Thranduil pressed his fingers to his temples in exasperation. It had been a full week now since he and Legolas had argued before his throne and his son had barely spoken a word to him in that time but he had spent the week between his training, scouring the entire realm for his mystery elleth; for the wild, Princess Aerlaer. Why could he not decide one of the court elleths were suitable? He already knew the answer to that. They had no fire. They bored his son. He'd observed the young wild elleth enough during the masked dance to know she indeed had fire. She was bold and daring also otherwise she would not have been at his celebration. Legolas had never shown this level of interest in an elleth. Thranduil knew he had barely eaten, save for his obsession with damn apples which seemed to be worse, or slept all week; such was his desire to find her.

He wouldn't find her, at least not for a small while. His guards had reported the six elfhorses, once they had fled the woods had continued on towards Rivendell. They had reported an argument in his woods between the Prince and Princess, it seemed she desired to turn back but her brother had driven her from the woods.

Her darkened hair would throw his son off the scent but if she should come looking for him, he did not think it would take her long to seek him out if she ever did slip by his guards unnoticed. That was not going to happen but still, it was a risk. He leant back in his throne and sighed. What should he do? He was not losing Legolas that he was adamant about. His son was not leaving his homeland. He could not bear to lose him too.

"My Lord?" He opened his eyes and peered down from his throne to see Celevon, the one whom he sought the wise advice of often. He had travelled with them from Doriath with his own father, another Sindar amongst the Silvans of the Greenwood.

"Celevon, your timing is impeccable, I have a slight problem." Thranduil said tiredly to the other silver haired elf as he rose from his throne and descended the stair so they could talk quietly.

…

King Falas rested beneath a pine in the cool shade from the noon sun. Lying by his feet his lifemate Gwaloth was reading a book she had brought back from Lórien. He heard muffled hoof beats and opened his eyes and turned to see who approached. It was one of his guard, Bregast.

"Lord Falas, I bring you this letter." Bregast said warily as he handed Falas a sealed, rolled parchment. He noted it had the royal seal of the Woodland Realm on it; a wreath of leaves and berries. Carefully he opened and unrolled the letter and read it, brows furrowed.

Lord Falas,

I wish to speak with you personally over a matter which concerns us both.

I await your presence in the fringes of the Greenwood.

King Thranduil Oropherin.

He silently handed the letter to Gwaloth who read it curiously. It was a moment before she spoke. "Well that is an unexpected request. I have not seen Thranduil since before the death of Aruial when I stayed with them a while to teach Legolas how to ride." She murmured, recalling the gentle and sweet, bright minded elfling.

"He was only seventeen was he not?" Falas asked and Gwaloth nodded. "Then that was near on two hundred years ago." He realised. "I wonder what has brought Thranduil out of his wood?" He mused worriedly.

"Well you had best go and find out." Gwaloth laughed as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

…

Falas had Bregast accompany him towards the Greenwood and then have him halt and stand guard within sight but out of earshot as he continued on at a relaxed canter, ears pricked towards the tree line. As he reached the first boughs of the trees he shifted back to elf form and feeling the comforting weight of his quiver on his back and his sword by his side, he entered the wood.

"I am here." He said quietly and after a moment he heard the nearly silent shifting of leaves in the tree above him and a tall, silver blonde elf dropped down beside him.

"Well met Falas." Thranduil murmured as he nodded his head to the Elfhorse King.

"Greetings." Falas replied and both king's quickly and silently assessed one another. Each elf was equal in height, quite tall among elves although Falas was slightly broader of shoulder than the lither Sindarin elf. Sea blue eyes met crystal blue ones questioningly.

"On the eve of the eighteenth, a week past, I had six unexpected guests attend my annual masked ball, two curiously had disguised their usually obvious identities." Thranduil said, raising a questioning brow towards the autumn haired elf.

"Damn Aerthor, I knew he was up to something." Muttered Falas in annoyance. "I am sorry I had no idea of their intentions, they were meant to be heading to Imladris, I hope they did not cause any trouble." Falas apologised for his young herd members actions.

"It was not problem; I had no problem with the young ellon's of your herd joining my dance." Thranduil answered and Falas heard an edge in the wood elf's voice. He had not included Aerlaer in his consol.

"What did she do?" He asked warily, realising his daughter was the reason Thranduil had decided to grace him with his presence. This cannot possibly be good.

