The King's head turned in the direction of the messenger elf, seeming to be making a quick decision in his mind. She did not unlock her arms from around his neck and he did not loosen his hold on her, her body still trembling slightly. However, before the King could even open his mouth to speak the doors that led to the study were thrown open without a knock.

She turned her head immediately as she saw Lossenel rushing back into the elegant study. She nearly did not notice Legolas walking quickly behind the snowy Princess for her eyes had instantly fallen on the third figure following her sister. Silver eyes immediately found hers, all the frantic worry and fear in them quickly turning into pain and sadness as she saw him taking in her shaking form.

"Take it to my chambers. I will be there in a minute." She heard the King say to the messenger elf, and she barely noticed as the latter bowed before quickly exiting the room, taking the letter from Lord Elrond to the indicated place.

Her eyes had remained fixed on Elladan, who also seemed to have paid attention to the messenger elf at all, not even turning to look as he crossed the room in long strides. His silver eyes never left hers as he dropped to his knees in front of her sitting form, eyes frantically examining her from head to toe, although she knew he was sure she did not have any injuries or was in any physical pain.

She saw his eyes look up to meet the King's, silver eyes questioning silently for any information on what is was that ailed her. She could feel his worry and fear through their bond merging with her own shock and panic and she slowly untangled her arms from around her father's neck, turning her trebling body to face Elladan. His hand immediately flew to hold hers as his silver eyes returned to look deeply into hers, pained and broken irises searching frantically into her tear stroked ones for any signs of pain or discomfort.

She felt part of her fear instantly fade away as his hand touched hers, her spirit automatically reaching for him as she felt him sending waves of calm in her direction. She felt her father press a gentle kiss on the top of her head before relinquishing his hold on her, slowly rising from the couch as Elladan sat to her other side, his arms immediately wrapping around her. She saw the King throwing a look at Elladan before he turned to leave, his ice blue eyes holding a strange mixture of warning and defeat.

"I have to go" She heard her father say in a low voice, ice blue eyes throwing her one last look before he made his way to the door, his previously gentle eyes now once again cold and hard.

She let her head fall on Elladan's shoulders, the tears that continued to silently flow from her eyes quickly soaking the fine silk of his tunic, but he did not seem to notice. Her body seemed to relax in Elladan's strong embrace, her trembling lessening slightly as she felt him through their bond.

"Are you in pain?" She heard Elladan's soft voice echoing inside her mind, one of his hands carefully coming to rest over her bandaged one, clarifying what he meant.

"No." Her hand still ached dully, but it no longer bothered her. He pulled her closer to him, his hold on her so gentle, as if she was made of fragile glass. "I am just…scared."

"I know." His voice sounded pained even inside her head, and she felt one of his hands softly stroke her long golden hair at her back.

She felt her entire self start to relax, her fear slowly becoming controllable as her tears started to dry on her cheeks. Elladan did not move his arms from around her, as if he knew exactly that she needed that reassurance and protection more than ever. She was surprise to find that as she slowly started to calm down and her trembling started to lessen, the numbness she had felt before did not return, her body seeming to be relaxing without shutting itself down.

She could feel Legolas' infinite blue eyes on her, worry still staining their pure clear blue color, but he remained silent, letting Elladan continue to hold her. Her bother's eyes would turn to Lossenel every once in a while, but neither said anything. She let her left hand, her good one, travel to Elladan's, softly entwining her fingers with his and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you, Dan." She said silently to him.

She felt incredibly glad that Elladan had opted for a silent conversation for she was not sure she wanted to hear how her voice would sound at that moment. He did not reply, but instead she felt him hold tighter to her hand and she could feel some of his worry easing away at the fact that she had remained responsive this time as she relaxed. She knew that when they had lay on the Crown Prince's balcony, she had simple gone limp in his arms, her body becoming emotionless.

"You are exhausted." She heard him point out softly. She simply nodded her head silently in confirmation. She could feel how tired her body was, as if she had just gone through the longest day in her life, even though it had only been some hours since she had horrifically awakened from her sleep.

"Try to sleep, my love. I will be here." She knew that he would not let go of her if she slept, knew that he would continue to hold her until she woke, and yet she could not get herself to fall asleep just yet, no matter how protected she felt in his strong arms.

"No." She said simply, her voice soft but no longer frail and broken, now sounding completely calmed and steady. "I cannot. Not yet."

She felt Elladan place a light kiss on her temple, not insisting on her to go to sleep. She felt incredibly better now, her body finally completely calmed as her previous shock and panic disappeared. She knew she would not be able to sleep yet, but at least she felt fine and relaxed, her body entirely responsive, and she knew Elladan could feel that too. True, the memories of the hand chocking her still made her shiver, but it was as if her mind had finally woken, quickly reasoning that she was alive and all right, and could not get stuck in that numbness.

