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All of my wonderful readers and reviewers- sorry I haven't addressed all of you individually as usual but I'm ill- that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

The room was ice cold; the air seeped into their clothes and into their skin. Freezing them from the inside out.

Eleni's body lay serenely on a large lab of stone. A black transparent veil had been draped over her, hiding the golden curls and the blue eyes that were so much like her fathers.

The room was a large stone crypt. Many of Legolas' ancestors had been laid out to rest in this room, and now his daughter would join their number.

Thalia knelt on the floor before her daughter, her face, stony and expressionless and her eyes violet with anger and loss.

Legolas stood as far away from his family as he could. If he allowed himself to step any further he would break down, and he could not allow that to happen. His family needed him.

He watched as Thalia looked down at the doll that lay in her lap. The doll had been a gift for Eleni's first birthday and she had never let it out of her sight. For years she had trailed it around the grounds, refusing to be parted with it. The doll had never been given a name.

Thalia stood up, her shaking hands smoothing down the wrinkles in the black fabric of her dress. She raised her chin, sighing deeply. He watched as slowly she took a step towards Eleni's body, but after the first step she could not bring herself to move any closer.

He watched her closely; her eyes closed and she covered her mouth to stifle a sob that threatened. Her body stiffened and her hands began to shake.

Suddenly the tremors stopped and she turned to look at him. Her eyes were a bright violet and her mouth was drawn in a thin line.

"This is your fault. It is entirely your fault. If you had done your duty a little better perhaps your family might have been safer! You left us, how long did you wait until you came after us. You could have prevented this"

his eyes widened, his face growing even paler against the black of his tunic. His lips curled into a snarl, despite the knowledge that he knew what she was doing and why she was doing it, he couldn't prevent the anger that flared within him and he bit back.

"Perhaps it is you who should have taken the time to make sure that our children were safe, you should have stayed with them. Instead you pursued your own wishes, against those of both me and our children"

He felt a hint of satisfaction as her eyes watered and she faltered. Her chin wobbled slightly and her hand fiddled with her dress. Before he could react she threw the doll at him, screaming at him. She fell to the floor in a heap; great sobs emanating from her very soul.

He faltered, not knowing what to do. Part of him wanted to go to her, he needed the reassurance that he had somebody with him and he wanted her to embrace him of her own will and tell him that she loved him.

He knew that her words had been meaningless, they had talked about what could have happened and they had both unconsciously blamed themselves and one another.

He heard his footsteps echo in his ears and before he knew what he was doing he knelt down beside her. She looked up at him, pleading for something as her cold hands found his,

"I cannot do this…it is…too hard. It hurts…it hurts so much"

She managed to say between heaving sobs. She fumbled with the neckline of her dress as her chest heaved with the harshness of her breathing and she looked panicked for some reason.

He reached out and grabbed her hands, stopping her movements,

"What are you doing?"

"I can't breathe, I can't breathe"

He grasped her hands tightly to his chest and forced her to look him in the eyes,

"Thalia, stop this. There is nothing wrong with your chest. Calm yourself before you make yourself ill"

His voice was steady and unyielding, he was close to breaking down and she was not helping. He had ignored his grief too long and it was not going to be kept at bay any longer. He loved his daughter more than life itself and he could not bear to think of life without her. It would be a difficult struggle, but they had Niall to think of and they had a child due in but a few months.

She calmed and turned her head to look at Eleni, her face fell and a look of despair covered her face. She crawled onto his lap, moulding her body to his less than relenting body. His posture was rigid but she would not give up.

He closed his eyes as he felt her fingers trace the mithril patterns on his tunic and for some reason he felt his body relax and a sense of calm flow through his veins.
Sighing deeply he finally wrapped his arms around her, the tears flowing in rivers down his cheeks.

"I love you"

he heard her quietly whisper to him, his heart broke and he kissed her forehead as silent sobs wracked his body.

Finally the two of them were equals and for the first time since Thalia's return they felt the strength of their bond and each other.

Unbeknownst to the two of them their son sat behind the stone bed of his sister, effectively shielding him from their view. The elfling pulled the black veil that covered Eleni, gasping quietly as it fell over his head.

He placed a kiss on a stone that he had always kept underneath his pillow and stood up on his tiptoes, pressing the trinket into the palm of her hand.

He lost his balance and fell to the floor with a yelp, alerting his parents to his presence.

Sighing he emerged from behind the stone and slowly made his way over to them. They looked so sad, and his Adar...he looked lonely.

Thalia quickly stood up and began fussing,

"Oh Niall, look at you tunic. You're full of dust. What on earth have you been doing?"

She didn't wait for an answer but instead began to brush off the dust from his black tunic as best she could.

"Nana why are we wearing black? We never wear black nana"

She flinched but carried on what she was doing, making the elfling roll his eyes.

Legolas stepped forward and removed his wife's hand.

"Thalia leave him be. It is not important"

Niall looked at his Adar with confusion, what was he doing? He never spoke to his nana like that.

Glorfindel interrupted the family.

The elven lord looked immaculate in a robe of deep blue velvet. His face was masked, only letting his emotions show though his eyes.

He started as Legolas took Thalia's arm and marched her over to him and physically handed her to him,

"Deal with your daughter Glorfindel, for I cannot"

The grief that Glorfindel felt coming from Legolas was immense and he doubted that the younger elf had any idea of how to deal with it, therefore his feeling we coming across as anger.

