Disclaimer: All Lord of the Rings characters are property of the Tolkien estate. I am making no money off of this.
Authors Note: Melna means friend and Aran means King.
"Annoucing Lord Legolas of the Woodland Relm and Lady Karri Benson of the Rangers of the North." A loud male voice called, and they heard it echo. The doors opened to reveal a ballroom. Karri immediately thought it looked as if it came out of the head of Walt Disney. The white marble walls made the hundred of candles shine even brighter. For a moment it made her long for the wooden halls of Rohan. The room was full, at the back sat Lady Eowyn and Lord Faramir on a heightened stage, behind a highly decorated table, to oversee the party. Her eyes stayed on Eowyn as they crossed the room, try desperately not to look to either side of her, for fear that she would see him. However, she couldn't seem to stop herself. On the left side of Faramir sat King Aragorn and his wife, Queen Arwen. The seat beside Eowyn was empty, leading Karri to the conclusion that he wasn't in the ballroom yet. Standing in front of the group Legolas and Karri bowed deeply.
"Arise." Aragorn called. "Please approach." As Legolas helped her up the stairs the four of the royals stood.
"My friend." Legolas called as he hugged Aragorn. The compatriots hadn't seen each other for the better part of the last year. Forever entwined by their previous trials it was as if no time had passed.
"It is good to see you." Aragorn replied. "And Karri, my melna*. I hear good things from the Cheiftan of the Dúnedain."
"It's an honor to hear that, and good to see you, My Aran*." He smiled at her. "Queen Arwen." She bowed. "It is wonderful to see you."
"Karri, good to see you too, and Legolas. My old friend. It has been to long." The two elves embraced as Karri moved toward Eowyn.
"Karri, you look wonderful."
"As do you, my lady." Eowyn's dress was the same soft blue as her sheets. It complimented her. "Lord Faramir, it's an honor to finally meet you."
"You as well. Eowyn has talked about you so often I feel as if we're old friends."
"It's good to hear, sire."
"King Eomer of Rohan!" The same booming voice announced. As the doors opened, Karri looked away toward Eowyn.
"You should talk to him."
"I can't." Karri said with sadness in her voice.
"We should sit." Legolas gently urged her. Her pain was incredibly evident and he hated it. Karri nodded and he led her off toward a far right table where Gimli and several others were waiting.
"Lady Karri." Gimli stood and she leaned down to hug him.
"It's good to see you." Taking her seat, she turned her head away from where Eomer was now talking to the head group.
"As it is you, always." Several others were announced before dinner was served.
"Does it look like I am fidgeting as much as I think I am?" Karri asked Legolas in a hurried whisper a short time later.
"You are moving a little." Legolas was being modest.
"I am not used to a dress, especially one this soft."
"The rangers have hardened you." Karri chuckled to herself.
"It would appear so." She moved slightly as her plate was taken away. "I would so like to talk to Eowyn." Risking looking over, she regretted it immediately. He was looking at her, staring at her. Once their eyes connected she didn't want to look away. A small smile appeared on his face and she was instantly overcome with the feeling of wanting to cry.
"Karri?" Legolas' voice brought her back to reality. His blue eyes searched hers as his hand softly touched her arm. Immediately she felt a calming sensation travel through her.
"Thank you." She whispered and he nodded in response. The power of Elves would never cease to amaze her. The very few she had met on her travels were intriguing, to say the least. Eomer must have known she was about to come over, for when she settled back into her seat comfortably, his face dropped. Karri's hands were shaking beneath the table and, at once, Legolas' hand held hers.
"My prince, people will talk."
"There is always talk." He dismissed her worry.
"However, you are an eligible prince who will be highly sought after tonight." She pointed out as her eyes skimmed the room. Various noblewomen from far and near had their eyes on the single Elven prince. "You should not give a sense of impropriety."
"My dearest Karri." He began as his eyes blue eyes fell on her. "If I was worried of impropriety then I would not have escorted you in, nor would I have come to speak with you privately on the bench this afternoon." Her eyes widened as she was slow to remember the customs of the city they were in. A year away, of being one of the guys, had brought her back to her old personality. Where going to a party together, talking alone, even holding hands was considered normal. "I do not believe I will ever take a wife." His admission shocked her.
"Why?"
"Just a feeling. I am content in my travels and my friends. Elves loves intensely and it happens once. To happen more is a rarity." He explained and she nodded, her eyebrows drawn together. "What is it?"
"That's just different from men and women."
"Ah, yes." A small melodic laugh escaped his lips. "The realm of men is quick to love and quick to lose. Then they love again."
"You would think it would be the other way around." Karri said under her breath.
"What do you mean?" His eyes were bright and curious as his body turned slightly toward her, his meal ignored.
"Humans have such a short time alive. You would think we would find that one person and hold on tightly. Where-as elves have so long, why not take more than one lover?"
"Oh, forgive me for what I am about to say, my warrior, but we have many lovers." Karri was thankful she hadn't been drinking anything. "Pleasure and being in love are vastly different."
"Good to know." Her cheeks reddened and she risked looking toward Eomer as the dessert course was set in front of them. "So, Gimli?"
"Aye, my lady?" The dwarf said brightly after a hearty sip of ale.
"Are you and Legolas going to have another drinking contest?" Gimli grumbled, making the elf smile.
