runando ~ A Thranduil Story

Movement pt. One

Issel had most graciously provided Laineth with a dress to her liking. To Laineth, she was surprisingly understanding with her vague reasoning for her desires and she didn't push on the topic, to which she was very grateful for. In addition, she had also met Issel's mother, Narthiel. A wonderful woman, extremely talented with a paintbrush but more so with styling hair. In her short time in Issel's home, Laineth learned that her friend either got her hair done by her mother or she had gotten her mother to teach her how to do it. This new knowledge struck a chord in Laineth, it made her realize how much she missed her own mother, how much she wished to be able to travel to the Undying Lands to be with her, but no, that was impossible now.

Narthiel offered to do Laineth's hair for the feast, but Laineth insisted on something simple and modest, she didn't want a fancy updo or endless plaits. Just a plain and nice looking plait was good enough for her. She was worried that she would have to wear her hair down to cover her back, but Issel had sourced out a fully covering dress from the depths of her wardrobe. It was a deep blue colour, patterns reflecting that of waves circling around the hem of the skirt and sleeves. It was an overwhelmingly simple dress which would explain why it was at the back of Issel's wardrobe; She was quite the extravagant woman.

So there she sat, Narthiel behind her while Issel tried to fetch some shoes to match Laineth's dress. Both women were already completely sorted, dressed prim and proper with matching shoes and fancy hair. Issel looked beautiful, Laineth could now see why Norgon had fallen head over heels for her. She had divulged that the two of them had their very first dance during the feast of starlight, Issel reckoned she could see the love in his eyes.

"Laineth dear," Narthiel poked her head around Laineth's shoulder, "Are you quite sure you wouldn't like a more intricate style? It really wouldn't cost a thing, this is the one day where we all get to indulge a little, I would feel a little guilty if I let you leave looking so simple."

Taking a hand mirror that Issel handed her, Laineth looked at herself. She'd put on a bit of a disguise for the night, simply because she wasn't feeling the blonde, more of a rusty brown colour instead. Also, she wasn't a huge fan of how her eyes were looking, so she tried to focus on keeping them orange for the duration of the evening. She looked at herself, trying to see how her hair looked. Narthiel had pulled it back into a high ponytail, a small plait running down the side of it. Just how she had liked.

"Oh no, don't worry Narthiel," Laineth smiled, passing the mirror to Issel in exchange for a pair of blue flats, "I quite like what you have done already. I'd much rather stay unnoticed, and if that means remaining as simple as possible, then so be it."

With a sigh, Narthiel gave in, eyeing her daughter who now sat across the room by the front door, obviously waiting for her husband to arrive to escort the three of them.

"Issel was like you when she was younger, I don't doubt that you're around the same age, but when she was nearing 2000, she wanted nothing but simplicity. She was a candidate to marry the prince at the time, so I told her no, you must dress to impress," Narthiel confided, bringing her chair around to sit next to Laineth, "The prince wasn't interested, he hasn't been interested in anyone, not even when he became King and it was more urgent for an heir to be born. Although, my daughter has found the eyes and heart of another whom I cannot complain about."

Laineth wasn't sure how to respond to all of this, she had only met the older elleth a day previous, yet Narthiel seemed to be spilling all her concerns onto her. Actually, she wasn't sure what Narthiel was doing at all, she wasn't concerned about her daughter anymore from the sounds of it, but the tone of her voice said that she was worried about something...someone.

"Ohh," Laineth gasped out loud, "You are worried for Thranduil?"

Narthiel nodded glumly, "Yes, I am. You see, the King may be a very confident and stubborn ellon, he may say that he doesn't need a wife nor an heir yet, but he has been saying that ever since he came of age, right up until this very day. The fact is that he does need a wife and he does need an heir, perhaps not at this very moment, but when war comes, and mind you it always does, he will not be saying the same thing. King Oropher, Mandos bless him, was worried sick when the last war broke out because if Thranduil perished, there would be no one else to continue on the line after him. If his son had died along him, this realm likely would not exist, we all would have fled to stay with our kin in Lothlorien or Imladris, or perhaps people like myself and my husband would have sailed. Too much relies on him having a child, Laineth, it worries me that he is still acting like a princeling when he is now a King."