"Careful"

Elladan's gentle hand curled around her forearm, stabilizing her as she lost her footing on a particularly narrow branch, preventing her fall. "It is a long way down."

"It is a long way down." Elrohir echoed his twin without even turning back to look over his shoulder, leading the march a couple of steps ahead of them.

It was a long way down. Valar, she did not want to look. She felt like rolling her eyes at them, but managed to contain herself. They were going too fast, their balance always perfect, footing ever sure. Curse them and their tree climbing abilities. Even Lossenel jumped from branch to branch as if she was gliding on a perfectly flat floor.

"I do not have this balance thing figured out yet." She muttered back at Elladan, whose fingers were still carefully wrapped around her arm, as if not wanting to let go.

"This balance thing?" He let out a chuckle, one of those that glittered in his endless silver eyes, an eyebrow raised at her. She had missed him. Eru, it had only been a couple of days and how much she had missed him.

She could hear Lossenel letting out a laugh behind her, the sound like tiny silver bells ringing in the gentle air. Some hours ago the Sun has risen in the horizon, washing the ever green forest with its bright golden light, filtering through the tight canopy in perfect rays that moved along with the swaying leaves. Only the sight of that made her stomach drop. Spring had arrived. It was enchanting, the forest once again so alive, the wing singing softly at the tune of the trees, the leaves dancing in return. Every now and then a bird would chirp from a distant branch. Flowers had already started to blossom, painting the constant green with splashes of pale pink, lavender and white. And yet their world was falling apart. For a moment she wished she was anywhere else, wished she could simply be returning to the Palace with the twins and Lossenel after a peaceful walk through the forest, ready to head back home where the rest her family was waiting for them. But that was not the case.

They had barely spoken during the long hours they had been walking. It was as if everyone's mind was too occupied in worrying to even speak out loud. And yet nothing made sense. She had tried to think of an explanation. Any kind of explanation. Btu she simply could not find one. Nothing she could think of matched. Arahaelon could not be at the Palace. He could not. She had been with him, down at the gorgeous cave with her father and brothers. He had been there with them, she had seen him being captured by those cursed cloaked figures. But then, why were the twins claiming that he had been at the Palace for at least two days? They were not lying, she knew that. But….it simply did not make sense.

"It is him at the Palace." Elladan's voice spoke close to her ear, as if he had read her thoughts, too low for the others to hear. His eyes met hers for a moment, pools of gentle liquid silver swirling so welcoming, inviting her to drown in their endless depths.

"It cannot be." She shook her head. It could not be. There could not be two Arahaelons. And that could only mean that one of them was not him. And she had been with her brother. It had been him.

"It is." He whispered softly in return, even though she could see the same questions plaguing him in his pensive silver eyes. "I saw him, spoke to him. It is Arahaelon."

"How sure are you?" She turned her head to face him, instantly regretting the slightly accusing tone in her voice as he suddenly looked taken aback, his face hardening a little.

"How sure are you?" He repeated her question, her heart dropping at the hurt look that crossed his silver eyes. "You think I am lying to you?"

"No….Dan…" She sighed, shaking her head, reaching out to lace her fingers with his. "That is not what I meant….it just….does not make sense."

"I know that." His fingers gripped hers lovingly, always so gentle, and yet he was still bothered by what she had implied, she could see in his face.

"It just…." She should have dropped the subject, at least momentarily, but her mind could not stop but wandering in circles trying to find an explanation that simply would not come. "He was with us, Dan. He was there. I saw him being taken away. I was there. It was him."

"Well, I am telling you that I saw him too. Yet you do not believe me." There was an edge of bitterness in his tone, even though his voice remained calmed. Yet, this time his eyes did not turn to look at her, focusing instead on the branches below, as if trying to pay attention to his steps where they both knew that was not necessary for him.

"I do believe you…." She added, and she did, she truly did, it just….

