An Unexpected Love

TWO

It was still dark when Navaheya awoke, her grey wool blanket had fallen to the floor as she slept. Navaheya pulled herself from the small uncomfortable bed. Nibbling off the Lembas bread from the night before as she dressed and tied up a portion of her hair into flowers. She quickly peaked into her mother's room, there was still Lambas bread on the windowsill, enough to last her mother more than a few days. She took her money pouch and emptied it into a drawer in the bedroom next to the door, careful not to wake her mother.

Back in the kitchen, Navaheya wrapped her smaller portion of Lembas bread from the night before in a piece of cloth, she then tied the cloth closed with some thin rope from her sewing room. She Grabbed her dark green cloak from atop one of the many many piles of clothes and wrapped it around her shoulders, tucking her empty money pouch, and she wrapped Lembas bread into the cloak. She slipped out the door and locked it behind her, heading up the path towards the palace.

Navaheya stepped through the staff doors of the palace, she was checked for weapons by the guards. She then made the familiar walk to the seamstress's workroom. As per usual, The only people already there were Gylia and two other young elves who were sewing curtains and rugs.

The silver-haired elleth placed her money pouch, cloak, and she wrapped Lembas bread into her drawer while in turn taking out her measuring ribbon from the drawer, along with a pen and a piece of parchment. Navaheya wandered her way around the huge empty palace, only walking past a few guards as she wandered. They would nod in acknowledgment to her and she would smile in return. She ended up in the Prince Thranduil's clothes room, a few floors higher than the servant's workrooms. Navaheya noticed that all of his clothes were made from some of the most beautiful fabrics she had ever seen.

Most of those garments were made by his old seamstress. Navaheya wondered aloud to herself, "Why was his old seamstress fired?"

She placed the items in her hands on the table in the center of the room as a voice startled her, "She was fired for stealing from the crown, and from making advances towards other staff members within palace walls." Prince Thranduil spoke.

Navaheya jumped in surprise turning to the royal, "Your highness, Good morning," She rushed the words out. The prince chuckled at her as he walked further into the room. Prince Thranduil wore a silk maroon robe decorated with gold leaf designs. He walked around the perimeter of the room, running his long pale fingers along with his hanging clothes just as Navaheya had done the day before.

Gaining her confidence, Navaheya spoke, "Sire, this won't take long, if you have somewhere to be"

Thranduil responded with a laugh, "My entire day has been cleared of duties" He took off his robe and revealed the black shorts he was wearing. Navaheya forced herself not to look at his extremely muscular and sculpted chest, or anywhere that her eyes wanted to linger for that matter.

The prince asked, "Why is there a need to measure me? I thought the seamstresses already had my measurements."

Navaheya's eyes sparkled as she looked up at him with amusement, "We have estimates, but not exact measurements, only head seamstresses have those. Your old seamstress did not share your exact measurements before she left so I have to take them again. And since now I am your new seamstress, I am required to have them" She responded as she stretched the ribbon across his chest from one shoulder to the other. She looked at the number on the ribbon then wrote it down on the piece of parchment. She repeated this process until she had all the measurements that she needed.

~

Thranduil studied the she-elf sitting cross-legged on the table in front of him. He studied how she was focused on the sketch in her hands, he watched as her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. His eyes traveled to her hair, white, almost silver hair. Half of her hair was twisted into three flowers at the back of her head. The prince had an urge to run his hands through her hair and to braid her shiny silver hair. He frowned at himself, he couldn't think those thoughts. He forced his attention to drift to her dress, it was long-sleeved and a gray color that balanced between blue and green. The dress looked very well made. Prince Thranduil had never seen anything like it, the sheer sleeves and the long strings falling from the neck were unusual in elven clothing. The dotted fabric was unique and meshed well with the underskirt fabric. He had never seen any elf wear such a garment. She had worn such a typical elven dress the day before so this style choice surprised him greatly.