There it was again; the forest that seemed to stretch infinitely in front of her equally green eyes, until it faded into bright whiteness. The canopy of the trees swayed gently high above her head, but it did not seem to produce any sound. Once again, the colors seemed too bright, the sounds too distant, everything merging together in this enchanting vision of a place where she had been many times before. Always in the same dream.

She did not bother to contemplate the majestic forest around her, her eyes immediately turning to the front, knowing already just what exactly she would find there. And once again, her dream did not disappoint her.

The soft murmur of the stream echoed strangely in her ears, floating in the air in the same way that sounds float inside an enclosed room. The crystal waters gently caressed the colorful pebbles in its shallow depths whispering lightly into the inexistent wind. The child was there, as expected. Large soft blue eyes lifted in her direction, as infinite as the sky, the features of the little face softer than the fresh grass beneath her feet. Light blond hair fell over his little shoulders as one tiny pale hand extended over the mirror surface, gently letting the water toy with his little pale fingers.

But the elfling was not alone this time. A lady sat comfortably on the grass next to him. A lady she had seen many times before, in dreams and visions, but a lady that she herself had not memory of in fresh and blood. And yet, once again, she was struck by the radiant beauty that she carried. Long golden hair flowed elegantly down her back, as golden and bright as the sun, intricately braided with a collection of pearls and emeralds. A crown of silver leaves rested atop her golden head, so delicate, yet so elegant. And even though she had no memory of this lady in real life, she recognized her immediately. It was the former Queen of Mirkwood; her mother.

And yet, what froze her attention was the striking pair of bright emerald eyes, staring directly into her, deeper than the infinite forest around, so soft, so gentle, so perfectly silent and at the same time so intensely loud. Everything about the Queen's relaxed posture on the grass and the way her delicate pale arms wrapped lovingly around the blond elfling made her just another figure in this wonderful picture, a part of her dream, as surreal as the little version of Legolas currently toying with the crystalline water. But her gaze, her forest green gaze was a different thing. Endless emerald orbs seemed to pull her with a magnetizing force, warmer than the kind summer, so vivid, so present….so real. She diverted her gaze in the elfling's direction once more, only to find him still entertained in his task of lightly touching the stream's mirror surface, repeating the same movements that he always did in this dream. He was a vision, the stream was a vision, the forest was a vision, all of them unreal, simply fragments of her own memories and imagination, embracing her in a welcoming surreal scene. But as she turned her attention back to the Queen's staring eyes, still warmly fixed on her, her heart seemed to freeze. Those endless green eyes were not dreamlike and magical as the elfling's had been, not absent and slightly unfocused. No. They were vividly focused, focused and deep, filled with a thousand emotions, a thousand of memories and thoughts swirling in its liquid depths.

She did not know what to do, it was as if even her mind had been paralyzed, but she did not have to think of something to do for at that precise moment, the Queen moved. Slowly, ever so gracefully, the Queen extended one delicate pale arm, slender fingers sliding almost enchantingly through the crystalline water. Nothing happened. She lifted her eyes to look at the Queen's face once more, only to find that same bright pair of green eyes still staring directly at her. Then, the emerald gaze lowered to look at the water before meeting her eyes once more, as if indicating her to look down. She did, but found nothing other than the gently prancing water and small stone bottom.

Again, the Queen's delicate fingers danced over the crystalline surface, but still nothing change. She could not understand, it was only water and small pebbles. She looked up once more, only to be met by that striking emerald gaze, always looking at her, so vivid and full of light. For a third time, the Queen's hand slid over the water surface and she lowered her gaze once more, looking attentively as the delicate and frail fingers danced in coordination with the crystalline waves. But there was something different this time, something that she had not looked close enough to notice before. The frail and silvery ripples of the water dance oddly after her mother's hand. They did not stop or faded away, no. They stayed, so gentle that it was easy not to notice them, but they were there, still shimmering unnaturally over the once flat surface, long after the Queen's fingers had retreated. And more strangely, they did not seem to follow the natural pattern of ripples, they did not seem to follow the motion of the Queen's hand or reacted to it. On the contrary, they seemed to form their own pattern, rippling together and apart and together again at their own desire.

