[Sophia the Thunder Mistress]

Finduilas' Welcoming Party

Síriel picked at her food, it was veal, and very good, but she just wasn't hungry. She gave it another small prod with the tines of her fork, before giving in and letting her eyes roam over the room. Denethor and sat with their father Ecthelion at the center of the long head table. Síriel looked long at his face, looking for signs of awkwardness, but there were none. He ate slowly, with her eyes on the plate, and talked with the man beside him too quietly to hear. Isn't he even nervous!? Síriel marvelled. She knew her brother was fearless in battle, but to see him fearlessly approaching marriage!

Tearing her eyes away from Denethor, she looked to the other side of the room, where Finduilas sat, surrounded by her cloud of maidens. Her dark hair was still elegant and her smile serene. This was a game Síriel could not have played, hiding her emotions was difficult at best, and she was certain, had she been Finduilas, she'd have been bouncing nerviously in her seat. Tíriel leaned over and put a hand on her arm. "Síriel, do calm down." She reached an expert hand up and tucked a few stray hairs back into her sister's braids. "you're wiggling so much the whole room can see it!" Síriel smiled wryly at herself. Not even her own wedding and she couldn't keep still.

Síriel straightened and held herself elegantly as Elena came scurrying up to the table. No good showing how restless she was at close quarters. Elena began to talk excitedly, something about Finduilas. Síriel's attention, however, was caught by a man at one of the lower tables. Letting Elena's voice wash over her, she studied the man intently. He wore the insignia of an officer, broad shouldered and dark haired. He met her eyes for a moment, an appraising glance that simultaneously irritated and intrigued her. Who was this man? She'd never seen him around the city before...

As soon as Elena stopped talking and returned to her own table, Síriel turned pleading grey eyes on her sister. "Tír, who is that man? The soldier, with the dark hair sitting there," Síriel pointed with her chin toward where the man was sitting. Tíriel tried to look stern and then suppressed a giggle.

"Sister, don't you pay any attention?" she sighed heavily and dropped her voice to a low hiss, "Lady Dryea doesn't recognize Finduilas' name from her time in Dol Amroth. She think they may be impostors!" Síriel's eyes flew wide, she missed news like that staring at a man? She turned the news over in her mind. Lady Dryea was certainly a reliable source, even though Síriel was plagued by a nagging dislike for the woman, being as beautiful as she was, manipulating all the nobles at court... But she was indisputably from Dol Amroth. Síriel but her lip.

"We shall have to wait and see, Sister." she said, after some thought, "We will simply have to wait and see." Tíriel nodded approval, then nudged Gaerlin who sat beside her. A moment later she turned back to Síriel with a sly grin on her face.

"His name is Thenidir. He's just been transferred back from the outer Beacon Hills." A smile flickered across Síriel's face as Tíriel finished her report, "Gaerlin says he's very single."

[ July 06, 2003: Message edited by: Sophia the Thunder Mistress ]