1After hours of chaperoning Abbey and Samantha around the castle, Legolas finally entered Katelyn's chambers to see how she was, after escorting the two back to their rooms. Lord Elrond, Lady Arwen, and his mother had gone, and there was no one in the bed. Instead, there was a beautiful she-elf with long flowing gold hair dressed in an elegant white and silver silk gown standing at the balcony with her back to him. Legolas's heart leapt in his chest as he saw her.

"Tari...?" he asked, his voice barely audible, and sounded strained.

The she-elf turned, and Legolas found himself ensnared in her deep brown eyes that sparkled in the last light of the sun before it set. Her pale face was now smooth and flawless; there was no trace of the thorns that had been embedded in the fair flesh. She was thinner, and much taller too. When she turned and saw him, her full lips turned up in an extravagant smile. "Legolas? Is it truly thee?" she whispered in a soft and gentle voice that sounded much more mature than before, hitching up her skirted gown and rushing over to him.

Legolas cautiously laid his hands on either side of her face, as though making sure that she was not a mirage. Tears of joy sparkled in her eyes as she gazed longingly into his eyes. Without the tiniest of warnings, Legolas suddenly leaned in and captured her lips with his own in a sensuous kiss that showed her how much he had truly missed her, and how much he still loved her. It was the first kiss that they had ever shared together... When they broke apart at last, a single tear had fallen from her eyes.

Legolas gently wiped it away saying, "No more tears, Tari..." in a soft husky voice.

Tari laid her head against his strong chest and wrapped her arms tightly around him whispering, "I'm so sorry Legolas... I tried to stop her, but she was too powerful! I didn't want to leave you, but she sent me away despite it."

"Shh..." Legolas cooed, rubbing the back of her neck in a comforting way. "It does not matter anymore, because you are here, and you are safe..."

"No... I am not safe... I-I can feel him-Sauron-he is looking for me. I heard his voice whilst I slept..."

"Do not worry Tari, you are safe here in Mirkwood." he said reassuringly.

"I am not safe anywhere Legolas... Wherever I go, death follows. The people who were supposed to guard me in the other world were killed because of me..." Tari retorted, her voice constricted with tears.

"Hush now... You needn't worry yourself whilst you are so distressed already. You shall go and see how your friends are faring, then you shall go-to-sleep, else mother will kill me." Legolas said, chivying her to the door and showing her where her friends were, before going back down the corridor to see his father about his duties he was to attend to before he retired.

After Tari had spoken with Abbey and Samantha, she wandered the extensive corridors, until she found herself in the enormous library. She couldn't help but smile as she gazed around at the hundreds of thick dusty volumes and tomes filled with long forgotten knowledge. Though her father had attempted to restore her memory to her, Tari found that there was still a-lot missing. She remembered Legolas, and the night she was taken away, and childhood memories and such, but there was still so much more she knew she had lost.

With that thought in mind, she searched for books that related to the history of Middle-Earth, the ways of elves, and her family. As she searched for one on her mother, her eye caught sight of a green, leather bound book with gold writing in elvish that said, 'The Forgotten Prophecies'. The book was dated to about the beginning of the second age. Curious, Tari dislodged the book from it's fellows, and hopped down from the library ladder to sit and read. The pages were dry, and brittle with age. Most of the book was written in Sindarin, but there was some in the Common Speech as well. She lazily scanned the book, her eyes roaming over every page carefully. She must've been a quarter of the way through the thick volume, when she saw her name... It was a prophecy; a prophecy about her! More cryptic still, was that it had been made by her grandmother, Lady Galadriel, only a few days before Tari herself was born. Hesitantly, as though afraid of what she might read, Tari began to read...

