The room was warm, the hot tracing her skin made her shiver. And yet, despite the roaring fire that had been lighted, a couple of servants still feeding it to make sure the flames burned and burned and continue to burn the logs into ashes, the room had never felt so cold to her. She felt as though she was floating, her steps not really touching the marble floor underneath her thin leather slippers. And so she stood there, at the threshold between the antechamber and the main bedchamber, watching the others move before her with eyes that did not want to believe the sight before them.

She could barely see the bed from where she stood. But that was fine, it did not matter too much, for she was not really sure whether she wanted to see the bed at all, whether she would dare risk that one look at her eldest brother which might very well be her last. She was partially grateful at the way in which the rest of her family crowded around the bed, blocking the view.

Melnor was there, that she noticed. The healer was sitting down on a chair placed right next to the bed, facing her way so that she could see his face. His eyes were closed, an expression of utter concentration lacing the features of his face, looking pale and drawn, and yet not giving up. His lips were moving, quickly, repeating something over and over again in a voice so low that all she caught was a slight buzzing sound. There was a faint glow surrounding the head healer like a silver halo, his left hand grasping tightly to Arahaelon's own, the only limb she could see through the figures, lifeless and pale. The healer's other hand she could not see, stretched in the direction where the Crown Prince's head would be, by the pillows.

There were other healers too, plenty of them. But they were not doing anything, and it occurred to her that they had nothing to do really. They just stood there, faces blank, trained not to show emotion. But their empty expression said too much.

The Queen had taken the place at the edge of the bed, by Arahaelon's head, her father kneeling next to her. She could see their backs, hunched over the bed. Tadion was there too, standing close to the foot of the bed like a guard, his face matching the blank expression of the healers. But there was something else in his clear blue eyes which seemed so dazed, so gone that it made her heart constrict. And then there were Legolas, and Lossenel, her brother never before having looked so young to her, suddenly looking like an elfling next to his older sister. Of Lossenel she could see nothing but her back, her slim and delicate figure and the stunning platinum hair that cascaded all the way to her waist, her frame shaking so much that she did not need to look to be able to tell that her only sister was silently weeping.

Arahaelon was not awake. That was all she knew, all she managed to pick up from what the healers had so gently informed them, as though the sweetness on their voices could lessen the blow the words would deliver. And she had found that no matter how the words were delivered it would not make hearing the truth any less brutal. The Crown Prince was unconscious, he had passed out hours ago due to the heavy blood loss, so if he passed – she refused to think about it of when he passed, as the healers had so tactfully put it- it would silently and without fuzz. There would be no final words, no goodbyes, no nothing. He would simply….stop breathing.

She was barely aware of movement behind her, by the door, turning her eyes to see the same dark haired and grey eyed lady she had seen in what now felt like a distant dream, a lifetime ago, gently ushered into the room by Galion. There was a lord next to her, tall and stone-faced, his skin pale and his hair a familiar shade of ash blond. And last, close to the elf that must be her uncle, was Indilene, her uncle's right hand resting on her shoulder, as though needing to have a physical grip on her, almost fearing she would be snatched away. She searched Indilene's face, but the lady did not meet her eyes, did not meet anyone's eyes, her own hazel ones were lost and blank, focused on nothing in particular, her face so perfectly stoned, like that of her uncle, strong and quiet and patient.

She saw the King move, walking past her and towards the newcomers, exchanging some words in solemn greeting, too low for her ears to hear, and in that songlike language she could not understand anyway. She watched their movements, their faces, everything feeling fuzzy and surreal. She watched as the King led them towards a corner of the antechamber, talking softly in the language that should have been her mother tongue. She could not tell what they were saying, but the ash haired lord was shaking his head softly, inclining it respectfully and then addressing the word to Indilene, both aunt and uncle taking a step back.

She turned her eyes away again, facing the bedchamber, only faintly noticing a figure standing next to her. Galion. She did not need to look to know. And next thing she knew Indilene and the King walked past her, inside the main bedchamber, her father like a protective shadow hovering over the lady, not seeming to want her out of his sight. Those by the bed moved, her family and healers alike, silently and without being asked.

She could not stand there. She could not simply stand there and watch and wait, because her hopes were too high, and if they were to shatter how would she be able to cope then? It felt as though the air had suddenly gone thin, and she could not breathe it, it could not reach her lungs. And before she could think about it, before any one even had a chance to notice, she was turning on her heels, her feet taking across the antechamber and out into the hallway silently, like a shadow escaping from a nightmare.

