Disclaimer~ I don't own anything but the things you can't find in a book.

Once again I wrote this chap again without Arithwen. Sorry I had writer's block plus my comp breaking down. Some virus. Lost everything and had to start again after I got it fixed. Please R/R ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A sound that sounded like something between a scream and a groan emitted from my mouth, my fingers digging into his sweat- slicked back and shoulder blades, as my head flung back against the soft cushions and my body arched up towards him as the familiar feeling of mind-blowing pleasure engulfed my whole entire body.

Panting madly like dog and with my whole sweaty body trembling uncontrollably I rested myself against the soft furnished cushions of the settee, trying to rid myself of the dizzy feeling inside of my head.

"That was.wonderful." Thranduil uttered blissfully with a small smile of satisfaction on his face as he kissed my forehead and lips.

I inwardly smiled at his response as my legs automatically opened making a room from as he laid himself on top of me because of the lack of space on the settee, his breathing intense.

"What was the real reason that you called me to your office?" I asked him my voice whispery from trying to still breathe properly as I ran my fingers through his silky hair.

"This was the real reason." He said giving me yet another kiss. "Get up and get dressed," he said getting off me and wearing his gold and red silk robe, "They'll be coming soon."

"Who?" I asked a frown on my face as I twisted my head around to see him walking up to his desk, picking an apple from the fruit bowl on the surface of a cabinet.

"My council." He said as he lounged lazily in the large chair behind the desk lifting up a piece of paper and beginning to read it as he took a bight from the apple.

A small smile started to form on my lips as I saw a sour look come across the king's face as he chewed on the apple slowly. He stood up and walked over to the garbage bin before throwing the bitten apple in it and spitting what he had bitten into it.

"That is repulsive." He complained as he wiped his lips with his hand and walking back to his desk, the sour look still present on his face.

Now having recovered from exhaustion I got up from the settee and put on my white dress, doing up the pearly buttons at the back and tying up my hair loosely.

"Have you heard anything from Kellin yet?" I asked him.

"Who?" he asked me as he stretched his arm out towards me offering his hand.

I frowned as I walked over to him and took his hand as he pulled me onto his lap, his eyes still scanning through the writing on a piece of paper.

"Kellin. My friend." I said annoyed.

"Oh yes. No I haven't received any news so far from anyone." He said, his voice sounding blank, making me wonder if he knew what he was talking about.

I breathed out heavily as his vacant arm snaked around my waist and he rested his chin on my shoulder, continuing to read the piece of paper.

Even though I had grown closer to the king within the last week I still wanted Kellin around. I always felt restless knowing that he was in danger.

"I was supposed to read this before you." Thranduil said to me, bringing me out of my thoughts. "You really are a distraction."

" Do you want me to leave?" I asked him.

"Yes."

I smiled and stood up. That was one thing I admired about him. He always put duty before everything else. Well almost always.

" I will see you later then." I said kissing him and walking towards the door.

"No don't leave." I heard him say quickly before I was able to reach for the handle.

I turned to face him and smiled when I saw the fake pout on his lips. " Stay."

"I thought I was a distraction for you." I said walking over to him.

"Well you cannot expect me to work all my life and have no fun at all." He said making a babyish look on his face as he took my hand and pulled me towards him.

A muffled moan escaped from my mouth as he pulled me on top of him, snaking his long slender fingers around my neck and locking our lips with a passionate kiss.

I didn't know why I could never deny him. It was like he had some type of spell over me. I always felt powerless to do anything but what he willed when I was with him.

I could feel his other hand sliding up my thigh slowly as he continued to kiss me deeply. My fingers tangled themselves in his shimmery tresses.

" Ahem.. Sire?"

I broke away from him and turned my head around to find five elves standing there, two of them being Alcolyte and Galdorilin.

"You said that we would discuss certain matters at the arranged time." One of them continued.

"Alright." The king said looking at them. "What is it that you wanted to talk about that was so important?"

"Well..." the elf started but stopped when he looked at me." Sire perhaps it would be best if we discussed these things in more privacy." he said nudging his head towards me.

"Do not fret over needless things Fírnnóvíon . It isn't like she's going to raise an army herself and attack us with the information of everything she'll hear." Thranduil said amused as his arms came around my waist.

"But-"

"Just continue talking." Thranduil cut in an annoyed look crossing his face.

"Well another elf will be arriving in our realms shortly with a letter from Cirdan that had arrived in Rivendell few weeks ago, concerning both you and Elrond. The elf will be bringing it with him when he comes." The elf started looking at me displeased.

I smiled at Alcolyte who smiled back at me.

"You aren't doing anything tonight are you?" I heard Thranduil whisper softly, so that the other elves wouldn't hear him.

"No." I whispered shaking my head slowly in response.

"Maybe we can-" he started a small grin forming over his lips as his hands began to slide up my legs.

"Sire are you listening?"

"Yes Fírnnóvíon." He said through gritted teeth.

I turned my head around and looked at the elf who was looking at me with a very sullenly look. Behind him was Alcolyte who seemed to be giggling at Fírnnóvíon's reaction.

"So sire what do you suggest we do?" Fírnnóvíon asked the king with a look that he was certain that Thranduil had not a clue of what he was talking about.

"Firstly alert the border guards of these orcs and trolls and then send more elves out further from the border to be there in case they do draw nearer to my kingdom than necessary." Thranduil replied with a satisfied smirk on his face.

My eyebrows rose at this. I didn't expect that he knew exactly what Fírnnóvíon was talking about. Obviously he was listening.

I saw a slightly sour look come across Fírnnóvíon's face at his miscalculation in thinking that Thranduil wasn't listening at all.

"Is there anything more Fírnnóvíon or am I able to carry on with my life without having to stop everything for you again?" The king asked.

I couldn't hold back the laugh as Fírnnóvíon's face went bright red with embarrassment and anger.

"That is all your highness." Fírnnóvíon said.

"Good. You can leave now." Thranduil said dismissively.

Fírnnóvíon bowed and walked out of the office with the other two elves I did not know leaving Alcolyte and Galdoillin.

"Sire Lady Odell sends her gratefulness for your gift and also apologises for not being able to be there." Galdorilin said.

"Who's Odell?" I asked Thranduil.

"No one you need to worry about." he answered smiling at my curiosity.

"And Lady Arielle I have some news for you as well." Galdorilin said getting my attention.

"Day before yesterday some of our scouts noticed a blonde haired man roaming around the woods. They tried to talk to him and bring him back to the main city but he ran before they could even speak to him at all."

My jaw dropped at this. Could that man possibly be Kellin? It had to. Who else could it be? But why did he run from the border guards?

"But where is he now?" I asked Galdorilin.

"We don't know. I've ordered that they continue searching for him around that area but-"

"So that means that you are going to find him right?" I cut in hopefully.

I saw a troubled look come across Galdorilin's face.

"Milady I am not sure about the fate of your friend." He said, "I believe that one of the elves who saw him said that he was a great deal injured and was barely able to hold himself up when they first say him but at sight of them he somehow managed to get away."

