Hannah awoke the morning following the feast feeling refreshed. The feast had been long and continued deep into the night, and she had slept late into the morning. She got up out of bed, rinsed her face with the water placed on a small table beside her bed, and got dressed for the day. She wondered where she should go to get breakfast. She wandered about the halls of the Elvenking at random, until she came to sort of a courtyard that was open to the sky and held a lush garden with a fountain at the center. The dancing water gleamed like silver in the light. She was surrounded by jewel-bright greens and blooms of every color that glowed in the sunlight. The leaves and flowers were without corruption, so Hannah wondered if this was were the greenery that had decorated the feasting halls had come from. Many flowers appeared to be blooming out of season. She reached out to feel the soft petals of a tall white lily flower, and a strong hand gripped her wrist. The one who had stopped her was none other than the Elvenking himself. Hannah was startled to realize he was standing right behind her. He hadn't made a sound. She could feel her cheeks warming.

"You can look, but don't touch," said Thranduil with his voice next to her ear. Hannah nodded to show she understood. He released her wrist, and she lowered her hand. He was dressed in a resplendent robe that fell to the floor; his long hair flowed down his shoulders from his unadorned head. "No one is to pick these flowers without my permission."

"I wasn't going to pick it," said Hannah; "I just wanted to feel the petals."

"Don't do that either," he said. "It takes a great deal of care to grow a garden like this here. The shadow has begun to lift now that the Necromancer is gone, but we are not free of it yet."

"This reminds me," said Hannah; "I brought you a small gift."

"A gift?" said Thranduil.

"It isn't much," said Hannah, "but I've brought you some small jars of Beorn's honey, which, believe me, is some of the best honey you will ever eat. And some seeds from my rose."

"Your rose?" asked Thranduil.

"It's a rose my grandfather bred himself," said Hannah, smiling proudly at the memory of her maternal grandfather. "He created it for my mother." She had the seeds in her pocket when she traveled between worlds, to give to her teacher at school, but Mrs. Williams had been sick that day. Elrond had allowed her to plant those original seeds in Rivendell. The seeds she offered Beorn and Thranduil had come from that rosebush. "It's very hardy, so I thought it might do well here. They're white with a soft lemony smell."

"Your grandfather breeds roses?" the Elvenking asked.

"It was his hobby," said Hannah. She reached out the touch the lily again but stopped herself. "Roses relaxed him."

Thranduil regarded her for a moment. The way Hannah continued to refer to her grandfather in the past tense, he was certain the man was dead. She was plainly very proud of him. "I shall accept your gift," he said.

"You will?" Hannah said. She was so pleased that she glowed. "I'll go get it."

"Give the seeds and honey to Galion, my butler," said Thranduil. "You will most likely find him in the feast halls, cleaning up after yesterday's festivities."

"Brilliant," said Hannah. "I'll go find him now." She turned to leave.

"Hannah," Thranduil said, stopping her. "You are free to wander as much as you wish, but try to avoid invading my private chambers."

"Your private? Is this part of your chambers?" she asked, surprised. She hadn't seen any guards.

"Look just over there," said Thranduil, gesturing to another door across the way. Squinting, Hannah could just make out the two guards flanking it. Their armor blended into their surroundings so well that she almost couldn't see them. She took another look around the courtyard and noticed balconies on the level above that overlooked the courtyard. The balcony directly over the door was clearly separated from the others and had curtains that were still drawn shut.

"Oh," Hannah said, feeling a bit awkward. "Sorry about that."

"You can look down on the garden as much as you want from above, but you will need my permission to enter it again," said the Elvenking.

"Understood," said Hannah, though she felt it was a shame since it was so beautiful. "Well, I'll just go find Mr. Galion. Have a pleasant day!" She retreated before she did anything to embarrass herself. Thranduil watched her leave then turned away and returned to his room to get dressed for the day.

Hannah found Galion supervising the clean-up of the feast halls, just as Thranduil had said she would. A few wood-elves were still asleep at the table, and he was trying to rouse them while others were sweeping the floor, removing food scraps and clearing the table of plates, cups, and eating utensils. Some of the working elves appeared to be in a state of crapulence. It was an unusual sight for Hannah. She had never seen the Elves of Rivendell like this.

