AN: First ever fanfic from a few years ago, so may be very bad, but it gets better later. Thanks to a little Butterfly who helped me :)
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Marianna was playing, hide and seek, with her two brothers. They were having fun. Her big brother Aragon II was very clever, and he always knew all the best places to hide. He was her idol, she followed him everywhere.
Aragon II wanted to be a Rider of Rohan and so did she. Her adorable little brother, Bormir was only two, he was too young to know how to hide properly and had to have the maid help him find a place to hide in. Though every two seconds or so he would let out a high pitched giggle, giving away his hiding spot. He was the baby of the family; everyone loved him and doted on him.
Marianna thought she saw a small clearing, full of big, white lilies just ahead, covered by long willow branches sweeping down over the mossy ground. Her soft slippers made no sound as she ran over to the tree, and slipped under the branches, her long dress catching on the ground and she lifted her hand and tugged at it till it tore loose, thinking what a wonderful hiding place this was; no-one could find her here.
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It was dark now, she had fallen asleep in the small mossy glade; now everyone was gone and the cheerful woods with their singing trees had become a big looming monster waiting to gobble her up, like the Orc's in the stories her Father had told her about in his great battles. An owl screeched piercingly and she ran into the darkness, not caring about the branches whacking her face, just aiming to get back to the castle and into her Father's strong arms. After around about half an hour of hard running, trying to escape from the darkness that was full of unfriendly shapes and noises, Marianna collapsed to the ground, exhausted, salty tears stinging the cuts the branches had made across her sweet face. "Daddie ….where are you Daddie?" she cried into the shadowy, forbidding forest. She curled herself into a ball to block out the dark forest and the nightmares that her mind dreamed up, and cried herself into a restless sleep.
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Beside the gurgling stream sat Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood. His blonde hair fell over his shoulders, his hands absentmindedly fiddling with his handcrafted elven bow. Peace filled the glade and Legolas drifted into a semi-awake state.
Alyss ran swiftly into the sunlit glade. Her face framed by her softly curling brown hair was full of burden, and her breath came in short gasps due to the haste in which she had tried to find him. Legolas sat up, and started to form a question in his mind, thinking up many worrying situations that could have caused Alyss to ride to him with such speed, but he kept his troublesome feelings from showing across his handsome face. Alyss interrupted his thoughts with a small gesture. He let her regain her breath, unease causing him to adjust his quiver and pick up his bow in case of any immediate need. In an exhausted voice Alyss started to speak. "Aragon requests your assistance in a very fragile and personal matter."
She paused to take a breath. Legolas straightened up and interrupted her. "I will go at once. Where does he require me?"
"Do not be hasty Legolas Greenleaf," Alyss reprimanded him. "Let me finish. His only daughter, Marianna has disappeared whilst playing with her brothers. If this news gets out we will have all the enemies of the King out seeking her to use her as leverage against the King. This is why King Aragon will only give a trusted friend the task of finding his beloved child. He asked for you." Aragon and Legolas had shared danger together and that had helped form a special bond with each other. Legolas was still surprised that he was the one which Aragon had chosen to call. Were there not others closer who were trusted and just as good a woodlander?
Legolas's brow wrinkled in confusion, but he decided that these matters could be explained later. Legolas replied, "I will leave immediately; Rohan is two days hard riding."
Alyss lead two sturdy horses forward. "Did you think that the King would not send someone to guard your back? I am to travel with you." Legolas made no comment, but his lips tightened and he mounted his steed and waited in cold silence. "The King trusts me Legolas, why won't you?"
Legolas looked her in the eye and spoke. "You have already ridden hard, I do not want you to exhaust yourself. Besides I can do fine by myself. With two people it will take longer"
Alyss mounted and spurred her horse forward; "well my mind is made up. I will not be a burden to you, nor am I too weak to make the journey. If we want to get there sooner we should start riding" Alyss galloped off in defiance, Legolas cantered after her and took the lead, his long hair flying behind him.
