Disclaimer: Guess what? I own none of Tolkien's creation or Peter Jackson's adaptation. All I own are my own creations…so basically everyone you do not recognize.

Author's Note: READ ME! Glorfindel's story (and subsequently Haldir's story) is my next project after this story. So for anyone who was interested: Don't worry, their situation will eventually be explained. For now, enjoy Chapter 9!

Chapter 9- You Can't Hurry Love (or even Like)

By the time I was walking to breakfast the next morning, I had decided that my concerns regarding Legolas and myself were complete rubbish. He was an Elvish prince for God's sake! There was no way he would be interested in me like that. Satisfied with such a logical explanation, I went about my morning routine with confidence. Today was the day I was to begin my archery lessons. Admittedly I was rather nervous, but also quite excited, perhaps for more than one reason but I was not giving those other reasons too much thought. I had managed to hang on to that rational train of thought until Glorfindel effectively ruined it the minute I got on the training field.

"So, when did you fall in love with his highness?" he asked, a serious look on his face, something I had not been expecting. His comment completely destroyed all my confidence inspired by my careful rationalizations.

"Shh!" I exclaimed, whacking him on his arm. "What the hell are you talking about and do you have to say it so loudly?" I whispered heatedly.

"There are very few people here right now, which implies that your observation skills are at an all-time low," he replied calmly. "And I should think it is fairly obvious what I am talking about."

"No it's not because I am NOT in love with said prince!"

"Right…you just happen to be spending the majority of your time with him," he stated, unsheathing his sword.

"Oh, so apparently friendship no longer exists?" I asked sarcastically also unsheathing my sword.

"It would be friendship if you did the same thing with everyone else," he stated beginning to lead me through the training exercises.

"That's complete madness! Don't I do the same with you?" I asked, growing angrier as we practiced.

"It's different and you know it," he argued.

"Because you want it to be," I countered.

"You are quite defensive about something you claim is so obviously ridiculous," he said smoothly.

"Of course, I am," I said, beginning to breathe heavily. "He's an Elvish prince for Christ's sake! It's not just ridiculous, it's impossible!"

"Why would you think that?" he asked, looking somewhat surprised at what I said.

"Because," I had to pause slightly to concentrate and keep from being impaled, "it's me. Why would he be interested in me? He has tons of far more attractive and sophisticated ellith throwing themselves at him. I am not naïve, Glorfindel. He could have any ellith he wanted. Why would he be interested in some eighteen year old from Virginia?"

"You do not give yourself enough credit."

"I am not saying I deserve to live in a cave but I am not something extraordinary. I am average and okay with being so." I stopped talking to concentrate on blocking his swings. I was progressively getting more tired and it was becoming harder and harder to keep up with him.

Of course, Glorfindel did not have the same problem. He could probably continue fighting for another century. I, on the other hand, was panting and sweating bullets and would not last too much longer.

"Look," I continued, practically wheezing, "even if I did feel something for him it's definitely not love (pant). I just met the guy a few days ago (pant). For all I know, he could be a complete psycho and have a bunch of dead bodies stashed in a closet back in Mirkwood (pant)."

"But you do feel something for him?" He asked, smirking triumphantly.

"NO!"

"I do not believe you. You do not spend several hours a night in a garden walking and talking if you don't care for someone."

"It's not that I don't care for him. I just don't love him in a romantic sense. At the most I am just attracted to him. But then again, who wouldn't be attracted to him? He's an elf and like all elves is so gorgeous it's basically unbelievable bordering on the impossible."

"That's it?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yes. Even if I did love him-which I don't- it wouldn't matter. We are not meant for each other. We are far too different and there is too much standing in our way; for example, the rather large difference in age, or maybe his crown. I'm pretty sure there are rules about that sort of thing. Did I mention the different worlds aspect?"

"Nothing is impossible."

"Why are you pushing this so hard?" I gasped out.

"Because I obviously see something you do not. Or, more accurately, something you do not want to see."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means. Now is not the time for such feelings."

"You are being ridiculous," I said angrily, "Just because I am attracted to him does not mean I am falling in love with him. Plus, it's highly improbable he is feeling anything more than friendship for me."

"Is that so? Perhaps you should ask his highness. In fact, here's your chance. He happens to have been watching us for a few minutes at the edge of the field."

"WHAT?" I snapped my head in the direction Glorfindel mentioned, and realized my mistake too late. He took advantage of my distraction and twisted my sword out of my hand in a maneuver that left my wrist burning and a look of disbelief and chagrin on my face.

