A/N Again, many thanks to Celridel for taking the time to beta this chapter
It was mid-morning as Legolas headed towards Estella's room. On his way, he hummed a favorite tune of his as he thought about how to tell her of the upcoming grand feast which was to take place. Legolas's father threw many feasts but this one was different, this one Legolas was nervous about; it was the first feast Estella was to attend, and he decided she would be his guest of honor.
Legolas had attended many feasts and had danced with many an elleth, but for some reason, he felt more nervous than he ever felt before an upcoming festivity in his life. He shook his head and chided himself for such feelings. Estella was just a close friend, nothing more. Finally, he approached the doors to her rooms. As he lifted a hand to knock, the doors opened, revealing a smiling Estella.
"Good morning, Legolas, how was your night?" she chirped.
Legolas must have had an amused look on his face, as Estella began to laugh. "What is so funny?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Your face when I opened the doors!" Her laugh reverberated down the corridor. "You had such a confused look when I opened them before you knocked!" She laughed even harder, and Legolas realized he had never seen her laugh like this before. "Do not forget I am an Elf too. I heard you approaching." Estella tapped her delicately pointed ears and opened the doors wider, standing aside and motioning for Legolas to come in.
He graciously accepted the offer and took the nearest seat. "Thank you." Legolas started playing with the hem of his tunic as he tried to think of a way to tell her about the feast and how he was going to ask her to be his guest of honor. Finally, mustering up the courage he looked her straight in the eye. "The reason I came to see you were to inform you that in a fortnight my father is throwing one of his magnificent feasts, and I would like you to be my guest of honor." He grimaced internally at the stiff formality he delivered it with, berating himself. "That is if you are open to it." He bit the inside of his cheek as he waited for Estella to absorb the information. He only hoped he had not made a fool of himself in the process.
Legolas deliberated silently to himself. Why am I so worried about this, I am only asking her to allow me to escort her to the feast? We are just friends.
Estella nearly choked on her glass of water when Legolas asked her to be his date for the feast. He wanted to escort her to a feast?! She did not know what the Middle-earth term was, but back in Seattle, this would be classified as a date. She stared at him and for the first time in a while she was at a loss for words. Somehow, after several attempts, she was able to croak out a simple yes.
Legolas sighed in relief at her acceptance. "I am glad to hear that. I shall have Raiwen escort you to the head seamstress, Hwinneth, this afternoon to be fit for a dress for the feast. I shall take my leave now to inform Hwinneth to expect you later today." He turned to escape before he did something stupid, berating himself for his stiff formality. Over the past few weeks they had settled into a close, easy friendship, yet now he found himself acting like a self-conscious fool.
As he began to disappear through the door, Estella blurted out, "I cannot dance." She said it so fast she shocked herself and felt her cheeks go red with embarrassment.
Legolas cocked a smile to himself.She cannot dance, he mused. He turned back to her, plucking up his courage for the second time that day. "Well, that can be remedied, my lady, for I am learned in the arts of dancing, and it would be my pleasure to teach you personally."
Estella blushed even more at the thought of being so close to him, but she knew she very well could not go to the feast and not know how to dance. "If it would not be any trouble, I would be grateful for your help."
Legolas grinned in pleasure. "It would be no trouble at all. I shall stop by here after dinner, this evening for your first lesson." He took a small hand in his and placed a small kiss on the palm of her hand, then slipped out of the room, leaving behind a very surprised and nervous elleth.
"What have I just gotten myself into?" Estella groaned aloud once Legolas left.
Later that afternoon Raiwen stopped by and escorted Estella to the fitting room where Hwinneth was waiting for them. Estella was very nervous as she never had a dress fitting before and did not know what to expect.
When they arrived, Estella looked around her in awe at all the exquisite fabrics and gowns displayed around the room which was a marvel in itself. The walls were painted a beautiful light blue, like that of the sky on a summer's day, and candles lined the walls giving off a fluorescent light. There were intricate stools for a person to stand or sit on as they were measured, each paired with a delicately worked toolset.
Estella could have looked around the room forever, entranced. She walked over to one of the dresses hanging up and softly stroked the material with her fingertips. It was light green with darker threading that lined the sleeves and bottom of the dress. The material flowed through her fingers, as soft as a feather. She appeared so lost in thought she did not even hear Hwinneth come in.
"Do you like it, Lady Estella?"
Estella let out a soft gasp of surprise and whirled around, feeling like a naughty child caught red-handed. "Oh…I…that is, yes, I do. It is beautiful," she fumbled over her words.
Hwinneth laughed softly. "I am glad you think so, but I do not believe that color would do you justice. Worry not, when I am through with you, you will have the most beautiful dress in all Taur-nu-Fuin. Please, if you would step over here for me, we can get started." Hwinneth's smile was warm and gentle as she motioned Estella over to the closest stool. "Raiwen, if you would like to stay, you may, or you may come back later. Lady Estella and I will be all right."
"I will stay if that agrees with Lady Estella." Esgalwathel smiled at her friend.
