So a month has passed since I've been here and it's almost Christmas time. Unfortunately people here don't know what the hell Christmas is, which made me even more depressed than usual. I wondered what my family was doing right now. Mom would be knocked out on the couch with a bottle of bacardi. She usually was. She isn't an alcoholic, but Christmas always reminds her of Dad leaving, so it's the only day of the year when she gets shit faced drunk, and every year she would cry about how much he missed him and how much she wanted him back. Now she would be crying for another person in her life that had left her alone. My mother and I are best friends and I was the only reason she didn't just give up and walk away from my brothers and I. It wasn't fair to put that kind of pressure on someone, especially your own kid. When Glorfindel came to my room to escort me to dinner, he found me sobbing facedown on my pillow.
"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned. I thought about telling him, but decided that maybe it was better if I didn't get him involvement in my family issues.
"Nothing," I lied, wiping my cheeks. His eyebrows knit together in confusion. It was obvious I was lying to him, but he knew that I wouldn't lie to him unless I had a very good excuse, so he didn't push the issue.
"Come lirimaer." I glanced at my cell phone, which was laying on the vanity. I couldn't call anyone on it because cell phones were obviously not invented in Middle Earth, but I could still turn it on. I kept it off most of the time, but I turned it on every now and then to look at the time. It was 5:00. Everyone usually ate at 6:30. This was getting weirder and weirder. Everyday I was escorted by either Legolas or Glorfindel. I'd tried hiding in the garden and then sneaking into the dining room after everyone went in to eat, but then I would find them both at the entrance, yelling in Elvish and giving each other the death glare. Only when they saw me would they shut up and put on happy faces. I appreciated that I was getting so much attention, but even I know where to draw the line. As much as I loved the fact that two amazingly hot elves were fighting over me, I knew I had to choose one of them or neither of them.
"It's 5:00. Dinner doesn't start for another hour and a half." Glorfindel didn't say anything but continued to stare hard at the wall. Suddenly he turned his head to the door. Legolas walked in thirty seconds later. It was the first time he had actually gathered up his courage enough to step fully into my room, and I was guessing that seeing Glorfindel and me in the room together gave him that little surge of bravery.
"Mankoi naa lle sinome?" Legolas sneered at Glorfindel. Glorfindel just stood there and grinned triumphantly.
"Come, lirimaer," he said, turning to me and reaching for my arm, "We can take a walk in the gardens before dinner starts."
"Utinu en lokirim," hissed Legolas. Okay now I was fed up with this. If this is what I was going to be looking forward to for the next three months until the Fellowship left, I was going to go insane. Not that I probably already haven't. After all, I was having dinner in Lord Elrond's palace dressed like an elf. I think I had gone a teeny bit farther than jut insane.
"Okay you know what? This is totally ridiculous," I began as Legolas and Glorfindel pouted and glared at each other. "You two are acting like rabid dogs fighting over a huge piece of meat. And I don't like being the piece of meat…okay well, I do, but it's wrong and you guys know it, so tonight, I will be escorting myself to dinner." With that I brushed past both of them and left. I felt bad because I knew they both liked me, and I was already depressed about the whole Christmas thing, so I really didn't need to listen to them arguing, and I could definitely hear them yelling at each other as I left. I decided to go to the library and read for another hour before I went to dinner. After that I would go find Arwen and ask her what I should do about the whole situation. Luckily, I ran into her on the way down to the library. She was just coming out when I found her.
"Hey Arwen. Where are you going?" I asked.
"Hello Lena. I was going to see Aragorn," she said, smiling at the thought of seeing him again. My disappointment must have shown because she quickly suggested we take a walk through the palace. I still hadn't seen the entire place. I limited myself mostly to the bedroom, dining room, library, and gardens, so I agreed and we set off. I told her about the whole Glorfindel-Legolas dilemma, and she listened quietly.
"What should I do," I asked.
"The answer is simple. You must choose between them," she replied nonchalantly.
"But…But…They're both so hot!" I cried, covering my face with, my hands. She laughed and looped my arm through her's.
"If you do not wish to choose then don't. But you cannot continue to let them think that if they continue pestering you like this then they may actually have a chance with you," she said. Really? Now why didn't I think of that? Oh wait… I did! Obviously sharing this with Arwen wasn't making me feel any better, but I decided to just drop the subject. I had convinced her to ditch Aragorn just to listen to my stupid problems, so I probably shouldn't yell at her.
"I told them that it was stupid for them to be fighting over me," I told her.
