Chapter 3
The Wizard
Author's Note: Updated within the same month again! Woot! Sadly I doubt I'll get chapter four up in time to declare a three-in-a-row title, but I tried! Even if you guys aren't formally following this story I would like to thank everyone who is reading this fic.
"The Wizard" is a Blind Guardian song title. This chapter introduces a character who will be most influential in the rest of the story. Think Gandalf from LOTR and you'll understand (though he's not Gandalf, I swear!)
The next chapter will probably take me a lot longer to write since I'm setting the stage for Professor Moruni's return, staging and implementing action scenes (finally!) and gearing up for the fifth chapter that will set everything into motion. Sorry about taking a lot time to get to this point, but it was important for me to establish the relationship between Qui-Gon and Bellethiel first.
For the remainder of the week pending her name-day feast, Bellethiel spent most of her daytime hours greeting nobles. It would have been unbearable for herself and her two guardians if it were not for the fact that other races were involved. She greeted fairies, the dragon king, Yleara and Eduna elves, centaurs, fawns, dwarves, and several others littered the castle much to the Rhune elf nobles' distaste. Bellethiel loved the change of pace and took the time during the day to converse with as many of them as possible while introducing her guardians to the rest of her people.
She spent her evenings training with Qui-Gon. The man had a skill with physical combat in general that Belle was well aware she'd never have. Aratu was certainly the style that defined him. She would watch him practice all of his known forms from the corner of her eye and observe his style. Belle had seen elves train through their various physical combat forms, but none she knew had the grace and fluidity that Qui-Gon possessed. It only took her a few days to realize that she loved watching him practice.
Obi-Wan would be trained by his master every morning. Sometimes they trained using lightsabers and other times they would practice forms of meditation. It was as interesting to watch the older Jedi teach as it was to observe his lightsaber practice. Qui-Gon treated Obi-Wan gently; always encouraging and showing his apprentice what he did wrong if he made a mistake.
Belle would observe their master/student interaction idly while she practiced her magical duration to sustain elemental spells. It was, as she and her Jedi guardians found out, a form of meditation for her that allowed her mind to mellow and relax.
On the morning of her name-day feast Bellethiel sat with her legs tucked under her and both hands resting flat on her thighs. She wore a black tunic and leggings for the purpose of practicing her firecraft. Several balls of burning fire floated around her at different speeds and her mind was set on maintaining each individual flame's temperature, burn rate, and speed. With one part of her mind focused on her personal task, Belle allowed some of her attention to wander to where her friends practiced.
Qui-Gon was explaining an exercise to Obi-Wan, of that much she was certain. Belle wasn't paying too much attention to what it was he was saying and mostly watched to see what they would do. The older human then began to remove the layers of his Jedi tunic. His padawan followed in suit. Belle blinked, felt her control of the fire waver slightly and forced her full attention on keeping the flames afloat the moment she saw a bare shoulder. She didn't need that distraction.
Once she regained complete composure her eyes wandered back to where her guardians were practicing with bare chests. She had never seen a male's bare chest before, so the sight set her slightly off-balance.
That was what she thought at first, at least, until she noticed that her eyes were focused directly onto Qui-Gon's bare torso. At such a realization, the fire she was attempting to keep steady nearly wavered and she almost lost control. It took every ounce of her will power for her to force her face into a picture of impassiveness. Her cheeks pinked slightly in her effort to keep back the roaring blush.
This was bloody embarrassing!
Qui-Gon, she had come to accept a while ago shortly after she met him, was handsome in his own way. He was no elf male, no doubt about that, but it did not stop his general appearance to be described as handsome. He was, however, not beautiful. At least, that was her first thought. After all, the Jedi seemed to dress more conservatively than the elves- which was saying a lot since it was only two-hundred years ago that the elves approved of females wearing tunics and leggings. His apprentice was between handsome and beautiful. Belle could admit that without much of a bat of her eyelid.
Qui-Gon's body, however, was a shock to her. He was a big man, not in the way of too much fat-weight- but big in the sense that he was tall with broad shoulders and large muscles. At such a rare ability to observe those muscles practically up close, Belle couldn't help but gape. He really wasn't as big as she first believed him to be. Oh he was still a tall and imposing figure, a definite alpha, that much was certain, but there were a few subtle differences to her original assumptions. Those differences concerning reality winning out over fantasy improved whatever attraction she felt for him. His muscles were lean and large, not too big and imposing as she first thought. His physic might have been large, but his stance and demeanor was comforting.
It was a bit of a contrast to what his face showed- the beard and the long hair. The clothes he wore were plain and simple. He would sometimes even allow his appearance to slacken off (something that the Rhune elves frowned upon and thought too dwarvish). She suddenly found herself wondering what was under the beard. He had minimal wrinkles on his face. Most of what he had were laugh and frown lines. Other than that, from what she had seen, he seemed to be a man in his thirties. Of course, she learned early on before they became friends, he was a lot older than that. The human was in his mid-fifties! Apparently the Force really did do wonders for a mortal's longevity.
It took her a moment to notice, but she realized that all of her fire went out and let out a soft curse. Blast that man for making this the week where she found herself gaping at him like some prepubescent elleth! What made it even more irritating was the fact that he didn't even realize he was doing it!
They began to train in their normal, elegant, lightsaber dance. Sweat beaded along the hollows of their muscular bodies as the heat of the mid-spring sun bore down on them in the early morning. She doubted that the humidity helped the matter.
Belle made a valiant attempt to return her attention back to her studies and regain a bit of calmness in her mind through the flickering flames of fire. Fire, unfortunately, made her think of a few rather hot thoughts popping into existence about the Jedi Master a few feet away from her. After the third time she lost her concentration because of a skin movement made by the man, she gave up. She couldn't do this right after being suddenly exposed to a very, dare she say it?- exposed Jedi Master.
Does he know that he actually is attractive under everything or is he that blissfully unaware? She wondered.
It was a valid question, but also one she did not intend to ask him any time in the near future. Belle knew how the Jedi felt about attachments. She knew that her friendship with both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan could easily be considered unorthodox but necessary.
After what seemed to be about fifteen minutes, they both deactivated their lightsabers, completely soaked with perspiration. Bellethiel stood and began to wave her arms in a closed circular motion around each other. Her eyes were closed (mostly so she could better pretend that Qui-Gon's bare torso didn't exist) and she was willing the oxygen and hydrogen molecules to bond and forma around her hands. Soon she opened her eyes to find a sizable ball of water floating between her hands.
She glanced up at both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon who were looking at her with questioning glances. Belle smiled sweetly as she willed the ball of water to separate into two. Then she flicked her wrists.
SPLASH!
In a moment both men found themselves drenched in cold water. As he sputtered and spat, Qui-Gon had the grumpiest look on his face that nearly drove Bellethiel into tears of laughter. Obi-Wan simply looked passive as he wiped his face off as best he could.
"My lady, what that remotely necessary?" asked Qui-Gon as he folded his arms.
Belle smirked, "I thought you would wish for a faster way to cool off?"