"At least try to rest." He added as he leaned back onto the cushions until she was comfortably lying next to him on the couch, his arms still wrapped around her. She complied to his request and did not say anything as she rested her head on his chest, letting her eyes fall closed as a long moment of silence settled over the elegant study.

The sun had already risen in the horizon, its golden rays filtering freely through the large balcony of the study, lighting every single surface with their delicate warmth. The gorgeous daylight remained as golden and vivid as ever, entirely oblivious to the frights the black veil of the night had brought.

"Dan?" She lifted her head slightly so that she could stare into his liquid silver eyes. "Do you know what happened after we left Imladris? Did the orcs ever made it into the Valley?"

She remembered running into the forest, some of the orcs following them as arrows flew past her ears, missing them by inches. A cold shudder ran down her body as she tried to push those memories aside for the moment.

"I do not know." His eyes continued to stare into hers, as if trying to figure out the reason for her sudden curiosity on that topic. Andy yet, she could see the faint gleam of worry in the depths of his eyes, and she knew that this was not the first time that he pondered on those questions. "I know my Adar is all right. But I never knew what happened."

"A letter just arrived from your Adar. I do not know what it says though." She informed him, and she saw a flash of worry and thoughtfulness cross his eyes for a second before it disappeared again.

"Do not worry about that for now. If it is something important I am sure we will know in time. Let your Adar read the letter first." She felt his hand gently slide down the length of he arm until his fingers found hers where they stayed laced together.

"You just rest for now, my love." He added and she found herself letting her eyes fall closed once more, relaxing even more in his strong embrace, her heart melting at the endearment. She placed a gentle kiss on the side of his neck. It was the only place she could reach at the moment, but she knew that he loved it when she did that.

"How is she?" Legolas' concerned voiced echoed softly in the room, and for the first time she remembered that for him and Lossenel the room had remained completely silent for long moments. Her brother's voice was barely above a whisper, as if he though she had fallen asleep and did not want to wake her. She knew that from where he sat he could not see her face. Lossenel's head had also turned in their direction as she heard the question, her gorgeous eyes looking as eager as her brother's to hear the answer. She turned her head to look at her brother, and immediately found herself staring into an infinite pair of clear blue eyes.

"Better." Her voice was merely a whisper as she spoke and she shifted in Elladan's arms until she was lying on her side, her back pressed to his chest.

Legolas rose from his seat and kneeled in front of her, so that their faces where at the same level now. She could see his infinite blue eyes staring deeply into hers, as if trying to confirm her words. His gentle eyes then turned to Elladan's, the look questioningly. She did not catch the look in Elladan's eyes as he glanced at Legolas, but when the Prince's eyes met hers again they seemed calmer, somehow softer.

"What will happen now?" She asked in the same whispered voice as before, and she could feel Elladan's arm at her waist, pulling her closer to him protectively.

Legolas' endless blue eyes stared at hers for a moment, as if contemplating how to answer her question. His lips curved up slightly, the smile trying to be reassuring, but failing miserably. The elegant study was quiet and peaceful, but she knew that they were merely inside what seemed like a crystal bubble isolating them from the chaos of the Palace. She knew that outside the doors the guards were still running around, orders were being given, and elves were become more and more anxious.

"I do not know." His voice was soft as he spoke, his eyes honest and open and she knew that he was telling the truth.

"What happened last time?" Her voice was even lower now, and for a moment she thought her brother would not be able to hear her. She threw a glance in the direction of the balcony, and she saw understating in his infinite blue eyes as he caught that she meant last time the gates had been closed.

His eyes darkened for a moment, but they remained as honest and open as he continued to stare at hers, seeming to be searching in his head for an answer. She could see a faint gleam of pain and sorrow tainting the pure color of his eyes, and for a moment she regretted her question.

"I…I do not really remember." She could hear the honesty in his soft, slow voice as he seemed to hesitate in his answer.

He closed his eyes for a moment, as if trying to collect his memories in his head, trying to make sense of them before continuing. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Lossenel looking away, her gaze now lost in the exquisite carpet, as it was suddenly the most interesting thing she had seen in her life. Legolas threw a quick glance in the Princess direction, as if searching for help, but quickly looked back at her as he understood that Lossenel would not be adding anything to the conversation.

"I was only an elfling." Legolas continued, his infinite blue eyes looking apologetic and thoughtful. "I do not really know what happened. I…elves were everywhere…screaming…running."

