23. Sonata (Part 1)
…
- At Mirkwood -
The days transpired in organic fashion, and the highly awaited gala with the Mirkwood nobles was finally on course.
The gathering was being held in one of the great halls of the royal palace.
Tapestries of the finest quality adorned the high walls, and the stained glass on lanced windows showed depictions of the Woodland Realm's iconic nature-inspired ornaments.
The hall contained four interior stairways, which the nobles used to make public entrances and get to the main floor.
Thus, the place was filled with lords and ladies of station speaking amongst themselves; guards keeping watch on each of the access points; caterers swiftly carrying food and drinks for some of the guests and tables; and musicians performing ambiance songs in one of the elevated platforms of the room.
The Elvenking himself had arrived earlier than expected.
Thranduil was wearing an outfit similar to his throne apparel, but the tail of his brocade robe was slightly shorter, and his embroidered silk tunic was coated in glitter-ish jade green.
A small jeweled replica of his throne crown sat regally on the king's head. Furthermore, the headpiece showcased polished shades of silver and gem stones, which matched his outfit colors and the vine-shaped rings on his fingers.
Thranduil's ornate swords were sheathed on a leather belt below the loose sections of his robe.
Moreover, an intricate chest brooch held his tunic in place, and the metallic texture of his trousers and knee boots reflected the interior lights in a majestic manner.
The Elvenking upheld the presence of an otherworldly being at that moment.
Unsurprisingly, many of the female attendees in the hall couldn't help but glance at the ethereal ruler in a dream-like manner.
Thranduil began fulfilling social parlays soon after he entered the hall with his royal guards.
As expected, he was being constantly approached by nobles who wished to pay their respects or further their agendas in a way that was hardly discrete.
At that moment in particular, the king was speaking with Lasben—a councilor whose primary interest was trade above everything else, even in the midst of social gatherings.
Lasben would have been regarded as one of the most exemplary members of the Mirkwood council if it weren't for his devotion to gossip.
Thus, the king and his culprit were walking side by side in a paced manner as they exchanged words.
"This is quite the reception you've put together, your highness. Much delightful." The councilor remarked with a pretentious smile.
"The servants of the palace have done a fine job, as usual. Glad the gathering is to your taste, Lord Lasben." Thranduil responded, making sure to credit his subjects when it was due.
"Of course." The councilor responded. "Have you gotten a chance to review my proposal on expanding our imported goods, by any chance?" He inquired with a pressing tone.
"I have yet to finish reading the entire document since matters of war are taking precedence at this time, but I went over all the tenets, and your reasoning behind them seems solid enough." Thranduil pointed out.
"That is fortunate to hear." Lasben responded with a proud smile, gesturing self-praise. "Speaking about the war, I've heard that your collaboration with the Red Queen is going well enough?" He inquired with a hint of curiosity.
"Yes. We are already sharing intelligence as of now. Such efforts will pay off in crucial moments, we hope." Thranduil stated in an objective manner.
"Good." Lasben remarked. "I look forward to speaking with Queen Reiya in person." The councilor stated with a polite smile. "Word has it that she is quite the… peculiar lady?"
"She is indeed, lord councilor." Thranduil left it at that.
He didn't know if Lasben had meant that as a compliment or a critique to the female monarch, but he chose not to indulge his councilor with additional details, given his tendency to fuel the rumors.
Reiya would arrive at the gala any moment now, but he wished she wouldn't take much longer so they could better manage the nobles' overly hyped expectations.
Thranduil and his council member stood at the center of the hall discussing matters of trade further, but something caught Lasben's attention as he looked behind the king.
"Well well… Seems like our pledges were heard." The councilor stated with a satisfied smile.
Thranduil raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what he was talking about.
"The Red Queen has graced us with her presence." Lasben remarked, lifting his cup in the direction of one of the staircases.
Thranduil turned around almost immediately, and his eyes widened at the sight before him.
All the elves on the floor followed his gaze and went completely quiet as well.
Even the musicians stopped playing their instruments when they realized the most anticipated guest of the night had just entered the hall.
