A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I've been a crappy updater. This was a difficult chapter to write, and I rewrote it a few times. It's also twice as long... I want to thank my regular reviewers real quick: Glory Bee and .9. All of your guys' support encourages me to continue, so please review and let me know what you like/think I need to work on.

And if you're a bit confused on the goblin/orc thing, this sheds a little light on their differences:

question/index?qid=20080823084126AAz7NmX

More reviews = quicker updates.


I walked straight for the city, and the gate groaned as it opened toward me.

"It's a little dark down here, but I'll fix that."

Suddenly I could see the city behind the gate. It was carved out of the back wall of the cavern and it had the same green tint as the tunnels. I passed through the gate and there wasn't a creature in sight. The main street that I walked down was lined with small rock buildings, most likely shops or homes. I looked into a hole that served as a window and a flash of white passed behind it. It startled me and I turned back to the street. I continued until I came to a city square surrounded by larger buildings with a rock structure that looked like a sculpture in the center. The sculpture resembled a tall, humanoid creature with a crown on his head and a sword in his hand. I heard the scraping of rock on rock and turned to see the door of what looked to be some sort of meeting hall opening.

My heart raced as the creature with the pale face and large eyes advanced toward me. I backed up until the statue stopped me from retreating further.

"You didn't think I was just a part of your imagination, did you?" It asked as it stalked toward me, its voice oddly normal.

"What are you?"

It smirked and showed its teeth. There weren't many in its mouth and they were sharpened. "I can tell you what I used to be. Would you like to hear the story?"

I looked it over. Its bare torso was covered in pale skin that stretched tightly over its bones. It wore what might have been thick battle pants worn by warriors.

I shook my head. "I want to know where my grandparents are."

It shook its finger at me. "Don't be so hasty. You'll see them in time."

"So they're alive?" My heart lifted but I concealed my excitement.

"Of course they are." It shrugged. "I would gain nothing from killing them."

Two creatures like the one before me appeared at my sides. My hand reflexively went to my sword. "What do you want from me? Why have you taken my grandparents?"

The creature pursed its lips and nodded to the other two, who seized my arms and dragged me toward it. I struggled for a moment until it glared at me with its terrifying eyes.

"Would you kindly stop thinking of me as 'it'? You are a representative for all of the good races in Middle Earth. Demonstrate that you have some respect."

I clamped my mouth shut and stared at it-him pathetically.

He smiled in satisfaction and turned to go back into the building. The other two dragged me along after him, and I just caught a glimpse of more of the creatures gathering in the square before the doors shut behind me. The idea of a whole city filled with similar creatures was unsettling and I almost felt sick.

The inside of the room was dimly lit by an occasional torch on the wall. It had a high ceiling and was furnished with a rock slab that served as a table and stretched most of the room with shabby wooden chairs down either side of it. The rest of the cavern-like room was dull and undecorated; only the occasional twinkling of the minerals in the rock broke the monotony of the black cave wall.

One of the creatures relieved me of my sword before releasing me, and I stumbled forward, catching myself on the table.

"Have a seat, princess." He gestured to a chair that I doubted was strong enough to hold any weight.

I obeyed, wishing to be done with whatever he wanted to say so I could be reunited with my grandparents. I decided that even if I never escaped from the cave, being with my grandparents here would be better than returning home without them.

A round piece of metal that had been pounded into the shape of a plate was dropped on the table in front of me. There seemed to be some sort of fish and a sliced up root on it and I wrinkled my nose.

"You'd be wise to eat." He spoke as he took a seat across the table from me.

I could smell it then, and it was less than appetizing. The fish was pale white and soggy looking, and there was no utensil to eat it with.

"We stopped bothering with those a long time ago."

I plucked a slice of the root from the plate to nibble it. It was bland, except for the aftertaste of dirt, and I choked down a few pieces of it to please my captor.

"Is that all you will eat?" He asked.

"Yes." I replied flatly and folded my hands in my lap. Another one of the creatures stepped forward and removed the plate from in front of me.

"You may ask your questions now." He spoke after some time sitting in silence.

A hundred questions struggled for dominance in my mind, as I tried to decide which one to begin with. Curiosity nagged at me, and again I asked, "What are you?"

