Ch: 22 Innocent
Dinner had been wonderful and the company entertaining. Allison smiled at everyone she met and tried to have a good time. After a few hours of mingling and talking, she decided that she needed some fresh air and stepped out into the garden for an early evening stroll, the stars and moon her only light in the dark. She wandered among the many wildflowers and stopped every once in a while to pick one that had caught her eye. There were so many. Roses, daisies, lilies, violets, and tulips peppered the garden in various places. She sat down on a soft bed of grass underneath a tall oak tree and stared at the flowers she held in her hands. Allison smiled as she beheld each flower, each one reminding her of someone.
The tulip reminded her of Courtney. Soft and colorful. Cheerful and unique in its own way. It was a springtime flower that was often placed around the palace to uplift any bad moods and heal any broken hearts. That was Courtney all over. She had a way of being able to make anyone smile no matter how bad their heart was hurting. She could always cheer someone up and make them forget their worries if only for a small measure of time.
Allison laid the tulip in her lap and looked at the next flower. The rose reminded her of Steph. Strong and beautiful. Mysterious and secretive. There was a saying that every rose has its thorns. That fit Steph perfectly. Even though she had one of the cutest personalities, she definitely knew how to use her attitude to let people know not to mess with her. She has her secrets, like everyone, but hers are something more than just your average secret. No, there was something more hidden within the beauty of Steph's heart.
Then came the daisy. This one reminded her of herself. It wasn't the most beautiful flower, but it had a different kind of beauty. It made her smile. It was pretty without being overly pretty, but not too plain. It represented friendship and love for friends. It meant trust and hope and strength. Allison valued her friends above anything else in the world and was always open and willing to be there when her friends needed someone that they could trust.
"What are you doing out here all by yourself?"
Allison's head snapped up. She smiled when she realized who it was. "I just needed some fresh air Glorfindel. I'm fine."
He smiled at her and eyed the flowers in her hands. "You like flowers?"
"I love them. Certain flowers remind me of certain people," She looked away from his eyes back down to the flowers that she held.
"May I sit next to you?" Glorfindel didn't want to seem like he was coming on to her too strongly. He didn't want to chase her away. "I would like to talk to you."
Allison nodded her head and motioned for him to sit next to her. "Have a seat."
He casually walked over to her and sat down gingerly next to her on the grass. "I didn't see you in the ballroom and I worried that something might have happened to you."
"I am fine. I just needed to get out, you know? Sometimes things like this make me nervous and I just need to get away from it. But, you were worried about me?"
Glorfindel nodded his head. "I was. I don't understand it really. I would always look out for you and Stephanie and Courtney, but there's something special about you. I don't know what it is though."
Allison looked up into his eyes. "I am nothing special Glorfindel. I am just and ordinary human girl trying to find her way out in the world. I have nothing to offer and I'm just me."
"I understand that but that's what I like about you. You don't really care to stand out. You just hang back and be yourself and that makes you attractive to me," Glorfindel blushed at the realization of what he had said. He reached for her hand and held it tight. "I don't know how else to say this, but I think that I'm falling in love with you. It hasn't been long, I know, but I can't help how I feel. I think this was love at first sight."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was an elf, a higher being than herself, confessing love for her? It was so overwhelming. "I don't know what to say. I'm speechless. I have never had any guy confess how he feels about me like this before."
He kissed her hand and looked back up into her blue eyes, shining with unshed tears. "I won't hurt you Allison. All I'm asking is that you give me a chance to prove that we were meant to be with each other. Please, grant me this chance."
"I wouldn't pass it up if my life depended on it," She laughed nervously and looked down at her hands at the flowers that she still held. She felt herself being pulled to stand up and the flowers dropped from her hands to the soft grass. Allison hesitantly met Glrofindel's eyes. He leaned in close to her and softly touched his lips to hers in an innocent butterfly kiss that lasted mere moments.
Glrofindel smiled and watched her blush spread from her cheeks to her ears. "You're so new to such deep love. You truly are innocent. Innocent in every way."
Ch: 23 Birthday Assignments
A month had passed and it was getting closer to Courtney's birthday. Everyone around the palace was whispering and smiling in a way that made her nervous from time to time. Courtney frequented the gardens, as well as the stables on her own, thinking about her recurring dream and what it could possibly mean. But this morning, she slept peacefully. No frightful pictures disturbed her dreams. The only disturbance was soon to come, little did she know.
