NOTE: Well, here goes the 2nd chapter! I won't be writing the disclaimer because the one from the 1st chapter applies to all the rest. And I apologise if there might be a tad of a "gushing" when Gwynna meets Legolas. I can't help myself, you see. Gwynna's quite like me… you know… the klutziness and the daydreaming.

TO PLASMOLYSED CELL MEMBRANE: I haven't decided about that yet, but hey, he's the Prince of Ithilien… so there might be a possibility! It just depends on what I need to develop the story.  No promises but you know I'm a Faramir fan… (wink wink)

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Chapter 2 : Father's Worries

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The Elves were waiting when Gwynna and Leorian arrived. Two of them stepped forward to take the reins of the horses. Then Legolas Greenleaf came forward. Gwynna almost gasped. She had seen Legolas before, of course, when he went to Minas Tirith, but she had never seen him up close. She knew from what she heard that he was fair of face, but she had not expected what she saw. Most mesmerising were his blue eyes. They were eyes that had seen much, but were yet untainted by the occasional harshness of reality. She immediately had respect to Legolas, and curtsied when her father bowed, as was polite. Legolas put his hand to his heart, and then swept it outwards, as was the way of the Elves.

"Welcome to Ithilien, Leorian, and Gwynna," he said, smiling at the both of them. "It is very good to see you again, Leorian, and a pleasure to meet your daughter."

Leorian smiled back. "Thank you for having us, and thank you for agreeing to let my daughter live among your people. I believe she will learn much from this, and my worries are eased, knowing that she will be well taken care of."

Legolas nodded. "Aragorn had sent word, to tell you that you may dwell in Ithilien until you are ready to leave your daughter. And he also insisted that your daughter would be given the best treatment." Suddenly he laughed. "As if he needed to mention it! Don't worry, Leorian, your daughter will be treated like a princess, and I am certain that she will blossom under our care."

Leorian blushed a little to know that his king had thought of him, and his daughter, enough to send word to Ithilien. Gwynna bowed her head, deeply honoured. She had not met her king many times, but when she did, he had always treated her kindly. And now she was to live with the Elves, and be a student under them. She was a lucky girl indeed.

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In the evening, Leorian and Gwynna dined with the Elves, and they were introduced to the Elf who had been chosen to be Gwynna's teacher, and caretaker. His name was Fenwë, and Gwynna warmed up to him immediately. He was wise, and there always seemed to be a gleam in his eyes. He had promised to teach Gwynna anything she wanted to learn, and immediately she began to think up a list of things, getting very excited about what lay ahead of her.

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Leorian felt heartened to see his daughter so happy. At first he had worried that she would feel awkward being among the Elves, but he now saw that she felt completely at home. The Elves were very happy to have her, and Fenwë would definitely watch over his daughter while she was in Ithilien. She would be safe, of course, that he had never doubted, and she would be contented. That was most important. He would never let her stay if anything made him think that she would not enjoy herself.

Although the king had said that he could say in Ithilien as long as he wished, he planned to leave the next day. Dwelling in Ithilien would just make him all the more reluctant to leave his precious daughter, and there was really no need to make the parting even more difficult than it was already going to be.

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After dining, Gwynna took a stroll, arm-in-arm, with her father.

"You will be treated well here, no doubt, but you have to take care of yourself as well. Try not to get into so many scrapes like you do back in Minas Tirith. Don't cast a poor reflection on yourself, and the people of Minas Tirith…"

Gwynna laughed. "All right, Father, you don't have to fuss. I can take care of myself. I've always taken care of myself, so don't you worry about that!"

Her father fell silent at that statement, and a strange tension descended upon them, so that Gwynna found herself making the excuse of weariness, and went to find her way back to her rooms.

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Leorian wandered around the gardens alone after Gwynna went back to her rooms. I've always taken care of myself…

It had never occurred to him how true that was. His wife Morwenna had died when Gwynna was just three years old. The king and queen had been kind enough to let their children's nanny watch over Gwynna as well, but the nanny naturally took more care with the prince and princesses. And so Gwynna had been basically left alone for about as long as she could remember. Who's fault was that? He could think of no one else but himself. He could have done more for his daughter. He could have brought her around with him instead of leaving her behind whenever he travelled with the king. There had been so many opportunities to spend more time with his daughter, and he had not seized them all.

He shook his head, sighing to himself. After Gwynna was done with her education with the Elves, he would bring her home and make sure that she was really treated like the princess she should have been treated like in the past years of her life.

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Gwynna sat on the bed that would be hers until she left the Elves. It was a beautiful room, and she already loved it. However, that was not what she thought of. She knew that something she had said had affected her father greatly. What was it? What could have made such a big impact on him? She thought through her words, and it hit her. I've always taken care of myself.

She slapped a hand to her forehead (perhaps a little harder than she really should have). She was a fool to have said that! It must have really hurt his feelings. This was what happened when she didn't think through her words. She had to ask Fenwë if the Elves had any methods of avoiding that.

Her father had always taken good care of her. She barely had any memories of her mother. Her father had always been the one to pick her up whenever she fell down, to dress her wounds when she got herself hurt. He had taught her all she knew now, and was always thinking about what was best for her. This stay with the Elves was a good example of that. How dared she even imply that he had not done all he could for her? How dared she? She would really have to apologise to him tomorrow for that.

With a sigh, she got under the blankets, and soon she fell into peaceful slumber.

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NOTE: Here we go, done with chapter 2! Review, please!