Thank you everybody for your continued support. I am really enjoying writing this for you. Sorry if there are any inaccuracies throughout this story, my knowledge of Middle Earth is pretty poor! Without further ado, enjoy!
Lieth felt coldness seep back into herself as the Elf walked away, dancing back through the trees and disappearing. Now she understood why Bondi might not like the Elves. Perhaps I am not as welcome here as I had thought. She thought as she returned to her work. She had to admit to herself, that despite the rudeness of the Elf, she had never seen a fairer looking creature. She had not missed his rude behavior, and it troubled her. Would all the Elves be so unpleasant to her tonight at the feast?
There was nothing she could do about it if they were unkind to her. She took comfort in the knowledge that she would at least have Oreliel there. Her hands faltered in their work as it dawned on her that maybe she would not see Oreliel. No one had said that she would. She might end up surrounded by unfriendly strangers, with no one she could talk to. She looked at the braid in her lap. Perhaps it was pointless to make an effort such as this. It was almost done though, so she decided that she would finish and present it all the same. She would not allow the Elven stranger to so thoroughly unbalance her.
When she had finished making the gift, she rose and walked back in the direction of the place where she had awoken. When she was almost there, she could see a small group of Elven warriors, arguing heatedly with Sidhil and the two of the Elven guards from the night before. They looked strained underneath the tirade that the other Elf and his companion were launching on the three of them. Surprised but unperturbed, Lieth approached them quietly, watching them all carefully. They were so caught up in their argument, that it took a moment for Sidhil to notice her, but when she did, the relief on her face was plain. At the change in her face, the others turned and looked at her. Three of the guards relaxed considerably, but the one of them was still frowning as he looked at her. This stranger was a good deal taller than her, but everyone apart from Oreliel had been so far, so that was not a good measure to go by. His hair was blond, and reached down past his shoulders. His bow and quiver were swung over his back, and a long knife was at his waist. He was lightly armored, in leather and a green tunic. His grey eyes were piercing, but he did not seem as unfriendly as the Elf in the forest had been.
"Lieth, where on Arda did you go?" Sidhil asked her, sounding exasperated. She looked stern now, and the disapproval was in the faces of all of the Elves.
Why did they look so annoyed with her? She decided to be honest with them. "I went for a walk. I wanted to get some fresh air and see the forest." Lieth said simply, walking until she was before them.
"You do not feel fatigued?" Sidhil looked at her with all the disapproval of an angry mother. Lieth felt taken aback by the concern in her voice. She had barely spoken to her, and this stranger felt more concern for her than her own father ever had. Unbidden, memories of her own mother sprouted from the vestiges of her mind. This Elleth was far more beautiful, of course, but her mother had been a different kind of beauty. Her mother was beautiful for her words and actions. These aliens were beautiful on the outside, but they did not seem to have that type of beauty.
Her muscles certainly did not feel excellent. They were sore, as though she had walked for miles and miles. She had not experienced such a feeling in a long while, but she was not about to admit a weakness in front of these strangers. "No, I am not tired. A little sore, perhaps, but not uncomfortably so." She lied masterfully, smiling at the healer.
Sidhil did not look too impressed. Her voice was stern when she spoek again. "My dear, you have been asleep for years. Your muscles have wasted; I would not expect a mortal to be able to wonder around on their own so soon after waking."
Lieth could not help but bristle slightly at this. Why must everyone refer to her as a mortal here? Human she could understand, and somehow the word felt less offensive. She supposed that the two were mutually exclusive, but it did not help her feel less indignant. "Well, I am just fine, thank you for your concern." She smiled and nodded her head politely at Sidhil, trying hard to squash down her feelings. She knew that Sidhil did not mean anything by it. In fact, she was sure that she was probably just not used to dealing with humans. The thought comforted her.
She looked at the other Elves again, a bright smile that did not reach her eyes on her face. She wasn't sure if she would ever be truly happy again, having lost her home and everything she knew and loved. Her only hope at that rested in Oreliel. The two male elves had been silent up until now, and their faces were now smooth and passive. The blond male was looking at the flower braid in her arms curiously. In response, she clutched then a little closer to her chest. He looked at her with guarded curiosity before he spoke. "Please do not wander about this forest alone again, Lady Lieth. These woods may be beautiful, but they hold many dangers." His voice was gentle, and like all these fair creatures, enticingly beautiful. She could not help but compare it to the sound of an ancient river, so flowing and smooth were the words. He was not smiling at her, but his words were gentle, not intended to insult her.