Legolas walked briskly to Courtney's bedroom, a smile gracing his fair features. He came to her door and knocked on it. "Courtney? Are you awake yet?"
No answer came. He shrugged his shoulders and opened the door, peeking his head in to take a look around. His eyes fell upon her bed where she was still sleeping. He laughed to himself and walked over to the side of her bed and sat down. He watched her sleep for a few moments then decided to wake her.
"Courtney, you need to wake up!"
She opened her eyes slightly, then rolled over onto her stomach and held the pillow over her head stubbornly to drown out any sound. Obviously she didn't want to get up just yet. "Go away, I'm tired." She reached for the blankets and pulled them over her to cover her entire body, including the pillow over her head.
Legolas laughed heartily and shook his head. "We need to get going mellon-nin. I want to beat the crowd." She gave him no response, instead, she rolled over to the side, facing away from him. "You leave me no choice Courtney."
Grinning wildly, he yanked the sheets and blankets away from her body and grabbed the pillow away from her. He then started to tickle her until she was laughing and begging for him to stop.
"Legolas! Stop! I'm up! I'm up!" Courtney held her sides, now sore from both laughing and her friends' tickling assault. "What a way to wake up a friend Legolas."
"You weren't waking up easily so I had to do something to wake you up. Now get dressed and meet me downstairs in the kitchen. We'll grab a quick breakfast and be on our way," he kissed her cheek and walked out of the room, leaving a wide eyed, disheveled young girl on her own in her room.
Elrohir and Elladan watched out of the window of their father's private study. It was the highest balcony in the palace and you could see everything from there. The twins turned around and announced to everyone, "They're gone!"
Elrond clapped his hands, pleased. "Alright everyone, there is something for everyone to do. So listen up while I give you your assignments." He looked at Arwen and Estel, who had arrived from Gondor, for the special occasion of Courtney's birthday. "Arwen, you already know that you are our decorator."
She nodded her head, smiling. "Yes ada. Estel and I have brought some lovely garland and streamers to hang up. Come on Estel." She grabbed his hand and left the study to start her assignment.
"Okay, now Glorfindel I want you to see to the seating arrangements and I want you to arrange the games that will be played. You always think up fun things to play," He smiled at his friend and watched him nod his head and leave the room.
Erestor stepped forward. "Am I to see to the gifts my lord?"
Elrond nodded. "Yes Erestor. I want you to see to the food arrangements as well."
"I will do my best," he too smiled and briskly left the study.
"Lindir I would like for you to do all of the arrangements for music and dancing tonight. Also see to the storytelling as well. I know that Courtney loves stories," He watched as Lindir nodded his head.
"My lord? I have something for Courtney. I know not where the gifts will be kept so what shall I do with it?" Lindir held out a rectangular shaped gift.
Elrond smiled and took it. "I will give this to Erestor when I see him. I will be helping him with the gifts."
Lindir walked over to the doorway. "Thank you my lord." Then he disappeared as everyone else had.
Elladan and Elrohir looked at their father expectantly. Elrohir spoke up first. "Well? What about us?"
"Elrohir, you and Allison will make sure that everything is in line with the theme of this party. As you know, it is a costume party and you two are in charge of picking out and making Courtney her costume. I assume you two have costumes already?"
Allison and Elrohir nodded their heads. Allison smiled at Elrohir and they walked out of the study quietly talking out what Courtney should be.
Elrond turned to his oldest son. "And you. I want you to see to her birthday cake. I know that you have a fondness for seeing to such things. The birthday cake that you designed for Legolas' 1,000th birthday was exquisite. Would you do this for me?"
"I would love to ada. It's a good thing we started early. Nothing would get done on time otherwise!"
Elladan laughed at the playful punch his father gave him and headed off towards the kitchen where Erestor would be, no doubt driving the cooks to the brink of insanity.
Smiling and laughing to himself, Elrond headed down the hallway in the direction that Glorfindel had gone. This was going to be interesting. He knew it would be something that Courtney would not soon forget.
Ch: 24 Something's Going On
It was almost noon and they had been out since early that morning. Courtney wandered among the different stands that had been set up for merchants to sell their wares. She passed a small jewelry stand and stopped to look at a small pair of earrings that caught her attention.
"Is there something that interests you my lady?"
Courtney smiled at the merchant, then frowned when she realized that it was the same waiter from the café. "I was just looking at those earrings." She pointed at them and looked away from his eyes. There was something about him that made her uneasy.
