The young Prince sat in the make-shift tree house silently as he listened
to the distant whispers of the wind. He sat there for quite some time and
would have stayed put had he not been disturbed by clumsy feet climbing the
ladders of the tree.
"Ouch" came a soft voice.
Legolas stiffened. Whoever was climbing the ladders was female. A *girl*. He winced. He would be the joke of his Mirkwood friends if they found out he let a *girl* into his sacred tree house. He rose to his feet and made for the door. He pulled it back gingerly and watched as a small pair of hands pulled hard at the step pulling a small dark haired elf maiden into Legolas' private room. He looked at her. His eyes studying her quickly. He disliked girls to unbelievable lengths.
"Mae govannen" the girl smiled happily putting out her hand for the elf Prince to shake. He did so and hen stepped back as one might do if faced with an Orc.
"Who are you?" he snapped
"Arwen" the girl looked around. "Do you live here?"
Legolas shot her an icy glance. "I live in the palace" he breathed.
"Ooooh" mocked Arwen. "The palace ay? You the stable boy?" she added, this time with a sincere tone. She had never been faced with anybody of royalty before. She had only seen eight autumns of the earth and this was her first time in Mirkwood. She had yet to learn who she was *really* speaking to.
"Stable boy?" Legolas spat as if he had been shot with an arrow. "I am no *stable boy* stupid. I am Legolas. Prince of Mirkwood."
Arwen looked in horror. She had been so rude. Yet, so had he. He was *not* how she imagined a prince. He was sitting alone in a tree house for a start. She blinked. "P-prince?" she looked at her feet. "Really?"
Legolas saw admiration and fear in her grey-violet eyes. He nodded. "Where are *you * from-" he paused searching for her name in his memory "- Arwen?"
"I'm from Rivendell. I didn't want to come today" she smirked. "I thought it would be terribly boring. I left my father talking to the King. I decided to explore. That's when I found here. And here I am." She beamed happily.
The prince was still very wary about letting a girl into his tree house. He sighed. He looked at his shoes and then his eyes darted to the hem of Arwen's dress. It was soaked in muddy water. He pointed this out. "Girls aren't meant to get dirty." He said. "They are meant to wear pretty dresses and stay home and *cook*"
Arwen looked a little hurt. But not for long. "I must not be a girl then" she retorted "For I shall never stay home and cook. Nor shall I act like all the other maidens in Rivendell. I want to go on adventures and climb trees and.." She paused. She didn't want to embarrass herself any more in front of Legolas. "And I want to hunt Orcs."
Normally Legolas would have laughed if a girl had told him she wanted to hunt Orcs. But he didn't find any urge at all. He still needed a come back though he didn't want to hurt her too much. He liked her in a sense. She was like him. He also wanted to grow up and away from his home town. He didn't want to be a little prince. He wanted to be a strong warrior. "Girls are stupid" he finally said as he slumped in the corner.
"Not all of us" she said and her eyes sparkled. She saw a true friend in the prince. She sat next to him and the pair talked of battles and adventures.
That is where Lord Elrond found them late that evening. Asleep in the corner of the tree house. Arwen with her head on Legolas' shoulder.
"Ouch" came a soft voice.
Legolas stiffened. Whoever was climbing the ladders was female. A *girl*. He winced. He would be the joke of his Mirkwood friends if they found out he let a *girl* into his sacred tree house. He rose to his feet and made for the door. He pulled it back gingerly and watched as a small pair of hands pulled hard at the step pulling a small dark haired elf maiden into Legolas' private room. He looked at her. His eyes studying her quickly. He disliked girls to unbelievable lengths.
"Mae govannen" the girl smiled happily putting out her hand for the elf Prince to shake. He did so and hen stepped back as one might do if faced with an Orc.
"Who are you?" he snapped
"Arwen" the girl looked around. "Do you live here?"
Legolas shot her an icy glance. "I live in the palace" he breathed.
"Ooooh" mocked Arwen. "The palace ay? You the stable boy?" she added, this time with a sincere tone. She had never been faced with anybody of royalty before. She had only seen eight autumns of the earth and this was her first time in Mirkwood. She had yet to learn who she was *really* speaking to.
"Stable boy?" Legolas spat as if he had been shot with an arrow. "I am no *stable boy* stupid. I am Legolas. Prince of Mirkwood."
Arwen looked in horror. She had been so rude. Yet, so had he. He was *not* how she imagined a prince. He was sitting alone in a tree house for a start. She blinked. "P-prince?" she looked at her feet. "Really?"
Legolas saw admiration and fear in her grey-violet eyes. He nodded. "Where are *you * from-" he paused searching for her name in his memory "- Arwen?"
"I'm from Rivendell. I didn't want to come today" she smirked. "I thought it would be terribly boring. I left my father talking to the King. I decided to explore. That's when I found here. And here I am." She beamed happily.
The prince was still very wary about letting a girl into his tree house. He sighed. He looked at his shoes and then his eyes darted to the hem of Arwen's dress. It was soaked in muddy water. He pointed this out. "Girls aren't meant to get dirty." He said. "They are meant to wear pretty dresses and stay home and *cook*"
Arwen looked a little hurt. But not for long. "I must not be a girl then" she retorted "For I shall never stay home and cook. Nor shall I act like all the other maidens in Rivendell. I want to go on adventures and climb trees and.." She paused. She didn't want to embarrass herself any more in front of Legolas. "And I want to hunt Orcs."
Normally Legolas would have laughed if a girl had told him she wanted to hunt Orcs. But he didn't find any urge at all. He still needed a come back though he didn't want to hurt her too much. He liked her in a sense. She was like him. He also wanted to grow up and away from his home town. He didn't want to be a little prince. He wanted to be a strong warrior. "Girls are stupid" he finally said as he slumped in the corner.
"Not all of us" she said and her eyes sparkled. She saw a true friend in the prince. She sat next to him and the pair talked of battles and adventures.
That is where Lord Elrond found them late that evening. Asleep in the corner of the tree house. Arwen with her head on Legolas' shoulder.