"You just believe that I am wrong, and somehow could not tell that it was really Arahaelon who is in the Palace." He finished for her. And perhaps a little too accurately. She could feel her heart sinking at the realization, at the bitterness and hurt lingering in his voice.

"It just…he cannot have been in two places at the same time." She tried to explain her trail of thought but it was in vain. They both knew that.

"Perhaps you can see for yourself once we reach the Palace." He added in a cutting tone, making her take a step back, taken by surprise.

"Why are you angry with me?" She suddenly snapped, his eyes once again not turning to look at her, merely continuing the walk.

"I am not." Was all he replied, but his voice said otherwise.

"You are" She bit back at him, suddenly not understanding his tone. "Does it bother you so much that you might be wrong about it being the real Arahaelon in the Palace?"

"What?" puzzled silver eyes turned back to glance at her, once again looking hurt, yet staining with rising anger, his tone colder than it had been. "What bothers me is that you do not believe I am being honest with you. That I am telling you the truth."

"Your truth." She bit back at him. "What you believe it to be."

"Oh, and your version of events is then the thruthful one? Is that it? That I am confused and wrong in what I believe I saw, and you are trying to figure out a way to clarify that so that it makes sense in your head?"

"The two of you stop that." Lossenel's firm voice suddenly chimed in from behind her. "None of that bickering is going to help."

She felt like adding something, but decided to drop the subject momentarily, their march continuing in complete silence. She could feel Elladan was still angered through their bond, his silver eyes evading hers, focusing instead on the front, even though his fingers had not left her hand still perfectly laced with hers.

She could not tell how long it took, if it had mere minutes or long hours, but at last the found themselves climbing the long steps towards the Palace's main gates. It felt odd, and only then she realized that she had not entered the Palace through the front gates since she had first arrived in Mirkwood. It felt so long ago, so distant like memories belonging to a different person. Every other time she had been either sneaking in or fleeing from the Palace. And once again it made things feel out of place, as if something was not right. But nothing was right. Her father, mother and brothers were currently hiding away in the caves, protected by all sorts of enchantments, and here she was walking through the Palace's front gates, where everyone would know exactly where she was. But what was the point in hiding? Especially if the twins claimed that it was Arahaelon running the Palace. If it was really him, then were they safe? She felt like laughing at her thoughts. Safe. When was she ever safe?

The two guards flanking the gates only bowed their heads as they saw them approach, letting them through without a word, and sooner that she had expected, she found herself following the twins and her sister through the long corridor and arched hallways of the Palace that was her home. And it was again so strange, her mind not fully comprehending what she was seeing. The Palace was full of elves, maids and servants walking around carrying trays and doing their chores, lords and finely dressed ladies crossed their march a couple of times, bowing their heads respectfully in greeting. It was as if nothing had happened. As if suddenly everything was back to how it was supposed to be. As if there had never been a fire, never been an sudden attempt on her father's life that had sent the elves in a state of panic, as if they had never had to hide in the forest.

"This is not right." She whispered quietly to Elladan, for a second forgetting their argument in the forest, forgetting that he was angry with him. Silver eyes turned to look at her, and she could see in their endless depth the same uneasy feeling that coursed her body, and she instantly knew that he was thinking the same as she was.

"It is not." He whispered in return. "Everyone likes to pretend it is. It is easier that way. Truth is, nobody trusts anybody any longer. The only reason elves returned to the Palace was because Arahaelon did. But something is definitely not right."

"Then why are you here? Why did you return to the Palace?" She asked almost immediately, suddenly feeling the urge to flee this halls, this long expanses of towering stone that seemed to have ears and eyes of their own, watching her every move, her every step. Why was she so willingly walking back to the place that seemed to be the most dangerous at the moment?

"Elrohir was injured." He added in a low voice as they climbed yet another large staircase, in the direction of the Royal Wing. "And Ada was needed to aid attending the rest of the injured. And I will never find out what it is that is not right if I stay away from it, hiding. And I need to know what it is. It is getting out of control, these series of attacks coming seemingly out of nowhere. Is that not the reason you and Lossenel left the safe place?"