Estella returned it as she stepped onto the stool. "Of course, I would mind if you left! I would be glad of the additional company."
Raiwen's smile widened, and she took a seat across from Estella. Hwinneth took what appeared to be a form of measuring tape and began to take down measurements. "So, what colors do you like Lady Estella?" she asked as she wrote down some numbers.
"I like blues, greens, and purples of all shades," Estella answered as Hwinneth measured around her bust, writing down more numbers in flowing script.
Hwinneth then took a moment to study Estella with experienced eyes. "Hmmm, I think with your eye color and the dark sheen of your hair you would look stunning in midnight blue." The seamstress continued to appraise Estella who held her breath, sensing she had not finished yet. "Light blue sleeves perhaps? With a silver lining, I think." The seamstress raised an eyebrow, indicating she had finished and Estella shrugged happily.
"Well, you are the expert in this department; so I will trust you in this matter."
"Then it is settled. If you wait here for just a minute, I will fetch the material, and we can begin." Hwinneth went into the back room, and a few moments later she emerged with swathes of material in her arms. "Now this," she said holding up the darker blue, "will be the main part of the dress. The lighter color will be the sleeves."
Both fabrics shimmered as the light caught them and Estella gasped at the color as she held out her hand to touch them. Not only was it more beautiful and elegant than anything she encountered in her former world but the material was very soft. "It is gorgeous. I love it already, and it is not even made yet." She blushed slightly at the girlish foolishness of her words.
Hwinneth smiled as she began to cut out the material to fit the measurements she had written down.
"You will look breathtaking in it, my lady." She heard Raiwen say.
"I'm terrified." Estella looked at the floor in embarrassment. "I have never been to a feast before, and Legolas has asked me to be his guest of honor. He is to teach me to dance later tonight."
Hwinneth gave Raiwen a sly smile, her shears never pausing in their rhythmic snipping. Estella caught the exchanged looks out of the corner of her eye and wondered what she had missed. "Am I missing something?"
Raiwen shook her silver head, unable to stop a grin from spreading across her face. "It is nothing."
"It must be something!" Estella protested. She had not imagined that look, and Raiwen's grin was approaching Cheshire cat standards. "Please tell me!" She tried to put on a pleading expression which was ruined by Raiwen's infectious smile causing the corners of Estella's mouth to turn upwards.
Raiwen shook her silver head once more, mirth all over her face. "I shan't spoil the surprise for you."
"Surprise? What surprise! Oh, please tell me!" Estella practically bounced up and down in excitement, caught up at the moment.
Raiwen shared another glance with Hwinneth before relenting. "Oh, it's nothing much…" She waved her hands dismissively and Estella mock-glared at her friend.
The grin extended further as she announced, "I think our Prince is beginning to fall for you, my lady." Raiwen gave Estella a mocking curtsey, softened by the kind smile on her face.
Estella stared incredulously at her friend, almost speechless. "He is what?" She blinked in disbelief. "No…it can't be. We are nothing more than friends. There is no way he is falling for me. He cannot…it is impossible." Everything swirled around in her head in a confused mush.
Hwinneth turned around with her hands on her hips. "I can assure you he most definitely is falling in love with you. Never has he showered anyone with so many gifts." Upon seeing Estella's shocked face, she smiled. "The whole palace knows he has been bestowing gifts unto you. And he has never asked an elleth to a feast before, or given her personal dancing and fighting lessons." Her smile was broad. "Not to mention the fact he is the happiest anybody has ever seen him."
Estella shook her head, unable to believe it. "You've got it-"
Raiwen cut in, her smile lessened slightly now the reveal was over. "He may not admit it or even realize it yet, but he does have feelings for you. And I believe you also have feelings for him."
Estella could only shake her head in denial.
"Do not shake your head at us! I can tell by how your eyes light up when you talk about him, how he makes you laugh and the way your body language changes when he enters the room." Raiwen pointed out, leaving no room for Estella to escape.
Estella could not argue with those statements, but there was no possible way she was in love with him…was she? She did not know what it was like to be in love. "What should I do?" Her question came out haltingly, accompanied by beseeching eyes. Estella suddenly felt lost again, with no idea what she should do next.
The teasing atmosphere melted away as Raiwen stood up and walked over to her friend. Taking her by the hands, she sighed softly. "My lady, ever since you came here all those months ago we have watched you change from a sad, scared and lonely elleth to a beautiful, happy and confident one. You have been sad for most of your life; you deserve to be happy. As does Legolas. You must follow your heart, not fight it. When the right time comes, you will know."
"What of his father? He would never allow his son to court someone like me." Estella had got on the pricklier side of King Thranduil a couple of times since her arrival, and while she had come to respect him greatly, she doubted her worth in his eyes. She was a nobody, and Legolas was a prince.
Hwinneth spoke up this time. "Our king would not deny his son happiness. He might be stern and protective, but when it comes down to it he wants what is best for his son, and if that means allowing a common elleth to court Legolas, then he will not stand in your way."