"That is seemingly sweet of you, but your affinity for pranks leads me to suspect ulterior motives," the older man replied evenly.
Belle shrugged, "I will admit, it was funny."
He fixed her with his blue gaze. That coupled with the fact that she was dealing with her flustered feelings at seeing him with no tunic on made her blush. His lips quirked up just a little bit.
"Only marginally," he said diplomatically.
Belle, glad for the distraction of being playful and sarcastic, rolled her eyes and concentrated as she slowly waved her hand. Their drenched appearance suddenly became cool and damp as she extracted most of the moisture from their bodies.
Obi-Wan nodded in thanks, "You're getting better with water."
Belle laughed and echoed Qui-Gon, "Marginally."
A long, drawn out, chuckle echoed from behind the three of them. Suddenly on edge, the two Jedi activated their lightsabers and a flaming ball of fire appeared in Bellethiel's hand. All three of them relaxed when they realized that the person who laughed was an old man with a grey beard wearing blue robes. He was leaning on a white staff shooting the three of them a most amused smile.
She recognized him and nearly ran to throw her arms around him, but respectfully kept her peace.
"Maf! I haven't seen you since… what was it? Last year?" she asked warmly.
Maf chuckled and approached them. His staff was obviously there for him as a cover because the old man didn't seem to need it. Belle, though, knew what it was for and reached out to grasp Maf's offered hand into hers.
"You're on the wizard council," she said.
"Ah, yes, hence the white staff," he looked at her for a few moments before continuing to say, "its been too long, Belle."
"Its been a year."
"Hence it being too long. I should have stayed," he said with conviction.
"I lived," she shot back.
He glanced at the two Jedi behind her both looking confused and curious at the exchange.
"I noticed. I heard rumors that Jedi were your new guards, but I hadn't assumed that they would elevate to protectors," he said dryly.
Belle rolled her eyes and turned to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan with a smile.
"Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, this is Mafortion the Grey Wizard. He's a half-elf, one of the oldest and is the first son of Professor Moruni," she introduced.
He cleared his throat, "I prefer Maf, if you please? It is a pleasure to meet the men who managed to befriend my princess."
Belle rolled her eyes, "You speak as if I'm the most difficult person to get along with!"
He snorted, "Its not an understatement."
Qui-Gon's impression of the older man was one of curious interest. He had pointed ears, that much he'd noticed, but he also wore a long grey beard and hair. His outer robes covered the simplistic dark blue slacks that peeked from under their hem. He was also old. Very old if he was Laurel Moruni's son. It also seemed that he and Bellethiel were close. The way she treated him was with a certain amount of familiarity that even she did not even show towards himself and Obi-Wan. She was gentle with him and warm; not as sarcastic as she was with him and Obi-Wan. A small twinge of something stirred within him and he worked to quell it as quickly as possible. He should not be feeling jealous of a person she knew for longer than he. It was irrational.
They walked back towards their rooms and listened intently while Maf told them of his affairs. His apprentice wasted no time in asking questions about what wizards were in general. Qui-Gon didn't blame his padawan's curiosity. The Jedi were constantly referred to as wizards, mystics and magic users so finding out what real wizards were like was a rare privilege.
He noticed that Bellethiel dropped back to walk beside him while Obi-Wan consumed her old friend's conversation. She caught his eye and sent him a pleased smile. The corners of his mouth tilted upward to return it. There was something serene about knowing she was happy.
"When Professor Moruni went to Coruscant, Maf was my teacher," she told him.
He stared ahead, considering his next words. He didn't know Maf long enough to form any opinion of him but-.
"He seems to be a character," he commented.
She chuckled, "You have no idea. Age seems to have refined his sarcasm. On the other hand, he's one of the three most powerful half-elves in Illearia. He's also an occasional councilor as most of the Wizard Council are."
Qui-Gon smiled at her explanation. It was one of the things he indulged her ever since they finally made peace (he finally made peace) with their natural inclination to be closer than they ought. He learned on day one that she loved to explain the mysteries of the universe to others who would listen. Qui-Gon willingly listened to her unpracticed, but well researched, knowledge with no little amount of interest. It was very evident that she was tutored by a historian. Everything she had to say or explain would begin with some sort of background or cultural reasoning behind it.
"Why do you refer to him as the Grey Wizard?" he asked.
Bellethiel giggled. That giggled caused his lips to quirk into a smile again. It seemed to be the norm for him whenever she did something the least bit endearing.
"He's the only wizard with a grey beard and he avoided joining the council for a long time. Most elves refer to him as Maf," she replied.
His brows furrowed in confusion at that bit, "Why?"
She shrugged, "I really couldn't tell you."
"Ah."
They arrived at their chambers and the wizard turned to the princess with an expression on his face just short of beaming.
"Magic lesson, today, Belle! Let's see how much lightcraft we can accomplish in an afternoon!" he practically chirped.
Bellethiel blinked at the sudden order and Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow in her direction. She sent him a sheepish smile.
"I probably will be in his private teaching chambers for the rest of the day," she said.
He inclined his head, "Obi-Wan will be there. I will secure the perimeter of the banquette hall. I will meet both you and my padawan tonight."
She nodded, "Until then, mellon vell." (translation: dear friend)
Qui-Gon was startled slightly. He had heard her speak in elvish a few times in his life, but he never had her native language directed at him. From the intricate raising of Maf's bushy grey eyebrows, the Jedi concluded that whatever she said to him piqued the male's interest.
He also noticed the way her teal eyes suddenly widened and her pale cheeks pinked with embarrassment at whatever she had said to him. Completely at a loss due to the language barrier he elected to simply wait and see who would explain things to him. Bellethiel elected to do so herself.
"I- I called you friend," she stammered.
Qui-Gon noticed the look Maf was giving her. He seemed very entertained by what she had said. Before he could inquire further, however, the elven princess hurried away looking as composed as she possibly could.
He glanced back at Maf as if to gain clarity for what had just happened but the moment his blue eyes met those of their old wizard's the male was shaking his head.
"This is something the princess will explain when she composes herself," he told Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan shrugged and followed the princess into the common room leaving Maf and Qui-Gon alone in the hall. The older human bowed slightly out of respect for the wizard before him and turned to leave. The staff suddenly blocked his entrance into the common room to his chambers.
Qui-Gon turned to meet the suddenly serious look reflected in Maf's green eyes. Those eyes unnerved him. He remembered seeing those eyes on the face of Professor Laurel Moruni. The family resemblance was slightly unnerving.
"Prepare yourself, Master Jedi. This is only the beginning," he warned suddenly and completely out of the blue.
Qui-Gon blinked for a second before nodding his head, "Of course."
As he finally entered the common room he couldn't help but wonder what the Wizard Maf was trying to get at.
Bellethiel leaned against the door to her bedroom. Her breath was shallow and her heart thudded against her chest like a loud drum. She couldn't believe she had slipped like that! It was one thing to call him 'mellon', but it was another thing to add the 'vell'. A blush adorned her cheeks again and her stomach filled with that warm, tingly, sensation she had been getting lately. Was it embarrassment? She wasn't sure.
