Laustairë, Scion of the House of Lord Círdan of Mithlond, Daughter of Tiriámrun, Most Fortunate of Elven Maids, the Betrothed of Prince Legolas of Ithilien,

To Kalamiril Daughter of Menelúin of Mithlond, Beloved Friend, Counselor and Confidant,

Greetings to you, from my new home!  It is so different here from Mithlond, my friend, so warm and clement, though the storms which sweep up the River from the Sea boom and clatter about us so fiercely at times it seems to me as though my very windows shake!  Betimes I stand upon my balcony and watch the lightning as it forks and snakes betwixt the surly heavens and the mountains; it crackles and flashes so wildly, that I feel it thrilling into my very soul with the riotous noise of it.  But it is like unto this land itself, unruly, feral, untamed and wild; the view from my rooms is of the thickly forested valley, striped and speckled with waterfalls and lakes; Nardanë's is better I think, though her balcony is lower, for she looks down upon the olive groves and vineyards.  I love to look at them, in their undulating green rows, and the small forms of my future subjects crawl like tiny ants about them, tending and pruning.

So you have heard the news!  Thank you, my Kalamiril, for your kind felicities; I am I assure you in the very heavens of bliss, and how could I not be, when I am so auspicious to have been given me the hand of a great hero of the War, who is kind and beautiful and beloved?  Any maid would feel as grateful to have the prospect before her, that she is to be joined to such a one as my betrothed, whose very visage rivals the sun, and his hair the glimmering curtains of cloth of gold that flanks his beautiful face, his eyes reflecting back the silvery light of the moon full-blown; yet this is not the sum total of the delights of his aspect, for his voice is like fine silk laid across the skin, giving warmth and comfort, so that when I hear him speak I am insensate to all but the pleasure of attending to the melodic sounds emanating from him, and cannot even answer I am so overcome with the thrill I feel when I bask in his glorious tones!  Indeed he may speak in banal trivialities and I do not even mark it, for whatever he says serves only to enchant and delight me and I am all but ignorant of whatever his speech imparts.  And O the grace of his form, Kalamiril!  He moves to me like the stalking lion, sure-footed and agile, this warrior of the far north; his elegance and refinement of passage more like unto the gliding falcon of the skies than to some creature bereft of flight and I am certain he hides feathery wings behind himself, so lithe and graceful is he; when first he approached me to dance, before we were betrothed, it was as though he floated upon the very mists of Forlindon, and when he took my hand in his own (and what gentle, what beautiful hands they are, Kalamiril!) it seemed to me as though I glided alongside him, caught in the current of his fluid lissomness, a small and weak vessel set adrift yet captured by his overwhelming presence and strength.  It is all I can do, Kalamiril, to keep myself from gazing at him hours unending, for so enchanted am I with the visage of my beloved I am rendered speechless when he is near me!  And all other sounds fade when I think of him, that is why I can scarce answer your questions, my dear friend, that you posed me in your last letter to me, which did address our betrothal and give to me the fulsome gratitude of your favor; I know for I have heard it said by his friends he is a shrewd and canny warrior but in truth I know nothing else, so entranced I am with him and with his voice and his face and his form.  You must needs go unto Nardanë for what you ask; I am numb to all but his face, and Nardanë says she finds his form uninteresting, but takes pleasure in enquiring as to his history and habits, saying she wishes to know what manner of Elf I am marrying.  For myself I am satisfied to just gaze upon him, he is so beautiful!  I care not about aught else.

