A/N: Hey, hey! Sorry I haven't updated for ages but I've been on holiday in Scotland, watching the cute farmers son…*drifts off then realises where she is* and you'll never believe it but the farmer's other cute son goes to the same uni as Prince William! So there! Anyways, thanks to kat for booting me back into shape, here is the next chapter…

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"Mmmm…" Áruinne screwed up her face, not wanting to wake up. She stretched her arms and yawned widely, keeping her eyes closed against the pervading sunlight. Muttering she rolled onto her side clutching at the sheets, desperately hanging onto sleep. A warm memory came floating back to her and she smiled, her face turning into a picture of far off ecstasy.

"It was a good dream…" She said to herself, revelling in the mental pictures it brought.

"What was?"

The voice cut through Áruinne's warm hazy thoughts, and chased away any remnants of sleep that happened to be clinging to her. Her eyes snapped open, the soft content look on her face vanishing only to be replaced by shock. She gulped and slowly rolled over, dreading what she was about to see. Stood half dressed by her bed was Celorfiwyn, his torso bare, smiling at her.

"Oh nooo…" Áruinne moaned putting her hand to her head. Consequences piled up in her mind, obliterating any shred of the pleasure of the previous night. Already she could hear her father's voice, angry and disbelieving.

"What is it Áruinne?" The mattress gave slightly as Celorfiwyn bent over her, his chocolate eyes round and concerned. She looked up at him bowed over her, his face lined with worry for her, and her heart melted, forgetting all the fear of only a moment ago. She reached up and lightly brushed her fingertips over his lips, her hand fell back and she sighed deeply.

"Nothing for you to worry about, I was just…"

"Regretting it?"

"No…yes…partly." Celorfiwyn forced a smile and flopped down onto the bed beside her. Grimacing Áruinne turned to lay her hand on his chest.

"It's not your fault Celorfiwyn, I told you I wanted to."

"Still, I should have thought about it, you're the princess for god's sake. Until you woke up I was fine, now your putting all this doubt in my mind. It's my fault I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…""

Áruinne propped herself up on her elbow, and ran her free hand over Celorfiwyn's jawline so he was forced to look at her.

"Sorry." She said in a winning and endearing voice. "Forgive me?"

He frowned jokingly at her. "Alright. But don't go scaring me like that again. I can't exactly take last night back again."

Áruinne looked at him seriously, her mind forming a conclusion that she had subconsciously known ever since she got over the first shock of realising what they had done. "I don't want you to." Celorfiwyn smiled cheekily at her.

"I wouldn't have done anyway, I mean how many elves can say they slept with a princess? Your brother can't even get Celede to kiss him, which is amazing because she'll kiss anything with two legs, Nilmadë refuses stoutly to go with Elwing, I think I beat them all-"

Celorfiwyn jumped up just in time to avoid the pillow Áruinne hurled at him.

"Celorfiwyn!" The Princess exclaimed indignantly reaching for more ammo. Laughing, Celorfiwyn peered over the edge of the bed, a cheeky grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Joke!" He protested innocently. He wasn't so quick this time though and the pillow hit him in the face. "Well really!" He said tossing it back onto the bed. "A vicious attack!" 

"I don't believe you said that!" Áruinne said laughing disbelievingly.

"Revenge!" Shouted Celorfiwyn, ignoring her mock outrage and jumping on the bed, sending her falling back. He pinned her down, her body shaking with laughter.

"So I'm a conquest am I?"

"Yes, a bloody difficult one-" He said trying to talk, laugh and kiss her at the same time.

"Conquest indeed!" Áruinne giggled, "You'll pay for that!" With surprising strength she shoved him off her, but Celorfiwyn kept tight hold and she ended up straddled over him. She gave a withering look at his impish smile.

"Don't get any ideas."

"Would I?"

Áruinne grinned and leant forward to kiss him. Just when her lips met his she leapt back with a shriek. Celorfiwyn fell into fresh peels of laughter as he tickled her bare stomach again.

