As the small party reached the great house, unseen hands pulled its large, heavy doors open. Anna winced as she stepped into a spacious, fire lit hall. When her eyes had adjusted themselves to the light, she looked down to see Frodo fidgeting and glancing about uneasily. Sympathizing with the poor boy, she patted his shoulder and offered a reassuring smile, which he eagerly returned.
"The Queen awaits you," a softly accented voice declared.
Anna looked up to see that two strangely dressed men were waiting to escort them. Frodo hung his head and trudged after his father, but Anna could not bring herself to follow. Something in the manner and appearance of the men struck her as odd and yet uncomfortably familiar. The men noticed her reluctance and gazed at her questioningly. Anna's mind began to spin sickeningly as she noted their almost medieval raiment, their starlit eyes...and the points of their ears.
As was her wont, she raised a trembling hand to smooth her hair over her shoulders. Then, she collapsed painfully to the floor.
Anna had seen the sea many times, having spent most of her life near the east coast, but the sea had never before appeared so blue and crystalline. It was almost a living thing, and it called out to her tauntingly, daring her to brave its waves and seek another shore. A heady, overwhelming desire to heed that voice swelled from her heart and warmed her limbs. Severed bonds that had long hung limp and cold from her heart all her life now stretched across the waters and urged her forward, eager for healing and reunion. Only a small voice restrained her.
"My lady, you have strayed a bit too far there and had better turn back!"
"Why?" Anna demanded. She struggled to open her eyes and saw that another movement would send her tumbling from her bed onto the floor. Anna immediately inched away from the edge of the bed.
"It is fortunate for you that I came in just now, else you would have had quite a painful awakening!"
A small, round, motherly face looked up into Anna's with a mixture of awe, curiosity, and amusement. Pressing a hand to her forehead, Anna groaned and collapsed back onto the bed.
"My lady, are you well?"
"Oh quite!" Anna wryly replied. "I just cannot seem to be able to sort dreams from reality these days!"
The tiny woman shook her head in concern and set the tray she had been holding on the bedside table.
"Thank you for looking after my Fro," she said gently. "He always did need quite a bit of looking after, much like his namesake."
Anna rose slowly from the bed and turned towards the woman. "You are Frodo's mother, then?"
She nodded and smiled.
The taller woman returned the smile and said, "I would not worry overmuch for him. He seemed very clever for a little boy and knew his way through the woods quite well. It was actually I who had lost my way."
"Thank you nevertheless," she said smilingly. "You may call me Rose."
"And you may call me Anna."
"The pendant you wear says differently."
Anna touched her necklace and froze.
"The King noticed it when he tended you. Annalië, is it not? Very pretty. I had never known Elves to shorten their names as you have..."
"I am not an Elf," Anna whispered dazedly.
Rose looked down uncomfortably. "Forgive me, Lady Anna. I was simply curious and meant no offence. The King had spoken of it, but I assure you, I make no pretense of knowing much about such matters. They are all rather far above my head. His Majesty would speak with you when you are able."
Anna found herself unable to respond.
"I have brought food if you are hungry, and I can send someone to help you dress, if you like," Rose said, hoping to draw out the silent Elf-woman.
Anna opened her mouth to thank Rose, but no words would come. Rose watched her anxiously for several minutes then quietly excused herself, mumbling something about speaking to the Queen.
Taking little notice of Rose's exit, Anna stood and moved to the small window near her bed. The sunlight that glittered through the towering trees was the ripened gold of afternoon. The prospect afforded her a partial view of the lake, and she spied a few people about the grounds. It was a charming view, certainly not out of the ordinary, but it was not Pennsylvania.
"No indeed," a lilting voice declared in harmony to Anna's thoughts.
Startled, Anna turned on her heel and found herself standing before a dark, ethereal beauty that could only be the Queen. She was dressed simply in a shimmering gray that complimented her eyes, but she wore a silver circlet upon her brow that resembled the one the King had worn. The Queen's gaze was searching, and Anna somehow sensed that she was struggling to conceal her curiosity.