Born to one who departs to the Havens,

The daughter of a wise elven lord

Betrothed to one,

He who shall take part,

In the Fellowship of the Ring

Trials and Ordeals she must meet,

To vanquish the evil that rises again

She shall be hunted by evil,

Under constant threat

If she does not survive,

Middle Earth will fall

Dark lords and servants she will face

Many shall bring her to death's door

To be lost for years,

Then found again,

A choice she must make,

To be part of ten

By the end of the prophecy, Tari's eyes were wide... Her grandmother had never been wrong before, so the prophecy she had made scared her. And most of it had already come true! 'To be lost for years, then found again...'. She had returned to Middle Earth after being hidden from Sauron for so many years. 'Born to one who departs to the Havens, The daughter of a Wise elven lord...' Tari's mother Celebrain had departed over the Sea after being wounded by and orc arrow. Her father was the 'wise elven lord'. 'Betrothed to one...'. Tari had been betrothed to Legolas. Was it natural to be slightly afraid when you read that if you did not survive, that everyone would die? That, you would be hunted by evil all your life? And come face to face with death so many times? "Valar... How... How am I supposed to accomplish this? What must I do?"

"Do what?" said a voice in her ear.

Tari started and whirled around to see Legolas standing there nonchalantly, leaning against her chair, and trying to read the book. Tari shut it with an audible 'thump'. Legolas frowned slightly. 'He mustn't see the prophecy...' Tari thought desperately as she got up quickly from her chair and shoved the book on a high shelf out of reach.

"What prophecy?" Legolas asked as he saw Tari try and stow away the book.

Tari turned to look at him, glaring. "I believe that I've told you once before not to read my thoughts, prince." Tari said with a hint of anger.

Legolas chuckled slightly and stepped closer to her saying, "Oh, but it is such a delight to see you angry, princess." Tari sat back down again, another book in her hand.

As she opened it and began to read about her grandmother, Legolas came up behind her. His hand swept away her long golden hair from her bare shoulders; as that was how her dress was made. Legolas's warm, gentle, and soft hands lightly caressed the equally soft and silky flesh as he whispered in an aphrodisiac, "What was the prophecy about?" Tari's eyes had closed as she felt his hands upon her shoulders. Legolas was indeed dear to her, but this was too much! She had only just returned! No matter what she had said or done before she had been sent away, she had changed and was not ready for love yet.

With great reluctance, she pulled out of her stupor; angry at herself for letting him have this much power over her. "Your efforts will not get you what you seek, my lord... I'm not going to tell you." she answered, "It's my secret." Tari stood up, book in hand, and made to leave. But Legolas caught her hand and held her back, careful to make sure that his fingers laced her own in a tender loving way.

"What would it take for you to tell me?" he asked as he pulled her closer to him, so that now their faces were mere inches apart.

Tari shook her head, saying, "I told you; it's my secret."

"Secrets can be discovered, a'melamin..." (My beloved)

Legolas slowly leaned in to capture her lips, when there was a loud, disapproving cough from the doorway. Tari whirled around to see a man she had not laid eyes on for many, many years.

"Aragorn? Is that you!" Tari cried as she laid her eyes upon him, clothed in his ranger garb.

The man looked equally stunned to see Tari, and quickly came over to her, embracing her in a brotherly hug. "My Valar Tari! I thought your father had sent you away forever!

"He had! But I found a way back. By accident, of course..." she added as she pulled out of the embrace. She studied his shoulder length dark brown hair, his handsome face where he had the stubbled makings of a goatee. His ranger garb was stained with grime and mud. But he looked so different from when she had last seen him. "Last I saw you, you barely reached my shoulder!" she stated.

"And yet you've hardly aged a day!" Aragorn said. He turned his gaze on Legolas. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything, little prince? Need I tell Elrond how you were about to, lock lips, with his youngest daughter."

"Please, Aragorn. If anything, I am not young." Tari retorted with a smile.

"And nay, Aragorn, you were not interrupting. Also, if I ever hear you call me 'little prince' again, I shall gut you with your own sword." Legolas said in a light tone.

"I see. Well, if I wasn't disturbing you... Tari, your father wants to see you in his chambers to discuss something important. And, the princeling is wanted by his father to speak of the reason that I am here." Aragorn said.

Legolas growled in mock anger at the name, before pecking Tari lightly on the cheek and departing the library with Aragorn in tow.