"—It's better to use fresh leaves, in any healing, no matter what, if possible, use fresh herbs. Dried herbs work just fine, but for reasons we cannot comprehend, patients react better to fresh. Now, to brew the tea, crush the leaves and leave them in the bottom of the cup—"

I watched and learned as Lord Elrond explained what he was doing. I'd been learning with him in the Healing Halls for all of a day and I was already ready to take on anything. I mean, in all honesty, I wasn't ready to take on anything serious, but I felt so happy and light with my new life, I was ready to change the world.

"Éponine, are you listening?"

I smiled at him. "Of course. You said not to let the water get too hot, and don't take the herbal leaves or the tea won't be as strong."

He sighed with a smile, setting down what he had in order to pull me into his arms. "Of course." He agreed, kissing my temple. "You remember, even if you weren't paying attention. Why don't we call it a day?"

I shrugged. "I am at your command."

He chuckled, then in a change of subject, asked, "Have you seen Legolas today?" He said it in a very nonchalant way, but I could tell he had an ulterior motive. The entire royal family of the Woodland Realm, save Queen Tarellethiel, seemed to have some vendetta against me, prince Nimoron was polite, but even he seemed to hold something against me, and I knew it had something to do with Legolas and why he cared so much about me.

"No, I've been with you. Why?" I watched him carefully as he shrugged.

"No reason." I reached down, to take his hand, stopping my walking, which forced him to stop as well, if he wanted to keep my hand in his. He turned to look at me, his eyes guarded, but also kind. "What is it, bainpen-nin?"

"I want to ask you the same thing," I answered. "Every time I ask about what happened, the day I first woke up, Legolas says it's nothing, but I know something important happened, because everyone else gets defensive."

Lord Elrond sighed, giving me a look of pity, which made me boil inside, but I ignored it, as he answered. "You are right, it is important, to us, but if Legolas does not want to make a big deal of it, that is his decision."

I nodded, keeping my face impassive, but deep inside, I was far from satisfied. Legolas wasn't the only one involved! Whatever had happened, it involved me, as well as Legolas. He may not want it to be a big deal, but I, at least, wanted to know what happened. It irritated me to no end and I planned on getting answers.

As we entered the dining room, for dinner, an idea sparked. The Woodland elves sat in their designated places, conversing and laughing with the Imlardis elves. I planned on getting answers…and all I had to do was find the right elf to con it out of.

"Good evening, Nîn."

I smiled sweetly at Legolas, taking the chair, he offered to his left. "Hey. What's for dinner?"

He shrugged, then burst out laughing. "You're going to ask me that every day, aren't you?"

I shrugged smiling smugly. "It's your own fault for falling for it."

Dinner came, and as always, I had a salad, dressed as it always was, with the same things as always. Always being the two weeks, I'd been here. As we ate, I studied my prey, feeling amazingly smug inside.

Queen Tarellethiel was out of the question. She was impassive and unopinionated. She wouldn't speak to me on what I wished to know, and would only tell me to ask Legolas. She'd give me soft looks and sweet smiles, but under all that, I know she wasn't whole enough to bully into telling me. It would be too mean, and I wasn't fond of the thought of King Thranduil finding out, if I did try and bully her.

Prince Nimoron was virtually the same. He didn't care one way or the other, with me anyway. I've caught him giving Legolas disapproving looks, multiple times, not because he disapproved of me but because he disapproved of how Legolas was handling all this.

Princess Caranloth might work, if I played her right. She was disapproving, smug, and angry. She believed it was my fault. However, she does not believe me, nor does she believe my dream. She will get angry at me, questioning me, telling me I should take responsibility of what I'd done. If I claimed ignorance, she may very well get too insulted to answer.

Legolas, of course, wasn't an option. Arwen was as passive as or more than Queen Tarellethiel. Lady Celebrian, the same. The twins are to loyal to Legolas, leaving me with one option. I made my decision, and put the plan together. Dinner ended, and my plan sprung into action, my decision, words, and actions already playing out in my mind.

Queen Tarellethiel rose, claiming weariness, and King Thranduil followed. Lady Celebrian went to the library, Lord Elrond following. Arwen and the twins invited Legolas and his siblings to the garden. I declined the offer, much to Legolas' consternation and the room emptied.

As soon as everyone was gone, I headed for the family wing. I heard the soft murmuring of talking coming from the room the King and Queen shared. Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door. The voices stilled, and the King answered.

"Enter." I opened the door and stepped in. King Thranduil's abnormally soft features instantly darkened to the normal cold he reserved for me. "What do you want, girl?" he asked coldly.

Queen Tarellethiel sighed, swatting her husband lightly, from where she sat on his lap, beside the fire. "Be kind, Thranduil. What do you need, Dear?"

I stepped further into the room and shut the door behind me. They exchanged looks and King Thranduil's look darkened. "Presumptuous, are we?"

I nodded, keeping my emotions off my face. "Yes, and I'm going to be more presumptuous by thinking you love your eldest son."

Kind Thranduil growled ferally, but Queen Tarellethiel placed a soothing hand on his chest. "Of course, we do, child. What do wish of us, concerning Legolas?"

"Answers." I answered. "I want honest answers, no beating around the bush, no half-assed reassurances, no nonchalance. I want full answers, so I can decide whether or not this is important."

The two exchanged looks. "You are talking of the connection shared between you and Legolas." King Thranduil remarked. I nodded, and with a sigh he waved to the seat across from them.

Queen Tarellethiel sat up slightly. "My love, he does not want us to!" She exclaimed softly.

"No, but she deserves to know. She is intelligent, she will find out eventually and the longer it takes, the more it will not end well for our son. I love him, and he is very bright, but he does not know what he is doing in this."

