Chapter 5

Within just a few hours Emdiril awoke to soft knocks on her door. "Come in," she grumpily groaned, stretching out in her bed. It was Arwen who entered her chambers – she sneaked over after the celebrations and wore her blue night gown. Emdiril set her eyes on her sister in disbelief, narrowing her eyes at the brunette elleth ever so slightly.

"I've been meaning to come by and make sure you were well." Arwen spoke as she sat at the edge of Emdiril's bed. The elleth's eyes held sincerity and a little amount of worry as she set them upon Emdiril's green ones. She had not been able to talk to her adopted sister since the encounter with Thranduil and she had only just left the festivities. She felt bad for having woken Emdiril as she had not realised how late the hour was.

Emdiril sat up in her bed and yawned once as Arwen watched her. She knew what the brunette elleth meant. Both of them were confused as to what Thranduil had been saying to them.

"Aye. I am well, thank you." the redheaded woman responded, nodding once to prove her point. Truth was, Thranduil's words had not been on her mind a lot after the encounter she had had with Legolas. The brief encounter and the amusement of it had served as a distraction and eased Emdiril's tension, which led her to sleep.

Arwen pressed her lips together in a thin line as she tilted her head to the side, her eyes still firm upon Emdiril's form. "Hm. Do you not wonder what he meant? Do you not wish to find out?" Questions quickly left Arwen's mouth, the normally composed elleth now seemingly tense and openly displaying her confusion.

"With time." Emdiril responded to her, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I thought I was ready, but I am not. Not fully." And this was the truth. Just the little amount of information she had gathered of Thranduil completely caught her off guard.

"Truly?" Arwen raised a delicate eyebrow as she asked this and Emdiril merely nodded in response. The brunette elleth recognised that Emdiril no longer wished to speak of this subject and a wicked grin covered her face. Now it was Emdiril's turn to raise her eyebrows in question.

"Fortunately Haldir was there." Arwen said in a teasing tone, nudging the woman's shoulder with hers. Emdiril's eyes widened and she scoffed.

"Arwen!" she exclaimed, pushing Arwen softly and in a playful manner before she shook her head and laughed whole-heartedly.

"What?" Arwen asked, feigning innocence, "I was merely saying. Truth be told, I could not help but notice the two of you talking a few times during our journey."

"Did you not hear what was said between us?" Emdiril shot back at the brunette, memories of her brief and snappy encounters flooding back.

"No. My mind was elsewhere."

"Let us say that Haldir and I do not agree with each other's ways." Emdiril looked around the room as she placed her hands on her lap. She wanted to avoid Arwen's teasing smile for it would make her smile in return. Wrong thoughts would enter Arwen's mind and Emdiril did not want her sister to think she found interest in the blond, tall elf.

The brunette elleth laughed and shook her head. "Yet he came to your aid when you found yourself stuck with Thranduil's questions and statements," she countered, "You must not forget that Haldir, although he is much older, does not know how to show feelings well."

"Haldir does not bear feelings for me. He was just… being nice." She chose her words and her emerald eyes found Arwen's. Her blue eyes glimmered with mischief and she opened her mouth to speak once more, but Emdiril cast her a warning glance. Arwen snorted and fought back a smirk as she got off Emdiril's bed and walked out of Emdiril's chamber.

"He is an honourable elf!" she called out before she slammed the door shut, knowing that the fiery redhead would have hit her with a pillow if she hadn't. Instead Emdiril rolled her eyes once more, fighting back a smile of her own. It was true – Haldir had come to her aid. Perhaps he was not as bad as she thought.

As morning set in Emdiril had prepared a bath. She did not care who her host was at this moment for she enjoyed the hospitality. After her bath she felt refreshed and clothed herself in her taupe dress and cloak. She had desired to learn more of Greenwood and this kingdom and wished to see what the city and market had to offer. Her red hair was still slightly damp as she exited her chambers and set off into one of the many corridors. Although she did not know the way she felt comfortable walking about and exploring. She reckoned that she should just follow the noise of the many elves and elleths. As she turned a corner she found what she believed to be the town. There were huts with jewellery or books or clothes or anything someone could desire everywhere and many elves were walking along. They all seemed so happy and it filled Emdiril with joy. Even though they were enclosed in these halls, this kingdom was still beautiful and its elves were cheerful.

"My lady." A voice came from behind her and she spun around to come face to face with incredibly blue eyes. Legolas stood, a soft smile displayed on his features. He wore a green tunic now and held a bow in his hand.

"Emdiril."

