Chapter 14

November 18, T.A 2940

Forenoon

The sound of leaves rustled high above the four ellyn, how many spiders were up there they did not know. Any of them could have easily pinpointed a number had their attention not been drawn away and was now focused on the group of orcs that blocked their path.

"Do you believe me now?" Feren growled out having only just stated that they had wandered too far south.

Now that they had run into both orcs, and spiders the others nodded in agreement. Each of them pulled out their swords, and daggers preparing for the impending battle.

Anariel stood tall in front of Eruanna waiting for her begin the lecture that could only be long, and boring. Or so Anariel assumed.

"When the ball begins, you will be escorted in by the king. The two of you will begin the evening's festivities with a dance and…"

"A what?" Anariel blurted out.

"A dance, my lady. It is a tradition that you open the ball and welcome all those to join you on the floor by dancing with the king." Eruanna said simply.

"Oh, no. That is going to have to be changed, I don't dance. I can't dance." She pressed on insistently.

Eruanna sighed, "My lady, might we get through one lesson."

Anariel nodded her head desperately trying to focus on her breathing. Dance, the word made her stomach churn.

"Thank you, now as I was saying. After the dance, the king will give a small speech to introduce you to everyone formally. If you chose to attend with someone, you will then dance with them. It will be followed by a formal introduction on a smaller scale to those who are of a great importance in attendance."

"Oh, by the gods." Anariel swallowed roughly, her stomach already churning nervously at the thought.

"If you attend with someone, it is required that he will be the one to escort throughout the night. If you should choose to attend alone, you will be escorted by your brother, Prince Legolas."

Anariel mockingly pouted hoping she'd didn't need to be escorted at all.

"Now, the first thing we should work on is a curtsy. At this ball, you will be introduced to Lord Elrond of Rivendell and his children, Elladan, Elrohir, and Arwen. As well as, Lady Galadriel, and Lord Celeborn of Lorien. It will be required to hold all of them in high regards, even your father, the king, will greet them in such a matter." Eruanna continued simply.

"Why, if he is King?"

"The lord and lady of Lorien and Lord Elrond are all rulers over their kingdoms, they will pay respect to the king, Prince Legolas and yourself in the same way. It as respect to all those in a ruling power. The are considered equals."

"Whoa, me?" Anariel said stunned, shaking her head.

"Yes," Eruanna sighed exasperatedly. "You are the princess of this entire realm, of course, people will do the same to you. Did you ever stop and think for a second, what that means to you and all those around you?"

Anariel dropped herself down in a chair, her head falling into her hands mulling over Eruanna's words. She didn't, not in the least. Eruanna was right she didn't know what it meant to be a princess. She never even let that fully sink in for herself, it barely felt like reality.

"No." Anariel finally admitted out loud. "No, I haven't"

"Perhaps it is time."

Anariel sighed helplessly, "princess." She let the word linger in her mouth, it seemed slightly bitter, and unwanted. "But, I'm not this." Anariel insisted waving her at the dress, jewels, and circlet.

Eruanna paused, "Hmm…" She thought.

"I never will be." Anariel sighed every doubt came hurdling back in that moment, "I cannot be a princess. I'm some foolish barmaid from an irrelevant town. By the gods, what foolish idea did I have to even think I could get this stuff right?"

"You are not that bar maiden anymore, but it doesn't mean anything really needs to change."

"What are you even talking about? Of course, it does. A barmaid and princess are beyond opposites. A lot has to change." Anariel said like it was obvious.

"You know," Eruanna began, "The more I sit here and speak with you, and the more I hear from others about you the more I believe, and trust in you as my princess."

Anariel scoffed lightly, "Whoa, careful. Keep speaking to me like this I might start liking you."

Eruanna chuckled letting her own hardness drop. "Tell me about the elleth you left behind, the barmaid. The elleth that was left in Bree."

Anariel shrugged not really wanting to think about it.

"We all have a mask, a piece of us we never want anybody to see in our most fragile moments. And there will always be pieces' people never will see, but right now you're hiding pieces of yourself that deserve to see light. I have seen your anger, fear, and your unwillingness. But, I've heard great things from a few others who have seen these short-lived glimpses of you. And they all adore you. Tell me about her, the elleth that has been hiding since you came here, that's trying to escape but you keep locking her back away."

