I CAPTURE THE SUN

Pairings: Buffy/Legolas

Teaser: Buffy ends up in Heaven, which happens to be Middle-Earth. But not everything is as heavenly as it seems as she's come in the middle of a war and finds a piece of Heaven worth fighting for.

Rating: PG-13.

Summary: Buffy's version of Heaven is Middle-Earth. When she arrives, she is brought to a clan of fighting women. Seeing this as her eternal reward for fighting and killing on Earth, Buffy is only too happy to return to her roots - until she is captured by the Elves and begins to learn there's a whole lot more worth fighting for... in Heaven.

Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon. The 'Lord of the Rings' book series belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. The plot is (hopefully) my own.

Timeline: The story is currently set approximately fifty years before the start of the Fellowship. Buffy has been in Middle-earth for roughly twenty-three years.

Gratitudes: Once again, I will take the time to answer a few of the questions. Some of these actually did make me think, and considering that this story has been in my head for far too long, it would make perfect sense to clarify a few things. Besides, I received twelve reviews for this past chapter, and feel compelled to speak to my reviewers.

Sabia – I was just in the perfect New Year's mood, I guess. I am glad you liked it.

Anonymous – Buffy pairings are only my favorite kind because, until I started on "The Prince Inside", she was the only character I had ever written for. And there are many within the Tolkien universe that can match her rather well for such a pairing, I will agree.

Renna – I am quite afraid the attraction will take a bit longer. I do have something planned though, however it will be a little while before we can actually see something you might consider either "friendly" or "relationship-y".

zayra– Oh, I am not a professional author. I actually wish to teach literature, so I have spent a great deal of time engrossed in books throughout college, which was made easier when pregnant. My joy comes through sharing great literature; writing this has been a bonus in my life.

Vampy the chosen one – it is so hard to have original characters that are both believable and enjoyed… I have worked rather hard on research and development for this story, and I do hope it pays off in the end.

Ginger – oh, I intend to. :)

FallenStar2 – it really is as fun as it sounds to weave such characters together!

BuffyandDracoLover – 'be careful what you wish for' is one of my favorite quotations in life and thus I will add it unto here.

PrecariousPersonata – My goodness, you left a long review. It actually did make a lot of sense. This story never really clarifies if Buffy killed a living being. The only beings she has killed were Orcs or else the Dark Elves that threatened her people, but despite everything else, she still has not taken a human life. Siri on the other hand has and you can begin to see how this has changed her. The time will come when their people (I have not yet named them) will realize that the Rangers are kindred (because of the history of the villagers) and that the Elves can be worthwhile allies. However, it becomes a battle of wills once again. And there is an upcoming section about Buffy's arrival in Middle-earth and how it completely changed her, considering she came at a time when these people needed her strength and she was more than willing to share it once she realized she was not able to return. There is quite a bit more to say and if you want to know any of it, I would be more than happy to send an email explaining things. I have a large notebook loaded with notes about this story (plot-lines, name origins, battle plans, character development and historical references, for example) that I would be happy to share it if you still have concerns. I must also add that before this past week, I had only seen a few episodes in both Season 2 and Season 7. My "Buffy" knowledge is rather limited, but it made sense to add her into this story because she is a strong fighter and she has strong morals she attempts to uphold. I hope this satisfies your concerns but if it does not, I will be more than willing to explain more. Thank you for taking the time to write that review!

Darknesssoonfollows – I actually have no idea… honestly, these things just come from my head!

Hedgehog – I am glad it is original… I have not ready that many fictions, but I wished for mine to have a different twist. This story began as a plot kitty for another thing and somehow developed into this after much, much work.

TonyDiMerasbedroomslave – Everyone has their show loyalties, I shall agree with that! What happens next is… more than likely more of what you have already seen.

Part Summary: Siri makes the choice of Mauve's last fate as the women rally behind their leader, still lost in the hands of the Elves. Meanwhile, Buffy prepares to go before the "King" of the Elves.