I stared at him expressionlessly. His point being.? What was the fact that Kellin was injured had to do with the border guards finding him? Would it not be easy for them to track him down if he was injured? He obviously couldn't go far.

"Lady the region where he was found was somewhere along the south-west of the Forest River. There are some spider nestings there. If your friend is injured then how is he to defend himself against spiders the size of a horse?" he asked me.

I frowned. What was he trying to say? Was he saying that there could be chance that Kelling wouldn't be alive?

"I have already had the scouts searching about that area for these two past days and all they have found is traces of blood here and there but nothing more."

"So maybe they should search harder." Thranduil, from behind me said as he played with a quill in his hand.

"Sire I assure you the whole southern side of the Forest River right up to the mountains has been searched." Galdorillin said earnestly. "I have even sent out more elves as you had ordered if we found any trace of him. The forest has been scoured and I have even made sure that they check up amongst the bows of the trees but they cannot find anything. An injured man who has not eaten for days cannot stray so far to deceive the eyes of over fifty trained elven border guards. There's only one more explanation for his disappearance."

I could do nothing but stare at him in utter shock and horror, knowing exactly what Galdorillin's assumption was. He was trying to tell me that he thought Kellin was dead.

"But, but that isn't possible.I mean he has to be somewhere.he couldn't have disappeared." I said, my voice shaking.

"Milady I don't think that he has disappeared. He still is in the forest. It's whether he is alive or not that problems me." He said.

"What a load of nonsense. The least you could do Galdorillin was make it sound a little bit believable." Thranduil said amusement present in his voice.

I saw a frown come across Galdorillin's face.

"Is that all the new for today?" Thranduil asked.

"Yes your majesty. And might I remind you that you have an appointment with Lord Erester." Alcolyte said.

"Alright, I'll meet you outside my office in a few minutes." Thranduil said.

Alcolyte nodded, before bowing with Galdorillin and leaving me and Thranduil in the room.

I felt the king's arms tighten around my waist as he pulled me closer towards him.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted by Fírnnóvíon." He started and began talking but none of what he said registered into my mind. All I could think of was Kellin. What if Galdirillin was right? What if Kellin was no longer alive? What would happen to me? I didn't think it would be possible for me to live without him. I had never considered it. We had always been together and it never occurred to me that we would one day get separated. I always knew that one of us would one day get married and would have to separate then but this way was a totally different issue. I would never see him again. Ever. And it would all be my fault.

"Arielle...are you listening to me?"

I blinked and looked at Thranduil questioningly. What had he said?

"You don't believe Galdorillin do you?" he asked me, sounding amused.

I frowned. How could he possible think it funny that my friend, my best friend, my 'brother', could possibly be dead?

"Of course I do." I whispered brusquely frowning at him as I stood up.

"Trust me Arielle, Galdorillin is only trying to scare you. I'm sure Kelly- "

"Kellin." I corrected.

"Whatever his name is probably up a tree or taking shelter." Thranduil said standing up and walking past me towards a bookshelf where he shelved a book.

"And how would you know? These men have seen him with his own eyes. They know he's injured. They know where abouts he should be." I said troubled.

"So they do but I know that Galdorillin has a habit of greatly exaggerating minor details." He said in a mater of factly tone.

I felt like ripping out my hair with frustration. How could he be so calm on such an urgent matter? Did he not care at all? I was just about ready to cry and here he was saying that it was all an exaggeration.

"That doesn't mean that he may not be right." I said despondently trying my best to hold back the tears.

Thranduil walked up to me and tilted my head up towards him.

"Nothing has happened to him. I promise you." He said softly.

I looked at him with a frown. He couldn't promise me anything. He may be a king but Kellin's life wasn't in his hands.

He pressed his lips against mine and kissed me, his tongue caressing my own in what I guessed was an assuring way, though no assurance for me came out of it.

He slowly pulled away, keeping his gaze ever on me. "I have to go now." He said softly folding a stray strand of hair behind my pointed ear. "If you need me then just consult one of my councillors."

I nodded and watched him as he kissed me again before walking out of the room, closing the door behind him.

I stood there just staring at the door. I couldn't understand him. How could he brush of such a serious matter like a harmless insect? He always seemed so calm and relaxed about everything that went on. It was like he didn't understand just how important Kellin was to me. I guess that the reason why he couldn't understand me was most probably because he couldn't understand me.

He didn't understand just how much I loved Kellin and how much he meant to me. He didn't know how much a depended upon Kellin. He didn't understand how much I needed him.

Even I did not know how much I needed Kellin until now. It's amazing how you don't know what you got till it's gone.

I frowned at myself. What was I talking about? Kellin wasn't gone. He was still alive. He had to still be alive. He wouldn't leave me. He couldn't. Not when he knew that I needed him so much.

I took a sharp intake of breathe and clutched the edge of the desk. I needed to get out of this underground palace. This place seemed so oppressive. I felt like I couldn't breathe. It was most probably because I had been living on talans for all of my life.

I walked out of Thranduil's office and started to make my way down the halls towards the entrance and exit.

Perhaps being outside in the fresh air would make me feel better and maybe make me feel closer to Kellin.

I asked the guard if he could open the humongous doors and he did unquestioningly with a nod.

A divulged sigh escaped my mouth as I felt the cool crisp wind through my hair as I stepped out of the underground palace. I hadn't come outside for such a long time.

I could hear the laughter of children and looked up into the lush emerald green leafage of the trees. I could see them playing amongst the bows of the trees great branches. Kellin and I used to play up amongst the golden mallorn trees of Caras Galadhon when we were children.

I walked away from the children, off the path and amongst the trees aimlessly. I knew it was childish but being outside made me feel closer to Kellin. It was almost as if I could sense him within the trees itself or like I was just dreaming and he would jump out from one of the branches and say that he was joking. I knew though that no matter how much I wished I was dreaming I would never be able to wake up.

Why did it feel like Kellin was gone? I knew he still had to be out there but it seemed that I felt that he was already dead.

I stopped walking and sat down against a particular tree exhaling heavily as my head rolled back against the bark. Overhead I could see the whiffy steely grey of the sky. The sun's raise was barely visible as it struggled to smuggle light through the thick blanket of cloud.

The trees here were different to that of the Galadhrim. Obviously their colours were different but usually most of the trees had the same feel but these ones felt different.

I didn't know why but I felt alone without him. Dozens of questions ran through my head. Where was he and why wouldn't he let himself be found? Looking up at the sky, I suddenly saw an image of Kellin down on his knees, screaming and shouting, with his arms shielding his face, flash across the sky. I blinked and looked back into the sky, in astonishment but there was nothing there.

I shook my head and frowned looking back into the sky suspiciously. Perhaps I had been staring up into the sky for too long.

I closed my eyes and settled back against the tree, but jumped as I heard shrill screaming and shouting and also the sound of flesh and bones being torn apart.

I looked around myself and started to feel dizzy. I could see images of Kellin whizzing by me, each one as gored as the one before.

What was going on? I couldn't see properly. Everything was so unfocused in my view. Horrendous noises filled my ears, making the hairs on my arm stand up as I screamed in terror.

