Arabelle did not like a single thread of this clothing, a white tunic that was too long, decorated with leaves along the loose sleeves which covered up to her fingertips, the torso did not allow for her larger bosom and was uncomfortably tight even with the corset strings on its back loosened to the maximum. Arabelle looked to the mirror in front of her, making sure her braids were tidy, save getting a lecture from Dori, she put them in clear view either side of her face. Thorin had been taken to his own chambers to dress and now her mind trailed to the other dwarves, she was certain they would be looking for them by now. She was not sure if she worried more for them lost in the forest or hostages at the Elvenking's bequest. Steeling her mind she refused to let anymore of her thoughts be seen, a mask overcame her as a trained smile was forced into position. Three sharp knocks came upon the wooden door of her chambers, upon opening the large door Legolas weas revealed, now adorned in a similar white tunic he had an entwined silver crown upon his brow and a sadness in his eyes.
"Princess, I beg you allow me to be your escort for the evening." Legolas offered his arm, clearly coached into his actions and words; she too had been trained for such events by Lord Elrond, though she had detested it all.
"It would be a pleasure." Arabelle smiled sweetly, taking the arm "Not leading me to another torture session?" Arabelle queried with a raised brow.
"My father offers his regrets over such a-miscommunication. As do I."
"Ah yes, the miscommunication that a lowly dwarf may be subject to such harshness, but the same princess may not." Arabelle looked to the prince who seemed to be calculating his next words "These gems your father seeks must be terribly valuable."
"My mother's gems have no equal value in gold and have long sat stolen in Erebor." Legolas looked ahead "Yet it still does not warrant what my father was willing to do, for that I apologise."
Arabelle looked at him for a moment, the sadness in his voice on mentioning his mother resonating in her as she understood such pain and a part of her wished to make it right. Two flights of winding stairs took them to an open hall, trees lining the circular area it was more a field than an actual hall. Grand long tables were decorated with food that would make Bilbo drool, crystal glasses delicately stacked as the drink within bubbled softly they glistened under the moonlight, a harp at least three times the height of Arabelle was softly strummed with the chanting of elves making for a serene setting. Arabelle trained her face not to scowl too hard as Legolas guided them over to the table he bowed to his father; Arabelle keeping her back defiantly straight. The Elvenking looked to her with a cunning eye, Arabelle taking the seat Legolas held out as he tucked it in behind her before taking the seat across from her. Arabelle had spent much of her youth surrounded by elves, she considered many her friends and yet she felt uneasy in the company of the Silvan elves, never before had she been so focused on keeping her mind her own, her emotions in-check as she played the most dangerous of games; politics.
"It has been so long since we have shared a table with such an esteemed guest." Thranduil began, his hand lifting as serving elves floated in, filling up wine flutes.
"We are to start without Thorin?" Arabelle gave an innocent look to the Elvenking, though inside she knew the answer; he was undoubtedly in a cell.
"I felt we could speak more honestly without your dwarven keeper." Thranduil responded, watching for a reaction.
I am kept by no one. The words on the tip of her tongue she tasted blood as she held them back, taking a sip of wine "Then by all means let us speak."
"Tell, what is it the dwarves have promised you? Protection from those that would harm you? Or is it more along the lines of gold and treasure so you may buy your throne?" Thranduil seemed to have it all figured out.
"Do you believe men so easy to buy? That a simple offer of gold can claim a throne." Arabelle watched him and he gave her a knowing smirk and she resigned for she need not to reach the age of the Elvenking to know the greed of men.
"The dwarves do not have their riches and only offer empty promises. By recent events alone they have shown themselves incapable of protecting you."
"And I suppose you can?" Arabelle looked to the Elvenking, a smile graced his face "I suppose you can offer me an army so I can make my claim to Gondor, tell me how long will your armies stay? Will they be there when the men of Gondor revolt against an unknown and untested Queen. Will they protect me when Orcs learn an heir of Islidur lives? And what is the price for such a generous offer, what is the price of this alliance?" She looked to him, steel in her eyes.
"A darkness is growing, one that infects this land and wishes to spread. An ally to our south would be most appreciated." Thranduil nodded.
"Yet you chain a potential ally to your east." Thranduil, to his credit seemed to acknowledge her response as a valid one. "I am not the solution to your problem." Arabelle looked to Thranduil whose eyes pierced into her, she did not need to see in his mind to know that he was not about to just let her leave with the dwarves; even if it was just out of spite, he would not let the dwarves have her.
"It sounds as though the rest of your friends have arrived." Thranduil smirked, Arabelle did not need elvish ears to hear the sound of multiple disgruntled dwarves shouting out a range of curses. Arabelle's eyes widened, her mask gone and emotions bare as she raced from the table, down a flight of stairs she followed the voices till she came to a main thoroughfare, large roots winding through the woodland realm she stood on a root system far above as the chained dwarves were ushered along.
"Fili!" She yelled for him, smiling as he looked up to her a smile on his own face as their eyes locked, though it quickly faded away to a scowl.
"Keep your hands off her you pointy eared twig!" He yelled as Arabelle looked to Legolas who had followed her down, in fact multiple guards had followed her. Legolas' hand was gentle on her arm, only there to stop her from falling as she had been leaning over the edge rather far, when she looked to him he retracted but it wasn't enough for the dwarves now yelled multiple profanities and threats at the red-faced princeling.
"Sorry, they are a bit protective." Arabelle smiled a bit, a red to her cheeks as Kili shouted something about beating him with his sorry excuse for braids. "I would like to go speak with them."
