Thranduil sighed grumpily, not in one of his better moods. Tonight he was attending one of those parties he despised, thrown by his parents in honor of his father the King, and to lighten the moods of everyone in Greenwood with the darkening news of Sauron and wars that was brought in daily. Really, it was also in part just an excuse for everyone to get more than a little too tipsy, and it was an excuse to invite elf maidens his age to the palace since his parents felt it was high time he found someone to bond with. Thranduil was visiting Greenwood from where he lived in Lindon, as he did a few months out of every year.

Thranduil hated nothing more than these parties, being forced to be polite to so many elf maidens he had no interest in, since many of them were only interested in his title as a Prince. Not to mention how he hated watching his parents' love of wine- not that he wasn't fond of wine himself- but he never had much fun when his parents had enough wine to decide to incessantly talk about him and "show him off" to the guests. Possibly he'd be lucky enough to be allowed to lurk on the edges of the crowds and avoid his parents for long enough, but past experience did not point to this being tonight's likely outcome.

Maybe his stars were aligned tonight; some important elves from other realms had come, and for the beginning of the party Thranduil's parents were spending enough time away from him to let Thranduil to stay in his small group of friends and not socialize with too many guests- and obnoxious elf maidens. They laughed and ate and had a fair amount of wine and a merry enough time before his mother dragged him away, reprimanding him for not acting like the charming Prince he should be, and making him promise to be more social and dance for awhile.

So he had, and now was in a worse mood than ever; there was only so much pointless conversation he could handle. When he was younger, he'd enjoyed the attention he got for his title and looks, but now he just found it tedious and preferred to spend his time with more worthwhile people than the typical high-status fawning elves he'd met of late, and danced with tonight. So now he sat sulking at a table, wishing to become part of the stone walls so never to have to speak to giggly elf maidens caring only for his title again. Tracing patterns in the cracked wood of the table with the tip of his finger, he mulled over how much he hated this night for a good while before he became aware of someone watching him, sitting at a nearby table.
He looked up, glaring, expecting a giggling maiden trying to get his attention, but the maiden he saw when he looked wasn't what he expected. She wasn't giggling in a fawning way, but she seemed more to genuinely find his anger amusing, which in his mood mostly just irked him more, but also intrigued him. She looked different than the other elves who he was avoiding, and he realized he was staring. It wasn't her beauty, exactly, that caught his eye- although she was beautiful, she had perfect elven features and complexion and long pale golden hair that curved around her shoulders- but it was the air she gave off that really made her beautiful. Her eyes glowed with a light of humor, and intelligence and kindness was clear on her face. Something about her kind expression softened his gaze a bit, and when she raised her eyebrows inviting him to join her, he did.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself tonight, my Prince!" She said, slightly trying to hide her smile as he sat, but not succeeding.

"Oh immensely." Thranduil replied, bitterly sarcastically. "What would I do with my evenings if not waste all my time at these ridiculous events my parents insist on throwing?!"

The maiden laughed. Her laugh was light and ringing, and it even inspired a real smile from Thranduil.

"Well, it does not seem to me like you would hate this party any more or less depending on where in it you are, and I could use some fresh air. Care to join me in a walk?" She asked, straightening and making to rise. "Unless of course you would rather continue to study the cracks in the wood, I'm sure that is fascinating business."

"As tempting as the tables are, I would love to join you." Thranduil said, rising and genuinely being polite for once, which was rare for him at these events.

She introduced herself as Elarinya, and as they walked out on the palace balconies Thranduil found he actually really enjoyed talking to her. After talking about where she was from and whether she had attended many palace parties (she hadn't, this was one of the first, and her parents had only dragged her in the hopes that she would meet him, she told him, apologizing for ending up fulfilling their plan which she had been adamant about not doing,) they got on the topic of good places in the area for riding, and that led to talking about horses and the best ways to train. They talked for hours, about everything from horses to the war to favorite books, and they made riding plans for five day's time.

Eventually she had to leave, and Thranduil spent the short rest of the party in an uncharacteristic joyful mood, though still not missing chances to throw sulky glares his parents' way whenever he got the chance. He had to stop this, however, when Oropher noticed a few too many and threw him a threatening look.
Oropher then called him over to bid good-night to all their guests and thank them for coming as they were leaving, and after Thranduil hurried off before his parents could interrogate him. It would be soon enough that they would hear from someone else that he had spent so much time talking to Elarinya, and he'd deal with their questions then. Tonight, he just wanted to sleep, and to think about what to do and say when he saw her again in five days time so that everything would be perfect.

~*~

However, that day would never come. Two days after that night, news was brought to Greenwood from other Elven realms. Many forces were marching against Sauron, and they were asking for Oropher's aid. And he had agreed. The King and the Prince leading them, they were to fight. The Wood-Elves were riding to war.

Greenwood felt to have changed overnight. Everyone had heard the news quickly, so Thranduil could only assume that Elarinya knew he was riding out to fight, but he didn't know how to find her and talk to her to say goodbye, or if he should.

The problem was solved for him that evening though; on his way back to the palace after riding out to confer with some scouts. As he was heading back and the sun started to set through the trees he heard his name being called.

"Elarinya!" He called back, turning his horse quickly and cantering towards her. She was riding a silver grey horse, and with Elarinya's pale golden hair the pair of them almost shone in the dimming evening light of the forest as she continued riding towards him. "I wasn't sure how to find you." He said when they met and both slowed their horses to a stop. "And we've been rushing so much to prepare to leave…I am sorry I won't be here for our ride."

She shook her head brushing him off.

"Perhaps when you return." She said, an intensity in her blue eyes on emphasizing the word "when."

"Perhaps." Thranduil said with a smile. He appreciated her subtle confidence in his returning. He was young; he had never expected to be riding to war so soon, and he had to admit that he was more than a little apprehensive. "I would like that."

"As would I." Elarinya said softly.

They watched each other for a moment, neither wanting to break gaze with the other.

"I should get home before the sun sets." Elarinya said finally. "I don't know how my father will react if he finds out I am off in the forest after dark with strange men. Even a prince." Her eyes twinkled. Then she more seriously added, "We will all miss you. And I just wanted to say good-bye and to wish you luck."

"Thank you." Thranduil bowed his head slightly. "Until we meet again."

"Until we meet again." She echoed, bowing, then turning and riding away.

Thranduil watched until after she was out of sight before turning around slowly then galloping back to the palace.

When the armies rode out the next morning, hers was the face Thranduil saw in his mind's eye as he rode a few paces behind his father and away from home. Away from the palace and the trees he called home, away from his mother, away from those he had known since birth, and away from her.