Still, what she did was unacceptable! To refer to someone she only knew for a month (as of this day) as 'mellon vell' was, at least, two steps away from calling them 'beloved'! She was glad he knew so little of her language. If he understood exactly what it was she had called him, the man would have been mortified and not confused.
Anyway, it wasn't like she actually thought that highly of him, was it?
Belle pursed her lips and stepped into her bathroom to begin her usual morning process. While she allowed the warm water of her daily shower roll down her naked body her thoughts lingered on the odd relationship she had with Qui-Gon. She was attracted to him. Physically, he was appealing. He was no elf. He wasn't beautiful. Even shirtless with his bare muscles exposed for her innocent eyes to see did not make his appearance beautiful, but it added to his 'handsome' description.
What annoyed her (and what she found was also rather endearing and refreshing) was that he didn't seem to know he was visually appealing. She remembered certain mornings when he would walk around with her completely unkempt and raw in smell. As an elf with particularly sensitive nose, she could smell his definite man-stench. Even when he washed, which normally happened every two or three days, he didn't have a particular odor; he was simply clean.
She inquired about this to Obi-Wan, not feeling comfortable speaking to Qui-Gon about this for reasons she honestly couldn't fathom. Her friend explained to her that his master didn't give much thought to his appearance or how he looked. The man felt that such concerns distracted from the Force. Belle said that, while she could see Qui-Gon's point, it would be better for her nose's sake he bathed once a day. Obi-Wan had burst into laughter (he knew about the over-sensitive nose she and the rest of her race had) and assured her that she was not the first person to think so.
Despite his lack of concern for his appearance Qui-Gon did groom his hair and beard. Bellethiel figured that he had to. Not to do so would cause physical problems and discomforts that would distract him from the Force (speaking from his point of view).
Nevertheless, despite the man's basic outlook when it came to hygiene (aka: enough to remain healthy) he was attractive to her.
Belle rubbed the scented oil that was her shampoo through her long tresses. Her teal eyes stared blankly at the stone shower wall while she did this.
Appearances weren't everything. His appearance would not have coaxed such an accidental slip of the tongue out of her. There were other things about him she had grown… attached to.
She smiled as she thought of this.
Qui-Gon was many things. He was older, not in years, but older in maturity and experience. He had seen more; done more and lived. With his experience came wisdom. He was reserved, more so than his apprentice, and quiet. Despite his reserved nature, he was kind, and thoughtful. His kindness was what drew her first to him. He didn't intrude on her life. He was simply there. He did his own thing and sometimes even gained the disapproval of Obi-Wan, his padawan. He was witty. He was patient, something that she severely lacked. His temperament was level and he rarely lost it. He pursued knowledge and didn't automatically shut out the presence of magic.
The man could also be firm when he needed to be. He never had to yell or raise his voice, but there was a certain change in the air around him that would suggest his disapproval or impatience. He was also what she, and other elves have in the past, classified as an alpha. He had authority at his fingertips. He radiated power underneath his calm exterior. That power was another reason why many of her potential suitors tended to stay away from her. Qui-Gon had made it apparent in the first week that, should he hear a whisper about any one of them harassing her, he would talk with them. Literally talk with them. As in he "accidentally" ran into them the day or evening after the incident and spoke to them in a quiet voice about the general polite treatment of females and the suggestion that the consequences of rudeness and too enthusiastic wooing would be severe. Naturally, in the first week, Bellethiel had resented the interference.
She would never forget what he said when she confronted him about the first three incidents.
Belle stormed into his room, completely disregarding propriety due to her immense irritation and loss of controlled temper. The man her current rage was directed at sat on his bed polishing his lightsaber facing the door. When he looked up at her and fixed her with a questioning blue gaze she blew into a verbal tirade almost immediately.
"What right do you have? How dare you concern yourself in matters that I have already dealt with? Don't you ever, ever, butt into my affairs without my explicit permission! I am not some weak little creature who needs to cry for help every time some unwanted male tries to press his advances on me!" and then proceeded to call him a myriad of obscene words most inappropriate for an elven princess to say let alone know.
When she finally ran out of breath thirty minutes later he simply stared at her.
"Are you finished?" he asked after a minute of watching her pant.
She straightened up and glared at him, "I will be once you give me a good reason as to why you felt the need to interfere."
His lips quirked slightly as amusement flashed in his blue eyes. This almost set her off again.
However, before she could launch into another long-winded string of insults, Qui-Gon replied, "I was merely tying up loose ends. It came to my knowledge by your uncle that your suitors don't leave you alone despite your efforts to stay their advances. You do not have the luxury to warn your subjects of possible accidents that may occur if they continue with their unseemly behavior. I, on the other hand, do. Have they," he added before she could get another word in edge-wise, "continued to bother you?"
She blushed, opened her mouth to exclaim an affirmative, realized she'd be lying, and shut her mouth and averted her gaze from his steady blue.
"Then there is no harm done and your peace will continue to be kept the more these boundaries are enforced," he finalized his argument.
She had been so dumbfounded and angry that the man had literally reasoned her into silence. Belle had whirled out of the room with nothing left to say to him for the remainder of that day. It had been two days later when she went to him to ask forgiveness for all of the obscene names and inferences she said to him. He had forgiven her, too. In fact, he claimed to have never thought of the incident after it had happened.
And things like this built up her regard for him without her ever really knowing or understanding what was going on.
Bellethiel smiled again as she shut off the water and moved to claim her towel. What was wrong with her? How could a mere, middle-aged (in Jedi terms) human stir such emotions within her?
She shook her head. He was a Jedi. Jedi didn't form attachments of this sort. It was best to get such thoughts of attraction out of her head before they blossomed into something that would, ultimately, hurt her. Anyway, it was probably the novelty of meeting a human for the first time. He was older, more mature than his apprentice, so naturally she would find him more appealing. That was what it all was. Appeal. Attraction. A small fascination. Nothing more. There was nothing else that would ever form between them.
Right?
Obi-Wan yawned and leaned against the tree he was standing near. Lightcraft was as taxing on the observer as well as the learner and watching the princess attempt it made his head ache! He hadn't understood half of what the wizard Maf explained to Bellethiel and what he did understand didn't seem possible. Lightcraft was, apparently, based on the purity of emotion from the user and could only be fueled by joy, bliss, selfless sorrow and love. Lightcraft had its base in the five elements. The better she was with one element, the better her Lightcraft evolved. Bellethiel could harness all five elements. As she progressed in mastering them she was continuously given the tools to master the next level beyond each element.
It was there that Obi-Wan became intellectually lost. He understood the workings of the Force, how it flowed through almost every living thing and bound them together in one perfect harmony. The Force was a living energy and some were better at detecting its presence than others. The Force was peace. The Force was serenity. The Force was knowledge. The Force was harmony. Through the Force there was no death. He comprehended this. He did not comprehend the concept of power.