Reiya stood at the top of the stairway and clasped her hands over her waist, adopting her signature queenly posture.
Like a radiant sun, she instantly lit up the place with her marvelous gown.
The Xandorian queen was wearing a burgundy velvet dress with golden rhinestones patterned across her neckline, waist area, and the midsection of her skirt.
Her strapped, off-the-shoulder trumpet sleeves split all the way from her upper arms to the floor, giving the appearance of a royal mantle.
Furthermore, her hair was arranged in a loose half-braid on the back of her neck, which allowed for a clear view of her delicate features and the long red locks falling smoothly over her shoulders.
The Lady of Fire bore a gold jewelry set consisting of a pair of bracelets, ear cuffs and earrings with pendants, a short necklace, and a baroque crown tiara suitable for a guest ruler.
All her jewels contained rubies that matched the shade of her dress, and they had sun-shaped ornaments carved into them.
Reiya was accompanied by Urien and her two ladies-in-waiting, Rineth and Erial, who were also wearing presentable court dresses per their station.
Thus, the three ellith stood at the right side of the queen.
On the other side, there was also Zila and her two second-in-command, Norel and Bara, as they showcased intricate ceremonial armors worthy of the Xandorian Queen's Guard.
Reiya glanced at the scene downstairs for a brief moment before her gaze was fixed on the king.
Thranduil's attention remained on her as he put on the impassive mask once again.
He placed a hand on his shoulder and lowered his head in the queen's direction, showing his respects in noble fashion.
The Mirkwood elves on the floor followed suit and bowed to the female monarch per their customs.
Reiya performed her royal salute for the king in response, and everybody in her company bowed to him per their own traditions as well.
Henceforth, all the attendees resumed their activities as the Lady of Fire descended the stairs in a poised manner, followed closely behind by her party.
…
Once she reached the floor, Reiya voiced instructions for her royal guards.
Zila and her two underlings nodded at her in acknowledgement, then spread throughout the hall as they continued fulfilling their watch duties.
The Xandorian ladies-in-waiting helped adjust the queen's sleeves and hair before they bowed to her and went to sit at the side of the hall as well.
Hence, Reiya and Urien proceeded to pace room as they exchanged words.
…
Thranduil, who was already aware of the close friendship between the Red Queen and her seneschal, raised an eyebrow at the scene.
It looked like Reiya had not planned on speaking to him right after she reached the main floor.
The king sighed and shook his head slightly in resignation.
Of course she would do something like that.
…
Meanwhile, Reiya and Urien were walking through the center of the hall as many of the Mirkwood nobles looked at them in a way that was barely subtle.
"One more gala with aristocrats in the works." The queen pointed out as she kept her composure under such scrutiny.
"Indeed." The Xandorian seneschal remarked in the same manner. "This brings so many memories from back home and our previous travels." Urien added with a nostalgic smile.
"It surely does." Reiya responded, smiling back at her.
"It is such a pity that Eldrec was not able to accompany us for the night." The seneschal stated.
"Yes." Reiya agreed. "I extended an invitation for him to attend the gala, but he deemed himself more useful keeping watch alongside the Mirkwood and Xandorian patrol units at this time." She explained.
"Well, you know Eldrec. He doesn't always see eye to eye with the councilors. Perhaps he just wished to help keep the peace between us and our Mirkwood counterparts by removing himself altogether?" Urien stated.
"Most likely." Reiya corroborated.
"We could invite him to have lunch with us in the palace gardens before he heads back to Xandor, if you deem it fit." Urien proposed.
"That is a great idea, Urien." The queen stated, smiling at her friend in an agreeable manner. "The upcoming week will be quite busy on my end, but I could rearrange some of my scheduled activities prior, so we-"
The two ellith stopped abruptly, and their eyes widened when they realized the Elvenking was standing right in front of them with folded arms.
Thranduil raised an eyebrow at the female monarch as he gestured a reproving look.
Reiya recomposed herself and looked back at him with a distant expression, while Urien adopted a more reverent posture in his presence.
The king let out a low sigh, then straightened up slightly as he addressed the two ellith before him.
