Dear readers,

Thank you for your continued support.

CoffenEdcoFFe - Orcs are really not the reason why I wrote this chapter & neither did I clarify their intentions. Let us just assume they were hungry. Elethan has an important role to play; both now and when he is grown up (I still haven't entirely decided what to do with his character, but I will).

Jessie Rae Baby - Legolas was 30 years old when they found Tauriel who is seven and soon to turn 8. :) I think I may have mentioned this somewhere in my previous chapters. Whether this time sequence is correct I know not, but it was an optimal age difference for my plot.

This chapter might not be as exciting as the last one, but I hope you will enjoy it all the same.

So far I have 25 chapters in total (which means 12 more ready for publishing), but I like to read a few reviews before sharing them in case there is something not too serious that can be fixed.

Love,

M.E.

P.S. It would be greatly appriciated if you helped me come up with more elven names. My imagination is running low; the names there are so far are either canon or completely made up. Any suggestions are welcome; I'll pick the most fitting when introudcing a new character later on. :)

CHAPTER 13

Morning brought new light and new energy to both of them. The prince was first to open his eyes, he had some very vivid dreams about yesterday's events, but none made him wake up or stir. He stayed peaceful in his bed letting his little friend get some much required sleep; he was content to lay beside her and simply let his mind wander to a happy place.

He didn't know how much time passed until he sensed her slightly stir on his chest and her breathing became louder. It took her a couple of minutes to realize where she was or rather with whom. Little elleth paid no attention when her friend brought her here, he never did so before so the unfamiliar room almost frightened her.

"Good morning little mellon." she heard a gentle voice greet her while familiar fingers stroked her arm.

"Good morning." she replied a little groggily trying to make sense out of everything. She had slept through the entire night without a single nightmare. This surprised her, but the rest was welcome anytime.

"How long did I sleep?" Tauriel finally asked after no one said anything else.

"I don't know, but you certainly needed your rest." Legolas replied kissing the top of her head before he made himself get up to his feet. His little friend followed suit knowing that the polite thing to do was to excuse herself from his room. She had already trespassed on his hospitality.

The prince watched as she put her put her boots back on. "Why don't you go and take a nice hot bath little mellon. Change of clothes will do us both good. I'll meet you in your room in a little while." he finally said knowing that he smelled of orcs, but was unwilling to let her out of his sight.

When the little elleth made herself fresh and clean, she sat on her bed to wait for Legolas. It took a lot of self-control not to run back to his room, but she knew that he was the prince and that he couldn't place his entire day at her disposal.

Sooner than she would have expected, he was in her room which calmed some of her anxiety. Tauriel wanted to laugh at her foolishness, but leaving him for any amount of time after yesterday's events seemed to send her nerves into overdrive. For both of their sakes, this fear would have to vanish, but this was not easily achieved.

"Tolo little mellon, it's time for breakfast." he informed her when she took a hold of his hand. Tauriel only remotely paid attention to his words; as long as he was present, she thought of nothing else, but of how her friend was always there.

"Mellon." she started stopping midsentence not certain of wishing to finish her thought.

"Yes?" he asked trying to encourage her to speak.

Tauriel shifted from foot to foot as they made their way to the dinning parlor. "About two nights ago, goheno nin. I truly did lose orientation on time. Usually, I come back before the sun sets." she finally said after deliberating on whether or not to speak. Contributing encouragement to do so was her own close encounter with death and the fact that she would have perished without asking for his forgiveness.

Legolas sighed squeezing her hand. "It was nothing mellon, I overreacted a little. I'm just glad that you are unharmed. If something had happened to you, the last thing you'd have heard from my lips would have been me sending you to your room. Try to be more careful; I will do my best to protect you, but you need to help me a little." he replied gazing far away as dread entered his mind along with the mentioned possible scenario.

They had arrived to their destination so there was no time to say anything. Thranduil was already seated on his usual place at the head of the table following their movements. "Good morning ada." Legolas said unconcerned as he placed his little friend to sit next to him.

"Good morning ionneg." he replied only nodding to Tauriel's silent greeting. Little elleth usually addressed him quite vocally, but today felt too embarrassed to say anything after her outburst from yesterday. She was grateful that her numbness held its grip before she shed tears in front of her king, but the demonstration of fear made her feel humiliated. Still, she realized that her reaction would have been much alike if ever in the similar situation.

Her food was barely touched; she didn't feel like eating even though she didn't taste anything in two days. Two bites that she took were forced down her throat, but she barely paid attention to its taste. Legolas looked at her in worry, but she was completely silent. Was she still dwelling in yesterday's events? He didn't voice anything, but was decided to feed her himself if she continued to refuse eating during the afternoon meal.

"Tauriel; why don't you go to the library and bring that book about herbal medicine? I'm going to show you where some of the herbs grow in the forest." he addressed her once they were finished.

Tauriel seemed surprised; Legolas was never available before the afternoon meal. His father looked at him disapprovingly, but didn't say anything until Tauriel was out of earshot.

"Ionneg, have you had time to ponder about yesterday's discussion?" Thranduil approached the matter in this way.

Legolas looked at him expressionless. "I did. I even planted the possibility to Tauriel; the worst mistake I ever committed in my life. She is not going anywhere." he replied drawing each syllable in the last sentence to make his point.

