Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR! As if you didn't know that already. :o)
After talking for a few moments with Legolas, Marin quickly decided that Gandalf would rather her meet new people rather than search the room for him. He didn't need her anyway, he was what, a millennia old or something? He could fend for himself.
After a while, the crowd of people that was milling around the monstrous yet elegant dining hall moved towards the table. It was time for a glorious banquet to begin! Marin sat down in the seat beside Legolas; he acted the gentleman and pulled her seat out for her. She was quite pleased with him for that chivalrous act, but she wasn't surprised because most elves were like that.
Marin was slightly dismayed, however, when a very short, very hyper being sat down beside her. He had a mop of curly red hair on his head and his smile seemed as if it were going to break his face in half. If Marin wasn't mistaken, this was a hobbit. She had only heard about them in books and from Gandalf until now. Gandalf was always going on about hobbits; he was intrigued by them and their rural, careless ways. Marin had always been more interested in elves; they were much more graceful and interesting.
The hobbit turned to Marin and grinned up at her, the expression childlike and innocent. Well, at least he was adorable in a puppy-like sense of the term. Words seemed to spill out of the hobbit's mouth in a nearly incomprehensible stream.
"Hello there! I'm Pippin. We're from the Shire and we were attacked by dark things and then we were saved and we brought Strider and Arwen saved Frodo and I'm very hungry. That's my cousin Merry!" He gestured to another hobbit that was sitting across the table from him.
The blonde-haired hobbit gave a small wave and a grin that was similar to Pippin's. "Pleasure to meet you, milady, and the same I'm sure from you. Glory, look at all this food! Just look at it, Pip!"
Legolas and Marin exchanged amused glances with one another as the hobbit stared at all the food that was laid out on the table. There were all sorts of elegant dishes, prepared by Elven chefs, and Marin was looking forward to when the meal started. Soon, Lord Elrond appeared at the head of the table. He spread his arms out wide to the people who were gathered there.
"My friends, we gather here on the eve of an important event but for tonight we shall push our worries away. In too short a time, the world will be too busy for such evenings of peace and enjoyment so take heart and hope in this night." After he completed his short speech, Lord Elrond sat down in his chair and motioned for the others to start eating.
"About time," exclaimed Pippin as he launched himself at the food. Across the table, Merry did the same thing. Marin showed a little more tact and picked out smaller portions of food.
She and Legolas spent the dinner conversing about their homes and lives. They both lived in forests though Legolas' seemed to be more dangerous than Marin's. Marin was surprised to hear that Legolas was a prince. He didn't act pompous or arrogant or anything like how she would imagine a prince to act. He was inquisitive, and he wanted to know more about what life was like as Gandalf's apprentice. She tried not to complain too much; there really wasn't much to complain about. Gandalf gave her all the dresses she could ever want, and as long as she did her homework, she got to listen to the rumors the birds brought her about fashion in Gondor and Rivendell.
"Can you do any spells, Marin?" Pippin interrupted, cocking his head to the side. Marin smiled; it was annoying to have her conversation with Legolas interrupted, but she did not mind showing off her magical prowess.
"Well, I haven't spent the past fifteen years as a wizard's apprentice for nothing!" she said. She muttered the ancient words under her breath and brushed her hands towards the flowers in the middle of the table. They began to grow again, popping out new buds and stems until the entire table was covered in pretty green and blue roses that matched the table settings. A few looks were thrown towards their end of the table by the elders, but no one raised a fuss because they knew that it was just Marin practicing her skills.
"How's that?" Marin asked.
"Stellar!" Pippin said, his eyes glowing with excitement.
"Pretty good, I suppose," Merry said. He plucked one of the roses off the table and twirled it around, "But it's just a parlor trick. I know lots of hobbit back home that can make roses grow."
"But not in a few minutes," Pippin said, grinning at his cousin as he started playing with one of the blue roses.
"Still, flower-growing is not a magical talent."
"Well, fine," Marin said, frowning at Merry, "How about I make you taller?"
"No lengthening hobbits, Marin," Gandalf's voice came from the end of the table. Marin rolled her eyes and looked down at the salad on her plate. How did he do that?
"Does he always keep you on such a short leash?" Legolas asked, a smirk on his face, "I personally don't see the harm in changing another creature's form."
Marin stared at Legolas for a moment until sensing the teasing in his eyes and the lilt of his voice. She grinned coyly at him and tossed her hair behind her shoulder. "Is that so, Prince Legolas?"
"Oh, don't call me Prince Legolas, please," he said with a grimace. "It took me centuries to get my staff to stop calling me that. It's just so…pompous?"
"Arrogant."
"Inflated."
"Ooo, good one."
They both laughed, and Marin blushed and looked away. Here she was in Rivendell, flirting with an Elven prince at a lavish dinner prepared in the house of Lord Elrond. What could possibly be better than this?
After dinner was over, a large part of the dinner party retired inside to listen to music and read poetry or something that was equally boring to young Marin. She noticed Arwen and her rogue Ranger, Aragorn, slip off into the night. A smile danced across Marin's face as she looked over at Legolas. He must have been thinking the same thing that she had because he offered his hand.
"Would the lady care to walk around the gardens? The fountains of Rivendell are especially glorious at night."
"It would be my pleasure to be escorted by such a fine Elf," Marin said, placing her hand on top of his with mock-formality. She winked at him, one pretty, luminous eye opening and closing to let him know she was joking. She would never be so pretentious as to care about whether he was fine or not; she would have walked around the gardens with a Dwarf, if she needed to. Gandalf told her to not be prejudiced against other beings; prejudice and bigotry was beneath wizards and wizard apprentices.
Legolas led her down the smooth stone path from the banquet area to a garden. The garden stretched out in front of her, brilliant in the bright light of the full moon. Nighttime flowers were opening their buds to the moonlight that shimmered down on them. Everything seemed to glow and illuminate the garden with its beauty.
Legolas leaned down and plucked a single white and purple flower from a bush. He held it out to Marin, "For my lady."
"What kind of flower is it?" Marin asked, peering down at the pretty, petite flower.
"It's a shadow orchid. They only open in the light of the full moon." He placed it in her hands and smiled at her. "It rivals you in beauty, but I believe you eclipse it."
"Oh…oh, thank you," Marin said, a pretty, polite blush flitting across her high cheekbones.
"You're very welcome," Legolas said, continuing their walk around the gardens. Marin sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. She willed the night to last forever, and ever and ever and ever.