Magic is a tool. Magic is a gift. Magic is power and any absolute power corrupts absolutely. Magic is given to a select few. Magic is of Eru. Any borrowed magic is sorcery and of Lucifer thus it should not be trusted. There is only good and evil, there is no shade of grey. Magic can either be used to destroy or to create life. Magic bent the laws of life and science. Magic was nothing.
Emotions were encouraged with magic. It was encouraged that magic users form attachments to everything around them. An elven ruler was groomed to be mindful of the people around them and love them as they would their own children. A queen and king were not just the leaders of their people, but also their representatives. What an elven ruler does evil in the eyes of Eru will be revenged sevenfold onto their people and an elven ruler needed to be mindful of the law of Eru.
Obi-Wan could continue on with the many things Maf told Bellethiel as she attempted to gather light energy, but the sayings were endless and he honestly couldn't remember most of them.
"Belle, feel joy! Let the emotion flow through you! Focus on what makes you happiest!" growled Maf from the other side of the forest clearing.
Obi-Wan observed his friend/charge's eyebrows furrow in frustration and frowned. It was hard to feel joy for anything when the old man was breathing down one's neck. The young padawan didn't need the Force to tell him that Bellethiel was on the verge of snapping at him.
Maf seemed to realize this too, because he suddenly changed tactic and knelt beside the elven heir.
"Belle, what gives you joy?" he asked.
Obi-Wan wondered that as well. He had never seen the elf-girl in a mood that went beyond pleasant. What sorts of things could cause her to be joyful?
She lowered her head and Obi-Wan barely caught the words, "I cannot think of anything. History is the only thing that gives me a semblance of bliss."
Maf sighed, "Surely there is something?"
Obi-Wan frowned. Surely there had to have been something?
"I have been content for many years now, Maf. All of the joy has been sapped out of me and replaced with the heavy weight of duty and regulation," she replied.
She sounds tired, thought Obi-Wan.
Maf sat next to her where the elf princess gazed at the candles before her.
"Let's try this morning. Are you saying that my presence gave you no joy?" he asked.
Obi-Wan saw the shocked look on her face. Her lips parted to assure him that she had found joy in his re-appearance, if he could guess, and then widened in realization. The young padawan bit back a chuckle. She was a historian, that much could be easily seen. The princess lived too much in the past and forgot that the present was just as interesting. It was good for her to have people to remind her of this.
Maf smiled and patted the elleth's shoulder, "Try using that."
Looking sheepish, the princess did while the wizard backed away from her so as to give her room to work. Obi-Wan watched Bellethiel closely after this exchange. A minute went by and he could feel a sudden change in the air. The candles before her flickered and then… glinted?
He narrowed his blue-grey eyes. Something happened. The flames suddenly glowed with intensity brighter than the afternoon sun. It stayed for only a few seconds before it flickered back into flame. The princess, for a moment, glowed before the flow of magic completely dissipated. She sagged and her breathing became heavy.
"That's good, Belle," praised Maf.
She looked disappointed, but pleased at the same time as she answered, "Its barely better than last year."
"You haven't been practicing," he pointed out.
She sighed and Obi-Wan felt sorry for her. Something had been wrong that year, she knew.
"Do not feel bad," began Maf as he made his way back to they elf princess and knelt beside her, "this has not been an easy year."
Obi-Wan wondered about that. What had happened before he and Qui-Gon came to Illearia? He had known something had alarmed Professor Moruni to the point where she felt the need to acquire the help of Jedi, but the particulars had never been explained. They only knew what the general issue was.
I doubt its really my or Qui-Gon's business. And I'm sure Bellethiel will make sure we remembered that fact, he thought.
The lesson continued for a few more minutes before the kindly old wizard released her from the learning environment. He walked beside her with his arms crossed in a casual gesture and her looking slightly worn out. Obi-Wan glanced over at her and noticed her vacant expression.
"When must you be ready for the celebration?" he asked.
Belle started glanced over at him and shrugged, "When the sun sets. Eight o'clock."
Obi-Wan nodded, "Master should be finished securing the banquet hall, but I'm certain he's inspecting the area around it. Probably even conned your uncle in to helping him."
This comment brought a smile to her face and she replied with some spirit, "Is it a bad thing if I can easily picture Qui-Gon conning something out of anyone?"
The Jedi padawan grinned, "No. Qui-Gon has a way with words and a knowledge of personality. If anyone could con anything out of anyone, it would be him."
She laughed, "Of course!"
They entered the palace in silence. Obi-Wan remained as passively calm as he possibly could to keep his countenance. The mystery of what happened to her in the year proceeding his and his master's arrival was nagging him. Curiosity was not the way of the Force and had to be strictly regulated. It was best that he refrained from inquiring- .
"There is a question on the tip of your tongue, Kenobi, I suggest you ask it before it drives you mad," she said while nodding to a passing servant's greetings.
Obi-Wan sighed. He forgot that the princess was a lot more perceptive then she seemed. Granted, she mostly paid attention to her friends instead of her enemies, but it was still something he constantly forgot.
I bet she'd make a great Jedi had she ever been born with the Force, he thought to himself.
Out loud, he said, "I'm not sure if you will answer it."
She grimaced and replied, "I think I already know what the question is, but I would appreciate it if you asked me to tell you. It will be less awkward."
It was already awkward, but Obi-Wan saw the sense in her reasoning and closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"What happened before my master and I came here? What was Maf referring to?" he asked.
Bellethiel remained silent for a few seconds before replying, "Remember when I mentioned my old guards on your first day here?"
He nodded an affirmative and she was compelled to continue, "I was rather… close with the two of them. They were my best friends. We were on a hunting trip in the lighter woods of the Aduna's lands and we were attacked by wraiths. A Knight Elf was leading them," she caught his expression and briefly explained, "a Knight Elf is like your Sith. They are the fallen elves who gave in to the snares of evil. My guards and I battled. One stayed behind to ensure our escape. I fought to remain, but the other bodily carried me deeper into the forest away from the battle. The Knight Elf pursued us and… my guard was struck down before I was rescued by Centaurs. I was injured and couldn't fight, you see? I couldn't stop their deaths as I couldn't prevent my own father's."
Obi-Wan sent her a empathetic look, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
She let out a hollow laugh, "Yes, yes you should have. You need to know what you're going to be up against. It isn't just Rhune Elf nobles forgetting their manners and becoming too grabby, there is a part of my race who's rulers have failed them and have fallen into shadow. If it was just them we had to worry about I would… I wouldn't need you and Qui-Gon," she glared at the ground and continued, "I should be out there with my aunt and uncle hunting those bastards down! I shouldn't be stuck in here about to attend a name-day feast!"
Obi-Wan wisely stayed silent to this. Her mood was one his master was better equipped to handle than him. She was venting; finally letting flow all of her pent-up emotions plaguing her for the past year. He understood her sentiments. He once felt the same way too. The problem was that he had given in to his emotions and the end result was him not being prepared enough to stop certain things from happening. He still lived with that regret. No, she needed to remain in the palace. She needed to train and better hone her skills at magic and fighting.
