Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings, J.R.R.Tolkien does!

Chapter 5: Caught!

Aranel woke the next morning, confused yet again. She had only just got use to waking up in a cell, and where she was now was a far cry from that. She looked around the room, it was beautiful. There was an open fire opposite her and vanity near it. A door to her right lead off into a bathroom that she thought she could very possibly get lost in and the bed was so comfortable it was beyond words. But despite all this Aranel felt completely miserable. She had dreamt of her family that night, and found that, upon waking, she was in a turmoil of emotion. Part of her was angry and upset that her mother had never mentioned any of this before, the logical part of her mind, which had decided to make a timely appearance and tell her how childish that was, thought that, had she been in her mothers position, she probably wouldn't have said anything either, after all, why make her feel like even more of an outcast by saying 'Hey by the way, your actually not human'. But in the end logic was beaten down, as it usually was, and Aranel took it to heart that her mother hadn't at least told her that her father had powers like her own. And of course on top of all that she was in a strange place with a strange man that was saying he was her father and an immortal at that, and she had no idea how to handle any of it. So Aranel lay there, completely resolute on never getting up and staying exactly where she was for the rest of her life so she didn't have to deal with anything.

It was as she lay there, thinking about the events of the previous day that she realised another problem she could fell guilty for. After leaving her first meeting with Illindor, she still didn't see him as her father; she had fallen into a moody silence. And unfortunately Legolas had been present for most of it, trying to draw her out of it with words of comfort and encouragement, which she had completely ignored, while showing her to her room and doing an amazing job on healing her hand. She looked at it now, it was covered in a lite bandage but it had returned to its normal size and had stopped throbbing. Eventually he had just given up and left, without saying a word, to leave her to her own devices. Bugger she thought. Screwed that one up. And then a few moments later her stubborn side appeared again and thought No, bugger it, I was upset, I have every right to behave like that! And she was resolutely sticking to that when someone knocked at her door and her mind went blank in panic. She didn't want to see anyone and she knew it was someone she probably didn't like because Legolas was really the only person that she didn't hate at the moment and he probably thought she was an idiot. So she pulled the covers over her head and stayed very still, much like one does when they somehow have the idea that if you can't see someone they can't see you, even though you are in front of them with your hands over your eyes. Unfortunately for Aranel, this theory didn't work and Illindor's voice drifted through the door.

"Aranel, I know your in there, I've been waiting for you to make an appearance all morning."

Aranel, already in a bad mood and disappointed that her theory had failed her, seriously considered opening the door and slapping him. How dare he act like that! She wasn't really entirely sure how he was acting, but at the moment she settled on treating her like a child, much like Gandalf had, as if he were saying 'Come on now, I know your in there, come and say hello to everyone, they do so want to meet you!" The logic in this was failing fast though, she knew she didn't really have a right to be angry with him but it was easier than accepting things. So she crawled out of bed, threw on a robe and opened the door with a little to much force, startling Illindor, and quite surprising herself as well.

"What do you want?" she tried to say this emotionlessly, though upon seeing Illindor she'd remembered who dominating and powerful he had seemed the previous night and faltered a little on her words.

He gave no sign of noticing this however and continued on with what he had come to get her for. "Aranel, I need to talk to you about what will happen now that you are here. Obviously you will have to be trained in your powers and taught in the ways of the Fay, but I need to have a, well, a chat, about yourself and what you can and can't do at the moment. Is there anytime that would suit you, do you think?"

Aranel stood there, not quite sure how to take this. When she had imagined her father he had always been the sort that came and sat on her bed and talked and did other things like that. And now here was this man, her father, knocking politely at the door and trying to make an appointment to see her.

"I…well…you don't have to. I can understand if you want to leave it, settle down a bit…" Illindor didn't look directly at her when he said this, in fact he seemed to become very interested in his feet and despite everything, she recognised the trait in herself.

It was at this point that she realised that he was here as her father, not as the Lord he had been last night. And she couldn't help feel a little sympathetic towards him; after all, he had found a daughter he thought he would never see again. This is the real him then, she thought, this is my father.

"Yeah, sure. Anytime is fine. After all I don't really have anything to do anymore." She grinned a little at this, it was strange to think that she didn't have to go to school or do her assignments or go to work… Perhaps this isn't so bad…

"Really? I…ok, well, I can come back in about an hour, to let you get ready, if you like." Illindor said hopefully.