"Excuse me," Hannah said, "Mr. Galion?"

Galion stopped shaking the elf he was trying to wake. "Yes?" he said.

"The king said I should give these to you," Hannah said, holding the jars of honey and packet of rose seeds. "They're gifts for him. Honey and rose seeds."

"I see," Galion said. He left the elf he was shaking and walked over to her. He took the gifts from her. "You can leave these with me. I will add the honey to the pantry and give the seeds to the gardener. Is there anything else?"

"No, just, I was hoping to get something to eat?" said Hannah.

"Come with me," said Galion, and he led her to a smaller dining room, where Elladan and Elrohir were already eating. Hannah took a seat and was served a bowl of delicious beef stew over hot grain with toasted bread on the side. Hannah discussed the previous evening with the elf-twins while she ate her stew and grain and spread some blackberry jam on her toast. They agreed that it had been an entertaining and satisfying feast.

"Do you think they're all right?" Hannah asked about the hung-over wood-elves. She was genuinely concerned.

"They will be fine," said Elladan. "It is simply that the wine served last night was much stronger than what we serve in Rivendell. It must be potent stuff to get an Elf drunk."

"It is probably for the best that you didn't partake," said Elrohir. "The scholar was well under the table after one cup." He would not be waking any time soon.

"King Thranduil certainly has a hollow leg," said Elladan. "I lost count of the cups he emptied."

"I don't suppose you know if Legolas is up yet?" asked Hannah.

"I am," said Legolas, arriving as if summoned by her question. "I am on my way to exterminate a nest of spiders. Would you care to come along."

"Would this be the giant spiders we have heard so much about?" asked Elrohir.

"That should prove interesting," said Elladan.

"And you, Hannah?" asked Legolas.

"Not today," said Hannah. "Seeing those repulsive things up close once was enough for me."

"Very well," said Legolas. "The library and Hall of Remembrance are always open if you wish to find other entertainment."

"Hall of Remembrance?" asked Hannah.

"It is the hall where we share songs, stories, and legends," said Legolas, "though I doubt you will find anyone there now."

"Library it is, then," said Hannah. "But perhaps I should wait for Mr. Duilin and keep an eye on him."

"I'm sure he will be all right without you," said Elladan. "He will probably head for the library himself once he hears of it."

"Maybe," said Hannah, "or maybe he'll get himself into trouble trying to poke his nose where it doesn't belong." She herself had already wandered into a restricted area without meaning to.

The Elvenking was breakfasting in his own room. He spread some honey on a piece of toast and took a bite. "Galion," he said, for the butler had come to serve him personally; "what am I eating?"

"Bread and the honey Hannah Hayes gifted to you," said Galion, wondering if he had made a mistake.

"Very good," said Thranduil, and he continued to eat. He had asked because the flavor of the honey was so exceptional. He could taste clovers and other wildflowers, making it light, floral, and fruity yet richly flavored at the same time. It truly was some of the best honey he had ever had. "How are our guests?"

"Hannah and Lord Elrond's sons were breaking fast in your dining room last I saw them," said Galion. "The scholar from Gondor has not shown himself yet."

"Ah, yes, the scholar," said Thranduil. The Elvenking was still not thrilled to have him there. "I know just what to do with him. When he has eaten, set a guide for him and send him outside the palace to the an area where few speak any but the Silvan tongue. He can ask all the questions he wants there."

"But won't that make it difficult for him to learn anything?" said Galion.

"Exactly. Make certain his guide is not someone he can understand easily either," said Thranduil, taking another bite of honeyed toast. He really didn't want the outside world knowing too much about his people and his kingdom, so he would be happy for the scholar to become frustrated and give up his quest for this knowledge. The trade they shared with Laketown was more than enough contact with the world of Men.

At that same time, Duilin was bumping into Hannah outside the dinning room in a very literal sense. She stumbled, surprised, and he fell down. Hannah steadied herself and would have offered him a hand up, but she was beaten to it by the female wood-elf who was escorting the scholar. She supposed after her wayward wandering the Elvenking wasn't taking any chances.