"Don't! I'm ticklish!" She yelled writhing to escape him.

Eventually she fell still, exhausted from laughing so hard. Celorfiwyn grinned, lying beside her.

"Your sneaky." Áruinne pouted. He wrinkled his nose and sighed.

"I'm going to have to go angel. My mother will be looking for me soon, hopefully I can get out before the palace wakes up." He gave her a swift kiss, getting up and retrieving the rest of his clothes. All too soon he was giving her one last disarming smile and closing the door behind him. Áruinne sighed sadly and waved at the place where he had just been stood.

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"Celorfiwyn, if I didn't know better I'd say you weren't home last night."

Guiltily the blonde elf looked at the floor, avoiding his mother's accusing gaze.  Elebriwien sighed. She knew what he had been doing, it wasn't the first time he had appeared in yesterday's clothes and his bed had been unslept in. Deep down she knew she couldn't stop him, but she wanted to warn him. He was young, despite how mature he acted. She didn't want him making a mistake that would rule the rest of his life.

"I stayed out at Isorfir's." He lied quickly.

It pained Elebriwien more that he would lie. She clutched the small elfling in her arms tighter, all her energy focused on her eldest son.

"No you didn't Celorfiwyn, don't lie to me. You can't even look me in the eye."

"Sorry." He muttered, pushing past her and running up the stairs, taking them two at a time and disappearing out of sight.

"What was all that about?" Said a tall elf emerging from the room next to Elebriwien and coming to take her in his arms.

"Oh Elrol." She breathed leaning her head against him. "Celorfiwyn wasn't home last night and…"

Elrol shook his head and gazed up to where he knew Celorfiwyn was, skulking in his room. He didn't know what to do, confront his son or comfort his wife. Gently he led Elebriwien and the baby to sit down.

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Humming gently to herself Áruinne glided down the stairs, a distant look in her eye. She thought vaguely about what to have for breakfast, her whole mind floating on a bed of warm happiness, nothing could spoil this day, or so she thought. When she reached the foot of the stairs her mother was stood just around the corner. Dreamily Áruinne smiled and greeted her

"Morning-"

"Come with me young lady."

Shaken from her idle reverie Áruinne could do nothing but be steered by the firm hand on her arm. Confused Áruinne followed her mother until she came to an abrupt halt in a secluded alcove. The face she was looking at was a far cry from Kĩyara's normal carefree appearance; it was serious if a little stern.

"Did you have sex?"

Áruinne's eyes widened in shock at her mother's frank question. She tried to stutter an answer but couldn't.

"I'm asking you Áruinne Greenleaf if you had sex."

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Kĩyara stared her daughter straight in the eye, unembarrassed and unruffled. She was determined to have answers.

"Answer me Áruinne."

She knew it was cruel to have her daughter backed into a corner and afraid but she had to know. It was big step and Áruinne was even younger than Kĩyara herself had been.

"Yes." Came the answer in a small and apprehensive voice. Visibly Kĩyara sagged and breathed out.

"With Celorfiwyn?"

"How do you know?" Áruinne's voice was pleading and afraid and that infuriated Kĩyara even more. She was the one who was all too free in talking about sex yet here she was terrifying her own flesh and blood. I should never attempt this sort of thing, she thought miserably.

"Damn it! Sorry Áruinne I don't mean, well, look I'm not angry. But you're not old enough really."

"I love him mum."

Kĩyara pulled a face sticking out her tongue.

"That's an icky word for a girl who isn't even a hundred. Your father had to literally pull those words from my lips and at times I know he regrets it."

Despite herself Áruinne gave a small laugh.

"Come on let's find somewhere to sit, I've got this far, don't let me give in now." Kĩyara said dragging her daughter to sit on a bench on a nearby balcony.