He chuckled. "My name is Caranthir. I am an elf."

My brow creased and I quickly lifted my gaze to his face. "But-"

"I did not always look like this." By his tone, I could tell his explanation would be lengthy. "We were once a proud elven race, revered for our power in Middle Earth. I was the king of our thriving city. We inhabited the plains above us, where most elves chose to inhabit the secluded safety of the forest. No one contended with our power, and we were content to remain isolated from the affairs of the rest of Middle Earth, though we did, however, have allies: Lord Elrond of Rivendell, and King Thranduil of Mirkwood. On a few occasions, my people came to their aid when they were in need of it, and they swore they would do the same for us.

"When the Dark Lord Sauron rose to power, our lands were overrun with the creatures that did his bidding, and their force was too much for us to take on alone. It was too late for our allies to come to our assistance, so we retreated into the chasm, to take refuge under the rock in the darkness. What communication we had with the two other Elven Kings, had told encouraged this, ensuring us that once the threat in the East had been subdued, they would bring us back up into the light, and help with the reconstruction of our city.

"Word never came, and I foolishly assumed that the war was still raging. My people remained underground for many years, we had to grow accustomed to the dark, and learn to survive on what food we could find here, since our own had run out, and the livestock did not fare well in such dark and damp conditions. We adapted, but this meant we could not return to the above world very easily, and once I, accompanied by two former soldiers, resurfaced, we found that the evil races had long gone from our land, and our city lay in desolate, crumbling ruins.

"Enraged, the only thing I could do for the time being was return to my city and care for my people. I realized that we were so devastatingly changed from the beautiful elven appearance that the good races of Middle Earth would look at us in disgust if we tried to return. It was the fault of the other kings: your great-grandfather, and the father of your beloved prince.

"We sent spies out to see if the other elf cities lay in ruins, the only thing that might have prevented our allies from returning for us, but they were thriving. We had been forgotten, left to waste away under the ground like slinking cave creatures. This is what we had become. As you can imagine, I was furious. I wished to dispatch an army to take revenge on those we once called allies, but so many years had passed, Sauron had risen to power once again, and the mortal races had long forgotten us. We were forced to wait, to bide our time until an opportunity arrived.

"When Sauron was defeated yet again, I took two soldiers with me above ground, to witness the crowning of the new King of Gondor. His wedding followed soon after, and I recognized his bride to be the daughter of Elrond, the one who had betrayed his word.

"I am a powerful elf, and as you have seen, I am able to enter the minds of others. I did this to the King, warning him that one day, my people would overrun his city to take back our role of power in Middle Earth by force.

"He was ever watchful, waiting anxiously for our arrival, while he continued to age, having children and grandchildren that would one day take his place. I remember the day he decided he could not wait and watch for me to carry out my plan. His first great-grandchild was born; I believe her name was Marian. He saw that he had too much to lose if my people succeeded. Like a fool, he believed he could persuade me to rethink my plan of action, and he and his wife set out to find and confront me. Of course, your grandmother knew everything about our people, and had even visited our lands before. They told no one where they were going, hoping that if all else failed, they could offer themselves as sacrifices to satisfy my need for revenge and I would not turn my wrath on their people.

"When they finally ventured down here, I told them that they had one year until they must return. Our deal was that I would kill them in return for leaving their city in peace. They quickly agreed to the terms, hoping to save their precious Kingdom of Gondor."

"Then why haven't you killed them?" My brow furrowed.

He smirked. "Because I do not wish to leave their city in peace."

My stomach twisted in knots. "So you are a liar?"

"I like to describe myself as diplomatic. I kept my word, did I not? I have not killed them. Having the two of them, and now their granddaughter, and soon, the son of Thranduil, I have enough leverage to easily take the city."

"Do you think my people will surrender in exchange that we are not harmed? They will not. My uncle would not hand over the city for just a few lives."

He frowned. "It is no matter; we will take the city anyway."

"How? You are all thin and weak."

"But we are numerous." His eyes glinted and a shudder ran down my spine. "Come, you shall see your grandparents now."

The breath caught in my throat and I stood after he did.

"Do I need to have the others escort you again, or will you behave?"