But it was not the unnatural ripples of the water what made her hold her breath in surprise. No. It was the soft, silent whispers that came with it, faint and unnoticed at first, but quickly growing louder and louder as she started to pay attention to them. They rang on her ears like a serpent's hiss, the words slurred in a language she could not understand, seeming to come from all around her, to embrace her, to swallow her entirely, dancing in the same pattern as the silvery water ripples. She felt suddenly scared, a familiar fear creeping through her body as her eyes shot once again in the Queen's direction. Gentle emerald eyes remained fixed on her, so real, so focused and alive. And she was once again struck with the same feeling she previously experienced the first time the Queen's eyes had turned in her direction. The Queen was looking at her. Not in a dream, not a conjured image of her imagination, but a real, tangible gaze…

She woke up with a start, blinking rapidly a couple of times, only to find the soothing calmness of her own bedchambers surrounding her. Soft and cozy blankets covered her small figure, her head sinking in the warm skin of a crook of a neck, breathing in the sweet scent that could manage to calm even her deepest fears.

"Bad dream?" Elladan's musical voice whispered softly on her ear, his lips brushing against her skin as he spoke. She could feel the strong arms holding her shifting slightly to accommodate her better, one hand travelling gently up and down her arm.

She lifted her eyes to meet his liquid silver ones, for the first time noticing that they were not lying on the bed as she had thought but instead she was snuggled on his lap on a comfortable seat by one the tall arched windows.

"Strange dream." She specified, and he did not ask for details, merely closing the short gap between them with a gentle kiss, and for a second, everything around her seemed to disappear as her stomach fluttered widely.

"What happened?" She asked, suddenly remembering the trees crying loudly in her head, the pain lancing through her body, her father's tormented spirit crying for help, and then the branches growing and entangling over the King's immobile figure, leaves glowing with the likeness of starlight. Everything was an incoherent maze of images, all of them so vivid and fresh in her memory, but she could not make sense of the blurry haze that were her memories the moments after the trees had broken into the room.

"You were in shock, overwhelmed. Neither your body nor mind are used to experiencing that kind of strain as you did when you helped your father. You were very weak and exhausted afterwards." His voice was a soothing as ever, and yet she did not miss the slight flash of worry and fear that covered his swirling silver gaze at the memory. "Adar carried you out of the King's bedchambers. He made sure you were all right before putting you into a peaceful sleep. And I have been sitting here with you ever since."

She nodded her head before letting it rest once more against his warm chest, feeling as Elladan dropped a light kiss on the top of her head. She delighted in his closeness, feeling as if her entire self was in the most calming peace she had ever felt, his spirit reaching out to hers through their bond.

"Everyone has been waiting for you to wake. There have been healers coming to check on you regularly, and your siblings are all waiting just outside. They have all been worried about you. I have been worried about you." Elladan continued speaking, his fingers intertwining with hers as he did so, and at that moment she could not have cared less who was waiting for her outside or who was not. All she wanted was to remain just where she was, safely and comfortably lying in his arms, feeling the soothing beat of his heart inside his perfectly sculpted chest. "You were impressive, my Rina. You were very brave, and very strong. I know it was not easy."

"It hurt." Was all she was ably to say, her mind speaking the thing she remembered the most vividly, the pain tearing through her as she came in contact with the wound in her father's spirit. Elladan's gentle hand tenderly brushed away a strand of hair from her face, and she looked up again to drown in his endless silver eyes, letting her fall into that loving gaze that she knew was only reserved for her.

"I know." Elladan whispered in return, and in his eyes she was able to see that he knew exactly what had happened, he had felt it all through their bond, her fear, her pain, her despair, all. Without another word, she simply leaned in, pressing her lips to his once more in a long gentle kiss, resting her forehead against his as they broke apart. She could feel his hands lacing around her small waist as he kissed her once more, as wanting to stretch the first kiss which he had considered too short. And she kissed him back, letting her body and mind flee from all of her troubles, from all the tormenting memories that seemed to consume her, feeling instead a fluttering warm spread through her entire body.

