"Melamin." Her voice whispered into his ear as he was sitting in his throne. Thranduil's eyes widened as she smiled, pressing her soft lips against his cheek. "I am sorry for keeping you for so long."

Thranduil turned to look over her face, those familiar green eyes engulfing him. He smiled as hers were contagious. Annadel's eyes softened as her hand glided down his cheek lovingly. "It has been quite a journey."

Without another moment to spare, the Elven King captured her lips with his. His hands held her face as her lips curved into a tighter smile against his lips. He pulled away as she chuckled. She leaned in to peck his cheeks softly as her eyes looked into his again.

"I have been so worried that you will not come." He pressed his forehead against hers. Thranduil closed his eyes as his hands weaved through her hair.

"I wanted to come sooner, but…" Her voice trailed as her lips quivered. "This journey has already caused great pain."

"What has happened?" He now stood before her, taking her hands in his. Annadel looked away sadly. "Gandalf has fallen."

Thranduil raised his hand to tuck his thumb under her chin to turn her head to face him. Her eyes were filled with tears but none dared to fall. His own blue eyes softened into a pale blue-grey. "Amin hiraetha." Thranduil's thumb padded over her soft cheek as she pressed into his hand for comfort. "I saw his death before I had enough time to warn him…and it's my entire fault."

He wrapped his arms around Annadel, embracing her as her arms automatically wrapped around his torso. "I could have stopped it." She quivered in his hold.

"You could have stopped nothing if that is what fate has given you to see." He spoke gently. "And I know you would have taken his place if given the chance."

Her hands clung around his silken cloak, gripping it tighter as she buried her face in his chest. Annadel could no longer form words without her tears to stain his lavish clothes. Thranduil pet her hair calmly, letting out a soft sighs.

"Do not lose hope, Annadel. The Fellowship needs your strength and quick wits."

"Celeborn said all hope is lost…" She spat angrily. "How much I love your kind, yet I despise the negativity that plagues over the likes when darkness falls upon them."

Thranduil cooed softly in gentle Elvish in her ear as he leaned to kiss her cheek in comfort. "We too, are easily influenced by the actions of the One Ring, melamin. It is in all of us to say such horrid things when it is present. You once were plagued by the power of it at one time." He brushed her hair away from her face. "You understand in nature, do not let anger deceive your thoughts; for that is not the Annadel, whom I have fallen in love with."

She looked back up at him, pressing her chin along his chest. "I loathe hysteria."

"As do most in Middle Earth." He smiled.

"I am sorry, for the first night I come to greet you, it is about me."

Thranduil clicked his tongue as she shook his head. His hands held her face as he pulled her close. "As long as you are here, I know that you are alive." He took her lips again as Annadel held her breath, deepening their kiss. Her hand came to cover his on her face, threading her slender fingers through his. She took their hands down, her waist feeling abandoned. Her hands reached to glide up his chest slowly as one rested against the nook between his shoulders and neck. Annadel parted her lips to suck in a quick bit of air as they returned being pressed by his. His hand hugged the curve of her waist, pulling her closer. After a lingering moment longer, he pulled away and looked over her face, which was still paused from kissing. Her lips were still puckered as her eyes were closed. Annadel blinked as she scowled, causing a slight laugh from the king.

"Please, rest. I know this visit is taking energy from you and you need it. You are already in Lothlórien. There are still long ways to travel."

"But I wish to stay." She said softly.

Thranduil shook his head. "You must if you wish to continue on your full strength." He paused carefully. "Remember your place here, for there will always be welcome and love for you here, Annadel."

She blinked, sorrow filling her eyes. "I do not know when will be the next time…"

He smiled as he nodded to leave. "It will be soon, melamin. Have hope."

Her eyes waded back and forth, up and down, memorizing all of his features. She inhaled once more before she nodded slowly.

"I will be here, waiting. I will be waiting for you to enter my dreams again. Now return." Thranduil cooed softly.

Annadel turned, her hand gripping onto his for one last time as she walked away. Her hand fell from his grasp as she reopened her eyes.

Annadel blinked awake as she bit her lip. She rose from her soft bed, tip-toeing past the sleeping Hobbits, Gimli, and Boromir. Aragorn and Legolas were not in their beds. She knew Legolas was too anxious to sleep, for he did not do it much while in Mirkwood. He was eager to fight, eager to learn the proper ways to slay his enemy.

She carefully walked a bit of ways, following the stream upward. She kneeled after finding a spot to rest for a minute. Her hand dipped into the cool water as she immediately relaxed.

"What troubles you?"

Annadel jumped from her spot as she raised her arms to fight but only saw Aragorn watching her curiously. Her stance relaxed. His brow rose.

"Sleep fails me, for I am in too much pain for it to capture me." She moved to sit on a rock as Aragorn followed her to sit on another across from her.

"It has been such a long time since I've last seen you." She smiled. "And that was when you looked much younger." She teased.

Aragorn smiled, nodding. "Yes, it has been, for it was when I had later captured Gollum. And you resided in Mirkwood ever since."

She took a moment to let his words sink in, looking away then to look back up at him. He was waiting for an explanation.

"I am in love." She said flatly. "And I miss the woods I have lived in for quite some time." Annadel looked up at Aragorn. "Arwen misses you too."

He perked up a bit after hearing her name, but then sunk down as he stared at a patch of moss. "I know this feeling that lingers within you." Aragorn said. "It is familiar with me too."

"I have always feared that if I love someone, leaving them would be unbearable." Her face was in a daze.

"Is it?"

Annadel looked at Aragorn again. "Yes."

"As we are parted now," He said lightly, "We have a promise to return home and to keep that promise we must endure."

She nodded, her hands curling around the fabric of her tunic. "All promises must be kept."

"You are worried among something else." He studied her.

"Stop doing that." She laughed once. "This journey will become more strenuous than the separation of Gandalf. I feel as if the Fellowship will break and we all shall become separated."

"Gandalf has spoken to me of your visions. Was this one of them?"

She shook her head. "No, it is only but a feeling I have in my heart. I could not bare it if Frodo is to become separated from us. The orcs out there…are growing in number for they had begun to poison Mirkwood once again. I fear…I fear that I will fail as my duty to protect those I have sworn to protect. And I have sworn to protect even your life over mine."

"We are not better off if you are to be killed. We would be lost as we are now without Gandalf. Do not make hasty decisions out of anger or grief, Annadel." He warned quietly. "You are a dear friend and I cannot lose another."

"That is why I will try to protect our lives." She smiled. "I have promise to return home after all."

Melamin: My love