"Bugger," I said lowly, staring at my sword a couple feet to my right.

"Very good," he commented, sheathing his sword and walking towards me. "Until the end," he stated softly. "Distractions are a dangerous thing." And then he was past me. I knew his words, like almost everything elves said, had a double meaning. However, both meanings were painfully obvious. I knew exactly what Glorfindel was implying. I rubbed my wrist, and unconsciously my eyes turned towards the ellon walking towards me.

"You are quite good," he said.

"Lying is bad, you know."

"Then it is a good thing I am not," Legolas replied lightly, then more seriously, "How is your wrist? I will not be pleased with Glorfindel if he forces me to postpone your archery practice. As I am sure you know time is of the essence."

"It's alright," I stated ruefully. "Just a little sore, I should have known better."

"That was a rather intense training session," he stated, his voice flat as he bent to retrieve my sword a few feet away, "Any particular reason?" he asked, still turned away from me so that I could not read his expression.

I narrowed my eyes slightly. "No," I said apprehensively, "I believe he was just testing me to determine how much work needs to be done and my strengths and weaknesses. I was doing fairly well. That is, of course, until the end."

"I did not mean to distract you," he apologized handing me my sword and motioning for me to follow him towards the shed housing various weapons.

Relieved he had not pursued the reasons for the tension during the match; I sheathed my sword and looked straight ahead as I answered. "It is not your fault. I should not have been so easily distracted. But," and here I grinned ruefully turning my gaze back to him, "I have now learned my lesson and will think twice before switching my focus again."

He laughed, shaking his head a little. "It is a mistake we all make. My father did something very similar to me. Only he knocked me flat on my back. I was sore for days." I had to laugh at that image, which had him shaking his head at me in mock disapproval.

"You laugh at my suffering? I did not think of you as so cruel."

"Forgive me, but it is rather funny. Not you being sore, but the idea that a warrior such as you would have been knocked flat on your back."

"A warrior such as me?" he quoted me, shooting me a mischievous glance. "Flattery does seem to work wonders. I can take no offense," he stated amiably. He stepped inside the armory and led me over to a wall of bows. He stood there for a moment looking them over then selected one and handed it to me. "This should do I believe." He then handed me a quiver full of arrows, which I slung over my shoulder as I followed him out of the room. I noticed at this point he was already well-equipped with his own bow and arrows, which made me think of the new ones he would receive from the Lady of the Wood just a few months from now. As usual the thought of the quest filled me with dread, robbing me of the peaceful feeling I had slowly been regaining.

We entered the archery field where some of Rivendell's guard was practicing. Legolas led me to a distant target, at the opposite end of the field from the entrance and separated from the other archers by several empty targets.

"Alright first we need to determine which eye is your dominant eye." He had me place my hands in front of my eyes, palms toward the target and thumbs touching and only open one eye at a time. "Whichever one focuses on the target is your dominant eye."

"Then it is my right eye."

"Alright, that is the eye you will use to sight down the shaft at the target."

"Got it."

"Good, now you must learn how to stand." I positioned my feet and body as directed until I was standing perpendicular to the target with my feet shoulder-width apart.

He handed me my bow, then came to stand behind me. And he was close. Suddenly all I could think about was his proximity. I am a living, breathing female. "Now grip the bow in your left hand and pull back with your right hand like this." His arms came around me as he helped me draw the string back. I tried to focus on what he was teaching and was successful for the most part. However, the fact that he was close enough to me that I could feel the heat radiating from his body and his breath on my cheek was ever present in the back of my mind.

"Practice that movement a few times and then you can try actually shooting an arrow." As he said this, he stepped away causing a slight sense of disappointment; a feeling that I was extremely uncomfortable with. Pushing it aside, I did as he instructed, with him only correcting me once to tell me to lift my elbow higher. "It should feel like you are pushing your hair behind your ear," he reminded me. I nodded and kept practicing this time doing it correctly and consistently.

"Good," he said smiling, pulling an arrow from the quiver at his back. He proceeded to show me how to fit the arrow to the string and pull back before letting me try it on my own. To my credit, I only dropped it a few times before getting the hang of it.

"Alright, this time go ahead and release the arrow," he said from where he was standing on my right.

I did and managed to hit the very edge of the target. Needless to say I was elated. "YES!" I cried throwing my arms up and jumping up and down a few times. "Booyah!" I said laughing at my beginner's luck.

