At the appointed hour of 8:00 in the morning, Peredhil walked up the path leading to the Smith household. The sun was just beginning to make itself visible among morning rainclouds and an unusually stiff breeze rustled his cloak as he knocked on the door.

Juliane had been hovering in the foyer, a small carpet valise in her hand. Too full of nervous energy to sit, the door was open before the echo of the knock could leave the morning air. She had shooed everyone out of the house, having already said her goodbyes, well over an hour ago. Stepping out onto the front stoop, she offered him a soft smile, the wind whipping at her kinsale cloak.

As always, her appearance provoked a big smile. Reaching out his hand to take her valise, he greeted her with a kiss and said, "Good morning, Juli. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I think so." Grinning softly as he relieved her of her burden. The street was quiet, the fall mornings keeping many inside before the sun could take the chill off the earth. Feeling as if they were all alone in the world, she spoke softly. "Is it alright if I'm nervous?"

As she closed the door behind her, he nodded. "Of course. I'd think it strange if you weren't." Admitting softly, "I'm a bit nervous myself." He made no move to leave the front step, his eyes glancing towards the street to see if any pedestrians were approaching. Spying none, he held out his hand to her.

Grateful for his reassurance, her hand found his quickly, as if some sort of invisible force guided them together. Her pulse sped up slightly at the combination of his proximity and the journey they were about to undertake. She had to be ready for whatever would lie ahead. As if on cue, the dull weight of her sister-in-law's small dirk bounced against her leg from the hidden pocket in her skirt.

A mysterious smile appeared on his face as he squeezed her hand. "I promise it will be a quick trip. You may want to close your eyes though. This can be a tad jarring the first time." Again, his eyes scanned the streets for signs of life.

"One would think tha' would make it worse? Like closin' yer eyes while spinning around. But I'll take yer word for it..." Nodding slowly, she tightened her hold on him and closed her eyes dutifully.

As soon as she closed her eyes, he spoke softly in Elvish, grimacing in expectation of what was to come. She felt the pressure increase on her hand as he squeezed tighter.

In the next instant, she heard him gasping for breath as he released her hand. "You can open your eyes now," he wheezed, steadying himself slowly and indicating with his arm that she should look around.

It felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her, the entire world swimming behind closed eyes. "I'm no' so sure that I can, yeah?" Her knees buckled a bit and she leaned against him for strength.

They stood in a large room. To their right, two chairs were set around a small wooden dining table. Behind them a hallway led to what appeared to be the entrance. Off of the hallway lay the bathroom, complete with jacuzzi bath, half a dozen robes, and numerous lotions, shampoos, soaps, and other toiletry items. In the same room but farther away from the door, comfortable rocking chairs and a large sofa circled an oval rug with intricate designs and runes.

After steadying himself, Peredhil grabbed her elbow gently with his hand. "It's okay to open your eyes. I promise."

Doing as she was bid, the shock factor came more from the fact that they were indoors rather than that they were actually in Elessar. Even with all of his explaining, Juliane had assumed there would be some sort of effort required on her part. Even traveling between worlds via the Spaceport had involved scenery and motion.... she was totally unaccustomed to instant transportation.

"Is this..." Her voice drifted away as she took in all the details, slowly craning her neck to take in all the corners, not yet trusting herself to walk unaided.

A short wall, perhaps half the distance from the floor to the ceiling, separated the living/dining room from the rest of the quarters, which was slightly lower than the living area. This area contained the bed and a walk-in closet, complete with outfits for every occasion, from casual wear to formal gowns. In front of the bed, where the wall should have been, two large glass doors opened up to the balcony, offering incredible views of the Bay of Dolphins below.

He chuckled. "These are your quarters while we're in Elessar, Juliane."

