a fight. Instead she turned her attention to the guard who had come up behind her. Growling she lunged for him and hit him hard in the shoulder, at which point he dropped to the ground and there were many outraged gasps.
"Stop this please Tysan." Aleyna begged, grabbing Tysan.
"Why should I?" Tysan demanded her voice harsh.
"Because you will get the answers you seek tomorrow, now go and sit down." Aleyna hissed.
"I will not run from this." Tysan hissed back, with menace in her voice.
"Do it now, please; I'll sort this mess out." Aleyna ordered, signaling the mess all around her.
Aleyna turned to everyone in the hall. She was receiving glances of either hatred or admiration, or a mixture of both. Gathering her courage Aleyna smiled, before turning to her uncle, who was sitting quietly, waiting for developments.
"Lords and ladies of Rivendell." Aleyna began, her voice ringing clear. "I beg of you, please, this has been a difficult time for my sister. She does not know what she does. All I can say is that this does need to be addressed, but it is a private matter, and that it will be sorted out. Pardon me; do not let us detain you from this glorious feast any longer." Aleyna smiled openly, before curtsying and moving back to her place.
"That was interesting." Legolas noted as Aleyna settled back.
"I was not about to see my sister arrested." Aleyna explained.
"She's your sister?" Legolas asked.
"Half, we share different fathers." Aleyna explained.
"Do you know who her father is?" Legolas enquired.
"I know of him, I do not know him." Aleyna smiled.
"I can't believe Tysan would do something like that, that was topping it all off, even for her." Elladan leaned across and whispered into Aleyna's ear.
"Elladan, don't be so horrible." Aleyna hissed back an angry answer.
"Something happened out there, and I intend to find out what it was." Elrohir joined in on the conversation.
"Oh leave it, both of you." Aleyna was at the end of her leash.
"As my lady cousin demands." Elladan snapped sarcastically into Aleyna's ear.
"Elladan, stop it, Aleyna knows we're all to tired to deal with anything until tomorrow, and then it will be dealt with at the council." Elrohir stood up for Aleyna, who smiled gratefully.
Legolas nodded and started to ponder who Tysan's father could be. He could be anyone, from an elf to a human to another fey. It was a fairly disconcerting thought that he himself would be marrying a half fey, and yet looking at Aleyna you could see that perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. She was beautiful, there was no way not to admit that. It was a different beauty from what the prince was used to. Her beauty wasn't artificial, it was like nature, it was a stated fact. Yet there was something about her that you couldn't be sure about.
"You do know it's rude to stare." Aleyna joked.
"I'm sorry." Legolas apologized, a slight blush on his face.
"Have I made the Prince of Mirkwood blush?" Aleyna asked.
"I think it's a first cousin." Elladan appeared.
"Elladan, don't be so horrible." Aleyna chided.
"Maybe you should make sure the prince's pride stays intact." Elladan shot back.
"I can't believe you would think so little of me after all the time I've know you." Aleyna mocked sobbed.
"And I can't believe you would be so quick to insult a lady's honour." Legolas smiled at Aleyna, who winked.
"I am so sorry, where are my manners. Forgive me my lady cousin." Elladan bowed deeply.
"I suppose you are forgiven." Aleyna said, after a pause so lengthy it would make anyone squirm.
"I thank you, and now I must beg my leave." Elladan bowed again before leaving.
Aleyna smiled and shook her head as her cousin quickly managed to attach himself to as group of elf maidens, who all seemed overjoyed at the young lord's attentions. Elrohir soon joined his brother and the maidens almost went into fits, a fact that Aleyna was only too happy to notice. She mentally stored the information, knowing that she would be able to use it for ammunition later.
Aleyna found her eyes travelling around the hall, scanning over every person. It seemed inevitable that she would end up looking at her future husband, and yet it seemed totally against her will. She found herself noticing small things like how he was only a head taller than her. Also that he seemed to be fighting fit, a thing that could only be suspected from a Mirkwood Prince, especially if he had been fighting so hard.
"Now who's staring?" Legolas asked a joking tone in his voice.
"I'm sorry." It was Aleyna's turn to blush and look ashamed.
"Touché cousin." Elladan smiled as he walked past.
Aleyna would have thought up a witty comeback, if she hadn't been so embarrassed. She couldn't believe that she had been caught staring! Much less that she had been staring! It seemed like a thing so totally out of character for her that it made her wonder what was wrong with her. She had been feeling strange all evening. Maybe a walk outside would clear her head and help her to think.
"My lord…" Aleyna began, before being interrupted.
"Please just call me Legolas." Legolas smiled.
"Fine then Legolas, I'm going for a walk in the gardens, would you care to come?" Aleyna asked out of politeness.
