The wind tossed my hair back from my face as I cantered through the trees, allowing Alrohar to choose his own natural path, a content smile playing on my face as I undertook my daily duty of scouting. It was part of my contract as one of the Galadhrim warriors. I had only been accepted into the elite army in the past decade, though I was still considered unusually young for the position. I had been adamant that my position as the Lord and Lady's daughter not waver any decisions, and so had moved through the ranks with my fellow young elves, beginning in the scouting parties, rising to Warden, before I had been requested for the Galadhrim. It had been a dream come true; as my sister had longed for a head position as Healer, I had hoped to become a Galadhrim captain. And I was almost there.

But today, was a Warden day, a scouting trip. As we reached the very edge of the outer rim, I pulled Alrohar up gently and the stallion danced to a halt, exhilarated by the run and tossing his head, jumping from forehoof to forehoof.

"Rest Alrohar," I whispered gently, stroking his necky lightly, but he snorted and stamped one hoof. I sighed fondly and vaulted down from his back, knotting his reins to my saddle pommel. "Alright. Go on then!"

Alrohar settled for just a moment, to look at me with one great eye and nip my hair lovingly, before he launched himself out of the woods and over the crest of the hill, throwing in bucks as let off his pent up energy.

I laughed as the last hairs of his black tail whipped out of sight, before turning back to my duties. The horizon was empty; golden and beautiful. Both the woods and the outside world were quiet, void of disturbance. The world was as it should be.

Something suddenly caught my eye and I stepped along the line of trees carefully, bending down to examine the forest floor. Footprints, but upon further examination, they were safe. Elven prints, light and slim of foot, near two weeks old. Not a danger to Lothlorien. We were safe.

I decided to walk along the wood line for a little way, allowing Alrohar a little longer to run wild, enjoying how the sun played across my face, through the golden leaves of our beloved wood. I was suddenly reminded of when I had visited Greenwood with my father and sister so many years ago. The Greenwood and the Golden Wood. The Greenwood had seemed so very green in comparison to what I knew of back then, but so much time had passed and I had grown up. We both had, Celebrían and I. No longer were we the little princesses of Lorien, running carefree across the city, barefoot and laughing.

We were who we had been born to become; Ladies of Lorien in every sense. Loyal and loving, we took a hand in ruling our golden kingdom under our parents. The Silver Crowned and the Royal Maiden.

With a nicker and a buck, Alrohar burst into my deep thoughts, prancing in front of me, with what I could have sworn was a smile on his muzzle. He pawed the ground with one hoof as I laughed. It was a long ongoing game of ours to sneak up upon the other and see how close we could come. Alrohar had scored a new point.

"Alright, alright! You win!"

Alrohar nipped at a loose strand of my hair and I pushed it back from my face. "Oh, I see. You are ready to go home now?"

Alrohar nodded, tossing his black forelock high with another nicker.

"Very well, come on then." Placing one booted toe into my stirrup, I hoisted myself up with ease, gathering Alrohar's reins loosely and nudging him into an easy canter. Alrohar knew the way home as well as any and he set off at a swift pace, flitting through the trees. A silent ghost.

After I had untacked my proud stallion and left him to his own devices, I headed without hesitation to the training grounds to make my report. Even as a head Warden, I was required to make a report to my fellow Wardens. I cast a fond smile over the young elves training in the grounds, learning all the skills and steps I remembered learning myself. Although, as we told every elf to pass through training, one was always learning. That there was no elf warrior who knew of every trick in the world.

I passed them all by without a word, however, instead ducking into the Warden tent, and shrugging my bow from my back, smiled at the only two Wardens present that morning.

"Daugion," I greeted formerly. "Orthorien."

"My lady Arnuríel," Daugion greeted from his seat, bowing his head respectfully. Daugion was my elder, second Warden only to Haldir himself. Orthorien on the other hand merely smiled and nodded; I was, in turn, his elder, though in status only, the elder elf having been recruited just a few mere weeks before.

