To Legolas's astonishment, Katie was very interested in what Doronien could teach her, and spent a good deal of time over the next few days in the healers' ward.

Meals became a lively thing. Legolas ruefully found himself seated between Katie and his sister every evening. After a few days of becoming accustomed to eating at the king's table, Katie provoked him as gleefully as Feriniel did. The Wood-elves were a playful, mischievous bunch, and laughed a great deal at the young prince's plight. Katie and Feriniel teased him mercilessly. Of course, it must be said that Legolas gave as good as he got.

"Come, little Greenleaf," Feriniel said, leaning over to him affectionately, "do not say we have stunned you into silence!"

Legolas shook his head. "Between the two of you, you talk so much that I cannot put a word in edgewise!"

Katie, sitting on his left, leaned over so that she could give him a whack with her left arm. Legolas laughed, and looked up at his father.

Taurion's shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter as he cut his meat. Thranduil took a sip of wine, trying to hide his smile. But his eyes twinkled at his youngest child over the edge of his goblet.

"All the world is against me!" Legolas moaned.

As dinner was ending, a servant came to the table and murmured something in the king's ear. Thranduil rose immediately and gestured to his children to rise as well. The court followed him into the great hall, where he took his seat. Taurion stood on his right, and Feriniel and Legolas stood behind him and to his left. Katie took a place amongst the courtiers.

The doors were opened and a tall, dark figure strode in, leading a creature of hideous form on a halter.

Katie, standing off to the side, could not get a clear glimpse of the man's face. But she and the rest of the court got a very good view of the creature he had on a lead, and they shrank back in disgust. Murmuring sprang up about the hall.

It was a hideous thing, in a vaguely human shape, but half the height of a man—or at least, it would've been, had it stood up straight. But it walked all hunched over. It was ugly and bony; its vertebrae all stuck out. Its skin was pale and its eyes huge and bulbous. It was also bald, and wore no clothing but a filthy loincloth. It glared at the elves menacingly. Its hands had been tied behind its back, and it was gagged, being led on a rope like a dog.

The man who brought it in approached the throne and bowed in the Elvish manner. The creature took that moment's opportunity to try and run, and the man was forced to give a good yank on the rope. The creature gave a squawk as it was knocked onto its backside, and finally sat still on the floor, staring with loathing at all around it.

"Dúnadan, what is this you bring to our halls?" Thranduil asked gravely. "It has an evil look about it."

That was a huge understatement. And the man himself looked hardly better. His dark clothing was covered in mud and dirt, and his hair was unkempt. It was obvious he had traveled a long way. One of his hands was bandaged.

"A creature that Mithrandir and I sought long and with much hardship, my lord," the man replied. "Mithrandir wished to question him."

"What do you ask of us?" the King asked shrewdly.

The man bowed again. "Only that you, of your goodwill, might imprison the creature until Mithrandir should come and question him," he replied humbly.

At this, the creature put up another fight, and struggled hard to free his lead from the hand of his captor. The man put both hands on the rope and gave a mighty haul on it, knocking the hideous creature to the floor again. The ugly little thing was surprisingly strong.

When the commotion had ended, Thranduil nodded. "I shall do as you ask, Dúnadan," he said gravely. The man thanked him, and two guards came forward and took the lead from him.

"Be careful when you untie him," he cautioned them. "He bites." He unconsciously nursed his bandaged hand. The guards nodded and led the creature out of the hall.

When they had exited, Thranduil rose. "Come," he said to the man, "you are weary. Enjoy the hospitality of my palace."

The man bowed again. "Thank you, my lord." He backed away respectfully a few steps, then turned and followed two courtiers from the hall. As he turned, Katie caught a glimpse of his face and frowned after him.

The king left his throne, and Legolas walked over to Katie, who was staring after the man with a look on her face as if she had something stuck to the roof of her mouth. She glanced up at Legolas as he drew up next to her.

"That guy looked familiar, somehow," she said, mystified, "but I can't place him."

Legolas smiled. "Come with me," he said mysteriously.

He led her down the hall and into the small, private dining room that the royal family breakfasted in. The man was seated at the table and was being plied with food from the king's table. He didn't see them, as he was sitting with his back to them. When all the servants had left the room and shut the door behind them, Legolas said softly, "Dúnadan."

The man immediately stood and turned toward them. Seeing Legolas, he saluted with a smile and opened his mouth to speak, then glanced at Katie and stopped. He took a step forward. "Katie?"

Katie looked even more shocked than he did. "Estel?" she said, incredulous.

He laughed and took her left hand in both of his. "By the stars—Katie Elvellon! You have not changed in the least since I saw you!"

"You've changed," she answered, her eyes searching his features for traces of the young man she had known.

"It has been sixty-four years," he reminded her.

"So Legolas tells me," she said ruefully. "It's been less than a year and a half for me."

"But we are keeping you from your meal," Legolas said politely, gesturing for Estel to take his seat again. He pulled another chair out for Katie, and took one himself.

Estel did indeed look hungry, and dirty, and tired. Legolas wondered how far he had traveled to bring that creature to his father's halls.

"How did you hurt your arm?" Estel asked as he began to eat gratefully.

