Chapter 7

The morning dawned bright and clear, the birds chirping noisily from outside. It was much how she had been awoken the past few mornings, the weather had held fair and pleasant, which came as a relief to most. Restoration had already begun in the city as debris was removed and the bodies of the slain lain on pyres for burning in the evenings. They had done their best to identify the fallen and notify families, but the sheer amount of dead and the threat of disease made that arduous. In the end they had to result to the pyres. The only good thing was that she had extra light in the evenings and the stench reminded her to keep her doors closed to the balcony.

A week had past since Legolas had taken her to the barn to see Zenith, and from that day on, he had made a habit to take her down to the stables once a day. Most days he would just sit on the stack of hay bales and watch as she meticulously groomed the mare or listened as she told him more of her tale. He never asked questions of her, he just listened and offered a shoulder to cry on when the tears come unbidden to her.

Evelyn was at a loss as of what to make of their situation. Complicated did not even half way cover it, and the twins where not helping. Where before it was just her and Elladan, now it was her, Elladan and Elrohir. Of course Elladan was the worst of the two, but Elrohir was close behind as he began to warm up to her as well. Of them, he was the more serious but he was also more closed off from her. Not that she blamed him. She was sure his brother had filled him in on everything about her that he knew, she could see it in his eyes when he looked at her. Evelyn was surprised she found it as a relief, she was not up for telling people over and over agin.

Her mind traveled back to the blond elf. His whole demeanor had changed around her. When they were alone, gone was the arrogant, rude, and sometimes mean Prince she had come to expect. This Legolas was kind, patient, and attentive. It did not help that his face still remained an unreadable mask to her. She gave a frustrated sigh and let herself drop back into the fluffy mattress. If only she could even halfway read him it would make her life so much easier. Evelyn wanted to keep seeing their relationship as purely platonic, 'but is that truly what it was after those intense kisses they had shared? Did she even want it to stay platonic?' her mind hurled at her.

She did not even have to answer that question, she knew the answer, and had known it since she watched him place that first kiss upon her lips willing her to come back to him. Evelyn sighed, she had fallen for the Prince of Mirkwood. 'What am I going to do now?' the thought to herself. She knew the likelihood that his feelings mirrored her own, where slim to none, and then his kisses would come back to her mind. 'Could he feel the same?' though getting that answer from him she knew would be a joke. Her lips, for now, would be staying shut.

What she needed to do was push all these troubling thoughts away for the moment, she had bigger concerns for this morning which included a certain wizard. Gandalf had insisted that now her body was healing—thankfully, credit to her race, was somewhat faster than it had been before—that she start her training with him with her powers, learning control and restraint. Evelyn shook her head, not thinking she would ever be thankful for what she was. It was going to be a long day. So with a grunt, Evelyn pushed herself from the bed, ringing for Ceilin to help assist her.

Legolas sat on his balcony, elbows resting on his knees, his chin lightly on his fist. The morning was still early, the birds were silent and the first of the sun's rays were just barely peaking over the mountains, creating streaks of oranges and pinks, it hinted at the lovely day to come, the first day in a week he would not be taking Evelyn to the stables.

The thought bothered him more than it should have. Somehow, something had shifted upon his return. 'No,' he corrected himself, 'it started before that.' If he was to be honest with himself, he did not know when his feelings had started to change, and it was not until he watched the Nazgûl carry her away, where he could not follow, that he realized. Whatever they were, it was more than friends, but he was not courting her, he could not court her. 'What would his father think?' Legolas rubbed his face in his hands, pushing the thoughts from his mind.