"Your daughter has stolen my son's heart." Thranduil replied curtly and Falas felt his jaw drop.

"Legolas?" He asked surprised.

"No, my other son... Of course Legolas." Thranduil replied sarcastically.

"By your wit I am assuming this is an issue?" Falas asked carefully. Personally he could not fathom what the problem was, provided Aerlaer returned his feelings.

"As we speak my son is tearing up my Kingdom searching for her. Fortunately my guards inform me she is with her brother in Imladris and out of his reach and he has absolutely no idea who he searches for." Thranduil said wearily and Falas wondered what sort of ellon the prince had grown up to be, raised only by his father.

"What exactly is the issue with Legolas finding her?" Falas asked. Thranduil was clearly stressed over this.

"I am not losing him to your herd Falas and I know my son, if he finds her, he will leave and I will not have him lost to me too." Thranduil whispered and in the wood elf King's voice, Falas detected great sorrow, as he looked away, up into the trees, his jaw purposely set holding back emotion. He had lost his wife and he did not want to lose his only son, his only remaining family.

"What would you have me do?" Falas asked quietly. "I assume he does not know you are here?"

"No one but my advisor knows I am here." Thranduil replied. "I have thought this over and I have come to two possible outcomes which enable Legolas to remain where he should, safe in my realm."

"I'm listening." Falas said warily.

"It appears young Aerlaer reciprocates these feelings Legolas has. Admittedly they are superbly matched not just by rank but character and spirit too."

"And how are you certain she reciprocates?" Falas asked with a raised brow.

"My fool of a son kissed her and she reciprocated the gesture." Thranduil replied flatly. "They also spent the majority of the evening inseparable." He added.

"I see." Was all Falas replied.

"I will allow a joining of the two on one condition. Aerlaer must leave the herd to live in my realm under my rule." Thranduil said calmly, watching Falas carefully for his reaction.

"No. You cannot lock her up inside your walls, she will despair." Falas replied, trying to bridle in his outrage at such a request.

"That is my decree Falas. If you do not like it I suggest you keep your daughter away from my son, he must never find out who she is." He replied warningly.

"If she feels the same that will not be so easy. You might keep your son under lock and key but I do not treat my offspring so." Falas replied tersely.

"Well maybe you need to instil some boundaries for her." Thranduil quipped and Falas glared at him. "I am not trying to be the enemy here, I just do not want to lose my son." He said quieter and Falas saw the torment raging in the other King's eyes.

"I understand that." Falas nodded sadly. "I can send Aerlaer to Lothlórien for a time although I do not do this happily." Aerlaer is going to hate me for this. "And if he does find out?" Falas asked.

"I will make sure he does not, my son has too much idle time on his hands, he has longed to join my guard, and I will initiate his joining within the week. However I will never send him on patrols of your borders." Thranduil replied confidently.

"It seems you have raised him well." Falas murmured and Thranduil looked at him questioningly.

"Aerlaer has a herd of four young and worthy ellon's to choose from, not to mention those in Imladris and Rivendell but in a crowd of masks, she picked your son. She has Galadriel's blood; she is a fair judge of character." Falas said softly and a fleeting wistful smile crossed the woodland king's face and then he laughed.

"And you know well just how marvellously the Lady of the Golden Wood and I get along." He joked. "Already I have seen but a glimpse of the elf your daughter will be come. Formidable like her grandmother." He laughed again good naturedly.

"Indeed, to have Aerlaer then, in your home would consequently be a disaster." Falas chuckled.

"Yet one I would allow for the sake of Legolas." He murmured but Falas shook his head.

"I will not have her miserable in a union because she has lost her freedom." He said resolutely. "I will send her to Lothlórien for as long as it takes to get the notion of your son out of her head and heart." Thranduil nodded gratefully to him.

"Thank you old friend, this means everything to me. He means everything to me." Thranduil said softly, his voice close to breaking and Falas placed a hand upon the other King's shoulder.

"I know."

"I must get back so I may slip back into my kingdom unnoticed." Thranduil gestured to the wood. "Please send Gwaloth my sincerest regards. Tell her, Legolas is the best rider in our realm thanks to her tutorage all those years ago." Falas caught that wistful look again in the other King's eyes before he turned away and disappeared into the woods.

With a heavy heart, Falas shifted to horse form to return to his lifemate with his heartbreaking decision.