Chapter 19
Haelros had looked around, hoping she would come down for dinner. After inquiring from a servant working in the guest quarters he learned she would be dining with the king. He was concerned for her, he knew she would not be comfortable as she was here in the palace halls, so he sought her out. It was only to make sure she was alright.
Walking through the hallways, he heard a tapping of feet on the floor and knew it was her. Without hesitation he called out to her.
"Leanna?" The figure stilled and turned, the moonlight falling softly on her as she looked at him.
"Good evening Haelros" Leanna greeted back, her tone cold and her eyes even colder.
"I did not see you at dinner and thought you might have gotten lost"
"King Thranduil was so gracious to host me privately" At this Haelros frowned, she was on guard as though she regarded him as a stranger.
"Is there something wrong?" Leanna sighed. Looking into the darkness of the forest she spoke.
"I should have known King Thandruil would go so far to know the truth of my existence"
"What are you talking about?" Haelros asked as apprehension seized him, he remained in his place and waited as she walked passed him. He turned around to watch her.
"I was foolish to believe that I could be friends with an elf but now I see it was all a ruse" Haelros stiffened at her words.
"Leanna I-"
"-You what, had orders to keep close to me and find out everything you could?" She looked back at him donning a placid smile. Haelros looked down unable to look her in the eye.
"I don't understand what you're talking about!"
"Did you know he's been spying on me?" Leanna stood before him and waited for an answer.
"My Lord does as he pleases...it is not my place to challenge his will" Haelros looked down. It was expected, he knew this day would come but it did not make any less upsetting.
"So it seems" Leanna whispered as she left to her room. Haelros watched her go and felt the thick wall he thought he had weakened, rising even higher.
Leanna walked to her room in cold silence. Her walls building higher on the way as her thoughts provided their reinforcements. She knew now it was foolish of her to have hoped for a friend here in these halls when it was clear she walking on thin ice, she was always walking on thin ice.
She reached her room and entered, quietly shutting the door behind her. Undressing and climbing into bed, she pressed her face into the pillow and let sleep take her. Never had she felt so alone at this time with the feeling of a dark vacuum swallowing her.
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It was morning and Gwuineth knocked on the door. Receiving no answer she breathed deeply and entered the room to meet it as she expected, empty. It had been going on for days. The woman would leave to the training grounds and when she was finished, she would find her way to the library.
Of course she had gotten lost every time and since language still proved barrier for her, it was hard to navigate the twisting and intersecting halls. Gwuineth inspected the room, checking the pillows again just to be certain.
The first time she had come to assign tasks to her, Gwuineth had noted the tear stains and frowned. Ever since then she began checking as a routine. Lady Leanna was not like any mortal woman she had come across, she had powers she heard. However, it was her behavior that caught her off guard.
It appeared she was self-sufficient, choosing to rely on herself alone. Her guarded expressions and obvious distrust made it hard for Gwuineth to know her beyond the title she went by. It was hard for an elf, even for her to admit the woman was deserving of such a title.
She had gotten lost again. Leanna looked around the unfamiliar environment and saw nothing that could lead her back to the chamber hall she had come from. Exploring the palace uninterrupted had become a hobby but now she had gotten lost. She had come across some elves but none of them bothered to speak with her.
"You seem lost" Leanna startled, turning around to find Thranduil standing behind her. Those damn elven feet never make a sound.
"…." Leanna chose silence as a response, she had hoped to avoid meeting him any time soon but apparently fate was against her wishes today.
"I recall the purpose of your presence here being of service to me and so far, that is yet to be fulfilled…" Thranduil strolled past her, his head turning over his shoulder to look back at her.
"And what does My Lord wish me to do?" Leanna said dully as she looked to the ground, clenching her fists.
"The high councilor is in charge of all domestic affairs within the kingdom, he will assign suitable tasks for you" Thranduil said as he walked through a path way. Leanna followed him behind, marking the hall way to memory as they went on.
The doors they stood before were big but not as huge as Thranduil's study chambers. She waited as Thranduil opened the doors, beckoning her inside. Leanna walked in shyly, not knowing what to expect from this current situation.
