Once Miriel had left and the two friends had been seated, Legolas turned to his friend, using the elvish titles he had been given, ignoring his discomfort at them as always.

"Where did you find her, Estel?" The ranger shook his head, a fond look of reminiscence on his face.

"I did not. She found myself and four hobbits on the road past Bree. Gandalf sent her to be certain we arrived safely, and I am glad he did so. She is a formidable warrior." Legolas chuckled at his friend.

"That I could have seen a mile away. Her height hinted towards it, as well as her muscle. Still I would have thought her a lady of the Galathrim had I not seen her ears and hear from whence she came. What exactly is she?" Strider smirked at the elf in amusement.

"She is human, though elvish blood flows through her veins from her mother's side." Legolas frowned.

"There are few instances in which a mortal and an elf fall in love, as you well know. Is her mother still living?"

"Nay, she passed many years ago." Legolas nodded thoughtfully.

"That narrows down the possibilities, but not all such relations are known. She hails from Gondor, but..." he trailed off for a moment as his friend looked at him in confusion. Then, he chuckled. "You really have put your foot in it, my friend."

"What are you talking about?" Legolas smirked.

"You managed to fall for the daughter of Lady Finduilas and Lord Denethor, the Steward of Gondor."

"She's the Steward's daughter?" Strider asked in shock. Legolas nodded, smiling, and waited for the rest of his words to process. After a moment, the ranger gave him a look. "I have not fallen for her." Legolas chuckled.

"Your hesitation and late reaction to my words tells me otherwise. But why is that so terrible? Many of us have been waiting for you to find a maiden of your own, and a shieldmaiden of Gondor is a perfectly suitable choice. Besides that, she seems like she would be good for you. A woman like that wouldn't let you get away with anything." Strider shook his head.

"Even if that were true, and she not betrothed, she is of Gondor."

"So?"

"You know exactly what I mean, Legolas." The elf rolled his eyes.

"Simply because she is from Gondor does not mean she will hate you. It is entirely possible that she already has her own suspicions."

"What do you mean?"

"Her mother had a gift not unlike that of the Lady of Lothlorien. I am sure you have noticed she often knows more than she should. The gift may have been diluted by the blood of her father, but it is still there. I do not think you have any cause to be worried, my friend. She will understand." Strider did not know whether or not his friend was right, but he would soon find out.

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The council began not many hours later, and people filed into the open hall, mingling. Strider was doin found my Miriel, who wore the armor of the Rangers of Ithilien rather than a dress or her dark cloak, and he did his best to speak to her as he usually did. He knew it was not fooling her in the slightest, but she let it slide, almost as thought she already knew. Then, Elrond called them to order, and she was placed away from him to take a seat by Boromir, the man she had greeted earlier. Now Elrond spoke, and all attention turned to him.