He smiled at her and handed the earrings to her, dropping them gingerly into her upturned palm. "They are one of a kind. Pure mithril and small pink diamonds carved out of the very mountains that you see behind me. My name is Galathail by the way."
"Courtney, my name is Courtney. I thought you worked at the café," she closely examined the earrings, watching them sparkle in the bright sunlight.
"I quit working there a few days after you and your, uh, boyfriend came in," Galathail smiled slyly at her. "Do you love him?"
Her head snapped up and she stared at him. "Excuse me? That's none of your business."
Galathail laughed. "It's a simple question. Do you love the guy or not?"
Courtney threw the earrings back down on the table. "Yes I do love him! More than anything else in the world."
"I don't think he deserves you."
"And someone like you does?"
Courtney and Galathail looked to the left and there was Legolas, his knife in his hand. He walked briskly over to Courtney and had her stand behind him. "Who do you think you are to be treating a lady in such a way?"
Galathail looked from Courtney to Legolas. "I was just making conversation my prince."
Legolas scoffed. "I would not call that decent conversation. I don't like how you talk to ladies. Have you learned nothing?"
Courtney stared at Legolas. "You know this creep?"
"I do. He used to live in Mirkwood, but no longer," he sheathed his knife and pointed a finger in Galathail's face. "Never speak to her again. She's too good for you and she very much in love with Elrohir. If I ever catch you talking to her again, I will be the one to end your life, understood?"
Nodding in fear, Galathail looked at Courtney. "I am sorry my lady. I will never treat you this way again."
"You better not or I'll have my own way with you, you jerk!" Courtney turned and walked away, Legolas following her.
He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "Are you alright? You seem kind of upset."
She looked down at the ground. "I'm fine Legolas. Thank you."
"For what?"
"For coming to my rescue. I appreciate what you did," Courtney wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.
He was taken aback at first, but easily settled into the friendly gesture and hugged her back just as tight. "I don't trust him and I was afraid that he might have tried to hurt you."
Courtney pulled away and looked into his eyes. "If Elrohir can't be here to help me then I would always hope that you would be the one to turn to."
"I am here for you always. Now come on, we still have many more places to go before we can return to the palace," he smiled at her as she looped her arm through his. Together they headed toward a small stand that was selling something that resembled ice cream.
Courtney smiled as she read the paper that listed the flavors. "This day just got a whole lot better" After reading the list through twice, she finally decided on strawberry-banana. Legolas got Chocolate mint and he lead her to a small table with two chairs.
She sat down her bags, the few that she had, and began to eat her treat. "Legolas?"
"Hm?"
"Is there something going on that you're not telling me about?"
Legolas felt his heart beat quicken. "Uh, no. What would make you ask that?"
Courtney dipped her spoon into her ice cream bowl and brought the sweet frozen delight to her lips and ate it, letting it melt on her tongue. "I don't know. I just get this odd feeling that there's something going on behind my back that I don't know about."
"There's nothing going on mellon-nin, I assure you. But I do have something for you. Since it's your special day and all," he smiled at her and reached into a paper bag and pulled out a long rectangular metal box that was latched shut. He handed it to Courtney who's eyes were wide in shock.
"Legolas? What is that?"
He laughed. "Well open it and see. I hope you will like it."
She carefully unlocked the latches that kept the box shut. Slowly she lifted the lid and gasped, smiling, at what was inside. "Legolas! These are combat knives! How did you know that I was studying how to use them?"
"Glorfindel was telling be about how he was training you to use them and how you always had to borrow Elrohir's knives. I decided that it was time for you to have your own," Legolas felt his breath rapidly leave his chest when he was enveloped in a tight hug, almost cutting off his breathing.
"Thank you so much. They're amazing!"
Legolas smiled at her. "Happy birthday pen-neth."
Courtney shut the lid and latched it so that the knives wouldn't fall out. A small frown touched her lips. "It's kind of bittersweet you know?"
"What do you mean?" Legolas was a little disheartened at her sudden sadness.
"I don't think anyone else has remembered that it's my birthday today. I saw Steph and Allison this morning before we left and neither one of them said 'Happy Birthday'. It's not a huge deal, but it still kind of hurts," she stood up and threw her bowl and Legolas' bowl away and picked up her new gift and the few small bags of her own.
He stood up and offered to carry a couple of her bags, smiling inwardly. "I'm sure that they were just preoccupied with something else. I do not think that they would entirely forget such a special day."
"I hope you're right Legolas. I really do."