He had kissed her, more than once. 'Why had he kissed her? Was he trying to give her the wrong impression?' he did not know. What he did know was the grief, anguish and anger he felt when she had been brought to Gondor after her capture. She was broken, and not like before, it was so much worse from what he pictured from her death on Earth. She was broken, body, mind, and soul. His heart felt as if it were torn in two at the sight of her mangled form. He had not planned to kiss her then, but he had no other way to express his feelings. Legolas had poured everything he had into that kiss, trying to hold back the tears. In his heart he knew that she could not possible survive such, and he knew they only way the gaping void he felt would be fixed would be if he saw her awake again, and thats what was in his kiss, his words to her.

And then, then he returned to see her standing there to greet them upon their return, from a battle none of them should have survived. He found himself frozen to his spot, gripping Zenith's reins hard enough to turn his knuckles white. The only thing that stopped him from running to her right them was the crowd of people gathered around them. He was not sure he could be proper as custom dictated. There was a joy in his heart he felt upon seeing her that scared him, it was not a sensation he was used to experiencing and he could not place it.

When he followed Elladan as he escorted her away, he noted the weariness and pain that screamed and permeated from her body. She was still healing and was at her limit. That should have stopped him, should have made him wait till a later time to see her, but he could not stomach it, and so he found himself in her doorway, starring at her in a daze. His brain only registered one thing—her.

He did not remember crossing the room to her, her dumbfounded expression, his kissing her. What he did remember was her kissing him back. Never had he felt such raw emotion, especially from himself and it terrified him. It was that alone that made him able to pull away and race away from her room. Legolas never even noticed Elladan in the hall as he rushed away from he woman.

Then, to make matters worse, he not only kissed her a second time, but spent the night in her room. This time he dropped his head into his hands and moaned. 'I am losing my mind.' He told himself, as that is what it felt like. The last time he had even come close to feeling such was nearly sixty years ago, and it still did not compare.

"What am I going to do?" he whispered to himself as a knock sounded on the door.

Aragorn could not have arrived at a better time. As much as he dreaded the day's work, he dreaded figuring out what all he emotions and situations meant. He was much happier leaving them unanswered and kept neatly in their little box tucked away from everyone.

"My friend, you look troubled." Aragorn greeted as he gave his friend a thorough glance. It had been a while since he saw the elf looking so haggard. "We can talk as we go to the pyres."

"Aye, my friend," he replied with a nod, if he could speak with anyone here, it would be Aragorn.

"Relax, dear girl." Gandalf chided once again, though his voice stayed soft and patient.

"I am trying, I've just never called this…this…whatever it is, at will before." She responded, giving a sigh. She could apparently take out an entire army of Easterlings, but could not summon a simple snow above her hand, typical.

"Close your eyes."

Raising a skeptical eye at the old man in front of her, she reluctantly did as he bid and shut her eyes, resisting the urge to open them every few seconds at the creaking of the old city that surrounded her. Evelyn let out a huff.

"Now, take deep breaths, focus on keeping your breathing rhythmic. Count the breaths in and count out."

Evelyn did so. It took a while, but the outside noises started to fade, and a stillness enveloped her, a quiet peacefulness.

"Slowly, start picturing a snowfall."

She did as instructed, in her mind she pictured a beautiful forest landscape, a soft powdery snow covering the ground and glittering in the tree branches, the landscape nothing but rolling hills as far as the eyes could see. Large flakes began falling from the sky, lightly landing on the ground with a sound close to music.

"Now, make it real, show me what you are seeing."

Reaching out her palm, Evelyn picture the falling snow forming in her hand. A tingling sensation starting in her arm ran down to her fingers, but she managed to keep her eyes closed, her breathing even.

"Open your eyes."

She did, and her mouth dropped. She had a flurry of snow in her palm, her own mini snow storm, but she had also filled the small room around them with snow up to their knees. The only thing she managed to say was, "Oops."

Gandalf laughed his hearty laugh, clearly not upset. "Very good! Maybe next time we will picture just a snowfall and no blizzard!"

"Im sorry, I didn't mean too, this is exactly what I feared would happen!" she moaned, disappointed in herself.

