Veiled Stars » LotR [1] ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Feast

"I'm not wearing it," Elle crossed her arms.

Eowyn frowned at her, a blue dress held to her chest. Her blue eyes narrowed and she blew blonde hair out of her face, sighing. "Elle--"

"I would go to Mordor first," Elle affirmed, plopping on her bed. "I need pants. And space to move. That doesn't work in said dress."

"You're impossible," Eowyn groaned, turning away. "I don't understand why this is such a big deal!"

Elle shrugged with a grin, falling back on the bed.

She ran her fingers over the bandages wrapped around her side, staring at the ceiling. "I shall wear a dress the day Gimli does."

"I will bring the cursed dwarf to these quarters and fit him into a gown if that's what it takes," Eowyn threatened.

Elle blinked and sat up. "I would enjoy seeing that."

"You're impossible!" Eowyn cried.

Elle chuckled as she fell back onto the bed. "Just a little."

It had been three days.

Three. Long. Dreary. Days.

Aragorn refused to let her leave her room until she could move without reopening the wound-- she had ripped through the stitches four times.

Eventually the pain of being re-stitched up had worn her down and Elle had given up on trying to do anything but lay in bed.

But finally, on the third day of her confinement and the day of the celebratory feast, Aragorn had offered her freedom.

But then Eowyn showed up at her door with a dress.

Pushing herself off the mattress, Elle drifted over to the window and gazing out.

Light poured from the Great Hall doors and in the courtyard, soldiers milled around, dressed in shining armor.

The surviving elves had departed after the first day of the battle, taking with them their wounded and fallen.

Aragorn had offered to hold a ceremony for Haldir at the stronghold, but his brothers had wanted to take him back to Lorien, where he could be properly sent off.

They had left a bundle of cloaks gifted by Galadriel, sorrow on their faces. And Elle had only been able to sit in her room and watch.

"So will you be attending with your companions?"

Elle snapped back to reality, turning away from the cool air. "Probably. Someone is going to need to help carry Gimli back to his room when he passes out from ale intake."

Eowyn chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"What about you?" Elle wiggled her eyebrows. "Are you going with anyone special?"

The girl's face flushed crimson and she jutted out her chin. "No."

"Ah," Elle bit her lip in amusement, nodding. "I'm sure a handful of the men of Rohan just sighed in disappointment."

"Oh hush," Eowyn face had turned scarlet, a grin on her face. "Now will you please try this on?"

Elle frowned, glaring at the dress.

Yet Eowyn's eyes pleaded and Elle felt her heart sink. Gritting her teeth, she slowly nodded. "Fine. But if I don't like it, it's going out the window."

"Agreed!" Eowyn beamed, shoving the dress forward.

Biting back a grimace, Elle took it. She stared at it for a moment, then looked helplessly over at Eowyn. "It goes over your head?"