I sighed and he smiled in satisfaction before gesturing for me to follow. I paid little attention to where he led me, hoping that I would not see more of the mutated elves watching me in the darkness.

It was eerily quiet, and I couldn't be more relieved when we reached a darkened tunnel that seemed to be our destination. The sides of the tunnels were lined with crude metal bars to create a sort of dungeon. I searched the dark corners of the separate cells, finding only empty spaces until we approached the end of the tunnel.

In cells opposite each other, I saw familiar figures slumped against the walls. I ran to my grandfather's cell and pressed myself against the bars. It made my heart soar to see his face again. He looked older than he had when I last saw him, like the recent events had aged him more quickly.

"Grandfather!"

He lifted his head and a sad smile crossed his face. "Marielle."

"I'm so sorry, I should have stayed with the fellowship, but he got into my head."

He picked himself off of the hard floor and slowly made his ways to the bars. "Do not apologize. I am glad you are unharmed." Tears welled up in my eyes and he reached through the bars and took my face in his hands. "Marielle, this is not your fault."

"I was stupid. I thought I was seeing grandmother and I followed. Legolas tried to stop me but-"

"Legolas?" His eyes lit up. "If he is with your group, then we have nothing to fear."

"This way." The elf grabbed me by my arm and wrenched me away from the bars. He dragged me toward the opposite side of the tunnel and opened the gate to my grandmother's cell. She looked defeated and tired, but she held her arms open when I was shoved into the cell. I ran to her and buried by face in her chest.

"My little Marielle." She wrapped an arm around me and the other hand caressed my hair.

"I missed you both so much." I cried freely now, and the bars clanked shut.

We sank to our knees and my grandmother let me rest across her lap while she rubbed soothing circles into my back. "I am very proud of you."

The elf left without another word and I was glad I could be left alone with them. "I thought the worst had happened to you." Another thought crossed my mind and I lifted my head to look at her. "You two were planning on sacrificing yourselves?"

She sighed and her hand stilled on my back. "We had to."

"We could have fought." I sat up beside her. We could have assembled an army, and we would have won...And you didn't even say goodbye."

"I'm sorry, Marielle. You must understand why we couldn't...We would never have been able to leave."

"You're right." I wrapped my arm around her waist and buried my face in her shoulder. "I wouldn't have let you go."

She chuckled softly, a sound I had missed dearly. "Who has come with you?"

"Legolas and Gimli, Bretaine, a soldier from Rohan named Melraas, a wizard named Durendain, a few soldiers, and the twin sons of Frodo."

"Frodo? I thought-"

"So did I." I sighed. "But Samwise Gamgee was apparently the only one that knew of his children."

"Well, I suppose that's a good surprise."

My grandmother and I spoke for a while longer and she tried to comfort me. To distract myself, I described our quest to find them and what had happened along the way.

It was unsettling to have no idea what time it was. I had no idea how long I had been under ground, and my eyes began to droop.

"You must try to sleep, love." My grandmother noticed the way I could hardly keep my eyes open to look at her.

"What if something happens? I have to be alert." I tried to argue my case, but I knew I would fail.

"Nothing will happen yet, trust me. You are exhausted."

I looked at her through blurry eyes and forced a smile. "All right. You win, I will sleep...But only for a short while."

She dragged what looked like a very old woolen blanket over to her and patted her lap. I laid my head in her lap again and she draped the blanket over me.

Once I gave in and rested, sleep quickly overcame me. I was too mentally and physically exhausted to dream, but once I finally awoke, I knew I had slept much longer than I had intended to. I lifted my head and sat up, the blanket falling down to bunch around my waist. It was too dark to see anything, and I supposed Caranthir must have stopped altering my mind's perception of things. I reached out to touch my grandmother, and she was still there, asleep with her head resting against the cave wall. I could hear her breathing, and I wished I could see something; I felt so vulnerable. I stood and felt my way around the cell to get a good sense of where everything was, but there wasn't much of anything there. It was cold, so I took the blanket that my grandmother had draped over me, and wrapped it around her.

"Marielle, are you awake?" I heard my grandfather's voice, and the sound of him shuffling across the floor toward me.

"Yes." I moved to the bars to be closer to him.

"Does this fellowship you have told us about have a plan to defeat this fallen people?"

