A/N: I don't own any characters, places or ideas from The Lord Of The
Rings, but I do own all the characters you don't recognize in this story.
It's exam time for me, so I'll be writing this story in between revision
sessions! I'll try to update as often as I can, however. This is based on
the plot of Pride and Prejudice, but it is not the same story. I hope Alwyn
doesn't turn Mary-Sueish, I tried not to make her one.
Part One: Muddy Shoes And Some Exciting News
Alwyn stood at the top of the small knoll looking down towards the plains below. Far away in the distance she could just make out two tiny figures on horseback, riding towards Rivendell with great haste. Seeing as her uncle, Elrond, had not told her of any visitors coming to the palace she assumed they were either messengers or servants. She pushed the unanswered question out of her head and looked down the dirt path, which led in a winding trail towards the palace. A slight smile found it's way onto her lips, and she suddenly darted forward, skipping lightly down the hill with long strides. She knew that if her uncle could see her now he would be outraged, but Alwyn didn't care. Alwyn had always been different from the other ladies at the palace, but either she had not noticed or she merely did not care.
She looked almost normal on the outside, having very long raven hair and a pale, almost porcelain face. It was only her large, icy-blue eyes which revealed the restless energy that burned beneath the calm exterior. A cold, reserved personality would perfectly match her looks, but that was not so. The other maidens at the palace were more concerned with which dress to put on each morning and how to wear their hair than with such nonsensical things as books or fencing. To Alwyn, these were the more important things in life. Reading was one of her favourite pastimes, along with riding (which both her father and Elrond found contemptible) and trying to escape the many suitors that her father insisted she should 'give a chance'.
Her brother Avardo, Elrond's nephew, was very much like her in appearance, but not so much in personality. He had the same raven locks, which fell just below his shoulder blades and the same piercing eyes, which were grey and not blue like his sister's. He was more concerned with the practical side of life, and would spend his afternoons practising archery, hunting with his cousins Elladan and Elrohir or trying his hardest to win against his sister in fencing training (in which he often succeeded). Alwyn loved him very much, and he her, and ever since the death of their mother when they had both been very young, the two siblings had been closer than ever before.
As Alwyn reached the bottom of the hill she stumbled slightly, and found herself toppling off balance. A second later, after grabbing the nearest tree for support, she looked down and saw that both her shoes had sunk deep into a mud puddle. She grimaced, pulled out one foot and inspected it closely. Then, instead of running home screaming like most of the other maidens would have done in this situation, she simply shrugged and carried on walking. She made her way down the dirt path, and after about half and hour was walking up the stone steps into the palace. She left muddy footprints all along the white hall corridor, and then, realising what she had done, stopped outside her room.
Alwyn winced as she looked down the hall. The trail led directly to her bedroom, and would immediately reveal the culprit should anyone discover this mess. Cleverly, Alwyn walked down the corridor a little more, and around the corner. Then, slipping off her shoes she darted back into her room and hid the offending objects at the bottom of the large closet which stood at the end of her four-poster bed. She peeked out of the door, to see if anyone had noticed, but realised that all the servants would most probably be out getting dinner ready. With a relieved sigh she fell back onto her bed and looked up at the ceiling.
"Sneaky," said a voice she recognized from the doorway.
Alwyn shot up into a sitting position and looked towards the voice. "What?"
"I said sneaky," Avardo replied with a smirk. "I saw what you did."
Alwyn let out a breath and fell back onto her bed. "I suppose you'll tell Elrond it was me then," she said flatly. Avardo put on a mock hurt expression.
"I would never do that to my little sister!" he said. Then he grinned. "No I won't tell. Blame it on me if you like, Uncle never gives me a hard time."
"Lucky," Alwyn murmured, and rolled to the side so that Avardo could sit down. He poked her stomach and Alwyn grunted.
"I'm not in the mood," she said, her voice muffled by the pillow under her face. Avardo tickled his sister playfully, and she giggled a bit. Avardo could always take her mind off the things that were bothering his younger sibling. In this case, the fact that their uncle seemed to prefer his nephew to his niece. "Oh yes," Avardo said, suddenly remembering the news that had been related to him that morning. "The son of King Thranduil and his sister have arrived. Just ten minutes ago, actually. Are you going to come and see them?"
"No," Alwyn stated, and looked up at her brother. Avardo frowned. "I'd rather stay here."
"Well you'll be forced to later on, Elrond is having a ball tonight before dinner, and you're expected to come."
"Yes, I'll come to that, but I just want to stay here for now. And read more of my book."
Avardo regarded his sister critically as she reached for the leather-bound book on her side table, and opened to the page she had got to the night before.
"You will never marry, you know, if you carry on like this," he said; not unkindly, just worriedly.
Alwyn paused and then looked up from her book at the ceiling. "Like what?"
"Reading all the time. Fencing. Not greeting visitors when you are expected to."
"I like doing unexpected things. I like being like this. Leave me alone!" she added, looking back at the book. Avardo sighed and went over to the balcony overlooking the waterfalls all around the palace. Her voice came from behind the book again, this time derisive. "At least I am not intent on thinking well of everyone and everything in the entire world."
"That is not a fault!" Avardo exclaimed, turning from the pretty view outside. "I do not speak ill of people because... well, I always speak my mind."
"I know you do; and it is that which makes me wonder. With your good sense, to be so blind to the follies and nonsense of others! Especially those awful maidens down in the..."
"Speak not of the 'awful maidens' Alwyn, I beg you. You have already given me a detailed run down of all their faults and imperfections on at least six separate occasions, I believe."
"Five," came Alwyn's voice from behind the book cover. Avardo exhaled noisily and went over to the door. He gave her one, last frustrated look before turning and walking away. She did not lower the book until she heard his footsteps dying away down the corridor. Alwyn rolled her eyes as she sat up and replaced the book on the side table.