It was. That was precisely the reason why she had left. She was tired of hiding away and waiting, of trying in vain to stay safe from a danger that seemed to able to find her every single time, of watching her family in that same danger and being able to do nothing about it, of being constantly protected from anything that could harm her. She turned her head to face Lossenel, watching the anxious look in her sister's stunning ice aquamarine eyes.

"Sidhel." Elrohir's voice pulled her out of her wandering thoughts, watching as a familiar maid stopped her march a couple of steps in front of them. It once again felt surreal. The maid looked just as she always had, her face perfectly calmed, simply going about her day as if nothing was out of order. Why was everything running so smoothly in the Palace?

"Yes, My Lord?" The Maid bowed her head as she spoke, her voice always that soft motherly tone, and for a moment she doubted if the maid could tell which twin had addressed her.

"Have you seen the Crow-

"Peredhel!" A familiar voice cut Elrohir mid-sentence, making her blood turn to ice inside her veins, her heart skipping a beat. Her eyes flew in the direction of the sound, widening momentarily in shock, her body paralyzing to the spot.

It could not be. It simply could not. It did not make sense. Nothing made sense. And yet, it was. Right there. Right before her eyes, making his way down a long marble steps was no other than the Crown Prince, dressed in his familiar elegant emerald robes, the rich fabric trailing behind his graceful light steps. Next to him was Indilene, her soft facial features always warm and welcoming, smiling widely in their direction. Her long ash colored hair fell perfectly straight down her back, framing her thin shoulders that were left bare by her pale baby blue dress. And yet she had never been more suspicious of anything in her life.

"Lossie, Rëa." Arahaleon's impenetrable green eyes darted from her to her older sister, looking slightly relieved, as if he had been worried about their whereabouts. "Where have you been? We could not find you anywhere. Where are Tadion and Legolas?"

She opened her mouth but closed her again, finding that no words would come out. He…he had been with them in the caves, and suddenly he was here now, asking about their whereabouts…..Her eyes scrutinized the figure of her eldest brother, trying to find anything out of place, anything that would give away that this was not the Crown Prince standing in front of her. But she could not find anything wrong. Everything was right. Those eyes that pierced through others as if they could see beyond what anybody could were the same, so impenetrable, so silent in their own mysterious way, as if always a step ahead of everyone else. His voice, his movements, his facial expressions. All the same. It was him…..but then….if this was Ar, then who was with them at the caves?

And Indilene….she was here, safe, next to him. It had to be him. Otherwise why would Indilene be by his side, why would he stand so close to her yet far enough as if to not cause unnecessary rumors to grow, always that perfectly calculated distance of his, his body ever so slightly leaning in the lady's direction.

"What are you talking about?" It was Lossenel the one who answered, her voice so oddly calculated, words leaving her mouth in a slow procession, and she did not need to look at her sister's face to know that the same thoughts were crossing the snowy Princess' mind.

The figure in front of her – Arahaelon, she reminded herself, it was Arahaelon- looked puzzled for a moment, as if trying to understand his sister's voice. "You disappeared. After the chaos in the forest, you disappeared. I have been looking for you since. Where is Ada? His hand was injured. Is he all right?"

"We do not know where he is." Lossenel spoke so smoothly she almost believed the lie herself. It was as if her sister was as skeptical as she was, not able to trust her eyes, not knowing on whose ears the information was landing. But still, this was Arahaelon standing in front of them. The more she scrutinized his tall elegant figure, the more she realized she could not point a single thing out of place with him.

The Crown Prince's brow furrowed at her words, but nodded his head in silence. "I have a meeting right now, but I will see you at dinner. It is good to know you two are safe and back in the Palace."

"Of course. Perhaps we can have some chocolate pudding." Lossenel spoke while she merely nodded in silence, watching as her eldest brother offered them a faint smile.

His unreadable emerald eyes turned to look at Indilene, locking with her large hazel eyes for a second, as if deciding whether or not to go but the lady waved an elegant hand in his direction. "I will stay with them, Ar. Go to your meeting, I will see you after."

