A/N: Okay, I am FINALLY updating. I don't even know what's been keeping me from updating, because this is the chapter I've always wanted to write! The chapter that pretty much made me wanna write this story. So here it is.

-----------------------

Ch. 5 - First Impressions

"Legolas, please, not now!" persisted Thandruìl. He waved his hand to dismiss his son. He had come in to his father's study to chat, like they would when he was younger. His father would push aside his paperwork and take his child up on his knee and listen to what he had to say. Now all Legolas got was a sigh and a wave of the hand. "You know that I'm busy! I've got very urgent matters to attend to."

Legolas was not happy with this answer. "'Urgent matters?' What could be more important to you than me: your son?"

"Ion nin, you know how busy I am! Especially with the recent spider sightings on the borders..."

"But shouldn't your duties to your family come before your duties to the kingdom?" shouted his son.

"A king's subjects are his family, Legolas. Please stop this foolishness—"

"I'm being foolish? I'm only—"

"Legolas," King Thandruìl looked at his son with almost pleading eyes, "please." Without another word his son turned and stomped out of the hall. The king covered his eyes with his hand for a moment, before turning them back to his work.

--------------------------

Legolas lay in the shade of a tree by the lakeside. His horse Arod lay next to him, and the prince stroked a lazy hand down the horse's back. He sighed, thinking of his earlier 'conversation' with his father.

"I don't know what's going on, Arod," he said to his horse. "He used to like it when I came in to see him. He would welcome me and talk with me for as long as I wanted. Now he shuns me like I am a burden, instead of a relief to him." Arod snorted. "What's that supposed to mean?" Arod rose and walked to the waterside for a drink. "Hmph. Now even you don't want to listen to me. I suppose it's time to go in anyway."

Legolas mounted his horse and rode off toward the east stables.

----------------------

Miriènn continued dragging Sìrëwen down the long, empty corridor. As the larger woman gripped her wrist tighter, Sìrëwen could hear her muttering things about how elf-children aren't as obedient as they used to be.

"How things could change so much over a couple centuries, I'll never know." As she continued, Sìrëwen started to mock her. At this last comment, the elf-child couldn't help but snort. Miriènn noticed her trying to suppress a giggle. She raised an eye-brow and scoffed, "Why, when I was a child, if we didn't behave we were sent out to clean the stables. Yes sir, from top to bottom, from dawn 'til dusk." Sìrëwen rolled her eyes in reply.

Finally, they stopped at a partially opened wooden door. Outside, one could see a garden and a portion of the stables. "Well, since you've situated yourself in your room"—

"Not really--" interrupted Sìrëwen.

"Since you've situated yourself in your room, you can start work," said the mistress.

"What will I be doing?" asked the elf-child, looking up at her. A bucket of water and a scrub-brush was thrust into her hands.

Miriènn chuckled a bit before replying. "Cleaning out the stables, of course." She opened the door the rest of the way, and Sìrëwen's eyes opened wider. The stables where much bigger than she had guessed. "You're to scrub the floors, change the hay and water, and wash every horse, mule, and ass in there. When I return I want the place to be absolutely spotless." She pushed the shocked child towards the stables and bent down to whisper in her ear. "I suggest you get started," she said maliciously. Then, she walked away.

Sìrëwen stood there for a moment, overwhelmed by what was expected of her, and groaned. "'I suggest you get started'," she mocked. "HAH!" Seeing there was nothing to be done about it, she set off down the garden path towards the stables.

-------------------------

Sìrëwen sat back and looked at her work. She had managed to get the entire east stables clean all by herself. Suddenly, a dirty pair of riding boots plopped over the gate and splashed mud over the rack that held the saddles. She squeaked in surprise and annoyance, then walked over to the pump to get more water to clean it up.

Legolas walked around the gate, into the stables. He looked down at the spot where his boots had fallen, then at the saddle rack. "Hmph, servants missed a spot. Lazy bunch—never do anything right. Can't even clean out a stable."

Sìrëwen poked her head inside when she heard this. "Excuse me! I'll have you know, I cleaned this entire stable myself. It was perfect until just a moment ago. It was your disgusting boots that made that mess." Not knowing who she was talking to, she held her head high and proud.

"Excuse me! Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" asked Legolas. He was shocked: no one had ever talked to him like that.

"Let me guess. A rude, disgusting, bratty, little pig who doesn't appreciate a hard day's work?" Sìrëwen taunted.

"Don't you know who I am?" the stunned prince asked again.

"No, and frankly I could care less as long as you apologize and clean up your mess."

"No! That's a job for a filthy servant. I refuse to listen to this any longer—I'll tell my father to have you killed!" Legolas turned and started to walk away. Sìrëwen's eyes were full of rage. Then, without thinking, she rushed up to him and emptied the bucket of water on his head. She simply nodded at the sound of the young elf's screaming and turned to walk away. As soon as he recovered, Legolas picked up the now empty bucket and ran chucked it at Sìrëwen's head.

It clipped the side of her forehead. "OW!" she screamed. The two collided with each other and fell to the ground in a pile of dust and screams. Legolas managed to get a punch in at Sìrëwen's arm before she rolled him over and slammed his head against the ground... three times. She finally let up when he bit her hand, and started to pull at her hair. Sìrëwen took a leaf from his book and jerked his hair back. She managed to bloody his nose before she was suddenly yanked off from behind by a huge pair of hands.

"Sìrëwen, Sìrëwen! Calm down!" She continued to kick and scream at the prince who was huddled on the ground before her whimpering. Then she realized who held her.

"Madam!" she shouted, surprised to see the face of Miriènn above her. The advisor with the beaky nose, Ethrion, rushed to the prince's side. "Young lord, are you alright?!"

"Yes, I'm—" Legolas started to push him away. Then he got an idea. "Oooooooh," he moaned. "Sh- sh- she tried to- to kill me!" he gasped in fake terror. He widened his eyes in order to look innocent. "I only tried to get her to do her job, and she attacked me! It was horrible!"

"Alright, your majesty, it's alright. We'll go get you cleaned off and checked out. In the meanwhile the servant mistress and I will get this all sorted out.

Sìrëwen glared at Legolas, who managed to look innocently back at her, before the two were led off in separate ways.

-------------------------

A/N: Yes, I do realize that Arod was given to Legolas by Èomer when they were out looking for Merry and Pippin, but for the sake of this story he's had him forever. Yes, forever. He will never die... I don't really know. And he lies down, too. Also, I know very little about horses and stables so if the setup of the stable was wrong... sorry.