"Lady Hannah!" said Duilin once he had been righted. He seemed rather delighted. "I was just on my way to observe one of the wood-elves' settlements outside the palace. Would you care to come with me?"

Hannah was a little surprised Thranduil was letting him pester his people like that when he had before seemed so against it. "Won't you get lost without a guide?" she asked, knowing what a klutz he was.

"Not to worry," said Duilin. "I have my guide right here." He gestured to the she-elf beside him.

"Oh. I supposed that's all right, then," said Hannah. She shouldn't have to worry about him getting into trouble now. "Thank you for your help," she said to the Elf, who smiled and nodded. "Actually," she said to Duilin, "I was planning to go to the library, but I've never seen a wood-elf settlement outside the palace. So, yes, I think I will go with you."

Hannah asked Duilin and his guide to wait while she grabbed her cloak and packed a lunch to bring with them (Duilin had not thought of that), which took some time since she had to find the kitchen, and then they were off. It soon became quite obvious to Hannah that their guide spoke little of the Common tongue. So she tried speaking to her in Sindarin, and they fared little better. Hannah and Duilin and their guide had to guess at what the other was trying to say much of the time, which made it difficult for Duilin to ask his questions and receive answers. Hannah eventually gave up and joined some young elflings in a game that, after watching, was determined to be very similar to jacks. Words were not needed, so they enjoyed each other's company. They played several games, and by the time Hannah managed to win one, Duilin was coming to her side defeated and hungry. She could not do anything about the first condition, but for the second, she unwrapped the sandwiches that she had made with the help of one of the wood-elves in the kitchen. Having never had a sandwich before, Duilin found that holding cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and meat together with bread made it easier to hold in the hand, so that he could eat and write at the same time. He thought it was novel and delicious. Their guide seemed to think so too, because she told Hannah in simple language that it was good.

As they sat there on a log eating together, Hannah took a better look at her surroundings. They were in the forest, but the air was less oppressive and more sunlight seemed to break through the red and orange-leaved trees, filling the place with golden light. The houses, built on the ground, reminded Hannah a bit of the warm and welcoming hobbit holes, but they were not holes in the ground and stood much taller. No trees had been felled. They were built around, sometimes with the tree becoming part of the house or the house becoming part of the tree. It could be hard to tell in some cases.

One of the children Hannah had played with came over to her and took her hand. She was led to the spot where a tiny star of pale blue was growing up between the roots of a tree. Hannah did not recognize the flower as anything she had seen before. It was almost like a forget-me-not, but it seemed too late into autumn for that. It was a precious little thing. Hannah was afraid to breathe on it, it looked so delicate. The elf-child who had led her there seemed very proud of it. Hannah remembered what Thranduil had said about it being difficult to grow a garden there and wondered if the elf-child had been helping the flower along, preventing it from being buried under the red-orange carpet that covered the rest of the forest floor. Hannah noticed that there were almost no flowers growing as far as she could see. She smiled gratefully at the elf-child for showing it to her. The elf-child smiled too and led her back to the log, where Hannah watched Duilin make more fruitless attempts to communicate.

"It seems to me that you would be better off trying the Hall of Remembrance in the Elvenking's Halls," said Hannah eventually, when the sun began to fade. "At any rate, we should head back before it gets too dark. We didn't bring lanterns with us."

"I suppose you are right," said Duilin reluctantly. He was spent and losing heart after his many failures to communicate. He had not managed to learn anything beyond what he could see with his own eyes.

So they returned to the Halls of the Elvenking, defeated. It weighed more heavily on Duilin than it did on Hannah, who was wondering what they might be serving for dinner as they stepped through the magic gate, and she headed for her room. Hannah washed her face and hands and headed for the dinning room. She assumed they would be served there since there was no feast. She was right: Legolas, Elladan, and Elrohir were already there. Duilin joined them shortly after.

"Are we waiting on something?" asked Duilin.

"The king will be dining with us," said Legolas.

