[*Varda*]

Having hurried to her room to change her crumpled clothes and improve her appearance before meeting Finduilas, Elena entered the hall with some elegance. She was wearing a flowing blue gown, stitched with silver embroidery, and her soft dark curls were half pinned up with an elaborately decorated silver clip, the rest falling down her back. She fancied she looked rather well, rejoicing in a proper occasion to get herself dressed up and have some fun.

But first, she supposed, she should greet the Lady Finduilas. Nudging gently through the crowd gathering about this woman, she exchanged some brief words with Dryea, promising to return for a chat later, before finding herself in front of Finduilas. Curtseying low, she smiled warmly.

“Greetings, Lady Finduilas. Welcome to the court of Minas Tirith…I am Elena.” The beautiful woman in front of her smiled in response, and Elena left. Truly, Finduilas looked beautiful, in her white dress and her dark hair piled on her head. This was one in the eye for all the ladies around the court who had sought to win Denethor as a husband!

Stopping for a moment to pick up a drink, she glided through the crowd for another few minutes, smiling good naturedly at both those she liked and those she disliked. It was a funny thing when people got together in a court – outwardly, all these signs of friendship and warmth, but seconds later, people were gathered together, exchanging gossip about the person they had just been talking to. Elena was generally friendly to newcomers, but it seemed the popular feeling among the court was one of mistrust for Finduilas, and Elena did not like to go against popular opinion. Elena moved over to Dryea, Alethea and their mother.

“So,” she said, sipping her drink, “What is your opinion of our new arrival?”