"We would need to check with the king." Legolas looked down to the foul-mouthed group, no wonder his father wished to protect her from them.
"No man tells me what to do." Arabelle smirked, she had been calculating the motion since she had seen the dwarves below her. Well aware the Elvenking had undoubtedly timed this, he had allowed her to race and see them but not be able to reach them, perhaps he had wanted them to see her dressed in the fine elvish clothes and escorted by the prince. The Elvenking was smart and perhaps if she was wiser she would not have made her next move.
"Belle!" "No!" "Watch out!" "Get her!"
A series of cries were heard as she leapt from the walkway, she had just enough footing on a smaller branch to launch forward as she fell down to collide with a pathway she rolled off it to leap down further she grabbed a loose vine to swing to the right but with not enough speed she had to let go; unable to stop herself, she fell short of the ledge to the dwarves. Though this was of little consequence, the dwarves had watched her miscalculations, Fili who had been at the start of the long line of chained dwarves jumped off the ledge giving her a body to grab onto. All chained together the speed did not stop with just Fili, Kili had also been taken over, as was a very confused Oin and a terrified Ori. The string of dwarves had stopped with Dwalin who out of sheer determination refused to be taken down, the other dwarves now dragging up their hanging companions.
Arabelle couldn't help but smile as her arms were wrapped around Fili's torso, his smell strong she inhaled the woody scent of his coat and breathed out as she heard his heart beat underneath. Looking up she saw an annoyed dwarf looking down at her, his tied hands above his head as they were dragged up by the others. "Are you trying to stop my heart?" He was definitely unimpressed but as she looked into his sapphire eyes that refused to leave her face, as she heard his heart beat slow in her presence, she knew him happy to see her.
"So you hang out here often?" She smirked up to him, laughing as his mouth was unable to hide the tug on its corner.
"Are you crazy lass?" "I'd not want to be near the treehuggers either but that was reckless!" "That was totally awesome!" "Kili do not encourage her." "Lass are you alright?" "Where's Thorin?" "Your shirt is ripped!" "Bloody elves can't even keep a seam together."
"Boys. Boys I'm fine, Thorin is here but I don't know where. They are keeping us separate." Arabelle looked at each face, noting the missing hobbit. Her nerves eased as Fili stayed close he leant into her back his warmth calming her as he whisper that Bilbo slipped out while they were being captured.
"What is the hold up." Tauriel demanded as she came to one of the guards, looking to Arabelle who now stood in the middle of the dwarves with a bit of shock.
"Just saying hello." Arabelle smiled at her before turning to Fili "I'll see you around handsome." She winked at him, Kili making some gagging sounds in the background as the dwarves were carted down to the dungeons.
"Shall we take the easy way back to your chambers?" Legolas waited for the dwarves to be out of sight before joining her.
"Did I not make that seem easy?" Arabelle laughed a little, taking his arm as they began what was going to be a long walk back up to the upper levels. The pair were idle, polite chatter, Legolas would point out the different types of wood or plants, Arabelle talked about the gardens in the Shire and the trees in the Old Forest. By the time they had made it to Arabelle's chambers her stomach let out a low rumble, between the rationed food of the last few days of travel and having ran out before getting a bite to eat at dinner she was famished. "You have not eaten." Legolas spoke and she nodded. "I will have some food brought to you." Legolas whispered to one of the guards "Perhaps-If you don't mind-I could join you?"
Arabelle shrugged "Though I must confess I am rather spoken for, if you think this-" She gestured between herself and a now red faced elf "Is happening."
"No. Not at all. I. That." The elf stammered and Arabelle's flittering laugh filled the hallway as she opened the door and gestured for him to follow "I have known elves my entire life and I can't say I have ever seen one lost for words."
"The blonde dwarf-" Legolas asked as they took seats across from the fire, Arabelle will give it to Thranduil he did know comfort, the feathered pillows under her sinking in as she pulled up the silk throw. A few serving elves bringing in towered plates of food, placing them on the small table in front of them an ornate bottle of wine and two glasses between them, Arabelle watched the servers carefully and waited till they had gone "His name is Fili."
"And you love him?" Legolas asked perhaps a simple question but Arabelle stiffened a bit, eyeing him cautiously she questioned his motives, the Elvenking was clearly not opposed to using loved ones for leverage. "I mean only to ask how you found each other, how you knew he was your one?"
The elf prince was blunter than most Arabelle had come across, not so much popery in his speech and he was curious, genuine in his questions of love. Arabelle looked to the red wine that she swirled in her glass, thinking of the first time she had met Fili all those months ago, she hadn't even been aware he was flirting with her; a smile grew on her features. "Well I wasn't looking for it. In fact at the time I was perfectly resigned to a life on my own. I enjoyed my own company and that of my horse, I had no need for silly attachment, convinced all men would only seek to control or use me." She huffed at her own stubborn naivety "Then I met this dwarf. He was kind and sweet, always laughing it was impossible to be sad in his presence. I did not even realise he liked me, simply thought he liked talking. We would lie awake at night, I would talk about the stars, of my travels through Middle Earth and he would tell me all about his home and family in the Blue Mountains. I don't even know when it happened exactly but at some point I started waiting for the sun to set not so that I might rest, not even to look upon the stars but only so that I might be with him; somewhere in the middle of Eriador I fell in love." Arabelle's grin was contagious, her stomach fluttered with the butterflies.
"But how did you know? What did it feel like?"
"It felt like home."