"I would love to." Legolas replied, offering Aleyna his arm.
Aleyna took his offered arm as the two walked outside. She found her head clearing in the night air. Taking a deep breath she looked up at the stars and found them oddly comforting in her utterly confused state. It felt good to be out of the hall where everyone else was, people and heat were just making her head fuzzy.
Now she was feeling light and almost free. The headache that had been building had been totally dispelled by the cool night air. Even the night seemed to be soothing, gentle sounds carried on the cool breeze. Feeling completely at peace Aleyna ran a hand over her cheeks and neck, dispelling the tension that had grown there.
Finding a tree with a bench underneath it Aleyna settled down onto it, slowly letting her mind wander. She wandered what had happened to her father, what he was doing now, and if he was missing her as much as she was missing him. Yes, Aleyna seemed rather calm about everything that had happened to her and yet inside she was still reeling from the shock.
After a while Aleyna slowly shook he head, clearing her head of melancholy thoughts. Taking a deep breath she opened up her eyes and gazed up at the stars. When she had been little she had always loved going stargazing with her mother, and even now they offered her a source of comfort that seemed to help calm her almost frayed nerves.
"I'm sorry I've been such appalling company." Aleyna remembered that she wasn't the only one outside.
"You like looking at the stars?" Legolas asked.
"I always have done, I used to do it with my mother." Aleyna smiled at the memory.
"Do you know the story of how the stars were created?" Legolas asked.
"I was never told that, and I still have to read it I think." Aleyna looked bemused.
"Its said that one of the Valar created them for the firstborn to see by, so they would always see light in some form." Legolas explained.
"That's a lovely story; I always wondered why I loved stargazing so much." Aleyna gazed up at the stars.
"You can find a peace." Legolas smiled.
"You probably think I'm one crazy girl, who doesn't know half of what she's on about. And yet I may not know things, but I can feel them." Aleyna declared vehemently.
"I don't think you're crazy." Legolas smiled friendly.
"I just want to go home, where I know things, and then I don't because it would mean facing my father and going back and trying to lead a life as if nothing's changed, and yet everything's changed." Aleyna looked puzzled.
"Where does your heart tell you you belong?" Legolas asked.
"Here, and yet oh I don't know…" Aleyna was starting to get frustrated.
"What are you not sure of?" Legolas asked, genuinely intrigued.
"I know I belong here, and yet there's a part of me that will never belong, and I want to belong to somewhere, I need to belong to somewhere." Aleyna shook her head sadly, "You probably really do think I'm strange now." She smiled sadly.
"How so?" Legolas asked.
"Everyone here seems to think I'm strange, and yet I'm me, and there's no changing that, whatever world I may be in, and I am not going to change just because some person says I should." Aleyna declared hotly.
"I wasn't saying you should change." Legolas placated her.
"Really and why would that be?" Aleyna asked a small smile on her lips.
"Ah Aleyna, my dearest cousin." Elladan chose that moment to appear.
"What is it, oh annoying cousin?" Aleyna smiled.
"Fine then, be like that, it is just that some people have asked father to make you acquaintance." Elladan explained.
"Tell your father that I shall be in directly." Aleyna answered the challenge in Elladan's voice.
Sighing heavily Aleyna stood and leant down to dust off her skirt. Legolas offered her his arm again. Shaking her head slightly, a smile on her lips the pair walked back to the hall, discussing fairly mundane things. When they entered the hall Aleyna retracted her arm before turning to her self-appointed escort.
"I must thank you. I hope I shall see you again?" Aleyna used the formal court farewell.
"The pleasure will be all mine should we meet again." Legolas kissed Aleyna's hand.
Aleyna curtsied slightly before walking away to where her uncle was standing. Fixing a smile on her face she walked forward and was introduced. The rest of the evening was spent in much the same way until Aleyna was forced to make her apologies and retreat to her private gardens.
Sitting in her tree, her legs drawn up Aleyna found her gaze drawn up to the stars again. She thought of her mother, and began to weep. She didn't want to be alone in this unfamiliar world. She wanted to be back home with her step-mother and father, safe and happy. Instead she almost felt alienated and alone, it was clear she didn't fit in. It was almost painful the way most of the elves had looked at her with pity in their eyes, she didn't know why they were pitying her, but she found herself hating them for it.
One elf hadn't looked at her like that though. He had looked at her with something like genuine interest in his eyes, although she didn't know if it was feigned. She knew that she would at least have a friend in him, someone to confide in, and someone to make her feel a little less alone.
Without realizing it Aleyna fell asleep in the tree, her back propped up against a branch.
Author's note: Sorry it took such a long time but here we are, finito. Hope you all like and enjoy.