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Aragon knelt over his dead wife's grave and wept. He had failed her; their only daughter was missing now for four days and was not yet found. Legolas had yet to come to his plea. He trusted Legolas would come, but prayed that he would arrive soon.
Marianna was all he had left of Arwen, besides their two sons, but they were more like him. Meanwhile Marianna was the exact image of her mother. Her naïve attitude and innocence would endanger her if trouble arose, if she was not already dead. She was only eight. How could she have slipped away from the guards and why? It was his fault for not being there and watching her every move.
He heard footsteps approaching him and raised his gaze in the hope of seeing her small figure running to meet him. He again bowed his head in sorrow as he realized it was only the changing of his private guard. Legolas was taking his time. Aragon cursed himself for being unable to search for her himself. As the King it would endanger her. If the King left his post, within an hour all would know about it and why he had left. She was safer with him on the throne, but Legolas was a different matter and he trusted the elf. He needed to come soon. Time was running out for his only daughter.
Legolas and Alyss soon slowed down to a steady trot, their horse's swift legs eating up the miles. After about two and a half days of tough riding, the great city of Gondor came into sight, rising up, a great stone wall that awed men. As they entered the enormous stone gates of the city they leant low over their horses, pushing the sweat soaked animals to reach the castle. Anxiety for the King's daughter's safety drove them to ride with ferocious speed, taking little care to avoid passers-by and market stalls.
They dismounted quickly and shoved their horse's reins into the surprised hands of the Palace guard. They strode purposely through a colossal stone doorway, Alyss's knee high riding boots echoing across the courtroom. The King's loyal secretary stood up quickly. "What is the meaning of this; bursting into the King's courtroom unannounced!"
Legolas sighed in frustration at the man's obstructive attitude. He took a deep breath and spoke in a measured tone, "I am Legolas Greenleaf; Prince of Mirkwood, I request a meeting with the King at once".
The King's secretary stood with his mouth open and muttered something to himself, before he stood tall, "I need proof that you are who you say you are, Legolas Greenleaf". Annoyance and cold anger rose in Legolas's eyes.
Alyss stepped forward. "You have insulted me and a Prince of the elves. What do you mean to imply when you ask for identification from an ELF? He claims he is a visitor to the King. Do you treat every guest this way? This is an offence to the King himself. What do you have to say for yourself? We demand to see the King, immediately!" The secretary looked around for help but found none in the now silent stone court room.
"I will fetch the King if the time is convenient for him. Is there a message for His Majesty?" Legolas replied, "Just say that an old friend has responded to his call."
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"A man has disrupted the courtroom demanding you, Your Majesty" announced a bothered man. "He claims to be a Legolas Greenleaf; Prince of Mirkwood, Sir."
"Legolas!" the King exclaimed. "He came. I must see him at once. Where is he, in the courtroom?" Before the man could speak again, the King was off running to greet his old friend.
Legolas swung around gracefully at the sound of his name being called. "Legolas!" The King ran into the room and smothered him in a gigantic bear hug, repeating, "You came! You came!"
"Of course I came. The Prince of Mirkwood always comes for a friend." Legolas awkwardly hugged him back, feeling very much at unease with hugs. Aragon patted Legolas on the back, at a loss for words for a minute before with a smile Legolas said, "You look terrible".
Aragon smiled slightly in remembrance of old times and said "I am a King now, I could throw you out for saying that." They continued their friendly banter for a few minutes before Alyss politely interrupted them with a very lady-like cough.
"Your Majesty." She bowed deeply to Aragon.
"Alyss, thank-you. You did well to bring him here so fast. Come now Legolas, Alyss. My private quarters would give us a little more solitude. Hurry, we have many important matters to discuss."
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Legolas walked out of Aragon's quarters his mind in a whirl. All the facts where muddled in his brain but he could sense Aragon's desperation. Four days was a long time for a girl to be out in the woods alone. While there was peace in Middle Earth, there was always greed and anger. Marianna was young. She would not know where to go, or who to trust. He needed to start looking, now.