A/N: Not a Mary-sue in the least. Has very little connection with canon cast or the outside events of Middle Earth.

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times or so it seemed.       

I turned over on my side. When would I become the elf my parents had raised? I was raised in the woods of Mirkwood; my parents were mere subjects to the King and his royal family. My name is Helinwen, violet maiden, basically, meaning I was born in a patch of violets.

          I wanted to leave the woods. Don't get me wrong, the woods was where every girl would love to live. I was a maid in the household of the King's halls. I had never seen the King or the Prince, and I never wanted to. I wanted to travel and see more than woods. I knew there were was more.

          "Helinwen? Would you go and get the water for the day?" the cook asked me.

He was a man who cooked glorious meals, and always was kind and sweet.

"Of course, Lakil", I said and got up.

I put my apron over the skirt part of my dress. I braided my hair into a simple fishtail and went out to the river that ran through the Forest. It was a lengthy walk, nearly a kilometer, but I was used to the walk.

I reached the river and scooped my two buckets full of water, and walked back to the kitchen quickly.

Lakil had started the tea for the day, and I sipped a cup of it.

          "Helinwen!" he cried and shook his head.

          "What? Do you want to serve bad tea to the King?" I asked him.

          "No. Won't he notice?" he asked me.

          "He doesn't notice most things", I said and washed my hands. After I had washed my hands and taken the tray to the King's library, I started on the daily chores.

My first chore was the change the bed sheets in the Prince's chamber. I knocked on the door.

"My lord? Are you awake?" I asked him.

"I am not decent", he called back.

"I have a schedule to follow, can you move it along?" I asked him.

"Yes, maid", he sighed.

I waited a few moments and he emerged from the bedchambers.

"You may proceed", he said.

I went into his bedchamber, changed the sheets, and snuffed the candles.

          The elf prince was an interestingly clean man; he barely even changed his clothes.

I went back into the kitchen where the other maids where doing laundry.

"Can you believe the King is still trying to locate his wife?" one of the maids gossiped.

I had no care for idle chitter-chatter. It reminded me of two birds quarreling in the trees.

"So, Helinwen, any news in the Prince's bedchamber", the same maid asked me.

"No", I said quietly.

Lakil looked over, the look of natural approving in his eyes.

          I smiled at him, and went on with my laundry.

          Several hours later, I found myself with spare time, which was rare.

          "Lakil, I have a spare hour. What should I do?" I asked him.

          "Try this", he thrust a spoon at my mouth.

          I took a sip.

          "What is this?" I asked him.

          "Mint soup. I've been working on it for a while", he said.

          "Serve it", I said.

          "Now, that you've tried that, go work on where you're going to camp and end up", he said.

          "Did you bring me some maps?" I asked him.

          "No. But someone found these", he said and stopped cooking for a moment to open a drawer in the desk in the kitchen.

          He handed me a stack of maps tied with twine.

          "Diola lle", I said.

          "You're welcome", he said.

          I went into my quarters. It wasn't much, just a bed and an open wall with a desk and a table. I had a hook on the wall where I hung my apron and nightgown. I sat at the desk, and open the maps. They were of the northern part of Middle Earth. I also noticed I had one of the realm of Gondor. I figured I could leave Middle Earth entirely and go to the Undying Lands early.

I dipped my quill into ink and wrote on the parchment.

          Minas Tirith: Midsummer's Day

          Rivendell: Midsummer's Day of the following year

My parents spoke of small towns and lodging when I had threatened to leave Mirkwood. I had to remember that I was a young girl and a simple escort would be good. 

"Helinwen?" Lakil called for me.

"Yes?" I came to his call.

The elf prince stood in the kitchen of his own palace.

"Yes, my lord?" I asked him.

"You left this in my room"; he said and extended his hand out to my own.

I extended my hand and he placed the bracelet I had gotten from my father right before he had left Middle Earth.

"Diola lle, heru en amin", I said.

He bowed and left the room.

"That was nice of him", he said.

"Yes. Very nice", I said and opened my hand.

I looked in, and saw the bracelet latch had been repaired. I returned it to my wrist. 

*~

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*~

Lakil and I ate some of the leftover dinner and went for a walk before bed.

          "I know you are troubled by going away for so long", he said. 

          "Of course I am! I'm going to be leaving my entire life behind me!" I cried.

"I know, that's why I wanted to know if I could go along with you", he said, turning to me.

"Lakil…" I sighed, "Of course."

"So, when have you decided to leave?" he asked me.

"Not sure. After the spring rain, sounds appropriate", I said softly.

"Yes. That way the world will be warm for you", he said, looking at the trees.

The spiders in the forest had been run out the King's halls since the elf prince was old enough to leave the vicinity.

I yawned. "Quel kaima, Lakil"

"Quel kaima", he whispered.