I sighed sadly. "I do not know. I have no idea if Legolas followed after me or if he turned back to wake the rest of the group first...But before I was led down here, we had no idea what we were walking in to. I fear they will be unprepared for the talent which Caranthir possesses."

"But they have Legolas and Gimli. I trust them with my life."

"So do I."

"And you said there was a wizard."

"Yes, but besides the three of them, there is: Melraas, a skilled warrior, though not as skilled as I; two hobbits, who I have been training, but are far from being able to handle a large battle; and Bretaine. She is a skilled tracker, but she is no warrior."

"These elves have grown weak in these caves. Their only strengths are their numbers, and Caranthir's power."

"Shouldn't that be enough? He could blind them all and finish them quickly."

"No." His tone was more excited now, and it confused me. "He may be powerful, but he cannot manipulate more than one mind at a time. Before you arrived, he had psychologically tortured me with illusion: visions of my children and grandchildren, and even my great-grandchild, where they were hurting, and there was nothing I could do to help them."

My heart sank and I wondered if I had been one of those visions.

"But it suddenly stopped. That was just a little while before you came here. And you told us of how he manipulated your mind to demonstrate his power. I imagine it would take a lot of focus to do something like that."

"I suppose you're right..." I thought over his theory. It felt strange to speak to my grandfather this way, like we were discussing strategies as soldiers instead of a king and his granddaughter. "But how will they overpower all of the creatures? There must be too many of them judging by the size of the city."

"They will figure something out." He sounded too hopeful to me. "For now, we have to think of a way out of here."

"How? We can't even see. And what if Caranthir decides to look into our minds again? He'll know everything."

"I think it's a risk we'll have to take." He sighed.

"What can we do to escape these cells?"

"I still don't know. I've been thinking hard about it ever since I knew Caranthir was no longer in my head. But the lack of light does not help."

I chuckled humorlessly.

"You should get some more sleep for now. It might take me some time to figure a way out."

"I've already slept...I want to stay awake with you."

"Marielle, you must rest if we are to be successful. You will need your strength for when we find your sword."

I sighed. "The two of you are acting too much like grandparents, telling me to get to bed like you used to when I was young."

He laughed. "I wish you were still that young. My second grandchild and first granddaughter."

I smiled though he wouldn't be able to see it.

"I remember when I first started your sword training. Now you're killing orcs and goblins and coming to rescue me."

"I thought it was about time for me to have my own adventures."

"Well, there will be plenty of adventures awaiting you when you wake." He said.

"All right, grandfather. I'll try to sleep if it will make you happy."

I could hear my grandfather laughing softly while I dragged myself back across the room to sit beside my grandmother. I adjusted the blanket so it covered us both, and tried to get comfortable on the hard cave floor.

It was nearly impossible to get comfortable, and I found myself awaking about every quarter hour to twist a different way or adjust the blanket. Without my sense of sight, I could hear nearly everything: the slow but constant dripping if cave water, the breathing of my grandparents, and the occasional noise of one of the elves outside of the tunnel. I was amazed that my grandparents hadn't gone insane because of the darkness, when I felt I might after only a short time in it.

Slowly, a strange noise began to grow louder and I ditched the blanket to stand and move to the end of the cell closest to the tunnel's mouth. My grandmother woke as well and I heard her approach me.

"Can you hear that?" I asked. "Your hearing is much better than mine."

She was quiet for a moment while she listened, and I heard my grandfather do the same, moving in his cell closer to the tunnel entrance. "What is it?" He asked.

"Someone has come." She said, and she sounded excited.

"Caranthir?" I asked.

A dim light was visible, approaching from somewhere outside the tunnel. "Rescue." She said.

"Already?" I was doubtful that help could arrive so soon with the mazelike tunnels they would have to navigate before they could reach the city.

The sound of rushed footsteps reached my ears and I knew someone was quickly approaching. The light was suddenly in the tunnel with us, and it hurt my eyes, which had grown accustomed to darkness. I squinted my eyes at the newcomers, who carried some sort of blue light with them, and I could just make out the wrinkled face of Durendain. The end of his staff was illuminated, and he chuckled. "There you are."

"You must be the wizard." My grandfather grinned.