Her eldest brother nodded his head before marching away in a hurry, his steps ever elegant and graceful, long silvery hair perfectly braided underneath his silver circlet. And still she felt rooted to the spot, even as she saw the retreating figure of the Crown Prince disappear behind a corner.

"Meeting?" She finally spoke, her eyes looking directly at Indilene, trying to understand yet not being able to. "For what?"

"All sorts of meetings." The lady answered with a slight shrug, starting her march up the long marble staircase that led to the Royal Wing, forcing her to follow in order to keep listening. And she wanted to keep listening. "Organizing patrols, and securing the forest, figuring out the reconstructions back in the kitchens and all the other places affected by the fire….It has been hectic for him for the past days. And there still no news on the King, of the other Princes."

She nodded her head as she listened, pretending that it was all making sense inside her head when it truly was the opposite. She was barely even aware of the twins and Lossenel walking along with her, not noticing as they reached the familiar long hallway that led to their chambers. And it was then that she noticed it, the only thing different here.

"Where are the guards?" Lossenel voiced the question that plagued her own mind. There were no guards in the Royal Wing. Not single one.

"He sent them away. It is hard to figure out which guards are worth our trust, so for the moment he alternates them in a way in which nobody can tell a pattern of when there will be guards or who will these guards be." Indilene's voice had lowered somewhat, nearly a whisper, making her have to walk closer to the ashen haired lady in order to hear more clearly.

Indilene's hand reached for one of the golden doorknobs, pushing the ornate wooden door open in a swift silent move before stepping inside, leaving it open for them to follow. What was she doing? She did not dislike the lady, even though she barely knew her, and yet why was she so confidently parading into one of her siblings bedchambers as if it was her own? And it was not even Arahaleon's bedchamber, it was Tadion's.

She had never been inside this room before, and yet everything about it seemed oddly familiar, as if she had imagined it to such detail that the reality did not disappoint. Partly it was because the silken bedcovers and the long rich curtains were in the same deep blue color that covered Ar's bedchmabers as well. Even the furniture was nearly all the same. Just like hers and Lossenel's chambers. And yet this room could not belong to any other of her siblings than Tadion.

It made her smile for a second, her eyes landing on the mess that was inside the chambers. Nearly opposite to how neat Arahaelon's chambers had been, Tadion's was the description of a controlled chaos. Nothing was in its place, and yet everything seemed to have a place. It was so like him, carefree, not worried about anything, only laughing and having fun.

"Why Tadion's chambers?" Elrohir spoke, the younger twin sitting down on the bed as if it was his own, eyes looking at Indilene, who was worried about closing the door tightly shut before locking it.

"Because Prince Tadion is not in the Palace and nobody will come checking this chamber." Indilene's voice had dropped to a barely audible tone, and suddenly, in a split second her perfectly composed serene and warm appearance was gone, her face suddenly serious, worried.

"It is not him. It is not him." Indilene whispered in a rush, the words coming out as if they had been suppressed for so long inside of her, not being able to tell anyone. "It is not him. It is not."

"Arahaelon?" Elladan's brow furrowed as he spoke, Indilene's eyes flying fiercely in his direction. "That is him. It cannot be someone else, not resemblance is so exact. It is him. Has to be."

"Do not call that thing by Ar's name." She nearly hissed, anxious eyes turning to meet hers, then Lossenels. "Where is he? Where is Arahaelon? You must know where he is..."

"How do you know?" Lossenel's ice green-blue eyes turned to study Indilene carefully, as if she could no longer believe anybody or anything.

"It is not him, Your Highness." Indilene replied, her voice sounding sure, steady. And she did not need to be given an explanation as to how Indilene would know that. She knew little about her relationship with her brother, but if there was a boond there, Indilene would know immediately if anything was amiss, she would recognize Arahaelon anywhere. But that had been Arahaelon, had it not?