The whole world seemed to be spinning, spinning around me in blurs of blood, flesh and ear- splitting screaming. I could see the spiders tearing his body apart maliciously, feasting upon his body, his blood dripping over their fetid legs and fangs and upon the ground. I could hear his screaming loud and clear. He was screaming to the top of his lungs just as I was as I cried.

I tried to reach out to help him but everything was spinning faster, faster and faster. His screaming, so loud and pleading, begging me to help him. I could hear him screaming my name, begging me to help me, pleading for mercy, as if it was I who had condemned him to death.

"Kellin!" I screamed reaching out, tears running down my cheeks.

There were so many images of him. Which one was I to help?

His screaming became more pleading. He was pleading for mercy from me, asking me why I hadn't stayed where he had asked me to.

I was screaming as I tried to get all of the spinning to stop. I wanted to help him but I couldn't. He was pleading with me, begging me to stop torturing him but what was I doing. I could never hurt him. I looked down at my hands in utter horror as I could see his blood dripping from them.

"I am sorry Kellin!!" I screamed.

What had I done? It was all my fault. Everything.

He was screaming my name as the spiders tore apart his body. My name over and over again. Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arielle..Arielle.Arielle.

But wait. There was another voice calling my name too. Arielle.Arielle.Arielle. It was him. Thranduil.

"Thranduil!" I called out hopefully.

Where was he? I couldn't see straight.

"Where are you?" I shouted above Kellin's screaming and the horrific sounds of those spiders.

There were more of them spiders coming, little ones, swarming over his body. They ate at his flesh too, crawling into his mouth and over his eyes as he screamed for help, choking on the blood and spiders in his mouth.

"Thranduil help me. Please Thranduil he needs your help." I screamed blinking away the tears in my eyes as I looked around me for him but all I could see was Kellin.

Again I could hear Thranduil, his voice far clearer than Kellin's screaming and much calmer. He was telling me that I couldn't help Kellin. That it was too late for him.

I could still hear Kellin's screaming. How could I not help him? I was the cause of his agony.

"I'm coming Kellin!" I screamed and I began to run towards him but I could hear Thranduil's voice in my head as well, telling me that I had to choose between either him of Kellin.

I ignored Thranduil and continued to run to help Kellin but my running started to become slower and slower and the spinning became faster and faster. It began to rain and flood. I could feel the water rising up to my knees but Kellin was still screaming for my help.

I was now wading through the water but tripped and fell. It was then I realised that it wasn't water I was wading in. It was blood. I screamed as I stood up again looking up at the sky.

It was red, stained with the blood of my Kellin. Blood. Everywhere. Raining down on me heavily. I could see it. I could feel it. I could taste it. It was staining me. My clothes. My hair. My skin. My conscious. My soul.

I was drowning, drowning in a sea of his blood and tears. I couldn't swim. The blood was rising higher and higher until it was above my head. I screamed for help but all that came were air bubbles, oozing through the thick blood towards the surface.

I was drowning and all the while I could hear them. Both of them. One voice screaming and begging, the other cool sleek calm and intoxicating. Both of them calling my name repeatedly.

Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arie lle..

My eyes shut tightly, as I covered my ears with my hands, letting myself be carried away by the undertow of blood, as I screamed my silent scream of help, their voices ringing in my head. Arielle.

Everything was spinning

Arielle.

I was bloodstained

Arielle.

I was screaming

Arielle.

I was crying

Arielle.

I was drowning

Arielle....

Did they hear me?

Arielle.

Their voices ringing,

Arielle.

He could save me

Arielle.

I had to choose though

Arielle.

My lover or brother?

Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arielle.Arie lle..

I couldn't breathe I couldn't think. All I could hear was them, both of them in my head. It was too much.

"STOP IT!" I screamed.

"Arielle!"

I opened my eyes and screamed as I saw the anxious face of Alcolyte in front of me, shaking me by the shoulders and shouting my name.

I looked around me wide-eyed. I was back in the forest of Mirkwood, leaning against the tree. The sky was dark, it was night and it was drizzling very lightly.

"Kellin!" I shouted desperately pushing Alcolyte away and getting to my feet.

I needed to find him. He was somewhere out there, calling me, screaming to me and it was all my fault. It was because of me that Kellin was lost. It was because of me that he could very well be dead right then. I needed to find him. I needed him with me.

I could feel more tears flowing from my eyes. Where was he? He was right here in front of me before. Where was he? Where was Thranduil? I looked down at myself. I was still in my white dress, spotless, without a single stain of blood.

"Kellin!" I shouted again looking around me.

"Arielle calm down." Came Alcolyte's voice from behind me as he took my arm.

"No he needs me...I did this to him.I have to help him.he'll die.I have to save him. Kellin I'm coming!" I stuttered urgently as I tore myself away from him, spinning around as I tried to find him.

I sniffed as I began to cry, shouting Kellin's name.

"He isn't here. You were dreaming." Alcolyte said grabbing my arm to stop me from wandering.

"No he was here. He was screaming. I have to help him. Where is he? Where is Thranduil?" I asked Alcolyte as tears blinded me.

I was so confused. Where were they? Why wasn't I drowning. I looked up at the trees and around me everywhere. There was no blood anywhere. Everything seemed normal. But everything couldn't be normal. They were here. Kellin, the spiders and Thranduil. They were all here. They couldn't just disappear. Where was the spinning? How come I couldn't hear them? What was going on?!

"It's all my fault." I said shakily walking away from Alcolyte. "I need to find him. He's dying because of me. Kellin!"

"Arielle," Alcolyte said taking my hand again.

"No let me go! Don't you understand! He's dying because of me!" I shouted frustratedly at Alcolyte as I wrenched my arm from his grip and began to run blindly.

"Arielle listen to me!" he shouted grabbing me from behind violently and turning me around so I was facing him.

"Kellin!" I screamed, tears blurring my vision as I tried to get away from the elf's grasps.

Without warning Alcolyte grabbed my head and held me in place. "Arielle listen to me!" he shouted, his face contorted with a frown, "You fell asleep! Kellin and Thranduil are not here. You were dreaming. They. Are. Not. Here." He said, looking at me directly in the eye.

I stared at him motionless. I was dreaming? But that couldn't be possible. I didn't fall asleep. If I did I would've known. How can you just fall asleep? It was real. He was here. They were here. He was dying. Dying because of me. It was my fault. I was killing him.

My mind was completely chaotic tangle. What was going on?

"I need to help him Alcolyte." I cried, my voice barely audible above my blubbering. "I'm killing him. It's my fault. I need to make it right."

"No Arielle. You don't have to. You were dreaming." He said softly.

I shook my head disbelievingly. I was so confused. I couldn't have been dreaming. Everything had seemed so real. I could feel everything. I could hear it all. Something so realistic couldn't have been a dream.

"But I-"

"It wasn't real." he said soothingly.

I looked at him. He seemed so caring and understanding. Maybe he was right. Maybe I had fallen asleep.

"I don't understand." I whispered as a storm of tears engulfed me.

Alcolyte put his arms around me and held me as I cried into his chest, whispering assurances to me. I couldn't understand anything.

"It's alright." He whispered. "Come. Let us go back inside the palace. If we stay outside any longer you will be wet." He said taking my hand and leading me off.

