Chapter 24

December 11 ,T.A 2940

Mid-morning

Anariel breathed in deeply as she stood in her old bedroom looking out the window, the backyard had been turned into a small training field for every elf that had come with the king. With a sigh she flexed her hand remembering the feeling of her own bow in hand, surprising herself when she realized she missed it, perhaps she would continue with the training when they returned.

Turning away from the window she continued on with the work she had given herself, alone with no one other than her guards she continued clearing away everything within her old home. The smallest of piles sat on the bed that she refused to part with.

The further she went and the more she did it seemed to lift a weight off her shoulders, the thought of returning to the Woodland Realm with Feren this time didn't anger her. She almost felt eager to see the vast woodland land again, to walk the winding staircases the moved with nature instead of being blunt and harsh barging through it.

Anariel looked around at her guards once more, she had thought about it before, wondering who they were behind the helmets and guard. It was no one but her and them right now, if she was going to return to the woodland realm she felt foolish not trying to get to know those around her.

Gnawing on her lips she wondered where to even start, none of them ever talked they always just stood armed and ready. Grabbing a pair of boxes that needed to be sorted she clambered onto her bed, though, not before stopping in front of one elf that stood to her left. She went to speak when it suddenly dawned on her that some of these elves could not speak the common tongue.

Simply put she did not feel like going around to every guard to ask if they, themselves, could speak the common tongue only to have them stare at her not understanding. Shaking her head in frustration she decided to skip such simple formalities, she really needed to learn this to speak Sindarin if only to understand her people and they could then, in turn, understand her.

"Okay," She spoke firmly glancing around, looking from one elf to another, "Which one of you speaks the common tongue." Two out of the twelve step forward bowing their heads. Anariel nodded, "Well, thank the Valar, I thought I'd be left here talking idly to myself and no one would understand a thing."

Still, neither of them said nothing, they stayed silent standing as straight as can be, hands firmly clasped behind their backs.

"What is your name?" Anariel asked taking a seat on the bed cracking open the first of the two boxes.

The pair glanced at one another. Anariel had the sudden thought strike her that the king had given them orders she knew not about. "Look, I'd love your help, but I'll not sit here with a pair of nameless nobody's behind a mask. Now, what is your name?" Anariel asked as she frustrated.

"I apologize, my lady. King Thranduil had said not to let anything distract us from our task of protecting you, nothing, no matter what."

"Here, in Bree. I doubt there would be anything that would come to any harm, that one of you alone couldn't handle." Anariel sighed, hoping she wouldn't need to have to ask them once more.

The pair of elves glanced once more at each other before silently nodding in agreement.

"Anarion, my lady." The first spoke bowing his head.

Anariel smiled feeling better already, looking to the second of the two elves she waited when he said nothing she sighed exasperatedly. "Don't make me ask you again."

"Sorry, my lady. I am Orelion." He bowed before quickly returning to his original stance.

Anariel nodded firmly, "I remember you," Anariel's cheeks flushed suddenly, "You were one of the elves who I fainted on in my chambers."

Orelion nodded, "Yes, my lady."

"Well, then, thank you." Anariel smiled, he bowed in return.

The princess enlisted their help in her work as she sat upon the bed, slowly coaxing them into speaking with her little by little the two ellyn become more comfortable around their princess as the time passed.

"You…you have a daughter?" Anariel asked Anarion surprised, as he mentioned her in passing conversation.

"I do, my lady." He bowed his head gently to his princess, hoping to hide the sadness in his eyes though it was clear in his voice. "It will be her tenth begetting day in a months time."

"A month?" She questioned her heart aching as she realized if they left when they had originally planned he would miss it and the pain of such was clear on his face. Anariel turned around feeling horrible, this ellon would not be missing his daughter begetting day had she not run away. This too was her fault.

"Yes, my lady."

"Then you must leave, you cannot stay here when your daughter would want you home when you want to be home for her." Anariel insisted.

"I thank you, but I can not leave you unguarded, my princess." The tone spoke clearly that this was a king's order and he would not be budging to disobey the king.

"Very well." She walked over to the window once more looking over the mud-covered streets. How long had they been home to her? The question suddenly felt so irrelevant, she had taken all of these people away from their homes, away from their families for her own selfish reasons.

It seemed shockingly clear now, that these mortals no longer needed her here. But, these elves around her did. She could do something, they stayed here for her, made sacrifices for her they did not owe her.

"Come, I must speak to everyone one here. Then I must seek out my father and brother."

"My lady-"

"Would you translate this for me, as I know many here do not know the common tongue," Anariel said as she hurried past the doorway and through the halls.

"If that is what you wish," Orelion and Anarion agreed hastily as they followed through the house.