"Indeed." Durendain gestured for the others to come forward, and Gimli marched up to my grandfather's cell door with axe in hand.

Legolas entered the tunnel, and after a moment of scanning the cells, his gaze rested on me. "Are you all right?" He approached me and reached through the bars to take my hands.

Gimli's used his axe to cut the chain that secured my grandfather's cell, and he moved to ours.

"I'm fine, Legolas. How were you able to find your way through?" My brow furrowed and he smiled.

"We have the best tracker in all of Middle Earth in our company."

"Legolas, my old friend!" Legolas turned and my grandfather gripped his shoulders with his large hands.

"Aragorn." They hugged each other and the chain to my own cell was broken.

My grandmother and I rushed out and I embraced Gimli, planting a kiss upon his cheek. My grandmother wrapped her arms around Gimli's other side and kissed his other cheek. "I never thought I would be so glad to see you."

The dwarf chuckled and we released him, only for my grandfather to wrap him in another hug.

"Lady Arwen." Legolas nodded to my grandmother and she smiled warmly at him.

They exchanged a short conversation in elvish before Legolas turned to me. "Marielle." He sighed, and the intensity in his stare made my heart race.

"We must go quickly." Durendain spoke up and my eyes snapped to him. "Tuck is retrieving your sword and will meet us before we fight our way out."

I was suddenly extremely worried; Tuck wasn't ready to fight anyone alone.

Legolas took my hand and we all ran from the tunnel where we were promptly greeted by Melraas, Bretaine, and Droigo. Much to my relief, they all seemed unharmed, and they quickly caught up to our pace. Durendain joined Melraas in the lead, quickly striking down any opposition we met in the tunnels. It wasn't long before we reached the square, and there were bodies strewn everywhere. My heart lifted when I turned to see Tuck approaching with his knife in one hand, and my sword in the other.

He grinned and handed Celebdin over to me. I sighed when I finally held it again, and we continued down the main street toward the gates. My stomach twisted in a knot when I saw the body of Caranthir on the way, but relief washed over me, dispelling the uncomfortable feeling.

Legolas' hand never left mine, and eventually, we passed through the stone gates and reached the tunnel maze. Bretaine had left a trail of Lembas crumbs for an easy return, and we navigated the passageways until we ended up on the chasm floor.

"Must we stop, or can we bear to continue on until we find the cavern where we rested before?" Durendain stressed the group.

"We shall press on." My grandfather answered. "Let us put as much distance between us and them as we can before we become fatigued."

"Very well then." Durendain nodded once and we all began to ascend the pathway.

Legolas and I fell into line near the back, and Melraas and Bretaine were the only ones behind us. He dropped my hand, seeming to only just realize he had been doing it.

"How long was I gone?" I asked quietly.

"Over half a day." He replied and my eyes widened.

"That long?"

He smiled gently. "Yes. You seem surprised."

"I could not keep track of the passing of time without the sun."

"You should not have left alone." He gently scolded me and I looked up at him sheepishly. "We could have gone together."

A thought crossed my mind. "But, we would never have found our way through."

"You're right. I suppose that creature did one thing to help us."

We eventually reached the cave we had spent some time in, and we set up camp to rest for a night's worth of sleep, though the true time was unknown. I slept beside my grandparents, and the three of us were exempt from having to take a shift for watch.

Once we awakened, we set out climbing again with renewed strength. The trip back up was much harder than the trip down, but we all pushed ourselves to reach the top as quickly as possible in hopes of getting out of the chasm and above ground. When we could finally see the light of day, our speed increased even though we were all exhausted. When my head was once again above the ground, I sighed in relief. The soldiers rushed over and escorted us back to the camp.

Durendain ordered them to take down the camp and prepare to leave while everyone else rested again. I sat with my grandparents, unwilling to leave them now that I had them back.

We ditched some of the equipment to free a horse to carry my grandparents, and we finally set off toward home. It was past midday and we didn't travel long before we had to stop and set up camp again, but it still felt reassuring to get away from the crevasse.

Legolas and Gimli gave up their tent to my grandparents, and I was extremely grateful.

I could hardly sleep, and I got up halfway through the night to sit before the fire. Legolas had volunteered to take watch for most of the night and I took a seat beside him.

