The soft morning sun shone through the windows of Arwen's bedroom, casting on the floor in its warm and golden light. A gentle breeze fluttered at the curtains, bringing with it the scents of the world outside.
Arwen sat on her bed, basking in the warmth of the sun and enjoying the light breeze through her hair. In her hands she held one of her favorite books, one that she read over and over again and could never tire of it.
"Lady Arwen," a soft tap from her opened door came. "The guests are entering Rivendell."
Arwen looked up from her book, slightly startled by the messenger. She quickly regained her composure and nodded, setting her book down next to her.
"I'll be out in a moment. Thank you."
She stood up out of her seat when the messenger had left the doorway, smoothing out her dress and running her fingers through her hair to make it more presentable. It had been many years since she had last seen the Elvenking and his son. She wanted to make a good impression on them, to show them both that she had matured and since they had last seen her. She hoped to make her father proud in that way, to show how well her father had raised her.
As she finished brushing through her hair, she couldn't help but wonder what the Prince would look like now. He probably was just as arrogant and grumpy as he was when they had met. And he surely wouldn't be as cute as she had once thought he was. Maybe he had grown ugly in all these years?
Well, it does not matter, she thought to herself.
Straightening and smoothing her dress one last time, she set off to meet the guests with her father.
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"Why are we going all this way for nothing?" Legolas asked his father for the hundredth time that morning.
"As I have told you before," Thranduil said, looking at his son in annoyance. "We are not going for nothing."
"But can you give me an actual reason?"
"No."
Legolas sighed, about to give up. His father always kept secrets from him and never told him anything. When would he trust him enough to know the important things?
To distract himself, Legolas took to admiring the world around him. The sun was still rising slowly above the surrounding mountains and with each minute, stars began to fade before his eyes. Along with the fading stars, the cold of the night was wearing off and he felt the warmth creeping back into his fingers. They had been riding two hours before sunrise to make it to Rivendell quicker. Glancing ahead, he could see Rivendell in all its glory. He thought it as beautiful as the stories say it was, but in his opinion (from what he could see of it), it could use more trees.
On the other side of the long bridge at the entrance of Rivendell, they were met by Lord Elrond who was standing all alone, with none of his family. He wore robes of silver and blue with a silver circlet on his brow. His eyes seemed cold and hard and he gave no greeting.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, Lord Elrond," Thranduil said as he dismounted his steed.
"Yes. It has been a long time," Elrond replied rather stiffly, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Where are your sons?" Thranduil asked.
"They are off on a hunt. They'll be back in a few days time."
"And where, may I ask, is the Lady Arwen?" Thranduil raised an eyebrow.
Elrond looked behind him as if noticing for the first time that Arwen was not with him. He laughed softly. "She must still be getting ready."
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Arwen had no desire to step outside and meet the guests, although duty did require it of her. She was already dressed and ready to meet them, but she took her time as she walked the halls of her home to the guests outside. She didn't quite know the reason of her hesitation, and she didn't want to hesitate too long, but still she took as much time as she dared to.
Perhaps she was doing this due to her nerves? It had been some time since they had received important guests such as these.
That must be the reason, she thought to herself as she neared the doorway out. That is the only reason.
She stepped outside, not surprised to see she had been a bit late in greeting the guests. She knew her father would probably be a bit upset with her, so she quickened her pace and approached him, hoping she hadn't embarrassed him.
"Sorry, Adar," she said once she was at his side. "I was getting myself ready."
"It is fine, my daughter," Elrond smiled at her.
Arwen turned and greeted the King and Prince formally, not looking directly at either of them. "It is a pleasure to see you both again. It has been quite some time."
Thranduil nodded down at Arwen; Legolas looked away.
During their first meal, Arwen couldn't stop thinking about how rude Legolas was being towards her. He was supposed to be a prince. And according to the books and stories of princes of long ago, princes were kind and chivalrous. He was turning out to be nothing like that and he didn't seem to care about anything.
As the sun was setting behind the mountains and after their final meal of the day, Arwen decided to take a walk in the gardens to calm her racing mind. Wrapping a small shawl around her shoulders, Arwen let her room and set off through the halls and into the garden.
Darkness was fully setting and stars shone high in the sky when the last rays of the sun slipped beyond her vision. The moon rose slowly above her, casting a grey-white light on the earth and kissing the tops of the trees. Nighttime flowers were blooming and unfurling, reflecting the pale moonlight eerily, but beautifully.
Arwen breathed deeply, her once racing mind quieting down as she strolled the paths. The sweet aroma of the flowers hung through the air, mixing together and forming a sweet perfume. There was always something so magical about the gardens at night, and Arwen wondered why she didn't enjoy them more during the later hours. She continued her path onwards, stopping multiple times to smell particularly beautiful flowers, or watch as beautiful moths drank the sweet nectar they provided.
Sitting down on a bench of carved stone, Arwen turned her gaze to the sky. She had always loved the stars. And on a cloudless night like this, their light was beautiful and filled her with wonder. She sighed contently, comfortable and relaxed for the first time all day.
"Why are you not resting?" a voice asked softly. "I am sure you can tell that it is quite late."
Arwen jumped slightly in surprise, turning around to see who had startled her out of her reverie. There she found the prince and met his wild blue eyes, the same ones she had met years ago when they were first acquainted. She stood gracefully from the bench and walked a few paces towards him.
She scanned her eyes over his face for the first time since they had been reunited. He wasn't the cute and boyish elfling from her childhood. Here before her was a mature elf, who had grown up both mentally and physically into adulthood. She found herself thinking him rather handsome.
"I could ask you the same question," she pointed out.
He looked away sheepishly, and she assumed that he was embarrassed. "My apologies," he said, clasping his hands behind him.
"You are fine. If I tried, I am afraid that no rest would come to me tonight. Whenever I have nights such as this, I walk the gardens and enjoy the plants, the flowers, the moonlight." She trailed off, turning away from him and looking over the gardens before her.
A silence grew between the pair as they both look at the sight. A light breeze gently blew between them, ruffling the skirts of Arwen's dress and causing the trees to sigh.
"It is truly a beautiful place," Legolas spoke, breaking the silence. "I see why you come here to calm your mind."
"Thank you. It is beautiful. Many of the flowers and trees were planted by my mother before I was born. She would tend the garden often and enjoyed it here."
Legolas nodded solemnly. "My mother loved gardens, but if she ever had one, I do not know about it."
Arwen looked over at Legolas and saw the sadness in his eyes at the mention of his own mother. She put it together just then: Legolas had lost his mother.
There were no words left to be said on her part, and she didn't know whether speaking about it would be inappropriate or not. So she remained silent, leaving the next words for Legolas to speak.
"I must go," Legolas said, breaking the short silence. "If my father finds that I am not in my room, he will be upset."
"Goodnight," Arwen said, bowing her head towards him. He returned the gesture and strode of, his posture straight and strong.
Arwen sighed and decided to go back to her own rooms. Maybe, after all, Legolas wasn't as rude as she once thought him. Maybe he was just quiet and shy.
When she arrived in her room, she undressed and changed into her nightdress. As she rested, her mind wandering, she wondered why Legolas and his father were really here.
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AN: Here is the next chapter! I hope it was enjoyable! Not a ton of exciting things happened in this one, but it will get there.
If you liked this chapter, please leave a review!
-cherrymochiii