Elerrina

In the Secret Veil of Night

Elladan guided her through the floor among the crowd of gracefully dancing couples. He was a good dancer, she noticed, and so was Elrohir. Then again, every single elf she could see in the room seemed to be a good dancer. Her surroundings were fascinating, the elves moved gracefully, almost floating on their feet, and their elegant robes in dazzling colors twirled and fluttered all around them. And yet she did not care to spare a glance on anything other than the one elf she had in front of her.

His grey eyes had not left her even for a second, the silvery color dragging her, pleading her to look at him for eternity, and she could not break the stare. Nor did she want to try. She had been sure that she hated the elf; the simple idea of him had made her cringe. He could manage to make her rage explode at his free will and now he was proving to her that he could also manage to make her feel butterflies fluttering inside of her. He had complete control over her and he did not even know it. Or perhaps he did.

The look on his eyes held no playfulness now, all the mischievousness, the wicked gaze that seemed to challenge her with every single stare was gone. Instead his eyes sparkled with sincere trust and content. He was playing no game with her.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a couple of ladies sitting on a nearby table with their eyes fixed upon her, alert to every single step she or Elladan made, carefully studying them. Their eyes shone with jealousy and Elerrina suddenly felt nervous again, observed.

Elladan looked at her curiously and then turned around to look at what had caught her attention. After a second he looked back at her grinning widely when he spotted the ladies. Looking at her reassuringly she felt him tighten his hold on her hand, gently squeezing it. He stopped dancing and let his hand slip from her waist to grasp her other hand. He leaned his head close to her left ear.

"Do not let them get into your nerves." He whispered softly. Then he leaned forward and gently placed a soft kiss on her cheek, seeming to enjoy the way in which the watching pairs of ladies looking suddenly almost scandalized. "That will give them something to talk about. Come, let's get out of here."

Elerrina looked back at the ladies and felt a grin forming on her lips at the bewilderment on their faces. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her for delighting in the ladies' envy, but she could not help her lips fro curving up in a smile. It did not matter how much they talked, their stares meant nothing to her now. Tonight Elladan was with her.

Still with her hand in his, Elladan guided her out of the crowded hall to a large terrace. Some other elves had already started to populate the terrace, probably seeking some peace and a quieter area to talk. It was the perfect place to do so for one could still see the dancing couples and hear the music.

However, much to her surprise, Elladan did not stop at the beautiful terrace but continued through it, descending the couple of low steps at its edge and leading her into the slopping gardens. The bright lights from the ball became distant now, and the air danced with the freshness of the swaying dark trees. She could see many bushes full of thousands of flowers which's colors had been reduced to simple shades of blues and violets in the darkness of the night, the pale moonlight giving them a soft glitter of silver every once in a while.

He led her deep into the gardens, walking slowly among the flowered trees, until she was sure she would not be able to find her way back alone. After a while, the sound of water softly flowing reached her ears and it was not long until she saw a small creek appear in between the wonder of flowers and trees. The black waters mirrored the stars above and over them a tiny bridge arched delicately, almost floating over the reflected sky.

Silently, Elladan led her into a beautiful gazebo next to the bridge with pointed arches that seemed almost too fragile to support any weight. She watched him sit down on the bench placed on one corner, and she felt as if she was in a dream. Everything about the place was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen or imagined, but the image of the Elf-Lord's son, tall and handsome, siting under the pale moonlight, surpassed every dream.