Your Hands Are Cold

A Visitor

I placed the wooden piece on top of the drawer and continued to clean up my grandfather’s old room to gather all of his possessions and storing in a safe place. Inside a wooden box were letters written from my grandfather to my grandmother when he fell in love with her, charcoal sketches of my grandmother and my mother when she was a child, my grandmother’s jewelry which included necklaces and earrings, and my grandfather’s favorite books including ones that he read to me when I was a child. I took a deep sigh and placed them in a place where I could not see them, so it would not remind me of him and of my grandparents.

I washed my hands and proceeded to finish up a few of the detailing on a gown I had been working on for a young girl named Ballindes who worked as a jewelery maker with her father. Upon her request, she asked me to create a azure blue gown made of silks for a celebration she was holding for her upcoming birthday. I wanted to make sure she would love the gown, so apart from taking care of my grandfather, I spent most of my time creating her gown.

“There we go,” I said as I finally sewed in the last piece of white gem on the bust of the gown. I held up the gown one last time to see how it looked, and I envy how amazing Ballindes would look in the gown. The white gems seemed to twinkle in the morning sunlight, and the color would really compliment her blue eyes.

I folded the gown and placed in a white box and held it tight as stepped out and walked through the market. The market was still as quiet as ever, and the journey from my house to her jewelery shop took a bit time. Ballindes lived near King Thranduil’s palace, and as I grew nearer to the shop, the more guards I saw. Thus I became frightened, but I was relieved to see the sight of young Ballindes standing in front of her shop, waving at me and greeting me with her youthful smile.

“Maeneth!” she said cheerily. “I assume you’ve finished my dress, or are you here to shop?”

I laughed and said, “I’m here to give you your dress. I hope you’ll like it, I’ve tried my hardest so that it’ll look perfect on you,”

“You know everything you make looks perfect on anyone,” she said, and I blushed. “Why don’t you come inside? We’ll have supper together, along with my father,” 

“I’m afraid I have much work to do,”

“You’re working too much, Maeneth,” Ballindes frowned. “I’m worried about you.”

“Believe me, Ballindes, but you have much better things to do than worry about my well-being,” I giggled.

“Novaer,” she said, and then went back inside her shop with the box. I went home, and was quiet startled when I opened to door to find Prince Legolas in my small dining room. He sat there with his legs crossed, as if he was expecting me.

“Forgive me, hîr vuin,” I said. “I was not expecting you. I’m sorry to be impolite, I shall make you a cup of tea,”

Legolas stood up. “No, it’s fine,” he said. “I bring good news for you,”

“Good news, my lord?” I asked.

“Yes. As of today, you will start working in the realm’s palace as a seamstress for my father. The previous seamstress has fallen ill and she is quiet old, and her time of death is near. You will be in charge of creating my father’s robes, surcoats, cloaks and his clothing in general. I assume you are able to make clothes too, and not just sew, is that correct?”

“Yes I do..,” I said. However I don’t think I’m good enough for the job, and you have not seen my work and the clothes that I have made,”

“I have done that, fortunately. I ordered the guards to seek elves who have had you made their clothing, and most of them were greatly satisfied with your work," 

“Are you sure they aren’t just saying that because they were being interviewed by a palace guard?”

Legolas laughed and said, “No, I am sure. The reason why I am here is because I need you to meet my father so that he may be able to assess your skills, and take you to the palace,”

“What about my house?”

“Your house will still be yours, but it will be forbidden for you to leave the palace and return to your home without permission of the king,”

“What about my belongings, and my clothes? Should I leave them behind, my lord?" 

“There is no need to worry about that. Although you will only get to choose some of your personal belongings to bring to the palace to keep memories of your family alive, therefore after this I am giving you a few minutes to place the items in a small box to take to your new chambers inside the palace, and then we head straight for the palace. You will also be provided clothes inside the palace, so there is no need of you bring the clothes you have now,” he said. “And as you may know, my father does not like to waste his time, so it’s best if you do this in a hurry,”

I simply nodded and headed for my bedroom to pick up the box filled with my grandfather’s belongings. Another thing I took was the wooden piece that I keep playing with, so that it’ll give me comfort even at times of distress, and I placed on it on the very top of the pile inside the wooden box. I walked out of my bedroom, nodded at Legolas telling him that I’m ready.

I bid my last farewells to the life I have now, as I grew nearer to the new life ahead of me.

 A/N: Novaer means farewell and Hîr vuin means my lord.