"You may tell Qui-Gon this, if you wish, I will not mind," she told him suddenly as they came to a halt in front of the door to their common room.
She opened the door and he followed her inside. As the princess made her way to her chambers to ready herself for the banquet, he placed a halting hand on her shoulder. She stopped and turned slightly to look at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Bellethiel, I understand what you're going through, believe me," he added as he caught her skeptic expression, "but you're here with us because you're not ready to face all at once. I firmly believe that your teacher wouldn't have asked us to come if that had been the case. You're not weak, you're simply not ready. You will be, just not today."
A myriad of emotions flickered through her eyes and she opened her mouth to reply, words caught in her throat, and then closed her mouth again and looked away.
"Thank you, Obi-Wan," she muttered and then disengaged her shoulder from his hand and disappeared behind the oak door that led to her room.
And she didn't believe a word I just said, he thought, I will need to consult with Master Qui-Gon. Maybe he can get through to her?
While Obi-Wan and Bellethiel were subjected to Maf for the day, Qui-Gon had sought out the company of Lorn who was beginning to become a particular acquaintance to him. Lorn had been enthused when he realized that the Jedi Master was willingly seeking his help in securing the area around the current hall and immediately jumped at the chance to help.
Qui-Gon figured earlier that week he would need the help. He listened to the captain of the elven royal guard explain the intricate workings of the elvish security system and the extra elvish security devices, but it all began to go over his head as the explanation went on. He figured that a little help from someone who most likely used the technology every day would be helpful. Besides that, Qui-Gon liked the company of his elven friend and enjoyed the willing demonstration Lorn gave him for the motions sensors.
At this point in time nearer the end of the day when the two of them would have to part ways to ready themselves for the ceremony (Qui-Gon was basically threatened bodily harm from the princess if he didn't clean up a few shades beyond the bare minimum) they were securing necessary safety measures only to be activated by either Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan should anything happen. Lorn was explaining to Qui-Gon all of the uses the certain traps they were setting up came into play while in the forest. The dangers of the world that Lorn spoke of intrigued the Jedi Master to no end. He hadn't realized the clear and present danger of the forests let alone the presence of deceitful politicians.
"The Knight Elves tend to hide within the darkest corners of our forests, though they have been known to establish themselves anywhere; especially their new recruits. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the lords after Belle's hand were Knight Elves themselves," said Lorn.
Qui-Gon's brows furrowed at the idea. Apparently the elves had their own Sith-like counterparts.
"They assume that the princess is weak," he muttered while checking wires.
Lorn sighed, "She isn't weak, but she is still very naïve and very innocent. Belle has never been jaded by the world. Last spring, when everything began, I would have thought her to have learned her lesson but apparently I was wrong."
Qui-Gon glanced over at his Eduna friend feeling on the verge of inquiry, but stopping himself short should he pry into places where he knew he shouldn't go. The Eduna elf, however, didn't see it that way and took one look at his companion to ascertain his interest before continuing.
"Belle lost her first two guardians during an excursion into the darker parts of the Eduna land. A Knight Elf was responsible. We know this because there are eye-witnesses that go beyond her highness who was badly injured and delirious with grief at the time. She wants to go look for the bastard who did it and, while I understand why, I wish she would understand why it is we do not let her. She's not ready to face a Knight Elf. Her guards weren't even ready to face one. She doesn't understand, yet, that some things a better left to other people," he said heavily.
Qui-Gon nodded to himself. He could see why Bellethiel must have been resentful towards his and Obi-Wan's appointment as her new guardians. This especially, if she was close friends with them.
"She wants revenge," he observed more to himself than to Lorn.
Lorn, however, heard the reflection anyway, "I am afraid so. Even revenge is not something we believe is right. Eru demands we turn the other cheek in this case and not allow our emotions to do something incredibly foolish like go after the Knight Elves on her own. She must wish for justice to be brought upon them by order of law and not by an unlawful execution. We may be in a perpetual war with the Knight Elves, but they are still her subjects. She must treat them with the same respect and courtesy she must with the rest."
Qui-Gon remained silent for a while longer before adding his thoughts. There was a lot to think about. It explained why she took two weeks to warm up to both himself and his apprentice. It also explained her hostility at the beginning. Explanations for everything concerning the disposition of his charge continued to run through his head the longer he thought about it.
She still smiles, he reflected, despite losing the two closest beings she had since her father passed she still tries to smile and pretend that nothing bothers her. For someone who is one-hundred years old she is a bit too naïve of the workings of the world. This is something she should have been prepared for from day one. Elves have long lives. This will not be the first nor the last.
"I'm beginning to wonder," began Lorn as they re-entered the castle, "if losing the people she cares about the most is her greatest fear."
Qui-Gon glanced at him while he kept his head bowed in deep thought. That was another thing he had to consider. In her line of duty and princess of her race, people the elleth would get close to probably didn't last long; especially when there is an enemy at hand.
So, if that was the case (all taken into consideration) why had she taken to him and Obi-Wan so quickly?
"It is possible. The circumstances behind my padawan and I's being here have certainly come to better clarity," answered Qui-Gon.
"Oh?"
"I had often wondered why she needed two human Jedi to protect her. It seems as if the situation was graver than we were first led to believe," there was a slight admonishment in Qui-Gon's tone.
Lorn sighed, "It seems worst, but our problem is that we can't tell if this particular Knight Elf is acting alone or not. My sister and I are inclined to believe that he is not, but Miriel seems to want to take her noble's side on this. The Eldar are on full watch and are prepared to support the princess in every way possible. I cannot say what the Wizards think of all of this. Most of them are traveling nomads or they simply live alone in a small village content with their studies."
"And she's caught in the middle of it," muttered Qui-Gon.
Lorn nodded, "Unfortunately. I doubt the pressure from the nobles and her mother to marry has helped."
"It hasn't," agreed Qui-Gon.
They were in the living quarters set in the west wing of the castle where both Lorn and Qui-Gon resided. The conversation had turned into a more informative air about wizards when the two came into contact with the first elf noble to willingly speak to them. The elf was female and medium height. She glided over to them with a certain air of interest directed at Qui-Gon in her sky blue eyes. Her lips were naturally a light red color and her skin resembled soft cream scented with peaches. She wore a light green summer dress that flowed around her as she walked towards the two of them with a grace that made it seem she glided.
Her smile was equally beautiful.
Qui-Gon suddenly felt awkward. He hadn't seen this elleth before and figured she came into the castle when Obi-Wan had been the one looking after the princess. As it always did with the beauty of the elven female, his mind became momentarily muddled.
It took every single ounce of Force training for him to remain passive. He began to meditate, feeling the need to focus on something. His mind suddenly centered on he and Bellethiel's last sparring session where she was teaching him how to disarm with a steel sword. It never occurred to him to be surprised at how the thought of her seemed to drive all other distractions away until much later.
With his mind level again, Qui-Gon noted that, beside him, Lorn stiffened as the two of them came to a stop. This elleth apparently wanted to speak to them.
