A/N: Anyone else really love that specsavers advert with the sloths? Whaaat? You got to go there? *cracks up laughing* ahem yes. Indeedy.

I also have three new words, which cause me great amusement. Numpty, Muppet and Obscure. Hee hee. And Kat I'm worried about this whip thing…

Passion Lover: Thanks for you continued reviews! I know it takes me a while to update but I post as I write and I just couldn't get my head round the last chapter that's why it took ages. I had to call in the cavalry *in gallops Kat and promptly falls off with that cute lil squeal she has*

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 "The dream alone is of interest. What is life without a dream? And I love the distant princess." Edmond Rostand

Áruinne took hesitant step forward and placed a hand on the wooden banister of the staircase. She took a deep breath and let her eyes wander upwards, twisting around with the stairway that led up into the trees. She had never been to Celorfiwyn's home before. She knew her brother and his friend's had played there often but she had never set so much as one foot in it. It daunted her, Celorfiwyn had never said she wasn't welcome there but he never talked about his home. However the Princess steadied herself and muttered

"Don't be pathetic and weak. Of course he wants to see you, it's just like him coming to the palace."

Composing herself Áruinne alighted on the stairs and gently lifted the hem of her dress so as not to trip over. It had taken so long to track him down it would be stupid to turn back. She hadn't thought it prudent to ask her brother for directions in his present state. He and Celorfiwyn had an unspoken agreement to be civil to each other but the atmosphere was bitterer than the coldest winter when they were together. Next Áruinne had sought Elwing but he and Nilmadë were nowhere to be found, it had been Isorfir who had finally but her out of her misery.

"Vedui?" The soft female voice broke Áruinne's thoughts. She bit her lip, she hadn't thought that his parent's would be there then chided herself for being so naïve. The voice had come from her left and she gently pushed aside the hanging separating the room from the staircase.

A female elf was resting on a soft velvet covered chair, a small child held lovingly in her arms. Áruinne immediately knew this to be Celorfiwyn's mother, on no other elf had she seen such deep fawnlike eyes. A moment of silence elapsed in which recognition dawned on the older elf's face, she jumped up shifting the baby to her hip.

"My lady, I'm sorry. I had no idea who it was."

Áruinne winced inwardly, she hated the way people curtsied and bowed before her.

"Please call me Áruinne. You call my brother by his name don't you?"

The other elf smiled a familiar smile and nodded her head. When she next spoke her voice had changed from the shocked formalness to a motherly and comforting tone that Áruinne warmed to immediately. 

"The terrible two I call them, your brother and Celorfiwyn. Always together and always in bother ever since they were little. Out of all my six children I have had none as mischievous as my eldest."

When she spoke about her family Áruinne could notice the difference in her voice, it was warm, tender and filled with love. It made Áruinne glad to know that Celorfiwyn came from such a comfortable and devoted family.

"I hope your not as much trouble as your brother?"

"Oh no." Silently Áruinne thought, "no, I'm much worse."

"What brings you here then Áruinne? If your looking for your brother he's not here, which is unusual. They used to be fair joined at the hip those two, inseparable."

Áruinne's heart sank. The way this elf talked so fondly of her son and the Prince made the situation all the worse. What had she ruined? How could she have come between two people who were like brothers to each other? These thoughts made her all the more desperate to see Celorfiwyn, she had to talk to him because things were weighing heavily on her mind.

"No, it's not Fiarén I'm here about. I wanted to talk to Celorfiwyn, is he here?"

"Yes my child, he's in his room. Up and on the right." She added seeing Áruinne's blank look.

"Thank you." Áruinne said before walking out and continuing up the stairs. She half smiled; it felt good to be accepted by someone so unquestioningly, Celorfiwyn's mother was possessed of a nature that Áruinne would find in few others. The contrast between her mother and his was too wide to be breached and it made her laugh. Kĩyara would never refer to Áruinne as 'my child' and it gave Áruinne a feeling of contentment at the affection shown by this old and wise elf.

As Áruinne let the curtain fall back she caught sight of a pair of doe brown eyes watching her from behind the chair Celorfiwyn's mother had been sitting on. They withdrew quickly when they knew they had been spotted.

~*~*~

"Celorfiwyn?" Áruinne frowned at how timid and childish her voice sounded.

"Unurith for the last time I don't want to play! I never want to see another wooden doll in my life! Go awa-"

The curtain in front of Áruinne was pulled aside viciously. Celorfiwyn's face turned from annoyance to stunned in the blink of an eye.

"What're you doing here?"

"That's nice! I trail all the way over and all I get is what're you doing here?"

Celorfiwyn smiled shortly and pulled her inside his room, casting an eye out of the door before closing the curtain.

"Sorry, it's just I never expected to see you here of all places."

"Why not?"