"Queen Reiya." Thranduil stated in a poised manner.
"King Thranduil." Reiya responded in the same fashion.
He then turned his face towards the Xandorian seneschal, and his features relaxed slightly.
"Lady Urien." The king nodded in the elleth's direction.
"Your highness." Urien responded as she bowed cordially to the king.
Thranduil shifted his attention back to the female monarch, and his gaze narrowed once again.
Reiya kept a collected expression, and she raised an eyebrow at him in a questioning manner.
Urien looked back and forth between the two monarchs, then she glanced at the floor with a secretive smile.
Sensing the shift in their demeanors, the Xandorian seneschal took an opportunity to excuse herself and leave the royals to their parlays.
"I will go check on the queen's ladies-in-waiting." Urien pointed out. "My lord, my lady."
The Xandorian seneschal bowed politely to both of them, then smiled at her friend before she retreated from the area.
Reiya smiled back at her before she shifted her attention to the stern ellon.
Once Urien was out of listening distance, the king proceeded to speak.
"That was quite the entrance you made." Thranduil stated in a more informal manner.
"One that they will never forget." Reiya remarked with an assertive smile as she quoted her words from their previous intelligence meeting.
Thranduil raised an eyebrow at the statement, but he refocused on the matter at hand soon after.
"Good for you to join us. I was wondering when you were planning on making your appearance." The king pointed out with a sardonic expression.
"I arrived just at the right time. Trust me." Reiya stated as she discreetly glanced at the nobles around them.
Many of the Mirkwood aristocrats would take the occasional peak while they whispered amongst themselves and pondered all sorts of preconceptions about her, no doubt.
When Reiya averted her gaze away from him, Thranduil's eyes were instinctively drawn to the queen's garments and the bits of skin exposed by her gala dress as he probed her feminine jaw, the sleek trail of her neck, and the delicate curves that contoured her bosom.
Thranduil felt his lips going slightly dry at the sight of her before he spoke.
"You look…"
The female monarch shifted her attention back to him in wonder.
"…ready." He concluded with his deep-toned voice as he directed his gaze back to hers.
Reiya was slightly thrown off by the blank statement, but she collected herself promptly before she spoke.
"I am as ready as I can be at this time." She merely replied.
The female monarch turned her whole body to the side, following the statement.
Thranduil followed suit and folded his arms behind his back as he stood beside her.
"You've kept your councilors well entertained, I see." Reiya stated as she contemplated the aristocrat attendees more closely.
"I've known most of them for centuries. The task has become routine, pretty much." The king replied in an impassive manner.
"Very well, I guess it is my turn to engage with them now." Reiya stated.
Thranduil raised an eyebrow at the queen's remark.
"If you'll excuse me, your highness, I have nobles to greet."
And thus, Reiya discreetly left the king's side and made her way amongst the crowd of attendees in an assertive manner, seemingly knowing exactly where she wished to go—or rather, who she wished to speak with.
Thranduil followed the Lady of Fire with his gaze, looking slightly surprised by her sudden action.
He did not doubt Reiya's ability to properly conduct herself with his councilors, given her upbringing as a royal.
Nevertheless, he was startled by the fact that she launched herself at the sharks without him, since he knew—more than anybody else—which of them would be more likely to question the Xandorian queen's untraditional ways.
Well… She had already made up her mind about the unforeseen approach it seemed, and intruding her conversations with the councilors without a proper justification wouldn't look courteous on his part.
Thus, he resigned himself to the sporadic stare and would only step in if the situation desperately called for it.
…
In the meantime, Reiya approached a lord and lady who were actively discussing matters of the realm.
She gestured an apology for disrupting the ongoing debate and proceeded to speak.
"Esteemed councilors." Reiya addressed them both with a courteous smile as she lowered her head respectfully.
"Queen Reiya." The ellon bowed to her in noble fashion. "It is such an honor to finally meet you, my lady." He stated with sobered expression.
"Your majesty." His female colleague followed suit. "We've heard so much about you." She stated with a polite smile of her own.
"Positive things, I hope?" Reiya remarked as her agreeable expression remained unchanged.