"Yeah ok, that would be good, thanks." Aranel said nodding her agreement.

"Good then! I'm glad we sorted that out! I'll see you soon then." He said very cheerfully and almost bounded down the hall.

Aranel closed the door as she went back in, shaking her head slightly and smiling despite herself. It was only after he had gone that she realised that he had been nervous, as of he was afraid of her rejection, and she couldn't help feeling touched by that.

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Aranel stood before her mirror, looking at herself. Not long after her father had left there was another knock, and she had opened the door to find a servant standing there, holding a tray of breakfast in front of her and smiling happily at Aranel. After letting her in and thanking her for breakfast it had taken about ten minutes to get her to leave, she didn't seem to understand the concept of someone getting ready themselves, and she had become quite distraught at the thought that she had done something wrong.

However, after Aranel had convinced her that she had done a perfect job and she had left happy yet again, Aranel had found that perhaps she should have accepted the help. The dresses that she had found in the wardrobe seemed to fancy and complicated for her and most of them were the wrong size anyway, apparently the suddenness of yesterdays events hadn't just caught her off guard, and it took her awhile to finally settle on a light blue, quite simple, summery dress, or so she supposed, that actually fit her and didn't involve endless strings that somehow had to be tied around her. So now she looked at herself in the mirror, wondering if this was the sort of thing she was suppose to ware, if it was what a princess should ware or not, or if everyone would think she was stupid or something. Her thoughts were interrupted however by a knock and Illindor calling her name through the door.

He seemed a lot more composed this time and she wondered if the last time he had come to see her if it was a spontaneous thing, not giving himself enough time to prepare.

"Hey," she said, hoping it was cheerful.

Illindor smiled at her as she shut the door behind her, nodding to himself but making no comment.

"Where did you want to talk?" Aranel asked to fill in the silence.

"It's a lovely day out, perhaps we could find a garden somewhere." Illindor suggested.

"That sounds great, I haven't been outside in ages!" Aranel replied, realising that she really hadn't since she went for that walk at home.

They headed off down the hall, Illindor making the odd comment about this or that, and Aranel answering politely, still a little cautious around him though nowhere near as nervous as she had been at their first meeting.

Illindor lead Aranel outside, and they walked through the breath taking gardens that one would expect of the elves, until they found a secluded bench beside a fountain. Aranel sat on the ledge and started playing with the water.

Illindor watched her for a while before asking, "Can you manipulate it at all?"

This caught Aranel completely off guard Manipulate it! It's water! She thought, though she didn't answer, just giving Illindor a very confused look.

"I only ask to try and find where your powers lie." He explained, "You see, we of the Fay are usually strongest in one element. My powers are strongest with air, though I can manipulate water and fire a little." At this he cupped his hand and dipped it in the water, creating a small pool. He then closed his hands only to open them to reveal a perfect sphere of water glinting in the sunlight. "You see I can manipulate it, though anything I can do of real significance is with air." And at this the air behind him seemed to shimmer, and as if out of thin air wings appeared on his back. Aranel could do nothing but sit in complete shock. It was enough just to discover that she was a Fay herself, but to see her father like this was another thing entirely. It still hadn't really sunk in that the Fay even existed and now here was her father in all his glory. She looked at him, his wings were grey with glimmers of blue and silver and she noticed that they didn't appear to have a particular shape; it was as if they were constantly shifting. They weren't the typical butterfly wings that she had imagined either, these were more ragged, as if they were more for show than anything practical.

"It is a manifestation or reflection of energy, my energy, that is why they constantly shift. They are not wings in the sense that people think they are, I cannot fly with them, they are merely a signature, if you will, of what I am, a being of the air." He explained as if he could read Aranel's thoughts.

Aranel opened and closed her mouth but no words came out. Her father chuckled at her and returned to his normal self, which was far less imposing than the winged being he had been seconds earlier.

"Anyway, enough of that, that is all in your future if it is what you want." Illindor said, coming to sit next to her.

Aranel nodded, thinking about what he had just shown her. It had seemed shocking but part of her seemed to resinate with it, as if it recognised the power in herself. It was then her dream came back to her and she couldn't help asking "What about my family, my home?"

Illindor was silent for a moment before replying, "If you were to learn the ways of the Fay you would have to remain here."

