Chapter 22
The Faye Princess awoke the next morning to sunlight streaming through her window. She remained laying in the comfort of her luxurious bed for a long while until a Faye maiden entered her chambers to draw her a bath, and even then the Princess didn't feel like moving.
"My Lady?" The copper haired Faye asked, worry lacing her tone. "My Lady, is everything alright?"
"That will be all, Gwendolyn." Adrianna murmured into her pillow. "Thank you."
The Faye maiden lingered for another second before bowing her head and leaving the chambers.
By the time Adrianna had left the warmth of her bed, the bath water was lukewarm. She took a quick bath before dressing in a light blue dress. The colour saddened her, reminding her of the mesmerizing eyes of the elf. She grabbed her bow and attached a quiver of arrows to her back before she left her chambers with watery eyes.
As she made her way down towards the archery range, coming to stand in a direct line in front of one of the targets the other side of the range. Adrianna drew her bow and notched an arrow, she aimed for the centre target and upon hitting just off centre, her heart jolted.
She felt the warmth of his chest. The strength of his arms around her in a protective cage. His breath on her cheek.
Adrianna drew another arrow and notched it into the string of her bow, 'Aim just above the centre...' His voice found its way into her head and Adrianna closed her eyes for a second, remembering the moment they had shared at the archery range in Helms Deep. She opened her eyes, aimed, and fired. The arrow soared through the air, striking the centre of the target.
A ghost of a smile crossed the Faye's delicate mouth, and she turned to thank the elf but... she remembered that he wasn't with her.
Adrianna had hidden herself away from the Faye's for the remainder of the afternoon down by the Moonlit Pool. The water was a deep indigo, shimmers of silver could be seen beneath the surface where fish swam about. A beautiful, white wooden bridge arched across the water, leading towards a white gazebo which had been carved by elves. Silver bells and white lights covered the roof and pale blue and pink Sweet Peas climbed the beams, their vines weaving in and out of the cross-hatched sides of the wondrous sculpture. Her mother and father had been married inside the gazebo, and the King's parents before them and their parents' parents, and so forth.
The Princess leant against the wooden fencing of the gazebo, overlooking the Moonlit Pool, her thoughts once again returning to the elf of the Fellowship. The sound of music reached her ears, alerting the Princess that the feast had begun and that she should make her way towards the Hall.
She did not want to attend the feast, but her father had arranged it especially for her. But she felt so lonely and sad! How could she enjoy the celebratory feast when her own thoughts constantly troubled her mind?
Adrianna couldn't eat much that evening during her celebratory feast. She was so full of depression that she excluded herself from the evening festivities to practice her archery for the second time that day! It made her feel closer to the elf, especially with the stars above her.
"My dear, Adrianna?" The voice of her father startled her. "Are you not joining in the festivity?" The King stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He wore a long green cloak, clasped with gold all down the front, gold embroidery decorated the lapels of his dark green undershirt.
Adrianna shook her head, "I apologise, father." She replied. "But I do not feel celebratory at the moment."
The King ran his fingers through his long, wispy beard. "What troubles you?"
"I'm not sure, father." She looked up at him with watery eyes. "I believe I miss the company of my friends."
Adrias nodded in understanding, "Is there anyone in particular that you miss the most?"
Adrianna thought about it for a second before nodding, "I believe I do, father."
The King noticeably paused for a second while he examined his daughter. Laughter and music from the celebrating Faye's could be heard in the distance. "I am sure they are thinking of you, Adrianna." He reassured. "Now come inside and enjoy the party, take your thoughts elsewhere."
The princess dropped her hands and hung her head in sorrow. "Father," She began. Adrianna looked up again, her emerald eyes meeting the moss green ones of her fathers under his bushy white eyebrows. "I have uncertain feelings for someone." He remained silent, encouraging her to continue. "And I believe this is why I am unhappy. I enjoy his company, he is both kind and gentle, he cares for me and-"
"-My dear, are you sure about this?"
She was taken aback, "Why father," She replied as honestly as she could. "I have never felt this way about someone before! I do not understand."
The King walked over and stood in front of his youngest child, "My dear Adrianna, these feelings of yours are bewildering even myself! Please, come re-join the party, and we shall discuss more of it later. I believe you said Gandalf will arrive within a few days?" She nodded. "We will talk with him about it as he spent time in the Fellowship, perhaps he will be able to help decipher this?"
"I may just go to bed, father."
"Adrianna, this feast is in your honour! You cannot be absent from it!"
"Then tell the guests I wasn't feeling well!" She insisted, her eyes turning watery.