The male councilor let out a low chuckle at the statement as he looked to the floor briefly.
"Indeed." The female councilor responded with a pretentious smile.
Their reactions did not go unnoticed by Reiya, as she was paying close attention to such cues.
Hence, the queen resumed the conversation as intended.
"If my memory serves me correctly, I believe you are Lord Tawon and Lady Methel. Am I right?"
The two councilors were taken slightly by surprise when Reiya voiced their names.
"Um, yes, that would be us." Tawon reiterated with a questioning look, verging in caution.
"As I thought." Reiya's smile widened slightly at the confirmation. "Your contributions to the Woodland Realm's infrastructure planning have gained much recognition over the years. Such efforts are worth the praise, I should add." She remarked.
The female councilor seemed even more surprised by Reiya's subsequent statement.
"You seem rather... familiar with our work, my lady. How come?" Methel asked with a genuine tone.
"I admit not being knowledgeable on all the details, but the projects that you are overseeing have been well documented in public records stored here in the palace. I had the opportunity to read some of those in the royal library." Reiya explained.
"I see..." Methel responded, looking slightly intrigued by the Red Queen's initiative in such regards.
Her male peer, however, remained visibly skeptical as he proceeded to voice an inquiry of a different kind.
"Apologies for my sudden interjection, your majesty, but since we are on the topic of the welfare of Elven realms, I couldn't help but ask." Tawon stated. "Some of the Mirkwood councillors have been somewhat... concerned about your rule."
Methel raised an eyebrow as she seemed unfamiliar with such notions.
"My rule?" Reiya reiterated with a collected expression. "Would you mind explaining your concerns more in depth, Lord Tawon? Perhaps I might be able to help ease them?" The queen stated in a polite manner.
"Surely." Tawon responded. "Our worries pertain to the fact that you are a young ruler presiding over an Elven realm alone, your majesty." He pointed out.
"I see… And why is that a cause for such concerns, may I ask?" Reiya inquired in a courteous manner.
"We believe that the burdens of the crown might weigh significantly more on a sole queen ruler merely entering her mature years." Tawon explained. "Even the great Lady Galadriel had acquired much wisdom and leadership experience at the time she founded Lothlórien, as you know." He pointed out.
"So I am aware." Reiya responded in a tactful manner as her expression remained collected.
"I assume you are also aware that if Xandor were to stumble in the middle of this war, it would negatively impact the balance between all the Elven realms to a certain extent, since you are now an acknowledged Elven ruler yourself?" Tawon remarked matter-of-factly.
Methel looked at the floor with a reproving expression, seemingly gesturing disagreement with her colleague's views on the subject.
Nonetheless, she restrained herself from discussing those differences openly in front of their guest ruler.
Reiya, on the other hand, remained quiet as she pondered Tawon's remarks.
The Mirkwood councilor was not entirely wrong in his views, even though his reasoning behind them was a bit stretched.
Galadriel and Reiya were very different leaders in ruling principles and temperament.
Additionally, the Lady of Lórien had already made a name for herself as the wisest and mightiest Elven leader in Middle-earth, whereas Reiya was merely beginning to build a legacy of her own as queen.
Nonetheless, the two of them still presided as the only female Elven rulers of their time, and their abilities were both linked to the Valar.
Hence, comparisons between them would be inevitable, especially amongst elf-nobles who regarded Galadriel as an exemplary role model.
Following that lead, Reiya voiced a thought-out response which offered an alternative take on the subject.
"Your point is certainly valid, Lord Tawon. It could be argued that Xandor might face certain disadvantages by choosing me as their ruler." The queen stated. "Nevertheless, my rule is not entirely unsupervised or directionless just because I am younger, as I am often mentored by councilors such as yourself in my court." She pointed out with a light smile.
Tauron raised an eyebrow at the statement, and Methel turned her attention to the Lady of Fire, as she proceeded to speak.
"There are also several advantages to my seemingly novel ways of ruling, which might yet to be addressed by your peers, perhaps?" Reiya remarked.
"Are there now?" Tawon inquired.