Holed up in a corner desk, scribbling away in total concentration is a dark haired elf dressed in fine robes. Leanna guessed this was the head councilor. She turned around and noted Thranduil had disappeared, or left in this case.
"I'm certain your reason for coming all this way has to do with more than just standing there" Leanna turned back to the elf now watching her.
"No, King Thranduil has asked that I meet you"
"Whatever for?" Galion raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"I am here in service to him and was asked to see you for my tasks" Leanna said. Her face was devoid of emotion as usual with no expression to latch on. Galion groaned in irritation as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Very well" Galion dropped his quill and fixed his gaze fully on her. Leanna could hear him grumbling about more tasks to his tired bones as he placed his parchment aside.
"You will report to me at the break of dawn, I do not appreciate tardiness or languor. By tomorrow when you arrive, you will begin with your task, Lady…?"
"Leanna" she responded, very certain he had given him her name on the first day.
"Lady Leanna, seeing as you're a woman unfamiliar with elvish ways, you will also be given lessons including language tutorship so you don't become a bother to the residents in the palace"
"…." Leanna listened as the high councilor chatted on into her ear over the schedule he was planning for her. She did not mind the inclusion of said tutoring if it gave her access to information about this world and other creatures beside men and elves.
"Most importantly, you must finish each task appointed to you unfailingly or there will be consequences. Is there anything you would like to ask?" Galion finally asked as he graciously waited for her to speak.
"Everything is well understood Lord…?" Leanna asked deciding to return the favor.
"Galion" Galion cleared his throat in embarrassment, having been reminded of his discourteous behavior.
"If that is all Lord Galion, please allow me to be excused" Leanna bowed and turned away.
"Yes…you may leave" Galion said in slight surprise. He watched her go and after she shut the door closed, Galion leaned back on his seat and thought over everything that had occurred. These coming days were sure to be interesting for the people of Las Galen.
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Dinner had come and Leanna had decided she would attend, much to the surprise of Gwuineth. She had prepared beforehand, having cleaned herself up and selected a dress to wear.
As always, Leanna preferred something less flashy but as it were, all her dresses were beautiful. She had selected one which she hoped would not draw too much attention to her. She scoffed at the thought running through her head, her being here was more than enough cause to draw attention, she stuck out like a sore thumb.
Gwuineth opted to escort her to the dining hall, the hallways beautifully lit to guide the palace residents at night. They went down the long stairwells to the lower floors. Leanna followed behind silently, mapping out new areas she had never come across before.
Gwuineth on the other hand had found her expectations continuously dashed with this woman. She had heard from Galion along with other elves who interacted with the world of men, how lousy and rambunctious they were, asking away at every little thing, squabbling and fighting over irrelevant things. Most of all, there was their insatiable desires for wealth and power.
The woman behind her didn't ask for anything, if anything it seemed she wanted above all else to be left alone. She kept to herself so far during her stay here, venturing out once in a while but never going too far. She behaved as though she didn't wish to be here, if that was so, why then did she follow Thranduil here?
They reached the dining halls, it was grand as was everything in the palace, Leanna realized, Gwuineth led her to a long table, slightly higher than the others and she immediately noticed Thranduil had already seated at the head of the table. Gwuineth brought out a chair and Leanna bowed in greeting to the king who nodded in return, before sitting in her chair.
The hall went silent as all the elves present watched the guest of the king take her seat in time for dinner, before the whispers gradually grew into rowdy conversations. Leanna nodded to the servant who poured her wine and looked over the contents of her plate. She ate calmly, content to very much ignore everyone present as though she ate alone. That is, until she was blatantly made the major subject of gossip on the table.
"Why, my Lord Thranduil, I did not think it true but now I see that I was dearly mistaken" An elleth had spoken up on the table for everyone to hear. Thranduil looked at the elleth who had spoken and wondered what she intended.
"Oh?" he beckoned her to continue.
"They say a human woman from Dale found her way into these halls with ulterior motives"
"Ulterior motives…and what would they be?"