Asa knocked several times, then entered. "Lady Juliane?" Once Juliane had given her permission to enter, she did so, flashing her a warm smile. "You look lovely, milady." The two attendants apparently thought so as well, for they stood in their places, on either side of a cart, staring at Juliane with gaping mouths. "You two, don't dawdle!" Asa snapped, sending them a withering look. A few unladylike words sprung out of her lips as she ordered them out to the balcony. Despite her diminutive frame, they hurried to obey with chastened looks. Meanwhile, Asa motioned for Juliane to approach. Her face as pleasant as ever, she began to do Juliane's hair. "Lord Peredhil sends word that he will be here in just a few minutes, so we'll do something basic for now." She listened to Juliane's instructions and did her bidding.

After moving the wooden dining table and two chairs outside, the attendants set the table and arranged the various dishes and plates, all covered so that Juliane could not glimpse what was inside. A bottle of white wine was left to chill on ice. On cue, the attendants and Asa finished their tasks at the same time. Moments later, a knock on the door was heard. "That must be Lord Peredhil," Asa said, rising swiftly. "We'll let you two enjoy your privacy." A single look at the attendants had them hustling towards the door. She followed amiably behind, greeting Peredhil warmly before departing on the heels of the other two.

The flurry of activity seemed entirely surreal, and that feeling was only compounded as she caught glimpse of herself in the mirror. What Asa had referred to as basic turned out to be a soft, delicate chignon at the nape of her neck. Clusters of briolette sapphires dangled from her earlobes. Blinking herself out of her reverie, a focused gaze revealed Peredhil standing behind her, regarding her with a deep look of appreciation.

Unbeknownst to Peredhil, his expression was the same of the two attendants when they first caught sight of Juliane. He had changed into more formal wear, although he'd unbuttoned the top part of his shirt and rolled up his cuffs prior to entering the room. "You look stunning, Juliane." Circling to admire her from all sides, he whistled softly.

He was moved to skip breakfast, but a rumbling stomach reminded him that he'd not yet eaten today. Taking her hand, he lifted it to his lips, then led her out onto the balcony, holding her chair for her. Glancing at the wine label, he nodded approvingly.

Taking the offered seat, she settled herself and spread the folded napkin across her lap. "It's all thanks ta you, Peredhil. I had packed nothing so fine." She smiled softly, warmed by his reaction and affection.

Pouring her a glass of wine, he proceeded to remove the tops from the various dishes that had been left on the cart. An assortment of fresh fruits, juices, and truffles mixed with the more traditional breakfast fare of pastries, eggs, bacon, hash browns, and coffee.

As the aromas wafted from the serving dishes, her stomach rumbled audibly. Holding out her hand for his plate, she nodded towards the fare. "What might I serve ya this mornin', Lord Peredhil?" A wink accompanied the use of his title.

He winked back at her, laughing at the sound of her growling stomach. "Why, Lady Juliane, I'd like a taste of everything please. Or as much as you can fit on this plate." The smells had provoked the same reaction in him.

He passed her his plate, arching an eyebrow at her offer to serve him. While filling his wine glass, his eyes trailed along Juliane's long arms and nimble fingers as she organized food onto both of their plates.

Taking the porcelain disc from him, she wasted no time in piling it high with an omelette, hash browns, half a dozen slices of bacon, two biscuits, wedges of orange and grapefruit, and several truffles. Resting a serving spoon to the side, she pretended to have to hold it with two hands to extend it back out to him.

He took the plate, his eyebrows nearly jumping off of his forehead at all of the food, especially the six slices of bacon. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? I have enough things to worry about." Teasing, he added, "I suppose I'll either have to exercise the rest of the day or skip my next three meals."

"Ya'll need yer strength if there is much ta come and could stand ta add on a pound or two. B'sides, yer ever bit as active as m'brother, so it's no' like yer gonna jus' lounge around and go soft anytime soon, yeah?" Grinning broadly, she served herself a much more modest portion of the same.

"Fair enough," he responded, waiting patiently for her to take the first bite, his wine glass swirling absently in his right hand. He let his gaze fall on the turquoise waters below them, the distant sound of crashing waves and the calls of seagulls forming a soothing symphony of background noise.