"By the gods," Anariel gasped out as tears sprung from her eyes. Standing tall she walked to a nearby window, placing a hand on the wall she leaned forward the other on her stomach as she tried to control the tears. This conversation took a far too serious turn and Anariel no longer knew how to respond.

"Let her out, let that elleth be free." Eruanna pushed on.

"What would you know on the matter," Anariel resorted to anger, trying to cover and hide from the reality of the situation.

"You know, I to hid behind a mask similar to your own. When I was a young elleth my father was killed on the field, my mother was ridden in her grief and sailed soon after. I resorted to the same anger filled mask to push others way, it's easier… right?" Eruanna asked.

Anariel said nothing, she knew sometimes it was and then again sometimes it wasn't but since she's been here she always turned to hiding, wearing that mask again.

"It's not, though, you will miss out on so much. So many people who love you, and if you keep pushing those away who care you will miss out on years of what could have been great memories. I let mine go, and you must find a way to do so too."

"I'm not so sure I can." Anariel breathed out honestly.

"Why," Eruanna pushed on sensing that the princess was cracking a little.

"She's afraid, terrified. She cares too much and loves too deeply. She'll get hurt, crushed. There are too many chances for failure, disappointment, and a broken heart."

"There is always a chance you will surprise yourself, the chance to be loved back. Is all the good not stronger than any bad you think might happen?"

Anariel said nothing only nodded her head to think and mull Eruanna's words over. Anariel didn't want to think about it, but she also knew Eruanna was right on the matter. Anariel was never really angry, she was scared.

Thranduil couldn't believe the way his day had been going. First, he had to deal with Anariel and her little stunt with Haldir last night, and now Legolas and his mellonea with their recklessness. Thranduil was furious, to say the least. He had made the quick decision to use sanwe-latya in order to converse with Galadriel and speak upon allowing Haldir to stay.

Legolas, Elros, Meludir, and Feren had all gone and got themselves injured, leaving the king with no instructors for the princess's lessons on the field. Haldir was the most skilled of the Galadrhim, Haldir was happy to stay and help as Thranduil thought he would be.

Thranduil drew in a deep breath as he entered the healing ward his eyes immediately falling upon his son.

"Adar," Legolas bowed his head as a brown haired healer set to work upon his injury he had sustained. Legolas was no fool he knew perfectly well that his father was angry at all them. And they would surely hear about it.

"My lord." The others bowed their heads deeply.

"Who's foolhardy idea was this," Thranduil sneered eying the four ellyn.

"Mine," Legolas admitted casting his eyes downward a guilt settling in the pit of his stomach.

"I expected better from you. All of you!" Thranduil raged, "To run out there just the four of you so far south, was not only reckless but just plain stupid. All of you have sustained injuries that will leave you in these halls for the remainder of the week if not longer. Feren, as Chief Marchwarden I must say I appointed you as Marchwarden for a variety of reasons and none of them included you being reckless." The king growled out at Feren who made his eyes downcast slightly he knew he was going to regret this as he did now but not as much as he was about to. "Now, with all of you in here, I've had to go and find new instructors for Anariel in which I've resorted to asking Haldir to stay and fill in for you lot."

"My lord, not that I am in any place to disagree but surely Haldir is needed back in Lorien," Feren spoke grinding his teeth in anger.

"Lady Galadriel has given Haldir leave," Thranduil said sternly.

Feren suppressed a growl of frustration, how could he have been so foolish he felt slightly angry towards Legolas and the others. He should be out there with Anariel to train with her, he could have used that time to try and win her over instead he would be stuck in the healing ward while Haldir was with her.

"Now, I must go and escort the princess to her next lesson and speak with Haldir upon his return." Thranduil spun around, his cloak swishing out behind him as he stalked from the room.

"Good," Eruanna smiled.

"But could be better," the princess added with a light laugh as she stood tall once more.

"You can practice when the king arrives, providing him with a curtsy as he enters."

Anariel nodded as she dipped into another curtsy, as Eruanna went over more Ballroom rules.