"Well the rumor is, this human woman has intended to seduce one of our own" At the words casually spoken by this elleth, Leanna did nothing and simply continued eating. All present on the table watched for a reaction including Thranduil who did not show it but felt some semblance of respect for her self-control.
"Lady Leanna of Dale is present in these halls simply because I will it so, nothing more, nothing less"
"Oh? So she's here to serve you?"
"Indeed"
"A pity my Lord, surely you could've asked for any of your subjects. I heard human males are not so competent, and they smell, their women even less appealing and graceless" Athiniel continued on, she was irked that the woman not far off had dared to approach this table or had not even moved since she sat down.
Leanna clutched her fork tightly, choosing to remain calm, her being a subject of discussion was natural thing for her, and this was no new thing that was happening. An elleth was trying to rile her to find fault in her and no one would come to her defense, it was expected afterall.
Thranduil watched her eating, he could've easily stopped Athiniel if he wanted to but he was truly curious as to how much of the insults she could endure. In the end, he was disappointed and at the same time slightly impressed, she had chosen to show nothing, there no sign of expression on her face.
Another elf spoke up and caught her slightly off guard. She looked at him before picking her cup up to drink. It was an elf who had stayed at Dale to help train the men.
"Forgive me Lady Athiniel but that is not entirely true, I find that some women of Dale are somewhat appealing and their men may be weaker but they are struggling still to survive" It sounded more of backhanded insult than a compliment and Leanna decided she was tired of listening.
She finished her meal quietly and turned to Thranduil who looked expectantly at her, waiting some sort of reaction from her.
"The hospitality of your halls is appreciated, as is dinner" With that, Leanna rose and turned to leave but instead turned to the elleth who had spoken. She was a very beautiful elleth but Leanna seen and heard enough to know it was just a mask she wore.
"Lady Athiniel forgive my manners but it seems you misunderstand something" At her words, all turned to her and waited for her to speak.
"Oh?"
"No good kingdom is ruled with fair looks and beauty alone, you would know that if you held more than your breasts and a tongue as a sword" The hall was silent at the brazen words she had let out, in the presence of their king. Leanna however, who was uninterested in what Thranduil had to say, left before giving anyone else the chance to talk.
The halls remained quiet even after she had left, whispers floated in the air with some elves outraged at the insult while others secretly smiled at the audacity of the woman who had come into their halls. Thranduil however, placed his cup on the table, leaning back into his chair and merely watched the mix of emotions all around him.
"Well It seems the lady has a mouth on her after all, one would think she was mute but no matter, she is nothing interesting" Athiniel spoke after a while, picking up her cup to sip on her wine.
"I however beg to differ" The elves turned to their king in curiosity. Thranduil smirked at Athiniel and continued.
"The White Rose of Dale is far more than an illustrious title given by besotted men. She may not seem as such but her talents turned the war in Erebor to our favour. Indeed her skill with the sword alone bested a captain of my guard" Thranduil said holding his cup to his mouth. He drank from it and set the cup back on the table beside an empty plate, deciding he had had enough for the evening.
"While you are a prominent member of nobility in this kingdom, I would appreciate your utmost care where my guest is concerned, whether in the heat of battle or at a dinner table, there is not much you could do against an opponent like her" Thranduil rose, signifying he was finished with dinner and with this conversation. He left the hall way to retire for the night.
He knew she would be in her chambers at this hour. Thranduil was well informed of her movements around the palace but did not bother too much where she was concerned. He stopped at the hallway that led to her chambers. He was about to leave when he heard it, he moved closer to make certain his ears were not playing tricks on him. Sniffing, she was crying.
He turned behind him to find Gwuineth glaring at him with a stiff posture. Raising his eyebrow in indifference, he left her standing there.
She was crying, she had restrained herself until she got to her room. Somehow this knowledge did not feel victorious, instead he felt his chest tighten with…with what? Thranduil frowned, his lips thinning in displeasure. He had no need to feel anything in this situation, he had already acknowledged her and that was more than enough.