Disclaimer: I own nothing except Rhyline. Sorry this took so long.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Father?" Rhyline walked into the room where she had argued with her father, to find that he was still there.
"Yes?"
"Father, I'm sorry. I messed everything up. I-" Her father embraced her. His hand stroked her head, smoothing her hair.
"It's not your fault, Rhyline."
"Yes it is. I'm childish, immature-"
Legolas smiled sadly. "Rhyline."
"Naïve, selfish. I'm only a burden to you. I should go back to Mirkwood, back to Mother and Anaron."
Legolas turned away from her, and for the first time she noticed that he held a piece of parchment in his hand. "No, Rhyline, I think you should stay here."
"Why? Father?" she moved to look at him, but he turned before she could look him in the eye. "Father? What's going on?"
"Nothing, my child. It would just be better for you here." Legolas's voice proved he was lying, as it always did.
"What's the parchment?"
"Nothing."
"Father, let me see it." He turned to look at her. "Please?"
"Rhyline, I don't think you should." But at her look the Prince handed over the paper. Rhyline read, and pain fell upon her face the more she learned.
"They don't want me?" her voice broke as she looked up at her father, her eyes begging that they not be true.
"I want you here with me." He said, not answering her question.
"But my mother, my own mother, she doesn't want me?" Legolas embraced his daughter and sat, pulling her to sit on his lap.
"They don't matter."
"Yes they do. That's the only place I can be."
Legolas pushed the hair out of Rhyline's face. "No it isn't. You can stay with me."
"No I can't!" she climbed out of his lap and sat next to him. "You're the Prince of Mirkwood! I cannot stay with you." She quieted. "I'm not allowed."
"Then I won't go back. I will stay with you, either here or in another place." Legolas said, trying to comfort her.
"No. You have to go back to Mirkwood. Your father needs you there." She sighed as tears began to form in her eyes. "I'll be fine."
She turned and walked out of the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"They don't want you back?"
Rhyline sat on the veranda, and Elladan had shown up again.
She turned and looked at him. "Do you listen at my door, or something of that sort?"
"You do know your father wants to take care of you?" Elladan sat down next to her.
"Of course I do. But he can't. I would be a burden to him."
Dawn crept up over the cliffs above them.
Elladan sighed. "Then think of this like the new dawn. It's a new beginning for you. You're about to turn sixteen, correct?"
She nodded. "In three months."
"You'll be an adult. It's a new life being handed to you, and you can live it as you want. Just like this day."
"Are you always this philosophical, or is it a new development?"
"He's always been that way."
Elrohir came into the veranda. "Good morning Rhyline, Brother" He nodded to each of them. "Father has business here this morning, come, let us take this business somewhere else."
"I must decline." Elladan spoke up. "Elrohir, can you take our guest to eat breakfast in the hall?"
"Of course."
"Namarie," and Elladan left.
"Come on, Rhyline." Elrohir put a hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the Great Hall. On the way there, they passed Legolas. Rhyline greeted her father with a smile, and he grinned back. He knew his daughter. She would adjust quickly to the path that had been laid out before her.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Father?" Rhyline walked into the room where she had argued with her father, to find that he was still there.
"Yes?"
"Father, I'm sorry. I messed everything up. I-" Her father embraced her. His hand stroked her head, smoothing her hair.
"It's not your fault, Rhyline."
"Yes it is. I'm childish, immature-"
Legolas smiled sadly. "Rhyline."
"Naïve, selfish. I'm only a burden to you. I should go back to Mirkwood, back to Mother and Anaron."
Legolas turned away from her, and for the first time she noticed that he held a piece of parchment in his hand. "No, Rhyline, I think you should stay here."
"Why? Father?" she moved to look at him, but he turned before she could look him in the eye. "Father? What's going on?"
"Nothing, my child. It would just be better for you here." Legolas's voice proved he was lying, as it always did.
"What's the parchment?"
"Nothing."
"Father, let me see it." He turned to look at her. "Please?"
"Rhyline, I don't think you should." But at her look the Prince handed over the paper. Rhyline read, and pain fell upon her face the more she learned.
"They don't want me?" her voice broke as she looked up at her father, her eyes begging that they not be true.
"I want you here with me." He said, not answering her question.
"But my mother, my own mother, she doesn't want me?" Legolas embraced his daughter and sat, pulling her to sit on his lap.
"They don't matter."
"Yes they do. That's the only place I can be."
Legolas pushed the hair out of Rhyline's face. "No it isn't. You can stay with me."
"No I can't!" she climbed out of his lap and sat next to him. "You're the Prince of Mirkwood! I cannot stay with you." She quieted. "I'm not allowed."
"Then I won't go back. I will stay with you, either here or in another place." Legolas said, trying to comfort her.
"No. You have to go back to Mirkwood. Your father needs you there." She sighed as tears began to form in her eyes. "I'll be fine."
She turned and walked out of the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"They don't want you back?"
Rhyline sat on the veranda, and Elladan had shown up again.
She turned and looked at him. "Do you listen at my door, or something of that sort?"
"You do know your father wants to take care of you?" Elladan sat down next to her.
"Of course I do. But he can't. I would be a burden to him."
Dawn crept up over the cliffs above them.
Elladan sighed. "Then think of this like the new dawn. It's a new beginning for you. You're about to turn sixteen, correct?"
She nodded. "In three months."
"You'll be an adult. It's a new life being handed to you, and you can live it as you want. Just like this day."
"Are you always this philosophical, or is it a new development?"
"He's always been that way."
Elrohir came into the veranda. "Good morning Rhyline, Brother" He nodded to each of them. "Father has business here this morning, come, let us take this business somewhere else."
"I must decline." Elladan spoke up. "Elrohir, can you take our guest to eat breakfast in the hall?"
"Of course."
"Namarie," and Elladan left.
"Come on, Rhyline." Elrohir put a hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the Great Hall. On the way there, they passed Legolas. Rhyline greeted her father with a smile, and he grinned back. He knew his daughter. She would adjust quickly to the path that had been laid out before her.