"Call me Lossenel, or Lossie. I do not care about titles at this time." Her sister said in a low voice, waving away Indilene's formality, her face still looking too confused. "But that was him…I saw him, it was…"

"Oh, the resemblance is perfect, it is not natural." Indilene added, crossing the room and sitting down on one of the cushioned chairs by the fireplace, folding her hands in her lap, her voice dropping even more if it was possible. Her hazel eyes focused on the dead fire, as if starting at the ghost of flames that were once there. She looked frightened, and yet there it was again, that same feeling she had had the first time she had laid eyes on that lady, something that let her know that she was not fragile as she looked. There was strength inside of her, one that would not break, patient and calmed, yet brave and smart. "It looks like him, speaks like him, moves like him. Everything to the last detail is perfect."

"There must be a way of telling whether or not it is him. It cannot be someone posing as him?" Elrohir voiced his thoughts, dropping his head in his hands.

"Something only Arahaelon would know, perhaps? And nobody else?" Elladan added, silver eyes almost hopeful as he looked from her to Lossenel and lastly to Indilene.

But the ashen-haired lady shook her head, and this time it was the cold fear in her large kind eyes that made her bones chill. "It is not merely someone posing as him. That thing is something else. And it knows everything. Every memory Ar ever had, it knows it. I have tried, I have tried countless of times, and yet it always knows. It is as if whatever this thing is, it has access to Arahaelon's mind."

"His arm." She spoke at last, her green eyes looking directly into Indilene's hazel ones, almost expecting the lady to be confused about what she had said. Did Indilene even know about the handprint in Arahaelon's left arm? Had her brother told her? Surely not….if he never spoke about that. But then again, she did not know much about his relationship with Indilene.

"The mark is there." Was all that Indilene said, her patient voice as low as before, shaking her head slightly. "I have already checked."

"Why do you keep pretending it is him if you know it is not?" Elrohir spoke, puzzled silver eyes looking at Indilene for a long moment. "You speak to him as if nothing is wrong. Why?"

"Because I am more scare of what will happen once that thing knows I know it's a lie."

Of course. Indilene was trapped. She could only pretend. The impostor would not hurt her as long as he had to act like Arahaelon, but if she somehow let him know she knew it was a lie….then only the Valar knew what would happen. And more so, how many others were a lie as well? How many others were working along with this thing that was posing as her brother?

"Where is he?" Indilene's eyes pierced through hers as she repeated the question she had been asking for a while.

"They captured him." The words left her mouth in near silence, her eyes closing momentarily. And it only after she pronounced them out loud that she realized how much she had been hoping all along that she was the one who was wrong, that Arahaelon was really fine in the Palace.

And yet it was Indilene's reaction which made her stomach drop. Contrary to the distress she had nearly expected, Indilene's face eyes just dropped to her lap, looking nearly hopeless, as if the thread of hope she had been so desperately grasping to had suddenly been cut, she had already been expected her words, as if she had already known something had befallen the Crown Prince, as if-

"Is he all right?" She suddenly asked, making Indilene's eyes lift to meet hers. Of course. The reaction, her ceaseless questions about where he was. Fear started to pool inside of her as she realized that not once had Indilene asked if Arahelon was fine, whether or not he was hurt. "You know something. I know you do. Is he all right?"

For a long second Indilene's eyes stared into hers, hurt, worried, and the more the silence stretched the more troubled she became.

"Is he all right?" She repeated her question. Slowly, nearly imperceptibly, Indilene shook her head. No.

"Is he…." Lossenel trailed off, nervously pushing a loose strand of her long platinum hair behind her ear. "Is he hurt? What is wrong with him?"

"I do not know…." Was all that Indilene answered, standing from her seat by the fireplace and walking towards one of the long windows.

"Do you know where he is?" She stood up too, making her way towards Indilene, praying to the Valar for the lady to say yes, for her to have the answer they were looking for. Perhaps she could communicate with Ar, in the same she could with Elladan. Perhaps he could tell her where he was and they would find him.