"My lord Lorn, it has been a while," she greeted.
There was a hint of chill in the warmth her voice resonated with. Qui-Gon frowned. He knew that particular breed of politician.
"Has it?" came the stiff reply of Lorn, "A mere three months is my actual memory."
She laughed, "And months seems like ages to me! Its does my heart well to see the princess in such fine spirits and in such interesting company. Are humans to be her new companions now?"
Qui-Gon remained silent. It was best to observe this individual before him. Her words were filled with double meaning and he suspected that there were quite a few stories behind them. Judging by the look on Lorn's face, the Jedi decided that those stories could be unearthed on a later date when the hunter wasn't so battle ready.
"Yes, they're Jedi," came the curt reply of his friend.
She turned to Qui-Gon with a genuinely interested look. This set a few alarms off in his head. He was the reason she came to speak with them. His general mistrust of politicians made him very wary of her; especially if she showed interest in him.
In any case it wouldn't hurt to be polite. He bowed.
"I am Master Qui-Gon Jinn from Coruscant , the capital of the Republic."
The look in her eyes that flared for ever just a moment made him want to bolt from the room. Something was up. Lorn apparently knew there was something nefarious going on in that elleth's head because he was fixing her with the most severe look he could manage without being outright hostile. Qui-Gon almost burst out laughing in sudden amusement of the situation. Such a family resemblance!
"Fascinating! I've never seen a human before," the elleth simpered, "I am Bainethiel ven Egire. My family is in charge of the western gardens that border the plains. You must tell me what Jedi do."
Qui-Gon inclined his head, "Forgive me, my lady, but I must leave. The princess will be expecting me in two hours to escort her."
With that he stepped around the elleth and walked away as quickly as he could only feeling guilt about leaving Lorn to deal with her.
Bellethiel was working on her hair when a knock was heard at the door. Knowing it would be either Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon she called out to let them know she was decent. The door opened to reveal the older human dressed in a simple brown tunic. Despite the simplistic dress, Bellethiel had to be conscious of her jaw so as to make certain it stayed in the small smile she was giving him. He could clean up rather well. His beard was evenly trimmed and his hair was gathered back at the base of his neck. He also had a very faint scent to him that was pleasant and nearly undetectable.
Bellethiel adjusted her head piece some more in an attempt to weave it through her braid. It was not cooperating like she wanted it to.
"I see that you have prepared for the occasion," she commented.
He nodded, "I believe Obi-Wan and I were under the impression that life would be made rather unpleasant for us if we hadn't."
She let out a soft laugh while she wrestled with the thin silver of her tiara. It really wasn't working the way she wanted it to.
"Do you need help?" he asked.
"No," she said in a light but tight voice, "I do not."
The head piece was starting to undo parts of her braid and she let out a curse under her breath. Qui-Gon, though, seemed to have heard.
"Evidently," he said dryly.
He approached her where she stood in front of her mirror and slipped his fingers under hers.
"Let me," he said softly.
Like earlier that day it took all of her willpower to not blush at the feel of his hands weaving the tendrils of her elven tiara through her hair. Realizing that the stubborn man wasn't going to take no for an answer in this case, Bellethiel dropped her hands to her side and patiently waited for him to finish. The gesture was making her feel warm. The concentrated look in his blue eyes reflected in her mirror and she studied them with a face as passive as she could possibly make it.
"You do look nice this evening," she complimented awkwardly.
The corners of his mouth twitched in an upward fashion ever so slightly. She blushed and looked to her side away from the mirror.
"I do not mean to imply that you never look presentable, but-," he cut her off.
"Thank you, your highness," he said.
Her blush depended, "You're welcome."
His fingers clasped the ends of her tiara together and then moved away from her had.
"Finished," he said.
She turned to look at him with a smile on her face, "Thank you."
He didn't reply for a moment. He simply stared at her as if considering his next words carefully. Bellethiel shot him a confused look to indicate to him that his silence was puzzling her. He seemed to have caught her expression because his eyes suddenly softened in their gaze even when the rest of his face did not.
"You look beautiful," he muttered.
Her heart nearly stopped. The expression in his eyes and the small tone of his voice was such a contrast to his normal demeanor! It was such an innocently timid comment coming from someone older and with life experience such as his and it caught her off guard. There was no double meaning behind his words. There was no design. There was no deception. He truly meant what he said.
"Thank you, Qui-Gon," she said after a moment of surprised silence.
She didn't return the compliment as he allowed her to lead the way out of her room. Bellethiel didn't know where to begin or, really, what to say. She did say, earlier, that he looked nice, but that wasn't quite truthful. He looked handsome, manly, pleasant, not like a male elf (refreshingly so).
I need to stop thinking like this, she thought, I really need to stop.
Obi-Wan was waiting for the two of them near the fireplace. His arms were crossed and his face completely impassive, like it normally was. When they entered the common room he nodded to them.
"One of your mother's maids came by a few minutes ago imploring that we leave as soon as possible. The guests are apparently anxious to see their princess," he told them.
Bellethiel snorted in the most undignified manner she possibly could. Of course they were getting impatient.
"This celebration is more of an auction than a party. I expect to be accosted by male suitors for the duration of the night. Be warned, they have little or older sisters who will have no qualms about attempting to seduce either of you away from me," she said.
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes as he took his place by his master's side behind the princess.
"No offense, Belle, but I sincerely doubt that you'll have to worry about us becoming ensnared by the whiles of one of you elf ladies," he said confidently.
Belle laughed softly as they entered the hallway in comfortable companionship.
"If you say so, Kenobi," she replied.
Both men let out quiet chuckles as they made headway down the winding halls of the elven palace towards the banquet hall. When they reached the double doors, Lady Artemis stood waiting for them with a blank expression on her beautiful, white, features. That expression softened when she caught sight of her young niece and a warm smile replaced the slightly discontented frown. Belle almost leapt into her aunt's arms as the two embraced as family members often do, each whispering words of greeting in their own language.
Artemis patted her niece's cheek before saying, "I have something for you that I believe you will absolutely adore."
Bellethiel's curiosity piqued and she leaned forward eagerly, "What is it?"
Artemis patted the top of her niece's adorned head and winked, "Patience! I understand that it is a virtue neither of us have, but we must suffer the wait until it is time to give you gifts."
Artemis straightened when she caught sight of the Jedi and gave them a curt nod. Belle resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the display of evident hostility. If she knew anything about her aunt (and she as a lot like her aunt, so she knew much), then she knew that the older elleth would grow out of the hostility soon enough.
It isn't as if I should judge her. I held the same opinion as she when I fist met them, Belle thought.
Bellethiel placed a calming hand on her aunt and smiled, "Shall the four of us brave the tides of persistent nobles and their unwanted advances?"
Artemis snorted in a most undignified manner, "Yes, lets."
They entered the hall and were met with a murmur of voices melding with the motions of the lords and ladies of the great races of Illearia standing to greet the elven princess and her aunt. Bellethiel tread slightly ahead of her aunt to the high table where her mother sat. She almost glared. It seemed as though the five lords and their families had wormed their way to the high status of their race. A very fake smile plastered on her face as she came to a stop in front of the table where her mother stood.