The King sighed, and took his daughters hands into his own. "Alright." He agreed, sighing in defeat. "I hope to see you at breakfast?"
Adrianna nodded before lightly kissing her fathers' cheek. "I missed you, father. Thank you for the feast. Again, I am sorry."
He gave her a tight smile before allowing her to excuse herself for the second time that evening. As she returned to her bedchambers, she wiped away a few stray tears from her eyes before dressing into her nightdress and tucking herself under her bed sheets.
Again, she found it difficult to sleep. And for the next two days, she lay in bed late each morning as she dismissed the faye maiden's concern and worry for her before she took a cold bath.
Then Gandalf arrived.
Adrianna had just stepped out of her lukewarm bath when she heard the news of the White Wizards' arrival to The Glade of Tarasara. She was overjoyed to see her friend again, and she dressed in her favourite emerald green dress to greet him. Adrianna ran a comb through her tangled raven locks before leaving her bedchambers and making her way towards the Hall where all the arriving guests would first be led.
As she pushed open the oak doors, she received the attention of the inhabitants of the Hall. The King, Prince, guards and Wizard turned to see who had entered and upon seeing that it was the Princess, Gandalf turned to face her with a friendly smile on his face, "My Lady!" He welcomed the Faye into open arms before standing back to take a closer look at her. He was most definitely not going to tell her that she looked terrible. "You have had a restless night?" He asked, noticing the dark, dull eyes the King had told him of upon their meeting that morning.
Adrianna nodded, "It's so good to see you, Gandalf. I have missed everyone, dearly!"
"So your father has told me," The Wizard replied, turning to face the King. "Please excuse me, My Lord." Adrias inclined his head in response before the Wizard left the Hall with Adrianna.
They walked out of the Hall and down the marbled staircase, towards the Tarasara Gardens before Gandalf began to speak, "Adrianna, your father has told me of a concern he has had of you since you arrived home?" He began.
"Yes, Gandalf." Adrianna replied, her dull eyes looking at the blades of healthy green grass upon which they were walking, and the brightly coloured flowers surrounding them. "I have been upset," She began. "And I do not know what it is that has saddened me so. I have been thinking that it may be the absence of the Fellowship."
"Or one in particular." The Wizard stated, coming to a stop in front of a patch of Bluebells and Snowdrops. Adrianna cast her eyes towards the colourful flowers when she felt her face burn feverishly. "Like elves, Adrianna," He began. "Faye's feel the need to be close to the one's they love-"
"-But I am at home!" She insisted, "And I love both my father and Tobias-"
"-Not that kind of love, my dear." Gandalf corrected her. As he continued walking, they remained in silence. They past patches of Sunflowers, Daisies, Geraniums, Bluebells, Sweet Peas, Rhododendrons, Roses, Honeysuckle and many different types, sizes and colours of flowers before the Wizard spoke again. "The Glade of Tarasara is one of the most beautiful lands I have been too." He stated as they stepped onto the bridge crossing the Moonlit Pool. "Well known in Lorien and Rohan for their Sweet Peas." He picked a light blue one and held it out towards the chestnut haired Faye.
The colour, again, reminded the Princess of the beautiful blue eyes of the elf. Adrianna looked up at the Wizard with tearful eyes as she took the flower before she turned to face the Moonlit Pool. "I can't stop thinking about him, Gandalf." She whispered. "Everywhere I am, even during the feast to celebrate my return home...during my archery, the stars, the colour blue..." She sighed and dropped the small, delicate flower into the Pool, causing a ripple effect to destroy her reflection. "Everything reminds me of him. I haven't been able to eat, and I cannot sleep. I do not know what I feel for him," She stated. "For I have never felt this before."
"Only you know what you feel." Gandalf replied, "No one can help you, my dear...not even the Lady of Lorien."
Perhaps even the fairest of elves didn't know everything after all. Adrianna sighed and rested her chin on her hand as she leant on the wooden fencing of the bridge. "I didn't even get to say goodbye to him." Her eyes filled with tears, and she looked up into the kind-hearted eyes of Gandalf as he rested his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Or Aragorn, or Gimli." She wiped her eyes on the back of her hand.
"So it is Legolas." Gandalf stated, mostly to himself. "You will see him again, in Gondor." He reassured her, "And only time will tell of your feelings, my dear."
Somewhere deep in her heart, Adrianna believed she already knew the answer.
A/N: Apologies for such a long wait, I am in the midst of revision for my exams! Normally, I don't revise, but I'm desperate to go to uni!
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this long awaited chapter, please review :) xx