She suspected that this was an ellon of import from the way that he spoke, and the commanding presence he exuded, so politely nodded at him. "I had no idea that it was dangerous to wander about alone. I shall certainly seek company if I wish to explore the woods any further."
He nodded and turned to Sidhil, who seemed to be holding something- a towel of sorts. "Very well, I will take my leave then." He looked at Lieth again, his aura commanding and superior. "I shall express my thanks properly at the feast tonight, Lady Lieth." Lady? She had never been referred to as a lady in her whole life. She was not sure how to respond to the honorific, but managed to muster up the brain-power to nod politely to him before he turned and left with the other guard.
She was left then with Sidhil and the two guards from the night before. Sidhil took her arm gently. "Come, Lieth. We must prepare you for the feast. You have a much to learn before your audience with the King tonight."
Lieth blanched at this, all her confidence drained. "The K-King? W-why am I having an audience with the King?" She stuttered, jittery with surprise and fear. She had heard a great number of tales about the fabled Elvenking. Most spoke of a cruel tyrant who ruled his peoples with an iron fist. The stories spoke of a man with a great temper, who was unreasonable, at best. He was not a person she had expected or wanted to talk to. She had known that he would be there, but to have an audience with him was a completely unexpected surprise.
Sidhil looked extremely taken aback, stunned by Lieth's words. "Why, he must extend his thanks to you, of course! If it were not for you, the Lady Oreliel may not have survived her ordeal. Now come, to the baths with you." Who is Oreliel? The question was swirling around her mind. It had been bothering her for some time. Clearly, she was an important person. Before Lieth could question her further, she was pulled to away, in the direction of a bath.
The bathhouses were beautiful, with statues of stone women and men carved into the walls. It smelled absolutely amazing, the foreign soaps far superior to the ones that she was used to. Sidhil allowed her to undress privately, and left her in the water alone, to her intense relief. She knew that the Elves were not so afraid of nakedness as humans. She had half expected Sidhil to undress with her! The very thought of being naked around a person so utterly beautiful and perfect made her incredibly feel embarrassed and uneasy.
When she was clean and dry, she noticed that there was a new gown hanging up on the wall. Her chest tightened when she saw it. Beautiful did not even begin to explain it. The silver fabric was made of crushed silk, far more expensive than anything she might have dreamed of wearing. Tiny dark silver crescent moons and stars were woven into the expensive fabric, which seemed to shine. The sleeves trailed almost to the floor, made of a different, translucent material. She had never seen a gown so beautiful in her whole life. She almost couldn't believe it was hers to wear. She wondered at how much it would have cost to make a dress this exquisite.
There was a note written in messy scrawl with the dress. Thanking her mother silently for teaching her to read, she looked at the note, which simply said; "The King had this made for you to wear at the feast."
Lieth balked at that. The King had had a dress made for her. She felt as though she might faint. Why has the King seen to it so personally that I am dressed for the feast? Her head spun at the implications of this. She was clearly an extremely valued guest if the King had seen fit to deal with such a trivial matter himself. More and more, she was beginning to suspect that Oreliel was not just any Elleth. The pieces were beginning to form a strange puzzle that she could not solve.
The next few hours were a blur. Sidhil filled her head with knowledge on how to behave when she was before the King, on the customs of her people and the appropriate greetings. She taught her some of the language of the Elves, Sindar- only enough for her to be able to speak ritual greetings and thanks. Two Elleths were fussing over her long hair, brushing and braiding it in different styles until they were satisfied that she was ready, and then they stuffed her into the beautiful, elegant gown from the King.
Sooner than Lieth had expected, dusk came. The feast would soon begin, and Sidhil again went over the Elvish greetings with her and the basic behaviours, like curtsying and when she should or shouldn't speak. She made it quite clear that she should stick to her instructions if she didn't want to anger the King. By the time that it was time to go to the feast, Lieth felt more nervous and scared than she had since escaping the spider in the forest with Oreliel.