But everything seemed so real. I was sure I could've felt the blood. I could hear his screaming. I couldn't have been dreaming. Something so real and horrific couldn't be dreamt. Dreams were not so horrendous. I could still hear his voice in my head. It just had to be real. The drowning, the spinning. All so real.

More tangled thoughts passed through my head as I walked down the lantern lit halls with Alcolyte, still crying from the overwhelming occurrence.

He left me in my chambers and I found myself completely and utterly lost. Where was Kellin? What if he was dying? If he was it was because of me. If he was I couldn't help him.

It was all my fault. If I hadn't gone then he wouldn't be wherever he was now. I was the cause of his suffering.

Lost, confused, obfuscated and distraught I got into my bed, not bothering to change my lightly rain dampened dress, and quietly cried myself to sleep, filled with more dreams, although not so horrific, of my friend and foster brother Kellin.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It turned out that I had fallen asleep that afternoon in the forest, meaning that everything to do with Kellin that I had thought to be real when I had woken up was not.

I only realised that the morning after. All of those delusions were probably caused by the fact that I hadn't had any proper rest for days, what with the dinner parties with the Thranduil and his court plus the addition of the shock of finally hearing some kind of news from Kellin, I was obviously not in a proper state of consciousness.

Almost fourteen days later and still the border guards hadn't found any trace of Kellin. After the first few days after the dream, I was beginning to wonder if perhaps I had actually witnessed his death, through some kind of magic, like that of my lady Galadriel's mirror, but Thranduil assured me that it was all in fact a dream and that Kellin was still alive.

He seemed so certain that Kellin was still alive. I myself tried to be as optimistic as he appeared to be but I couldn't help but remembering that dream. The realness of it had disturbed me. I couldn't sleep without getting images of the cruorness or hearing him screaming my name for help. What disturbed me the most is the fact that all of this mess that I have gotten him into is my fault.

I had always subconsciously known that it was because of me that Kellin was lost but it wasn't until that dream that I had actually admitted it to myself. Indeed if I hadn't walked away from where Kellin had told me to wait, he wouldn't be lost. He would've found a way out and come back for me. We would've been able to get to Imladris without any of this problem. He would've been safe and not lost without any adequate food or shelter. He wouldn't be fighting to stay alive.

Everyday I, at least eight times, I would question either Alcolyte, Galdorillin or Fírnnóvíon whether they had found any trace of him but I always got the same answer. Nothing.

I wasn't sure whether I should've been expecting the worst. Was Kellin gone? As in really gone? Was he just, as Thranduil thought, taking cover or was he dead? So many questions filled my mind that I was no longer sure what I was to think. There were so many possibilities as to where he could be and why or how he was, each of them seeming as improbable as the last.



I breathed out heavily, thoughts of Kellin occupying my mind. My legs kicked gently through the warm, lucid water that reached up to my mid-calf as I sat on the edge of the rather large and deep pool.

White and silvery reflections of the water played over the bathing room walls and my face, making patterns.

Sighing, I bent over, putting my arms around Thranduil's shoulders and resting my head in the crook of his neck.

He was inside the pool facing his back to me, floating in the space inside my legs, which tangled off the edge of the pool where I sat.

My eyes fluttered closed as I felt his dripping wet hands skim up my arms.

"What's the matter?" he asked me as he turned his head and kissed my temple.

"Nothing." I answered him looking at him in the best honest expression I could muster.

"You have been very quiet lately." He said, running his fingers through my hair.

Of course I was quiet. All I could think about was Kellin.

He turned around towards me letting his hands wander up my legs. "*Trenarenni naegrale calen-heneb gwilwileth nin*" he said softly kissing my neck and shoulder.

"*Im ú naegrana pen*" I said letting him lavish kisses upon neck and chest.

I put my arms around his neck as he pulled my head down towards me and kissing me deeply.

It was only when I was with him that I thought less of Kellin. Sometimes it was even like I forgot completely about Kellin when I was with Thranduil.

"Come inside with me." he said pulling away from me.

"No thankyou." I answered him smiling at his attempt.

This was around the tenth time he had asked me to get into the pool, but like this time I had refused him.

"Why not?" he asked me pouting.

"I have my reasons." I said.

He gave me a last pout before letting go of me and the edge of the pool and falling back into the water, splashing water all over me.

I wiped the water off my face with the sleeve of my robe and watched his glistening shadow glide under the water.

He was so good at swimming. He was also so good at everything else he did, something I had noticed about him within the first few days of knowing him.

I supported my body on my hands and leant back, looking at the shimmery white reflections of the water play on the ceiling.

I felt guilty. How could I feel this calm and unperturbed when Kellin was out there in the forest, cold hungry, injured and alone? I didn't want to feel this relaxed but I couldn't help it when I was with Thranduil. When I was with him it was like every problem was wiped away. It was just the type of person he was. He never seemed to be affected by anything, no matter how big the disaster. He was always cool, calm and in control of every situation. Not only was he like that but also the atmosphere around him. His calmness was most probably rubbing of on me.

With my thoughts on Thranduil I looked back into the pool to see if I could find him but his shadow was no where in sight.

I frowned. Where had he gone?

I sat up straight and looked at the far end of the pool to see if he was near there but I couldn't see him.

Suddenly I felt a tight grip around my ankle and screamed as I was pulled into the pool.

Warm water covered me completely and all I could see was swirls of my blonde hair and white robe in front of my eyes as I was being pulled deeper and deeper into the water.

I felt the grip release from my ankle.

Water filled my lungs and I couldn't breathe as I silently screamed under the water. I tried to breathe but all that came to my lungs was water.

I looked up and could see the lights from the lanterns above the surface. I had to get some air or else I would die.

Panic-stricken over the fact I could very well drown I began to kick with my legs, propelling myself towards the surface of water. I felt like my insides were going to burst as I tried my best to keep my mouth closed but my attempts were futile.

After what seemed like millenniums my head finally broke over the surface of water. I furiously began to suck air into my lungs while coughing up water that I had swallowed. My head bobbed up and down, in and out of the water, as I tried to tread water, kicking with my legs and moving my arms. The robe I wore seemed to be dragging me down, even though it was made of light elven material. It got tangled around my legs and I had to kick harder to untangle myself as my head went under the water continuously.

This was exactly why didn't want to get inside the pool. I knew it was too deep for me. The end of the pool was metres away. Even when I was being pulled under my feet were nowhere near to touching the ground.

I looked around me and found Thranduil, who was a few metres away, watching me. I could only see his upper half of his face because he kept the rest of his body hidden under the water. I could see his eyes gazing at me over the water and his eyebrows were raised, and I knew that he was smirking, even if I couldn't see his lips.

"You know there was a reason why I didn't want to come inside." I called out to him, my voice still shaky.

His eyebrows raised and I knew he was asking me what my reason was.

"Did it ever occur to you that perhaps I may not be able to swim?"

"You cannot swim?" he asked me disbelievingly as his whole head came out of the water.

I nodded in reply.

I saw a thoughtful come across his face and then he ducked his head under the water and was gone.

