Of course, Naliah's friends congregated outside her home, eager to hear the details of her first date with the king. They saw her sweeping down the narrow alley with a blush in her cheeks, and swarmed her. Thalassa and Pegallia, her two closest friends, had come, but Naliah counted almost six others that she vaguely knew.

"Naliah!" Thalassa grabbed her hand and pulled her further down the alleyway. "Come to the courtyard!"

The courtyard was a section of lower Gondor where, like at the top, citizens were free to gather. It was like a town square but smaller, with trees planted and heavy stone benches. Statues of former kings stood watchfully over them.

Curious townsfolk looked in confusion at the gaggle of young women that had suddenly appeared. They took over most of the benches, leaning in towards Naliah and giggling.

"Naliah, tell us about your first encounter!" Thalassa urged loudly, having always been the vocal one.

Naliah knew these girls had been waiting for the entire length of time that she had been in the castle. She didn't really want to tell them anything, but she knew that if she were instead a spectator, she would want every juicy detail about the king. Torn, she decided to play with them a bit.

"Well," she began with a small smile, "I don't think the king would like me to tell you everything that we did…"

A collective gasp rose from the group of girls, and they all giggled even harder, Thalassa pressing her knee against Naliah's in protest.

"Cheeky!" she hissed. "You are not so improper. Tell us the truth!"

"Well, it is the truth. At least the part about him not wanting you all to know. Do you think Aragorn would have wanted all his friends to know of his first meeting with Arwen?"

A couple of the girls, looking disappointed, stood up and left the scene. Thalassa, Pegallia, and two girls named Koume and Katake stayed.

"Alright, then simplify," Pegallia tried. "How was it? Was he nice? Do you like him?"

"I got lost in the castle," Naliah admitted, blushing. "I took the wrong hall and ended up finding the king's advisors instead of the king himself."

The girls laughed appreciatively. "But you did find Mithrennon eventually, right?" Koume pressed.

"Yes, the advisors were kind enough to lead me to him. We were going to have a picnic, but that storm, by chance, had fallen upon us at that exact moment." She smiled. "We instead had a picnic in his great hall." She nodded towards Pegallia. "Yes, I do like him. He is very nice, in a quiet way, and eager to please."

"Oh, is that right?" Thalassa asked innocently, her mouth curling into a wicked smile.

"And you thought that I had cheek!" Naliah laughed, gently pushing her friend. "I mean that he was always asking me what I would like, and if our food was good enough, and wanted to know about myself. He is indeed very sweet."

"Not to mention devilishly handsome!" Katake grinned. "Ah, you are so lucky Naliah. The rest of us will be fated to marry stableboys and arrogant soldiers."

"I said that I like him, Katake, not that I knelt at his feet begging for his hand," Naliah said, feeling somewhat annoyed that all the attention was suddenly on her. She stood up. "Well, I really must be going, I expect my mother and father will want all of the same details that you lot did."

"I'm sure," Thalassa echoed. "Until tomorrow then, Naliah?"

"Yes, Goodbye, my friends." Naliah couldn't get out of there fast enough, and when she was sure she was out of sight, she broke into a sprint. She narrowly missed knocking a woman and her small child to the ground. She was running blindly, hoping her parents interrogation would not be nearly as bad.

It wasn't. They asked her the usual things: did she have a good time? Was he nice? Naliah suspected her father wanted to ask her more, but held his tongue. She caught him looking at her a few times as if he might say something, and instead, his mouth remained shut. Naliah figured her mother had warned him not to pry, and she was grateful for the peace and the quiet.

Later that night, Naliah lay in her bed in her lavender silk nightdrewss. Her hair was loose and damp from her bath, her curls defined. She was wide awake, looking out the window. Their home was one of the few that even had windows, because the homes in Gondor were so crowded together around the mountain face. But Naliah's family's home was situated on the edge, at the very end of one of the streets, so they had the priviledge of three windows… and one of them was in Naliah's own room.

She could see the moon and the stars, lighting up Pellenor fields like a thousand gleaming torches. They were among the lower homes of Gondor, but still quite high above the field in perspective. The battle was fought there long ago, she thought to herself. She turned from the window and looked up at the ceiling of her room. She had so many thoughts of the day.

Mithrennon was very handsome, and very knowledgable. But he'd told her he had business to attend to, and had said if she wanted to come back anytime, he would see if it could be arranged. What might happen if they were married? Would he even have time for her?

Stop it, she told herself. You're becoming as ridiculous as Thalassa and the rest of the girls. Why, you hardly know anything about the king and you are already doubting him! He was very sweet, not to mention handsome. You know you will eventually warm to him in the best way.