Notes: I just wanted to say two small things. 1) From watching "King Arthur" at my brother's girlfriend's house, in the director's cut, it says that Greek legend based Amazon warriors from Sarmatia, which was a kingdom from somewhere in southeastern Europe extended to northern Iraq. I learn something new everyday! 2) The names used in this piece are either Old English, Welsh or Gaelic in nature. Each name has a meaning, even the names I created (as combinations of other names). A lot of research went into this fiction, and the names were just a small piece of it. For example, Siri is a combination of both Sirius and Rian, and literally means: sparkling queen.

- - - -

Part VI

- - - -

The mood in the village was one of sullen anticipation. The thought that their leader had been taken by the dark forces they'd been fighting against was, needless to say, not settling well with the warriors who had been left behind. Because of the dangers of leaving Siri and the other children exposed, they had been moved to their treetop escape.

Thus, Siri had spent the past three days lying on a bed, lost between a fever and madness, whispering orders under her breath and dreaming of the days when her parents were still alive.

There were only three guards outside her doorway, and they were all to be spared as the others had been sent by the Council after Mauve's women had left.

Yet she felt safe enough, knowing that the forces of darkness were after the real power within this forest. It brought Siri's thoughts back to when the woman had first arrived. She was barely a child, maybe eight years of age when Buffy had first come into their world. The story was that of legend. The woman had come from the sky, landing straight in the middle of the settlement. All had come to see her standing there, trying to catch her breath and asking questions that no one could understand.

They had sent for the guards which had come out, their swords blazing in the hot sunlight as they were tipped towards her. The woman had simply glanced at them, asking more questions about where she was and how she had arrived there in the first place. When the Prince had retreated from his safe haven to ask about her arrival, she had just stared at him. Slowly she had gotten to her feet. Legend had it that they had made an alliance that morning, but Siri knew better than to trust her father's words. She knew Buffy well enough to assume that she had been rather disoriented from her journey from wherever it was she had come from.

There were very few people she had confided in. Meira had been one of them before her death.

Buffy had a very different style of leadership than her father had, many of the elders had told Siri. She believed in giving members of different species their chance for peace before she would attack. In all of her years, Siri had never once seen Buffy strike down another like herself. Oh, she had certainly attacked them if they had attacked first. But if she could certainly help it she wouldn't let them take a life.

Siri remembered the days when Buffy would be taking her through the different areas of the forest, explaining how different species worked. In the beginning, it was observation. The dark creatures from Mordor was enemies from the beginning, as it was these Elves that had been tortured and mutilated which had nearly destroyed the village and killed their Prince in the first place. Orcs from the Misty Mountains became their enemies soon after when attacking the forest from the Anduin. It was certainly necessary for Dol Guldur to be considered dangerous when the winged creatures returned, fortifying the stronghold.

And yet there were Elves from the north, cold and sullen and withdrawn. They were not violent beings unless they were attacked and there had been moments when Siri had led her own guards including Mauve into battle when the Elves had fired first. Buffy had always given the cease fire along with a dire warning. Certainly, she would not kill them if she could absolutely help it.

The Rangers were another story. They had attacked, believing that the villagers were servants to the darkness growing at Dol Guldur. Siri had been the one to provoke such an attack and since then Buffy had been attempting a way to get the men through their part of the forest and plain without taking a single life. Her methods of persuasion were unorthodox but were certainly useful in the end.

This was perhaps the reason why Siri did not agree with Buffy's leadership. She had spent the past twenty years learning everything from the older woman. Her own mother had given Buffy her crown upon her death, saying there was no one else with the strength to bring her people home. And yet Buffy would hesitate to kill someone she had called 'belonging with a soul'. She was hesitant to kill their greatest enemies unless it was the Orcs.

There was the sound of movement outside the door and Siri propped herself up on her elbows, staring out the long doorway as Mauve came in, bowing her head respectively.

