And hey! We're back! Go us! Sorry for leaving you all like that but my computer decided to die, I started a new job and all my friends seemed to split with their partners at the same time. Not good. Especially the job - which sucks. Uck. Roll on Christmas – cos everything between now and then in my life sucks. And nope, Middle Earth still ain't mine. Darn.

Into Temptation.

"Yay!" I muttered. "Go me! Now where the heck would Vebby be I wonder?" I pondered as I made my way towards the Palace entrance.

"We need to go this way to the throne room." Owen informed me.

"Fair enough." I said. "Lead the way Owen me old mate!"

Owen stopped walking and gazed at me for a moment before shaking his head. He started towards the entrance gesturing for me to follow.

***

The Palace hadn't changed that much from what I could remember. There was the corridor where I first came across Thingaladion, that corridor led off towards the dungeons and the behind that door on the right was the way to the kitchens. Oh and the door in front of me? That would be the entrance to the throne room.

I grinned, rubbed my hands together gleefully. This was what I had been waiting for; this was what I returned for this was it!

"Well, Owen my old friend, it seems here we are to part. Thanks for everything and err, see you around sometime." I patted him on the shoulder and opened the door.

***

"Mrrph grreeooff me mmmrrgg!"

"Welcome back fangirl!"

"MMMRRPPGHH!"

"We are pleased to welcome you to our humble home."

"GERRRRROOOOFFF!"

"Please make yourself at home whilst we plan the festivities. We were aware of your return but we were unsure how long you would take to arrive." King Thranduil finally released me from the hug he had enveloped me into as soon as I had walked in through the doors and I collapsed in a heap onto the ground, trying to recover from near suffocation.

"Nice…. To…. Be….. Back." I managed, deciding that the floor was a safer option than to risk trying to stand.

"We have made arrangements for your accommodation." He snapped his fingers towards an elf. "Show her to her quarters."

The elf walked over to me and helped me up off the floor.

"We would be honoured if you would be our guest at this evening's banquet." Thranduil said, as I was about to leave.

"Errm. Yeah sure." I pulled myself together. This was after all my future father-in-law and a king who could say 'off with her head' to boot. I had better manners than that. "It would be an honour your majesty."

"The honour would be mine." The king answered.

I smiled. Not only was I back in the Palace but I was the King's guest at the banquet. Things were going well. Perhaps I was wrong about things. Perhaps I was just being too suspicious. Perhaps the deities who decided I'd have such a dreadful time of it all last time had felt a little guilty and were trying to make it up. Perhaps.

Idiot.

***********

oh oh oh! We're in the palace. Go me! But will everything go right? R&R please!