Disclaimer: Unfortunately I still don't own Lord of the Rings, I have no claim over Legolas or anything else you might recognise even though I would very much like to! They all belong to Tolkien.

A/N: I am so sorry this has taken a while. Had the whole insane Christmas thing happening and then went away over new years but I'm back now! Thanks for your patience and the reviews, you guys are great!

Chapter 16: Strengths of a King and his Son.

They sat in a heavy silence, those present not daring to look at any other for fear of seeing their own sorrow reflected back at them. Illindor was slumped in his chair behind a desk, having just finished explaining what had happened and who exactly Orenar was; he looked drained by the telling of events and his eyes closed on the rest of the room, his face drawn and pale with worry for his daughter. Evandar was in a similar state, he was focused on the ring on his finger symbolising his connection with his now lost betrothed, willing it to bring her back to him. After a moment he sighed and risked a glance at Legolas. Legolas, he thought, looked the worst out of all of them. His eyes were dark and hollow and he slumped where he sat as if the news was a physical weight on him. For once his face was easy to read and his emotions not hidden behind their usual wall, the complete sorrow and pain of losing Aranel seeming to fill the room and Evandar wondered how he was even managing to remain upright, under such a crushing blow. He felt the sting of jealousy shoot through him at the Elf's clear affection for his betrothed, but could do nothing about it. Out of all four in the room, it was, not surprisingly, Thranduil who was the least effected. He took his usual stance by the window, staring out on the land below. He was the first to speak.

"Well, it is an unfortunate loss, but her end sorts out a lot of issues for us. I at least no longer have any problems with your chosen pursuits Legolas."

Silence settled yet again after this, Legolas eventually looking up at his father.

"I care not where your problems lie father. I will pursue her to the ends the earth if I have to. My heart is no longer loyal to you or your kingdom, but to Aranel." His words were no louder than a whisper, but the impact of them seemed to carry in the silence, it was a vow more than a statement and all in the room knew it.

Thranduil spun to face his son, eyes flashing dangerously. "You go after this girl and you will have no place here." He hissed in anger, slowly advancing toward Legolas, the muscles in his jaw tightening into a horrid scowl.

Legolas however stood slowly, tiredly facing his father. "You have pushed me to far Thranduil, in this matter and so many before. Yet I have always supported you in all your pursuits, if you cannot support me now, in my hearts pursuit then so be it. If you wish me not to return at the end of this, if you wish to loose your only heir than I shall not return. Either way I will find the peace I need before bowing yet again to your will." Legolas spoke calmly as the two Fays witnessed a turning point in an age-old battle between the strengths of a King and his son.

Thranduil remained frozen, staring at his son in disbelief. Finally Legolas simply turned away from him, resting his palms on Illindor's desk and murmuring, "How do I get her back?"

Illindor lent forward, watching the Elf before him, so changed it seemed in a matter of hours and he saw what he had feared, his own pain reflected back at him in Legolas's piercing blue gaze.

They waited for the Elven king, each wondering how long this shift of power would last, the silence finally broken by heavy foot steps and the sudden thud of the door closing on them, Father defeated for now by son, King by rising heir, leaving three unlikely partners to think of the best approach to save what held them all unwaveringly together. Aranel.

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Aranel had exhausted herself. She had tried every bit of magic she could possibly think of to free herself, the drain on her already tried body taking its toll. She moaned forlornly into the dim light, having finally resulted to the only thing she could possibly do, she prayed, to absolutely anything she could think of. And she remained like that for what seemed an age until finally the door creaked open, sending a shard of light across the room, cutting it in half.

Aranel blinked in the sudden light and she saw the figure stop hesitantly, each trying desperately to get use to the others surroundings, the apparent well lite world beyond Aranel's confining walls and Aranel's dim prison.

Finally the figure moved, seeming to scurry across the room and it wasn't until they were almost within Aranel's circle of slightly brighter light that she realised it was a woman. She came to sudden halt at the very edge of the light and stared wide-eyed at Aranel as if she were some kind of horrifying monster; Aranel wondered briefly if perhaps she were. Aranel watched her, desperately trying to learn something new about her surroundings from this woman. She was dressed in a lite black dress, her hair fell, long and black, down her back. Her skin was sallow, almost transparent and her eyes were a dull grey with black shadows underneath them. From what Aranel could make out of her figure she was very thin. She suddenly bent down, level with Aranel, and Aranel was reminded of something like a cornered cat, ready to either attack or flee, depending on what the situation should require. The two of them remained like that for while, the woman staring, just out of Aranel's reach. Aranel, finally getting a little irritated with the situation shifted slightly so she was sitting up straighter and extended her hand. "Hello." She said simply. This however seemed to be a bad idea as the woman suddenly scuttled back, grabbed something from behind her and only managing a few steps back towards Aranel before dropping it and running out of the door, slamming it behind her and sending Aranel back into her dim world.

Aranel sat in shock as she waited for eyes to adjust again. Once they had she got up and moved out as far as the chains would allow to what the woman had dropped. After a moment so realised what it was. Bread and water. And she couldn't reach it. Her stomach gave a timely moan of hunger as she stretched, lying full length on the floor, trying to reach the food she so desperately wanted. It was only when she felt the cold metal bite into her flesh yet again that she gave up, lying, panting on the ground, mouth dry and stomach unappeased, staring at the ceiling and wondering what blow fate would send her way next. The only thing that kept her going in that moment was the fact that this was someone's room, they had a desk and a bed here, and she could see papers and files on the desk when she stood. None were dusty which she reasoned, or prayed, she wasn't sure which, meant someone used them regularly, and they'd have to come back for them eventually.

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I know its short! I'm sorry! Things will start happening in the next chapter so please be patient with me! As always read and review and I will love you all forever: )