Legolas just looked at me, with a bemused expression on his face. "Booyah?" he questioned, a half smile on his face.

"Yes. Booyah. It's like woo-hoo with an 'I'm so awesome' or 'In your face' connotation basically."

"I see. In your face?" he asked.

"It means I showed you, I am better than or did better than you."

"You people from Earth are rather competitive, no?" he grinned.

"Just a bit," I replied smiling.

"Well, let's see if you can get another shot deserving of a 'Booyah,' shall we?"

"Right," I said determinedly trying not to laugh at the slight accent he had when pronouncing 'Booyah', taking my time in setting up to take the shot. Needless to say, my beginner's luck did not last. However, I was not missing the target by much and he only had to correct my stance a few times.

About an hour after we started, Legolas called the lesson to an end. "Now," he began his tone serious, "you must not practice more than an hour a day. You do not want to put too much strain on your muscles." He held my gaze until I nodded. "Good. Although we may already be pushing it with swordplay and archery at the same time," he added wryly. "But there is so little time. And you must know how to defend yourself." His gaze returned to mine, and I could read the worry there.

"I will be alright," I said quietly. "No worries. I want to come out of this in one piece. So trust me when I say I have a lot of incentive to do well when training. Besides if anything happened to me, Glorfindel would kill me, even if he had to resurrect me to do so. Which is incentive enough on its own," I added trying to lighten the mood.

Laughing, Legolas just nodded and led the way off the training fields. We spent the walk speaking of events in Rivendell, making small talk basically, until I saw Lord Elrond in one of the gardens we were passing. I took my leave of Legolas, agreeing to meet before dinner, and approached Lord Elrond.

"My lord," I said tentatively.

"Kate," he said turning and looking at me kindly. "Will you not sit for a moment?" He gestured to a bench behind him.

"I would except I need to bathe and prepare for the evening meal. However I saw you and wanted to apologize for storming out of your office the other day. It was childish and rude. And I would have said this sooner but there did not seem an appropriate time to do so. Can you forgive me?" I asked, feeling slightly awkward.

"Of course, though there is no need. I understand how you must have felt. And I am sorry to have to put you in this position. But you must go. I have seen it and what will come of it." His last statement hung in the air surrounded by an ominous quality that set my nerves on edge. He fixed me with an inscrutable gaze, "Everything is not always what it seems. Remember this, for appearances can be deceiving. Trust in yourself and you will not fail. Your choices may very well change the known future; however that does not necessarily mean they will be changed for the worst." Then his gaze softened, and he continued, "Do not fear all will be well for you in the end. You will find yourself on this quest. And a great many other things beside, I daresay."

And with an odd smile, he turned and continued walking deeper into the garden leaving me standing there more confused than ever, and with a mind full of things to ponder. Brow furrowed in concentration I turned and began the walk back to my room. Halfway there I came across Bellon.

"Hello Kate!" he greeted me jovially smiling broadly.

"Hello," I replied, a large smile also finding its way onto my face. "What has put you in such a good mood?"

"Maerwen and I will formally be announcing our engagement tonight."

"That's wonderful!" I exclaimed.

"I cannot wait," he continued, "Time seems to be moving slower than normal."

"It always seems that way when you have an event to look forward to," I stated sympathetically, numerous occasions flitting through my mind-graduation, birthdays, etc.

"However, I am also glad because I have been searching for you to invite you to the small celebration tonight where the announcement will take place, at the house of my soon-to-be wife's parents. You were the last person I needed to ask and now I have finally found you. So will you come?"

"Of course! What time should I plan on arriving?"

"Plan on coming after the evening meal, Faelon is going as well so he can escort you there since you are unfamiliar with Imladris. It can be rather hard to find if you do not know where you are going."

"Very true, I will be there. I look forward to seeing you and Maerwen tonight! Until then," I curtseyed slightly, and he bowed and replied in kind before practically skipping down the hallway in joy. I stood there for a moment, staring after him with a silly grin on my face at the powers of love, and then felt the grin fade as that familiar feeling of loneliness tugged at my heart. I shook myself slightly. No, I thought, I am tired of being sad. And resolved to be positive, or at least not negative, I made it to my room and proceeded to bathe and prepare for dinner, pondering Lord Elrond's words the entire time.

However, by the time I was fixing my hair I had gotten absolutely nowhere in figuring out the meaning behind his words or what he was alluding to. Needless to say I was slightly put out. A sudden knock on my door reminded me of my agreement with Legolas, and I got up to answer the door.

