Later that afternoon, Legolas and I finally returned to the foyer. I recognized Malian's figure at once, slumping against the wall and apparently impatient. He looked up from his brooding in time to see me laugh wholeheartedly at something Legolas had just said. Was it me, or did I recognize a hint of jealousy in Malian's eyes? But, as soon as they had clouded over, they cleared and he ran up to us eagerly.
"Where have you been? I've been waiting here all afternoon," Malian said, a trace of scorn in his voice.
"Malian, can you believe she's here?" Legolas asked in astonishment, ignoring Malian's slight contempt.
"No," Malian smiled in reply, "but I'm glad of it. Five hundred years we lived without a hero's sidekick." Playfulness danced in his brown eyes.
"What? But Legolas' only letter mentioned a new friend you two played with," I responded questioningly.
"Yes, but she took the pillow's place," Malian's smile was now a bit, what, victorious, and his eyes fell on Legolas' face.
"She?" I turned to Legolas.
"Her name is Kaethe, and we are to be wed," Legolas answered. My jaw dropped and eyes widened. "Don't act so surprised!" Legolas pleaded. "She really is wonderful."
"Right, wonderfully dense," Malian muttered under his breath. It was Legolas' eyes' turn to flash, and he scowled unhappily in Malian's direction.
"I heard that, and she is not," Legolas replied heatedly. Malian stifled a chortle, and I looked from one of them to the other.
"Well," I said after a moment, "I will just have to meet this Kaethe and decide whether or not she is quite worthy." I stuck out my chest and straightened my back in my best impression of royal-blooded, high-ranking women in the halls. Malian's choked-back chortle was released and he nearly doubled over in laughter, but Legolas crossed his arms grumpily.
"She is worthy," Legolas retorted unhappily. I was laughing too, but I stopped when I saw the stern look on Legolas' face.
"Come now, Princey boy," I soothed, thumping him on the nose. "Don't go all decorous on us." Legolas rubbed his nose and sighed, releasing a small, reluctant chuckle. "There now, you see? You can still laugh with us." He smiled warmly at me and I made to prod him some more about this Kaethe, but my favorite human appeared before I could get another word out.
"Your father is a bit upset at me," Aragorn interjected. I raised one eyebrow at him and he smiled awkwardly in Legolas' direction.
"I should think so, bringing that mumbling, stinking wretch in the castle," Legolas shot back. I cringed slightly.
"So, I see you two have already met," I said.
"Briefly," Aragorn answered, scowling a bit at Legolas. "On my way up to see Thranduil."
"You really ought to address him as King Thranduil," Malian began, but Legolas shot him an unreadable look and Malian said no more. I wondered exactly what this was about, because Aragorn seemed to understand the unspoken rebuke Legolas had given Malian, and he did not correct himself.
"It's nice to know everyone around here gets along," I joked at length, at which everyone broke into smiles. Thank Varda I had the ability to do that to my closest friend and my two oldest friends.
At that moment, another Elf stumbled ungracefully into view (that's the way I like to remember her appearance, anyway, but I get the impression I have a rather selective memory when it comes to how utterly obtuse she was). I had to admit she was beautiful; her long, sunlit blonde hair cascaded past her shoulders to her hips. She wore garments of royalty, a long, shiny, silver dress that clung to all the right places on her body and flowed with her every step. Her piercing green eyes were nearly the color of the trees' leaves with a hint of pale yellow around the pupil; her lips were (in my humble opinion) a bit too large, but I could tell Legolas did not think so and rather thought they were just plump enough for kissing. Her skin was ever so light so that she almost glowed and before she spoke I knew her voice would be even more airy than that of Arwen Half-elven.
"Legolas," came her breathy voice, so light it was almost creamy. "I have been looking all over for you."
"Kaethe!" Legolas exclaimed after a moment of staring at her lustfully. I rolled my eyes; as if he had not seen her coming from across the foyer. Silly little Elf. "I have just been catching up with an old friend," he nodded in my direction. Kaethe raised one perfect eyebrow in question. "Kaethe, this is Laina." A look of comprehension dawned on her face.
"Oh so this is Laina!" she breathed. "Legolas used to talk about you a lot."
"Used to?" I asked before remembering I was being impolite. "It's nice to meet you," I added hastily.
"This is the one I told you about in that letter!" Legolas said to me, not taking his eyes off of her.