"Anything to report, my lady?" Daugion asked, his voice casual. He was not expecting me to have any news for there was rarely anything to report that we did not know was approaching already.

"Nothing," I replied lightly. "The woods are peaceful, the birdsong as it should be."

"I am glad to hear it," Daugion smiled. "When is your next scout to be?"

"I have taken a shift in three days time," I replied. "Across the Southern borders."

"Very good," Daugion nodded, pleased, but suddenly a frown crossed his face. I cocked my head at him slightly, before I noticed it too. There was someone hovering outside the tent, as though unsure of whether to enter.

"Orthorien, fetch them in," Daugion said quietly.

Othorien nodded and stepped past me, pausing for a moment before he swiftly pulled the tent flap back to reveal a young elf lady outside.

I let out the little breath I had been holding to replace it with a smile. "Rochestel!"

My handmaiden smiled when she saw me. "My lady Arnuríel! I come from your father, he wishes for you to meet him in your family chambers, your sister and you both!"

I did not know what it was about, but I wasted no time in following Rochestel back to the large chambers I shared with my sister. When my father summoned me, I did not hesitate to go to him. And before I appeared before him, I wanted to at least appear presentable. He did not particularly like me to wander about in my tunics and leggings; not unless I was training or serving with the Galadhrim or the Wardens.

I found my sister laying on a chaise in our joint entrance chamber, looking so refined in her pale green lace gown, despite the manner in which she lounged, her hair tumbling everywhere.

"You'd better hurry, you know he does not like to be kept waiting," she smiled as I hurried through the chamber to my own rooms.

"At least I have a good reason to be late," I shot back, pulling my tunic over my head, and swiftly rifling through my gowns until I found a suitable creation to swiftly step into and lace up, light pink and golden silken slip.

"I might have a good reason," Celebrían replied.

I raised one eyebrow as I emerged, still lacing up the back of my dress. "I doubt it."

"I was in the Healing House this morning," Rían said defensively. "Do you not think that good enough."

I smiled as I swiftly unplaited the plaits in my hair with deft fingers. "I would, were you still there!"

Celebrían poked out her small pink tongue before putting her book down and rising elegantly, smoothing down her dress. "Well, you're here now, so shall we?"

She made to leave, but, still in an exhilarated mood from my pleasant ride, I jumped in front of her and leapt up the first few stairs in front of her. "Yes, but I first!"

Celebrían had grown like a willow tree form the girl she had once been, tall and slender, her gown flowing over her elegant form. I was but an inch or taller, something I had never let my sister live down as we grew up. Her golden hair flowed down her back like a rippling river, a more vivid golden than my own. My hair was a little more silver blonde, like our fathers, but our eyes were the same piercing blue.

Looking at Celebrían in front of me now, was like looking into the mirror of a clear pool in a forest glade. The ripples found the small differences between us, but at a few curious glances, we could be more than sisters.

"Do you know what it is our lord father calls us for?" I asked as we hurried up the rest of the stairs to wait for the arrival of our Lord and Lady.

Celebrían shrugged her shoulders a little, making even the most casual of actions appear elegant. "I know not. It is not to do with the Galadhrim, is it?"

"Perhaps," I replied doubtfully. "But Haldir has said nothing to me of such a thing."

"It is not the Galadhrim," a sudden voice decided for us, and we both turned swiftly, Celebrían rising from her chaise, as our father entered our little family room, our great mother at his hem.

Celeborn had not aged a bit in his many long years, and our mother even less so. As Thranduil had told us when we were elflings, Celebrían and I truly were the daughters of Galadriel. With her slender body, river of gold hair and stunning sapphire eyes, she was everything we were and more. The greatest of all the elven ladies in Middle Earth.

"Then, may I ask what it is that called us so swiftly to your side?" Celebrían asked in the sweetest of voices as she resumed her seat and I smiled in amusement.

Our father approached us and gently leant to plant a kiss upon Celebrían's forehead. "I think you in particular may find our news of interest, little crown."

