Gondolin, First Age
“Mind how much wine you drink,” Amathlan frets over her in a low tone as they approach the large hall of the House of The Heavenly Arch. “And we are only staying as long as I shall be performing!”
“You worry too much,” Mallossel laughs freely, brushing her brother aside. His face scrunches up in mild annoyance at being dismissed, but the attention of both is quickly turned to the magnificence of the hall as they step inside.
The House of the Heavenly Arch is one renowned for its wealth and extravagance, and in such a place, it is no different. The walls of the hall themselves seem to glitter with imbedded gems, banners hung from the ceiling in silken displays, and even the guests look as though they had taken a walk through the wealth of the House and had starlights dazzling in their hair. Mallossel shares a look with her brother - she knows this is not at all something he is comfortable with, and she can see the familiar expression where he is about to ask her to stay by his side.
“I will look for you with the other musicians!” Mallossel says quickly, stepping back with light feet before Amathlan has the chance to hold her back, and she turns to dart off.
“Mallossel!” He calls out after her. She turns to look and finds him glaring daggers at her in her flight. He is quickly approached by a couple with sterling-silver hair, however, and his expression shifts to a nervous smile as he exchanges greetings with them. He will be fine, Mallossel reasons with herself.
It took her not long to locate the refreshments, and she is about to pour herself a drink when she feels a tug on her arm.
“Mallossel! Oh, mellon, you look genuinely like a golden flower in that dress!” the familiar voice of her friend, Iruieth, draws Mallossel's attention to her. The other elleth was in a gown of deep purple, her dark hair pinned atop her head.
Mallossel offers a fond chuckle and a, “Thank you,” when she notices Hwín just behind Iruieth, clad in a dress of pale blue, her blonde hair loose. “You both look lovely yourselves.”
“Come dance with us!” Hwín demands almost immediately, grabbing both her and Iruieth’s hands. “We have been waiting for you to arrive!”
“But I have not had a drink yet-!” Mallossel tries to protest, but it is ignored beneath the laughter of the other elleths as she is carted towards the center of the hall. Despite such protests, she is quickly swept up into the giddiness of the event and the quickness of the music, and the trio quickly becomes blurs of blinding color across the floor as they dance without partners and with abandon.
It feels like ages before Mallossel can squeeze away from them and find herself a drink. She can still hear them laughing and talking across the hall, even above all the noise and music, and she laughs to herself as she finally pours herself a glass of wine to mellow her mood. She raises her eyes to look over the side of the hall as she takes a sip, and it is then she notices Cardanith speaking with members of the Host. Instinctively she wants to find out what business could possibly be taking place on such a night… But she figures she will at least finish her glass of wine first before joining them.
Mallossel turns to glance to where the musicians are sat, towards the center of the hall, and she finds the copper hair of her brother with ease, delicately plucking away at the strings of a harp. It was pleasing to see him unabashed about his talents for once, especially after the conversation they had in his room but a few weeks prior. Between watching Amathlan and losing herself in her wine, she does not notice the fact that Cardanith has approached her. She turns to see what the Host members are doing now and finds herself face-to-face with the Visarch.
“Ah! My apologies,” Mallossel laughs, narrowly saving herself from spilling the wine over them both. Cardanith smiles at the display as well, and his hands move from an attempt to stop the possible spillage to their usual posture behind his back.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Cardanith questions her with a wry smile that causes her cheeks to flush in fear that he has seen (and perhaps disapproves of) her antics with her friends as a member of the Host. She clears her throat in a mild panic to counter his question with one of her own.
She nods towards the back of the Hall, where they had been gathered. “Was it something pressing? With the Host?”
He reaches out as if to touch her but hesitates and lowers his hand once more. With a shake of his head, he says, “No, nothing you should worry about tonight. I see Amathlan is playing,” he offers in tentative conversation as if no one ever taught him quite how to make proper small talk. The redirection works, however, as Mallossel turns to look at her brother for a moment and then back to Cardanith with a smile.
“Indeed! I knew he would have the courage to do so eventually, but he just needed the time to believe so himself!”
The Visarch nods, and Mallossel notices that his eyes are more so focused on her rather than her brother, despite him being the subject of the conversation. The music is slowing down from its high energy to something akin to a slow waltz, the gentle notes beginning to wane the speed of the dancers. She watches as he takes a breath to steel himself and then turns to face her directly - but whatever he was going to say is lost as she feels warm hands on both of her arms. Iruieth and Hwín have found her.
“Is this where you've gone off too? Come, mellon, we have found a garden we can explore until the music is lively once more!” Hwín insists as Mallossel tries to stutter out an excuse as she notices the subtle way that Cardanith's expression falls.
“Again, with the wine and the stuttering!” Iruieth tsks with a laugh, plucking the glass of wine out of Mallossel's hand. “If you don’t mind, hír,” the purple-clad elleth continues, setting the glass down on the table aside, “we must steal our friend from the Host once more.”
Although Cardanith offers a well-meaning wave for the trio to depart, as they do so, Mallossel looks back at him with an apologetic expression. He only gives a strained smile before turning away to join those who he had been speaking with before.
The music began to pick up again.