I frowned. What was he going to do? I looked around me. I was far from the edge of the pool. How was I going to get back? I was having trouble as it was just trying to tread water, how was I to swim myself to the edge of the pool.

Perhaps if I just tried I could be able to swim to the edge. I remember that Kellin said once that all you had to do was kick your legs and use your arms to draw the water away from you.

I saw a shadow out of the corner of my eyes and turned my head just time to see Thranduil, swimming under the water towards me.

Before I knew it again he had taken a hold of my ankle pulling me down back into the water.

With my mouth shut this time, I looked down at him wide eyed. I kicked furiously trying to get him off me but he wouldn't let go.

Even though I was under water I knew that I was trembling. I could feel as panic soared through me.

I was running out of air that I had in my mouth, half of which I was losing through my nose and I was becoming tangled again in my robes.

I tried to release his hand from around my ankle desperately pulling at his wrist with my hands. I could feel by heart beating against my chest frantically and I was sure that it would tear out of me at any moment.

He had an amused smile over his lips and there was a manic look in his dark eyes, which at the moment looked darker than ever.

What the hell was he trying to do to me? He knew I couldn't swim! I had just clearly told him that I couldn't swim and here he was trying to drown me and taking the whole thing like a little game.

I felt him let go of my ankle and I made to somehow swim to the surface but I felt one of his hands on my knee and the other on my wrist and he dragged me down towards me.

My mouth opened and all the air inside of my mouth came out in a mist of air bubbles and water again began to fill my mouth and I could feel my insides cramping with the need of oxygen.

I felt completely uncoordinated. I was in a panicking mess. I was trying to save any air I had left inside of me, get to the surface of the pool and scream all at the same time.

I felt Thranduil's hand come over my mouth and I panicked even more trying to get him away from me. He held my head still and looked at me and mouthed something that looked like 'don't open your mouth', but I nothing of what he had wanted to say meant anything.

I was beginning to feel dizzy inside my head and I could feel my whole body trembling. I gathered any strength I had and pushed Thranduil away from me and began to kick distraughtly trying to close my mouth.

I didn't care if he was a king or not, as was clearly shown in my actions by pushing him away.

My head broke through the surface of the water and still distraught I began to breathe deeply and scream at the same time looking down to see if Thranduil was still there.

I couldn't believe him. He knew I couldn't swim! He knew that I was trying to get away from him! He knew that I couldn't breathe yet he continued to pull me down. And he thought that everything was funny! Funny! I could have possible died and he thought it was funny.

I was still fuming over Thranduil's actions that I didn't notice the dark shadow under the water that was hovering under me.

My eyes widened in horror as I felt something tug at my robe. Once again I was being hauled down through the water by him.

What was wrong with him? He knew I couldn't swim. Anyone could figure that I was terrified of such deep water.

I irately tugged at his wrists trying to get him off me as he pulled me deeper and deeper. I looked at him pleadingly and opened my mouth to beg him, forgetting I was under the water.

I quickly closed my mouth but the damage was done. I had no air in my mouth. I could feel my insides cramping together in spasms.

I felt Thranduil's arms come around me and he kissed me, his lips sealing mine.

I took a quick breath from him, that would be able to sustain me for at least ten seconds and broke away from him. I managed to turn around and treid to get away from him but he clutched tightly at my arm, not letting me go.

That manic glint was present in his dark fathomless eyes. There was something that looked like a deranged smirk over his lips. He was beginning to scare me now. Was he really trying to kill me?

He pulled me closer towards him by the collar of my robe, besides my efforts to breaj free from his clutches.

He really was beginning to scare me.

Again he sealed my lips with a kiss.

Trying to break away from him proved useless. He had such a tight grip on me that I couldn't so much as stay put for a second as he continued to pull me further and further away from the surface and closer and closer to what I knew would mist probably be my death.

Although it couldn't be seen or heard to any ears, for I was under water, I knew I was crying.

I wanted so badly to get out of the water but how could I even reach the surface of the water when he was pulling me down?

Why was he doing this? Could he not take a hint by my desperateness that I needed air? That I wasn't like him and that I couldn't hold my breath for as long as he?

Or was he doing all of this onpurpose? Had he been waiting all of this on purpose? Had he been wanting to kill me the first time I met him in his office. Was he about to kill me but thought it would be more fun for him to take advantage over my body first and then to kill me? Had he been plotting to kill me all of this time? Had he been waiting for the perfect time where he would slaughter me? Had he planned for someone else to do it but now that I was here he thought that he might as well have finished me off? Or had he been planning to bring me here today to drown me in this very pool, using the excuse of me not being able to swim as an excuse of my death?

More questions filled my head, scaring more than I needed to be.

But Thranduil wasn't like that right? He wouldn't really do something like that would he? Surely he wouldn't just use me out of his own lust and then just kill me when he was done? Right?

I tried to reassure myself that Thranduil wasn't in fact trying to kill me and that he was just playing around but it seemingly was becoming hard to keep assuring myself when I was on the verge of suffocating.

Then finally he stopped pulling and my back hit something hard. I realised that I was most probably at the bottom of the pool. The insides of my stomach seemed to be churning at the thought of just how deep I was under that water.

Was he going to leave me here now? Alone? To make my way back up? To die?

He began to drag me again, along the wall. I pulled away from his kiss and tried to make sense of what he was doing but I couldn't see nothing, as my hair kept floating in my face.

Then suddenly I felt the subtle coolness of the air as both of our heads broke through the water. I was coughing violently as I tried to breathe in the cool air and tread water at the same time, pushing my wet hair out of my hair, my white robe clinging to my body like a peeling second skin.

"Feel safe enough now?" Came Thranduil's voice that sounded slightly breathless.

I looked up at him in shock, still coughing slightly and breathing heavily.

I looked around me and realised he hadn't been dragging me to the bottom of the pool but to the edge of it.

He wasn't trying to kill me! He was trying to get me to the edge of the pool because he knew I couldn't swim.

I knew the idea of his wanting me dead was absurd. I was always told that I had a wild imagination by my mother but I never actually believed her until now. How could I even think that Thranduil would want to kill me? I should've known better than to think that.

Because I was too caught up in thinking about how foolish I had been for thinking about Thranduil that I had forgotten to use my legs in treading water and my head went under the water.

I felt Thranduil's strong hands come around me as he pulled me back up over the water.

"Valar. I thought you were trying to kill me." I gasped as I held onto his arms, supporting my wait on the wall of the pool, behind me.

His eyebrows raised in a partially amused and partially affronted look.

"Thankyou." I said softly as I slipped my arms around his stomach and hugged him.

I let go and looked up at him and found him staring down at me with eyebrows still raised, with dubious, unimpressed look plastered all over his face.

I rolled my eyes at him pulled his closer to me, giving him kiss, making it as passionate as I could possibly.

Slowly, my hands slipped up his body as he pushed my body against the cool walls of the pool.

He broke away and started to trail kisses down my neck and along my collarbones, pulling apart my still done up robe.

"How can you not know how to swim? You are an elf." He said in between kisses.

"I never learned." I answered him as I helped him easily discard my robe, which floated away on top of the water some distance away from us.

"You could have just told me you could not swim."