"Come in," I said, leaving the door open and walking back into my bedroom. I sat down in front of my mirror, and realized he had not followed. I walked back out towards the door to see him still standing in the doorway. "Something the matter?" I asked confused.

Legolas cleared his throat, "It is rather improper for me to enter your room."

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, which of course he heard.

"You are unmarried as am I," he stated as if that explained everything.

"So?" I asked bluntly.

His highness fidgeted, betraying his flustered state. "It is just not appropriate."

"This is ridiculous. Whenever we are together we are usually alone."

"This is different," he stated.

"Oh really, so it does not matter any other time than now? That makes no sense. So what, they just assume that the minute you enter my bedroom just because we are single we won't be able to resist each other and we'll just start tearing each other's clothes off and engaging in mad animal sex?"

"Yes-no-sort of…oh for Valar's sake!" he exclaimed, running a hand over his hair, obviously embarrassed seeing as his face was rapidly becoming beet red.

"Legolas, you scoundrel!" Erestor exclaimed, surprising his highness. I, however, hid a smile because I had seen him approach and had kept silent at Erestor's urging. Of course, the look on Legolas' face was absolutely priceless.

"Could this get any more awkward?" he groaned.

"You should never ask that question…" I warned, smiling at Glorfindel who had also appeared.

"Because the answer is always yes," he stated, smiling wickedly.

Legolas just shook his head ruefully and looked at me pleadingly, "Are you ready?"

"One moment," I said, "Let me get my shoes." I disappeared into the bedroom for a moment, chuckling to myself then returned. "Let's go." I took the proffered arm of Legolas, and we proceeded down the hallway with Erestor and Glorfindel accompanying us as well.

"What were the two of you doing outside my door?" I asked of Glorfindel and Erestor.

"We had come by to see if you needed an escort to dinner only to walk in on a very awkward part of the conversation," Erestor explained, smiling at Legolas' previous discomfiture.

I laughed lightly, and then a thought occurred to me. "As funny as it is, it does highlight a serious gap in my knowledge of this world. I am not familiar with your customs and would benefit from additional instruction in your history and lore, as our records are nowhere near complete. I was wondering if you could maybe spare an hour of your time, Lord Erestor, and tutor me in these subjects?" I asked.

"I would be delighted!" he stated enthusiastically. "And it is just Erestor. I rather like this ban on formality."

I laughed. "Thanks, you rebel you. I am rather excited for I have always loved history."

"You have no idea what you are getting yourself into," Glorfindel said, shaking his head, a teasing note in his voice as he continued, "You may find your weapons training taxing, but just wait, Erestor can weary even the most enthusiastic students."

Erestor just rolled his eyes. "No worries," I said, "I am used to studying. I have been doing it for fifteen years of my life."

"Fifteen?" Erestor questioned.

By now we had reached the Dining hall, and there was a slight pause in the conversation as we all sat down. "Yep, fifteen. You begin schooling at about age three, but that is more social interaction and some light learning. At about five the real schooling begins. From there it gets progressively harder until you graduate the education system at around age eighteen. After which you go to college, where you study and decide your career."

"That is quite different from this world. Who manages the education?" Erestor asked intrigued.

"The government does. People's tax dollars pay for public education which is free and open to everyone, and then private organizations can have private schools which you must apply to."

"And what do these schools teach?"

"Well, the schools before college teach basic subjects like math, English, science, foreign languages, history, and they get progressively harder as the years go on. Then in college, you pick a specific subject and learn everything you can about it so you can make a career out of it basically."

"Fascinating," he replied, a contemplative look on his face.

"Oh dear, I believe we have lost him," Glorfindel said humorously. And it was true, he seemed to be thinking quite deeply.

"I can just see him trying to implement such a system in Imladris," Legolas said dryly.

"You are both horrible," Erestor said, "it is a genius system."

"I agree," I declared.

"You would," Glorfindel replied.

Dinner progressed as usual, with Erestor and I discussing the educational system of the United States, Legolas politely ignoring Almira (a feat only an elf could accomplish), the twins were plotting something, and Arwen and Aragorn were still avoiding each other's gaze.

As dinner came to a close, I began looking for Faelon. "Who are you searching for?" Legolas asked me curiously.

"Faelon," I responded, "I need to discuss when and where we shall meet before going to the party for Bellon and Maerwen tonight; which reminds me that unfortunately I must forego our walk tonight seeing as I will be at said party."