"Well it's hardly a place for you to come is it? I mean it's very simple and-"

Áruinne silenced his babbled explanation with kiss, which he gladly returned. She broke the embrace and rested her hands on his hips smiling at him coyly.

"I'll go wherever I want to and for your information it's a very nice house. I don't mind it one bit." She said looking around the room. The walls were built from tree branch to tree branch and the floor she knew rested in a great bough. The pale wooden flooring had a great rug stretched across it and a huge window occupied nearly the entire end of one wall. Celorfiwyn's bed was placed so as the occupant could look out into the forest, the bed itself was strewn with cushions and a deep purple throw.

"Yes I like it here. It's cosy."

"You mean small." Celorfiwyn replied kissing her nose.

"No I mean cosy. Will you stop making all my compliments into insults please?"

He bent his head to kiss her again when a stifled laugh caused him to retreat. Before Áruinne could register what had happened Celorfiwyn had whirled around tearing open the curtain, he dragged a kicking and squealing elfling into the room.

"Shhh! Unurith shut your mouth!" The light brown haired elf stopped screaming and looked at her older brother with wide eyes. Gently he let her arms go and she stood looking sullenly at him. Her cheeks were lightly freckled and the only resemblance to her brother was her brown eyes that peered out from under long lashes. Her hair was scraped back into a ponytail tied with a green ribbon. Celorfiwyn knelt down so he was the same height as his sister.

"What did you see?"

The young elf's face broke into a wide grin and she giggled her eyes sparking mischievously.

"Everything!"

Celorfiwyn murmured is dissent and looked earnestly at Unurith.

"Unurith you can't tell anyone. It's got to be a secret you understand? If father finds out he'll be angry. You don't like it when he's angry do you?"

The small elf shook her head violently making the ponytail bob and bounce.

"And you won't tell any of the others will you?"

"Awww Celorfiwyn! You're so mean! Why do I have to keep it a secret?"

"Because."

"What if I don't want to?"

With a cheeky grin the girl began to run around the room, she bounced onto the bed and jumped up and down singing

"Guess who kissed the princess! Celorfiwyn did!" Her happy little voice was loud though and Celorfiwyn launched himself at Unurith and grabbed her holding her upside down while she giggled uncontrollably.

"Lemme go! Put me down!" She said through fits of laughter.

"Keep it a secret?"

"Yes! Mercy!" She laughed as he laid her back on the bed.

"You promise?" He said pinning her down.

"No!"

"Then I have no choice but to tickle you." Áruinne joined in the laughter as Celorfiwyn tickled his younger sister, she shrieked and wriggled but he held her fast.

"Nooo! Stop it Celorfiwyn! I don't like being tickled!"

"Will you keep the secret?"

"No!"

"Then I have to tickle. Ow!" Celorfiwyn jumped pulling his hand back. There was a tiny row of red teeth marks on it. "Unurith you know what mother said about you biting! I'll tell her!"

"No! Please Celorfiwyn, I'm sorry! Don't tell mother, I don't want to upset her. I'll keep your secret if you don't tell."

Celorfiwyn smiled and picked up the little elf carrying her to the staircase and putting her down on it, she skipped away whistling happily. Celorfiwyn once again looked up and down before coming back into the room.

"Why do you do that? Look up and down I mean?" Asked Áruinne.

"I have five siblings, two of them still girls with dolls and malicious gossip, two brothers who steals my arrows, and the other still a baby. Nothing I do is a secret."

Áruinne smiled. His words although filled with futility spoke of how much he loved his five younger siblings. From the encounter with nine-year-old Unurith Áruinne knew his brothers and sisters loved him and it put him in a different light for her. No longer was he just a solitary person who she loved, but a person with a happy family and a range of other people who loved him even more than she did.

But it made her think. The cold wall between her and Fiarén was as high as ever. He spoke little to her and never came to talk to her in the middle of the night like he used to. He never ate at the same time as her and ignored her when they had studies together. When they were with their friends he made excuses not to go or kept as far away from her as possible. It made her sad and in that moment when she recalled Unurith's smiling face as Celorfiwyn tickled her it came spilling over in hot salty tears.

"What's the matter Ári?"

That made her cry more; it was only ever Fiarén who called her Ári. Celorfiwyn put his arms around her and pulled her close to him, stroking her hair.

"What is it?"

"I...I miss my brother."

"I miss him too. He's my best friend."

"He's my brother." The tears flowed more easily as she told Celorfiwyn everything. They moved to sit on the bed, his arm wrapped around her letting her tears soak his shoulder. She told him how much she hurt and how she wanted him to speak to her again. Celorfiwyn listened saying nothing until she cried herself into silence.

"If you want him back that badly maybe we should stop seeing each other."

"No! I don't want that either."

"Don't worry Áruinne he'll some round when he knows how much we love each other."