"He will?" asked Hannah. Suddenly she felt underdressed, but she supposed she was all right, because Legolas, Elladan, and Elrohir were still dressed in the same clothes they had left to hunt in.

"He will," said Thranduil as he joined them. His kingly raiment made Hannah feel like a peasant. Behind him came two royal guards, who took up sentry by the door. "Please, sit." The Elvenking gestured for them to take their seats and sat down in his own at the head of the table. They all seated themselves: Legolas was on his right, Hannah ended up on his left, with Duilin next to her, and Elladan and Elrohir sat on the right across from them. Galion entered with a handful of servants to serve and wait on them. It appeared they were having venison.

"So, what have you all been up to?" asked Thranduil, and Legolas and the elf-twins spoke to him of their extermination efforts. They had felled a whole nest of spiders together, very heroically, from the sound of it. Thranduil was pleased. He was a little surprised that Legolas and Hannah had not spent the day together. He looked next at her. "You have been quiet. What about you?"

"I went with Mr. Duilin to see one of your settlements. Our day was considerably less productive," said Hannah. Being close to the Elvenking made her unaccountably nervous. She glanced at the scholar; he seemed small shrunken in his chair.

"Oh?" said Thranduil. "How so?" Hannah thought he seemed a little pleased.

"We tried to speak with the wood-elves, but we couldn't understand each other," stammered Duilin. "Our guide hardly spoke the Common Tongue or Sindarin."

"Indeed most of my people speak Silvan," said Thranduil. They also spoke Sindarin as well. It was mostly those who served in his Halls and traded with the lake-men that used the Common Tongue.

"I did not realize that we still had people who did not speak Sindarin," said Legolas. "Was there not a time when the Silvan language almost disappeared because it had been supplanted by Sindarin?"

"Yes, so we deliberately adopted the language and customs of the Silvan elves to prevent that," said Thranduil. "But there have always been a few pockets where the use of Silvan never waned."

"How unfortunate our guide chose to bring us to one of these 'pockets'," said Hannah. She suspected it was not at all a coincidence.

"Are you blaming your guide?" asked Thranduil.

"Oh, not at all," said Hannah, suspecting it was largely a contrivance of the Elvenking. He did not seem keen on allowing Duilin to study his people, even if he had allowed him to stay. "I'm sure she carried out her orders to the best of her abilities."

Thranduil saw the keen gleam in her eye and understood that she knew. He gave her a slight sly smile. "Yes, she did." Hannah sighed and smiled ruefully. Duilin was up against a hard wall. Legolas watched them and thought it was good that they were getting along. He wished for his father to like Hannah as well.

For his part, Duilin had not yet realized that he had been played for a fool and accepted his misfortune as mere coincidence. "I shall try again tomorrow," he said. "I have seen how wood-elves live outside the Elvenking's Halls; now I shall see how they live within."

"I would ask you to refrain from pestering my staff," said Thranduil. "They all have work to do."

"Oh, of course, of course!" said Duilin. "I will not interrupt them; I can question them while they work." Hannah could see the face of Galion, who was still waiting on them, and he did not look pleased.

"Perhaps you might learn more about wood-elves as a whole if you consulted the library or listened to their tales in the Hall of Remembrance," she said.

"Yes, many of the books and scrolls within the library are written in the Common Tongue or Sindarin," said Legolas.

"Is that so?" said Duilin. A light came into his eyes, and he stopped shrinking into his chair. "Yes, yes, perhaps that is it. That is what I need! I may even find a book about the Silvan language." Hannah looked at the Elvenking to see how he felt about this. His expression seemed indifferent, though she was sure he was at least a little annoyed.

Well, thought Thranduil, at least he won't be harassing my people to get his information.

Galion and the other servants cleared the table and brought out baked pears with walnuts and honey.

"You should enjoy this," Thranduil said to Hannah. "It was made with your gift."

"Have you tasted it, then?" she asked.

"I have, and you were right," said Thranduil. "The honey is exceptional."

Hannah smiled. "Good," she said, glad that he liked it.

"You brought a gift?" asked Legolas.

"That was sneaky of you," said Elladan.

"I was taught that you always bring something for your host or hostess," said Hannah.