"Ah," he replied lightly, an odd smile on his face, almost bittersweet. I gave him a questioning look, but before I could ask him about it, Faelon found me. "Ready to go?" he asked brightly.

"Of course," I responded, just as excited. I desperately wanted to meet more of Rivendell's inhabitants, but could be rather shy. Therefore I was glad for the opportunity to do so with the comfort of Faelon's presence, not to mention that of Nordithen and Tirithedain.

Faelon and I left the Dining Hall, and began to make our way to Maerwen's house where she lived with her parents. "I hope you do not mind going so early, but I agreed to help them set up for the party," Faelon stated, his tone bordering on the apologetic.

"Not at all," I responded reassuringly. "I would not mind helping either. Setting up and preparing can be half the fun."

"Good," he said, "I am sure they will appreciate an extra set of hands."

As we walked we did not talk much as I was busy looking around observing the houses of the Imladris elves and Faelon understood me well enough to know I was not purposefully ignoring him. Off of the main walkway we were on, there would be several pathways that would branch off and lead to little clusters of houses. The houses were kind of a mix of Spanish and Asian style houses, they were very open and in-tune with nature as almost everything Elven is. We reached Maerwen's house relatively quickly and I immediately fell in love with her home. It was one story, surrounded and enmeshed with lush gardens.

"This is beautiful," I said to Faelon as we approached the front door.

"Then you will love the inside," he responded smiling at me.

He knocked and Maerwen answered the door. "Oh!" She exclaimed, "I am so glad you are here. I am so excited!"

Faelon and I laughed lightly at her exuberance. "This is for the two of you," Faelon stated handing over a small parcel I had not noticed he was carrying. "It is from both Kate and I." I shot him a grateful smile, as I had not been able to get the couple anything, especially since I had no idea what to get or where to get it.

"Oh thank you! Come in, come in; how silly of me to just leave you standing there in the doorway."

Faelon was right, I thought as we entered the foyer and then the living room. The inside was gorgeous. Its' walls were made of a Stucco-like material and were a beautiful, warm yellow color. Wooden beams supported the ceiling, and opposed a floor of stone tiles. We followed Maerwen through the living room and into the courtyard. The courtyard itself was the central point of the house, as every room led into it. This is where we found Bellon and her parents, along with Tirithedain and Nordithen already setting up for the party. Maerwen placed the gift on a table with the other gifts from Nordithen and Tirithedain, and then turned to introduce us to her parents.

"Mother, Father, you know Faelon, and this is Kate, the ellith I spoke of the other night. Kate, these are my parents Bainwen and Erugalathon."

I curtseyed. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is ours," Erugalathon responded.

"You have a lovely home," I stated. And it was true. From the courtyard I could see that it was the focal point of the house with four rooms branching off, consisting of: the kitchen, the living room, and what I supposed were two bedrooms.

"Thank you," Bainwen said. "Would you mind assisting me in the kitchen? I need a taste-tester for tonight's refreshments."

"How could I refuse?" I responded.

"Why does she get to try them and not me?" complained Nordithen in whiny outrage.

"Because you would eat them all and where would that leave us?" she responded smiling fondly upon him.

"I wouldn't eat them all," he claimed sulkily.

"Just most," interjected Bellon.

This got a laugh out of everyone and led to more jesting between the males present. And as I followed Bainwen and Maerwen into the house I cherished the sensation of acceptance and comfort present in the atmosphere.

"Alright," Bainwen began, "just try one of everything on the table and tell me what you think while Maerwen and I finish these table decorations." The kitchen was light and airy, overflowing with all kinds of herb plants and spices for cooking and I turned happily to my task.

"Yes ma'am," I said and began eating. Of course, everything was delicious though occasionally a dish would need a bit more of something and I would tell Bainwen who would fix it and have me taste it again. We fell into a comfortable rhythm and I was content to be useful. As I was about to try a cheese and cracker combination, Maerwen asked, "You have been spending quite a bit of time with his highness have you not? All the maidens have been whispering about it. It's quite obsessive really." She rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.

"What are they saying?" I asked curiously, smiling at her obvious dislike of court gossip.

"Nothing really of any import. They just wonder how you came to be so close to the prince and what he sees in you. They are quite jealous, you see, because before whenever Legolas would come here he would be polite to all the maidens but never seriously make an effort to get to know them. And I cannot blame him. It's mostly the wealthier maidens that care so much. All they see is a handsome face and a title. It's not like they even care about him, besides he is here far too infrequently for them to really expend the effort to try and ensnare him. However that does not stop them from being overly opinionated and critical of whomever he might be spending time with," she finished with a disgusted scoff.