"I really, really hope he does because this is killing me Celorfiwyn. I'm sorry about your shoulder, it's all wet now."

"It's alright, I don't mind." He whispered leaning forward to kiss her. She willingly met his lips and deepened the kiss, her fingertips tracing the line of his jaw. Celorfiwyn let one hand fall to her waist and the other reached up to tangle her hair around his fingers, pulling her closer and pressing her lips harder against his. As Áruinne let her tongue wander Celorfiwyn felt himself losing control, he could think of nothing else but her, completely and totally in love with him. The soft waves of her hair, the warmth of her mouth and the closeness of her body overruled his brain and took control. Gently he pushed her back into the soft mass of cushions; she fell unresistingly sinking into the feather pillows. She offered no resistance when he laid with her letting his lips nip the skin on her neck, his hands tracing the curves of her body through the material of her dress. She twisted her fingers into his hair pressing his mouth more firmly on her skin. Celorfiwyn smiled to himself as her breathing deepened and her free hand moved over his. He kissed her collarbone, gradually working down. He moved his hand with hers over it to her heart, slowly cupping both their hands over her rising and falling breast. It was as pulled the silk neckline of her dress off her shoulder and pressed his lips against her again that she stiffened. He could feel her heart begin to race under his hand that she had held in hers.

"Celorfiwyn-"

"What is it?" He asked nuzzling her neck, slowly dropping his mouth to the lower than normal top of her dress. He tried to shift the material further but the way she laid rigid next to him made him stop. "What's wrong?"

"I don't think I should be doing this."

"Only think?" He asked making to kiss her again. She turned her head.

"No I really mean it Celorfiwyn. Stop right there."

Nodding slowly he rolled onto his side, trying to regain control of his body. He didn't want to push her but he had needed her so badly then he hadn't been able to think. He breathed deeply washing away the last remnants of his desire; finally he opened his eyes and sat up. Áruinne was sat warily on the edge of the bed her back to him.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "But I can't. Not yet. I don't know about any other girls you've…"

Celorfiwyn rolled his eyes. "Don't start that conversation Áruinne. I love you." He moved round to where she was and sat next to her taking her hand. "It's me who should be sorry, I lost control, I didn't mean to but you are stunning."

Áruinne laughed weakly. "You too, but I'm the beginner here." She kissed him lightly on the lips and walked to the door. "See you later." She added with a sly grin. When she had disappeared out of sight Celorfiwyn flopped back onto his bed with his hands over his eyes and groaned. She's such a tease and she damn well knows it he thought silently.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Celorfiwyn! Play properly! The mum is NOT going to go on a murdering spree!"

Celorfiwyn sighed and moved his wooden figure with the neatly sewn gown away from the huddled mass of dolls awaiting slaughter. Unurith grabbed the doll and took away the bow from the tiny wooden hands.

"That belongs to the dad. Here you can have her back but remember she is a lovely mother whose child has been kidnapped by orcs. She is not an evil bow wielder."

"Whatever. Why can't I have a weapon?"

"Because! She's the mum she doesn't have a weapon. Girls don't." Unurith explained in an exasperated voice.

"Huh, you try telling that to some girls around here."

"What?"

"Never mind."

They continued with the enactment in silence for a few minutes, until Unurith spoke again.

"Why the long face Celorfiwyn?"

"No reason."

"Oh."

Silence followed again for several minutes in which the eldest brother doll came home and valiantly offered to go rescue his kidnapped brother. Celorfiwyn resisted the temptation to kill him with an orc doll hidden in the nearby 'bushes' or to normal people, behind the chair leg.

"So she didn't let you sleep with her then?" Asked Unurith innocently not looking up from the unfolding drama.

"No, she- what did you say?" Celorfiwyn said incredulously.

"Did she sleep with you?"

Unurith was already on her feet and running when Celorfiwyn had registered her words. She screamed giddily as she flew down the steps Celorfiwyn at her heels.

"How do you know about that Unurith? Your nine years old!" He yelled as he chased her. She hit the forest floor, scooping up her dress and running like wild orcs were at her back. Her small legs were outdone by Celorfiwyn's long strides though and he snatched her up in his arms swinging her around in the air. She laughed loudly as he twirled her around. He dropped her to his side and held her tightly; she wrapped her arms around his neck, her grin as wide as a Cheshire cat's.

"You're a star Unurith."

"I know."

They both laughed and touched noses.

"C'mon let's go and rescue that poor baby doll."

Unurith hugged her brother tightly and let him carry her back to their game.

Celorfiwyn's mother watched her two children and smiled. She knew her son had a lot of love to give.

A/N: whoooooooooooooo!! I'm so hyped up now! I loved writing this chapter!

Kat I heard about the dance mat attacking you! But how did you manage to break your ankle? Muppet. Lol. Get your next chapter up soon!!