Chapter 1

"Don't make it so obvious or he'll look over here!"

"I'm not!!!! Besides, I've already GOT a boyfriend, I don't need two!"

"Yeah, if you call that excuse of an elf a boyfriend."

"Leave him alone. He may not look that great but he's got a good heart."

The two young elven girls sat in the courtyard, watching the prince and his every move. The elder of the two, Mariana, gave her friend a "yeah, sure" look and decided not to press the subject anymore. Meanwhile, Rhysilana quickly broke her gaze from the prince to look upon another elf approaching them.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

"Oh! Hey, Gil!"

Giliamedor was tall and had jet black hair with eyes to match.

"Honestly, I don't know what you girls see in him. You just like him because he's the prince."

"Gil, lay off."

"C'mon, let's go!"

With a backward glance at her friend, Rhysilana quietly walked away, knowing that arguing was not very wise. She loved him, she knew she did. But sometimes she just wanted an escape. He could be so controlling sometimes. He never gave her room to be herself. But deep down, she was terrified of being alone. Her mother was left alone and it petrified her to end up like her mother, raising 3 children on her own. She shook her head, blocking out the memories.

"Hello! RHYS!"

"WHAT!?" she jumped back to reality as Gil yelled her name for the third time.

"Look, I need to talk to you."

Rhys quickly paid close attention, though wished she hadn't.

"You're just to….star-bound. I need someone more down to earth. See ya later."

She watched him walk away, her vision blurred by tears. How could he do that? Just all of a sudden like that? I NEVER saw this coming. She did the only thing she knew what to do. She ran to find Mariana. When she finally found her, she couldn't even see at all.

"WHOA! What's wrong?"

"He dumped me! Just like that! No real reason! Just…over!"

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. I know what that boy meant to you."

"Mari, what do I do? You know it just as well as I do. I'm terrified of being alone."

"Rhys, you are not your mother. You're you! Just because your mother made some mistakes doesn't mean you're going to make them. You're different from your mother. Your mother gave up. She gave each of you away to anyone who would take you, and then she disappeared. She completely left Middle-Earth. That's not a mother. You are not like that."

"Thanks, Mari."

Mari let her friend continue to cry on her shoulder when she suddenly tensed.

"Mari? What is it? What's the…?"

Standing in over them was Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood.

"What's the matter?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Though she truly didn't believe what she was saying. Legolas could see this. Through her eyes, he could tell she was in pain. And he hated it.

"Are you sure? Come with me."

Rhys quickly wiped her eyes and gave Mari a questioning look. Mari, in return, gave Rhys a reassuring glance, giving her the "go on!" Rhys took his outstretched hand and began walking into the forest with him, secretly grinning from ear to ear.