"Now one never speaks noisily or laughs loudly in the ballroom, ever. If you should feel the need to refuse to dance with an ellon then one must do as gently, and kindly as possible. However, with that being said if you decline one for a dance you should not accept another for the same dance. Most importantly you should never promenade the ballroom alone, nor enter it unaccompanied."

Anariel nodded repeating the rules within her head to help her remember them better, as Eruanna spoke she continue to practice her curtsy. Anariel smiled to herself nervously as she heard a knock at the door signaling the arrival of the king. Eruanna nodded to the princess encouragingly to practice a formal greeting.

Sighing as the door opened Anariel prepared herself.

"Anariel," the king bowed his head in welcome to his daughter.

"My Lord Thranduil," Anariel spoke, her hands fell to the sides of her skirt as she gently placed her right foot behind the left bending at the knee into a low curtsy, keeping her back straight before standing tall once more.

"Very well executed, muinlell nin." Thranduil offered her a warm smile pleased to see her trying so hard.

"Thank you," Anariel smiled back, focusing on her the task at hand to keep her mind from wandering.

"Your welcome. Now, we must head to your next lessons and by the time we are finished Haldir should be back and then I must have a word with the pair of you."

Anariel's eyes widened. "Why?"

"Your brother, Elros, Meludir, and Feren have foolishly got themselves injured and I have asked him to return to continue your training."

"Is Feren okay?" Anariel blurted out before she realized she'd only asked of Feren and no one else. Her heart suddenly felt heavy and ached painfully in her chest.

Quirking an eyebrow Thranduil nodded his head, "They will all be fine, though they will be in the healing ward for a time."

Anariel sighed relieved to hear the news. "How did they all injure themselves?" Anariel asked furrowing her own brow trying to understand.

"They went out into the forest just the four of them, ran into orcs and a group of giant spiders."

"What! They could have got themselves killed!" Anariel snapped.

Thranduil only nodded in response.

Anariel felt her chest tighten up again, maybe it was selfish of her, but damn it she'd lost enough people in her life she refused to lose someone because of pure stupidity. Anariel hitched up her skirt and stormed from the room, as the king called out to her sighing when she didn't respond he followed after.

"What is wrong with you?" She hollered as she stepped over the threshold to the healer's ward. "You could have died out there, did you not stop and think for a second of the consequences of what could have happened? You foolish, foolish elf!" Anariel raged stopping herself when she noticed she'd been staring down Feren. "And you three, all of you for that matter, like bloody children." She scolded them, her anger rushing out though she was just as worried and scared for what could have happened. "Do it again and I'll show injured." Without even waiting for any of them to reply Anariel left the healing house just as quickly, leaving the four ellyn to glance at one another almost nervously.

"So…" Meludir spoke breaking the silence after a moment.

"Uh, well then," Legolas spoke shocked.

"Is it just me. Or does anybody else feel like an elfling that's just been scolded." Elros asked, eyes glancing around to the others as they nodded.

"I think I would rather listen to the king again, than the princess," Meludir added.

"She's right."

"Aww, Feren, look at you stepping up for her already."

Feren only glared over to Elros who sat in his own bunk blowing him kisses, as he winked at Feren.

"By the gods, you're impossible." Feren laughed despite himself.

"All right! Thank you, Elros, that is my sister you can stop," Legolas spoke though he laughed too with the other three, shaking his head.

Anariel didn't stop until the king and she entered his office, her breathing was short and ragged. Growling out to no one but herself she dropped down into a chair by his desk, wiping at her cheeks, tears falling heavily.

Thranduil sat down beside her placing a gentle hand upon her knee, "They are fine."

"But…"

"I understand, your heart still fears and aches for what could have been. Yet, you are happy that it didn't."

Anariel nodded, wiping at her cheeks once more before sniffling lightly.

Thranduil waited patiently as she calmed down, he could see how she cared for Feren. He would keep a close eye on her when Haldir returned, he was curious to how she would act around him. He had a feeling that she had sincere feelings towards him as well, it made him worry about what would become of the whole situation. He didn't know what he would do if she landed herself with a broken heart, he only just got his daughter back, they were just beginning to get along peacefully. He couldn't lose her now, not again.