Her heart was stuck inside her throat, the sights, the noises, all seeming so far away. The guards standing dutifully outside Arahaelon's doors did not say a word, as though they had not seen her. But perhaps they had not. She had started to feel like a ghost, a presence detached from the world, from the reality that unfolded all around her. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably, and she held onto the dark violet skirts of her dress in an effort to lessen the trembling. Lossenel's dress, she was reminded. The Queen's Halls, the ladies singing and chatting, her sister combing her hair and making her try every piece of jewelry she owned, it all felt so far away now.

She thought about Elladan, suddenly needing him, wanting him by her side, wanting his strong arms wrapped around her and making the world disappear for a few seconds, wanting his warm breath upon her skin, his silver eyes looking at her as though there was nothing else worth seeing, his spirit so close to hers. She tried to reach for him, even though she felt slightly guilty doing so. She could already feel him fast asleep, exhausted beyond measure, and she had no doubt that he too, along with Elrohir, had been among the group of healers that had tackled Arahaelon's sudden bleeding. There were no better elves to assist Lord Elrond than his sons, and even though both twins were both healers, their abilities did not match those of a better experience healer. He would need his rest. And she would let him rest. He could do nothing right now, just like her. And she would not wake him up from the rest his body demanded him only to have him wait with her for the long hours of the night, sharing her fear and her worries.

She stopped suddenly, noticing that she could not walk any further, the delicate railing of the long familiar balcony right in front of her, cold even against the skirts of her dress. She had reached the end of the hallway, stepping outside into the balcony just were the corridor finished. The cool night air brushed her face, still humid with the memory of the soft rain that had fallen not too long ago. She could smell it, the wet grass and leaves and soil. The sky was uncharacteristically clear above her, not a single cloud in sight, and in the black mantle she could see every single star there was to see. She had never seen so many. They were bright, and shimmering and so incredibly peaceful. The Moon shone too, a perfect half circle, silver and huge in the clear sky. Such a beautiful night, even though it felt as though the weather should be gray and sad. But of course the weather did not care, the sky did not care, the world would move at its own pace, and they were simply small and meaningless and nothing but pieces in a complicated game the gods played every day.

Outside, in the distance, the wind made the trees dance, their leaves swaying softly to the melody only they could follow. She could hear them, a million voices carried in the breeze, singing softly in the tunes of a lullaby, their voices an unintelligible language, so peaceful, so tranquil. She wondered if they could feel Arahaelon slipping away, if they could somehow sense it, if they knew, and if they simply did not care either.

"What are they saying?"

They voice startled her, making her turn around so quickly that her hair slapped against her back, only to find the King's butler standing just by the frail crystal doors that led out into the balcony. She had not even heard him approach, always a shadow, silent and unseen. The butler's eyes were gentle, always that calm soft blue that let nothing through, only patience and loyalty.

"What do you mean?" She managed to ask in a small voice, cautious, watching as the butler took a few steps towards they balcony and then stopped, a safe distance from her, standing as he always did, in a corner with his hands neatly folded before his lap.

"The trees, My Lady." Galion inclined his head softly as he spoke, a small smile appearing on his pale face, motioning in the direction of the forest she had been so carefully studying. "What are they saying?"

She did not answer, staring silently at the older elf who did not seem to mind. It was an odd question, a question that betrayed too much knowledge in a single phrase. He knew. He knew she could hear them sing, could hear them talk. She could see it in the soft spark that glimmered in his gentle blue eyes, a spark that suddenly made her feel incredibly young, like a child.

"Your father used to come to this very same place, when he was younger." The butlers continued, his voice as soft as his face, turning to look at the forest as if lost in a distant memory, curious. "He would stand right where you stand now, and he too would stare at the forest outside, for hours at times."

Of course he knew she could hear them. He knew her father could as well. He was always so silent, his presence so easily overlooked that it was easy to forget, to not even think, that he was always by the King. Whatever the King saw, he saw, whatever the King heard, he heard, whatever the King did or went, he was there too, just in case he was needed.

"And what would he say? When you found him here." She could not help but ask, her expression carefully blank, studying the butler who merely smiled warmly at her.

"Nothing." Galion shook his blond head, shrugging his shoulders.

She chuckled once, a half-hearted yet refreshing feeling. She should have guessed the answer, it seemed an obvious one.

"The first time I caught him here, he was but an elfling, standing on his tiptoes to be able to look over the railing." Galion added, rising his eyebrows in recalled amusement.

"He sent you here, did he not?" She phrased it as a question, but she already knew the answer to it, could see it in his very presence, still a safe distance away for her.

"He did." The butler confirmed, nodding his head once, the movement slow and graceful.