They pulled apart sooner than she had liked, and she let her forehead rest against his once more, feelings his hands gripping her waist a little tighter, roaming up and down the curve of her waist, silver eyes looking at her with a kind of desire that made her heart start to beat a little bit faster and her stomach to explode in fluttering butterflies. She knew he would not do anything. He would not take his desire any further. But still, the way his silver eyes were currently at her was the way she was sure any elleth dreamed of being looked at. And she could not resist her urge, locking her lips with his once more, and he responded with the same vigor, pressing her body closer to his. She let her hand slide down his neck as they pulled apart again, her fingers slowly trailing down until she found the neck of his elegant silk tunic, sliding her hand inside to feel the warm skin of his perfectly strong chest. She heard Elladan let out a short, shuddering breath before his finders suddenly curled around her wrist, gently but quickly pulling her hand away.

"You are playing a dangerous game." He said in a warning tone, although his silver eyes burned in reflection to his wild grin, making it impossible for her to smile in return as her heart melted inside her chest. "Do not think I can hold myself back if you keep tempting me."

She let out a light laugh, shaking her head before letting herself rest back against his chest as his arms shifted their hold on her once more.

"Why did we not sleep on the bed?" She changed the subject, suddenly curious as to why had she slept nestled on his lap. It did not look particularly comfortable for him. A fine dark eyebrow shot up in response, liquid silver eyes seeming to be teasing her silently, mirroring his grin.

"I tried to put you on the bed, but you did not let me. You refused to let me put you down, so instead I sat here" He said and she smiled apologetically in response, but he did not seem to mind his predicament in the slightest.

"I am sorry." Was all she was able to say, even though she could not fight back a grin from appearing on her face.

"How is my father?" She wondered out loud, letting her fingers lace with his slender ones, a sudden rush of warm tremors running down her spine as his warm lips brushed the tip of her sensitive ears, placing a tender light kiss there before answering.

"He is much better." She could almost hear the smile on his face, and she had to make a great effort to concentrate on his words as her mind threatened to fly away at the feeling of his warm breath caressing her skin. "He has not woken yet, but he rests peacefully. The fever has broken."

She nodded her head. She could feel the difference in the air around her, that floating aura of power that seemed to surround the entire realm, silent and unnoticed by all of those who did not know it was there. It somehow made her feel calm again, made her feel safe, and for a second she wondered if the rising panic that had been plaguing the realm upon the night in which the King was attacked had somehow disappeared, even though part of her knew it would still be there. True, the King was well, but that did not change the fact that he had been attacked inside his own Palace…and by his own subjects. And yet, there was still the fact that no elf except for only a very few knew that the King remembered with perfect detail what had that night inside his study.

A knock on the wooden door brought her back from her wondering thoughts, just as she heard Elladan giving permission to enter. She turned her head, only to find the soft features of a very familiar young maid almost timidly walking into the large room, performing a short curtsey as her eyes fell on Elladan and her.

"Lord Elladan. Your Highness." The maid, Lhenes, greeted as she stood there near the door, pale hands folded before her, eyes turning directly in her direction. She had grown fond of the young maid, but at that moment she could not help but resent her from choosing that precise moment to walk into the room. All she wanted was to be left alone with Elladan.

"Good Evening, Lhenes." Elladan acknowledged the maid, and for a second she seemed surprised that he knew her name.

"My lady" Lhenes started again, looking directly at her, and even though she was not sure if she was merely imagining it, the maid seemed to be looking at her differently than ever before a new kind of loyalty and respect glistening in her silent eyes. "It is good to see you awake. Would you like me to run a hot bath for you?"

The sole idea of warm water surrounded her seemed overly tempting, a soft smile immediately playing on her face. Elladan must have noticed it, for a second after she heard a nearly silent chuckle escaping his mouth.

"Yes, Lhenes, that sounds wonderful." She said, and the young maid smiled a little wider as she nodded her head, seemingly happy to be of help as she disappeared into the large bathing chamber.

"I will see you in the Family Sitting Room." Elladan's deep musical voice echoed inside her head, once again making her stomach flutter as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Will everyone else be there? Or will it just be you and me?" She tried to make her words sound impartial to the answer, as if merely curious, but she knew he had seen right through her eyes which answer she was really hoping for. Liquid silver eyes sparkled mischievously at her as he stole a quick kiss from her.