The queen was as tall, regal, blond and beautiful as ever. Her mother was easily the fairest in the room. There was no mistake about that. Next to her, instead of the high wizard or Ailya, the two head lords of Egyre and Undbegyr sat looking as if they belonged there. Belle curtsied to the three of them.
"Mother, my lords, I am honored with your presence," she said as respectfully as she could.
The blue eyes of her mother met her teal ones with a look of relief reflected within them. The tinge of worry and fear could be noted bubbling underneath. Bellethiel had to bite back a bitter sigh. Her mother, it seemed, grew weaker by the day and the weaker her mother was the stronger the lords became. That, Belle decided, was going to change when she was queen.
"Come and dine with us, my daughter," invited the queen.
Belle thanked her mother and the kindness of the lords before she took her seat. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon followed suit after her and took their places on either side of her. They proved to be the barriers between her and two elves she disliked most strongly; Taurinos ven Egrye and Bainethiel ven Egyre.
Taurinos sat on Obi-Wan's left while Bainethiel sat on Qui-Gon's right. Bellethiel waited in silence while her mother gave the coming-of-age speech to her subjects, praised and blessed her daughter with success in reigning and marriage, then passed the torch to Ailya. The prophetess-seer stood with her usual easy grace and met the eyes of her princess with her milk-white ones. She held the gaze as she spoke.
"It is rare, in these fifteen hundred years for our race to be met with a princess as strong as the one who sits before us. This princess is just in her actions and adventurous in thought. She is the product of a sacred union between the Rhune and the Eduna; a rejoining of our race. Your birth was also the product of something which has been lost to the royal line for many generation- the product of love instead of duty. It is my hope and also the will of Eru that you follow in your mother's footsteps to not only repeat that union of love, but to also merge together two peoples and become the bridge between path is long and hard, but the rewards at the end will far surpass anything you can imagine. May your reign be long and prosperous, my lady," with that the seer took back her seat at the table directly to the right of the high table.
The room was left in dead silence. The crowd of nobles among the Eduna, Yleara and races looked rather pleased by such a bold declaration from one of the Eldar in the face of a room full of Rhune elves. The Rhunic lords, on the other hand, did not seem so pleased. In fact, Belle was prepared to assert that most of the Rhunic nobles seemed rather angry at such an assertion. As for the princess, however, she felt more perplexed than anything else.
It was customary for the seer to bless the royalty and speak prophetic wisdom directly to them. It was the one time Ailya was allowed to speak knowingly of the future to the future queen. This would happen again during her marriage ceremony, her coronation and, finally, at the birth of any children she was destined to have before the cycle repeated itself. The subject, the very pointed subject, of love that Ailya mentioned shook her to the core. What did Ailya know? Did she see something? Well, that was a stupid question! The elf always saw something!
Someone was muttering something to her and she blinked, turned and found the penetrating blue gaze of Qui-Gon staring at her with concern written inside of his gaze. She smiled and willed herself to recover. Surely, Ailya was not speaking of him! It was absurd to think so!
"I'm fine," she assured him.
Before either could get another word in, Queen Miriel declared the feast in her daughter's name to begin. Belle almost sighed in relief at this. The distraction of food, drink and merriment would hopefully keep the other lords' minds off of what the seer said.
"Master Jinn, it does my heart well to partake of this meal by your side!" cooed the voice of Bellethiel's least favorite elleth.
Her heart stopped. Master Jinn? Since when did they know each other? Qui-Gon merely nodded in her direction before helping himself to a plate of sandwiches. Belle allowed herself to relax. Apparently he didn't think much of Bainethiel despite the elleth's attempts to get on his good side.
Bainethiel wasn't entirely a bad sort. She could be manipulative when she wanted to be and apathetic the next. She and Belle were never on good terms. Miriel had made a valiant attempt to get the two of them to become friends, but neither wanted it to be so. Belle had always been wild and ready to do things that male elves did like hunt, fight, and study things deeper then rudimentary learning. Baine was naturally feminine in nature and worked to refine her beauty, grace and poise as well as taking necessary precautions to ensure her fertility. Their inability to get along with each other worried both of them at one point in their lives before both decided that there was such a thing as being too different to attract. Then politics were introduced to both of them and the more Bellethiel became vocal about the stupidity of duplicity in the court the more Bainethiel became that very politician. It was the other elleth's wish that Belle marry her older brother. Such had been voiced before and constantly rejected.
Belle was interrupted from her reverie by Obi-Wan's hand on her arm. She turned to him with a raised eyebrow and the two began a conversation about pranks. This was done all the while the princess took care to monitor the words that transpired between Qui-Gon and Bainethiel. Just to make sure that she could intervene when the Jedi became annoyed at the constant prattle about… kittens? Surely not! Did he seem interested? She couldn't tell.
Realizing that she was on the verge of ignoring Obi-Wan, Bellethiel focused all of her attention on the conversation at hand. In this situation, it was probably best to completely ignore the two for the rest of the time they were in conversation with the other.
Of course as Belle began to tell Obi-Wan about the time she sat in a tree above one of the sessions held by the White Council dropping leaves and spring flowers into their tea (her pranks were always harmless when it came to any of the known Eldar) Taurinos decided to make his opinion known.
"It is unseemly for a lady of rank and purpose to climb trees let alone sit in them playing with the plants!" he said sharply.
Both Bellethiel and Obi-Wan fixed him with polite and very disinterested stares.
"At the Temple," resumed Obi-Wan, "one of my fellow padawans always used to convince me to do the oddest things. One time we managed to get a hold of green dye and managed to give the whole of the Jedi Council green robes for an entire day."
An amused Bellethiel smirked as she asked, "Did you get caught?"
Obi-Wan looked sheepish, "I was so nervous about what I'd done I ended up accidentally revealing the whole operation and getting a stern talking to from Master Yoda… after Bant and I cleaned all of the robes and did laundry for an entire month by hand."
Bellethiel burst out laughing. The way her friend related such a tale made it sound as if cleaning clothes by hand was the most horrible thing in the universe. Taurinos didn't seem to find the humor in the situation.
"You should have received a good thrashing for doing such a thing! This Bant character seems to be an unruly sort indeed!" he said.
The look that flashed across the young Jedi's face was almost, but not quite, one of irritation.
"Bite your tongue, sir! It is unjust to judge a person by their actions; especially one we do not know," chided Bellethiel lightly but with an edge of firmness in her voice.
The scandalized look on the ellon's face at being chastised by a female passed over his features for a second before he inclined his head in submission to her will.
"Forgive me, my lady, I was out of line," he muttered with the slightest hint of malice in his voice.
Belle almost had to bite her tongue so as to keep herself from snapping at him. She was determined; however, to be on her best behavior for her mother's sake. She was, after all, an emblem for her kingdom and the peoples of all races looked to her. She couldn't afford to be blunt and honest no matter how tempting it was to be so.
