A/N: monotone Welcome to Chapter 20, and thank you for reading Ivy's Story, "Secrets". Please keepyour hands and feet inside the Story at all times, and please hold on to your loose possessions. Thank you, enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 20: Ithilien?

"Father?" Legolas asked as he entered Thranduil's study. "You wished to see me?"

"Yes Legolas. I have a proposition to make."

"What is it?" Legolas asked. Most of Thranduil's business was with other rulers of lands surrounding Eryn Lasgalen.

"East of Gondor is in the lands of Ithilien. Do you know of this place?"

"Yes, I believe I do." Legolas answered.

Where was this going?

"I have been thinking about it often. I think that it would be profitable for you to settle those areas, and rule those lands." Thranduil finished.

"Settle Ithilien? But Father! I can barely settle myself! I'm about to get married, I can't rule a country, big or small!" Legolas was shocked, although a small particle of himself was screaming 'Opportunity!'

"I know all of this, but you have been raised to be a ruler." Thranduil answered firmly.

"Well, who will rule Eryn Lasgalen when you depart?" Legolas countered. "Who will be ruler of these lands? You cannot abandon it!"

"I won't. I will leave it to my grandchild." Thranduil answered. He had clearly thought it all through very thoroughly. "I never said I expect to sail anytime soon."

"But Father, it will be at least three thousand years until any one of mine and Larien's offspring could even be fit to rule!"

"Legolas, you know very well that what you just said isn't true. I ascended the throne when I was barely two thousand."

"And you were well prepared for such a thing, because…" Legolas' voice faltered as he ran out of a good argument. Thranduil raised his eyebrows. He had clearly won another argument with his son.

"Does your silence mean that you agree with my proposal?" Thranduil asked, his eyebrows still raised and his eyes shimmering with mirth.

"For the meantime. But can I discuss it with Larien? This would mean that we would both have to move, and it would take years to build… not to mention recruiting elves to live there…" Legolas said. Thranduil nodded.

"Very well. Talk to Larien, but tell her that this may seal your future, in ways you might not be able to tell right now." The Elvenking said wisely.

"Father, have you been talking to Galadriel?" Legolas accused.

"Very often, young one. Now off! Go talk to your future wife!" he said, dismissing his son with a wave of his hand. Legolas nodded his head, and started to make his way back to Larien's room. He hoped that Galadriel wasn't in there, because he needed Larien to take his mind off of things… maybe a joke or two would do it… or a nice long kiss...

"Prince Legolas? You look tired! Shouldn't you rest?" chirped the voice of Julia from a side hallway. Legolas jumped, having not noticed Larien's best friend until she had spoken.

"Wha-? Oh… no… I'm just laden with information from my father…" Legolas sighed, rubbing his temples with his fingers.

"Tired, weary… who really cares? It's the same thing!" Julia rolled her eyes. "You better not have left Lauren alone in her room!" she said, eyeing Legolas suspiciously.

"Galadriel was with her… she might still be in there." Legolas said. He liked Julia, she was a really great friend to Larien, and a sweet elf, but she was a bit too motherly sometimes… he had already noticed this in the short time he had spent with her.

"Oh… well, I suggest that you hurry to your bride-to-be, because I saw the Lady going back to her quarters just five minutes ago." Julia commented. Legolas nodded. "Oh, when will your wedding be?" she asked, stopping Legolas as he started again.

"It should be sometime this Fall, if everything turns out as planned." The Prince answered.

"Great!" Julia answered, clapping her hands together and beaming. She turned around and proceeded back down the hallway she had come from.

Thoughts rolled around Legolas' head, and he soon (rather unexpectedly) found himself at the two doors to his and Larien's rooms. He hesitated in front of Larien's door, before opening his own. To his utter surprise, he found Larien laying on his bed, floating a pillow lazily around the room.

"Larien!" Legolas gasped, as she sent the pillow flying at him.

"Yes?"

"I… I didn't expect you here!" Legolas said. Larien beamed at him.