"I am Arwen Undómiel, and you are welcome to my home...Annalië."
Anna's eyebrows drew together in mingled surprise and confusion. "Why do you choose to call me by that name?"
"The name is yours, is it not? It is your mother-name, or so says one who claims to have knowledge of this matter. If you have a father-name, I know it not."
"Mother? My...mother?" Anna's knees gave beneath her, and she would have sunk to the floor but for the Queen who came to her side and supported her.
"I know you are plagued with many questions at this moment," the Queen said gravely but with gentleness, "and soon I will take you to one who may have answers, but not now. Answers can wait until you are better able to receive them."
As the Queen assisted her to a chair, Anna asked, "Who is this person you speak of?"
The Queen seemingly hesitated for a moment before answering. "He is Glorfindel, a lord of our people and among the greatest of those who remain on this side of the Sea. You need not stir from your room this evening if you are unwell, but I will send for you on the morrow. If you require anything, my maids will attend you."
"You are very kind to welcome me here," Anna said in a shaking voice, "but I really must try to return to the place I came from."
The Queen regarded her with a peculiar expression. "When the time for that journey comes, I will grant you leave to depart."
Anna remained in her room that evening, more for fear of making any more shocking discoveries than for need of rest. By the time the Queen's promised summons came, Anna had slipped on a dress that had been provided for her. She had noticed that her things were carefully placed at the foot of her bed, but she thought it best not to wear any of the clothes she had brought since thus far they seemed rather out of place. She infinitely preferred to escape too much notice whenever possible.
To Anna's relief, it was little Frodo who came to fetch her and bring her before the King and Queen. Upon seeing his new friend wearing a gown instead of the strange, not to mention much less feminine, traveling clothes she had worn when he first met her, Frodo grinned sheepishly and exclaimed, "Oh, you look so pretty!"
Anna could not help but return his grin. "I bet you have sisters." Frodo looked at her with mingled puzzlement and disgust but finally nodded. Anna laughed at his expression and said, "I have simply noticed that you speak very well with girls for a young boy, and I am sure that does not come without practice."
"I don't tell them they're pretty," Frodo insisted with a snort as he took her hand and led her from the room. "It's not as much fun when they already believe it. My oldest sister is the worst of all of them. She has always put on airs for being the only one in our family born with golden hair like the Elves, but now that the Queen has made her one of her hand maidens, she's almost unbearable! I do tell my mother she is pretty, though."
"And she is," Anna concurred. "I met her yesterday. She is very kind as well, like you."
Frodo beamed at his companion and skipped along at her side to keep pace with her long strides. Anna turned her gaze from her youthful friend to look about her. She noticed that they were receiving quite a few bemused stares from passersby, and if they happened to catch her eye, they would pause to bow respectfully to her. As she observed this, it occurred to her that she had not the faintest idea how she was to conduct herself when brought before the King and Queen. However, she was left little time to consider this, for Frodo, knowing his way around quite well, soon brought her to a vast dining hall where a great assortment of people were gathered for the midday meal. It seemed an informal gathering though, as people came and went as they pleased.
Anna followed Frodo to the head of the table where she saw the King and Queen talking and laughing easily with those around them. She found that her anxiety over her reception was needless, as her hosts simply rose upon seeing her and motioned her to a seat near them. After various polite inquiries about her health and accommodations, the Queen hailed a servant to attend her and promised they would speak at a later time.
Many faces turned to her in curiosity, and some even attempted to speak with her in the strange but lovely language she had heard before. Anna offered an embarrassed smile and explained as politely as she could that she understood them not at all.
However, one continued in his attempt to speak to her in his language until a clear, melodious voice intervened, "Nay Erestor, you will fare no better with Quenya, I fear. Our guest comes from a very distant country."
Anna turned in surprise to see a strikingly handsome - she supposed he was an "Elf"- noble smiling kindly at her. His features struck her as strange but beautiful. His hair was so golden that one would not think to use the word blond to describe it, and his eyes were a silver-gray, much like those of other "Elves" she had seen in this world.