A sudden fear gripped Estella. "What if Legolas does not return the feelings at all. He has not said anything to me…Why are we even discussing this?" Her breath hitched in her throat at the last sentence. She could not believe they were having this discussion. It was preposterous. Legolas could not love her! For some reason, that thought scared her and made her feel small and weak.
Raiwen squeezed her friend's hands. "Trust me, in time he will open to you. He already has in many ways. Maybe not verbally but in his actions. He might not realize it right now, but in time, he will, and when that time comes, you both will know what to do."
Estella lowered her eyes, thoughts racing round her head. She took strength from her friend's reassuring smile and firm grip on her hands. Raiwen would not lead her astray, not intentionally. But she was now more confused than ever. Not to mention scared. How could she have dancing lessons with Legolas alone now that the thought he might like her in a non-platonic light had been planted? How was she ever going to get through tonight, let alone the next two weeks?!
Hwinneth came over and began to pin the dress into place, Estella barely noticing. The rest of the fitting was silent as Estella was deep in thought about the conversation which just occurred. She did not register the concerned looks Raiwen and Hwinneth shared. When Hwinneth finished pinning the material together, she helped Estella take the soon to be gown off. "There we go, now all I have to do is sew this together, and then in about a week you can come back, and we will do the final fitting."
"Thank you, Hwinneth. I appreciate you taking the time to do this." Estella mustered a genuine smile, a spark of excitement coming back as she watched the material being bundled away.
"Oh, it is no trouble at all, Lady Estella."
Once Estella quickly dressed into her other clothes, the two ellith waved goodbye to the seamstress and headed to the dining hall for supper. Estella periodically glanced towards Legolas, now unable to forget the conversation from earlier, smiling at him whenever he caught her eye. She was so distracted she barely engaged in conversation, only half-listening.
That evening when Estella was in her room waiting for Legolas to show up for the dance lessons, butterflies flew around her stomach in droves. The more she thought about her impending doom, the worse they got. She had always been told she had two left feet. What if Legolas hated her because she could not dance! As soon as the thought popped into her head, she dismissed it as being completely irrational, but it would not entirely go away. To keep occupied she jumped up and began to pace up and down, muttering to herself. "I can do this; this is no big deal. After all, Elves are graceful right? Those other times were just my awkward stage."
However, the more she thought about it, the more nervous she became until Estella thought she was going to discharge her evening meal. "Oh, who am I kidding? I cannot do this!" She was just making up her mind to tell Legolas she could not have her lesson when a knock came on the door.
"Estella, it is me. May I come in?" There was no need to ask who it was.
Estella froze in place. He was here. Now. Perhaps if she did not answer or if she feigned snoring he would go away. As she was trying to think of what to do, she did not realize she had subconsciously walked to the door and found herself opening it.
Legolas gave her his usual grin. "Are you ready for your lesson?"
"Um, about that. I am not sure it is a good idea." Estella noticed her hands were shaking.
Legolas took off his outer robe and set it down on a chair. "Estella, it will be all right. I promise, I do not bite," he said laughing.
Estella smiled despite herself, some of the nervousness draining away now he was here, just being him like everything was the same. "No, it is not that, it is just…well, I was given dance lessons before and ended up tripping over my own feet. It was a disaster."
"Nonsense, you just never had the right teacher. Now come on, it will be easy. We will just take it one step at a time." Legolas held out his hand with an encouraging smile and Estella took it. He pulled her close to him, wrapping one arm around her waist and placing the other in his free hand.
"Now, the key to dancing is to relax and keep your eyes on me, not my feet. Just try and follow my lead. Clear your mind of everything else, and the rest will fall into place. Are you ready?"
Estella swallowed hard and nodded, allowing Legolas to lead her into a slow dance slowly. Soon she began to relax more and more as he continued to lead her into one dance after another. Estella found the dancing started to come naturally; she did not have to concentrate on what her feet were doing or where they were going. Instead, she could study Legolas's face, and she found herself drawn into his eyes, beginning to lose herself in time and space. And then, abruptly, they stopped.
Legolas dropped her hand and moved away with a smile as Estella dropped her gaze to the floor, blushing. "You see; you can do it!"
She had no idea how long they had been dancing, but she suddenly found herself yawning.
"It is late; you should rest. If you want, we can continue again tomorrow at the same time?" Was it just her imagination or was there a hopeful note in Legolas's voice?
Estella nodded her head in a yes as she escorted Legolas to the door. "I would love that."
"Then it is settled. I will meet you here tomorrow night, and before you know it, you will be the second-best dancer in Taur-nu-Fuin." Legolas brimmed with happiness.
"Who is the first might I ask?"
Legolas shot her a cocky smile. "Me, of course."
"Oh, so sure of yourself, are we?" Estella teased, lightly smacking his shoulder, her smile growing sincerer. "I had a magnificent time tonight, thank you."
"You are most welcome. Good night, my lady." Legolas retook her hand and gave the top a light kiss, flashing her a smile before disappearing into the darkness, leaving Estella blushing and full of hope.