The princess and her guards gather everyone, she stood nervously in front of them. Many looked on surprised to see their princess in front them alone prepared to speak to them as the king would have.

Taking a deep breath, Anariel glanced to either side of her where Anarion and Orelion stood. Anarion spoke to the elves before them that their princess had requested them here to speak with them all, that she had appointed him to translate her words to them.

Anariel took a deep breath speaking to Anarion so that he would tell the others, "Gohena nin. Athranna na si. (Forgive me. It is wrong to be here.")

She looked around offering them a kind smile as she continued to talk allowing Anarion to translate. "I have taken you all from your families, in such, I promise I will speak with the king and we will leave by morning. That much I owe you all for everything you have all done for me."

Anariel rocked back and forth awaiting something anything, slowly when she felt like it did not matter what she did, nothing would be good enough for even these elves. Slowly they bowed to her a deep bow she had seen many give the king such a bow she had not received before. A bow that showed a deep respect. It was clear that so many were thankful, nearly relieved to be heading home.

Anariel smiled a huge grin, "I must go and find my father." She called out behind her shoulder as she rushed from the house.

"Princess! You must wait!" Anarion called out as she rushed away, he quickly gathered the rest of her guards before following her out into the streets. His eyes scanned the streets but she had vanished, taking a deep breath he glanced back at the others under his command. "To the king." Anarion didn't want to admit it but they would have to report back to King Thranduil without his daughter.

Anariel ripped herself away from the hands that gripped her body, glancing around at the forest around them as she was about to run away. His hands gripped her once more.

"Release me!"

"You are going nowhere, princess." He sneered inches from her face.

"I am done with your games, Haldir. I have chosen Feren…" Anariel said firmly as she tried to free her arm from his grip, already seething with anger as he had been awaiting her to leave her home, waiting for her to be alone.

"Feren," Haldir scoffed, as he continued to drag her further into the woods, his chest heaved with angry breaths. "An obvious mistake."

"What would you know."

"What do you know of him?" Haldir argued his grip tightening on her upper arm further.

"I know…"

"You know the elf that lives in Mirkwood, the Marchwarden." Haldir said disgusted, "You do not know the elf that he truly is."

Anariel tried to take a step back away from the elf in front of her, she did not want to her what she assumed to be some well-fabricated lies. Anariel shook her head trying to rid her mind of the unwanted thoughts as they began to swarm in her head, there was always that elleth that didn't quite trust. The elleth so afraid of being hurt and that elleth, that vulnerable broken elleth listened idly to the Marchwarden's words.

"He is hiding his past from you, you don't know what he's done, you do not know who he really is," Haldir said insisting she should listen to him, he slowed to a stop grasping both her arms in his hands he spun her towards him pinning her painfully against a tree.

What could have Feren done?

Were Haldir's words true?

"No," Anariel breathed out still shaking her head, she tried desperately to believe that Feren was true to her, honest. "I trust him."

"Then you have made a mistake." Haldir insisted leaning in closer to her, Anariel twisted her face away from him.

Anariel stood shaking her head furiously. "Your lying."

"I am lying!" He raged dragging her with him further into the forest. "What have I done to be turned into the bad guy, hmm?" Haldir ranted as he dragged her further from the town. "This supposed elf you trust so hasn't been completely honest with you."

"And you expect me to believe you, you who have done nothing but-"

"But what? I have been too harsh, a little blunt and forward with what I desire. Was I too hard on you as we trained? Tell me, you did not enjoy yourself? You rose above and pushed through did you not, your no worse off for it." Haldir snapped as they trudged through the thicket, before coming to a stop once more slamming her into a tree pinning her in front of him.

"You speak as though, you did what you did to help." Anariel hissed as her shoulders hit the tree truck.

"I did what needed to be done. I admit I am a callous, inhibited elf."

"And manipulative," Anariel added disdainfully, trying to move to relieve the aching in her shoulders.

"True, though we all have our flawless. You, yourself princess are no better than I in your rebellious, temperamental, stubborn ways." Haldir snapped irritably.

"Is there a point to all this or have you merely dragged me all this way to point out my flaws, Marchwarden."

"No. I can assure that was the last thing I intended to do. I dragged you out here to make you realize, that Feren is lying to you and I will make you see it."

"If this some foolish attempt at trying to convince me that you are the better elf, I will not hear it."

"Don't flatter yourself, princess. I do not love you. Respect you, yes. I suppose after seeing you and, hearing of my other kindred speak of you, yes I can say I respect you. For all, you have proved thus far." Haldir nodded thoughtfully, as he admitted it out loud, "But, no I could never love someone, even you princess, that I have known for such a short time. Nor should you."

Anariel narrowed her eyes, though his words nearly made her sick to her stomach, she could hear the truth, her fear and vulnerability came creeping up at a quick, spiraling pace. "Why don't you quit these games and tell me, why you have dragged me all this way to tell me."