"Everyone else is there." He replied, laughing lightly at her obvious disappointment.

"How did Lhenes even know I was awake?" She suddenly noticed, rising to her feet to allow Elladan to do the same.

"I told Ro you had woken up." He replied, brushing a strand of her golden hair form her face. "Your siblings have been going insane waiting to hear about you. It was only fair they knew that you were awake and all right. Adar would not let them come here until you had rested."

She simply nodded her head, not knowing what to say, feeling Elladan lips on her cheek before he turned to leave the room, no doubt to join his twin in whatever it was he was doing.

Taking a bath proved to be probably the best decision she could have made. She did not really understood why, but the warm water simply made her feel so much better, so much calmer as it gently caressed her pale skin in a soothing lullaby, Lhenes hands carefully washing her long golden hair. Riniel, another maid, had walked in to help as well, and what seemed to be only moments later, she was sitting in front of her large vanity, in a clean deep blue dress as Lhenes patiently combed through her drying hair. She felt odd in a way she could not really describe. She felt strangely tired, weary, even though she knew she had merely woken up form what had surely been a long sleep, and still she felt as if she had just finished an exhausting day. It was not like the complete exhaustion she felt after one of her mid attacks, or the times she had used her powers. No. She felt tired, but not drained or spent, on the contrary, she felt as if she was lacking energy, but did not feel the absolute exhaustion that came with spending that energy.

"That dress looks gorgeous on you, Your Highness." Lhenes suddenly commented, her voice ever so calmed and gentle. Once again her title felt strange to her, and for a moment she was sure she would never really get used to it. "Princess Lossenel wanted to keep it for herself when she saw it as I brought it here."

She was unable to hold back a slight chuckle at the maid's voice, and only imagining the way her older sister would look on this same dress made her feel plain in it. Blue always looked stunning on Lossenel, no matter the shade or tone.

"Lossenel would probably outshine me in it." She commented, and oddly enough, the name she had just pronounced had a different taste to it. Suddenly it sounded way more familiar, suddenly it sounded like her sister, a real sister. " She would look absolutely radiant."

"Yes, the Princess would look stunning even in the plainest of attires, Your Highness." Came Lhenes reply, her gentle smile still lightening her soft face. "But so would you, even if in a different way. If I may say, my Lady, the Princess reminds me of a breathtaking, dreamy winter, but you remind me of a refreshing warm spring."

She laughed again, shaking her head lightly. "I had never been compared to a season before."

To her slight surprise, a short, almost shy, chorus of laughter left the maid's mouth before she spoke again. "Forgive me, my Lady. All I intended to say was that beauty comes in many different ways, depending on what we like. For example, if I may say, I would bet my life that Lord Elladan is very fond of spring, or that Prince Arahaelon has a particular liking for a tender summer."

She made an effort not to show her surprise on her face as she processed the words that had just left the maid's mouth, trying with all of her strength not to smirk at the information she suddenly felt she could obtain.

"Oh, yes, she is very beautiful, she does remind me of summer now that you mention it." She added, her voice sounded perfectly casual and calmed, as if she knew exactly what she was saying, or even know about who they were talking. She knew that asking Lhenes would not get her an answer. The young maid would not reveal private information on the Crown Prince-that assuming she had any- if she was asked. But then again, if she was able to just carry the conversation as if she already knew everything from the beginning she just might get something out of her.

To her slight relief, Lhenes, merely smiled, completely oblivious to her lie. "Yes, Lady Indilëne is very beautiful, very peaceful and delicate. And a lovely name she has too, Indilëne, means water lily."

She nodded her head silently, deciding that everything else she said would reveal that she really knew absolutely nothing on the matter. Indilëne. There was the name she needed to remember. That was precisely the thing she had been hoping to find out, and know she knew. And yet, she could not help but feel a newfound curiosity at the mention of the lady's name. What did she look like? What was she like? How did her voice sound like? And most importantly, what was so special about her that made Arahaelon like her so much.

So immersed she was in her thought that she had not noticed Lhenes putting down the silver comb, stepping away for her to be able to stand up, her work clearly finished. Without so much as a final glance in the mirror, she slowly rose to her feet, giving the young maid one last thankful nod before heading out of the room, her mind already focused on many other things.