"Eowyn?" Eomer's voice was quiet as his eyes stayed focused on the woman who was always on his mind.
"Brother?"
"Karri and that elf?" She followed her brothers gaze and she rolled her eyes.
"Eomer, you're engaged to be married."
"So they are?" He couldn't help it, his fists clenched as did his jaw. He watched her pale cheeks sport a delicious color of pink and he wondered what the elf could have said to make that occur. What ever it may have been, he hated him for it.
"That's not what I said."
"Eowyn, please do not tease me."
"In honesty, brother, I do not know of Karri's love life and it's none of your business." His sisters tone had taken on a sour note and he actually pulled his gaze away to stare at her. "You didn't have to marry, Eomer. Not that girl. Faramir and I were starting to make our intentions known and it was a strong connection with Gondor. Not that we needed one with Aragorn on the throne. You did it out of some old fashioned obligation. Now you, and your future bride, are miserable and you pushed Karri far away. Maybe even into someone else's arms."
"It is for the best."
"Oh you are as stubborn as a mule." As Eowyn's voice raised, she felt her future husbands hand on top of hers.
"Everything alright?" Faramir asked with a charming smile.
"It is, my love." Eowyn assured him. "I am just having a disagreement with my dear brother."
"Same one as last time?" Faramir asked.
"Same one as every time." Eowyn confirmed. That had been the case for the last year. Every time the siblings saw each other, he would inevitably bring up Karri and Eowyn would tell him over and over that he was a fool. There never seemed to be a resolution to their conflict.
"We do not fight about this all the time." Eomer grumbled as he took a drink of his ale.
"We do, brother. You have moped for a year." Her voice turned soft. "It's not that I blame you. Giving up the love of your life must be more difficult than I can comprehend." At this he did not try to argue because she wasn't saying anything inaccurate. His fiancee was a kind woman, but it would never be love and neither of them were finding happiness.
"How would you expect our people to react if I married Karri." Saying the words his heart leapt, but he pushed it down. "An outsider who says she's not of this world."
"An outsider, yes." Eowyn started. "Who almost gave her life for our people and this world. Who stood by her King and the man she loved, ready to die. For you. For Rohan. The people love her, you know this."
"Our father and uncle-"
"Were not you." Eowyn's voice was again soft and her hand rested on her brothers shoulder armor. "You have to make your own way in this age, Eomer. You are a king. If you are in love with someone, especially when the people approve of her, it should be up to you to decide what to do." It could have been the ale, but Eowyn was making a lot of sense. When he made the decision to marry Lothiriel he did not fully know of Eowyn and Faramir. More-so, his sister was right. He was making decisions that his ancestors would have made. A proud tradition, indeed, yet he was not them. As he looked back at her, the last plates were being cleared. Dancing would begin soon, and he knew exactly who he would ask.
A band had begun to play a merry tune and people had started to dance. Laughter was quickly filling the marble hall as the ale flowed more freely. Karri willed herself to focus on her friends as she watched Merry and Pippin dancing on the top of a table as a crowd cheered them on. However, her eyes wandered back to Eomer and she was horrified to see him begin to stand, his eyes focused solely on her. She touched Legolas' arm.
"Dance?" She asked and his eyes looked confused. The elf was not one for dancing.
"Pardon?" Karri knew she only had a minute before the king of Rohan would be upon her.
"Please, Legolas, dance with me." The elf was stuck by Karri using his name, which was a rarity more and more. He could see why panic had begun to rise in her as Eomer was moving closer, having to stop to talk to several admirers. With a quick nod Legolas was on his feet, his hand extended which Karri took gratefully. He pulled her to the open space and began to twirl her about to the spirited tune.
"You can not avoid him forever." The elf warned. Karri mentally disagreed. "He is a King and the brother of the bride. He merely has to ask to cut in and I have to allow it. It would be improper not to."
"Now you're worried about propriety?" Karri was almost exasperated.
"Karri.." His voice washed over her in a soothing manner. "He misses you and you miss him."
"Every time I'm around him I feel my heart break. Even if it's just for a bit more, I know his marriage is coming soon." The music switched to a slower tune and Legolas held her hand, putting his arm securely around her waist, yet maintaining a distance. Just as Legolas predicted, Karri saw Eomer before he tapped on her dance partner's shoulder.
"May I cut in?" Eomer asked and Legolas quickly nodded, holding Karri's hand to his. Traitor. As their hands touched she felt a spark of electricity go through her and she had to take a calming breath as he pulled her closer than Legolas had. "You're avoiding me."
"I am, your majesty."
"You don't have to call me that." His voice was pained.
"Yes, I do. You are a king and deserve the proper respect. I'm a ranger." He let out a sigh.
"Please don't avoid me." The pleading tone to his voice made her eye water.
"If that is your wish, sire."
"My wish is for you to talk to me like we used to. When we pretended we were in your world." His tone was aggravated and Karri pulled away.
"Okay, fine. I'm going to walk out of this room. If you turn right in the hallway and go to the third door down it's the servants dining area. You can stay here, be the good king Eomer, or you can follow me. People will talk, but I'll talk to you exactly how you ask of me." She bowed and true to her word was out of the great hall in a minute. He stood, staring after her. Though she might of thought he was weighing his options, he had made up his mind the second she mentioned the room. He would follow her for anything.