There are many parties and feasts and banquets to attend, dear Kalamiril, so that I am constrained to go to the dressmakers here, not Elves at all but mortal women from Osgiliath; they are skilled I suppose but they like not what I ask of them, and I must press them to get my way in the embroidery and ribbons and beadwork; Nardanë is no help at all, saying I ought rather to dress according to the fashion of the south, but I am adamant that I shall dress as I please, and she and I have quarreled on this point.  (Have no fear, dear Kalamiril, I shall bend her to my will as always!  She is so stubborn, not as you are with me, and I miss you and wish you instead had accompanied me.)  She also insists I attend the doings of the court here, listening to my lord hear plaints and serve cases, but this seems to me a tedious pastime, and futile as well, for what purpose would I have listening to such things, as mortal peasants discussing grazing rights, or the use of wells?  Besides I have no experience in such things and I do not wish to appear ignorant before my beloved, so I allow him to hold court as he will, and pine instead for him in the gardens (O how lovely they are here, Kalamiril!  I cannot wait for the roses to bloom), or work upon my embroidery (I shall send you my scarf when I have finished with it, it is most marvelous, the best thing I have yet done) or read (my betrothed's library is not very extensive but the texts are interesting, though they involve many tales of war and battle).  It is pleasant for me to sit back and watch his vassals as they scurry to and fro within his marvelous tower, everyone here is so busy, Kalamiril, so that even watching them I am exhausted and need to take to my couch.  Nardanë is becoming unreasonable, saying I ought rather to involve myself in the many trifling things that so involve his female servants, but these niggling concerns are not for me; I shall devote myself instead to the rapturous duty I have imposed upon myself, in the adoration of my lord and the contemplation of his perfections, for there is no higher aim for a maiden but to esteem and revere her beloved, so that he is so assured of her love and good pleasure his heart is as full as her own.

As idyllic as this place ought to be for me then, dear Kalamiril, there are those things that bring unhappiness to my heart, which ought to swell with affection and goodwill instead; Nardanë tells me I am foolish but I think this is not so, for how can one countenance the interruption of my conversations and time spent with my lord?  It is unfair, Kalamiril, that he should be taken so from me, when we are so newly betrothed, by paltry concerns as these, and I am certain this Hirilcúllas, who calls herself his "time-organizer," does deliberately and with malice distract him from his proper duty unto me, so that no sooner have I placed myself at his side some strange crisis occurs, or some strange person arrives to deflect his attentions, and he feels he must attend to it forthwith, so that I am left alone; betimes he in all gentleness and generosity does bid me accompany him, but then I am so filled with secret wrath and humiliation I do not wish to inflict my mood upon him, and so retire to leave him to his duty.  But when I told my plaint to Nardanë, she said only that Hirilcúllas did what she could to ensure the proper function of his demesne, and did not see whence my discomfort came; I am all the more convinced this Hirilcúllas has desired for herself my betrothed, and so in her chagrin and anger takes this out upon him and upon me as well, to restrict our time together; also his seneschal Galás does constantly press him for attention and time, so that his days are quite occupied and filled with meetings and councils and in constant riding about his lands, leaving very little time for us to foregather.  I am sure there is no need for it, for he is no common farmer but a great lord, and to see him dressed in such shabby habiliments as his valet sets out for him of a morn, hacking about on his overgrown black war-horse, quite sets my teeth on the edge and I can scarce contain myself, for he ought rather to be clothed in shining raiment like the greatest kings of days long ago, seated upon his throne on the high dais in his Great Hall with a starry crown upon his head and robes of finest ermine gracing his noble shoulders.  I should sit at his side garbed in the loveliest of gowns, a red one perhaps, my own head crowned with some glorious circlet, and preside over the feasts and banquets and dances and merrymaking until the forests about us echoed with laugher and music.  That is what I believe I must do, dear friend, to bring some light and ease to this land; they are far too busy and over-concerned with this work; I do not see the need of it, for olive trees grow like any other I suppose, and cannot they tell the Men to care for the wine?  It is most unseemly for Elves to labor in this fashion and when I am lady I shall impose a lighter rule and easier yoke upon them, and we shall have naught but feasts and parties and dances all the time.