The majestic hallway outside was as guarded as ever, and yet, same as it had happened with Lhenes, she suddenly felt as if the many eyes of the silent guards were looking at her differently, some of them even bowing their heads as she passed, a thing that she had seen them done to the Crown Prince and to her other siblings, but never her. It felt strange, and for a second she felt nervous, watched, focusing instead all of her attention into the long intricate archways that led to the grand Family Sitting Room.

Soft voices reached her ears as she approached the beautifully carved pair of wooden doors that had now become familiar to her. She recognized them almost immediately as her siblings, even though she could not understand a single word they were saying, all of them speaking in elvish. And yet, judging by the simple tone of their voices, the conversation seemed to be a light one, not carrying any of the heavy worries that had been burdening their minds for the past days. The two guards flanking the majestic pair of doors silently opened them for her to enter, and without stopping to reconsider, she walked into the room.

"Almarëa!" Tadion's voice exclaimed above the low conversation as she felt herself being abruptly pulled into a tight embrace before she even had time to process it.

"Rëa!" She heard Lossenel's voice joining Tadion, but only felt the shift as two more pairs of arms tied around her, even though she could she not see anything from her position, crushed against Tadion's chest.

"How are you?" Legola's infinite blue eyes met hers first as she was finally released form the imprisoning grasp, Tadion's arm still securely wrapped over her shoulders, guiding further inside the large room.

"How do you feel?" Lossenel added before she even had time to answer Legolas' question, iced colored eyes looking at her with a strange combination of worry, fear and relief. At the same time, she could hear Tadion asking something else, but she could not even understand what he had said. There were too many voices asking things at the same time, all of them trying to guide her inside the room, hovering around her in a desperate attempt to get an answer from her.

"I want to sit down." She heard her own voice commenting among the rapidly moving figures and noise around her, suddenly feeling as if she would fall down if she did not sit. Why did she feel so weary?

Not even a second later, fingers curled gently around her right arm as she distantly felt a strong arm draping over her shoulders, leading her away from the tight cluster her siblings had formed around her. She was only able to think straight again the moment she was lowered to sit on a comfortable couch by one of the tall arched windows that filled the walls. It was as if the fogginess that had started to form around her, muffling sounds and tainting her vision suddenly disappeared, making her able to once more see and hear clearly what was happening around her.

Lossenel, Tadion and Legolas had walked to the couch as well, but instead to sitting down they remained standing a safe distance form her, as if scared of clustering around her once more. The safe pair of arms were still wrapped protectively around her shoulders, and she let herself lean into the embrace, instantly gaining comfort in Elladan's closeness. Her eyes also noticed Elrohir, standing directly to Legolas' left, silver eyes looking at her patiently, calmly, ever the kind pair of silver orbs, identical to those of his twin. Scanning the room briefly, she noticed that there was no one else around. The Crown Prince was nowhere in sight.

"How do you feel, Rëa?" Tadion's voice sounded gentler now as he crouched in front of her to be at her eye level, one of his hands renting lightly on her knee. Clear blue eyes studied her closely, as welcoming and open as a warm blue sky, loose golden hair falling gracefully over his shoulders and back, framing the fine features of his face.

"I am all right." She answered, watching as Lossenel chose to sit to her other side on the couch, Legolas sitting crossed legged on the floor by her feet. Tadion nodded his head, accepting her answer without further comments, and for a second he seemed to look more royal than ever, as if behind his usual light mood and mocking and carefree nature, he was carried an aura of authority and gracefulness fit for a King. She opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by the sound of a knock on the grand pair of doors.

"Enter." Legolas was the one to speak, his face turning towards the doors, curiously waiting as they cracked open, revealing a servant elf she had never seen before.

"Lord Elladan, Lord Elrohir." The elf said as soon as he stepped into the room, giving a small bow of his head, seeming intent in not wasting time in long greetings. "Lord Elrond demands your presence."

Without even waiting for an answer, the elf immediately turned around to leave the room, seeming to have more news to deliver somewhere else. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see the twins exchanging a look, one of those silent conversation that she knew only they could understand, and for a second she wanted more than anything to be able to know what it was they were saying through their eyes. Silently, Elladan rose to his feet next to her, his hand giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze before he joined his younger brother, both identical figures walking silently out of the spacious room, their long dark hair contrasting dreamily against the pale blue tunics they wore.