"Oh," I answered, trying not to sound nasty or jealous. Varda, why was I being so irrational? He had every right to have another best friend turned fiancé. I had been gone for five hundred years; had I really expected to still be the number one girl in his and Malian's hearts? "Well, you did not do her justice, Legolas." At this, Kaethe smiled pleasantly and bowed her head. I returned it, trying to look as regal as she had.
"Could anything do her justice?" Legolas wondered aloud, still perplexed by her very presence.
"Honestly, stop gaping, Greenleaf," I had to say. "You have known her for half a millennium; surely you are passed the gawking stage by now." Legolas, eyes still transfixed on Kaethe, gave a nervous sort of laugh and scratched the back of his neck uneasily. Kaethe did not seem bothered by Legolas' complete dolt-ness at present, but as for me, I was already sick of it. I reached up one menacing hand and clouted him on the back of the head.
"Ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing the spot where I had hit him.
"That should teach you to stare at a female like that," I said. With his eyes, Legolas threw daggers in my direction (and if eyes could cut I would have been in pieces on the floor), and I shrugged nonchalantly.
"Well, I really should be getting back to my room," Kaethe breathed.
"I'll escort you back," Legolas offered a bit too quickly. Kaethe smiled pleasantly and looped her arm in his proffered one and they glided away together. I rolled my eyes after them.
"Honestly, does he do that every time she's around?" I asked Malian, who still stood looking somewhat aloof yet victorious. He turned his head toward me and shook it a bit in disbelief.
"He makes an utter fool of himself around that Elf," Malian agreed.
"Not unlike someone I know," piped up a voice from behind us. I turned around and smiled to see Aragorn standing behind me (I had almost forgotten he was present) with a cheeky grin on his face.
"No, not unlike at all," I concurred. Aragorn took a step forward and wrapped his arms around me slyly. "Now now, Estel," I mocked, "if everyone saw you doing that they would think something highly inappropriate about the pair of us." Malian glowered.
"They most certainly would," I heard Legolas say. I saw him skipping slightly as he returned and could not help but press myself a bit closer to Aragorn.
"What's it to you, Greenleaf?" I inquired innocently.
"My best friend involved with a human?"
"Best friend? I got the impression that the female who won your heart was just escorted away by her loving Prince."
"She is my wife-to-be, not my friend," Legolas corrected. I raised one eyebrow.
"Shouldn't the two go hand-in-hand?"
"When he can't even have an intelligible conversation with her?" Malian interjected.
"Maybe there are other ways to get to know one another besides talking each other's ears off," Aragorn added deftly, a trace of anger in his voice. He let me out of his embrace crossly.
"Exactly!" Legolas exclaimed, surprising everyone by taking Aragorn's side.
"What, you mean in bed?" I spat. This whole conversation was getting a bit ridiculous.
"How dare you suggest--"
"—that either of us were so pig-headed that we'd--"
"—sleep with someone to get to know them, you unimaginable blockheads--"
"—else can you do to get to know someone--"
"Stop!" Aragorn, Legolas, and Malian turned their heads toward me and then looked at each other in astonishment.
"Sorry," Aragorn said after a moment.
"Yes, as am I," Legolas agreed and Malian nodded.
"Right, well our stay in Mirkwood won't exactly be lovely if we all keep fighting like this," I admitted.
"Our stay in Mirkwood?" Aragorn inquired doubtfully.
"Well I didn't travel back to my birthplace after five hundred years to spend one afternoon handing Gollum over to Thranduil, seeing my oldest friends, and leaving," I answered resolutely. Aragorn reluctantly agreed.
"Great!" Legolas exclaimed, remembering that I was, after all, his 'best friend.' "The Fall Festival is tomorrow night!"
"The Fall Festival! I had completely forgotten! Well, I better find a dress to wear," I said, smiling. Aragorn raised one eyebrow at me in disgust before allowing Legolas to show us our rooms in the castle where we would be staying.
The bedroom in which I was to stay was not unlike any of the guest bedrooms Legolas, Malian, and I used to use to play hide-and-seek. The floors were wooden like all the floors in the castle, and covered with a green rug that was embroidered with shiny, silvery leaves. The bed was large and the bedspread the same pattern as the carpet. A chest stood at the foot of the bed, in it a pile of beautiful dresses I could not picture myself wearing. I had never been the sort of Elf to enjoy being overly-feminine, but I guessed I would make an exception for the Fall Festival, if just this once. Aragorn waved a sheepish 'see you later' to me and followed Legolas off to his room. I lay down in the bed, snuggling up against a soft pillow; before I could tell myself I was just 'resting my eyes,' I fell asleep.