Thranduil pondered this. "Legolas, it might be the best solution; for both of you. Consider it. If you let her go now, she will adjust to her new life more easily. When she stops seeing you, she will start to grow into her new life. You don't have an obligation to dedicate all your free time to her care. She will be well provided for and you would be relieved of the burden you have imposed upon yourself." his father tried to persuade him even though he was fairly certain that it was fruitless.

"I'm not holding her prisoner in the first place ada. If her desire is to have a family, I will not be an impediment in her way; I have told her this last night, but her reaction made me wish I stayed silent. Let's make something very clear. Even if she changed her decision, I will always be a part of her life. She is not a punishment that I bestowed upon myself, I do not care for her because I feel it my duty to do so, but because her presence in my life gives me joy. "Legolas replied coldly using his father's own tone against him.

"You could make a better use of your free time even if that is so ionneg. What about your today's duties?" Thranduil sighed with a hint of compassion.

His son just grinned at him evenly. "I'm sure they can manage without me for a day. I'm not too keen to let Tauriel out of my sight today. As for my time, it is mine to dispose of it as I desire. Dedicating it to her makes it well spent. Weren't you the one that always taught me that caring for our young ones is the most vital interest for our kind?" he replied raising an eyebrow at his father.

He seemed slightly taken aback. "I did and I stand by it. I didn't realize that you actually listened to my counsel. You were much more fascinated with weapons than my words, much like your little friend over there." he replied a little more warmly as he motioned to the door.

The prince didn't even notice when his friend came back; he hoped that she didn't arrive to hear his father's very heartwarming speech from before. Her eyes were full of excitement and she looked to be ready for action so he relaxed slightly.

Tauriel only arrived to hear king's last sentence. As much cold or unyielding that he seemed, he would not have been capable of consciously placing her in distress and he had a good look at the door so he would have known when was a time for silence.

Both ellons stood up upon her arrival; Legolas grinning at her undying enthusiasm. "Ready to go tinu nin?" he asked making his way toward her.

Before she could make any kind of reply, someone else's voice came from behind his back. "A moment; Legolas. Tauriel." he motioned her to come closer; she did so without hesitation looking curious and wary at the same time.

Legolas looked at him wary as well, but for a different reason. He hoped that his father wouldn't be so imprudent as to say something about what they talked about. "There is a rumor that your birthday is coming up soon." he formulated his statement like this.

Her face fell to the floor; her birthday. That day promised a day of joy to her, but at the present, it only brought back the hollowness; the remainder that she was an orphan with no parents. What was there to celebrate anyway? "What was it that your parents used to organize for this event?" the king asked noticing her eyes far away like she was remembering something from a different era; perhaps it was so.

Legolas relaxed slightly knowing where his father was headed with this. "I'm sorry, what?" Tauriel asked getting back from her memories at the sound of his voice. She knew it was incredibly rude not to pay attention to her king, but her mind drifted off on his own.

The king almost rolled his eyes, but nevertheless didn't seem to mind repeating the question. "Your birthday unfocused one. What is it that you usually did on this day?" he asked watching as little elleth paid closer attention.

"Nothing terribly exciting. My parents would bring a dining table outside and invite the villagers over for a late afternoon meal. We would watch as the sun disappeared and the stars glitter in the sky if there were no clouds. Gebreth and Lenderion were always there, they were a couple of years older and they would challenge me. Of course, that would always end in disgrace; for them." Tauriel replied trying to remember through mist. All the faces were there, the clearest being her friends', but still her parents remained a shadow. She stopped herself from flinching in time at that fact. Her speech started with a grin and ended in sadness.

Legolas listened to the story sadly; he hoped that she didn't live to see her friends die before her eyes. His father listened patiently for her to finish. "Sounds like a good plan." Thranduil said in complete stillness.

Tauriel just returned from her memories to try and make sense of these questions. With every word, she became more and more confused. "Plan? Plan for what exactly?" she asked pondering his actions and words trying to see the whole picture.

She risked a glance in her friend's direction, but he was just grinning. "Your gift little one of course. Mine shall be a small feast in the gardens before sunset. You may invite whomever you wish, but if you plan to invite guards, try to keep it in reasonable number limit." he replied watching his words sink into her mind one by one.

Astonishment hit her like a thunder. Many emotions twirled inside of her; the most dominant being gratitude. Thranduil kept his expression free of all emotion, but was somewhat pleased with himself when he saw her eyes light up in surprise. He forgot how easy it was to make little elflings happy; the last one he saw being his own son.

His surprise matched hers when she closed the distance between herself and the king and wrapped her little arms around his waist. His son wasn't far behind; his eyes almost popped out their sockets before he controlled his expression. Thranduil looked down at his hugger slightly taken aback; then again why did it surprise him, she had done something similar before giving him a slight peck on the cheek. His queen always wished to have a daughter; he pictured that daughter with chestnut red hair now. Legolas was an elfling once of course, but he was a boy and his hugging phase passed rather quickly. "Hannon le Hir Vuin. I don't know how I will ever be able to repay you for kindness that you bestowed upon me. " She finally said after she was sure to be able to keep her voice steady.

The king wasn't immune to her innocence; his skilled hand caressed the top of her head for a brief while before he remembered that his councilors would be waiting for him.

That night, Tauriel's father got a new face; the face of King Thranduil.

Translations:

Mellon – Friend

Tinu nin – My little star

Hannon le – Thank you

Hir Vuin – Beloved lord

Ada – Father

Ionneg – Son

Goheno nin – Forgive me