"Where is Ar?" She broke the silence that had settled after the twins had left the room, feeling Tadion moving to sit beside her on the couch, on the spot that Elladan had just vacated. She tried her best not to let her curious mind wonder over what could Lord Elrond possibly want at the moment that he needed both his sons' present. Elladan would tell her later. She knew it.

"In Ada's study with a couple of advisors. He has been there for hours now. I do not know what it is they are discussing, but apparently one of the patrols encountered another group of Orcs near the borders." Lossenel replied, her voice as musical and delicate as ever, platinum hair reflecting the golden light that washed over the room from the ample windows, making the many aquamarines incrusted in her intricate braids sparkle as she moved.

She nodded her head, not knowing what else to say, suddenly regretting her question. She could see some kind of worry clearly reflected in her siblings' eyes, even though they seemed to be hiding it with their seemingly content smiles. And yet, whatever it was, she chose not to ask, deciding that she did not want nay more worries at the moment. She felt too tired for that. To he relief, none of her siblings seemed wanting to talk about any kind of serious matter whatsoever.

"Were you reading those?" She pointed at the small pile of books that she only now noticed sitting on Tadion's lap, seeming to be completely forgotten there.

"No." Tadion answered, his expression once again carefree, shaking his head casually. "I was just going to return them to the shelves." He motioned to one of the many bookshelves that lined the walls.

"Do they have pictures in them?" She asked. She had always loved to gaze upon the fascinating and elaborate drawings that adorned the pages in elven books. They were nothing like the plain ones in the few books she had seen in the village of men where she had grown up. To her surprise, Tadion let out a chorus f light laughter, placing the books gently on her own lap as he shrugged.

"Some of them do. Why do you not see for yourself?"

A smile grew on her face, her hands already opening one of the books near the middle, her eyes dancing upon the neat scripture of elven characters, unable to read it. Sure enough, there was a picture in the fine paper, a lady by the looks of it, portraying long dark hair that flowed around her slim figure. The image had been decorated in all sorts of fine colors, some of them colors she knew were too expensive to acquire, a frame of flowers and leaves delineating the picture. Absently she kept passing the pages and image after image danced before her eyes, all of them absolutely spectacular, serving as the distraction she had so needed.

At some point she became absently aware that Lossenel and Legolas had moved to sit at a nearby table, both of them concentrated on a game of chess, even though the Princess' eyes kept drifting every now and then in her direction, as to check that she still sitting there, that she was still all right. She was glad for their lack of comments, their lack of mention of anything that had happened, of the way she had used her powers. She did not feel like talking about it at the moment, and was overly glad for the casual way in which their siblings acted, as if it was merely another normal day.

"Do you want to eat something? Pastries? Fruit? Perhaps some tea?" Tadion's gentle voice pulled her eyes away from the drawn images in the book, his hand rubbing across her back. Across the room she could hear the faint murmur of a new conversation starting to flow between Lossenel and Legolas.

"Not really." She said truthfully, offering him a smile. She went to look back at the pictures in the book when suddenly another thought crossed her mind, a question she had never before even thought of asking. "Tadion?"

"Yes?"

"What does Almarëa mean?" She did not really know why had she never really wondered about her own name. Hearing Lhenes saying that Indilëne mean water lily suddenly made her overly conscious of her lack of knowledge about her own name, the once that everyone else called her, the one that the King and Queen had given her.

Tadion's clear blue eyes looked at her curiously for a second, a wide smile playing on his lips, as if he did not understand from where her question had come from. Still he answered her, as casually and truthfully as ever. "It means 'blessed one'."

Blessed one. She held back a chuckle at the irony of her name. There was such a fine line between a blessing and curse.

"It is a beautiful name." Tadion added, as if reading her hesitation in her face, and she simply nodded.

"And Legolas? What does that mean?" She asked, suddenly curious to know everything, to understand the meaning behind words she used almost everyday, to understand what every other elf in the Palace already understood.