"Well?" Siri asked, a definite edge to her voice. "Did you find her?"

"Yes, Lady," Mauve said, lifting her head. Her eyes were fearful and her face was lined with doubt. "We found her, but…"

"Yes?" Siri prompted lightly.

"The Elves took her into their care to heal her of the great shadow," Mauve said calmly, as though steeling herself for Siri's reaction. "Legolas was among them and he spoke of his father wishing to see our Lady and they took her to speak with him."

"Is this true?" Siri asked, glancing at the figure standing behind Mauve. It was Alwyn, the Captain of Mauve's forces, who stepped beside her leader and nodded.

"She was rather taken by the darkness when we came upon her," Alwyn said in her cool, nurturing tone. "The Mirkwood Elves were adamant."

Siri sighed, dropping her head into her hands. She knew that Buffy would not hesitate to make peace with creatures that originally inhabited this forest. Buffy was rather level-headed when it came to the different species of Elves. There were the Elves controlled by Sauron and there were the Elves that followed the ways of the Valar. How she came to know this, no living man could tell. "Will she live?"

"She lives," Alwyn replied. Her eyes moved sideways to glance at Mauve before she continued. "It was in the best decision of this guard to allow her to pass with the Elves."

"You let her go?" Siri asked suspiciously, turning to stare haughtily at Mauve. "You, her first lieutenant, would abandon her to the Elves?"

"She said it herself before all of this began," Mauve replied. "She trusts in the goodness that still exists in this world. This was the reason why she would not allow your attack to commence and for this reason, she would not—"

"You are as delusional as she is!" Siri cried, leaping out of her bed, wincing in pain as she felt her broken body protest her movements. "I will not allow those beings to take control of my people, of our people! You know what would happen if they were to take us into their protection! We would become one with them, and I, for one, still have the longing to return home!"

"We trust in her decisions," Alwyn said, defending her leader. "She will make the best decision for our people."

"She is not one of our people!" Siri cried, falling back upon her bed, her hand clutching her abdomen. "We must prepare ourselves for war if she brings back a delegation of Elves."

"She would not," Mauve said calmly.

"How do you know this?" Siri asked her coldly. "You just assume that she would be loyal to us, because she has been entrusted with our protection for far too long. I believe she knows that she would have more power with the Elves, our greatest enemies…"

"Those were not the Elves that killed your father!" Mauve said with frustration, banging her bow upon the ground. "Must you be so cynical!"

"Must you be so delusional?" Siri repeated harshly. "All Elves are an enemy of mine… this would not change. This will never change."

"They will change!" Mauve reprimanded. "If we had allies in this dreaded wood, we would stand a chance to cross the mountains! We have the opportunity to return home, Siri. You have to trust others."

"I trust none but myself," Siri said coolly. "I have seen that power can corrupt even the most strong of heart. I will not allow that—"

"You must listen at how you speak!" Alwyn defended.

"I did not ask for an interruption, Alwyn," Siri said, her voice deadpanned. There was a malicious light in her eyes as she surveyed both Buffy's great lieutenant and the captain of Mauve's forces, both wearing the same determined faces. "There must be the discussion of your… treason. Buffy is no longer present, which means the decision of your rankings would fall into my rather capable hands."

"Would you dare deny an order from a royal?" Daire asked, walking in uninvited. Her arms were crossed and her face bore a livid expression. Her arm was wrapped in a sling and she was wearing her fair share of cuts and bruises. "Leave us," she said to the lieutenant and the captain, who both nodded and bowed away. Turning back to Siri, she shook her head. "Why am I not surprised that you would bring down the leader that has protected you as a child?"

"My mother was the one that entrusted Buffy with our people's safety as I was too young to take the crown at the time," Siri replied.

"And yet my father was still alive, was he not?" Daire asked softly. "He was your mother's brother, was he not? He could have taken the throne but instead she entrusted it to an outsider with considerable power to protect us and indeed she has."

