Chapter 17
A female figure dressed in pale yellow reached out to open the wooden door in front of her slightly and peered inside.
"Psssst."
The platinum head of the solitary male elfing, seated at a desk, whipped to the door at the sound.
A bright grin formed when he saw his beloved Naneth.
"I'm busting you out. Come, Honey, before Sven comes back!"
He launched off his seat and towards the door, books and parchment forgotten.
Evie moved away from the door to let him pass.
"Here."
She handed him a brown carved box.
"no peaking!"
"Naneth, what is this?"
"no questions, just come!"
Evie took off down the corridor, a large book under her arm and a basket hanging from her right hand.
The elfling giggled as he tried to catch up to her.
They turned left, right, down those steps and out a large set of double doors that led on to a grassed terrace.
Breathless with excitement, Evie stopped and turned to face the elfing following her.
"here will do. But we must be quiet, so they don't find us!"
She leaned in to whisper the last bit.
The cheeky grin was answer enough.
She placed the basket down and set out the rug on the grass.
She sat and patted the place opposite her.
"Sit, Honey."
He obeyed in an instant.
She handed Legolas the bound notebook she had carried.
"Draw me."
"Why?"
"Because you have a talent for it, don't try to deny it. And think of it as payback for making me sing after dinner the other night."
A huff came from the little being, but did not object.
She watched him reach for the brown box, lifted the lid and found various pieces of charcoal.
"I'll sing for you, while you work?"
She laughed at the smile he gave her.
"Deal."
She began to softly sing for him as he moved the charcoal over the thick parchment, looking at her every so often.
"You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh I realize
Its hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small"
Evie raised her hand and her golden magic glittered in the afternoon sun above their heads as it played with a pair of butterflies that fluttered over to say hello.
"But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful
Like a rainbow"
They continued on a while, until Evie stopped.
"time for tea, Honey?"
"Yes, naneth."
Evie reach into the basket and began pulling out various items: cups, hot water, little triangle sandwiches.
She brought her hand out with a plate and held it against her chest, a cheeky grin on her face as she looked at the little elf in front of her.
"would you like a treat, honey?"
A pair of blue eyes brightened at this.
"what did you bake for me today, Naneth?"
"Have a guess."
The little Prince rested his hand under his chin as he pretended to be deep in thought.
"hmmm. Cookies?"
"try again."
"muffins?"
Evie shook her head in response.
"What's my favourite?"
Blue eyes lit up in understanding.
"Strawberry tarts!"
She laughed at his delight and leaned closer to him.
"I'll share them with you on one condition."
"yes?"
"show me your drawing."
A cheeky grin appeared on the blonde haired elf's face.
"that's fair. Can I have one now?"
He had already reached his hand out to take one of the glazed sweets.
Evie took a tart for herself and brought it to her lips.
"mmmmmmm."
It was pure heaven to have the party melt on her tongue.
"I wish we could do this everyday."
Green eyes surveyed the elf.
"but then that's what makes it so special, Honey."
"I guess, but I like you better than Sven."
She laughed at this.
"You're going to be King someday, so you have to know all that…stuff."
She waved her hand and the golden magic that had been contented above them drifted down to tap the little elf on the nose.
He giggled in response, not afraid at all.
She smiled broadly at him.
There was a bit awe in his voice when he spoke again.
"You're glowing again, Naneth."
"So I am." Her heart felt so full.
"now, show me."
To her shock, the little elf took the parchment and ran off, quick as a flash across the grass.
"you have to catch me first!"
Hitching her skirts up into both hands, she took off after him.
"just wait til I get you, Honey!"
A giggle was heard from the elfling, but he didn't stop. In fact, he went faster, aiming towards a big tree ahead.
Evie anticipated what he was planning and spoke with authority, despite being out of breath.
"don't you dare climb that!"
The little elf stopped at the base of the tree, looking back at his follower.
Giving an excited grin, he tucked the parchment in his pocket and jumped up on the nearest branch.
"Legolas! Come down!"
"no!" the tone was light and full of challenge.
With a huff and a quick glance over her shoulder, Evie untied the bow on the left of her middle and pulled her yellow day dress off, leaving her in only her white slip, soft as silk.