The fork halfway to her mouth, she paused with raised brows at his patience. "Ya haven't lost yer appetite, have ya?"

He tried mental telepathy, as if that would force the fork into her mouth. It failed, of course. "Just waiting to see if the food is poisoned," he quipped, then hastily assured her that he was just teasing.

Pausing a moment, she tried to adopt her most thoughtful expression. "Well, I see it this way... I don' think Asa would've taken any chances wi' what she served." An instant later, she was chewing happily, contented murmurs of delight escaping.

His fork was in his hand as soon as the tip of her fork disappeared. He started with the omelette first.

"Isn't it good?" She was barely able to get it out between a bite of hash brown and then bacon.

"It's delicious," he admitted, attacking one of the biscuits. After a minute of silence, he reached for his wine glass again and held it out to her. "Thanks for coming to Elessar, Juliane. I hope you enjoy your time here."

Grinning gently, she swallowed her current mouthful and lifted her glass in kind. The soft clink of the two brought forth a chuckle. "Ya mean ta thank me for comin' so that I could be wined an' dined and provided wi' m'own quarters an' a full wardrobe?" Her head canted to one side as she leaned forward towards him. "Really? Seems ta reason tha' I should be th' one thankin' ya."

He waved off her comment with a chuckle. "Honestly, it took a lot of courage for you to come alone with me like you did. A lot of trust." His green eyes settled on her face. "I know it wasn't an easy decision. So thank you."

"Ya had my trust th' first time I let ya into th' Studio." Her voice was quiet, yet the weight of her words was tantamount. "An' really it was jus' voicing my decision. I'd already made it."

He brought his wine glass to his lips, but his eyes never left her face. Remembering that first time he'd visited the Studio, the tumultuous emotions that had risen to the surface during that encounter and others, he could barely believe that they now sat calmly on the palace balcony, chatting over a late breakfast.

"Of course not." He needed absolutely no convincing. Grabbing the tray of fruits and the half-empty wine. "Will you bring the wine glasses?" He walked inside, leaving the doors open. They were some ten stories above ground and facing the ocean, so there would be no intrusions on their privacy.

"I think I can handle tha', even in my fattened state." Slowly extracting herself from her chair, she chuckled and grabbed the glasses with one hand, replacing the covers over the serving dishes for whenever that would be cleared up.

He paused a few steps away. "Do you think you can make it to the living room or do you prefer to rest on the bed?"

"Well if I can't, wouldn't ya jus' carry me?" She caught the note of teasing and for the second time that day her heart rate elevated.

Chuckling, he retorted: "I would do my best, although I cannot promise much after eating as much as I did." He set the bottle and fruit tray down on a nearby table, indicating that he was willing to try.

"No, no... I won't take th' chance of strainin' ya wi' attemptin' ta tote me. We can jus' stay here an' enjoy th' breeze, yeah?" Resting the glasses on one of the night tables.

Moving the tray and wine bottle to the other night table, he kicked off his shoes and propped up a couple of pillows behind him. "Not a bad view, is it?"

"No' at all. Though I think climbing th' steps ta my quarters will help me burn off all ya've fed me so far." Whistling at the thought of climbing ten flights of stairs.

Laughing, he adjusted a few pillows for her and motioned for her to lie down as well. "Perhaps."

Slipping out of the ballet flats, she sat down on the bed and swung her legs up. Turning onto her side to face him, she propped up her elbow so that her head could rest against the heel of her hand. "So... wasn't it so nice of someone ta give me these quarters so that we could have such a delicious meal an' then relax ta our heart's delight?"

"Yeah, we need to thank Asa for her thoughtfulness." Grinning, he turned on his side as well.

"Oh, so Asa's th' one that runs th' ship 'round here?" Chuckling softly, she continued the jest.

He nodded in mock seriousness. "Couldn't you tell?"