"I do not forget the past," Siri retorted. "I just remember that, in our greatest hour of need, she would not strike against those that would not hesitate to kill us!"

"That is why you disagree with her, is it not?" Daire said calmly, sitting down on the bench opposite of Siri's bed. She watched her cousin put her feet back up and slide back towards the headboard, her face wearing an expression of great pain. "She does not believe that all should die."

"You were only a baby when they brought her into the village so this you would not understand," Siri replied, her eyes lost in a story of the past. "My father would have killed her had she not done the noblest thing any would have asked... she saved my brother's life."

"This became her acceptance into our village?" Daire asked.

Siri nodded. "I recall that day rather clearly. I wonder if she recalls it at all. Nay… there has been far too much darkness in our time and our enemies are closing nearer. Now they have taken the one woman all of you all trust and it is in my hands to bring her back."

"You are not well," Daire said stoutly. "You cannot go back. She does not wish to start a war."

"If they have harmed her in any way, there will be war. How many hundreds of women has she trained in the past? How many does she train now, including yourself? The Elves will find that they will have a great war if they hurt her as the Orcs most certainly have done. They will not stand a chance against a fury against their greatest protector." Her face grew weary as she reached for a goblet of water sitting on a crude wooden table next to her bed. "Perhaps it would be best if she had been accompanied. I will send someone to go, and it will not be Mauve. It was in her decision to send our Lady alone with the Elves. No, I will lead a delegation to the north and perhaps this will not—"

"Do not start a war that will be our end," Daire said quietly.

"You do not trust me," Siri said, clearly delighted that Daire had caught on so quickly.

"I do not trust your intentions, Siri. You have a lot of hate within you and I would rather hate to see you fall to waste because of an inane decision to attack an Elvish city."

"I will not attack," Siri promised her. "But I will demand answers and learn once and for all if these are beings worth trusting."

At this, Daire left as Siri was exhausted and wished to sleep before she departed the next morning. She may not agree with Buffy's decisions in the least, but she was not about to leave her leader in a hostile environment. Something had just occurred to her, and it was something that Mauve had said… maybe, just maybe, the Elves would provide a way to ensure that their people would finally get the opportunity to return home.

- - - -

Buffy was still sleeping when the Elves crossed one of the smaller brooks leading into the Elvish lands. They had already passed two separate groups of guards, warning them that they were being hunted by the Orcs. The Elves immediately understood and promised to hold back the threat as long as they could, so that Thranduil could seek counsel with the one he had wanted to speak with for so long.

Since they had been riding all night into the following morning, Legolas allowed the horses to rest for a moment as he gently prodded the young woman before him awake. She blinked up at him with her cool hazel-eyed gaze before she realized where she was and it turned stone-cold. "Where are we?" she asked softly.

"We are within a full day's journey from the halls," Legolas said, gently helping her off the horse. As she tipped her face towards his, he noticed that nearly all of the cuts and scrapes had healed. Her bloody lips seemed to have mended and he noticed that she was moving easier than she had the first time he had taken her into his arms. She kept her hand on his elbow until she was settled on the ground. Turning, he posted a guard as she stared dully into the small fire they had started. "Are you well?"

"I feel better," she replied softly, still not looking at any of them.

"Do you require food or drink?" one of the Elves asked her, offering her a plate.

"Thank you," she said, taking the plate out of his hands and gazing hungrily at it. She hadn't eaten since she'd been force-fed all of that horrid, rotten food the Orcs had decided she needed. Even though this plate held little more than some odd-shaped cracker and a few lopsided vegetables, it was still appetizing. She set the plate on her knee and reached for the cracker and lifted it, gazing at Legolas questioningly. "In my time, I am used to red meat and…" Her voice trailed off as she bit off the corner of the cracker. "What is this?"

"Lembas bread," Legolas replied, watching as she swallowed it. Her gaze cleared and she gazed at the bread with a ravenous expression, nearly knocking her plate aside as she dove back into the bread. "It is a kind of Elvish way-bread."