Throughout the seven-course dinner Bellethiel found completely ignoring Qui-Gon in the face of the fact that Baine was taking all of his attention was almost impossible. Every thirty minutes she allowed herself to pay attention to the elleth's words; especially since they involved Qui-Gon, There was something more to her manner than simply wishing to distract the man. Baine's demeanor was very light, pleasing and conversational though constantly on the subject of feminine ideas. She would flip her hair every once in a while. She would lean close to him, touch him with her dainty peach hand. While she noticed that her protector did not seem to react at all to the familiar way he was being treated by Baine, he wasn't telling her to stop either.
That irked her in ways she didn't quite understand. She knew that he couldn't publically be rude to the other elleth. She knew that he couldn't quite say anything without it coming back to haunt him. She also knew that if Bainethiel kept simpering at him, the fire building within her would come out and char her on the spot!
All in all, Bellethiel's strained mood (one that she knew Obi-Wan noticed) hadn't lifted until her mother announced the time for the gift-giving. She had waited for this moment. Her aunt eluded to something that the silver haired elleth was certain she would like and she couldn't wait to see it for the first time.
Each lord and lady stood with gifts given to her from their entire families. Most of the Rhunic lords bequeathed her with dresses and jewels, things that she wasn't entirely interested in, but appreciated for things like giving to the poor and wearing on occasions she may have need of them. Of course, she doubted that she would end up keeping most items given to her, anyway. There were people who needed them more.
The Yleara were next since they weren't her immediate kin and, therefore, had the most interesting gifts. At least her mother realized this much. Five Ylearan lords came forward each with their own unique gift; carved wooden statue of a great stag, traditional garb of Ylearan royalty, leather belts and pouches, assortment of high priced healing powders and aroma spices, and-
Her face was a picture of delight. A horse, led by one of the Ylearan princes, came into the hall. It was a medium sized, small but powerful, white horse wearing a bridle but no saddle. Barely unable to contain her excitement of acquiring such a rare commodity in the forests of both of her people, Bellethiel stood and moved to personally accept the gift herself. The white horse nipped at her hand playfully before allowing her to caress its nozzle. Obi-Wan, who she had motioned to follow her, gazed at it in wonder. She almost burst out laughing. Of course it would be the human, the race that first thought of breeding horses for riding purposes, who had never seen one before.
The Eduna gifts came after. As a people (Eduna were not as in to titles as Ylearan and Rhunic folks were) she received a gift from their local leader, the entity known as the "White Witch" who personally carved an enchanted bow from the branch of a golden røde træ, the rarest oak on the planet. The identity of the "White Witch" was a planetary mystery. No one knew who she was or what she did or why she existed. All everyone knew was that she was of the Eldar, but rarely ever revealed herself, even to her Eduna, all of whom are her descendents. Bellethiel expressed true honor for being singled out by the elleth and gave her most sincere wishes that the witch was doing well. They assured her that she was.
Artemis, as family to Bellethiel, came forward with hers and Lorn's gift to their niece. It nearly sent her mind reeling as much as the horse did if not more. In the arms of her aunt rested a black wolf cub. Enchanted by an animal she only had the pleasure of seeing from a distance on her various excursions into the deeper forests of her planet, Bellethiel took the puppy in her arms as carefully as she would a small child. It licked its small muzzle with a pink tongue and blinked up at her with its bright yellow eyes. She smiled, her heart full of joy.
The rest of the exchange continued with each race coming to her bearing gifts that their individual race excelled in making. The dwarves, a race, bequeathed her with five gifts of armor, swords, knives and various other weapons. The dwarf king came to her, knelt before her as a sign of respect, and held out to her a mithril necklace with a diamond carved as a six point star in the fashion of an old human culture long gone. Pleased by the remembrance of her love of history, Bellethiel accepted the gift with pleasure and was determined to actually wear the thing.
Of all of the gifts Belle received that night, those few were the ones she remembered the most.
The dancing, music making, talent presentations and general merry making immediately followed after. Bellethiel was content to dance the whole night through with the Ylearan elves since their dancing style was most appealing to her due to its wild nature, but such was not to happen. She did dance with all of her suitors, including those she did not like at all. Obi-Wan tended to be her frequent dancing partner when she finally was able to convince him to attempt to learn the slower ones. Qui-Gon seeminglu disappeared for a time and left Bainethiel to dance with other males.
Bellethiel found the stoic man during one of her breaks and an extremely fast dance she traded for Obi-Wan's benefit.
He was content in the shadows with his own company watching the proceedings with grim silence. He raised an eyebrow when she approached him as if inquiring after what she needed. She smiled and joined him.
"Why are you here alone?" she asked.
"Meditation purposes. The elleth, Bainethiel, seems to have it in her mind I am interested in the evolution of female hair products and the elven clothing industry and has spent much of the evening relaying this information to me in great detail. I can't imagine why she thinks I'm interested," he looked as grumpy as he sounded and almost made her burst out laughing.
The humor she had was partly out of relief; a relief she was unwilling to acknowledge any reason to.
"It actually is rather fascinating when you direct the topic towards what she's done to improve it and the impact these improvements made on even Republic dress and natural cosmetic products, but I do see your point. Bainethiel has taken great pains over the years to enhance and refine her natural beauty and she is not accustomed to males not hanging on to her every word," the last part was said with a trace of bitterness in her voice.
"As you are, I am certain. She simply feeds off of it while you are annoyed with it," he observed.
Bellethiel almost rolled her eyes. He was being analytical again!
"You should dance," she suggested as the song began to near its end.
He chuckled, "I do not know how."
Belle laughed, "Neither did your apprentice, though now I'm certain he does now. Come, I have been teaching Obi-Wan all night, allow me to acquire a new pupil!" she said energetically.
She reached out to grab his hand vaguely wondering why she was being this insistent. She fixed him with an imploring teal gaze that met his amused blue.
"Please, my guardian?" she asked endearingly.
His gaze flickered and softened momentarily before returning to its amused state. The corners of his mouth turned upwards almost imperceptibly, but they did so still. Her heartbeat began to race and she felt exhilarated.
"Of course, my princess," he replied.
He was teasing her, she knew, because she called him 'guardian' but the way he said the phrase caused butterflies to erupt inside of her stomach. When the current song rang out its final notes she allowed him to escort her to the dance floor. The next song would require a dance known as the 'tango' and one that she willingly learned due to its fast nature. She taught it to him on the fly giving him quick instructions while subconsciously minding the beat.
It became evident that Qui-Gon was much like his apprentice in so far as he was more suited for slower dances. He did, however, catch on to the movements faster undoubtedly due to his superior experience with fast paced movements. His preferred fighting style, undoubtedly, contributed to his abilities. Still, as it was with the apprentice, by the end of the song they were teasing each other about the other's mistakes, especially hers when she would forget to say something or give him the wrong directions.
Neither noticed the disapproving frowns of the Egyre and Undbegyr lords glaring in their direction. Obi-Wan, however, did.
To Be Continued...