Erestor raised an eyebrow at his friend as if to ask, how distant? "Forgive me, Lady," he said to Anna, "but you must understand that you present quite a puzzle to us. I for one have never met one of our kind who could not speak our native tongue. I am Erestor, and I believe you have met Glorfindel."
Anna glanced at the golden-haired Elf who was Glorfindel, the very one with whom the Queen wished her to speak, and said, "No I have not."
"Not properly anyway," Glorfindel said. "I was a member of the young halfling's search party."
"You mean Frodo?" Anna asked, frowning at the Elf-lord's choice of words. "He seemed a whole person to me." She winced at the awkward pause that followed this remark, though she did not regret it, and quickly said, "I am pleased to meet you both. I am...My name is Annalië."
"You claim that name as your own, then?" Glorfindel asked with a grave smile. "I wonder if you will also claim the history that accompanies it."
Anna made an attempt at light laughter, but it sounded forced and nervous in her ears. "I am not sure how to respond to that, so I won't."
"You needn't," he replied, "but if you would hear me speak more plainly of this matter, let us meet later this evening. The King has offered the use of his private study," Anna must have looked somewhat skeptical at this suggestion because Glorfindel quickly added in a lower voice, "Where we can speak without interruption."
Anna nodded slowly as she felt she had little choice and then returned her attention to her meal, silently contemplating what she had learned.
Erestor, who had listened to their conversation with unveiled confusion, addressed Glorfindel, "Perhaps, as Lord Elrond's former counselor, I should-"
"Nay, that will not be necessary, mellon!" Glorfindel interrupted him with a grin. "If we have need of your services, I will summon you."
Erestor laughingly shrugged with mild regret for his unsatisfied curiosity before turning to his other companions.
Anna made a rather sullen walking partner as she and Glorfindel made their way to the aforementioned study later that evening. A knot of anxiety was slowly forming in Anna's stomach as she inwardly considered whether she really desired to hear what the Elf-lord had to say.
Nevertheless, she dutifully followed him to a comfortable room that reminded her of an antique book store not far from the university. The furniture was dark and worn but well cared for, and books and parchments were stored in every possible space afforded by the bookcases. Walls without bookcases were covered with exquisite tapestries similar to ones Anna had once seen while visiting the French medieval city of Carcassonne.
Glorfindel gestured Anna towards a chair and claimed one for himself after she was seated. Casually leaning back against his chair, he regarded Anna with a long, measuring gaze. "If I may say, Annalië, your coming here is nothing short of extraordinary."
"Yes, I believe we would refer to that as 'a given' where I come from," Anna replied with an arched brow, "but I hope less extraordinary circumstances will be required for my return home."
Glorfindel smiled. "Nothing more extraordinary than a ship on the western sea, I assure you."
Anna looked quizzically at him and replied, "I believe we have two very different understandings of 'home'. I certainly did not arrive here by ship."
"No," he conceded, "but if you desire to return to your true home, the Sea is the only way."
"What if my 'true home' is not where I really want to go?"
"Annalië," he said with a hint of reproach, "how much longer are you going to pretend to be nothing more than an ignorant girl lost in a world not her own?"
Anna regarded the Elf lord with something akin to shock and sheepishly acknowledged to herself that she had underestimated him.
When Anna did not respond, Glorfindel sighed. For a moment, he turned his eyes from her to some distant point, seeming to debate something within himself. Then, he began slowly, "I will tell you a story if you will listen. It is a strange story, one I heard long ago before I returned to Middle Earth. At the end of the First Age of this world, the first Great Enemy of the Free Peoples was overthrown and his servants scattered or destroyed. With the decline of his dark influence - I say decline because his evil has never been wholly removed from the world - an unlooked for and I daresay grievous discovery was made. It all happened in Tirion, a fair city west of the sea where yet dwell remnants of your kindred. One night, a deafening cry of the deepest pain imaginable shattered the peace that had reigned in Tirion for centuries. There were those that heard it who wept openly and others who cowered in fear. And then, when the dread tidings came, most refused to believe."