His eyes had lost their focus on her, looking distant in his own memories, his voice becoming lower as he spoke. It was as if he was seeing it all over again, not really understanding what it was that had happened around him.

"I did not see the gates closing, but I remember…I remember hearing about it. Elves seeming to be yelling that everywhere. And…Tadion's name. I remember someone yelling Tadion's name over and over again. You were there. Nana was carrying you. Arahaelon…he was carrying me. We were running. Then glass. I remember glass being broken…a window I think."

His soft voice drifted off, his eyes looking distant for a moment, as if he could not recall anything else, as if his memories were nothing but a hazy collection of brief scenes and images. Slowly, his eyes turned to meet hers, as infinite an open as before, and suddenly she could see all the terror and sorrow from those brief incoherent memories reflected in his clear blue irises. He smiled faintly at her, almost apologetically.

"I do not remember more than that." His voice was lighter now, but his eyes remained as honest as before. "You will need to ask Arahaelon. He can tell you more than me."

"You will not ask Arahaelon that."

She turned her head quickly, surprised at the sound of the Princess' firm voice. Legolas' head had also snapped in the direction of his sister, as taken by surprise as her at the sudden statement. Lossenel's face was a stone mask, perfectly serious as her eyes looked at Legolas warily, as if pressing her point. She could nearly feel the tension in the room as both siblings stared at each other. She was completely taken aback, not having expected this reaction at all, especially from the delicate Princess.

"And since when do you decide who gets to ask Arahaelon what?" Legolas said in return. His voice was not harsh or rude in the slightest, but it was as firm as the Princess' had been previously. "If he does not want to tell her, then he will not. But it is his decision not yours."

"Legolas." Lossenel said in warning tone. "Be sensitive."

"Rëa can ask him whatever she wishes. There is nothing wrong or insensitive in that." Legolas added, his eyes staring deeply into his sister's both pairs of eyes hard and unyielding, and she somehow had the feeling that this argument had something deeper imbedded in it.

"Ask him, Rëa." Legolas said as he turned to look at her, ignoring his sister's exasperated look.

"Legolas!" Lossenel hissed before turning her hard eyes in her direction. "You will not ask Arahaelon that."

"No one is asking Arahaelon anything at the moment. He is injured and tired, so whatever it is you are arguing about, drop it."

She turned her head at the sound of the new voice, and noticed Tadion now standing in the room, the large door closing behind him with a deaf hollow sound. Legolas and Lossenel had also turned at the voice, and she could see Tadion's clear blue eyes darting from one of his siblings to the other. His voice had been calmed, low, and disinterested but it had held an authority she had never heard in it before.

Neither of her siblings said anything, the tensed argument coming to a stop, but not to an end. She did not know what to do, choosing to remain as distant and unnoticeable as possible, her mind still trying to comprehend what was happening around her. She knew the night had been a rough one, but still she did not completely understand why was Lossenel so scared and opposed to her asking Arahaelon about what he remembered.

An image of the Crown Prince's impenetrable green eyes flashed through her mind, so serene and unreadable, so mysterious and at the same time seeming to know things they would not let visible on the surface. She knew she would not ask the Crown Prince. Even if she wanted to, she would not be able to gather the courage to do so. And yet, she desperately wanted to ask him, to know what had really happened.

"Lossie." She heard Tadion's soft voice saying gently, and the Princess lifted her gaze to meet her younger brother's eyes. "You are shaken and tired. It has not been an easy night. Go rest for a while before this turns into an unnecessary fight. You need it."

Tadion's voice was tender as he spoke, but his tone left no space for arguments. The stunning Princess simply nodded her head, walking out of the room without another word, silently accepting the truth in her brother's words. Everyone seemed to remain still, only Tadion's eyes moved as they followed his sister out of the room. She saw a guard immediately escorting her as she walked down the hallway before the door fell closed once more, sealing the departing Princess form their view. Of course Tadion would have someone already waiting to escort his sister. Then, as unexpected as everything else, Tadion's clear blue eyes turned to look at her.

"Ask Arahaelon." He said simply, his clear blue eyes staring deeply into hers, their expression one she could not read. "Just not now."

"How is he?" Legolas' voice had lost every single trace of firmness or argument, sounding instead soft again, concerned.

"Not good." Tadion's eyes were fixed on Legolas, worry staining the clear blue color of his irises. He seemed to be debating whether to add something else or not. "The wound seems to be stinging more than before, and he has a fever again, this time a high one. I do not know how long ago it started."

She saw Legolas' eyes fill up with concern at the news, his brow furrowing in worry.