Sidhil, dressed in a splendid gown, guided her down a winding path to an opening in the trees. The sight before her took her breath away. Everywhere she looked, there were Elves. Stunning, beautiful Elves dressed like Kings and Queens. Laughter and merriment seemed to fill the gathering. Lights, that seemed to be made of liquid gold, hung from the branches of the beech trees, bathing everything in an intimate golden light. Long tables, covered with extravagant and aromatic dishes were against the tree line. One of the tables was set apart from the others, a high table set with silver plates and a roasted hog. One of the chairs was evidently meant for the King. It was carved with winding branches and inlaid with gold filigree. It was noticeably empty.
That was when Lieth noticed that the only sound was coming from a harp being strummed in the background. She felt incredibly nervous as she regarded the elves who now seemed to have their attention fixed upon her. Some smiled at her, while others simply looked at her passively. Each and every one of the immortal beings was beautiful, and none of them had been ravaged by the centuries they had no doubt seen.
They parted elegantly, making a path that lead all the way to the high table. Some even delicately inclined their heads, a mark of great respect. Her fears vanished as a familiar face peeped around the through the crowd, and she felt her lips widen into a huge smile. "Lieth! Na vedui!" Oreliel cried, and her voice was like birdsong. Excited to see her, Oreliel bounded over towards her savior and friend, but Lieth froze in shock when she saw her Oreliel in full. Her face was thin and elegant. Her eyes were wide and blue, and she had high, chiseled cheekbones. She was dainty now, and quite thin. Her golden hair was worn loose and fell almost to her waist, a delicate tiara balancing on the tendrils. What surprised Lieth the most was her obvious height change. She was almost the same height that her, maybe half a head shorter. "Oreliel?" She asked hesitantly, hearing the shock in her own voice. This could not be the small girl that Lieth had rescued.
Unperturbed by her friend and protector's pale face and open mouth, she closed the distance between them, leaping excitedly over to her friend and protector. She cried, throwing herself into the arms of the farmer girl. Lieth let out a shocked laugh, a tinkering sound not dissimilar to a bell. She could not believe her eyes. She was in the kingdom of the elves, and before her stood a fully-grown Oreliel.
A pit formed in her stomach as she realized that the tiara balanced on her friend's head probably meant something, and the room began to spin. This is why they have been treating me like an honoured guest. It was just beginning to hit her how much time had passed.
Oreliel stepped back, holding onto her arm. "Lieth? Lieth, are you alright?" Oreliel asked her, sounding extremely concerned. Her voice was no longer that of a child, no longer as light and high pitch.
Instead of replying, Lieth could only look upon her in shock. That crown… did that mean…? Unaware of what she was doing, she touched the tiara on the girl's brow. "A Princess?" Her voice felt foreign to her, as though she wasn't the one speaking and white spots were forming at the edge of her vision. She knew from the hard days of labour that soon she would faint, and she found herself seeking something to grasp onto. The healer was beside her in an instant then, as the ground started to warp beneath her feet, and held her arm, staring into her eyes.
She motioned over one of the guards, who quickly came to help support her. "Lieth, just breathe. You need to breathe." Lieth obeyed Sidhil's command without thinking, unable to process all of it. She felt better immediately as she drew in a breath, although the place still spun as the healer spoke. "You were not aware that Oreliel was Princess of this realm?" She sounded quite amused, but very perplexed.
Oreliel began to fuss about her, chirping rapidly like a panicked wild bird. "Oh Lieth, I wanted to tell you, I really did, but Adar told me to never reveal my station to strangers! Please know that I never meant to upset you by keeping this from you! By the time I knew I could trust you, it was too late!"
As the young girl blabbered on, Lieth managed to reign in her surprise. She took a deep breath a smiled, standing tall. I should not be so surprised. No wonder they all made such a fuss! I saved their Princess! She wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, bringing her into a gentle hug. "I am so glad to see you, Oreliel! You have no idea how worried I have been about you!" Lieth felt warm and comforted by the Elleth as she held her in an embrace. Oreliel quickly returned it, and the strangest feeling enveloped Lieth. It was like she was being wrapped in a blanket of sunlight. As though Oreliel was herself the light of the Valar. It was astounding that her touch had such an effect on her. All her worries and fears evaporated, and she felt safer and more relaxed. Together they laughed as they made their way through the Ellyn and Ellith, laughing and joking as old friends who, and Lieth knew then that by this beautiful angel's side was where she wanted to be for the rest of her life.