(A/N): Thank you to all of my lovely reviewers, you all are wonderful. Special thanks to Shadow975.

I hope you all enjoi this chapter!

Don't worry, it will speed up. I just like to take my time in things.

Hence forth to the next chapter………

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       Bella watched as Elrohir silently walked out of the room. She sat in silence as the light from the candles dimly lit her face. The gold decorated room warmly shown in the soft light and gave the elegant room a snug and cozy feel. Bella slouched back in her chair, holding her wine glass and sloshing the liquid around.

       She sat for awhile debating whether or not if she should go to the little party. She decided finally that she would just roam the gardens and make herself familiar to them. After all, she felt that the Merry Men, Elves, whatever you wanted to call them, really did not want her around.

       She downed the remaining sips of her wine and stood up, walking towards the door. She started to walk down the long, dark corridor not knowing where she was going. There were too many halls in the palace for her to remember them all. She then heard the faint sound of water trickling ahead of her and she knew she must be getting close to a garden.

       In just a few yards the wall to her left opened up into huge white, marble pillars and a marble patio lay beyond it. Beyond that, a glittery waterfall gently dribbled down into a small stream that intertwined throughout the garden and was surrounded by huge droopy willows. A tiny beaten path twisted along side of the stream and under graceful tree limbs.

       The stars above her shimmered down making the ripples on the water seem like tiny diamonds.

       "Shine on you crazy diamonds," Bella muttered with a half smile. She walked over to a stone bench and sat upon it. The coolness of it giving her goose bumps.

       A short distance away Bella could hear the sound of music being played intertwined with the sound of laughter and melodious voices. And there, sitting on the bench, Bella began to feel very alone. The sound of happiness only a small ways away made her heart ache and a lump found its way to her throat.

       Two fireflies danced in front of her, as if mocking her in her loneliness, and then quickly flew away. Bella felt so out of place and she longed for some company but her foolish pride wouldn't allow her to say so.

       Finally the weight of it all was too much for her. Tears blinded her and she let out a choked sob; and with that she let it all out. She cried for her loneliness, she cried because she wanted to go back home, she cried for the strangeness and uncertainty that surrounded her, and for everything else that was built up inside of her.

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       When Bella had finally quieted herself she slowly got herself up and walked over to the stream and splashed the cool water on her face. Beneath the willow where she crouched she could still hear the voices and music echoing in her ears.

       "Feeling sorry for myself is gonna get me nowhere," Bella whispered to herself. "I can at least make myself sociable."

       With that Bella got up and brushed the dirt off the edge of her dress and slowly made her way to the music.

       She came upon a brightly lighted room filled with many people. She hid herself behind a pillar and watched the goings-on. Women in fabulous dresses danced quickly around with such fabulous ease with the men, and the music was bright and lively. Laughter filled the room and everyone looked very merry. Bella suddenly felt very foolish and was about to leave when she heard a voice from behind.

       "So you have decided to come join us?" said the voice. "I am pleased."

       "Oh!" Bella cried turning around in alarm; her face turning red at the fact of being caught snooping. "Ye-e-es. I was, uh, walking through the garden, and I uh, yeah. Are you Aladdin?"

       "No, my name is Elladen," he said laughing. "Well, now that you have had your cry and are done feeling sorry for your self, would you please come in and enjoy the entertainment instead of standing outside in the cool air?"

       'How did he know I was crying?' Bella thought to herself, but before she could say anything she was being dragged into the room. Elladen brought her to a wire bench with ivy leaves entwined about it. She took a seat and watched, her eyes devouring every splendid sight.

       At first Bella kept her eyes lowered, fearing that she was being stared at, but then she realized that no one paid any mind to her at all. At first Bella felt insulted. 'Shouldn't they be looking at me?' she thought. 'I'm the oh-so wonderful new alien, they should be interested.'

       But then her more sensible side kicked in. 'Don't be stuck up Bella,' she told herself. 'You're nothing special. Just another human, it's not like they've never seen one before.'

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       "Ah, so I see she has finally decided to join the company," Elrond said to his son, Elladen, observing her from across the room through the crowd of dancing Elves.

       "Yes, I believe her loneliness has gotten the best of her," replied Elladen. "And I'm glad it's sooner rather than later considering that she'll reside here for quite some time."

       "I agree," said Elrond.