"Hmmm," I commented, knowing there was more to come and feeling unsure as to whether or not I wanted to hear it.

"And Lady Valda and her pack of she-demons do not help by constantly obsessing over him. She believes that only someone of her status deserves to be with him. She and her minions, though definitely the minority, are very prejudiced and believe they are better than everyone else. And though this is frowned on by most, it does not prevent them from being extremely judgmental and rather ruthless. So she is obviously infuriated that he is paying attention to anyone other than her glorious self. She is the main one complaining and gossiping, everyone else is gossiping about how happy they are that Lady Valda is being put in her place and wondering what she is going to do about it. And of course it doesn't help that Almira feels the exact same way. They are practically at war, though united in that they both seem to dislike you intensely." She gave me an apologetic smile.

"Great," I said sarcastically. "Though, I did not know about this Lady Valda character or her apparent animosity towards me. Thanks for the heads up," I said wondering if I would have another Almira on my hands.

"Heads up?" Bainwen said confusedly, and Maerwen just looked at me awaiting an explanation.

"Warning," I stated simply.

"Oh," they both said, nodding their heads.

"Has Lady Valda approached you yet?" asked Maerwen.

"Thankfully no, however knowing what I know now I would say it is only a matter of time until she does."

"I agree," Bainwen said, "She is a vain and nasty creature, delighting only in herself and caring little for the concerns of others. She was rather nasty to Maerwen."

"Oh? Why?" I shot a concerned glance at Maerwen who was stuffing flowers in a fixture with a force that made me pity the flowers.

"Because Bellon's family is wealthier than we are, due to his family trade business and his marrying me is bad form seeing as I am just a lowly daughter of a tailor and dressmaker." Her tone was practically dripping with sarcasm. "Not to mention one of her friends was madly in love with him." She issued another snort of disgust. "As if she really loved him, all she saw when she looked at him was new dresses, jewels, and-"

"Discussing Lady Winona are we?" Bellon asked lightly, stepping into the room.

"Unfortunately," Bainwen said, laying a sympathetic hand over her daughters, preventing her from maiming more hapless daisies.

"I am sorry, she just gets under my skin," Maerwen said, her tone apologetic bordering on embarrassment.

Sensing her unease, Bellon smiled warmly at his future wife. "You need not apologize. But I beg you to forget her because she no longer matters. Not that she ever really did anyway." He shared an amused glance with Maerwen, before continuing, "Besides I would say you paid her back in full with that rather nasty prank you pulled." The memory cheered Maerwen quite a bit and had everyone except me chuckling.

"This conversation was interesting before, but now you really have my attention. What prank? Please tell me you shaved off one of her eyebrows or something equally heinous," I pleaded.

"No, I was not so creative. She had ordered a dress from my mother and I merely made a slight addition." At my raised eyebrow, she continued with a rather mischievous smile. "I hid a few poison ivy leaves in the sleeves and neckline. Needless to say she was rather disappointed with the dress."

I joined in the renewed chuckling of the present occupants of the kitchen. "What has got everyone so happy in here? Have you tasted the spirits as well?" Erugalathon asked teasingly, entering the kitchen followed by Nordithen, Faelon and Tirithedain.

"No we were merely discussing Maerwen's suffering at Lady Winona's hands and vice versa," Bainwen said smiling lovingly at her husband.

Both Nordithen and Tirithedain shuddered while Faelon simply shook his head. "I will never understand how you could be so polite to her Bellon," Tirithedain stated. "Whenever I saw her and her friends coming, I somehow always ended up moving in the opposite direction."

"So you ran away?" I asked dryly.

"Basically," he answered, grinning wickedly.

"What I did not understand was why she was after me instead of Nordithen. For someone motivated purely by greed, you would think she would have been infatuated with the obviously richer ellon," Bellon stated.

"And that is one mystery that can remain unsolved," Nodithen stated conclusively.

"I agree, for we have no time to puzzle over the thinking of silly and vain maidens. Come, let us finish setting up," Bainwen ordered.

We began moving the food and drink outside, finished arranging the tables and decorations and then stood back and admired our handiwork. There were candles dispersed amongst the various tables and in votives along the walls, creating a warm glow, while the air was full of the scents of the surrounding flowers.