"I sensed that you needed something to take your mind off of what your father told you, which I already know of, via my lovely connection into your mind." She grinned wickedly. "I love the idea of Ithilien, Legolas. It would be fun!" she smiled.

"You do?" Legolas let out a long breath. "I'm not sure that I do, though… It's too close to Mordor! It's immensely close to Gondor, and its far away from any other elven cities!" he said. Larien answered him by silently walking behind him and starting to massage his neck.

"You need to relax, Legolas. Take a bath… I won't interrupt." She said, but then impishly added, "…Unless you want me to." Legolas thought over his answer carefully before speaking it.

"I do want you to interrupt, but unfortunately our little pact requires that you not witness my fully undressed body until we are married. So…" he trailed off. He was quite surprised at her. Normally he was the one that was doing the attempted pact-breaking and she was the one to enforce it… this was a quite satisfying reversal.

"Damn that pact! This really sucks!" Larien cursed, slipping momentarily back into her human lingo. Legolas stared at her.

"It 'sucks'?" he asked, puzzled. He had experienced enough of these little language barrier quirks over the years that all he had to do was ask about them, and she would answer.

"It stinks. It's bad. Orcs pollute it. However you wish to say it." Larien answered casually. She slipped away into her own room. "But have it your own way, my Prince. I will be waiting for you…" She disappeared behind the door.

Legolas sighed again. He summoned a servant to put water into the bathtub, and after what seemed like forever, he sunk into the steaming water.

Behind the door to Larien's room, Larien was smiling wickedly to herself. Of course, she had no real reason, no real motive to be smiling so manically; except that once Galadriel had left, she had tried something new out with her power. It was entering their brain and seeing what they saw, hearing what they thought… it was a whole new window of opportunity…

Which sadly, she was going to ignore for the moment.

She sat on a bench on her balcony and lazily braided her hair. Until Legolas emerged out on the balcony, she entertained herself by watching the birds fly around in the spring air. Just as she was about to start banging on his door, she found two arms had snaked their way around her waist from behind.

"Miss me?" Legolas asked.

"Terribly…" was her reply. Without changing her position, she craned her neck so she could see his soft brown eyes. He lowered his head to kiss her.

Larien patted the bench beside her, and said, "Sit." Legolas complied and slid his arm around her waist.

"My father has asked me to consider something..." Legolas started talking. "about moving somewhere, settling somewhere." He trailed off.

"Ithilien?" Larien asked. "You've already mentioned it dimwit, have you forgotten already?" she teased.

Legolas squeezed her waist to tickle her. She squealed. "Yes, Ithilien... but I am unsure of the prospect. It is extremely close to Mordor!" Legolas said.

"There is no threat in Mordor, my love." Larien assured, although then she reminded herself of the prophetic war-to-come. I'm sure that your father is right about settling in Ithilien."

"I am still unsure of such ideas, although I think that my mind has been made up for me already." Legolas said, hanging his head in defeat. Larien set her head on his shoulder, letting him think for a moment, before she spoke up.

"Legolas, you forget what Destiny says." She said quietly.

"What does Destiny say to me?" Legolas said coolly. "What does it have in store for me that I already have not experienced?"

"You forget that whoever walks with me walks hand in hand with Destiny. Destiny is my guide, and I cannot choose where it will take me. My life was planned for me, and I have no choice but to follow its course." She said in a smooth and calming voice. "You are my Love, my all...and to be such a person means that you have to follow me, and trust me."

"I do trust you," Legolas answered defensively.

"But do you trust me enough to say that Ithilien is your destiny as well?" she asked. Something was holding Legolas back from going to Ithilien, and she didn't know what it was. Reminding herself for the thousandth time that Legolas was meant to settle Ithilien and rule there, she put a soft yet stern look on her face, and stared into Legolas', trying to make him understand that she knew the fate of him.

"I trust you," Legolas answered. And he sealed it with a kiss.