Naliah drew the velvety bedspread up to her neck and settled into her thick pillows. Tomorrow, you shall visit him again, she told herself. Then you will see, he will be very happy with you.
***
Like before, all she had to do to get into the castle was state her name. She was surprised the guards had no recognized her from the previous day, but decided they must see hundreds of visitors to the king, and could not remember everyone. This time Naliah knew where she was going, somewhat, and managed to find her way to the throne room. She was very surprised to find that the grand oak doors were shut, and two guards stood on either side of the door, swords drawn.

"What is your business here?" one of them asked her in a deep, gravelly voice.

"I… I am here to see the king." She tried to sound defiant, but was unable to mask the shake in her small voice.

The guards' faces softened. "I'm very sorry, m'lady," one of them told her. "King Mithrennon is meeting with the king of Rohan today."

"Ah," she said, somewhat sadly. "I see. Could you tell him that Naliah was here to see him? If you can."

"Certainly, m'lady," the guard answered.

Naliah turned on her heels and started to walk away from the door. On the way back, she nearly ran into Mithrennon, who seemed in a great hurry.

"Naliah!" he cried. Seeing the look in her eyes, she guessed she'd been here to see him. "I'm very sorry, my lady. I am in a meeting today with Faramir of Gondor and his wife, Lady Eowyn of Rohan. They were great friends to my father."

Naliah nodded, pretending she had not already heard this from the guards. "It is alright, Mithrennon. I understand the king will not always have time for picnics and storytellings." She smiled forgivingly.

"I am sorry," he repeated. "If you are still seeking storytellings though, I believe Legolas and Gimli are down that hallway." He pointed, and then looked ahead. "I'm very sorry again, Naliah. I will seek you out another day!" He broke into a run and disappeared down the hall.

Naliah sighed, and then looked down the hall Mithrennon had pointed. He said his advisors were not usually busy, but would they really want to be bothered answering the questions of a sixteen year old girl? Probably not. She was about to leave the castle, when she was approached from behind by the elf.

"Lady Naliah?" he asked. She turned around and faced him. He smiled. "Ah, yes. I would recognize your curls anywhere."

Naliah blushed in spite of herself. Her long, beautiful hair did often grant her lots of attention, but she was embarrassed by it. "Aye… Legolas, is that right?"

"It is." He stood tall in front of her in a green tunic, silver leggings, and brown boots. A leaf ornament held his outfit together; Naliah figured it was some sort of E lvish garb. She had never met an elf before, besides Arwen, and felt awkward in his prescence. He seemed to glow, or something odd like that.

"I assume you've already heard that Mithrennon is unavoidably occupied at the moment," he said graciously, breaking into her staring.

"Ah, yes," she said, regaining her composure. "Yes, he has informed me. I was just leaving."

Legolas stepped in front of her. "He has told me that you wish to know about the War of the Ring," he continued. "From someone who 'has been there.'" Was there a hint of amusement in the elf's eyes? Naliah could not tell.

"I did, yes. But I wasn't sure if you or Gimli would be interested."

"I am interested," the elf said, and this time there was no mistaking the flirtatious look in his bright blue eyes. "Gimli, maybe not. He is sleeping right now… and he is often more preoccupied with stretching the truth about his glory days."

Naliah joined him in laughter. "So then, you would not mind telling me your tales sometime?"

"Of course not," Legolas answered. "Ta naa seasamin. I will tell you right now. Khila amin." He started to walk down the hall towards an empty room.

Naliah caught up to him. "I'm sorry, I didn't understand what you said."

Legolas looked confused. "What did I say?"

"You said…" Naliah tried to say the words the same way she had heard them. "Ta naa seez-ameen?"

Legolas laughed. "Oh, yes. Forgive me, Naliah. Sometimes I lapse into my former tongue without realizing it."

"Elvish?" she guessed, as it was only logical.

"Yes."

"Does Mithrennon speak it?" Naliah followed Legolas to a sparesly furnished room with a couch and a table and chairs. Legolas sat down in one of the chairs and motioned for Naliah to sit across from him in the other.

A look of recognition passed over the elf.. Naliah could not place it, but it seemed the mention of the king's name dimmed the light behind the elf's eyes.

"He does, sparsely. His mother wanted him to learn it, but he is not a very good student." Legolas grinned at Naliah, making her blush. It was like he could see right through her. "The Elvish language is nearly extinct. Very few true Elves live in these lands anymore. They have sailed to the Undying Lands."

"Why did you not go?" Naliah asked, before she had a chance to think of how rude that might have sounded.

"I was needed here," was Legolas's simple reply. "Lle quena i'lambe tel' Eldalie?"

"I'm sorry?"

Legolas laughed again, and Naliah found herself entranced with the sound. "I suppose not. I asked if you speak Elvish."

"Oh," Naliah said. "No, I do not." She looked around the room that they were in. "Is this your quarters?"