Also this plaint I have, dearest Kalamiril, that there are so many of the other Races here, passing in and out his High Gate, occupying his time that would be better spent upon his fellow Elves, bringing before him numerous pacts and treaties and gifts and other such things I do not understand.  Especial in my dislike are the many Dwarves that come to him, rough uncouth Dwarves with grasping hands and loud raucous voices, imposing upon my lord their coarse mannerisms and numerous unimportant messages from their lord unto him; I do not understand why he even condescends to meet with them, and when they arrive I retreat immediately unto my chambers to escape them, for their visages and voices are offensive to me, and I dislike the thought he is so caught among them.  Also there are Men, not always nobles like Lord Cirien, but others who inflict their wills upon him, for he is so good-natured; there was one in particular, I minded not his name, who required for some unknown reason that my betrothed be present at the birth of his child; this seemed to me an ill-mannered thing to demand of a lord but he went anyway, saying he could not deny this Man anything; when I am Lady of Dol Galenehtar I shall put a stop to this, for it is iniquitous to petition my betrothed to attend to such a mundane task, that would be better befitting some lowly midwife.  I did not mind the wedding in Tarlang (I wore my yellow gown, with the red roses embroidered upon it, and my golden cap), though I thought the young groom impertinent and ill-mannered; my betrothed is so good-natured however he took it all in stride, though I am sure he suffered greatly through the impudence of the wedding party.  My wedding shall not be like that, I assure you, my Kalamiril, for I shall not tolerate such behavior; it is unfitting someone of his station, and when I said this to Seimiel, one of the maids here, she responded sharply, saying this Hador was worthy of accolade and ought not be held in contempt; I told her I did not hold him in contempt, but only wanted him to show my betrothed the respect and honor due him; Seimiel responded that if Lord Legolas had felt the impertinence he was far too restrained and well-bred to show it, and I ought to follow his example.  So I have decided to heed this advice, and show an impervious eye to these Men who so serve him these insolences, as do all great ladies, and fix upon them a stern and unforgiving gaze that shall show them I brook no opposition upon this point, and my lord shall benefit from this, for I am sure they will know the Lady of Dol Galenehtar is no one to be contended with.

Well Nardanë has just come in with my gown, for she has as I requested of her added the other ribbons, and assures me no other lady in the assembly shall be dressed as ornately as I shall be; she can be so flattering  when it pleases her!  I have instructed my beloved's valet to set out the doublet I had made for him, which is a marvel of elegance and refinement, and he shall so glisten in the lamplight he shall rival the stars themselves, as he sits upon his high seat.  O I cannot wait to see him, my friend!  How my heart shall trill within me as the voice of the nightingale, when I gaze upon him in rapturous adoration, rising from his throne to give the toast, his bejeweled goblet in one white hand, his hair gleaming like a river of gold, all the eyes of the assembly turned upon him!  I want only to keep him to myself and share him not with all these folk; however can we speak together, when he is pulled away from me always?  O please write to me quickly, dearest Kalamiril, that you may soothe me and tell me his love for me shall be undimmed by these others who clamor for his attention; I can hardly bear it, I long so for his favor!

I must quit you here, for there still remains the matter of my hair; I have planned the most delicious plaits and twists, but Nardanë is not convinced; it shall take all the longer to talk her into doing what I desire, than to fix my hair as I wish.  Write to me quickly, I beg of you, and let me know all the doings of the court I have left behind, which I miss greatly; it was so quiet there, and one could think – here everyone is so busy, that I am obliged to hide away, in the gardens or my chambers, to escape the clamor; I am unused to such a life, and only hope I may make for myself and my lord a quiet and peaceful place, where he may rest comfortably, far from the maddening racket of the courts, comfortable and serene and undisturbed.  I see it in his face – how weary he is, my poor beloved; how tired and overburdened with cares; how dearly would I love to hide him far from here, where no one would disturb us, and we could live quietly we two, in tranquility and silence!  Ah, then would I see him the more clearly, my beautiful Prince, and none would disturb us, and we should be so perfectly happy.

Now Nardanë is growing restive and I truly must go.  How I miss you, and how I miss Mithlond!  I hope that I shall soon grow accustomed to this place.

Yours,

Laustairë