"Well, I had an inkling, but wasn't exactly sure, ya know, bein' new here an' all." Pausing thoughtfully. "But yeah, now that ya point it out ta' me..." He leaned in to kiss her before she could finish the thought, his hand reaching up behind her head. Any thought she could have possibly had was instantly evaporated. Her eyes fluttered closed as she found herself swimming in his kiss. His hand slipped down to her waist, pulling her closer.

He filled her glass halfway, holding up the bottle to indicate that they'd finished it. Hopping off of the bed, he opened one of the cabinets and produced a vintage red. As he uncorked the bottle to give it time to breathe, he glanced over his shoulder. "Aye, it is. I feel like I could face the world with you by my side..." He paused mid-sentence. "The whole world..." Lost in thought, he was not conscious of the smile that lit up his face.

For the first time since she had met him so many months prior, she saw a glimpse of what he must've looked like as a boy, buoyed by hope and confidence for what was to come. It warmed her heart to think that she played a role in that reaction. "You feel like you could face th' world, I feel like you've shown me th' world."

His eyes sought hers excitedly. "That's just it... the pieces are fitting together..." He disappeared into the other room quickly, and she could hear him mumbling to himself, pen scratching againt the paper.

She giggled and sipped her wine. Leaning to one side, she spoke out so that her voice could carry to his ears. "Care ta explain tha' ta me?

"Hold on a second, love," he called back, staring at the diagram he'd just drawn. It might just work. Carefully folding the piece of paper twice, he placed it in his pocket.

Her curiosity was getting the better of her and she climbed off the bed and followed after him, barefeet sinking into the plush floorcoverings. "And jus' what am I supposed ta hold on ta when yer no' within reach, hmmm?

Chuckling, he turned back to her, his eyes a soft green. Embracing her, he whispered, "I think you may be my songbird after all."

Leaving her arms around him, she pulled back so that they were eye to eye. "Fer certain? What makes ya think that?"

That mysterious smile appeared on his face. "I don't want to ruin the surprise." Grinning, he pulled away from her.

"Ya think ya can tell me something like that and then no' follow through wi' th' rest of it?" Now it was her turn to look shocked at information being withheld. Her hands rested on her hips as she just stared at him.

"Let's just say that Elessar and I have been suffering from a crisis of confidence. We'd lost our way. I think we've found it again." His excitement was palpable, his grin contagious.

"An' somehow I change all tha'? Fer everyone?" She couldn't argue with the strength of his reaction, but it was humbling to think that the role she would play was so much larger than even she had anticipated.

He left her questions unanswered. "Allow me to introduce you to my people. Stand with me as I outline to them what will come next."

"Of course. How could I deny you my support?" One blonde brow arched as she still tried to unravel the puzzle.

He rewarded her response with a passionate kiss. "There is much to be done. I need to convene the ministers." Despite several glasses of wine, his eyes were alert and his head was clear.

"Are we ta go ta them now or will it bide until later this evening?" Her lips slightly swollen from the force of his kiss, the flavor of wine still lingering behind.

He raised an eyebrow. "We? You're interested in sitting in on the meeting?" His face let her know that he did not consider them to be very entertaining.

"Did you no' just ask ta introduce me ta yer people? Are no' th' ministers people?" She looked surprised at his question.

"They are. But I meant the Elessari. I plan on holding a general assembly for the city. Together, we will address them."

"Well, if ya think th' ministers would allow such a thing wi'out even seein' me, I will trust yer guidance on this and hope ta be a credit to ya when th' time comes."

"They'll meet you beforehand." He sighed, scratching his chin. "Unfortunately, they're pickier than ever about meeting since... well, since what happened with the Dark One. I'll ask Asa to send your art supplies up."

At the mention of that name, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms about him, as if too strengthen the cocoon that enveloped them for a little bit longer. "So ya will go ta them straight away?"

He paused, just as unwilling to leave as she was to let him go. "Perhaps I can stay a while longer. After all, it will take some time to convene them." Gently extricating himself from her embrace, he walked to the door and stuck his head out. His words were muted by the half-closed door, but he reappeared moments later. "Done."