"It looks amazing," I breathed reverently.

"I could not agree more," said Maerwen who gave both her parents a grateful hug.

Then there was a knock at the door. "Our first guests," Maerwen said, as her parents went to answer the door. "I'm so excited!" She squeezed my hand before moving to stand with Bellon, ready to greet their guests.

An hour later, all the guests had arrived and the small house was packed with elves, the air full of lively voices. "I feel like I'm surrounded by birds," I said to Faelon, smiling profusely due to the slight buzz I had from the wine I had been drinking all night.

He gave me a bemused smile. "I do not know why, but I am sure you will tell me."

"It's your voices, they are so musical. Therefore I feel like I am surrounded by birds."

He nodded, chuckling slightly. A chiming noise interrupted our conversation. I looked up and saw Bellon and Maerwn standing together. They exchanged a loving glance before, Bellon cleared his throat and bean in a loud voice, "Friends and honored guests, as I'm sure you've guessed, you are here tonight to celebrate the formal engagement of myself to my beloved, Maerwen. Thank you for coming and for your support and love. May you be as blessed as I am." He kissed Maerwen on the cheek and there was a cheer from the crowd before the guests began to converse again.

"How lovely," I sighed.

"Yes, I am glad they are finally engaged," Faelon said.

"Finally?"

"As you heard earlier, Lady Winona put them through quite a bit of unnecessary drama not to mention it had all the regular complications of love: confusion, uncertainty, shyness, etc."

"Ellith," I muttered darkly.

He laughed. "You have no room to complain, you are one!"

"The hell I don't! I was forced against my will to become one and have to put up with them daily."

"Fair enough," he conceded.

At that moment, Nordithen laughingly approached me and bowed. "Would the lady honor me with a dance?"

"Perhaps, but I should not give in so easily if you mock me so," I replied teasingly.

"Mock you? Would I do something as horrid as that?" He winked playfully.

"You are right. How could I be so cruel to accuse you of such a thing?" I took his outstretched hand and he led me in to the crowd of dancers. It took a few moments for me to catch on to the steps, but seeing as it was not too complicated I caught on fairly quickly and was soon being spun around the dance floor. I spent the rest of the evening dancing with Faelon, Nordithen or Tirithedain and various friends of theirs. At the end of the party, as Faelon and I were leaving and saying our goodbyes to the family, Maerwen hugged me and asked, "Would you like to have lunch with my friends and me tomorrow? I am afraid it will be nothing special. We will be eating leftovers here, but it should be entertaining."

"I would love to! What time should I come by?"

"At noon. Thanks again for your help and have a good night!"

"Good night!"

Faelon and I left the house and began the walk back to my room, seeing as I could not be trusted to find it on my own. "So," he began, glancing at me slyly, "I hear you are receiving archery lessons from the prince of Mirkwood himself."

"You heard correctly," I replied simply, still beaming due to the slight buzz I had.

"Few have been able to say the same…" he continued glancing at me expectantly.

"So I have heard." Glancing at him I could tell he was getting frustrated with my purposefully simple answers.

"Come now, you know what I am truly getting at. Is there something between the two of you?" he asked, slightly exasperated.

"You should know better. I only just landed here a couple weeks ago, remember? So little time is hardly conducive to falling in love."

"In my defense I never said anything about falling in love. I just asked if there was anything going on between the two of you." He gave me one of those probing gazes elves seem to do so well, and I cracked.

"I may be attracted to him…" I paused, but at the triumphant gleam in his eyes quickly continued. "But he does not know and I highly doubt it is even reciprocated and it is not even anything serious. It is a slight, very slight, attraction barely worth acknowledging."

"Calm down," Faelon stated, grabbing me by the shoulders and turning me to face him so he could look me in the eyes. "I will not speak of this to others, you need not worry so. I merely wanted to find the truth because many our gossiping and that can make things difficult. That being said I wanted to let you know that I am here if you wish to speak of it. You never know, you might need some information on Mirkwood to impress his highness with your intelligence."

I punched him in the arm. "Jerkface," I said affectionately.

"I'll take that as a term of endearment," he said dryly.

"You should," I said as we began walking again.

"So… just attraction?"

"Yes. Maybe. Alright, it's a small crush. Practically miniscule," I blabbered, slightly nervous about what I was saying and slightly relieved to finally be saying it.

"Crush?"

"Basically it is the word that describes the attraction you feel for someone, the nerves and excitement you get when around that person, and the desire to be with them, so the whole in like experience."