"My Dear, you did exactly as I asked. Albeit, you gave me a bit more snow than I wanted, you created a snow flurry in you palm. In my book, you passed."

"Thank you," she smiled at the wizened wizard. Though she still felt a twinge of disappointment.

"I think the rest of our lessen will be how to get rid of the snow once we call it."

It was hours before Evelyn was finally able to make her snow disappear, and she was exhausted. She had not expected anything to be worse than the torture Elladan had put her through, making sure all her joints would work and her wounds heal. Oh how wrong she had been. Physically she was drained, but mentally, she had nothing left, and her mind wandered to her time in Valinor, and it all made sense. Nienna had told her that her body held a limited amount of energy to use her powers. She had to be careful how much she expended herself in training or she would never live to find out what her purpose was to be.

Flopping on her bed, she planned to take a good long nap before dinner. She had a few good hours to rejuvenate before dinner, it would be the first dinner she would have in the great hall since awakening. Elladan had felt she was ready along with Gandalf. Evelyn was nervous, but excited nonetheless. Since the fellowship had returned, she had seen and spent time with everyone when they were free, but she had yet been able to see them all together like old times. It made her heart leap for joy to see them all, what worried her was her wardrobe and what the people of Gondor would think of her. She was still wearing old hand me downs that did not fit her, and none where of the quality to wear to the future King's table.

Evelyn could have sworn it was planned. No sooner than her head hit her pillow than a loud knock sounded at her door. She was so tempted to just ignore it, let herself fall on asleep, but her conscious won out and she hauled herself from the bed as soon as she was in.

What she did not expect was to find Aragorn standing on the other side. Of all the fellowship, she had seen him the least, though she truly was not surprised. They were in the middle of trying to sort through all the paperwork of transitioning from stewardship back to having a king and all the pains that went with that, plus the planning of the coronation and the feast and celebration that would entail.

"Aragorn!" she exclaimed in joy, wrapping her arms around him, "To what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked, still smiling ear to ear.

Turning towards the hallway, he offered her his arm, "Would you mind a walk?"

In reality, she did. She was exhausted, but she would never let him know such, nit when she hardly ever saw him and he seemed to be in such a great mood. so, instead she answered, "I would be delighted."

He led her out of the main portion of the city, towards the outer walls of the upper levels, what had not yet been destroyed, to an area she had not yet ventured to. Around her she looked around curiously. There were vendors here, trying to sell their goods as best they could with what they had left. It was clear the great White City would be struggling for a while to get back on its feet. Still a few people mingled about, looking at the items and buying or bartering here and there. Small tents of old white canvas covered many booths, with old wooden tables ladened with baskets of goods littered the small streets. Everyone they passed, bowed respectively to the soon to be king, or stared open mouth at them—she was sure it was more directed at her, however, it was not often one sees a King strolling leisurely through the streets of a market either.

Aragorn, however, led her through an overhang, into a shop that did not seem to be hurting as bad as the others. Looking around she saw piles uno piles of multicolored fabrics and ribbons. More than she had ever seen in her life in one place. She realized at once she was in a seamstress shop.

She turned a sharp eye to her friend, "Aragorn, what is the meaning of this?"

He only gave her a sly smile in reply as a stout older woman came bustling out from the back of the store.

"Ah, Your Highness, it is good to see you again." She greeted him with a small curtsey, it was clear from her movements, arthritis bothered her.

"Calowyn, this is the Lady Evelyn, she is in need of a new wardrobe during her stay with us. If you could be so kind as to take some measurements and show some design, we would be most happy."

"Of course," she told Aragorn then turned her wrinkled old eyes to Evelyn.

Evelyn felt naked under the scrutiny of the woman, her sharp green eyes, who had seen their fair share through the years, studied her meticulously. She shifted her feet nervously. "Aragorn, this is not necessary." More quietly she whispered to him, "I have no way to pay for new clothes."

He smiled at her, "Consider it a gift." To told her and squeezed her shoulder affectionately.