"I thought so." Aranel said, she really wanted to finally be able learn about her powers but the thought of never going home again almost seemed like to much of a compromise.

"Listen, another thing I wanted to know was whether you wanted to remain here with the Elves while you were trained. I do not know how you will go with just being thrown into our realm and the life of the Fay, I thought it might be better to prepare you a little first." Illindor suggested, "If that was your wish I thought we might go and speak with King Thranduil, and perhaps Gandalf about you concerns for getting home."

"Really? That would be great!" Aranel replied, relief flooding through her at the thought that she might not have to choose between staying here and learning about what felt so right to her and returning home to her family.

"All right then, lets go and find them, shall we?" Illindor said smiling and offering Aranel his arm to escort her back to the palace.

Aranel smiled and took the offered arm saying, "We shall," and walked back to the castle with this strange and magnificent man that was her father.

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Things had gone quite smoothly when Aranel and Lord Illindor found Thranduil and Gandalf. Gandalf had explained to Aranel that she would have to spend one hundred years in Middle Earth for a single year to pass in her home, so even if she was to stay for a few years, a very short time would have passed. Aranel, being very pleased by this had agreed to take Illindor up on his offer to train her, during which time she would decide if she wished to take up her place as Princess.

However, things had gone steadily down hill when it came to where Aranel would stay and under go her training. Thranduil and Illindor had started a heated argument, at which point Aranel was asked to leave and she now knelt outside the door, her ear pressed to the keyhole as she tried to listen to what was going on.

"…It was hard enough for her to accept what has happened all ready! And you expect me to just throw my own daughter into a whole new life! You're a father yourself, would you put your son through that much stress if you could help it otherwise!" Illindor demanded of Thranduil.

"And I am a King also and I will protect my people!" Thranduil shot back.

"From what, a 17 year old girl!" Illindor scoffed.

"No, not a 17 year old girl, a Fay! And you! I cannot have Fay living indefinitely in my palace!" Thranduil replied, Aranel heard something thunk onto the desk and could only assume that he had hit his fist to it to punctuate his words. "And do not say that I will not even notice your presence, you cannot possible expect to train her by yourself! If I let you stay the whole place will be over run with you lot!"

"Us lot! Who are you to call the Fay us lot as if you address some common thief! You Elves never saw us for our true selves! You were always so close minded that you couldn't even see past your own nose!" Illindor snapped, Aranel giggled quietly at the last comment, it seemed such an odd thing to say an Elf, let alone King Thranduil.

"Quite entertaining isn't it." Someone whispered in her eye from behind her.

Aranel let out a muffled shriek as she shot up to her feet and spun to see who had caught her eavesdropping. Much to her dismay it was non other than Legolas.

"I…I wasn't….it's not..." but she couldn't think of a way of finishing the sentence without completely lying so she shut her mouth and looked at her feet, much like her father.

To her surprise though, Legolas chuckled slightly, placing a finger under her chin and lifting it so she looked him in the eye. He was smiling to himself and he shook his head slightly in amusement.

"I have to say, I'm quite impressed, it took me years to realise you can hear what is going on a lot better through the keyhole, rather than pressing your ear to the door. Though you do have to be quick on your feet to escape being caught." He released her chin as he finished saying this, still smiling down at her.

"I think I might need a little more practice at the escaping, you seem to have caught me quite easily." She replied, smiling herself now.

"Well, I'm sure I can teach you at some stage, and it's good to see you in such a good mood. I think it suits you a lot better than the last one I caught you in."

Aranel flushed at this, looking around in embarrassment, "I'm sorry about that, I was just so confused and angry and, well…anyway, I didn't deserve the patience and kindness you showed me-"

"Nonsense! Of course you did. And you have no need to apologise either, if I had gone through everything that you had that night I wouldn't fell much like talking either." Legolas cut Aranel off.

"But it was so rude-"

"Ah! Not another word about it! You have nothing to be sorry for!"

"Thankyou." Aranel mumbled, still embarrassed at her childish behaviour.

"Don't mention it. Now, I've been looking for you for a while now, I wanted to see how your hand was this morning." Legolas said, reaching out to take her injured hand, and turning it gently in his grasp to examine the bandaging.

"Do you mind if I take this off and have a proper look at it?" he asked, indicating to the bandage.