"It's good," she mumbled, her mouth full as she swallowed heartily. One of the Elves offered her their canteen and she accepted it with a muffled "Thanks" before downing most of its contents. "I might have to ask for the recipe. It beats the red meat."

The Elves watched her eat in fascination, for many had not watched a human woman eat before. When she finished, she handed the plate back to the intrigued Elf and stood up, stretching. "What are we doing now?" she asked curiously.

"Resting," Legolas replied.

"I've slept enough this past day," Buffy replied moodily, glancing at the darkness around them. "Can't we just hustle into the city so I can get my part over with? By now, Siri will know everything and she'll insist on sending her own 'peace keepers' that'll end up getting everyone killed!"

Now that she was recovering from her serious injuries, she was much more formidable than she had been the night before. There was a sense of power that radiated around her, that truly defined her as a Queen or a Lady, whichever term her people used.

"The horses must rest," one of the other Elves replied.

"What about the army of Orcs following us?" Buffy asked. "I know you can sense them like I can. Can't you even see they're closing in on us?"

"We have posted guards and set patrols," Legolas replied. "No harm will come to you this evening. Sleep now, and you will speak to my father soon enough. After that is done, you will be able to return to your… home."

"Fair enough, I guess," Buffy replied, glancing around. "I just hope you don't expect me to sleep around you."

Turning, she disappeared into the woods. The trees above them seemed to sigh with the same resignation. Holding a woman of her power was the same as walking through a volcano set to erupt, far too dangerous to behold yet far too beautiful to escape from.

When she reached a lower branch, she pulled off the cloak the Elves had given her and threw it over the end before pulling herself upwards. Wrapping herself in the cloak, she rested against the bark, her eyes open, feeling wide awake instead of exhausted. After what seemed like hours, a gentle song began to fall around her as the pale, glimmering light from the west seemed to fade as the Elves spread out, each lost in their own thoughts.

But in her mind, she was already planning on how to evade a war. She had no time for the politics of Elves. She didn't even want to play nice nor have friends in these beings. She wanted to co-exist on the same level in the same forest, since it was obviously large enough for both of them. Siri wanted war. She wanted eradication. She wanted a great many things that Buffy wasn't willing to give her.

As dawn soon came, Buffy moved her eyes to the sky. From where she sat in her comfortable position, she could see the navy sky above her turning to shades of pink and orange. It was one of the few sunrises she'd been able to see from the trees and seeing it gave her a renewed sense of hope. Something good was going to come out of all of this. She let out a long slow breath, her fingers playing with the Elven cloak wrapped around her body.

She waited until she heard the sounds of movement in the distance before she climbed down from her perch. She felt well-rested, despite the fact she had not slept. She walked from the woods and said nothing to the Elves, who were gathering the things from their encampment. She calmly walked over and took up her empty canteen from the night before, turning it over in her hands. Not one drop of water spilled out. Sighing, she capped the canteen and walked over to the Elf who had given it to her and returned it to him.

They started riding soon after, the sunlight floating through the trees, casting odd shadows in the thicket. Buffy chose to ride behind Legolas this time, for her strength had much returned and she was strong enough to ride without resting. She kept her guard on high though, considering these people were a partial enemy. She kept her eyes wary as she looked past the shadows, trying to see an enemy she knew was following them.

The ride continued through most of the day. They did not stop once for rest, and when the shadows grew more numerous, more Elves joined them to their ride past the mountains and into the valley. In the distance, a song could be heard.

Buffy knew that this was the beginning of what the end could be.

- - - - -

Daire had just risen from her early meal when the sounds of swords clanking outside drew her attention. She stepped out from behind the curtain of her tent and moved to the edge of the balcony, glancing down at the ground forty feet below. Even at this distance, she could see figures moving and talking rapidly.

