This is actually not a new story, but a rewritten version of my old fic Yours Forever. I wrote that when I just started off at and now when I read it again I don't think it as good anymore so I decided to rewrite it. Hope this one will prove to be an improvement!

Disclaimer: Sadly for me, I don't own the rights to Lord of the Rings. However, I did create some of the characters in my story, so those do belong to me… muahahahaha.

Chapter 1 : The First Meeting

Háthien watched the Elves before her preparing for their journey to Rivendell. Among them were her older brother Celoril, and Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood. She watched as they whispered in Elvish to their horses, and wished she could go on the journey as well. She had never been to Rivendell, and wished to see what it was like. Celoril had been there once before, and he had come back with tales of its beauty and warmth and also of the wisdom of Lord Elrond. Háthien wished she could be allowed to make the journey, but this time the Elves had been summoned to Rivendell for some secret cause which even Celoril could not tell her of. She wondered if Legolas knew. Close as he was to his father, he would probably have knowledge of everything that came to Thranduil. Although her brother and Legolas were good friends, she had never met him before. But she had watched him from a distance, and admired his loyalty to his people, and his unfaltering determination to protect his homeland.

Háthien thought very highly of Legolas.

Celoril, satisfied that all his things were packed, came up to his family. After exchanging words with his parents, promising to be careful and to send their regards to some friends in Rivendell, he turned to his sister. "You behave, all right?" he said, his eyes twinkling. "Don't get into any trouble without me."

"You are the one always getting me into trouble, Celoril," Háthien shot back with a laugh. "I'll be just fine on my own. I wish I could go with you to Rivendell, though."

"Perhaps one day we will go together. There's much that I want you to see there." Celoril pulled his sister close for a hug. "You take care of yourself, and I'll be back soon. Then we can get up to mischief together again."

"All right, muindor. I'll be waiting for you to get back."

"Is this your sister, Celoril?" Legolas had approached, after he had spoken with his father, and was standing behind Celoril with his arms crossed, a smile on his face. "You certainly have been keeping her a secret, haven't you? We've been friends for so long, and I have never even met her!"

"Well, meet her now, then!" Celoril laughed. "This is my younger sister, Háthien."

"I'm not that young anymore," Háthien said, smiling, but she blushed a little under the eyes of Legolas. "It's good to meet you at last, my lord." Nobody treated Legolas like royalty in Mirkwood, but Háthien felt it strange to address Legolas in any other way on their first meeting.

"The pleasure's all mine, but please, call me Legolas. 'My lord' sounds strange." Legolas looked at Háthien intently. Her beauty was not that of legends, but she was beautiful all the same. Her friendly nature seemed to radiate from within her, and she possessed a confidence and strength that he had not seen in many people. He could help feeling grateful that he had met her before this journey to Rivendell. He knew that the news of Gollum's escape would not be well received, and wondered what effect it would have on how things turned out.

"If you wish," Háthien replied.

It was time to leave. Legolas went back to his horse as Celoril embraced his sister one more time. He looked beyond the gates of the Elven realm in Mirkwood with no idea of what lay in his future.

"Be careful. We await your return to Mirkwood with great anticipation," Thranduil said, coming to stand by him.

Legolas smiled down at his father. "Don't you worry, ada, I will be all right. Everything will be all right. I have no doubt that a solution would be found."

As the Elves rode out of the gates, Legolas looked back. His father was standing there; he would not budge until they were all out of his sight. But standing some distance behind him was a maiden, watching as the Elves rode away from Mirkwood. It was Háthien. When she saw him looking back, she raised a hand to wave. Legolas smiled and waved back.

Suddenly he could not wait to fulfil his duties, so that he could hurry back to Mirkwood to learn more about this special elfmaiden.