Her cream slippers were still back on the picnic rug, where she had left them earlier.
Without hesitation, the woman jumped to catch the branch Legolas had previous occupied and puled herself up.
She looked up into the canopy above, searching for a glimpse of dark blue.
"Here I come, Honey!"
Up and up she climbed in pursuit of the blonde elf. The giggles she heard only spurred her on.
"ah ha! There you are."
She had reached the top level, spying the elfing sitting on a nearby limb.
"Now let's go down before one of us breaks our neck."
"silly Naneth."
"no, I don't want to take the risk. Come on…Oh."
Legolas had moved silently to be eye level with the red headed woman.
He quickly lent forward and placed a kiss on her cheek and then he was gone.
"Legolas!"
"come on, you still can't catch me."
So down and down, she carefully climbed, a bit slower than the elf.
She landed on a branch next to one Legolas was standing on, the parchment held out.
He waved it about.
"Do you want to see?"
She narrowed her eyes at him, but reached her arm out for it anyway.
Her fingers had just grasped the parchment, when she felt her foot lose its grip on the limb and she was falling.
"Ahhhhhhh."
She closed her eyes, waiting for the smack of the hard ground.
It didn't come.
Instead, she felt her body connect with a warm chest, arms holding her tightly.
"oh" She opened her eyes and found bright blue ones filled with concern.
A large male hand came up to sweep her hair off her face and cupped her cheek gently.
She leaned into the touch.
"Are you alright?"
"Ahhh..i..ummm…yes."
She felt the chest vibrate when the Elevenking laughed at her dazed expression.
"Do I want to know?"
Her eyes flicked back up from his lips to lock eyes with him again.
She gave an embarrassed smile.
"probably not, no."
"Ada, you saved her! Naneth, are you alright?"
Both of the adults jolted back to reality with the frantic voice of the young elf, who had climbed down the tree and run towards them.
Evie then became away of just how close the King had her held against his body. She could feel the heat of him, the strength of muscle under her hands. She breathed in his earthy pine scent and cleared her throat.
"You can put me…uuhhh…down…if you like."
The gaze of the King was intense as it focussed on her garments, or lack thereof, but it was gone in a blink as her request sunk in.
He released her, though he did not step away.
Feeling hot, and a bit uncertain about the way her body reacted to his close proximity, Evie quickly picked up her day dress and shrugged it back on, quickly tying the strings in a bow.
The little elf reached out to take her left hand in his.
"I'm sorry Naneth."
She bent down and cupped his face with her right hand. She looked directly into his watery blue eyes and gave a kiss on his brow.
"no harm down, Honey."
She released him and looked back at the King.
"thank you, Majesty. Seems you're always in the right place, at the right time."
He smirked at her.
"Always a pleasure to help a beautiful maiden needing rescue."
Evie felt her cheek warm at the teasing.
"Come, Legolas, we should head back."
She held out her hand to the little Prince, which he took.
She bobbed a curtsey at the King.
"See you for dinner Ada."
They both turned and walked back towards their little picnic.
If Evie had looked back, she would have seen the Elvenking bend to pick up a lone piece of parchment from the ground.
Evie was sitting, smiling directly at him as her hand glowed with magic and butterflies flew around her.
His facial expression had looked on the sketch with tenderness, his eyes roaming over the incredible likeness drawn by the Prince.
He stared at it for a long moment, before folding it carefully and placing it safely in his pocket.
Evie POV
Much later, Evie let out a large sigh as she relaxed in the warm water of her bath, filled with lovely scents and bubbles.
She massaged her sore muscles from the training session she'd had with Feren that morning distractedly.
The object of her thoughts had bright blue eyes and long platinum hair.
She had liked the way their relationship had improved since her arrival to the Greenwood several months before.
But she had liked the way he felt against her even more.
"You're being ridiculous, Evie" She muttered to herself. "you're not here to find a life mate."
But it did no good, for she knew she liked him. Really liked him.
But he was Legolas' Adar.
And he was King of the Wood Elves.
She dunked her whole head under the bubbles.
She was in deep shit.