"Four hundred, you say?" Mauve was asking a group of five women, the easternmost guard, as they checked in for the morning after their nightly watch.

"What is it?" Daire asked, pulling on her cloak as she approached Mauve, who looked troubled in mind.

"The night guard from the east has reported a number of four hundred Orcs turning northeast," Mauve replied quietly, as not to disturb the other women passing by.

"They are after her," Daire whispered, her stomach clenching painfully. "They wish to make her into one of –"

"I know," Mauve replied. She looked rather uneasy. "I suppose I must be the one to inform Siri."

"I will do this," Daire replied, glancing at the small huts and tents lining the trees far above their heads. "You must ready the women."

Mauve nodded and moved to do her will. Daire turned and climbed back to the top of the trees and found Siri's tent. She was lying on her back, her eyes closed. One of the nurses was by her side, holding her hand. When Daire entered the tent, she stood and hastily walked out.

Daire chose the direct approach and stepped over to her cousin's bedside. "Siri," she said quietly. The woman shifted slightly before her eyes fluttered open.

"Daire?" she asked sleepily.

"Siri, four hundred Orcs have turned to pursue our Lady," Daire said earnestly.

The look in Siri's eyes changed as she turned away. "Our time has come," she said softly, a tear trickling silently down her cold, pale cheek. "You are too young to understand what is still at stake here."

"I am old enough to realize that this is more than petty vengeance, Siri," Daire said quietly. "Please say that you will allow us to pursue these beings."

"They will, but this is not our time," Siri finally said, sitting up as she turned back to face her cousin. "Mauve will stand down. She let our Lady fall into the hands of Thranduil, and this is punishable as treason."

"When will you finally decide, my cousin, between your conflicting thoughts? Your hatred for Thranduil would bring our Lady to his hand only to have her cleave his head. And yet you stand that Mauve has committed treason because she allowed our Lady to travel with the Elves?" Daire asked, sounding frustrated.

"When you are older, you will understand," Siri replied as she got slowly to her feet. "I will lead them myself. Mauve will remain behind to… think about what she has done."

With Daire's assistance, Siri managed to make it to the bottom. Most of their main force had been gathered, nearly five hundred strong. Many of them gave cries of welcome when they saw Siri walking amongst them again.

Although her arm remained in a sling and her face and neck were still bruised, Siri stood as erect as a pillar and her cool arrogance was almost misleading. Daire stood behind her cousin, waiting to catch her should she fall over.

"My lady," Mauve said, armed only with a bow as she got down on one knee before Siri and bowed her head. "I have gathered our forces."

"This much I see," Siri replied coolly. Then, coming at last to a painful decision, she continued on. "I have no need for your services, Mauve. You are a Lieutenant for a woman who no longer leads us. You will remain behind and watch over the other guards. I will take two hundred with me and if I shall send for more, I will ask for another captain to guide them." Her eyes were very cold as Mauve glanced up at her, still perched on the ground, her dark eyes stunned. "You will not have such warm reception when our people know what you have done. If she dies before she returns, the blame will rest solely on your neck. I, for one, would love to see that neck upon a pike next to the Woodland Kings'."

Mauve swallowed hard as she stumbled back to her feet, backing away as Siri charged forward. "Daire," she said quietly. Her cousin quickly rushed to catch up to her. "Will you ride with me?"

Daire blinked uncomprehendingly. Siri had never asked her to ride before and neither had Buffy. "Yes, my Lady, but I do not understand…"

Siri's face was wary as she smiled thinly at her cousin. "In time, when you are older, you will understand."

She turned to the other women, calling in a clear, loud tone, "Prepare the horses!"

All at once, the village was set in a flurry of activity. The one woman moving at a solemn stance was Mauve, who returned to her own tent in the sky, staring down as the women below moved to and fro. Horses were being gathered and marshaled in a fenced-in area below. She watched this quietly before moving away from the view. She had no interest in watching her women ride to war without her. She was older than many of them and she had tasted war long before Buffy had come into their lives.