"Thank you..." I stared into the fire. "For all you've done. I'm not sure we would have found them if you hadn't come with us."

"Why not?"

"Well, if you hadn't helped me communicate with my grandmother, I might have given up and turned back."

He smiled softly. "You are welcome."

"Do you think they'll come after us?"

"No. We have nothing to fear. Their leader was killed, and their numbers were greatly decreased. I think they realized how weak they truly were. They would be unable to overthrow Minas Tirith now."

"Good." I sighed and he took my hand in his.

"Marielle." He turned to face me.

"Yes?" I swallowed hard when his eyes bore into mine.

"When you went missing, I almost didn't know what to do. I nearly just ran after you, but I decided it would be wiser to wake the rest...But everything that's happened has made me realize how much I care for you."

My heart jumped when he said this, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. "Legolas, I..." I lost my thought when his hand came up to my face and turned it toward his. I tried to form the words to articulate what I felt, but he leaned toward me and my eyes fluttered closed. He pressed his lips to mine and I nearly sighed.

He pulled back after a moment to look at me, and I slowly opened my eyes. "I care for you deeply."

"And I care for you, Legolas." I replied.

He smiled a heart stopping smile. "Go get some rest. You will need your strength for tomorrow's journey."

He kissed me once more and I returned the smile before doing as instructed.

It was easier to sleep after that, as pleasant thoughts of the future ran through my head. I no longer worried about the underground creatures; if this small group could so easily get past them, they would be no threat to my home. That once noble elf king had been deluded in his idea of conquering the White City.

In the morning we traveled more quickly than before. Our motive was to return the King and Queen to the kingdom as soon as possible, so there would be no more sadness and fear in Gondor.

We took the quickest route back, avoiding Mirkwood Forest altogether. Legolas and I spent many evenings together in conversation away from the group. Bretaine and Melraas' relationship was growing as well, and I had no doubt they would marry upon returning.

Tuck and Droigo were quite proud of their deeds in the caves, and they were sure their bravery could rival their father's.

I did not forget my promise to Roryn, and at times, the pain of his loss filled my mind. I was able to conceal it from the rest of them, but I thought Legolas might have been able to perceive it. I feared the reaction of Roryn's betrothed the most. Devastation. I knew that's what I would see. I often wondered how many children he would have had, and how many of them would have the same fiery mop of hair and determination of spirit as he had.

The day we rode onto the Pelennor Fields, was joyous indeed. Minas Tirith stood proudly against the mountain, the way it did in my memories to remind me what the whole quest was for. My emotions were extremely conflicting: pure joy and relief of returning, and utter depression at the knowledge that a woman would be waiting at the gates for her Roryn.

Horns sounded, and the great city gates were opened long before we reached the walls. The commotion in the city could be heard from miles off, and that brought a bit of cheer into my heart. My family would be made whole again; I would see NY parents again, who were no doubt sick with worry.

I gripped the reins tightly as we neared the gate. A mass of citizens had already spilled out onto the plains, eager to greet the heroes. My grandparents rode at the front as a sign of the Fellowship's victory. Bretaine and I rode just behind them, since we were nobility; Legolas, Gimli, and Durendain next; then sat the hobbits and Melraas; the rear was brought up by the soldiers, their faces solemn.

I faced forward, assuming the same expression as the still grieving soldiers, as our horses trotted straight through the gates.

The cheers and shouts from the crowd were ignored, and I searched the faces of those around me. My entire family was waving me over to them, some of them sobbing with joy at the return of my grandparents, but I had another priority.

A stable boy took a hold of Moonstone's reins, and I nodded to him as I dismounted. My mother tried to approach me, but I quickly made my way back through the procession to the soldiers who were dismounting.

They seemed to understand my intentions, and one of them nodded to a certain point in the crowd. I turned to see women rushing to greet their husbands and sons, but one stood alone, standing on her toes to try to find her own soldier that should have returned.

My heart instantly shattered. Kalyn would not find Roryn in the crowd.

I quickly located the extra scabbard that hung from one of the horse's saddles, and untied it from the horn. The sword felt fifty times heavier under the sorrow and stomach twisting guilt I felt.