"I thought it not relevant enou-"

He covered my mouth with his own kissing me deeply. I could feel his hands all over my body as he spread legs open with his own, enabling him to get closer to me.

Even though most of my upper half of my body was over the water I didn't feel cold. Instead I felt like I was getting hotter and the sweltering water around me seemed to be making me feel hotter.

I held onto the edge of the pool, above my head, with one hand while my other hand tangled in the sopping hair that stuck to his neck, my legs around his waist.

Although I was against the wall with Thranduil holding me as he spilt searing hot kisses over me I was still afraid of drowning, which was why I was holding on to the edge of the pool.

"How come you never learned to swim?" Thranduil asked me, his voice sounding husky and breathless as he continued to kiss me.

"I did not need to. There is only Nimrodel and Celebrant. They.are too cold to swim in..and Anduin is too wide and too swift.you'd easily get swept away." I said breathless. "I was supposed to learn how. Kellin said he'd teach me."

I finally let go of the edge of the pool, wrapping my arms around Thranduil's neck drawing him as close as possible to me as we kissed.

My head tilted back as he released my lips and started to suck and kiss at my neck, one of his arms over mine, pining me down against the wall, the other massaging my thigh.

"Talking about him.he is here in the palace. They found him." Thranduil said huskily.

"Alright." I said whispered as he kissed my lips.

Suddenly my eyes flew open utter shock. Had he just said that Kellin was here? In the palace? That they had found him?? Or was my ears just deceiving me.

I brought my tongue back into my mouth and broke away from him.

"What did you say?" I asked him frowning, as I tried to regain my breath.

"They found whatever his name is...Kellin." He said kissing my neck.

My ears hadn't deceived me. He was here. In the palace. Alive. He was alright.

I stared at the other end of the pool stunned. I didn't have to worry anymore. He was alright. He wasn't lost in the forest, cold, injured, unarmed and hungry. He wasn't hiding or being tracked down by any spiders and he certainly was not being feasted upon by them. He was safe and warm probably in a healing chamber having his wounds attended to.

I blinked and came out of my daze.

"Come on." I said pushing Thranduil off me and reaching for my robe, wrapping it around my body.

I held onto the edge the pool and began to make my way along the side of the pool, holding onto the edge with one hand and pushing water away from with the other. There were a few stairs that I could use to get out of the pool.

"What?" Came Thranduil's voice from behind me.

I ignored him and continued to make my way towards the stairs. My heart was beating with the excitement of knowing that Kellin was alright and also from the fact that I was in the water again, this time without Thranduil to stop me from drowning if I should.

At last I got to the stairs and let go of the wall and began to climb them, my robe sticking to my body, water dripping from my figure and hair.

I looked back and saw Thranduil still in the pool, although near the stairs.

"Come on." I repeated grabbing a white towel and covering myself with it and heading for Thranduil's robe to give it to him.

"Where are you going?" Thranduil asked as I walked towards him with his robe, a frown present on his face.

It was plain that he was annoyed with what I had just done, but it didn't matter to me, Kellin was here. I had to see him.

"Let's go." I said stepping down the stairs again, wetting the rims of towel, which was shrouded around me.

I pulled him out of the water and put his dry robe around him and walked away from him.

"Where are you going?" he asked me again, his voice this time more demanding.

"We have to go." I said looking back towards him, making sure that my voice didn't sound too commanding. I didn't want to make him angry with me.

I took his hand and started to walk, with him behind me, towards the door.

"Do you mind telling me perhaps a little more clearer just as to where you are leading me?" he asked me, as I led him out into my bed chamber.

"Here," I said handing him another dry towel, "Get dressed." I said as I walked away from him behind the screen, where I found a new dress laid out on a chair for me.

"Get dressed!" I heard him shout from the other side of the screen.

"Yes sire, get dressed." I said, taking my wet robe off and drying myself before I began to dress myself.

"Why am I going to get dressed?"

"Just do it." I said.

"When I ask you a question I expect that you answer me."

I turned around and found Thranduil standing in the opening of the screen, still in his robe, not looking pleased at all. In fact he looked very annoyed, even angry.

Now fully dressed I walked up to him and put my arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

I broke away from him, hoping that perhaps the kiss would've had taken some effect on him but I could tell by the displeased look on his face that it hadn't.

I kept my arms around his neck and looked into his rich dark eyes. I could never tell what he was going on behind them.

"Can you please get dressed?" I asked him softly as I gently ran my fingers through his silky stresses. "We can go for a walk."

"A walk?" he asked, looking at me dubiously. "Now?"

I nodded, trying to keep an honest face, although I knew he could see straight through me, as if I were water.

"You dragged me out of the pool just so we can go for a walk?" he asked me sceptically.

"Please?" I asked kissing him again, this time better than before.

After some time I finally broke away from him.

He looked at me thoughtfully, the annoyance in his face, looking somewhat faded.

"How about.no." he said before walking away from my sight.

"Please Lord Thranduil." I begged walking out from the screen towards him.

"No." He answered lazily as he slumped down on the settee with a glass of wine in his hand that he had just poured for himself.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because I know that you are lying to me." He answered simply, taking a sip from his glass.

I stared at him. I hated the fact that he could see straight through me. It was like being with Lady Galadriel. No thoughts in my head where ever kept obscure with either of them.

"Please." I said inaudibly.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because.because I want to see Kellin." I said quietly.

His eyebrows raised and he stared at me with an unfathomable expression on his face.

"You want me to come with you at this late hour in the night to see some elf who was just brought into my palace doused with mud, screaming that he would be released back into the forest to resume his newly found nomadic existence." He said slowly, as if still trying to register in his mind what I had just said.

"That elf is my friend." I said, slightly irritated by Thranduil's description of Kellin.

"You are joking aren't you." He said.

"No!" I said exasperatedly

I couldn't believe him! He had seen me crying for weeks because I missed Kellin. He knew that I had to see him and yet he was being so incredibly obstinate and stubborn.

"I'll go by myself then." I said walking off behind the screen to combing my hair up quickly.

"You do not even know where he is." Came Thranduil's voice as he appeared behind me in my reflection in the mirror.

"Which is why, sire, I ask that when you have finished, you would let yourself out of my chambers, as I do not think I will return before dawn, for I will be wandering around looking for him." I said as I grabbed a white cloak and threw them over my shoulders. "In other words please do not expect me to come back to you tonight, because I most probably will not."

His eyes narrowed in what was unmistakably a look of annoyance and detest.

"Thankyou for you company sire. I'll see you perhaps next week." I said walking past him towards the door.

I felt his hand come around the bend of my elbow as he pulled me towards him, stopping me from walking any further from him and growling something that sounded distinctly like a 'wait' into my ear.

He then let go of m arm and walked away from behind the screen and away from my view.

I couldn't help but smile as I walked towards the mirror, to fix myself up properly. I couldn't believe that it had actually worked. I thought that he would just ignore me and let me go by myself, leaving me to search for myself, but it seemed that it did matter to the king if he was left alone.

While waiting for him to get changed I fixed my cloak over me properly. The dress I wore was quite thin and as I was already wet I knew I'd probably cold as soon as I stepped away from my fire heated chambers which was why I needed to wear a cloak.