She knew why Siri was angry with her, and in part Mauve did blame herself. She didn't think she deserved all of this blame, however.

A war cry sounded below as a single flute started to play and horns sounded. Lifting weary eyes, she caught sight of horses coming from the woods.

Below, two hundred women were gathered around Siri, who took her bow and her sword from her cousin. Daire then stood beside, smoothing her long gown. Both she and Siri were donned in garments from the elder days of their people, garments their mothers had both worn a generation before, 'ere war taken their lives from their daughters. The other women wore leather woven from the hides of cattle. They were the garments of the archers, and all of the women were pulling on quivers and taking their own bows, attaching their swords to their belts.

"We do not go for war," Siri said darkly, walking before them. "We do not go for vengeance. But if they give us a war, they shall have one! If they will not give us our lady, then none of us shall stop until the head of Thranduil is upon this." She took a pike from the ground and lifted it into the air. "My father long defended his lands with this pike, as he hung the last flag of our ancestry. Let us not forget our place in this world… we have but one and it is to return home."

Turning, the entire group of women rose and took a horse. Others prepared to go on foot. When all had been gathered, they turned northeast and disappeared into the woods.

- - - - -

Buffy was awakened by the sounds of singing. She opened her eyes and saw that there were Elves lining the path they were following, all of them singing the same song.

She turned her head, only to realize she was leaning on the back of the Elf. She pulled back, wiping her eyes as the horse came to a rest.

"I was hoping you would awaken before we reached the end," Legolas said, dismounting first and then helping her to dismount, catching her in his arms. She pushed away from him, but before she could tell him off for even daring to be chivalrous, two pairs of hands seized her and starting pulling her backwards.

With a cry, she turned, kicking one of the Elves backwards into a crowd of others. The other Elf was easily pushed back as she turned to Legolas with accusing eyes. "I thought I told you I would never be your prisoner!" she shouted, glancing around like a caged animal, ready to attack anything that dared to approach her.

"They only wish to help you," Legolas said as the rest of his guards dismounted and quickly surrounded the group. They were all staring at this human woman in disbelief, but there was no mistaking the livid look in her eyes. It was almost primal, this glance and as it met his, he could feel her power. There was a lot of it to feel.

"How do they want to help me, Legolas?" she asked in a deliberately slow voice. "Or can you not find a sufficient answer?"

"My Lady," Legolas replied. "They wish to dress you in more appropriate garments to meet with the King."

Buffy glanced down at her clothing, which were little more than guard clothes that had been rather torn and stained since she'd put them on. She finally stood straight and put her hands down at her sides. Perhaps this wouldn't be the worst time to actually pretend to act like a Lady of something.

She was first stripped of her clothing and then placed in a bath. An Elvish woman handed her a bar of soap and Buffy scrubbed every inch of her body until her skin was pink and raw. Once she had gotten out, they took her into a small room and dressed her in a simple shift. Then they brushed her hair until it was dry and gleaming.

Buffy felt as though she were being spoiled and pampered as they pinned her hair up and began rubbing a cream of some sort into her bruised areas. When they touched her ribcage, she hissed and moved away from them, not wanting them to exacerbate her pain anymore. She'd felt enough pain in the past few days to last her a year or two.

After her hair was done, they began adding more layers to her dress, choosing a soft shade of green. At last, they draped a rather large cloak around her shoulders and clasped it beneath her chin with a clasp shaped like a star. The midwives looked rather pleased with themselves as they surveyed the work they had done. Taking her into the small yard behind their talan, she finally was able to see what she looked like.

Buffy gasped when she saw herself. She looked beyond regal, she decided as she turned, the long train of her cloak following her movement.

"Does this not meet your approval?" one of the Elvish women asked.

"I look pretty," Buffy whispered, turning this way and that to admire her reflection. "But was all of this really necessary?"