"I do not know."

All of her faint hope came crashing like fragile glass at those words. And yet, she was not willing to give up just yet. "Can you reach him?"

"Not through distance." So that was it. There was a bond, yet it was not yet strong enough for her to communicate or reach Arahaelon if they were physically apart.

"Then how do you know he is not well?"

Indilene's eyes me hers, and all the fear, the despair, was suddenly visible there, bare underneath her strong calmed façade. "I felt pain…..it was not mine….but I felt it, so very clearly. It was only a second, and then it was gone."

She closed her eyes, wishing her ears had not heard that. She did not need any further explanation to understand why was Indilene so desperate, so frightened. The pain had to have been severe for Indilene to feel it if they still could not reach each other through distance.

"Can you reach him?" The request took her by surprise, Indilene's voice sounding different now, almost pleading. "I know it is dangerous for both of you, for him mostly, but for both of you, and I would not ask you to ever do it, but I know if there is anyone who could reach him I now it is you. Your powers…what happened in the past….I know you will be able to reach him."

"I…." She had not thought about, had never even crossed her mind. Reahcing for Arahaelon always seemed a forbidden thing, especially after she had learned of the accident when she was a baby. What if it happened again? What if she lost control and hurt him even more? But then again, if Arahaelon was really hurt, then they needed to find him. What if they hurt him more? What if they killed him? No she did not want to think about that. She would not think about that. And yet, the dying elf's words were still fresh on her head, warning them, telling to find her brother, to do it quickly. "It was a mistake" What was a mistake? She could not understand anything! Her father, Tadion and Legolas were already looking for him. What if they had already found him and taken him to safety. Valar, she hoped that was the case.

"Can you try, Rëa?" Lossenel suddenly spoke, rising from the edge of the bed and joining them. "Just, be careful. But, can you try?"

"I…..Yes." She made up her mind. She could try. She could control herself. She had to. And she would.

She closed her eyes, barely even aware of Elladan standing by her side, as if ready to catch her should anything go wrong. She had never done this before, purposely reaching out. Things usually found her, but now she was the one looking. And she was surprised to see how easy it was. It was as if he had been there, right at the reach of her had all the time, as is something somehow made it overly easy for her to find his spirit, almost as if it was connected to hers.

And there it was again, that feeling that asked her to pull, that wanted to take from him, to be the stronger one, but she kept it at bay, reaching instead for his mind. A wall of pain hit her first, so strong that she almost pulled back, but she managed to remain focused, her worry overpowering all of her other senses.

"Ar?" She asked, struggling to keep a hold of the connection while at the same time to pulling at his energy. "Ar, can you hear me? It is Alamrëa."

But indication that he had heard her, or that he could even feel her reaching out for him.

"Ar?" She tried again, but once again no answer came. "Ar, can you hear me? Where are you? Are you all right?"

"Rëa?" Came a weak reply at last, making her sigh in relief. He was conscious. He could hear her. "Are you all right? Did they find you?"

" I am fine, how are you? Where are you? How can we find you?" She had to make an effort to keep the connection, his spirit feeling as if it was slipping away from hers, and she did not know why but it scared her. "Where are you?"

"I do not know where I am." Her heart dropped at that answer, once again struggling to keep the connection steady, not letting his spirit drift away from her, and was again faced with that brutal wall of pain.

"Stop." His voice sounded alarmingly weak, making nearly start to panic. "Let go, Rëa."

"Am I hurting you?" Was the connection hurting him? Was she only doing more damage? And yet no answer came. For a long second it was only silence, and pain. She nearly letgo of the connection, afraid that she was doing more damage than good, but stopped herself. They needed to find him. Especially if he was hurting. They needed to find him quickly.

"Ar, we need to know where you are." She pressed again, wanting to get any hint of where he was quickly so that she could interrupt the connection.

"I do not know" The same answer as before. It was not helpful at all.

