Thank you again reviewers! See, Forest Wrote! ;) I'll try to designate POVs from now in some way, and if not POVs def. flashbacks.

Hmm, physical appearance. Well we know/will know she has dark hair/eyes but I wanted to keep descriptions to a minimal so that individual readers could fill in the details. Let me know in reviews if you want details of her appearance.

In this chapter it is necessary for me to use italics, these will delegate Arianell's thoughts and (hopefully) clearly seperate them from the rest of the dialogue. BTW, I'm sorry if any of you are Thranduil fans...he's gonna come off a just tad bit, um...uncaring an impersonal (or is that imelf...oh nevermind)

Wow, the majority of you seem to think Legolas will rush to Arianell's rescue...what happens if he doesn't? What if Arianell is unable to get anyone to take heed of her plight? Guess we'll have to see.

Recap: A drunk elf Arianell had been commanded to dance with has begun to harrass her and where in the name of Elbereth is that Mirkwoodian Archer when you need him?

"Legolas" her voice was softer, more frantic.

Arianell was beginning to become panicked, where was he? Her 'dance partner' had succeeded in pulling her closer to the door and away from the only person she thought would bother to come help her.

She looked around, pleadingly, at the other elves who either smirked or looked away, some were even so forward as to grin.

"Legolas" she pleaded, her mind screaming when her voice failed her. Would Legolas save her in time?

One beautiful elleth, at the edge of the crowd looked Arianell directly in the eyes, dark star-studded eyes. Arianell felt a wave of emotion sweep over her, tinged with a hint of saddness. Who was this woman and what did she want, would she help?

The figure shook her head, a melancholy smile gracing her lips. Her dress seemed to disappear into the shadows and her face shone as bright as the moon framed by cascading lockes borne of deepest night. Her mouth moved but Arianell could not hear the words...for a moment completely forgetting where she was;

"What are you saying?"

The elf holding her laughed, thinking she was addressing him. "That we'll 'hick' have a lot of fun 'hick' M'...M'.." He gave up trying to say the words and pulled her closer instead.

The woman was gone.

"Wait a minute" the sudden voice in her head was condescending "You're waiting for a male to rescue you? What happened to your independence?" Arianell tried vainly to pull away from the elf's iron grip "This isn't the Marie I knew."

"Shut up!" The elf looked at her, she hadn't entirely meant to say it aloud.

"Now, now...easy. I...hick I never meant anything by it." His smile was sickly and there was something that unsettled Arianell about the glint in his eyes and the smile that graced his face.

"I would like to be taken to Legolas now." Again she tried to pull away but his grip only tightened, her hand tingling and turning purple from his constriction on her right arm.

"Oh I'll take you alright." the elf's grin widened as he pulled her faster through the crowd and towards the door.

"Unhand me!" Wriggling only made his grip tighten and she cried out from the pain.

"M'Lady" The delegate moved behind her, placing his hand on her waist and releasing her arm. His sour breath tickled the skin on the side of neck and made her hair prickle. "Do not think me a fool M'Lady" Arianell wondered what had happened to his drunken stupor. "There is none here that would help you...at least none that could hear you." Arianell towards where Legolas was standing, his back towards her. "So don't struggle..afterall you're so beautiful and I would hate for you to wear yourself out."

Suddenly Arianell realized that no-one was going to save her...no-one around her cared. Fear, deep fear, gripped her heart as her face paled. But just as suddenly she remembered the shadow figure and the words she could not hear and with the memory came renewed strength.

"You will let me go!" if no-one else would save her she'd save herself. "Or I'll have to 'sing'." "Go ahead" the grin he gave her was lusty.

"You asked for it."

Arianell elbowed him in the gut (S), stepped on his foot(I) "and my favorite Nose" she threw her fist over her shoulder "Groin!" it came back down to her side and behind her with as much force as she could muster.

The elf doubled over and fell behind her and to the floor with a sickly thud as the music stopped and everyone's attenetion was drawn towards her. Her hair had come loose and hung in slick strands to her forehead, her dress rising and falling with each erratic ragged breath. Her dark eyes met a pair of gorgeous silver blues "Arianell?" He was running towards her, pushing the crowd out of his way "Arianell!"

Suddenly his eyes widened as Arianell turned in time to be met with a fist in the gut.

"None dare deny me!" Dodging another blow she tried to focus on the elf in front of her, the searing pain in her side and across her stomach almost preventing it. Arianell seized her chance and punched the other elf square in the jaw. As he reeled backwards from the hit she readied herself to attack as she heard the ring of a blade being drawn from it's sheath.

She was partially aware that Legolas was by her side, his ceremonial knife drawn. The elf reeled forward, reaching for Arianell as Legolas pulled her to his side, pushing her as close to his body as possible while still keeping her the farthest away from the elf. "Do not think this blade merely for show."

Arianell hardly registered it as guards came and escorted the "poor drunk oaf" as Thranduil had phrased it, away to "recooperate". She had heard when the King had turned to his son and asked that he keep his bride-to-be "in check." She had heard but it hadn't registered as Legolas choicely told his father where he could shove it.

"She was attacked, you have no right to speak like that!" "My Son" Thranduil's voice was condescending "He was drunk, he is obviously in no condition to be held responsible for his behavior." "He knew" Arianell's voice was weak, her eyes glimmering with unshead tears. "He knew." Turning her head she sobbed into Legolas' tunic...later she'd kick herself for acting so weak in front of him, for now she didn't care.

Legolas gently wrapped his arm around her and led her through the crowd, wisely choosing the direction opposite of where she had been headed just moments before. His soft voice, whispering that it would be alright, was soothing. After they had retreated into the hallway he paused, "What happened?"

"I do not wish to discuss it" Arianell added, as an afterthought, "M'Lord."

"Please, I want you to tell me." Lothien's spell left her no choice but to consent to Legolas' request.