Hiding in Plain Sight

Chapter Sixteen: We Meet the Mirkwood Queen, and She Offers to Come with us

I opened the one from Gyana, first. She and Magyana had arrived in Minas Tirith to find me gone, but were on their way here, and sent a letter ahead to prepare me. I let out a breath, they hadn't said much of anything to anyone, and only said they were looking for their daughter, and, also, didn't talk to him.

Thank the Valar.

Wyn showed us to our rooms, and left us alone. Thia went straight to bed.

I opened the other letter.

Zhyraenzia,

Meet me in Lorien, we have much to talk about.

Crystari

I let out a breath. Crystari was easier to talk to, but I couldn't put it in a letter, in case it got into the wrong hands, or was misinterpreted.

Once Thia got up, I made up my mind.

"Thia?"

"Yes, Gyana?"

"How do you feel about meeting up with your Magyana?"

"Kyada's Gyana?"

"Yes, she's asking for us to meet her in Lorien."


"I think we should go."

Thia and I went to wake Wyn, and tell her where we were going, and to tell my Gyana and Magyana to wait for me.

We saddled two horses, and set off.

***

We arrived in Lorien a few days later. Haldir and his company came up to us,

"Zia? Queen Crystari just got here, and said she was here to talk to you, did you tell her?"

"No, she was the first one to know."

"Figures." He grumbled.

He let us through, and we rode all the way to the gates of the city, where we dismounted and handed our horses off to a guard. Crystari met us in front of my house, her white elk beside her. I bowed, and Thia followed my example. Crystari smiled and we all went inside. She looked deep into our eyes.

"I cannot imagine how my son managed to be so clueless."

"He was too caught up in the troubles of Arda, than his own, I think."

"Yes... How is he?"

"As far as I know, he is well."

"Do you know if he suspects?"