I took a deep breath and started toward the woman. She was a little short, which made her shining golden hair seem longer. Her eyes were a piercing green, and the moment they locked on me, I felt as though I had turned to stone. My hand clenched around the strap of the scabbard and I forced myself to approach her.

Her eyes flicked down to what I was holding, and before I could reach her, she fell to her knees, one hand covering her mouth, and the other pressed to the ground to steady herself. A man with graying hair stood behind her, and placed a hand upon her back for comfort. I recognized him as the man my father had bought the silver brush from.

"Kalyn?" I asked, sinking to one knee before her.

Her eyes lifted to meet my gaze, and she choked out a sob.

"Princess Marielle." The man drew my attention. "We know what you have been tasked with. That is my son's sword. He has fallen."

I forced away the tears and nodded in response. "Roryn asked me to deliver the news. With his last words he assured me of how much he loved the both of you."

I offered the sword to the woman, and she reluctantly reached out to take it. She held it to her chest, and averted her eyes, no longer willing to look at me.

The both of them looked disgusted by me, and I rose to my feet. "I am deeply grieved for the loss of Roryn. He was my friend, and he will be missed."

The man nodded with a hard look in his eye, and I turned away. Legolas was stood behind me, and he took my hand in attempt to comfort me. "You have kept your promise."

I nodded sadly and he gently pulled me toward my parents.

"Marielle!" My mother crashed into me, and I felt as though she would squeeze my life force out of me. "I cannot tell you how worried we've been!" She cried into my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry I left you, mother. But it had to be done." I spoke into the mass of hair that nearly covered my face.

"You could have been killed!" She held me at arm's length to give me a serious look, but then she smiled. "But luckily, you weren't. I love you so much, dear."

My father then joined our hug, and Legolas left me to my reunion.

The rest of the reunions served to take the focus off of the grief left in my wake. My cousin was extremely relieved that I had returned, and insisted that I live in Minas Tirith from then on. Of course I agreed, and my parents decided it was the best place for us to be as a family, and decided to return as well.

There was a great feast, and even the hobbits could eat no more by the time we humans were full.

"Marielle!" Bretaine approached me in a corridor with Melraas in tow, twin grins upon their faces.

"What is it?" I asked.

"We are to be married in a week!"

"Are you?" I acted surprised. "I am extremely happy for you both!" I pulled them into a hug.

"My father approves." She beamed at me.

"I had no doubt he would." I smiled back. "I only hope I will be able to find the same happiness one day."

The day of the wedding quickly approached, and I had much to do with the planning of it. I had hardly any time to spend alone...or with Legolas. I found my attachment to him growing, and he assured me that the feeling was more than mutual.

The wedding took place in the courtyard of the White Tree, and my grandfather married my friends. Half of the crowd was of Rohan, and it was fitting for Bretaine to marry someone of her grandmother's kingdom.

A feast was held in their honor, and I was able to sit beside Legolas. We each toasted them, and Legolas and I recalled how instantly the two had connected when the Fellowship was formed in our speeches.

Even after the couple left, the merriment continued. Legolas and I snuck away to a balcony for privacy.

He leaned his elbows on the stone wall and looked down at the city. "I am glad the joyful spirit has returned to the city. When we first arrived from our travels, Gimli and I could not help but feel the sorrow of the people without their King and Queen."

I nodded and leaned against the wall beside him. "It is more like I member it was when I was a child. They love my grandparents."

"And they love you." He smiled warmly. "You brought them back."

"We all did." I corrected him.

"But ultimately it was your instinct that led us there. You are a special woman, Marielle."

I blushed and looked back toward the people celebrating inside.

He was quiet for a moment before his next words nearly stopped my heart. "Marry me."

"What?" I turned to face him.

"Marielle, I love you...Marry me." He took my hands in his. "Say yes or I will never know true happiness again." He chuckled.

I blinked at him before slowly nodding. "Yes, Legolas, I will marry you."

His arms wrapped around my waist, and I threw my arms over his shoulders.

"I love you." I said, words muffled by his shoulder.

He laughed mirthfully and I didn't care about the complications that would arise with his immortality, and my lack of it.

Time seemed to pass more quickly than natural until the day of the wedding arrived.

