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CHAPTER 9

It was a beautiful morning and the sun dawned bright and early. In Mirkwood, the palace was buzzing with frazzled maids and servants who were trying to do everything at once.

One in particular, Taraweil, was on her way to the Prince Legolas's room. She dodged a servant who was carrying a hefty stack of sheets.

'I think I liked it better when there wasn't a wedding to prepare for,' she thought to herself. So far, she had tripped over someone's foot, dropped a bucket of water in the kitchens, and her dress had nearly caught fire from an open oven. By the Valar, she had only been up for half of an hour!

She arrived at the Prince's room and knocked lightly. She cleared her throat.

"My lord?" she inquired. When there was no reply, she let herself in, poking her head around the door.

On the bed was a still lump, shrouded under the blankets and bed covers. She hurried over and prodded his still form. There was no response.

Taraweil ripped the blankets from his unconscious figure.

"Strict orders from the King, my prince!" she said. Legolas just reached for the blankets subconsciously and pulled them back over him so that they reached his chin. Tarweil walked over to the window and threw open the curtains.

She went back to the side of the bed and pulled the covers off completely, draping them over her slender arms.

"Your father expects you in his study in fifteen minutes!" she said sternly, before walking out with the comforters that needed washing.

**

Thranduil drummed his fingers on his oak desk. 'Where is he? He should've been here twenty minutes ago!' Thranduil thought, getting a bit irritable.

**

Taraweil strode past the door to King Thranduil's study carrying a basket of dirty laundry indifferently. She stopped suddenly. There were no voices coming from inside or any protesting, yelling, laughing, nothing. Just silence.

Tarweil looked back towards the direction she came from and sighed exasperatedly. She proceeded to walk in the other direction towards the maids' chambers.

**

"Legolas Greenleaf!" A shrill scream filled the air. Legolas bolted awake, his hair was disheveled and his eyes were half lidded.

"Legolas Greenleaf! Up! NOW!" Legolas's eyes snapped open as he recognized the strict voice of his old childhood nanny, Morwen.

Wordlessly, Legolas stumbled out of bed and began to hastily change out of his nightclothes.

"You were supposed to be with your father twenty minutes ago! I expect to see your bed made and your face and hands washed!" Morwen swept out of the room, leaving a crisp pile of sheets and blankets in her wake.

Hearing the news of his unpunctuality, Legolas stumbled into his trousers while tripping all the way to his bed. As he secured a belt around his tunic, he messily put the sheets and covers over his feather mattress.

Before he sprinted out of the room, he splashed some water on his face and hands. He ran his cloak over his face before dashing out.

As Legolas sprinted through the halls, and dodged through the bustling servants, people stared at him oddly. He rushed past Taraweil and she grinned to herself, satisfied with Morwen's work.

**

Thranduil looked up, as a loud bang had jerked him out of his thoughts on his son's punctuality, or lack thereof.

His only son stood in the doorway, looking quite unkempt, to say the least. His shirt was on backwards, and his golden hair was in his eyes, untidy and unbraided.

"I apologize for my tardiness, Ada," Legolas said, collapsing into a cushioned chair set up in front of Thranduil's desk.

"Apology accepted," Thranduil said, looking at his son in amusement. He laced his fingers. "Why were you sleeping so late into the day, my son?" Thranduil questioned casually.

"No reason," Legolas said, running his fingers through his long hair absentmindedly.

"I see. Anyway, we have more important things to discuss," Thranduil said critically. Legolas braced himself for a very boring meeting with his father. It could last for minutes, or hours.

"You need a wedding ring for Enellewyn."

**

"You need a wedding ring for Legolas," Enellewyn's mother said as she helped her daughter get into a dress. Surprisingly, Enellewyn had given in to her mother's begging. She suspected that it was because she only looked half alive.

Enellewyn's eyes drooped. 'We shouldn't have gone out for all those nights,' Enellewyn thought tiredly. Even if it was only two nights, Enellewyn hadn't gotten her regular eleven or twelve hours of sleep.

"Okay, so why don't we just go get one from the smiths," Enellewyn said unworriedly.

"It's not that simple, Enellewyn," her mother said. She picked up a brush from the night table and began to run it through Enellewyn's lengthy dark brown hair.

"Why? What's so difficult about it?" Enellewyn said, letting out a noisy yawn.

"Well we have to figure out what would be the perfect ring for Prince Legolas," her mother chided her. "Gold or silver?" she said as an example.

"Silver," Enellewyn said immediately.

"Plain, or bejeweled?"

"Plain," Enellewyn answered again. She knew that Legolas didn't like anything too flashy. He didn't even like jewelry.

"Inscriptions, or no inscriptions?" her mother said, slightly annoyed that her daughter wasn't taking this seriously.

"No inscriptions, definitely," Enellewyn finished. Her mother threw her hands in the air.

"Fine! Silver, plain, and no inscriptions!" she swept out of the room, looking chagrined. Enellewyn shrugged and climbed back into bed, snuggling under the warm blankets.

**

"So.we'll have the elven smiths make one," Legolas said, braiding his hair.

"This is your bride, Legolas! You have to pick it out with care. I spent three whole weeks on deciding what to get your mother," Thranduil said. Legolas's chest tightened at the thought of his mother who had long passed on to the Halls of Mandos.

"Fine. Let me think," Legolas said. Thranduil smiled approvingly, and smugly.

"I am proud that you are deciding to be matu-" he stopped in mid word though, as Legolas interrupted them.

"Silver, plain, and no inscriptions, definitely," Legolas said after a short moment's contemplation.