"I see. I like it."

"So technically you have a crush on Thanneth or would have because it is like a precursor to love."

He gave me a quick look, almost embarrassed. "Yes, I suppose I would have."

"There is no need to be embarrassed, love is a beautiful thing. Regardless of how it might end or what could happen you should just enjoy being in love." And as soon as the words left my mouth, I knew that some day somewhere they were going to come back to bite me. But any sense of inhibition or caution was nowhere to be found and I was just spouting my thoughts.

"I suppose, but it is just so hard to enjoy if you are always nervous or afraid that the other person might not care for you."

"I know. It is a case of 'easier said than done.'"

By now we had reached my room, only to see the two unlikeliest of people returning together as well. Both Faelon and I stopped dead in our tracks, stunned speechless.

"Your highness, Lady Almira," Faelon said courteously, regaining his wits quicker than I and managing to sketch a quick bow. He nudged me, snapping me out of my temporary stupor enough for me to pick my jaw up off the floor and curtsey quickly.

"Faelon, Kate," Legolas breathed, also seeming quite shocked to see us at that particular moment. A few awkward moments passed before Legolas finally managed to comment, "Pleasant evening is it not?"

"Yes-"

"The hell it is! What the fu-" But before I could finish my sentence, Faelon had clapped a hand over my mouth and was practically dragging me in the direction we had just come from.

"You know, you are right. I believe you did leave your bag at Maerwen's house," Faelon stammered nervously, chuckling slightly. "Silly us, we must have forgot it. Let's go get it shall we?"

Legolas looked as if he was about to say something, but before he had the chance, Faelon had turned the corner and was now literally dragging me back along the outside path. He did not release his grip on my arm or his hand from my mouth until he had deemed we were safely out of earshot.

"Thanks," I huffed begrudgingly, knowing he had saved me from an embarrassing situation and hating that he had had to.

"What was that?" he demanded, looking slightly peeved.

"I don't know, I don't know," I groaned running my hands over my face.

"You don't know?"

"What the hell was he doing walking with her?"

"I don't-"

"I mean it is Almira."

"Maybe-"

"Almira!"

"Yes, but-"

"Anyone else and I would have been fine. Alright, not fine, but not so taken aback. He is supposed to despise her, so why was he walking with her? I mean it's Almi-"

"Kate, I get it!" Faelon cried exasperatedly, grabbing me by the shoulders and giving me a little shake. "Trust me, I am just as surprised as you are."

"And did you see the look on her face? All smug triumph and haughty disdain as if she had just won some kind of victory! And him! Looking so shocked, ha! More like guilty. And he should be. Thanks to him and his decision to spend time with her he has begun the apocalypse, because that is all his spending time with her could mean. What could possibly make him want to-"

"KATE!" Faelon's exclamation made me jump in surprise. But he merely heaved a deep sigh and stated, "Now that I have your attention I am ordering you to calm down. This is ridiculous." He held up a hand, forestalling any comments from me and continued, "Yes it is shocking. Yes it is highly unlikely he would want to spend time with her. However I do not believe he sought her out. Like you said, this IS Almira. She probably forced herself on him somehow and as an upstanding gentleman he would not be able to refuse. Don't let your feelings dictate your actions. You cannot let her get to you because that is what she wants. You know this."

"Look, it's not my feelings that have me so upset. They are a small part but not the majority." At his questioning glance, I explained, "Mainly it is her actions that have me so angry. Females like her in situations like these live to ensnare someone like him. And if there is the slightest chance he is succumbing, that bodes very ill for all of us, especially me. I say this because I do not want to spend the rest of my time in Imladris watching them cuddle and be all lovey-dovey and basically disgusting. I also do not want to have to deal with it on the quest and no one else can afford or deserves the distraction. Not to mention how much their romance might change the future."

Looking slightly nauseous at the scene that had just been described, he nodded. "A valid point. But you must still be patient. Anger is powerful and volatile."

I sighed. "I know. She just drives me crazy."

He smiled. "You aren't the only one."

Feeling myself calm, I gave a small laugh. "True."

"Shall we return?" He offered me his arm.

"But of course," I stated. Thankfully the hallway surrounding my room was empty when we returned. "Goodnight Faelon, thank you for accompanying me to the gathering."

"The pleasure was mine. Goodnight milady." He winked.

"Jerkface," I said smiling, and then entered my room and quickly prepared for bed.