"Never marry indeed!" she said haughtily to herself, and muttered darkly about the complacency of her brother under her breath.
Part One: Muddy Shoes And Some Exciting News
Alwyn stood at the top of the small knoll looking down towards the plains below. Far away in the distance she could just make out two tiny figures on horseback, riding towards Rivendell with great haste. Seeing as her uncle, Elrond, had not told her of any visitors coming to the palace she assumed they were either messengers or servants. She pushed the unanswered question out of her head and looked down the dirt path, which led in a winding trail towards the palace. A slight smile found it's way onto her lips, and she suddenly darted forward, skipping lightly down the hill with long strides. She knew that if her uncle could see her now he would be outraged, but Alwyn didn't care. Alwyn had always been different from the other ladies at the palace, but either she had not noticed or she merely did not care.
She looked almost normal on the outside, having very long raven hair and a pale, almost porcelain face. It was only her large, icy-blue eyes which revealed the restless energy that burned beneath the calm exterior. A cold, reserved personality would perfectly match her looks, but that was not so. The other maidens at the palace were more concerned with which dress to put on each morning and how to wear their hair than with such nonsensical things as books or fencing. To Alwyn, these were the more important things in life. Reading was one of her favourite pastimes, along with riding (which both her father and Elrond found contemptible) and trying to escape the many suitors that her father insisted she should 'give a chance'.
Her brother Avardo, Elrond's nephew, was very much like her in appearance, but not so much in personality. He had the same raven locks, which fell just below his shoulder blades and the same piercing eyes, which were grey and not blue like his sister's. He was more concerned with the practical side of life, and would spend his afternoons practising archery, hunting with his cousins Elladan and Elrohir or trying his hardest to win against his sister in fencing training (in which he often succeeded). Alwyn loved him very much, and he her, and ever since the death of their mother when they had both been very young, the two siblings had been closer than ever before.
As Alwyn reached the bottom of the hill she stumbled slightly, and found herself toppling off balance. A second later, after grabbing the nearest tree for support, she looked down and saw that both her shoes had sunk deep into a mud puddle. She grimaced, pulled out one foot and inspected it closely. Then, instead of running home screaming like most of the other maidens would have done in this situation, she simply shrugged and carried on walking. She made her way down the dirt path, and after about half and hour was walking up the stone steps into the palace. She left muddy footprints all along the white hall corridor, and then, realising what she had done, stopped outside her room.
Alwyn winced as she looked down the hall. The trail led directly to her bedroom, and would immediately reveal the culprit should anyone discover this mess. Cleverly, Alwyn walked down the corridor a little more, and around the corner. Then, slipping off her shoes she darted back into her room and hid the offending objects at the bottom of the large closet which stood at the end of her four-poster bed. She peeked out of the door, to see if anyone had noticed, but realised that all the servants would most probably be out getting dinner ready. With a relieved sigh she fell back onto her bed and looked up at the ceiling.
"Sneaky," said a voice she recognized from the doorway.
Alwyn shot up into a sitting position and looked towards the voice. "What?"
"I said sneaky," Avardo replied with a smirk. "I saw what you did."
Alwyn let out a breath and fell back onto her bed. "I suppose you'll tell Elrond it was me then," she said flatly. Avardo put on a mock hurt expression.
"I would never do that to my little sister!" he said. Then he grinned. "No I won't tell. Blame it on me if you like, Uncle never gives me a hard time."
"Lucky," Alwyn murmured, and rolled to the side so that Avardo could sit down. He poked her stomach and Alwyn grunted.
"I'm not in the mood," she said, her voice muffled by the pillow under her face. Avardo tickled his sister playfully, and she giggled a bit. Avardo could always take her mind off the things that were bothering his younger sibling. In this case, the fact that their uncle seemed to prefer his nephew to his niece. "Oh yes," Avardo said, suddenly remembering the news that had been related to him that morning. "The son of King Thranduil and his sister have arrived. Just ten minutes ago, actually. Are you going to come and see them?"
"No," Alwyn stated, and looked up at her brother. Avardo frowned. "I'd rather stay here."
"Well you'll be forced to later on, Elrond is having a ball tonight before dinner, and you're expected to come."
"Yes, I'll come to that, but I just want to stay here for now. And read more of my book."
Avardo regarded his sister critically as she reached for the leather-bound book on her side table, and opened to the page she had got to the night before.
"You will never marry, you know, if you carry on like this," he said; not unkindly, just worriedly.
Alwyn paused and then looked up from her book at the ceiling. "Like what?"
"Reading all the time. Fencing. Not greeting visitors when you are expected to."
"I like doing unexpected things. I like being like this. Leave me alone!" she added, looking back at the book. Avardo sighed and went over to the balcony overlooking the waterfalls all around the palace. Her voice came from behind the book again, this time derisive. "At least I am not intent on thinking well of everyone and everything in the entire world."
"That is not a fault!" Avardo exclaimed, turning from the pretty view outside. "I do not speak ill of people because... well, I always speak my mind."
"I know you do; and it is that which makes me wonder. With your good sense, to be so blind to the follies and nonsense of others! Especially those awful maidens down in the..."
"Speak not of the 'awful maidens' Alwyn, I beg you. You have already given me a detailed run down of all their faults and imperfections on at least six separate occasions, I believe."
"Five," came Alwyn's voice from behind the book cover. Avardo exhaled noisily and went over to the door. He gave her one, last frustrated look before turning and walking away. She did not lower the book until she heard his footsteps dying away down the corridor. Alwyn rolled her eyes as she sat up and replaced the book on the side table.
"Never marry indeed!" she said haughtily to herself, and muttered darkly about the complacency of her brother under her breath.