The waning autumn sun washed them in balmy light and the world below was littered with hues of gold and red. Sighing Kĩyara put her arm around her daughter and pulled her towards her.

"It's beautiful isn't it Atara?"

"Yes it- wait your trying to get me off the point aren't you? You know I'm no good at these talks."

Áruinne smiled.

"You are. You're honest."

"Thank you. That means a lot to me you know, your father talks and thinks like the prince he was brought up to be, but between you and me he's just as bad as me underneath it all. You've done it again, got me off track."

Áruinne listened patiently to her mother's babble, she was dreading what she might say but in a way she wanted to confide in her. Someone to tell what he made her feel someone who knew what it meant.

"Seriously Áruinne, think about what you're getting into. It's not just about you either. If you got" Kĩyara hesitated but continued "If you got pregnant then Celorfiwyn would be dragged in too. What if it doesn't work out? I can't tell you how difficult this path is. It's not too late, you can go back."

Áruinne shook her head ruefully.

"I can't mother. I don't want to. I woke up this morning and I thought I'd been dreaming and then when he spoke to me I was so scared I couldn't explain it. Scared, can you believe it. Afraid of what you'd say, afraid of what could have happened. Celorfiwyn asked me what was wrong, and I couldn't tell him but he knew mother, he knew. And do you know what really made me decide to carry on and not just tell him it was a mistake?"

Kĩyara shook her head.

"He apologised. He apologised for doing what I asked, he was going to take all the blame on his head so I could back out."

Kĩyara looked long and hard at the young girl sat next to her. She had known how adult Celorfiwyn could be, she had fought next him, and he had seen a lot more than most in his relatively small life, yet this was something so beyond his years Kĩyara was astounded.

"He's a real gentleman Ári. I don't think you could do better if what you said is true. And, if this is what you want, I won't stop you, or try to talk you out of it."

Áruinne smiled broadly at her mother then burst into tears.

"Hey, less of that." Soothed Kĩyara hugging her child tighter. When the flow of tears had subsided Áruinne spoke.

"How did you know though? Celorfiwyn didn't-"

"No, he didn't don't worry. It was your little brother."

"Fiarén?"

"No! Your littler brother silly. He'd had a bad dream and was coming to our room, don't worry he didn't hear everything! Don't look so horrified; your father was still up fuming inside his study, glaring at your reports. I told Celen to keep it a secret."

Kĩyara looked away from her daughter and over the autumn realm before her. Silently she prayed that Áruinne wouldn't have to tell Legolas at all. He became more like his father everyday and less like the mischievous, carefree elf she had known. Kĩyara knew it wasn't his fault, he felt he had to live up to the traditional standards and being with her made that extra hard, and she didn't care as long as he still loved her. But she did wish he'd go a bit easier on their children, he knew what it was like to have a strict father. Maybe the project with Celen would help.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Hmm?"

"You were staring off into the distance."

"Was I? Sorry. Just thinking. Anyway, I suggest you don't tell your dad just yet. He might blow things out of proportion. Just make sure you think won't you?"

Áruinne nodded.

"And count, it's important."

Áruinne gave her mother a questioning look. Smiling Kĩyara leant forward to divulge the information that would hopefully stop her having a grandchild in the not too distant future. Áruinne laughed.

"Does that work?"

"It's not foolproof! I mean, well, you're here."

Áruinne gave her mother a disbelieving look.

"Don't look at me like that! I was young, younger…whatever."

"You're not exactly a role model are you?"

Kĩyara didn't answer; her past wasn't precisely angelic. Instead she kissed the side of Áruinne's head and contented herself to watching the autumn creeping across the world, prophesising a cold and bitter winter.

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A/N: Okly dokly, that was chapter 13! GO ME!! This is going to be longer than fire heart!! So just to recap, Áruinne and Celorfiwyn have decided to be with each other, Kĩyara knows and Celen has to keep it secret (like that's going to last). Celorfiwyn's parents also suspect something is up.