Please review whether you like it or not. Helpful criticism is always appreciated. :P Hopefully you'll all like it - I know it's bit short, but I'll smile nicely and maybe you'll be kind.

Disclaimer: I own no-one and nothing. No men, elves, places or anything. Or making any money from it at all. As much as I'd like to, I'm not…..

So….. Please enjoy!

Legolas sighed as he pulled open the red velvet curtains covering the large windows of his bedroom. He looked out into the endless forest of trees surrounding his home and breathed in deeply as he flung the windows wide open. The early morning dew had covered the forest floor, and the trees glistened in the pale sunlight. Mirkwood. The one place he hated to leave and rejoiced in returning to. He felt free in the wide woods of his homeland - his heart would always be happy there, no matter what other struggles he went through in life.

Legolas scanned the awakening wood, and far-off beyond the borders he caught sight of a procession of elves making their way slowly on horseback towards the forest and the palace in which he lived. He groaned inwardly. Sometimes it was hard being the crown prince of Mirkwood. This was the party from Rivendell, and as Lord Elrond was with them, those two insufferable twins Elladan and Elrohir would be as well. They were completely infatuated with the young prince, and would spend hours just staring at him, which infuriated him to no end. Also, curiously, there would be a man travelling with them. Legolas had never met a human before, but he had heard many stories of the greed and selfishness of that race. However, according to the tales he had heard in his father's huge halls, this particular human had been raised by elves and was the heir to Gondor. Legolas was interested in meeting him, but also rather nervous about it, for absolutely no apparent reason whatsoever.

He turned away from the window, and after quickly bathing, dressed in some smart clothes which he was required to wear on formal occasions such as these, but which he hated so much. He'd rather be running out in the wild, hiding from royalties, servants, his father, and most importantly, suitors. He sat down in front of a mirror and started to plait his hair in the war-braids he always put in when he wanted everyone to know not to get in his way. He was a very young elf - only about 16 in human years, but already he was cold, pitiless and devoid of any emotion. Or so he thought. Although he did not know it yet, this day was to change his life. Forever.

So far, he had turned all his suitors down heartlessly and turned away from all of them without a backward glance at any - no matter how much he knew he had hurt them. It was just the way he was.

He stared at his reflection for a few moments before standing up and, walking with an incredible amount of grace, down to the breakfast hall. He entered and his father looked up from an intellectual conversation he was having with one of the other elves who lived in the palace, and greeted his son with a large beaming smile.

'Good morning my son. How are you today?'

'Same as I always am, father.' Legolas said exasperatedly, rolling his eyes. He was asked this same question every morning.

'I'm glad to see you've actually made an effort for the guests today,' Thranduil continued, 'I'm very pleased.'

'Oh good,' replies Legolas dully, before plonking himself down in a seat at the long oaken table.

After breakfast had been cleared, and the final preparations had been made for the guests, everyone congregated outside to welcome the visitors in. Legolas stood at the front of the crowd of graceful elves with his father, and watched as the parade entered through the archway leading into the palaces courtyard. Legolas was getting very impatient by this time and nodded his head courteously to the elves as they entered one by one, knowing that after this was finished this, he would be free to do what he wanted for a while. He was carrying on in the same mundane way, until something strange caught his eye. A being entered after the two twins, (who Legolas had deliberately ignored,) whom Legolas found odd but amazing at the same time. He had shoulder-length, chestnut wavy hair, was more well-built than any elf could be, and he didn't have the same glowing ethrealism about him as the elves did, either. This must be the man. He had a playful, young look to him - he couldn't have been any older than Legolas was - but he held a feel of power around him, and also a sense of sorrowful majesty. He felt something inside him stir, but he was never going to admit it to anyone - not even himself, so he put the same coldness into his expression as he always did, so when he made eye contact with him, so no emotion could betray him, and kept it there until the man had passed by.

Estels Point of View.The Company from Rivendell had now been travelling on horseback for about a week, and Estel was getting bored and stiff. He was still young , only 16, so naturally he'd rather be running wild and free through this amazing wood, than be riding through it to some posh palace. He sighed as the twins, Elladan and Elrohir, who were riding just in front of him, let out a particularly loud shriek of laughter. The twins had been like this ever since his foster father - Lord Elrond - had announced they were going to make the journey to Mirkwood, and as much as he loved his foster brothers, they were starting to get unbearable. At first he was puzzled by their strange behaviour, because elves very rarely showed any emotion or even gave any hint of what they were feeling whatsoever, but after he found out that all the excitement was over the prince of Mirkwood, he just became plain exasperated. He should have known it would be something along those lines. How long had he been living with the twins? All his life. Exactly.

The reason for this particularly loud shriek of laughter, was that the huge arch leading into the palace grounds was only about 50m in front of them, and the twins where almost dying in their anticipation. He soon passed under the arch after most of the elves in their company, and the first thing that caught his eye was the huge beautiful building in front of him. The palace was made out of pure white marble, and the arches that coiled over the doors and windows were inlaid with the precious metal: mithril. It gleamed with grandeur and splendour in the bright sunlight, and Estel couldn't help but think that it may not be so bad staying here after all.

The next thing that caught his attention, was the crowd of beautiful elves who had all gathered together to welcome the visitors, but the next thing he saw completely overwhelmed him. Standing at the front of the crowd next to the King Thranduil was the most beautiful creature Estel had ever seen. He was wearing a green tunic embroidered with silver, and green leggings. His shimmering blonde hair flowed delicately down his shoulders, and his bright sapphire eyes shone out from his perfect face.

Estel was instantly captivated. Whoever the twins were obsessing about could never compare to this elf, he thought. He made eye contact with him and immediately felt his heartbeat quicken, but what he found in those eyes completely took him back. He had not been sure what he had been expecting to find in those amazing eyes, but it was certainly not this. Hatred, contempt and disdain stared powerfully back at him, and he felt slightly stunned as those cold, hard walls glared at the poor human as if to say, 'Come anywhere near me, and you'll pay dearly.' He passed by this bewildering being and followed Elladan and Elrohir to the stables. He had seen this elf for only a few seconds, and already his heart ached to be near him and he longed to see him again, but those transfixing eyes had told him there would be no chance. Estel was a having second thoughts. Maybe he wasn't going to have such a good time after all……

A/N: In the next chapter things REALLY start to heat up, and it will be sooooooo much better than this one was. Bring on the angst! Review, or I will set my pure evil CDT teacher on you…………..

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