"The healers are tending to him now. Ada is there too." Tadion's voice remained calmed and soft, but it was not reassuring. She felt her own heart start to beat frantically at what hearing, and felt Elladan's hand giving hers a gentle squeeze. "This is not spider venom. The fever should not have returned, and he should be stronger by now. This is some other kind of poisoning."

"Have the healers found out what it is yet?" Legolas asked quickly, shock clearly visible in his infinite blue eyes.

"Yes." Came Tadion's immediate answer. "Apparently it was not hard to identify, nor is the antidote hard to make. I do not remember the name of the poison, although I heard the healers mentioning it. It was inflicted in the wound, although no one knows when or how. It looks terrible…painful. Apparently it acts very slowly, so it gives many days before it can become lethal. That is why none of the healers noticed it before. We all thought it was just spider venom."

Legola's seemed bewildered, as is he could not believe what he was hearing. She did not blame him. She felt the same way. Images of the Crown Prince lying still on the chaise on the balcony flashed through her mind. He had looked exhausted, falling asleep right there on the chaise. Had he been feeling ill then?

"So there was never a spider attack then?" Legolas seemed at a loss, looking as shocked as she felt, exchanging a prolonged look with Tadion.

"Yes there was. The wound was caused by a spider, that is for certain. But I no longer believe it was an accident. And neither do the healers. There were five guards with him, Legolas. Five. And only Ar sustained an injury. Do you really not think he knows exactly where the spider's roam in the forest? There were not supposed to be spiders in the area of the forest in which they were."

"Yes I know. I remember Ada mentioning that." Legolas cut in "And I also know he knows how to avoid being seen by one. I have been wondering about that since he came back injured, but I did not want to ask. Accident's do happen every once in a while."

"Yes, I thought so too." Tadion commented, his clear blue eyes as worried and thoughtful as Legolas' "But this spider had to be provoked. Or at least created a large enough commotion for someone to have slipped poison into Ar's wound without anyone noticing. Not even him."

"That sounds impossible."

"So does the fact that someone sneaked into Almarëa's room entirely unseen."

"Do you think both attacks are related then?" She jumped slightly at the sound of Elladan's voice, and both brothers turned their heads in the direction of the elder twin.

"There is no way of knowing for sure." It was Tadion the one to answer, his worried eyes looking at Elladan with the same trust and openness as they had looked at Legolas. "But I do think so. Neither of the attacks seemed to have the intention to kill, even thought that is precisely how it looks like. If they had wanted to kill Arahaelon, there are many deadly poisons that would have him killed within short hours, before anyone could even figure out what it was. And yet, this poison gives days before it becomes life threatening, and it so happens that our healers know how to prepare the antidote by memory."

"And still, Arahaelon will takes days to recover. He will be an easy opponent should anything happen, that only in the case that he is even able to hold a sword. And Rina is mentally weakened. She is scared and exhausted." Elladan pointed out and she felt a new wave of worry cross her mind as she understood exactly what he meant.

She knew she would not be able to sleep for a while, and knew that her mind would not be as strong in the case of another attack. Or worse, if whoever had chocked her had known about her power she still did not know how to use, then he had made sure that she would most definitely not be able to use them. Put that way, it made perfect sense. It was never the elf's intention to kill, but only weaken them. Arahaelon physically; and her mentally. But why? What for?

"But why?" Legolas was the one to voice the question that plagued her mind. "What reason would anyone have for that? Do you think the elf who poisoned Ar was the same who attacked Rëa?"

"I do not know who poisoned Ar, or how or when they did it. But I doubt it was the same elf." Tadion answered this time, his voice as wary as his eyes. "I think there is more than one elf in this."

"It still does not make sense." Legolas added. "They only managed to infuriate Ada. The gates are sealed now. No one can enter or leave. Did they really not think we would know someone was behind this? They are trapped."

"Maybe that is what they wanted." Tadion's voice was low as he spoke, as if he had never thought about what he was saying now. "Maybe they knew Ada would do something about it. He has to release the gates at some point. It takes too much energy and concentration to keep a hold on them, and you know that. It might be days, or it might be weeks, but he will need to release them…

Here is chapter 15! I hope you enjoy it! And please let me know what you think! I will update as soon as I can!

Also, thank you immensely to those of you who reviewed my latest chapter: Dingdongsong, Hirilnin, CannonRebel, smulderalert, Jibril-Kadamon, kcelflover, wonderpanda10, Mary Elrondile, Paperlanterns86, Danda225, sarahweasley, elf sister, KrystylSky, booklover1598, AmazingWriter123, xX-MissyMoo-Xx, Wtiger5, CeffylGwyn, Coco99, and my 2 guest reviewers.

Love,

Elena