Nienna breathed a sigh of relief. The stables. The sign pointed to her right, up a steep street lined with trees and white stone buildings coloured blue and purple by the setting sun. The stables would have a place she could leave Aredhel safely, while Nienna herself thought of something to do. The streets were emptier now; the approaching night had sent the elves into their homes, taking over the silent city. The first stars became visible as Nienna reached the top of the hill, panting slightly. She smiled as she saw a welcoming glow coming from a marble arch ahead, giving Aredhel a pat on the neck to encourage her forwards. The familiar smell of horses and leather filled her nose as she approached cautiously, sticking her head through the arch into the stables. A long line of stalls faced her, most of them occupied by horses, many of which were wearing coats with the king’s golden bow and arrow embroidered on the side. Nienna reached out her hand to the nearest horse, a pure white mare with a soft gold mane and tail. She looked so much like Maeglin that Nienna wanted to cry. Quickly turning away, she led Aredhel down the rows of horses until she found an empty stall. Her hands shook slightly as she unsaddled Aredhel, laying the tackle on the hay next to the horse. The sound of footsteps on the marble floor made her turn round.

“Aaye. Who are you? I haven’t seen you here before.” A girl a few years older than Nienna had appeared and was leaning against a marble pillar, surveying her closely.

“I’m Nienna. I’ve just arrived in the city, I come from Beren in the south,” Nienna felt a lump in her throat as she said the name of her village, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.

The girl nodded. “I’m Alassë. My father owns these stables,” she said proudly. “We get lots of the kings’ horses staying here when they’re not needed at the palace; the king himself even came to visit once! Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Nienna got the impression Alassë would have done anything to impress. She tossed her chestnut hair out of her eyes as she led Nienna down the rows of stalls with the distinct air of someone who thinks themselves superior to others. Nienna raised her eyebrows slightly, but said nothing. Alassë stopped at a stall holding a honey coloured horse with brown eyes and a sweeping mane of the same colour.

“She’s beautiful,” Nienna breathed, slowly stroking the horse’s silky mane. The horses Nienna was used to were sturdy and hardworking; bred for work in the village, not for their beauty. Alassë smiled and picked up a brush, carefully combing the horse down, although there was no need. Nienna had never seen such a clean or well-kept horse before.

“She was a birthday present from my father,” Alassë said airily. “She was going to be used in the palace, but my father insisted that he be allowed to keep her for me.” Nienna studied Alassë’s face. There was something about her that Nienna couldn’t help liking, despite her arrogance and desire to show that she was superior to everyone else, and she found herself wondering if this was because Alassë was lonely. There was a distant look in her eyes, perhaps a glimpse of the person she was inside behind the mask she wore. The squeal of hinges announced the arrival of a man at the other end of the stables carrying a silver bucket of water for the horses. Nienna looked down in surprise as Alassë took her hand.

“Father, this is Nienna. She’s just arrived in the city with her horse. Isn’t she pretty?” Alassë gestured to Aredhel, and again Nienna blinked in surprise. Aredhel was the least beautiful of the horses in the stables, with her tangled mane and slightly bloodshot eyes. Nienna blushed slightly as she realised how unkempt Aredhel looked in comparison to the other horses.

“Pleased to meet you, Nienna,” the man inclined his head. “It’s good to see Alassë has made a friend!” he smiled at his daughter and turned. “You must excuse me; I have the horses to attend to.”

Nienna watched him go, her cheeks reddening again as her stomach rumbled audibly. Alassë grinned.

“You must be hungry after your journey; come and eat with me.” She took Nienna’s hand again and led her through the door that Alassë’s father had appeared from. Nienna gave Aredhel a hasty pat as she passed, hardly daring to believe her luck. If Alassë’s father really was in charge of looking after the king’s horses, Alassë might be able to help her with getting to see the king.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who’s reviewed and inspired me to write more, so….

Thank you Yuuri and Wolfram Forever (brilliant plot, she will use the sword at some point don’t worry!), Auraya, Aomera, Vicky, Posie, The Mumbling Sage and Nemonus.

I’m going away quite a lot during the summer holidays so won’t be able to write as much but hopefully the net chapter will be up before I go

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