She should have guessed that too. Of course, Galion went where the King sent him. And if he was here, watching her, watching over her in truth, instead of by the Elvenking's side, it was because her father had sent him here, after her.

"He saw me leaving." It was not a question this time, there was no need to pretend. She let her eyes return to the forest, watching as the trees continued to sway and dance languidly in the distance. Above her, the Moon was so low in the sky. Any moment, any minute now, the first pink shades of dawn would appear in the east.

The butler nodded his head once, the pale Moon making his skin and hair glow idly. "He rarely misses a thing."

Of course her father does not miss a thing. She knew that as well, should have been able to guess that he would notice her leaving, even though he had not been looking, his back to her. And for a second she resented the butler's presence there, next to her, sent to watch her, to follow her.

"The King worries, My Lady." Galion added gently, soothingly, as though he could so perfectly read her thoughts. "That is all."

She did not answer, taking her time to lose herself in the distant forest once more, listening to the lulling soft voices she could not understand, and still kept calling to her, summoning her name, knowing she was there, watching them, listening to them. And owl hooted somewhere in the distance, breaking the peaceful silence the night had settled.

"You knew my father as an elfling?" She suddenly asked, turning to face the butler who had remained completely still and quiet in his corner of the balcony, her interest peaked as she remembered what he had said last.

"That, I did, My Lady." Once again Galion nodded, another amused yet slightly melancholic smile growing on his face.

She stared at him for a while, curiously, taking in his tall and slender appearance, his serene ageless face, his knowing soft blue eyes. And for the first time she wondered how old was the elf standing next to her. How many things, many ages, had his eyes seen? She had never once wondered about that, had never even crossed her mind.

"You have served him since then? Since he was an elfling?" There was only curiosity in her voice, her right hand resting lightly over the thin railing, feeling the cold bite of the silver under her palm.

"Longer than that, My Lady." The butler replied with a single light chuckle, as though entertained to be asked that question, which she guessed nobody else ever asked, for she was sure they all knew. But she knew so very little of everything. "I was appointed by your grandfather as your father's personal butler from the moment he was born."

She was sure she could not hide the surprise from showing on her face, and judging by the amused smile that grew on the butler's lips he had evidently read her expression. She had never wondered at the butler's age, but had somehow considered him about the King's age, or even younger. It was hard to image someone who always stood so silently, so loyally and ready to serve every command given by his King, to be so much older than his superior. She must truly be nothing but a babe to his eyes.

"You knew my grandfather?" She said stupidly, already having heard the answer. And still she could not help to ask. She had never heard much about him before, had never even wondered either. It was so difficult to imagine the realm without her father as King.

"I did, My Lady." Galion answered once again. It was another thing she was not used to: getting her questions answered. "I served his household since before he was crowned King."

Before he was crowned King. She could not even start to comprehend how long ago that was.

"What was he like?" She found herself asking before she could stop herself, the forest momentarily forgotten behind her, leaning her back against the railing to be a able to fully face the butler.

"Not a lot of fun." Galion replied with a playful twinkly in his eyes, succeeding at making her laugh this time, her worries, her fears, for a second momentarily forgotten.

"Did he come here too?" She could not help her questions, the cool night breeze toying with her golden hair and pushing it into her face. "Did he listen to the trees as well?"

"No." The butler answered, and once again she was sure he had seen the surprise on his face. "You grandfather could not hear the trees, My Lady. He could not talk to them either, or call on them, or feel them in the way your father does, in the way you do."

That stunned her. She had not been expecting that answer. She had no idea why she could hear the trees, why she could hear the ring, safely concealed on Lord Elrond's third finger, why she could connect to the forest, to the wind, to the forces of nature. She had only ever guessed it must have been passed down by blood. After all, Arahaelon could hear the forest as well, and their father could too….but not their grandfather….then how?

"Ensuring the protection of the Kingdom, is a delicate and far more complex thing than many would imagine, My Lady." Galion started to speak as though he had so perfectly seen all the question in her eyes, all the doubts, the exact direction in which her thoughts had been headed, no longer smiling. "You grandfather did wield old magic, passed down through bloodline. I am sure you have heard of that."

He did not wait for her to add anything, merely softly continuing speaking, his gaze turning towards the forest ahead.

"And a kingdom, if not properly protected, is really such a frail thing. Particularly here, with the shadows of Dol Guldur so close to us, with the darkness spreading. Did you know the Kingdom was included the fortress, My Lady? But we were forced to move north, abandoning it and leaving to the darkness that had grown so intense it was impossible to keep it at bay any longer. You grandfather, as King, took every existing measure to fight against it, to ensure his forest, and by extension, his people, would not suffer another fate as the one faced in Dol Guldur. He used his magic, but elven magic too is a delicate thing, temperamental, difficult to understand, to truly predict. There are only so few, of those who possess such magic within their blood who have been able to master it."