Thalia looked at her adar with an expression of fury and helplessness and quickly before she could react to Legolas he took her by the elbow and led her from the room, through a large room where everybody awaited the family before the burial ceremony could begin, and then through another set of large door and into a small room that was usually reserved for private meetings.

He sat her down and stood before her,

"Thalia, I know that you are hurting, but so is Legolas. He needs time to deal with this. He does not mean anything he says at this time so do not take it heart yelde"

she looked up at him with tearful eyes,

"it seems like an age since you last called me that"

she looked down at her stomach and placed her arms around herself as if to embrace the child.

"I lay awake last night, I could not sleep. And I thought about all the times that we shared, all the little quirks that she had. And I remembered the night of her birth. She was so perfect, they both were, and I though 'this is it, this is my future'. And now she is gone. This child cannot replace her and I do not know what to do, I feel that if I embrace it I will be betraying my daughter"

Glorfindel felt his heart bleed for her and knelt down in front of her, placing a hand on her stomach. His green eyes watched her closely as she once again placed a mask of indifference over her features.

"This child will not replace Eleni, but you should embrace it. Eleni was looking forward to having another sibling, and you should trust that. Do not seek to replace you daughter, but honour her"

She nodded and stood up, hooking her arm through his.

"Come on Adar. If we don't do this now, I will never be able to do it"

he placed a kiss on her forehead,

"You are strong my daughter. And you can do this. Remember that I love you"

She hugged him quickly, before stepping back and regaining her composure.

---

Eloria and Thranduil stepped through the cold doorway of Eleni's resting place, their eyes fixed on the father and son. Legolas stood before Eleni's body, Niall in his arms.

The prince did not react as his mother took his son from his arms, his eyes remaining fixed on her face. Thranduil placed a hand on his sons shoulder,

"Legolas, look at me"

Reluctantly Legolas turned round to face his father, his eyes still blazing in anger and pain.

"I have seen Thalia"

that was all the explanation that was needed, understanding immediately Legolas' face fell, the anger ebbing away. His blue eyes returned to a lighter shade and his jaw slackened. Sighing he ran a hand through his hair.

"I did not intend to shout as I did. My actions were..."

"Purely unintentional, I know son. You and I are very much alike in that respect. Our pain reflects as anger and we lash out without thinking when we are in pain"

Thranduil embraced his son as he saw the tears begin to shine in his eyes.

Legolas gripped his father's tunic tightly in his hand, hoping that somehow it would take him away from everything. He wanted so much to change everything. Thalia was right. He could have changed everything.

Sensing his son's guilt Thranduil pushed him gently away,

"You are not to blame and you could not have changed events. Do not waste your time wishing and hoping and do not allow your heart to be riddled with guilt. You did what you had to. "

"My child is dead, I cannot push that aside Adar, I cannot forget"

Thranduil looked at him with pity,

"I am not asking you to forget son. I am asking you to remember, but accept. Grieve now and then live. Eleni knows that you love her, nothing will ever change that. But remember her, as she was, not how she died. Remember her smile and her laugh and the way that she would wake you up in the light of dawn. Honour her memory Legolas but do not dwell, for it will break you and your family will suffer"

Legolas stepped back from his father and suddenly the years of being subject to teaching of manners and etiquette came together and the elf became a prince.

---

Haldir stood by the door, a glass in his hand, the glass had been drained almost half an hour ago but he did not wish to leave his solitude and join those other who waited patiently for the royal family to say their private goodbyes.

He sighed deeply, he had not felt like he did at that moment for years and for a brief moment he was but an elfling again.

He felt powerless against this. He was fighting a battle that he was going to loose, even he knew that.

He felt the light touch of a hand as if fell upon his shoulder and he turned to ask them to leave. His eyes travelled from the neat nails and the soft milky skin to a graceful neck and to the face that eh had secretly wished to see.

"Ardana, please, sit with me"

She took the empty glass from his hand and replaced it with her smaller hand. She ducked her head and tucked a stay stand of hair behind her ear.

"I am sorry for your loss Haldir"

His gaze must have flicked a little for she paled and tried to remove her hands from his grasp.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to offend you in any way marchwarden"

She chuckled softly and shook his head, silently pleased by her forward address. There were not many who would dare to address him by name but she…she was different.

"You did not offend me, you compliment me Ardana and I am glad of your company"

Leaning back against the wall she took a moment to study him. He wore a blue tunic that had been embroidered with an elegant pattern, his leggings were of a charcoal grey and his thigh length leather boots were a polished black.

His expression was hidden beneath an exterior of well-practiced calm but his eyes were stormy, there were some things that he could not hide, no matter how hard he tried.

His eyes met hers yet she did not turn away; instead she met him with an expression of strength. He gently squeezed her hand and smiled, thanking her for her care.

"Even you cannot hide such impenetrable loneliness marchwarden"

He raised an eyebrow, meeting her soft gaze with one of his own,

"Are we that much alike my lady"

Her eyes widened slightly and she looked as if she wanted to say something, but the large door opening to reveal the King and Queen, behind them standing a lonely prince and a small elfling, interrupted them.

Heads turned to see their princess enter the room separately from anther room, her arms locked around Lord Glorfindel's offered arm.

To all in the room it seemed as if an oppressive blanket of sorrow and cold had fallen upon them, nobody failed to notice the changed demeanour of Thalia and all wondered whether this was the end of their beloved princess.