"Aye." Legolas chuckled at the fair woman's correction. His eyes sparkled with amusement and he tilted his head. She smiled in return and her eyes then glanced around her, observing the scenery. He took this as a chance to look her over – her hair was slightly wet and she had let it hang loose and her emerald eyes were shining brightly. Legolas straightened up instantly as her eyes returned to him.

"Were you about to train?" she asked him, her hand motioning towards Legolas' bow. His eyes averted to look at the object within his hands and he nodded.

"Yes. Though I saw you wandering and thought I should represent my kingdom and show you around." He answered, his blue eyes finding her emerald ones once more. Her smile widened at his statement and it seemed to make her eyes twinkle. The elf found her to be unlike anything he had ever placed his eyes on.

"That is very kind of you, Legolas." She told him sincerely and she placed a hand on his upper arm. It lingered for a moment longer than it had to before she spun on her heel and followed the path, Legolas walking by her side. Emdiril's green eyes observed the elves around her before she glanced back at Legolas, her eyes scanning his features. "You look different to them."

Legolas looked down at her and nodded his head. "Aye, I am of the Sindar, not Silvan." He explained to her, his tone soft. Emdiril nodded as well and returned her eyes towards the first hut they were approaching. It displayed many books and scrolls and Emdiril's eyes shone in astonishment. Reading had been her secret passion and she always enjoyed learning more of Middle Earth. She picked up several of the books and read a page or two and as she did so, Legolas watched her carefully. He could not help the lingering glances for she was so unlike anyone else. It made him curious, but he would not overstep his boundaries unlike his father. He wished to befriend this creature before him. Spending time with her pleased the elf as she always seemed so friendly and calm. It calmed him in return and he felt silly for he had only met her the day prior. A small smile spread across his face at the female's apparent excitement for books.

"Follow me." He whispered in her ear making her internally jump. Emdiril had not realised how close they had been standing, too focused she was on the books. She turned her head to follow the elf's motions as he walked across the market, before taking quick steps to follow the larger elf. She had no chance to inquire as to where they were going before he opened a large door, revealing a large room full of enormous shelves. The shelves were filled with what appeared thousands of books. Emdiril looked around in awe, her eyes wide and mouth opened ever so slightly and Legolas felt proud of himself. A friendship between the two of them was blossoming and it pleased him greatly.

"I imagined you would like this place." He offered, motioning around the room at the many books and shelves. The elf did not spend as much time reading himself but he would gladly spend more time in the library if it meant pleasing a friend.

"I love it! Thank you, Legolas!" Emdiril was impressed with the elf. He had not known her long but already knew of her love for reading. She supposed she had made it quite obvious but his actions meant a lot to her regardless. The woman then started walking along one of the shelves slowly.

"Maybe here you can find your answers." Legolas stated, giving his shoulders a slight shrug as he looked around. He had intended for his statement to be innocent though it stopped Emdiril dead in her tracks. Suddenly she remembered who Legolas' father was and she wondered if he was only being nice to her to get more information for his father. Her eyes snapped to the door as someone else entered and cleared their throat – it was none other than Haldir and his eyes were firm on Legolas'. Legolas' brows furrowed before he remembered the encounter he had had with Emdiril the night before… She had never explained what Haldir meant to her. He looked in between the Marchwarden and his new found friend and smiles softly. "Haldir of Lorien." He nodded in acknowledgement towards the other elf before walking towards the door. "I will allow you two some privacy." Legolas excused himself before walking out, leaving Haldir and Emdiril alone within the colossal like room.

Emdiril's eyes were set on the Marchwarden and she narrowed her eyes at him. "You again." Haldir smirked at her remark and took steady steps towards the shorter woman, his eyes not leaving her form. Emdiril rolled her eyes at his smirk and turned her face towards the books, but could not help the small smile that was growing. He was so arrogant, it annoyed her but in a way it also amused her.

"Well someone has to protect you as you are clearly incapable of doing so," he shrugged his shoulders casually in response before leaning against the shelf, standing a few steps away from the redhead.

"What?!" she snapped back, her eyes almost instantly on the Marchwarden. She knitted her brows together in annoyance. In her mind she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

Haldir let his blue eyes scan her features – why did he think she would take kindly to his protection? A sigh escaped the blond elf's lips as he took another step toward the woman. "The King cannot be trusted, he wishes to you use you and gain knowledge on you." He whispered lowly, cautious eyes scanning the area around them to make sure no one had heard his words. The Silvan elves admired their great King. "He knows of your kind and wished to use this to his advantage. You do not yet know everything about yourself that there is to know. Thranduil is hoping that the shock of finding out will turn you against Elrond and keep you here." He continued his rambling, his eyes never leaving her green ones. Emdiril knew this meant he was telling the truth or at least he was displaying his theories. He had no reason to lie. She clenched her jaw before averting her gaze to the side. It was never easy for her to admit that Haldir was right. It only added to his big ego.