"What can you see? Can you describe the place?" she was running out of ideas, and Arahaelon did not seem to be helping them much, his spirit once again starting to slip away from her grasp

but she kept the connection steady, once again struggling to ignore that wall of pain that hit her.

"Stop."

"I am sorry, Ar. I am so sorry, but tell me what can you see, describe the place so that we can know where to look for you." Valar, it was so hard not to simply let go of the connection, to stop hurting him more, but in order to help him they needed to find him.

"I cannot see anything. It is pitch black." That was something, and yet it was as good as nothing. She waited for a second for any other kind of description but nothing else came, his voice still sounding alarmingly weak.

"Are there walls, can you feel any wall, any surface? What is it made of?" So she had to be the one asking the questions. He did not seem focused enough provide anything other than direct answers, and the thought of that worried her beyond measure.

"Stone. Everything is stone." Once again the answer helped little. The whole Palace was made of stone. The caves below the Palace were all made of stone. She needed to find any clue, anything that would help them know where to start looking, and this connection was already going for longer than she had wanted to. She did not want it to stretch any longer than it needed to, longing to leave him in peace, to stop hurting him more. So she did the only thing she could think of, bracing herself and maintaining full focus on her self control, she pushed into his mind, once again trying as hard as she could to ignore the flare of pain and the weak resistance from his part, pushing for him to let her in, to look through his eyes just as he had let do once before.

And she wished she had not. The second she was there, she wanted to leave, a new kind of panic and despair filling her as she realized that she could not move. He could not move. The space was too tight. And everything was pitch black, just as he had said. She could not see anything, only darkness.

"Get me out of here." Arahaelon's weak voice echoed inside her head, her eyes still looking through his yet seeing nothing in the darkness, only a tight confining space that was not even enough for him to stretch his legs while sitting down.

"I need to get out." The Crown Prince's voice sounded different now, as if starting to panic, breaths coming less even, and she knew that perhaps it had been her the one to once again make him all too aware of the constricted space. "I need to breathe. I need to get out."

"Ar, we will find you." She promised, and she would do anything in her power to make it come true. Her own heart was starting to race in alarm. Elves did not tolerate constricted spaces. They needed openness, and air. She knew some were not as affected by it than others, but she also knew that for Arahaelon it was beyond torture. That aside any other physical injures he must have, judging by the level of pain she could feel. He had always needed wide open spaces, particularly when in any sort of distress. She remembered it all too clearly, how a simple act like opening the balcony had helped him that night when they had discovered poison in his wound. Or in the memories the King had shown her, how he had been at Lossenel's balcony while his spirit ached from the wound the accidental connection with her had left him. "We will find you."

"Stop" His tired voice echoed again inside her mind, and this time she did as he said. The connection had been going for too long, causing too much unnecessary pain. She would not get anything else from it that what she already had.

She started to pull back, and yet all of a sudden something else was pushing her away, forcefully shoving into Arahaelon's mind and cutting the connection, so powerfully, so strongly, that it disoriented her for a moment, her heart racing inside her chest in sudden fear. Whatever that thing was that pushed her away so ferociously, it did not want her reaching Arahaleon, did not want her communicating with him….

Finally (So sorry for the wait) Here's chapter 53! :D I had originally planned for the story to have only 50 chapter and now I'm at chapter 53 and no close at all to the ending! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I little bit of suspense….and we don't even know yet what is happening with Tadion, Legolas and Thranduil!

So sorry for the long wait, as I have explained before I've been very very busy with school, especially as I prepare a thesis for a degree, so I really haven't had any time to write at all!

Anyway thank you thank you thank you so much to those of you who reviewed the previous chapter, really I can't tell you enough how much it means to me that you left me your thoughts, even though I know I've been bad at updating: The Lead Mare, V, Saum the Smol Teddy, Guest Reviewers, Coco99, AndurilofTolkien, Amsim, Flower-Uchiha, StarFilledSkies, Me And Not You 1001, artvandelay5001, helenaxo, and glassary!

Love,

Elena