During the next weeks, Legolas and Larien were rarely seen in the halls, and were rapidly becoming known to skip meals. Not because they weren't hungry, or because they suddenly had decided that they didn't want to be in public, but because they were practically chained to the floors of Thranduil's office working on plans for their wedding.

Finally, after at least a week of planning, they were actually able to start sending out invites to a few close friends outside of Mirkwood. Naturally, whether or not they were invited, the entirety of Mirkwood would show up at the wedding anyway. Everyone wanted to get a good view of the kingdom's new princess.

On one such day that Legolas and Larien were free to do as they pleased, Thranduil caught Larien and started talking with her.

"Good afternoon, Larien," he greeted. He held out his arm and she took it, holding onto his forearm.

"Hello Thrandy," she smirked. She had taken to calling him Thrandy when he least expected it. Thranduil dug his elbow into her side lightly.

"I was going to ask you to walk with me," he said, walking anyway, "but now I'm not going to ask and you have no choice but to do as I say," he winked.

"Oh fine," Larien sighed exaggeratedly. "I guess I haven't got any power to say otherwise."

They continued walking through the hallways, towards the Royal hallway, talking in the same sort of joking manner. Thranduil led her into his own room. Larien hesitated slightly at the door. Thranduil felt her hesitation.

"Come in, Larien. I want to show you something," he said kindly. "I won't do anything," he winked.

It felt awkward to be in the King's room, almost illegal. She lingered by the doorway. She trusted the King with her life, but she just didn't feel like she should go any farther just yet.

"I think you'll like this," he said, disappearing into a door. She heard a lot of rustling of clothing, and assumed that he was in a large walk-in closed. When he emerged, he had in his arms a white dress.

Abandoning all previous thoughts of hesitation, Larien squealed and rushed forward to look at the dress. It was the softest cloth she had ever felt, and it was so intricately designed that it must have taken ages to make.

"Would this be a suitable dress for your wedding?" he asked. She squealed again and said,

"Would it ever!" she said. "I love it!" She took it from him and held it in front of herself while looking in the mirror across the room, imagining herself in the dress.

"It was the dress that my wife wore when we were wed (God! So many words that start with 'w'! 6 of 'em!) so long ago..." he said pensively. Larien turned.

"She wore this?" she asked. She had heard so much about her from Legolas and Thranduil, about how wonderful a queen she had been. Thranduil nodded his agreement. "Then I can't wear this," Larien said, trying to hand it back. "I'm not worthy of such a piece of your life," she all of a sudden didn't feel justified to wear such a dress.

"No, you must. I want you to," Thranduil said. "And you will look so beautiful in it, too," he added sweetly.

"Thank you," Larien said, giving Thranduil a tight hug.

"Any time," he whispered in her ear. "I'll keep this..." he said. Larien handed him the dress back. "Let's keep this a secret, then, shall we? No blabbing to my son," he winked.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Larien winked back, smiling as she walked out of the room, running straight into Legolas.

"What were you doing in Father's room?" Legolas asked.

"Oh nothing," Larien shrugged.

"Larien!" Legolas whined, knowing she had a secret. "Please tell me?" he said with an adorable pout. Larien kissed his lip, and dragged him into her room by his collar.

"No," she answered, kissing his neck.

"All of a sudden, I don't really care," Legolas said, closing his eyes and letting Larien kiss him.

"Good to know," she gave him one last long kiss and walked out of the room.

"Wha-? Where are you going?" he asked, surprised.

"Into your room," she said tantalizingly.

"Good."

A/N: Darn, those two just can't keep their HANDS off each other, can they? Can't say I'll update soon, becuase I have yet to even start the next chapter, but I'll do my best. Have nothing else to say, except I'll give out Larien-shaped cookies to everyone who reviews:0)

Nope, I lied. I do have something to say:

I just realized that the last time I updated this story was a year ago...OOPS! which means that... THIS STORY IS ALMOST TWO YEARS OLD! (on 10/13)celebrates

Ooh! A good idea for YOU to do would be to review and CELEBRATE THE ALMOST-TWO-YEAR-OLD STORY! hint :D

-Ivy-