The doors opened and they went in.  Amarna silently stood by her father.  There was quite a crowd, and Amarna started to panic again.  Legolas again noticed the change in her breathing pattern.  He reached down and squeezed her hand, then let go.

'You will be fine.' He said reassuringly.  She nodded again and stopped hyperventilating, although her face was still unusually pale.  She glanced around.  Everyone was looking at her.  They looked generally welcoming, although there were quite a few she-elves of her father's age looking at her in dislike.  She smiled meekly.  Legolas started walking forward, toward the head table*, Amarna following him.  While walking toward the table, she noticed an elf with straight brown hair and kind green eyes.  She smiled at him, and was pleased when he smiled back. 

When they reached the table, Legolas took the seat next to his father, and Amarna sat next to him.  She was eyeing the food with a watering mouth, as she had not really eaten a proper meal in a few days.  When the king took his first bite, so did everyone else.  The hall was suddenly filled with chatter.  Amarna filled her plate.  She suddenly turned to Legolas.

'Why is everyone here?  Is it a custom for us all to eat together?'

'No.  We have one night a month where we all eat a meal together.  It is sometimes held outside, but normally not.  Think of it as a…celebration.'

'A celebration for what?'

'For…well…just the monthly celebration.' He finished lamely.  Amarna snorted into her goblet.  Legolas had the grace to look embarrassed.

When they had finished eating, Thranduil stood.  He raised his goblet and spoke to the crowd.

'I would like to introduce you all to my granddaughter, Amarna.  She is Legolas' daughter, though the circumstances of her birth will remain in this family (many evil glances in Amarna's direction from the afore mentioned she-elves, which did not go unnoticed by Amarna.).  You will all please raise your glasses to her.'

'To Amarna.' The court said, toasting her.  She smiled, thoroughly embarrassed.  The brown haired elf threw her another smile.  She looked down, again embarrassed.  She looked up, surprised when she heard everyone start to leave.  She looked over to Legolas, who was deep in conversation with his father.  She started to fiddle with the lacy white table cloth.  It was very pretty, with an intricate swirl pattern.  Amarna tugged slightly, and that set off the chain reaction.  She must have tugged too hard, but when she did, her goblet knocked over, which fell into her father's goblet while spilling her red wine.  Her father's fell into Thranduil's, also spilling red wine.  It went on to the end of the table, staining red in a splotched chain.  Everyone looked to the head table, as the goblets made a very heavy 'thud' when they fell.

By the time the last goblet had fallen to its side, everyone had pin-pointed who had started the chain.  Amarna was sitting wide-eyed, following the chain as it happened.  She looked back up when the last goblet fell and found the entire court staring at her.  Her face, which had returned to its original color during dinner, turned beet red.  She turned to glance at her father, who was, at the moment, struggling to hold back his fit of laughter.  Amarna, who felt the tears of embarrassment fill her eyes, stood and ran through the side door she had spotted during dinner.

'You should go after her, Legolas.' Thranduil said.

'Father, it is just a stain.  There was no harm done.'

'Yes, it was just a stain, and it can be mended.  But it is not the stain I am worried about, it is her pride and confidence.  You still have a lot to learn, my son.'

Legolas, fully understanding his father's words, stood and went after his daughter.

Amarna was walking quickly through the halls, trying to find her rooms.  She had her head down, so she did not notice the she-elf she ran into.  She ran right into her, headfirst. 

'Oh, I am terribly sorry.' Amarna said, rubbing her arm.  She looked up and saw one of the she-elves that had been glaring at her during dinner.

'Oh, it's you.  Well, girl, you should be.  You need to learn to look where you are going!' she said nastily.  Amarna stared at her in disbelief.  'Wipe that awful look of your face.  Neither you, nor your mother, some common whore I expect, will ruin my chances with Prince Legolas.  He is mine, I tell you.  I expect we will be married by the end of the year, and if we are, you will be put right back in your place, as a servant to me.'

'What is your name?' Amarna asked.

'Nienna, though it is none of your business!'

'First of all, Lady Nienna, I am sure that my father would never marry someone as horrible as you!  Second, I am not a servant, I am a princess and I expect to be treated as one from you and all of your friends.  Do not presume that I did not see your glares.  I did, and they will not go unnoticed by the eyes of my father next time.  Third, you will NEVER speak of my mother like that.  She had much more class than you will ever hope to have.  And you will never refer to me as 'girl' again, I am Princess Amarna.' She said, and then walked away, leaving Nienna to gape at her.  Though she had shown quite a backbone to Lady Nienna, she could not help the tears that fell from her eyes.  Was everyone going to treat her like that?  Amarna, once far away from Lady Nienna, and not at all sure of where she was, collapsed in the hallway.

Meanwhile…..

'Lady Nienna, have you seen my daughter?' Legolas asked as he passed her.

'Oh, Prince Legolas.  I think that I saw her go that way.' She said, pointing over her shoulder.  Though she would speak horribly to Amarna, she would not lie to someone of actual royal heritage, especially Prince Legolas.

'I thank you, Lady Nienna.' He said as he rushed down the hall.

'Please, it is only Nienna.' She called after him.

Legolas hurried down the hall, and once away from Nienna's sight, heard muffled sobs.  He rushed to the source of the sound, and when there, looked down on the form of his daughter, sobbing against a wall.

'Amarna?' he said gently.

'Go away.' Was the muffled response.  When the person did not go away, she looked up.  Her hair was matted around her face, her dress a horrid mess around her.  She looked up at Legolas and started crying harder.  Legolas knelt next to her.  He smoothed her hair from her face.

'It is alright Amarna.'

'No it is not!  They hate me.  They hate me and my mother.  She said mother was a common whore.  They hate me Ada!'

'Who said she was a common whore?' Legolas said tensely.

'L..L..Lady Nienna!  She said you and her would be married and she would put me in my place, as a servant to her.'

'I would never marry her!  And you are in your place Amarna.  I do not think I could have chosen a better person for my daughter.'

'You do not even know me!'

'I know enough about you.  You will learn, I have said it before.  As for Lady Nienna, and whoever else thinks things like that, they will be put in their place during you coronation.'

'Oh no!  I forgot about the meeting!  I am so sorry!'

'Do not worry about it.  Father and I will arrange it.  Now, let's get you back to your room.' He said standing and offering his hand to her.  She took it and stood.  Legolas lead her back to her room, where she fell into bed and stayed there, not bothering to change, until she fell asleep.

*Ok, I'm kinda imagining the hall to be sorta like the Hogwarts hall!  Work with me!!

A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers, especially Miette for the awesome idea, hope you don't mind I used it.  Up next, the coronation, meeting the brown haired elf, and meeting her first friend!  Hope this was longer!