"Very well." Haldir nodded turning his back on her as he released her from his grip. "You claim that you love him, but Feren is not the elf you believe him to be. He had forsaken his people, our kin. We fought together once when I would have called him a friend but you see, when the battle began to give out and victory was to be ours. A command was given one Feren felt, apparently he did not need to follow he lead a small troop of elves as did I then, side by side we fought and when he went against our standing commanders orders. Elves died, elves that had no need to die. Elves died that I will see are avenged for." Haldir's voice rang around the forest clearing, mingling with the rustling leaves in wind. "We searched the wounded, for those that could be saved but Feren had already left, he cared not. He'd already gone left it all behind, abandoned all of those who could be saved."

Anariel shook her head silently, unmoving from the tree he'd left by tears leaking from her eyes as the Marchwarden screamed at her both by fear of what would happen here and for the elf he spoke of sounded nothing like the elf she loved. "No." She said beneath her breath barely audible over the winds as she shook her head.

"Yes. My father was one of them, I watched him breathe his last breath in that war zone. Returned to my homeland bearing the news of not only my father's death but dozens of others, ellith, families left these shores of heartbreak because Feren could be bothered to try and save them, to follow orders. I'd come to learn one of the elves I managed to save was Feren's own father. He should have been there, should have been able to attend to his own but he wasn't. When it came time to face the harsh reality he left, ran away like the coward he is, abandoned his family in Rivendell. Like he will one day abandon you. So tell me, when you say you love him. Do you love the coward of an elf that ran away, the elf who always ends up abandoning those who need him the most, or the elf that lies to you, and hides who he is and what he's done?

"But…its not true, it can't be." Anariel's hand came to her mouth as she stared at Haldir, tears fell from her eyes at an uncontrollable rate.

Haldir turned to face her, looking at her tear stained face he scoffed. "Do you see now, princess. And when it came time to face that reality to return to Rivendell, his true home. Yes, princess, he is an elf of Rivendell," Haldir added cockily as she looked over confused momentarily. "Did he hide that from you too? Well, I must say its such a good thing, you trust him."

"No!" Anariel screamed out shaking her head, she refused to believe the ellon she had fallen in love with would be the sole cause of so many deaths, would abandon so many who were relying on him, would have lied to her. Would he one day abandon her, like he did to them? Tears leaked from her eyes, as a shaky hand came to brush them away.

"Stay away from her!" The voice echoed around the clearly before they were even here. Through the line of trees the king, prince, and Feren rushed through quickly followed by her guards. Feren rushed forwards towards her. Anariel took a step back holding her hand up for him to stop in his tracks.

"Is it true?" She demanded, walking around him she came to stand among her group of guards that stood beside her father and brother, she felt safe and protected with them and was greatly regretting hurrying away from them, yet she was too glad this was all coming to light.

"Whatever he said…" Feren began, though he was quickly cut off by the princess.

"Is it true!" She yelled out, "Tell me, now. If it is true I will know."

"It isn't like it seems." Feren began it was clear he was too late, Haldir had already told her and now he was sure Anariel would hear nothing of what he had to say.

"No, so it was not because of you? Are you not the reason they died? Didn't you abandon your family in Rivendell? Shocking, because, not once did you even mention you had further family in Rivendell, of all places apparently where you hail from. Do enlighten me, is there anything else you're hiding from me." Anariel ranted as she came to stand closer to her father her guards lingering in the back.

Feren said nothing, he merely stood looking at the ground in silence.

"Am I to take your silence as a 'no' or is that a 'yes, there is more, but I shall merely hide this from you too." Anariel snapped ignoring her own tears.

"Please, Anariel, let me explain."

"I don't want to hear, and I don't need to. This," Anariel waved between to the two of them, "This is no more." Anariel choked back her own painful gasp as she spun around. How could she have been so naive to mutter she foolish words to him, 'I love you' she scoffed within the safety of her mind, foolish, silly, naive elleth.

"Don't do this!"

"That's Princess Anariel to you, Marchwarden." Anariel sneered spinning on her heel "Can we leave by morning, it's important, I'll explain later." Anariel pleaded through the tears, her voice cracking under the strain.

The king nodded firmly as he followed his daughter out, while he felt bad for his Marchwarden but he had warned him before about hiding his past and it would appear he would learn this the hard way and partially at his own daughter's expense. No matter how much he cared for and likes Feren, now that his daughter was back she and Legolas would always come first.

Author's Note; Thank you guys so much, for all the follows and favourite it really means so much. Hope that you all continue to enjoy, please always feel free to let me know via review or PM.

Dying to know what you think of this chapter, and possibly about Feren.

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