"King Thranduil only accepts the best into his court," the second Elvish woman told her as she took Buffy's arm and tugged her away from the pond. "Come, the others await you."

As soon as Buffy reached the ground, she turned towards the large number of guards waiting to take her into Thranduil's court. She found her eyes traveling up until she met their cerulean gazes. Her eyes fell onto Legolas' at last. His gaze, usually intense and searching, had turned into one of surprise and, to her own astonishment, pride?

"Now perhaps do you resemble a lady," one of the guards said as they all bowed their heads to her.

Buffy, feeling taken aback, turned to thank the women who had transformed her from a torn-up, beat-up street urchin into a princess. She literally felt like a princess as she took another step forward. From a series of horses, a single stallion was brought forward, already dressed with her saddle.

"Your horse," Legolas said, gesturing unnecessarily towards the beast.

Buffy glanced at the horse and then down at her thirty pounds of garments. How in the world she was supposed to get on this horse, no one could wager a guess. Yet she was going to try it nonetheless. It took assistance from two guards before she was finally able to take the reins and ride forward.

The entire company moved towards Thranduil's castle in the distance.

"He has been informed of your arrival and wishes to speak with you at once," Legolas said in his intense voice.

"I'm thinking he's not one for small talk," Buffy replied.

"He is not," Legolas replied, glancing at her again.

"Don't do that," Buffy muttered, smoothing her long, pale green skirt. "You're making me uncomfortable and that tends to lead to blood and gore."

He didn't reply but moved his steady gaze forward.

They rode side-by-side into the great courtyard before dismounting. Buffy's dismount was rather entertaining for all of those watching her attempt to get off her horse without falling flat on her bottom, but she soon managed to move away from the beast.

Legolas was waiting under the arches for her. He reached for her hand as she took the steps and stared at it. "There is one thing you should know, Lady of the Shadow," Legolas said gently, lifting his extended hand to touch her chin and tip it upwards so her eyes met his. "You look down to no one."

She gave him a brilliant smile then as he pulled his hand away and disappeared inside. Resigning to this new fate, she followed him inside.

There were small groups whispering as she moved through the hall at the side of the Prince of Mirkwood. She kept her gaze level and strong, not wanting to appear weak in the eyes of these people. She wasn't weak. She had never been weak.

At last they reached a great dais and atop the white steps was a King standing before his people, his arms outstretched. His eyes fell onto the young woman before him and for a moment he thought his eyes fooled. This was certainly not the Lady of Shadows, the elusive force that had disappeared from many of their tracking scouts. She was far too young and much too beautiful to be such a leader. And yet, as his eyes met hers, they carried as much intensity as the eyes of his son.

"Welcome to the land of the Mirkwood Elves, my friend," he said loudly and very clearly. "As I am certain you do not know our tongue, I shall speak to you in the tongues of the common men."

She nodded, her eyes never leaving his face. "You must be King Thranduil," she said firmly.

"That I am," the King said, delighted. "You have met my youngest son, Legolas Thranduilion."

"I have," Buffy replied, not looking at the Elf now wishing for a little acknowledgement from her. "He saved my life."

At this, the whisperings in the hall grew louder. Buffy kept her eyes to the King before she realized he was waiting for her to introduce herself.

"You must think I'm rude," she said, at last dropping her eyes before she pulled out her hand and offered it for him to shake. "I'm Buffy, the vampire Slayer."

- - - - -

In the next part, Buffy and Thranduil set the record straight while Siri comes upon a disturbing rumor of her own… one that may lead to a greater conflict and destroy the chances of the Amazons for ever getting "home".

For all of you wondering about Buffy's past, she will speak of it in the next few parts. There are "battle" parts coming soon, as well. For those of you wishing for a nice fast and easy relationship, you will more than likely be disappointed. I have been told I drop substantial hints, yet I never intend to do so. This piece is nearly half finished, for I went back to complete some re-writes of certain things that really did not fit well with the rest of the story.