I took a comb and ran it through my hair, before getting two clips and fastening my hair up.

I looked into the mirror and saw in the distance behind me, Thranduil leaning against the wall cross-armed in his misty grey clothes, staring at me with those dark unfathomable eyes.

I quickly picked up my chain, which rested in my jewellery box, and turned around towards Thranduil as I took the ends of the chain behind my neck and fastened them together, walking up to him.

Without a word, Thranduil turned around and walked towards the door, leaving the door open for me.

I walked out of my chambers, closing the door, and found that he hadn't waited for me and was already half way down the hall.

I began to walk quickly after him, trying to catch up without running.

Had I made him angry? Perhaps I should've just waited until the morning. But how could I not? Kellin was here. I had to see him, no matter of what Thranduil thought.

A maid walked past him and he stopped her, telling her something I couldn't hear, as I was too far away. She nodded and turned around, rushing in the direction that she had come from.

As he and the maid were talking I quickened my pace and within a few seconds I was right behind Thranduil.

"Where are we going?" I asked him as I walked beside him.

"I don't know." He answered, his voice austere as he spoke, not looking at me at all.

I frowned. Perhaps I had made him angry. Obviously he was if he didn't even look at me when he spoke.

I continued to walk behind him in silence. He didn't talk to me at all. He didn't even turn to look at me, or to see if I was still following him.

"Your majesty." Called a voice from behind us.

Both Thranduil and I turned around to find Galdorilin walking towards us, running his fingers through his messed up hair. It was obvious that we had woken him up.

"Your majesty." He repeated as he walked up to us and bowed quickly at Thranduil. "What is it?" he asked with a slight frown on his face.

"I apologise for having to awaken you at such a late hour but Arielle insists that she sees the elf that was found in the forest right now. I have no knowledge as to where he is being kept but I understand that you would." Thranduil said.

Galdorilin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair again. "I thought it was something of greater importance, concerning your safety." He said roughly.

I frowned. This was of great importance! It was Kellin! Of course it was of great importance.

"Very well, follow me." He said walking in front of us, in the direction that we were heading for.

After another few seconds of walking another two elves, who I didn't know came out of one of the halls and we stopped as they began to speak with Thranduil and Galdorilin.

I was beginning to get wrestles. How hard was it for them to just show me to wherever Kellin was? It couldn't possibly be this hard. I didn't need five men escorting me there.

Again we started walking, Galdorilin talking to the other men.

I looked at Thranduil, who was walking beside me. He still was not talking to me.

Perhaps it was me who should say something first instead of thinking of him being angry with me.

"Thankyou." I said to hi quietly, so the others wouldn't hear, as I took his hand in mine and kissed his cheek.

He looked back at me with a soft look in his dark starlit eyes and kissed the back of my hand and we continued to walk hand in hand, in silence, but not the same uncomfortable one like before.

At least I knew now that he wasn't in fact mad with me, well at least not anymore. A silent sigh of relief escaped from me.

Within a few minutes we were out of the palace, how we got there I don't know how, but we were at another door, that seemed to lead inside the palace again.

I was confused, but everyone else knew what was happening.

It was cold and dark outside, as it was in middle of the night, and not a sound could be hear amongst the trees.

There was a fire lit torch in a carrier, next to the door that we waited at, which Alcolyte took out for out use while one of the other elves that I did not know opened the large wooden door.

"Sire if you'd rather you can return to your office and we'll have him brought up to you. I daresay that you would-" Started the elf.

"No, I'm fine." Thranduil cut in.

He nodded and held the door open and Thranduil stepped in first, with me after him.

Inside everything was pitch black and it wasn't until Alcolyte came in with the torch that I was able to see.

I soon realised that we were going down to the dungeons, where I had been before.

A sudden fluttering of wings began in my stomach. It wouldn't be too long until I saw Kellin.

With Alcolyte holding the torch, he and Galdorilin went in front of me and Thranduil and led the way through the passage, the other elves following behind us.

We reached another door, which Galdorilin opened, and inside there was a clearly lit cellar.

There were a few elves who was sitting down at a wooden table. One of them sat with a book and was reading, the other three were drinking something in their flagons, and talking happily with one another.

The one who sat facing the door looked up at us as we all walked through the door and stood up, putting his cup down.

" *Maeraduial hir nin.*" He said bowing down to Thranduil. " *A maeraduial hiril nin.*" he said to me bowing down as well. "How might I serve you your majesty?" he asked.

"A man was brought here by the border guards last evening. An elf. I wish to see him." Thranduil said.

The elf nodded and looked over at the other elves who were still sitting at the table and asked him whether they knew whom Thranduil was speaking of.

The man who sat by himself reading a book stood up and walked towards us. "Follow me." He said walking down one of the passages.

"Was he seeming of Sindar kindred?" the elf asked Alcolyte, who nodded in reply.

I was beginning to feel nervous now, why I did not know.

"Yes he was injured when he was-" the elf started but stopped when a loud scream filled the air.

I frowned looking around. The voice. It sounded incredibly like Kellin, or was I hallucinating?

The shouting continued, and the more the person continued to shout the more I thought it was Kellin. He was shouting over and over the same thing but what he said was undiscernible.

"We tended his wounds but he has been shouting ever since he arrived." The elf finished as we continued to walk down the passage.

"That's Kellin?" I asked, shocked that it was him who was screaming.

The elf nodded.

"Why? What are you doing to him?" I asked, beginning to get worried.

"We have done nothing to him. He just keeps on screaming out of his own will. He is certainly in no pain, we make sure that everyone in here are in good health.

"How bad were his wounds?" I asked.

"Not that bad. It is obvious though that he did have an encounter with one of the spiders. I think it happened just before the border elves found him. There was only a little bit of venom on his skin, but if we had not cleaned him up he would have died." The elf said looking at me.

Again there was shouting, the time it seemed louder. We were probably getting closer to him. I could also hear the clinging noise of metal.

"Must he scream so stridently?" Thranduil said, the fact that he was becoming agitated apparent in his voice.

"He has been quite a disturbance, keeping up everyone else. We have tried everything to shut him up but they all did not work." The elf said.

Why was Kellin screaming so much? There must have been something wrong. He wouldn't shout so much just for the sake of it. They were probably doing something to him.

We got to a heavy wooden door which the elf began to unlock.

Behind the door there was a lot of banging and shouting. Kellin was behind them. I could hear what he was saying now loud and clear.

"Let me go."

Those were the words that he screamed repeatedly, over and over again.

The elf opened the door, leaving it ajar.

I took a step towards it but Thranduil's hand came around my arm stopping me.

"Let me go first." He said softly before letting go of my arm and walking into the room with the Galdorilin and the prison guard, who left the door ajar and I could not see inside.

Kellin's screaming stopped, and I could hear the hushed murmuring voice of Thranduil.

He always spoke so calmly and softly. There was such a great deal of potency though in his voice, even when he spoke quietly, that he didn't need to speak any loudly.

Then I heard Kellin's voice, louder than Thranduil's and seeming more urgent. "Release me. I have no business here." He said.