I opened my mouth to speak, but my mother placed a finger to my lips as she seated herself royally beside Celebrían with a smile playing across her own mouth. "No, Arnuríel, that does not mean you may leave!"

"How was your scout this morning, Warden?" father asked me, as though to keep my interest, though my interest in what he had to say was already aroused.

"It was peaceful, my lord," I replied with a nod. "Nothing to report."

"Very good," Celeborn smiled. "Now." He slipped a parchment letter from within his robes, and held it between slender fingers. "Your mother and I have received news. News we shall share with the city when the time is right, but first, we shall tell you."

"I know those letters," Celebrían suddenly commented, her eyes examining the parchment in our father's hands. "That is the hand of Oropher, I have studied it enough."

Celeborn nodded in agreement.

I frowned. "Oropher? But why does the Greenwood king write to us, he has no interest in a peace treaty? He deemed our last void."

"That is so," Celeborn nodded. "But he wishes to make a new attempt at our treaty."

"Must we once again go to Greenwood?" I asked, and I did not deny my heart fluttered a little at the thought. To explore such a place now I as grown was an exciting prospect, there would be so much more to see!

"No," Galadriel replied. "It was indeed a surprise to us, but he writes with news that the Greenwood elves march for Lothlorien as we speak."

My eyebrows shot skywards in surprise, and Celebrían stared at our mother. "Oropher is coming here?"

"No, alas, we must again deny our daughters the privilege of meeting the Greenwood king," Celeborn said swiftly. "He is sending his son Thranduil in his place, and he in turn brings his youngest son at his side."

I noticed Celebrían's expression instantly darken just a little, and gave the smallest trace of a smile before looking back to my father. "Prince Legolas?"

Celeborn made no comment regarding the memory that I knew Celebrían and I in this moment shared, but instead nodded. "He leaves Prince Galasrinion behind to assist Oropher in his rule."

"How soon do they come, ada?" I asked curiously.

"They shall be within our borders in little less than a week," our father replied.

"They left us little warning," Celebrían commented.

"Oropher is not one for warning, nor for considering others to a great extent before his own plans," our mother replied lightly. "And his son shares this quality. But we must be glad of it."

"Indeed, a Greenwood alliance will only be beneficial for our people," Celeborn nodded. "And so I hope that you two both, as my daughters, will be the very highest example of our people."

"Of course, ada," I nodded in agreement, though Celebrían rolled her eyes a little.

Our mother noticed. "Thank you Celebrían. Not involving any of that, if you please."

Our father had little more to dicuss with us after that and before long, he had left to speak with Haldir and our mother had picked up her embroidery, and we felt we could slip away to our own devices.

"May I ask, how sincere was your reaction to father's news, truly?" Celebrían asked, with a vague smirk upon her face as we descended the stairs to our own chambers.

I frowned and cocked my head at her. "What do you mean, sister?"

"Well, Ríel, I seem to remember the last time we met with the little princelings of Greenwood, you left with more than a few choice words regarding the youngest," Celebrían replied, a little gleefully. "'I hate him' was my favourite, I recall."

I snorted. "Oh no, I do not believe I ever said I hated him!"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," I smiled. "For I have never uttered those words of anyone! And besides, you are the one that flew at the boy, I seem to remember I was the one hauling you off!"

"Yes, but you still came away after making the decision that you did not like someone," Celebrían said. "I marked it as a big day in your life, little sister. For Arnuríel of Lothlorien had announced that she truly disliked an elf."

I smiled fondly at her. "True, I did not like the little Prince Legolas in that moment, but we were children then. Elflings, innocent of much knowledge. What happened between us was the heated mistake of young ones. We have grown since, and I am sure he regrets his actions that day as much as you yourself do."

"Now now, I do not recall forgiving him!" Rían admonished me, suddenly.

I laughed. "So you have not forgiven him then!"

"I will forgive him when an apology is offered, and not before," Celebrían replied staunchly.

"Very well," I laughed. "For me, it is as if we have never met the little princes. I shall treat them as I would any guest of whom I have not met before."

"I shall believe that," Celebrían winked, "when I see it!"