I Don't Speak Elvish

part 3

The days seemed much longer, and I was being pulled in eighteen different directions before noon. But it was all very important, and it needed to be done.

Only today and tomorrow remained until I was to marry the king of The Woodland Realm, and I still hadn't managed to catch a glimpse of him.

I thought about him and the rumours I had heard from living so close to the kingdom, before I came here. I tried to shake it, this negative and foreboding mindset, remembering Melethron's words to ignore such thoughts.

I read over breakfast while Ila busied herself with sorting my wardrobe.

Formal, through casual to sleepwear. Whatever the need for that particular height of organisation was, I had no idea. But I left her to it and took the familiar route to the gardens.

Songbook tucked under my arm, I meandered slowly through the kingdom, watching the elves run amok with wedding arrangements. It made me wonder, is my suitor as occupied with this arrangement? Did he ever think of me the way I thought of him? Had he heard what I was like through whispering on the air?

Again, I shook away the thoughts and continued on my way.

Perching on the bench, my cloak laid beneath me, I flicked through my songbook. I wondered if the king would appreciate my so called gift. I certainly enjoyed singing, but the right mood had to strike me, for me to be able to do so.

No appropriate melody sprang to mind, so I began to hum to myself. No tune in particular until I let my mind take over.

I'd circled a few possible contenders for my devotion to the king. Old favourites of mine to sing.

~

Lady Lily's voice carried over the garden wall to a hidden king who had stopped on his walk to eavesdrop.

Thranduil wanted nothing more than to tell her, but he seemed certain that she was comfortable around him. So why would the title of king change anything?

~

I felt the tree enter my consciousness.

That is certainly a lovely song.

I thanked the tree and wondered;

"Do you have a name? "

No, I do not.

Would you like one?

I shall come upon my name in my own time, dear. I can see you care for me a great deal. Thank you.

~

I invited Ila to lunch in the garden, a lavish picnic had been prepared by the kitchen to let me try different bites and tastes that would be present at the wedding banquet.

As evening came, I was curled up by the fire in my room with an old storybook in my lap. It was one of the books that the king had sent me. The one Melethron showed me how to use by holding it up to the sun. In my spare time, I'd found an old transcribing book on a dusty bookshelf in my room, so I sat with both books in my lap, going letter by letter, sometimes by word if it seemed unique enough, and by time, I had nearly re-written the first chapter.

As the flames died down, coming to sit in the ashtray as no more than glowing embers, I glanced at the clock in the corner.

Chiming an hour past midnight, I obeyed the wordless order and readied for bed.

The next morning came with wild anticipation.

Today was the eve of my wedding.

With giddy excitement, I jumped from my bed and out of my door.