       "Agree with what?" Elrohir asked as he came up to them after finishing a dance.

       "Bella," Elladen said motion towards her with his head. "She's decided not to be so glum and to grace us with her presence."

"Aha, so she has. Well that's grande. She still looks rather intimidated by us all though," said Elrohir.

       They watched Bella through the moving figures as she sat alone on the bench. She watched with wide eyes, but her posture showed that she was shrinking back in a way. Bella then took her eyes off the crowd and looked up the three men.

       "Well, now that you have her eye, one of you should be so kind as to offer her a dance," Elrond requested.

       Neither Elladen nor Elrohir were all too eager to dance with her, for, even if they would not admit it aloud, they were still not quite use to her. She was in fact a mortal, and not only that, a mortal from a supposedly different world. But their manners got a hold of them. They would not be judgmental without evidence, or at least try not to. Elrohir was the first to accept the request and he walked over to Bella.

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       Bella watched the dancing people until she felt a nagging in the back of her mind. Someone was watching her. She looked around and her eyes landed to her left where, through the people, she saw Elrond and his two sons looking at her. She saw them speak and then Elrohir started to make his way through the crowd.

       'Oh shit' Bella thought immediately. 'Have I done something wrong?'

       Bella stood up in a quick, flustered movement and tried to make up an excuse for an unknown crime as he came up to her.

       "I-I'm sorr-," Bella began.

       "Would you like to dance?" Elrohir asked cutting off her sentence.

       "Yes," Bella said rather quickly without realizing her answer.

        "I mean no." She said. Elrohir raised a questionable eyebrow at her. "I mean, I suck at dancing, and therefore I cannot dance with you."

       "Well, that is unfortunate. But I am sure you cannot be all that bad," Elrohir replied. "Please, I insist. We shall move slow if you wish."

       Despite the fact that her mind was telling her 'no', she didn't want to be rude and accepted. "Alright, I guess. But I told you so."

       With that Bella timidly walked out onto the dance floor with Elrohir and started to place her hands around his neck.

       "No," he replied as he gently took her hands in his. He took her right hand and held it up and rested her left on his shoulder.

       "Like that," he said as he placed his left arm around her waist.

       "Is this waltz or something?" Bella asked him.

       "A waltz?" he replied? "I have never heard of that. This is a Benteia. A fairly easy dance I might say." Within a second the music started and Bella was being moved across the floor.

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       After the entertainment had finished, the minstrels bowed as everyone clapped. Bella was glad it was over, though she didn't dare mention it. She had struggled very hard to keep up with Elrohir, who was quite the skilled dancer, and she had two left feet. Also, Bella wasn't used to this kind of dancing. She was used to her club dancing; shaking her ass and getting low. That kind didn't take a lot of talent and skill. This was quite the King and I – without the poofy dresses. 

       After she had excused herself from the company, she wandered through the halls aimlessly trying to find her way back to her room. She came soon came upon the great room in which she had been brought the day she first arrived. She was about to walk past when she heard hushed voices. She tiptoed to the edge of the room, peering behind the corner.

       There she saw Lord Elrond and Gandalf speaking to each other. She strained her ears to see what she could hear.

       "I see," she heard Elrond utter. The rest of the words she could barely make out. She caught a few clips of, "should we….her…tomorrow…would she…I am not…you sure…metal…destroyed."

       Suddenly Elrond stopped speaking and Bella stood up straight and tense, listening eagerly.

       "There is someone out there," Elrond said. Bella's stomach began to twist as she heard the shuffle of Elrond's robes coming closer. She looked around, trying to think of an excuse for her being there.

       When Elrond came around the corner he saw Bella examining a large painting of an Elf adorned with armor.

       "What are you doing here child?" Elrond asked.

       "I was, just, uh, looking at this painting," she said quickly. "It's beautiful."

       "I see," Elrond replied. "But I think that it is best if you go back to your chambers now." Bella looked at him, trying to hide the fear that filled her. She didn't know if he was mad at her or not, but she did not want to stay around to find out.

       "Goodnight," said Bella.

       Elrond didn't say anything at all and watched as Bella turned and walked down the corridor, disappearing into the dark shadows.

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(A/N): la la la, done. I know; another boring chapter. But something big is going to be happening next chapter! Yahoo!

But please, REVIEW and I will let you borrow Brad Pitt for a message. Flamers, you all shall receive fleas.