"It was your grandfather who bounded himself to the forest. Nothing is given freely, in this world. Everything is a balance, and everything is an exchange. King Oropher, he used his magic to tie himself, his own life, his own being, to the forest around, and in exchange the forest offers protection, safety, it sustains us, a heaven for us to live our days in peace. But elven magic is often so difficult to comprehend. I do not think you grandfather truly knew what he had started, it was impossible to have guessed it, predicted it even. And when your father was born, well that was when King Oropher saw the first glimpse of what would become of his line."

She was unable to move, barely breathing, afraid to even blink in fear that anything she did might stop the tale the butler was telling her. A tale she so longed to hear. She wondered why he was telling her all this, why he was sharing all this information with her, when nobody else seem to want to talk to her about powers and the forest and connections at all. But she did not dare ask.

Behind her, the sky was slowly turning pink, the first rays of the dawning sun starting to appear in the eastern horizon. She closed her eyes for a second, feeling as though her heart might break.

"You see, My Lady, your grandfather could never hear the trees, could not speak to them. He never called on them either, they never moved to his will, although he remained bound to them until the moment he died. But, with your father, it was different. The first few times he mentioned the trees talking to him, I admit I dismissed it as an elfling's wild imagination. But never before have I been so wrong in my life. From the moment he was born, your father was already bounded to the forest, and the power, the magic, it extended so much more than your grandfather's ever did. As I mentioned, nothing is given freely. And the forest, while it provides protection and safety, it also takes. The forest is so very alive. And it takes, it feeds its energy from the one being who keeps it alive. It a circle, My Lady. You see, your father protects the forest, and in exchange the forest protects your father, and the realm. And little did you grandfather know, that by bounding himself so permanently with the forest, he was bounding his whole blood line as well. The forest will always bound itself to the King."

"You are perhaps too young, My Lady, to have truly seen, or truly understand the toll such a thing takes on the body, on the spirit, the amount of energy that the forest demands, that the forest takes."

She could nearly see the forest glowing again, if she closed her eyes, the memory of what she had seen in the heart of the forest suddenly so vivid, so intense. She recalled the leaves glowing in silver, all around them. The overwhelming feeling of power, so strong, so grand that it was hard to grasp. And the whispers….the whispers of a thousand voices calling her, calling Arahaelon, and calling on her father, asking for energy, demanding it even. It made her shudder, using her hands to pull the thin fabric of her dress closer around her.

"It is no coincidence that the Crown Prince, Arahaelon, too has such a connection to the forest. It was to be expected. As heir, and future King, he was always meant to have such a connection. After all, the forest ensures it's protection through the King."

"And if…."She started, swallowing once in order to be able to finish the question that seemed stuck in her throat. "And if...Arahaelon were to…"

"I cannot pretend to know, or understand such magic, nor the way the forest works and chooses who to bound to, My Lady." Galion inclined his head respectfully as he spoke, as if to remind her of his lowly place as merely servant, who should not be making assumptions on such things. "I, however, have seen enough to only guess that, should the come to pass, the forest would bound itself to the next King. That being Prince Tadion."

"And…." Part of her did not really want to ask, not sure if she wanted to hear and answer, and yet needing it. "And….me? Why me?"

The words that had been dancing inside her head for what felt like an entire lifetime finally left her mouth, breaking through the night air and settling a long silence. She was not even in line for the throne. Of all her siblings, she was the last….and she was Lady. Just like Losseenel, she was not counted in the line of succession. And just like her sister, the throne would only ever be a possibility if there were absolutely no male heirs that could claim it before them. But then, why her? Why could she hear the forest as well? Why could she call on them? Why could she even connect to it with powers that were even stronger than those of the King, an Arahaelon's?

"I have no answer for that, My Lady." The butler said at last, inclining his head as if in silent apology. But there was something in his eyes, a faint distant spark that said otherwise. Even though he was not telling her, he knew something. And it was perhaps that it was not his place to tell it.

Their conversation was interrupted by the deaf sound of approaching footsteps, her head turning just in time to find Legolas joining them on the balcony, crossing the frail crystal doors that separated it from the main corridor outside. The youngest of her brothers looked deeply exhausted. His hair, always so perfectly braided was suddenly a mess, strands fallen from braids that seemed to have been there for days without being washed or untied, and the pale blond shade looked darker too, more golden, like Tadion's or hers. His soft blue eyes were dulled, looking at her gently over dark bags from lack of proper sleep.