"I fell out of a tree," Katie said lugubriously.

Estel looked surprised. "What were you doing in a tree?"

"Communing with nature?" Katie attempted, and he laughed.

After that, the whole story of Katie's arrival came out. Estel looked worried at her account of the wargs, and nodded gravely when Legolas told that his father had sent warriors out to hunt them down.

"The warriors returned yesterday with news that they had brought down their prey," Legolas told him. "So it is quite fortuitous that Katie saw the wargs and was able to tell us where. But these tidings worry all of us."

Estel nodded in understanding. "Wargs seldom wander this far north anymore," he agreed. "And they crossed the Elf-path, though they did not linger on it. Dark tidings indeed."

000

Soon after that, Estel finished eating and a servant appeared to escort him to the room prepared for him. He slept late the next morning and was closeted with Thranduil and Taurion until luncheon, so Katie didn't get a change to exchange more than a few words with him until the afternoon.

They took a walk together outside the palace. It was a little chilly, and Feriniel had lent Katie a cloak. Estel led her down to the riverbank, and they walked along it.

"So what's happened since I saw you last? How's Elrond's family? The twins?"

"They are well," Estel said. "They all wonder when they will see you next."

"I hope I can see them before I go," Katie said sincerely. "And what about you?"

"You see me right now," he said calmly.

She laughed. "No, I mean, What has happened in your life since I've seen you?"

"Much," he answered, "far too much to tell. I have traveled far and seen many things."

"Alright then, what is the single most exciting thing that has happened to you in the past sixty-four years?"

Estel gave a private smile.

"What? Spill!"

"Arwen and I are betrothed," he divulged.

Katie's face split into a grin. "I knew it!" she crowed. "I just knew it!"

Estel was surprised. "Then you are the only one who guessed, besides Lord Elrond and Arwen herself!"

Katie shrugged. "Sometimes an outsider can see things people closer to you can't," she said vaguely. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you."

"When is the big day?"

Estel's expression grew sober again. "I shall not wed Arwen Undómiel until I am king of both Gondor and Arnor," he divulged.

Katie squinted at him. "Wait a second. Shouldn't whoever's the heir become king?"

"Yes."

"And aren't all the heirs dead?"

"Not all."

They looked at one another for a moment: Katie's expression calculating, Estel's patient.

"Do you mean to tell me," Katie said slowly, "that you're the long-lost heir to the throne?"

Estel spread his hands in acknowledgment.

"Holy cow," Katie said in mild exasperation. "How is it I'm always the last one to find out about these things?"

Estel smiled again. "Hardly the last," he said.

TBC

AN: Legolas was too polite to mention it, but I'm not. When Estel showed up in the palace, he smelled. :) Legolas was too polite to mention it, but I'm not. When Estel showed up in the palace, he :)

IwishChan: Yep, 87! On the nose! She forgot about Aragorn, and I didn't want to mention it, so as to keep the surprise to myself for another chapter. :)

RenegadeKitsune: It's hard to write an elf cave-fortress. Somehow, I think they should be in the open air…

Laer4572: Here! —tosses bug-killer spray and a lighter to reviewer— Eat hot death, spiders!

Tara: Must check out your work, then. I like cheesecake, but I prefer Pepsi to Coke. Wild Cherry Pepsi is my favorite. No, scratch that, Steward's Cherries and Cream is my favorite soda. So where are you from?

theycallmemary: The Nandor is another name for the Silvan or Wood-elves. So Nandorin is just another word for the Silvan language. I'm not sure about whether orcs are immortal or not. Even Tolkein gave a couple of different stories on their origins, not all of them involving elves. All I know is that they're the fastest reproducing race in Arda (yicky…). But Sauron definitely was not a man. He was a Maia, like Gandalf etc. Of course Taurion is good-looking! Have you ever heard of an elf that wasn't? Legolas is the youngest, which is why Feriniel keeps calling him "little Greenleaf", an appellation he's not terribly fond of. I won't hurt myself! I'll just keep typing until I collapse from exhaustion! lol

Madd Hatter: I've just got this mental image of Thranduil doing the Macarena with a lot of hip-shaking. That's a terrifying thought. Thank you, now I have to go bleach my eyeballs…

Erasuithiel: Yes, the atmosphere of Mirkwood is very different from Rivendell. The elves are a little merrier, a little less sorrowful, and the setting a bit more threatening. Yes, you saved an elf! Congrats! You can keep him, too. Just remember to feed him, and keep him well-stocked with Dorwinion. :)

Napolde of the Council: Yeah, the length of the story is worrying me a bit… I just hope I have enough interesting stuff to fill it with!

Ravens Destiny: I'm pretty fond of his siblings, as well.

Darkened Dreams: Nothing suspicious about Taurion; he's just quiet. Very observant, though. You may take as many RDE's (Random Disposable Elves, the kind that get killed in fictional battles, etc) as you like, just leave me the main characters!

Melisande Mab: We really know very little about Legolas's family, so I decided to go ahead and give him siblings. :)

Thanks also to werewolflemming and Fk306. Nearly 20 percent of readers reviewed! Good job, guys! Keep up the good work! lol

Please review! You may wake up and find an elf in your closet tomorrow morning!