"Nay, this is the room in which Gimli and I dwell when the king does not need our assistance. Which, I am seeing, is often. I do not know why Aragorn wanted us to look after the boy… he is quite capable. But I am bound to the promise I made to my good friend… so here I shall stay." He seemed to say this more to himself than to Naliah, and she felt awkward once again.

"I'm sorry. I am rambling. What is it you'd like to know about the War of the Ring?"

Naliah's mind was reeling, and for some reason, she felt like she could listen to this elf say absolutely anything, and it would be enough for her. Why was he making her stomach drop? He was nothing special.

"I… well, I wanted to know about anything Mithrennon could not tell me. He speaks of what his father has told him… but I wanted to hear about the far-off places. I am interested in all that I do not know of."

"Far off lands?" Legolas repeated. "Such as?"

"Moria." Naliah squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember the names. "Fangorn. The Shire. Lorien. Isengard, Mordor… even Rohan! I have never left Gondor and crave the adventure. I wish I could travel and see all of these places."

Legolas smiled. "There are some places you should never have to see, Naliah. Mordor is one of them… I do not recommend dwelling there the next time you need some time away." The look in his eyes was very suggestive, and Naliah blushed crimson. "As for myself, I have never even been to the Shire. But those of my kin dwell in Lorien, so we can start there, if you would like."

Naliah nodded, and Legolas began. "We reached Lorien after one of our Fellowship, Gandalf, fell in Moria to a Balrog. But do not worry, he survived.. more about that later. Gimli feared that Galadriel, Queen of Lorien, was a witch, and would not stop worrying about it…"

Legolas described, in painstaking detail, everything that had gone on in Lorien during their stay there. When he was finished, it took all of Naliah's strength not to ask him to run away with her to the Golden Wood.

"It sounds absolutely breathtaking," she said quietly.

"It is indeed a beautiful land," he agreed. He looked out the high window of the room they were in, and noticed the blue sky was blurred with orantge and yellow tones. The sun was setting. "I'm very sorry to have kept you this long, Naliah. I believe the sun is setting on Gondor."

"That's fine." Naliah was not at all worried. Besides, she could sit here all night and listen to Legolas describe these lands. "Oh, Legolas, thank you very much. I hope you do not mind if I come back some time. Your stories were wonderful, and your description very poetic."

"Hannon le," Legolas said quietly. He stood up and walked towards the door. "Shall I escort you out, my lady?"

"Just Naliah," she said. "And yes, I would like that very much… I would not like to be lost again."

The two shared a chuckle over their first meeting, and Legolas continued to talk even until they reached the gate of the castle. "Tenna' ento lye omenta, Naliah," he said softly. He took her hand and kissed it, letting his lips rest upon it a little longer than he should have.

"What does that mean? I would very much like to learn your language as well sometime, if you might be willing to teach me."

"I would be very willing," Legolas said with a smile. He looked down at the floor. "Until we next meet, Naliah."

"Goodbye."

***

Legolas watched the young girl leave into the sunset, and closed the doors of the castle silently. He felt confused within himself, and also deceitful. What was he thinking? Naliah was the king's future wife (maybe), and he was toying with her. He knew she liked it, as well. Being an elf, he could easily read humans and their emotions, and could practically smell her immediate attraction to him. He knew it was wrong, but he could not help it.

It was so easy for him to get to her, and even easier for him to find an excuse to be alone with her. She was so beautiful, so inquisitive, and yet so naïve. There was much she wanted to learn that only he could teach her. He smiled to himself, leaning against the inner wall of the foyer. The torchlight gleamed in his eyes, alighting them with blue sides of him conflicted.

He thought of Aragorn, and how much he had trusted Gimli and Legolas to watch over his son. Mithrennon was clearly enamoured with the young Naliah already, and even though he was a busy king, Legolas knew he wanted to see her again.

Then he thought of himself, alone without a companion for thousands of years. He no longer had Elves to turn to, and the only creature that ever desired his company was Gimli. Until now, that is… Naliah seemed eager to come back and learn from him, perhaps to learn Elvish… and he was a willing teacher.

What could he do?

**Hey everyone, thanks for the reviews :) I know I don't have many but I'm still trucking with my story!

Sarahjean: just for you, dear. She met him ;)

Somethingtobelievein: your english seems fine to me :) thank you for your review… I tried to put in a bit more dialogue in this one, to stretch the scenes out. I'm not very good at description, really, but that's why I write… to improve! Thank you!

here are the Elvish translations. I got them from a website… I wish I knew the language myself, but unfortunately I don't… so I hope these are right!

Ta naa seasamin = it is my pleasure
Khila amin = follow me.
Lle quena i'lambe tel' Eldalie? = do you speak Elvish?

Hannon le = thank you
Tenna' ento lye omenta = until we next meet

:)