"My Lord." Galion greeted him with a polite bow of the head, his eyes then turning in her direction. "I see you are in good hands now, My Lady. With your permission, I will take leave."

The butler did not wait to be dismissed, merely inclining his head once more before starting his ever patient walk down the long corridor, the same way he had come, no doubt to return to the King's side, his rightful place. And she was left alone with Legolas, her brother joining her at the railing, standing just to her left, tired eyes looking out at the starting day.

For a long moment, nobody spoke, both of them lost in the rising sun, in the starting song of the waking birds, chirping on the branches. And then she could not take it any longer. Every second, every chirp of a bird tore painfully through her heart. She could not stand not knowing. She turned her head suddenly, facing Legolas's tired blue eyes, but her brother seemed to read the question in her face before she even asked it.

"He is still holding on." Was all he said, and yet never before had such short words lifted such a burden from her heart. Even though she still felt as though the relief was only momentary.

"Indilene…?" She spoke before she could properly order her thoughts inside her head, but once again Legolas' seemed able to read her.

"Yes." He answered her unvoiced question, and in that words she could see how his own shoulders sagged, as though suddenly exhausted after a lifetime of tense fright. Relieved. "He is holding on to her. She is keeping him here. Nothing is still certain…the healers cannot tell whether he will make it, or if it is only delaying the inevitable, but he is holding on….there is a chance."

She took in a breath, and it felt as though the air reached her lungs for the first time. Nothing was certain. Those words had not missed her attention. But there was a chance. And that weighted more. Moments ago, there had not even been that. In the distance, another bird chirped, but this time she welcomed the sound, welcoming the rising sun, the new day. A new start….another opportunity.

"And, is she.." Once again she could not order her thoughts, but once more Legolas did not need her to speak in full sentences to understand.

"Indilene is safe, for now." Legolas nodded, a small smile growing on his tired face. The sfot morning breeze made his blond hair dance over his shoulders, brushing his silvery blue tunic that looked worn and wrinkled. "The healers are making sure she remains safe, they are taking every precaution there is, and Ada is watching the healers with such intensity that I honestly cannot understand how they can even work."

That made her laugh, a small light chuckle, but a laugh nonetheless. She could picture exactly the kind of look Legolas was describing, could almost see the King's fierce icy eyes glaring at the healers with a gaze so piercing and powerful that it would make even the bravest elf cower in fear.

"Ada has been very clear with the healers on the proceeding as well." Legolas continued, moving in order to face her, leaning his left side against the delicate silver railing. "They are to pull Indilene out should Ar get any worse or weaker. He will not risk Indi's life more than it already is. Lord Elrond is there too, leading the whole thing, providing his healing powers now that Ar is holding on to Indilene, hoping they will reach him now."

She nodded her head, deciding not to ask about the Elf-Lord's presence there. She thought he had left the room. But then again she should have known better, and she should have guessed that no matter what her father said in his anger and grief and aguish, the Elf-Lord would not leave his patient so easily, not until there was truly nothing left to do or try, and perhaps not even then.

"You should see the way in which Ada hovers over Indi." Legolas added with a smirk, letting out a quiet laugh, his eyes momentarily lighting up, rising one eyebrow high on his forehead. His tone was lighter now, even though the tiredness seemed to run as deep as his bones, and once again the sparkle in his eyes was that playful grin that she had come to known, one that made him look so much like Tadion, playful and carefree. "I am tempted to bet that he is even considering commissioning a monument for her. I swear, if Ar was not already apparently completely smitten by her, Ada himself would give him a ring and demand that he proposes to her and marry her."

She laughed again, unable to contain it. She knew Legolas was exaggerating, he tended to do that, liked it even sometimes. But still she got the picture once more, and at the moment she had to admit that she too felt like ordering a statue of Indilene to be built, simply because she was giving them…was giving Ar, a chance. And still, another thing made her smile, a hidden knowledge, a shared secret. She suddenly remembered that, unbeknownst to Legolas, there was a ring, just inside Arahaelon's bedchambers right now, safe and hidden within its beautiful wooden box.

Hello everyone! I hope you are all staying safe and doing great. Here I leave the next chapter! 71 already! I hope you enjoy it, there is still plenty to come before the story ends. I hope this wait did not feel as long.

Thank you again to all of you for your lovely comments on the previous chapter! LOTRUniverse, helenaxo, artvandelay5001, Ari-Skywalker, mystarlight, HannaOfLasgalen, and guest!

Love,

Elena