"Of course not, but I think I'm meant to wait for them to finish." Aranel replied, indicating to the door, behind which the muffled argument still raged.

"They wont be done for while, my quarters are just down the hall, it wont take long." Legolas nodded down the hall, smiling encouragingly at Aranel, who couldn't help but smile back. "Oh come on. I caught you rebelliously eavesdropping and you wont ever walk down the hall to let me check your hand!" Legolas said, a teasing lilt in his voice as he laughed quietly.

"I wasn't being rebellious!" Aranel replied playfully as she quickly made her way down the hall, Legolas having to catch up on her sudden departure.

"Oh, I think you were. I might have to keep an eye on you, I can't have you running a muck around the palace now can I!" Legolas teased her as he showed her down the hall to his chambers.

"Perhaps I should be watching you, after all you admitted to eavesdropping yourself! Though you did admit it took you a couple of years to realise how to do it properly…clearly your not as quick as you think you are." Aranel teased.

Legolas stopped opening the door and locked at her with his mouth open, a look of shock on his face. For a horrible moment Aranel thought she had stepped over the line and insulted him He's a Prince you idiot! Not some guy you can just joke around with! She thought wildly, she had completely forgotten that he was a Prince, she was so use to just thinking of him as Legolas back at home. But to her relief his shock turned to amusement as he laughed beautifully, showing her into his chambers and sitting her on an exceptionally comfortable couch.

"I am definitely going to have to keep an eye on you!" he said, still smiling.

Aranel just smiled, looking around at her surroundings. Legolas's chambers could be described as nothing less than magnificent. Everything had been seen to, down to the finest detail. He had the best of everything and the most luxurious as expected.

"It gets tiresome, usually I spend as much time away from here as I possibly can." Legolas said, entering from a side room with a bowl of water and bandages, noticing Aranel's awed expression.

He sent the things down on the small table in front of her and sat down next to her, taking her hand and placing it in his lap.

"You don't like it! But it's….amazing." she said a little lost for words.

"Yes, but it's not really me. I prefer the simpler things in life, it is my father who insists on all this." Legolas waved a hand around at the room in general as he started to undo the bandages. "Let me know if I hurt you." He added, as he concentrated on what he was doing.

Aranel nodded and watched him work. He gently unravelled the bandage and then placed a cloth into the water to soak.

"Where did you learn this?" Aranel asked, intrigued by his skill.

"I'm a warrior, it's useful to know basic healing. That and Lord Elrond taught me some of his skills."

Aranel nodded again, "Yes, he is an amazing healer." She said absentmindedly.

"You know of him?" Legolas asked, giving her a questioning look.

Aranel hesitated; she hadn't told anyone that in her own world they were all fictional characters. "Er…yeah, I've read about him, somewhere…" she replied hoping that it sounded good enough.

Legolas gave her a lopsided smile, as if he didn't quite believe her, but he asked no more on the subject. They fell silent as Legolas, concentrating on thet task at hand, took the cloth out and started to gently brush her hand with it, murmuring what Aranel assumed were Elvish words of healing. Aranel was amazed at how gentle he was with her, she had just assumed that a seasoned warrior would be a lot more rough and uncaring and she felt a little ashamed for her assumption.

Legolas, having finished what he had wanted to do, began bandaging up her hand again, and Aranel, foolishly she thought, felt slightly disappointed that there meeting was coming to an end.

"I didn't see you at breakfast this morning, was everything alright." Legolas asked suddenly, slightly startling Aranel.

"What?...Oh, yes everything was fine, I had to meet Illindor and I couldn't be bothered wasting time to try and find the dinning hall." She replied, still not able to bring herself to call Illindor her father.

"Has no one showed you around yet?" Legolas asked.

"No…"Aranel said, she hadn't really expected anyone to.

"And have you had lunch yet?" Legolas asked in reply.

"No…" Aranel said again.

"Right, well, if you like, we can go and see what the verdict was to that argument, have lunch and then I can give you the grand tour." Legolas suggested, smiling once more.

"I would love to!" Aranel replied, also smiling and taking Legolas's offered arm as they both stood.

"Good, that way I can defiantly keep an eye on you." He said playfully, leading her out of the room and back down the hall to see what fate had dealt her this time.

Well, there it is, updates might get a bit slower, I have a second job now plus study so I don't have as much time as I use to : ( Anyway enough of that! Please read and review!