"How much longer do I have ya ta m'self?" She giggled softly.

"I'd hate to keep them waiting, but I think it'll take a good hour to track them all down." Smiling, he walked past her and out to one side of the balcony, his eyes gazing down at the bustling city streets.

Coming up behind him, she rested her chin on his shoulder, arms wrapping around his torso. "Should I ask what yer thinkin' or wait until ya come back?"

"I'm just wondering what the response will be." His shoulders seemed to hunch under the weight of his responsibility to Elessar.

"They love ya, Peredhil. You are their king, yeah?" She placed a kiss to the nape of his neck. "If they did no' trust ya, they would not follow ya. That will no' change now."

He gave no response, but turned to hold her tightly.

"Yer no' alone in this, love. No' before an' certainly no' now." She placed her forehead against his. "Jus' don' let th' ministers think I'm a songbird tha' can hold a tune, yeah?" She chuckled lightly before kissing the tip of his nose.

Chuckling, he loosened his grip on her. "Nay, but I have told them what a fine dancer you are."

She narrowed her eyes at that last bit, with a mock threatening tone. "Ya did? I'm gonna hate ta tell 'em tha' Lord Peredhil is a fibber, yeah?"

"You can't tell them that!" His eyes grew wide with mock betrayal. "It's not allowed. Besides," he teased, "who do you think they'll believe: you or me?"

"Ya jus' better hope they don' ask for an exhibition then, hmm? I'll suddenly become all awkward." Grinning slyly.

"Why do you think I want to call a city-wide assembly?" He tried to hide his grin behind a hand.

Her mouth flew open with shock before she started stammering. "Y-ya s-said it was ta talk ta them, no' dance fer 'em!"

"I think I said that we would 'address them.' Through dance of course." Sputtering laughter turned into a coughing fit as he could no longer hide his amusement.

She started to turn on her heel. "Then I better go tell Asa ta fetch me a stand-in. An' quickly."

His arm snaked out, his hands latching onto her wrist. "I suppose if you're extra nice to me, then perhaps I can see if we can make an exception to the rule."

She cast a glance over her shoulder and down to her captured arm, a slow smile growing. "Oh?" Turning back around to face him, she sidled close. "An' jus' what do ya define as bein' extra nice, hmmmm?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something. If not..." He shrugged. "I'd be sure that you try on your dance shoes to be sure they fit."

"Ya don' say... well..." And with that, she kissed him. Kissed him with every bit that she had, mentally willing that all thoughts of dancing would dissipate like smoke. Blown away, he staggered back against the balcony railing, gripping it tightly with one hand to ensure that he didn't fall over, dragging her with him. When she finally broke it, he inhaled deeply, then said brightly, "That's a good start."

"What can I say... I'm a quick study." She giggled, her cheeks flushed with excitement. A single brow arched in invitation. "Care ta continue?"

That arched eyebrow was perhaps the most sensual invitation he'd ever received. "Of course."

She giggled nervously, the grin spreading across her lips. Taking him by the hand she pulled him away from the balcony, before another commenced that every bit as potent as the first.

This time he was prepared, responding with the same passion as they stumbled away from the balcony and back inside. Juliane mumbled a quick apology as she tripped over their feet on the way through the door, never relaxing her hold on him. They made it to the bed just in time, arms and legs tangled together in a jumbled mess.

All of his senses were involved in the process of discovery, each sense heightened and fully aware as he explored her body, admiring the perfection present in every small detail. She arched, only her shoulders still touching the coverlet beneath. The only sounds that could escape her were feathery breaths and gasps.

Peredhil had never experienced such a profound experience, the unity of their bodies, encapsulated by love and commitment. Both of them remained quiet for several long moments, unwilling to break the perfect silence that seemed to shield them from the pains and disappointments of the outside world. If this was uncharted territory for him, Juliane was entirely off the spectrum. As her pulse finally evened out, she rolled over onto her stomach, her face turned towards him just staring in wonderment.