"Green leaf." Tadion replied, not even questioning her sudden curiosity, simply answering her. On the contrary, he seemed amused with her questions, his smile still present on his handsome face.

"And Lossenel?"

"Snow-like." Tadion answered once again. "And Arahaelon means noble and wise." He said, predicting her next question before she could even pronounce it. She savored the new knowledge for a few moments, pronouncing each and every single one of her siblings names in her head, the rods suddenly sounding different, as if suddenly they carried an entirely new power, new light.

"And what does your name mean?" She asked again, her curiosity taking the best of her. "What does Tadion mean."

Tadion's smile suddenly grew smaller on his face, his expression now unreadable as he answered. "Tadion means second son. Or second born." He said flatly, and then, as quickly as his expression had sobered, it lighted again, as if his smile had never grown smaller in the first place.

She nodded her head again, once more not finding what to say, deciding instead to drop her gaze upon the images on the book sitting on her lap. Her fingers passed the pages once more, but this time she was not really looking at the images nay more, simply pretending to be absorbed in them. Second son. That was what her mind kept wondering over and over again. Why such a plain name? Why such a seeming meaningless name for Tadion? It did not sound fair. It was merely a statement of what he was: the King's second son.

Another kcnock on the grand doors echoed through the peaceful air, her eyes not even turning to look as she felt Tadion stand up and walking towards the doors, her hands still absently roaming through the many illustrated pages, pretending not to be paying attention to what was around her. She could hear Tadion opening the door, then the voice of another elf saying something in elvish to him. Instead, she closed the book on her lap, putting it aside as she open another one from the small pile. She could distantly hear Tadion saying something to the newcomer in return as her hand played through the pages. To her surprise, this book was filled with the neat and elegant elven scripture as well as the very familiar characters of the common tongue, as if whoever had written it had chosen to write the same texts in both languages.

She went to pass the page once more when the book suddenly opened on a page that had been marked by a small folding in one of the corners. Her eyes instantly scanned the intricate lines and letters written on both pages. It was a family tree. She was sure of it. She could see names she had never heard before neatly written in thin black across the fine paper, lines tying them together in many branches. And it was then that her eyes caught it: her own name. There sitting a the bottom of the page read:

Almarëa Thranduiliel

She let her index finger trace over the fine inscription, her eyes dancing across the names of her siblings beside hers, directly bellow where it read Thranduil Orophelion with a little line that tied to the name Alarya Lasgaeriel. One by one her eyes traced over her siblings names: Arahaelon Thranduilion, Lossenel Trahnduiliel, Legolas Thranduilion. But there was something wrong. Yes. Something was not right. There, where it should have read Tadion Thranduilion was instead another name, a name she had never heard or seen before.

Anarorion Thranduilion

"Princess Almarëa." The sound of her name made her eyes jump up form the page she had been so intently looking, the book falling closed on her lap as she turned her eyes upon the elf that had been delivering some kind of information to Tadion. The elf bowed slightly before continuing, a wide smile on his fair face as he spoke "My King is awake, and would like to see you. Alone."

So finally here is chapter 36! Soooo so so so sorry for the long wait! I know it was way longer than usual! But between finals and moving out form my apartment things got really complicated! Anyway I hope the chapter can make up for the wait! and I will be updating much more sooner this time! I hope you enjoy the chapter! And let me know what you think! All of your comments are more than welcome!

Once again, thank you so much to those of you who reviewed my previous chapter, I have really no words to tell you how much I loved reading your comments, so THANK YOU for them: mMy, Elf sister, Jibril-Kadamon, jas-corr, SimplySupreme, Tintcalad, howlett97, Martine9295, Mary Elrondile, It'sBeenARealSlice, Kirschflower, AmazingWriter123, Kitty clover, Suzaki, HelloDenmark, wonderpanda10, Elves are awesome, Awiendha91, The Lead Mare, Wtiger5 and my guest reviewer!

I will reply to all of you personally as soon as I can! I know I have bee awfully behind on replies lately! I hope you can forgive me that!

I wan to also specially dedicate this chapter to Martine9295! Happy Birthday Martine! I hope it was a wonderful one! :D This is specially for you! For your birthday and for your enthusiasm in the story! :D :D

Love,

Elena