I wanted so much to go and see him but Alcolyte who was next to me kept giving me looks.

Everything was quiet for a second and then all of a sudden.

"ARIELLE!! ARIELLE!!"

Just like in my dream he was screaming as if he were in pain.

I could feel tears beginning to form in my eyes and my heart seemed to be thumping violently against my chest.

The prison guard came and opened the door, nodding at me to come inside.

Cautiously, as if there may be a giant spider inside, I walked towards the entrance towards the door, a little scared of what I might find inside.

I walked over the threshold and the first thing I saw was Kellin on the floor, fetters by his sides, that had once been around his wrists and ankles, obvious by the red marks on his skin. His blonde hair was all dirty and tattered, stained with mud and blood. His once glimmering silver garments were now dirty and ragged caked in dried mud and blood, torn and frayed at the edges. His skin was covered with mud and the only way I could describe him was as a wary hunted animal.

I stood there speechless just staring at him. I had never seen him like this, not ever before in my life, seeming trapped and helpless. He was always the strong one, the one who was always on top of matters, no matter how bad they were.

He lifted his head and looked at me, his eyes so powerless and vulnerable.

As if tap were automatically turned on inside of me tears began to run down my cheeks.

I rushed towards him, throwing my arms around him as I collapsed on the dungeon floor next him into a crying heap.

"Oh Valar, Kellin you don't know how much I've been worried about you." I cried as I brushed the hair out of his face, kissing his forehead and hugging him.

"Where have you been!" He said loudly, sounding as if he too was about to cry as he put his arms around me and hugging me tightly. "I have been looking everywhere for you."

"Where did you go Kellin? I was waiting for weeks and you never came back. You never came back for me! You never came back for me!" I said looking at him as he ran his fingers through my hair.

"I told you to wait for me. I told you not to leave that place. Do you have any idea how much you scared me! You could've been in so much trouble! You could have died!" he shouted hogging me tighter.

"I did wait but you never came. What was I supposed to do?" I sobbed.

"You were supposed to wait!" he said furiously kissing my forehead and hugging me again. "Thank Valar I found you. Your father would have comeback to Middle Earth from Mandos to kill me himself, had anything happened to you.that is if your mother and the rest of the Galadhrim hadn't got to me first." He said soft into my ear as he continued to hug me.

I couldn't help but smile as more tears ran down my cheeks. He could always make the worst situations seem better. Always.

Someone from behind me cleared their throat, evidently demanding attention.

Letting go of Kellin I turned around to find Thranduil and the others looking bored.

"Perhaps you and the lady can catch up with each other in the morning. There is a chamber that has been prepared for you." Thranduil said looking at Kellin.

I looked at Kellin and smiled, standing up. I was so happy that he was here finally. It felt like an enormous weight had just been lifted off my shoulders.

I watched him as he stood up. He smiled at me but his smile suddenly vanished, becoming a wince of pain as he stood up straight, clutching at his chest.

"What's wrong?" I asked him with a frown as I carefully pulled his arm away from his chest.

"Nothing." He said, pain clearly written in his voice.

Through the torn material of his garments I could clearly see a scar across his chest which looked like it might come open again.

"You call this nothing?" I said softly looking up at Kellin.

"I thought you said you had his wounds mended." I said turning around and looking at the prison guard

"We did." The guard said.

"Right before you threw me into the dungeon, to let it reopen, when I had done nothing wrong." I hear Kellin mutter from behind me.

I turned around and gave him a look.

Kellin had a little problem. He always had to say what was on his mind, no matter if it was uncouth or disrespectful. I always told him off but he never listened to me. If Lord Celeborn hadn't known Kellin and his family for such a long time and of he weren't so nice he would've probably have discharged Kellin as his herald, but I knew that Thranduil wasn't that lenient.

"What! It's true!" he said looking at me.

"Kellin that's enou-" I started before I was interrupted by Thranduil.

"What was that Lord Kellin.if that is what you are" He said tensing the word 'lord' as he looked Kellin's disheveled figure up and down, a malicious glint in his eye. "Have you a problem with the way you have been handled by my elves?"

Oh no. Why was Thranduil doing this? He was only encouraging Kellin to say something, that would obviously get him into trouble.

I looked at Kellin, who was staring venomously at Thranduil.

"Kellin I berg you do not-" I started through gritted teeth before I was again interrupted.

"As a matter of fact your majesty I do have a problem." Kellin said, venom dripping of every syllable.

"Really? Care to explain?" Thranduil said in that silky, liquidly yet maliciously mocking voice of his.

A small snigger came from Galdorilin who was watching Kellin with a grin over his lips.

"When it is obvious that I am an elf, you would think that a neighboring kingdom would treat me with a little more courtesy, than what I have been treated." He said ignoring my whisperings for him to shut his mouth.

"Indeed. And you would think that an elf who was lost in the forest and attacked by a spider before salvaged by the border guards of a neighboring kingdom and not left to rot and die would show a little more gratitude and respect." Thranduil interjected his voice incredibly hushed and icy.

A dark look crossed Kellin's face.

He opened his mouth to retaliate but I got in before him.

"It's getting late. Perhaps we should all return to our chambers." I said faking a yawn, in the most delicate lady like way I could.

"Yes I agree with you Lady Arielle." Alcolyte said. "Wouldn't you agree sire?"

"Yes." Thranduil, who was staring at Kellin, said slowly.

I walked over to Kellin and hugged him. "I will see you tomorrow. And please Kellin do not say anything unwanted here. Please. Thranduil isn't as tolerant as Lord Celeborn and he won't hesitate to have you thrown in here again." I said softly into his ear before letting go of him.

"Alcolyte escort the man to his chambers." Thranduil ordered, not taking his eyes of Kellin as I walked over to him.

He looked at me and offered his hand to me, which I took.

The prison guard opened the door for us and I looked back at Kellin and smiled.

"And for Valar's sake Alcolyte, give the man a bath. It's no wonder the border guards threw him in here. He looks like an animal, not an elf." I heard Thranduil say as we walked out of the dungeon.

The doors closed behind us with a low loud thud, and Kellin as gone from my sight.

The walk back to my chambers went quickly. I wasn't even thinking about where I was going. I just followed Thranduil. My thoughts were on Kellin.

My mind was still spinning from the thought that I didn't have to worry about him anymore and that he was safe here in the palace.

Staggering into my chambers with Thranduil who had already half way undressed me, and who I hadn't spoken to since our time at the dungeons, my thoughts were still on Kellin.

I wanted to know where he had been and why he hadn't come for me. I wanted to everything that had happened to him.

More questions that I wanted to ask Kellin filled my mind, and I tried hard to remember each one as there were so many and for once it wasn't Thranduil who occupied my mind as I lay on my disarrayed bed, feeling tired, hot and sweaty in the kings arms. It was Kellin.

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Translations

Trenrenni naegrale calen-heneb gwilwileth nin~ Tell me what saddens you my green eyed butterfly.

Im ú naegrana pen~ I am not saddened by anything.

Maeraduial hir nin.~ Good evening my lords

A maeraduial hiril nin.~ And good evening my lady.