"Excuse me?" A voice asked, calm and polite in every manner. Mereneth turned from the book she was transcribing to see who it was, shocked to find it was Prince Thranduil. After all the herbs and tea he had been given, she had been told that it seemed likely that he would not wake until tomorrow afternoon.

Apparently not.

"Yes?"

"Could you get me a glass of water, please?"

She almost tripped when she got out of the chair and moved to the table at the edge of the room, "Of course." She didn't pour it all the way to the top in case her hand trembled on her way back, she had never been so close to royalty before.

By the time she turned back towards his bed, Prince Thranduil had managed to prop himself somewhat upright regardless of his broken ribs. She handed it to him, and he smiled in a manner that took all the breath from her lungs.

She had never seen a smile like that, so open, honest, and pure. He took a sip before telling her, "Thank you."

"Of course, my Prince. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, thank you, that's it." She nodded to him and turned away, trying to ignore the disappointment that suddenly appeared in her heart. Mereneth wasn't expecting him to speak to her again, "Unless…"

She turned back around to face him, unable to help the smile she felt touch her face, "Yes?"

"Unless you want to tell me about that book you're so interested in?"

"My book? Uhm," She glanced back to her desk where the only candle in the room was still burning, "It's about medical plants and their many uses and how to prepare them."

He smiled again, and for a moment she could have sworn it was brighter than the candle, "Sounds very interesting."

"Really? Because it isn't."

"I think anything would be interesting if you were the one to tell me about it."

It felt as if her face was actually on fire with the power of the blush the words brought, "What if I told you about the next book, which is about on what animal dung to find specific fungi?"

"I would still be riveted."

Mereneth's heart was pounding so hard in her chest that she was certain he would be able to hear it, "Well, if you want me to tell you about my fungi book, then you will have to tell me what you did to bring yourself here?"

"The story isn't as interesting as fungi."

"I think anything would be interesting if you were the one to tell me about it."

She could have sworn she saw his turn scarlet in response, "Well, Ferdan and I were out in the forest minding our business when we noticed that there was some poor wolf stuck in the middle of the river. It had a good bite hold on some branches of a tree caught on a boulder."

Almost without noticing she did it, Mereneth slid into the chair at his bedside while he continued, "Ferdan told me not to do it. That the river was too deep with the runoff and I would get swept away into one of the great caverns the water flows into and smash myself on the rocks at the bottom. And that he would leave me there if it did happen."

"And then?" She asked when he didn't immediately continue.

He laughed, and it was somehow so much better and brighter than his smile, "And then I went to get the wolf anyways. I managed gently toss it close enough to the shore that it made it out of the water right before the current took me and did exactly what Ferdan said it would do. He didn't leave me at the bottom, though. But he did complain the entire time we struggled home."

She laughed with delight, and he smiled widely to hear it, "That was not exactly the heroic act I was expecting to have broken so many of your bones, Prince Thranduil."

"Just Thranduil, if you would," He corrected gently.

Mereneth nodded once as she said, "Thranduil."

His ears turned red when he heard her say it, "Do I get to know your name? Or do I get to learn about fungi from some nameless beauty I'm sure to think had to have been a dream when I wake up tomorrow."

"Mereneth," She said, resisting the urge to fidget with her hair or with her hands.

Thranduil smiled at her again, "I have never been so honored to meet somebody before this moment, Mereneth."

"I find that hard to believe."

"So give me time to prove it to you."

Mereneth logical part screamed that she couldn't fall in love with the prince. She couldn't. She wouldn't. But the emotional part of her took control of her mouth and said, "I suppose I could be convinced."

"Good, I'm glad," Thranduil adjuted himself slightly on the pillows and fixed her with his full attention, "So, fungi?"

The logical part of her mind continued to scream, the emotional part continued to ignore it, but as both parts eventually recognized the sun rising with the morning they knew nothing they did could change anything.

Mereneth was so in love her mind was drowning in it.

.0.

I hope you enjoyed it!