King Thranduil and Legolas' brothers journeyed from their home in Mirkwood to be present for the wedding.

It was the biggest celebration I had seen in my entire life, and nothing could compare to the utter bliss I felt.

Legolas and I were married. I had, by some miraculous fate, married the most perfect being I had ever met. I thought it impossible for any woman to ever be as happy as I was. Weeks passed this way, and I slowly became accustomed to being the wife of an elven prince. I was a princess, but I still felt unworthy of such magnificent husband.

One night, as I slept beside my husband, the door to our bedchamber was thrown open with a clang. That was strange. Wasn't our door made of wood? I quickly sat up, and had to shield my eyes from the light that entered the room.

"Legolas!" I turned to shake him awake, but he was not there.

"Marielle, you must come quickly!" Whoever was carrying the torch approached me.

I recognized the voice before my eyes could adjust to the man before me. "Melraas? What are you doing here?"

"Quickly!" He repeated.

"I-I don't understand." I stammered, and he dragged me from the bed.

The room seemed to melt into blackness, becoming colder, and then a light temporarily blinded me, turning everything white.

"We must go now! Before they come!" I felt myself lifted into someone's arms and I began to panic.

"Melraas." My eyes shut, and my head began to ache. "Where is Legolas? What is going on?"

"He is with Gimli, fighting off the creatures." He informed me.

I forced my eyes open and they slowly adjusted. Melraas was jogging with me in his arms. Ahead of us, Durendain carried my grandmother while my grandfather managed to keep up, running at his side.

"No, no, no." I whimpered.

The cells were behind us, and we weaved through the tunnels.

"Are you hurt?" He asked.

"No." I answered, fighting back tears. How could I be so foolish?

Now that I had been ripped from it, I could see how obviously imagined my life after the Fellowship had been.

"How long have I been down here?" I managed to choke out the question.

"Nearly three days." He answered solemnly.

"Oh, Valar." I closed my eyes again, accidentally allowing the tears to spill over my eyelids.

After arriving at the city, I couldn't pinpoint the exact moment my mind had been manipulated to make me believe we had already been rescued. But now I could tell the difference between reality and Caranthir's illusions.

My heart sank in my chest. How long had I believed I was married to Legolas? It still felt like I should run to him and let him hold me while I cried into his chest. But I couldn't. The only thing that had ever occurred between us was a kiss.

We reached the main cavern, where I could see the battle. The cave elves were weak, and unskilled in battle, and were easily slain by the rest.

"Can you stand?" Melraas asked.

I shakily nodded and he set me down. I had to use his arm to steady myself for a moment, but I assured him I was all right.

Legolas looked back at me, "Marielle! I found this on one of them." He tossed Celebdin to me and I caught it by the handle.

I nodded in appreciation before looking away to survey for any immediate threats. I didn't feel up to fighting; I just wanted to sit alone for a while and sort everything out, but I stood my ground, preparing for an attack.

After a while, we started moving as a group toward the city gates. Caranthir burst out of the doors of a building, his eyes crazed and wide. He was furious; he wanted revenge. A cut ran along his face, and he limped as he ran toward us. His eyes locked on me and he raised a spear to throw at me. I feared for my life, knowing he could easily make me move directly into the path of the weapon with one of his illusions.

An arrow sank deep into his chest and he fell to his knees, dropping the spear at his side. Once he fell over, eyes devoid of life, my head began to hurt less. It still throbbed from the pain the light caused my eyes, but I felt his presence in my mind disappear.

A hand found mine and dragged me away from the scene. I turned back to find my favorite hobbit towing me behind him. Tuck and I ran hand in hand along with the rest of the group until they reached the maze of tunnels. A white line that looked like someone had dragged a jagged rock along the floor led away into the darkness. Durendain naturally took the lead, holding his lighted staff out in front of the group to guide us.

Relief swept over me when we exited the tunnels out onto the chasm floor, removing a weight from my chest. A different weight seemed to take its place as I realized I would have to deliver the news of Roryn's death all over again.

I sobbed quietly, leaning forward, supporting myself with my hands on my knees while I took deep breaths.

My vision darkened and narrowed, and I could hear Tuck's faraway voice asking if I was well before I collapsed.