"Forget about what Thranduil knows… How much do you know?" Her eyes turned back towards the elf and his eyes appeared to soften slightly.

"I know of the Prophecy, yet I do not believe the Lady Galadriel has shared everything there is to know about you." The Marchwarden admitted. It irritated her more than she would like to admit, especially considering his questions during their journey here. He had known anyway. Elrond had had all her life to talk to her about these things. Galadriel had known and now even Haldir. She wondered how many other people knew what she did not. Her mind wandered to a certain blond elf; was Legolas in on it to? She exhaled deeply as her eyes found Haldir's again. He stood still, his blue eyes watching for her reaction but remaining calm nonetheless. She pursed her lips in thought.
"How did you know I was here?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"I saw you and the prince walk here. I did not wish for him to put you in an awkward position like his father did. It appears I arrived at the right time." He straightened his position, his frame no longer leaning against the shelf but standing up straight. The Lady of Lothlorien had asked him to keep an eye out for Emdiril and he took his tasks very seriously. Galadriel herself was weakened by what happened to her daughter. However the Marchwarden felt like this was not the only reason he protected her. Haldir felt as though Legolas had possibly led Emdiril to a less crowded place to question her.

"Why do you care?" Emdiril shot at him, though her voice was sweeter than before and her expression had softened. Haldir frowned slightly at her question and shrugged a single shoulder. "I do not know."

Three days had passed and Emdiril found herself surrounded by the walls of the library once more. If she wasn't with Arwen, the twins or in her chambers, she spent her time here. The woman had thought about Haldir's words – Thranduil meant to shock her with the revelations of her kin and she would not let him get between her and her family. Elrond was an honourable elf she found, she believed that the fact he kept information from her was due to him wanting to protect her. She had kept herself busy reading many different books of creatures of Middle Earth or even old scrolls and she had no success. She pursed her lips as the door opened, revealing Legolas. His eyes seemed darker and less lively she found and she nodded at him in acknowledgement.

Emdiril had not spoken to Legolas since the day he showed her the library and it wounded the proud elf. He had not liked to admit it but even in those fleeting moments with the woman, he had grown fond of her and he wished for her to be his friend. He liked her aura and the calmness and warmth that would radiate from her. It made him feel welcome, yet she had not been talkative. Legolas would even go as far to say she had avoided him.

Emdiril looked back up from her book as she noticed him just standing still and she raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. He shook his thoughts off and approached her table calmly, sitting down opposite from her. In return, Emdiril laid down the book she had to give him her full attention.

"Is everything well, Legolas?"

"Many thoughts trouble me." He responded to her, his icy blue eyes upon her features. Again he felt she looked beautiful – she wore a dress of a light orange colour and she had braided her hair to the side once more.

"Would you like to share these thoughts?" Emdiril offered after a moment of hesitation, motioning her hand for him to continue.

"You have been avoiding me." It was a statement, not a question. There was a soft frown on his face as he told her and Emdiril felt guilty for he was right. She inhaled deeply before letting the air leave her lungs, a frown upon her own face as well.

"When you said I could find information about myself here, I grew scared that you were trying to get information out of me for your father." She internally cursed herself as soon as her words left her mouth, it was clear to her now he sat in front of her that her actions had wounded him. Legolas said nothing, simply stared at a blank space in front of him, deep in thought. Biting the insides of her cheeks, Emdiril reached out to place her hand gently on top of his to regain his attention once more. It worked and his eyes were now on her emerald ones so Emdiril opened her mouth to speak but was silenced as Legolas' other hand covered hers. "You do not need to explain. I see why you would think that. You have never ventured to Greenwood before. You do not yet know who you can trust fully."

Legolas' words and his gentle smile took Emdiril by surprise. For she did not know how to respond, she simply squeezed his hands and returned his smile. The woman appreciated the elf's understanding and friendly personality.

"Which is why I would like you to accompany me to train with bow and arrow this day. I wish for you to get to know me." The blond elf openly displayed his wishes. Not many elves here looked at him as Legolas. They looked at him as the Prince, the heir to the throne and so he never knew whether his kin liked him for his personality or simply because they felt they had to. Legolas stood up, still holding onto the redheads hand and tugged on it gently. "Come. Please." Emdiril did not have to be asked twice as she obliged promptly, abandoning the book she had been reading. Together they walked across the market towards the training grounds, not noticing another elf watching them closely.