"Come, come, My Lady, let us begin." The woman bustled over to her, grabbing her waist and forcing behind a blind in the corner of the room, where she promptly stripped Evelyn of her garments before she could utter a word of protest.

"You don't have to wait Aragorn," Evelyn hollered out o her friend, mortified to be naked mere feet from him, even though clearly he could not see her.

"Really now? And what would you do if I did leave you here alone?" He questioned and she could hear the smirk in his voice and silently cursed. One, she would leave, not letting him give her such an expensive gift. Two, she would be completely lost to get back to the heart of the city, and three, she would be alone with hundreds of people she did not know and who were wary of her.

"Point taken."

"I am not sure what that statement means, but I will take it to mean you are in agreement with me." He chuckled.

Evelyn tried to peek around the curtain to shoot him a glare but was yanked back by the calloused hands of the seamstress and was quickly reprimanded, much to her chagrin. Aragorn only laughed harder.

In no time at all Calowyn had her measurements done and dressed back in her hideous brown dress and was dragging her to a table in the back room. On the table lay a large poorly bound book of old parchment.

"These are all the basic designs." She looked the odd woman in front of her up and down again, "However, I am under the impression you may like some of the … newer…styles, you will find those in the back."

Evelyn just nodded and began flipping pages of the book delicately, scared she was going to ruin the old pages. The designs were roughly done, but the art and skill behind them were apparent. The gowns were basic medieval design, empire waist, square necklines and full skirts. Then one gown at the back of the book caught her eye. It had a deep V-neck cut that was filled with sheer material, The shoulders and seam of the necklace were embellished with thick floral designs. From the shoulders the material split open and flare out to drape under the arms, but the same sheer material that covers the neck line, was made into thin skin hugging sleeves. The bodice was fitted through the waist and hips with a slight flare towards the bottom. It was a beautiful classic a-line cut. The last piece was a type of belt that sat on the natural waist line and dropped down to almost touch the ground. Evelyn was sold.

"This one."

The old seamstress looked at her and the dress for a moment, saying nothing. Evelyn believed she was going to disagree with her but then the woman nodded and gave a small smile, "Yes, I think that style will work well on you. I will get started immediately on some, I have colors in mind that will work well for you I think,"

With that, Aragorn thanked the woman again as the walked towards the door, but stopped short, "Calowyn, I almost forgot, my other order, is it finished?"

"Yes, your highness, I will fetch it now." And she scurried off, Evelyn could hear her moving around items before she finally reappeared, carrying a satchel of what must be clothes, and it was much to big for the old woman but somehow she managed to tote it tot hem and hand it off to Aragorn.

Once outside the shop, he quickly rounded up two young lads to carry his purchase as they went back to the heart of Minas Tirith. They were overjoyed to be helping the future king and Evelyn could not help but smile at them as they walked the streets.

Once they made it back to her room, evelyn saw Ceilin was there and waiting on her to help her get ready for dinner. Her mind curtseyed respectfully to Aragorn and ushered her inside, clearly miffed that she would be rushed in her job to make her presentable.

"Oh, Evelyn, one last parting gift for the evening." Aragorn paused and nodded to the two young boys to deliver the package into her room. As they did so, he paid them generously and sent them on their way. "Éowyn and I had these made earlier in the week, I do hope you enjoy them." With a charming smile he closed the door and left her starring at the large satchel.

"Well, are you not going to open it My Lady?" Ceilin asked, clearly excited to see what the King had given her. and when Evelyn made no move or answer, she huffs and went to the bed, "Fine I will do the honors for you!"

When the bag was opened, they both gasped, mouths agape. Laying on the bed were two of the most beautiful gowns Evelyn had ever seen in her life. She could not help but smile at her two friends and send them a silent thank you. Still smiling minutes later, she finally forced herself away from the gowns and let Ceilin prepare her for her first night out.