"Did they listen?"
"I have no idea. I sort of blew up at them and left before they could say anything. They were arguing when I left the room." She looked confused.
"Blow up? You know, like, I started yelling at them and everything," I explained. She made a small noise of acknowledgement.
"I take it you won't be coming to dinner than?"
"No I'm coming. But I decided to just eat with Gandalf and the hobbits. They're hilarious and I'll probably feel a lot better after I've talked with them. Those little guys always cheer me up," I said with a laugh. Arwen laughed with me.
"Well I will make sure that Glorfindel and Legolas behave themselves," she said lightly as we rounded the corner to the dining hall. Aragorn was waiting there for her at the entrance and she slipped her arm out of mine. She turned around and grinned at me.
"I will talk to you soon lirimaer," she teased.
"Get out of here," I laughed, slapping her lightly on the arm. I was probably one of the only people who could do this and not get tackled by a palace guard. I waved at Aragorn.
"Hi Aragorn!" I called, "how have you been."
"Hello Lena. I was worried when Arwen did not meet me earlier, but I feel better knowing she was with you," he called back sarcastically and laughed. My clumsiness was becoming a hazard to everyone around the palace and I was mocked by everyone for it. I laughed along with him and he bowed as we came closer to each other.
"Well it's not like it took her a lot of convincing to miss your little date," I teased back. Arwen and him wrapped their arms around each other and I took that as my cue to leave.
"See ya," I waved and walked into the dining room. Glorfindel and Legolas were sitting at the same ends of the table as usual, but they ere trying very hard not to look at each other. Both stood as I came in, but I surprised them by walking straight over to the hobbits were sitting. Pippin was overjoyed, and scooted over to make room for me. I know that I was supposed to be over her to get away from two guys who had feelings for me, but I thought that Pippin's crush on me was more endearing than flattering. Of course, the other three hobbits exchanged amusing glances at Pippin, though the youngest hobbit pretended not to notice.
"How are you today Lena?" he asked me eagerly.
I grinned at him and replied, "Why I'm just dandy Pip, how bout you?"
"Great! Tomorrow I have another sword fighting lesson with Borimir-"
"We all do Pip! Stop trying to show off!" cried an exasperated Merry. The other hobbits laughed and Sam had to cover his mouth to stop from spitting out his ale when Pippin turned beet red and tried to protest that he wasn't trying to show off. I tried my hardest not to laugh and only smiled so Pippin wouldn't be too embarrassed. Instead I told Pippin that of course I would come, and turned to look at Frodo. The amazing blue of his eyes never ceased to amaze me. He was laughing and smiling with the rest of us, but his hands stayed near the neck of his shirt, stroking something on the chain around his neck. The ring. I tried to look away, but Frodo saw and he quickly averted his eyes and stuck the ring back into his shirt I suddenly didn't feel to hungry and I left. I ran to my room and closed the door behind me. I grabbed my ipod and changed into my dance outfit and went to the gardens. I found a small clearing, and it was already dark so I didn't worry about someone seeing me. I didn't like dancing in front of other people unless I was on a stage. Then all the embarrassment melted away and nobody else existed. I found "Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado on the ipod and plugged it in. then I let loose.
Kick, step, crouch, and spin…
I couldn't hear or see anything else. That ended and the ipod switched to "Only Hope" by Mandy Moore. I stopped dancing and sang along with the music. A few of the guards had wandered over to see where the noise was coming from. I kept singing. I didn't care. My dancing and my singing were all that I had left. The only things familiar to me in the world. Those were the two things that would always stay constant in my life. I stayed like that for a while and the guards left. I switched back to the Pussycat Dolls and tore into the routine with every shred of my emotions. I threw myself into the routine, elaborating on some of the parts that I thought were too boring or too easy. Legolas was there when I turned around. He was most likely in shock from the expression on his face. When I got to the belly dancing, his mouth literally dropped open. The guards had even come back. I doubted they had ever seen any woman in Middle Earth move like that, especially in public. I smiled, feeling quite proud of myself, especially when I had to contort my body to bend all the way back under my straddled legs. I walked under the rest of the way, the rest of my body sliding behind me in a loop. It was impressive. I'm not being conceited. I had only learned how to manipulate the joints and muscles in my body to bend into near impossible shapes only three years ago, whereas it took most people five or six years to do so. The song ended with three guards and incredibly stunned Legolas practically drooling. I said nothing but flipped my hair over my shoulders and smiled, brushing past them.