I Don't Speak Elvish

part 5

All of a sudden, the air began to turn black around me, my vision became blurry as I staggered backwards, my mind swirling, my breath shallow, until I fainted in a heap on the floor.

~

"Lady Lily! Lady Lily?" I heard a distant female voice, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Lily! Someone fetch a healer!" someone else called.

~

I woke up as if I had been dunked in an icy lake, every sense urging me to claw my way to standing. 

I gasped for breath, my chest heaving, before immediately slumping back down into impossibly soft cushions. 

I rubbed my eyes as my vision became clear. What happened last night?

I noticed there was a bell attached to a cord my the long narrow bed I had awoken on.

I pulled the cord and an angelic tinkling filled the air. 

A door at the far end of the long pale room opened wide, and in walked who I assumed was a healer or a doctor of some sort.

"Good afternoon nin hiril," the healer spoke.

Sindarin - my lady

"Could you please tell me what happened?" the voice that came out of me did not sound like mine, my throat and mouth were ever so dry.

"With pleasure, my lady. Your lady-in-waiting is very anxious to see that you are alright, and she may have a helpful contribution into the events leading up to your rehearsal banquet a few nights ago. Send her in!" the healer called. 

No sooner had the guards posted at the door spoken, Ila rushed past them, practically knocking them over in her haste to reach me. She collapsed to her knees by my bedside in floods of tears as she clutched my nightgown.

"Ila! My dear companion whatever is the matter?" I asked, swallowing, trying to coat the inside of my mouth with saliva, as to not sound like a frog when next I spoke. 

"My fair lady! I didn't know what had come over you! I feared for your life!" Ila said hurriedly.

The healer cleared their throat: "If you will forgive the interruption my lady, you collapsed on your way to attend the banquet." 

I nodded. 

"When?" I asked, frowning, definitely remembering the beginning of the rehearsal dinner.

"Just before entering the Great Hall, my lady." Ila answered. 

I frowned again, confused, how? I clearly remember events of the dinner rehearsal.

"I noticed, that as you left your room on the.. Melethron's arm, your eyes had completely changed. They held a strange white glaze, like a third eyelid. It was quite frightening." Ila said, as I mopped her cheeks with my sleeve. 

"You went rigid and fell to the ground, luckily none of your ceremonial jewellery was broken or damaged. But then you began to convulse, muttering under your breath in a strange language I have never heard before. As if ancient and forgotten," she added.

"I see, this is certainly alot to take in, is my aunty still here?" I asked.

"I am afraid not, my lady. She had only planned to visit for a few days, as she was going to attend your wedding, but of course, it has been postponed until you are as well as you were when you came to us." the healer spoke once more. 

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my swimming thoughts.

"Can I go to my garden please? Ila, would you accompany me?" I asked, taking her hankie and dabbing at her cheeks once more. She righted herself immediately and stood upright.