"Yes." The queen responded as her agreeable smile remained unchanged. "I would be more than happy to address the rest of your concerns on the subject, if you would but allow me to explain the ways in which the presence of a younger elf-ruler benefits not only the Realm of Xandor but the balance between all the Elven realms as a whole."
"Hm… Intriguing." Tawon stated with a curious expression.
Methel was slightly surprised by the councilor's response, given his tendency to decline such contemporary ideas. Hence, she continued listening to the exchange attentively as the queen proceeded to speak.
"Does that sound like fair exchange to you, lord councilor?" Reiya asked, making sure the Mirkwood aristocrat was in fact willing to listen to her further.
"Hm… It surely does. Please explain the benefits that you speak of." Tawon left it that, gesturing interest as well.
Reiya smiled at him in an assertive manner before she proceeded to discuss her points more in detail.
Meanwhile, Methel directed an approving smile of her own to the queen as she made her case.
…
Thranduil observed the queen's exchange in between his conversations with other nobles.
Per his impressions, it seemed like Reiya had managed to hold a proper dialogue with Tawon—one of his most rigid councilors to date without a doubt.
Thus, he deemed his intervention unnecessary at the moment and let the queen be for the time being as she pursued parlays of her own.
He could always meet with her later that night to discuss their recollections with the Mirkwood aristocrats.
…
Henceforth, the two Elven monarchs continued greeting nobles throughout the night as the gala unfolded in uneventful fashion.
Lasben approached the Red Queen to engage in conversation at one point, just like he intended earlier.
He seemed more agreeable towards the Lady of Fire than his peer Tawon, as far as the eye could see. Thus, the notion provided some relief.
Once the exchange was over, the queen was joined by her seneschal once again, and the two ellith continued speaking to one another for the time being.
Thrandui, on his end, had been approached by multiple lords and ladies of station until the mid-break made its course.
Henceforth, the king walked towards a small private table that contained some of his favored snacks and drinks.
He was about to pour wine in an intricate goblet but stopped himself when a familiar voice resonated in his keen Elven ears.
"So many desserts..."
Thranduil shifted his attention to the pastries table nearby, when he realized the distinct remark had come from the Red Queen herself.
Reiya had both hands on her face while she bore an expression of... excitement, it seemed?
Thranduil raised an eyebrow since he didn't recall ever seeing the Lady of Fire act in such a manner around food before.
Thus, he kept observing the scene with some degree of interest.
…
"Yes. These desserts are from the royal cooks' specialty menu, your majesty. You are more than welcome to try any that you'd like." The caterer in the pastries section stated with a polite smile.
"Understood." Reiya replied as she returned the smile.
She looked at all the options on the table for a brief moment.
Soon after, her attention was fixed on several jars that contained layers of moist vanilla cake, whipped cream, and fresh strawberry slices.
The queen carefully took one of the jars and proceeded to taste the peculiar desert with a small spoon.
"Is that one to your liking, my lady?" The caterer inquired with a curious expression, verging in suspense.
Reiya finished savoring the sweet treat before she spoke.
"This is utterly delicious." She stated with a satisfactory smile. "What sort of cake is it?"
The caterer smiled in relief before he responded to her.
"We call it Strawberry Delight, your majesty. It is made with berries from the Mirkwood forest." He explained.
"I see." Reiya responded in a thoughtful manner, as her joyful expression remained unchanged.
…
Thranduil's gaze softened slightly as he observed the female monarch's gestures throughout her whole tasting endeavor.
That was rather... interesting.
The king proceeded to pour wine into his goblet and took a long sip as he kept pondering the scene he just witnessed.
…
A/N: The gala is not over yet!
Part 2 of the gala is already posted as you are reading this :)
There is a whole lot of 'subtext' taking place with these elf-nobles, so I thought it would be better to split the chapter in two parts in order to allow for a break mid-way.
Quick sidenote—Even though I have never tried it myself, Strawberry Delight (the cake that Reiya tasted) is a thing! (as in a real dessert that actually exists). You can look it up.
More juicy stuff coming on Part 2! :D