Thranduil sighed. 'I should've known,' he thought. He almost rolled his eyes, but caught himself. It had always been a pet peeve of his when Legolas used to do it frequently.

"You may go now," Thranduil said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Legolas stood up and exited, heading in the direction of Enellewyn's room.

When he got there he opened the door. Enellewyn was curled up in her bed, snoring softly. Her eyes were open and blank.

Legolas shook her slightly. She blinked and her eyes came into focus. Enellewyn looked at Legolas oddly.

"What, did you dress yourself this morning?" she said jokingly. Legolas scowled at her. Enellewyn got up out of bed and stretched.

Legolas looked at her dress.

"Who are you and what have you done with Enellewyn?" he asked warily. Enellewyn punched him in the arm.

"Oh be quiet!" she said playfully. Enellewyn went over to her drawers and took out a pair of trousers and a clean forest green tunic.

She went into the bathroom and changed her clothes. While she was in the bathroom, Legolas took off his backwards tunic and switched it around, making sure that it was on right.

Enellewyn came out and threw her wine colored dress on the bed carelessly.

"So.want to go to the practice ranges?"

**

Legolas and Enellewyn walked to the ranges in a calm silence. Both were armed with their bow and quiver of arrows as well as a long slender sword at their side.

When they arrived, Legolas spotted Elladan and Elrohir locked in a heated archery competition. Enellewyn looked at Legolas and they both sauntered over to watch the action.

Each brother continuously bent his bowstring and fired at the target, neither of them ever missing a shot. They only stopped once each of them had run out of arrows.

"I finished first that time, gwador (brother A/N I'm not sure if this is right so correct me if I'm wrong!)!" Elrohir said triumphantly. Elladan frowned.

"Well I am still older than you!" he said smartly.

"I believe you are wrong, dear Elladan," Elrohir said sweetly. "I think I can recall Ada saying that I was older by one minute."

"Ah, but you are mistaken," Elladan retorted. "He was saying that to me." Enellewyn decided that it was time to stop there bickering so she intercepted.

"Well it really does not matter, because I am older than both of you by six months, thank you very much," Enellewyn said coolly. Legolas clapped, but Elladan and Elrohir glowered, not able to think up of a quick response.

"Well said," Legolas said, chuckling to himself. He unsheathed his sword, and the gold engravings glinted in the bright sun. "Anyone up for a challenge?"

Enellewyn also removed hers from its scabbard.

"I believe some pay back is in order," Enellewyn said, thinking of the last time Legolas had beaten her. She had nearly won, but he had caught her unawares, by a lucky chance of course.

Legolas and Enellewyn took their positions across from one another as Elladan and Elrohir stood watching, eager for the heated battle that was to come.

Enellewyn regarded Legolas with calm, vibrant green eyes. Legolas matched her stare with his bright sapphire orbs.

Each waited for the other to move in for an attack.

Suddenly Enellewyn attacked, but Legolas parried easily. It went on like this for a while, each elf attacking or blocking.

A crowd of onlookers had gathered around and formed a circle around the two friends, locked in battle.

Most rooted for their prince, knowing his skill, but some of Enellewyn's friends cheered her on.

"I'm betting on Legolas," Elrohir said.

"I don't know, Enellewyn is a skilled warrior," Elladan countered.

"Is that a challenge?" Elrohir asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If Legolas wins, you do my chores for a month," Elladan said.

"And if Enellewyn wins, you do my chores for a month," Elrohir said. They each made identical grins and shook hands.

Legolas jabbed his sword at Enellewyn's sword knocking it out of her hands, and she fell to the ground effectively. Just as he brought his sword down to call it a match, Enellewyn rolled over and grabbed her discarded blade. She quickly got back on her feet, refusing to be beaten again.

The clash raged on, each elf trying to defy the other's strength.

Elrohir cheered for Legolas, while Elladan cheered for Enellewyn.

'Come on, Enellewyn. You can beat him!' Enellewyn thought. She tried to find Legolas's weak spot as she spun around to avoid getting hurt by Legolas's lethal blade, which was even more deadly when its wielder was the Prince of Mirkwood.

Unexpectedly, Legolas stumbled slightly and Enellewyn grabbed the opportunity. Legolas's sword flew out of his hand. Just at that same moment, Enellewyn stumbled on a rock that protruded out from the ground.

Legolas reached his hand into the air and snatched the hilt of Enellewyn's sword.

Enellewyn could see Legolas's blade rapidly rushing down to meet her. She took a step back and grabbed the handle of the sword, twirling it so that it felt right in her hand.

Both Legolas and Enellewyn held each other's swords at their opponent's neck, the silver knives barely touching the skin. The two elves were left breathing hard as they held the weapons, never losing eye contact.

Everyone began clapping at the two winners. Legolas grinned and flipped Enellewyn's sword around so that the hilt was open to her. She did the same with his and they simultaneously took their rightful swords.

Slowly, the crowd diminished, and Legolas, Enellewyn, Elladan, and Elrohir were left alone.

"That was amazing!" Elrohir exclaimed. "I was rooting for you the whole time Enellewyn," he said. Enellewyn smiled as she caught her breath.

"And Legolas," Elladan said to his friend, "I was with you the whole way." Legolas smirked and shook his head.

"Well, I am finally an equal match for you," Enellewyn said, her face glowing with pride.

"Yes. Of course I taught you everything you know," Legolas said, laughing. Enellewyn punched him in the arm teasingly as the four of them made their way back to the palace.

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Lisa-I hope this was long enough for you! :oP

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