Queen Tarellethiel sighed. "You speak true, Husband, as usual."

I chuckled at the look he gave her, one of smugness. "What's wrong, Sire, not used to being told you're right?"

He looked to me. "Hardly, though never from my love." He shifted. "Now, you wish to have answers, answers you shall get."

~X~X~X~X~

I wasn't even sure how to react. This was nuts! I shared a permanent elvish bond, much like that of a marriage bond, with Legolas! Nos that I am aware of it, and know how to feel it, I could feel everything he was feeling.

He was in the garden, wrestling both twins at once and having a good time of it. I could feel his happiness, his love for his friends and family, I could feel the love he held for me, though it was strange and unconventional, and I could feel, deep down inside, the innate fear he held for the loss of his naneth, which was mother in elvish. I only noticed it because it was the most prominent fear, but there were others there as well.

I felt angry with him, for keeping it from me, for not explaining it from the beginning. But, I didn't blame him. It was permanent, there wasn't anything anyone could do to change it, and Legolas was probably having a hard time copping with the thought that he may have, accidentally, ruined any chance he might have had at finding a wife. I can understand, for someone who has wanted a wife and family for nearly as long as he'd been alive, that would be a very daunting thing.

However, I couldn't reason my own feelings quite so well. I was understanding of him, he was trying to make me feel comfortable and help me. I felt scared, what was going to come of this? Gulity, the blame of his siblings, now made so much sense. Betrayal, why couldn't he tell me? Why'd I have to drive it out of his parents, using their love of him as blackmail?!

I also felt lost, out of control. I wanted to scream at the fact that I couldn't do anything. I wanted to find my control again, I had it for a short time, but it was suddenly got in a single moment. I was lost, wandering in an elvish world in a body that didn't belong to me. I'd found myself, or something similar to myself, but suddenly I was gone again. I didn't know even the basics of being an elf and here I was now lost in a bond that would forever judge the future of my life.

I needed help.

"Thank you, Sire." I tried to keep the emotion out of my words and off my face, but the lightness of my voice said it wasn't working as well as I thought.

"Are you alright, Dear?" Queen Tarellethiel asked.

I nodded, standing up. "Yeah, I'm fine." I fiddled with the top of my walking stick. "Thank you, again, for telling me. I'm glad it's not something that waited a few years." The look Queen Tarellethiel said I wasn't playing my cool very well, but all I wanted to do was sleep. I wanted to lay down and sleep off all this emotion, so I could talk to Legolas without freaking out in anyway.

King Thranduil leveled me with a hard glare. "I can see your look, girl. If you hurt my son, in any way, I will make you pay for it." I sighed, running my hand through my braided hair, but didn't answer. I turned to leave the room, but the Queen spoke this time.

"Éponine, you are a good girl, good natured and smart. I like you, Dear, you have the potential to be something great…" She paused, and her voice went colder than even the King's. "It's my turn to give warning. If you cause my son pain, I will destroy your life one small bit at a time."

I turned back to her, meeting her hard look. "I believe you," I answered softly, then left, going straight to my bed. I fell asleep as soon as I laid down, much to my appreciation.

~X~X~X~X~

"Éponine, Child!" I heard the call echo through my dark mind. I registered, it was my name, and someone was calling me, but I felt heavy.

"Éponine!" Hearing the call again, I turned to it Letting the light guide me, I floated toward the sound.

The weight on my mind lightened as the darkness fell away to reveal the beautiful willow, beside the lake, in the garden where I met the Three Sisters. I looked around in awe, and confusion. Why was I here? Was there more that they hadn't told me?

"Éponine?" I turned at the sound of Oropher's voice. He stood just a bit off, a look of surprise on his face. "What are you doing here, Child?"

I shrugged, shaking my head. "I have no idea. I went to sleep, and just—"

He smiled, holding his hand out for mine. "Oh, I see. You hold deep questions of the future, Dear One. Come, I may be able to help you."

I took his hand and together, we walked through the garden, listening to the sweet music of the night. "I remember," he suddenly spoke, "the first time I saw my wife." He looked down at me. "I didn't think she was beautiful, not right off. She has a sister, you know, prettiest elleth you'll ever meet, except you, of course. I was taken with her, her sister, I mean, right off. Nanethiel was easily over-looked, I'm not proud of this, but still, I was a young fool, who thought he was in love. Anyway, I courted her, Nanethiel's sister, but the more I got to know her, the more I disliked her. She was vain, spiteful, proud, more than a little self-centered. After a while, I cut it off. I never even considered Nanethiel. Though she was never with her sister, I naturally assumed the two were alike."

He sighed. "Aw, but the Valar weren't daunted at the prospect of my prejudice judgment. I was—" He paused, "you know, I don't actually remember why I was there that day, but I was near her house one day, quite randomly. The two sisters had long passed from my mind, but I was outside their house at a shop across the street. A fire broke out. Her sister and mother made it out, but she'd been caught upstairs, somewhere near the middle of the house, unable to get out or even find a window.

"Call me stupid, but in a death-defying act, I charged into the burning building to get her. I found her easily enough, but by that time, the place was an inferno and she had already passed out from lack of oxygen. Picking her up, I charged to the nearest window. We fell ten feet to the cobbled street below, breaking more bones then I'll ever own to." I couldn't help but giggle at his indignation.

"We spent nearly two weeks in the Healing Houses, but in that time, I realized how well we went together. By the time, our confinement ended, I was smitten."

I giggled again. "That's adorable."

He chuckled as well. "It is rather sappy, I admit, but 'tis the truth."

I sighed, thinking about the unfortunate situation back home. "Oh, I would that it should be that easy."

He stopped, turning me to face him. "That story had a moral." He stated.

I frowned. "What? The story of how you met your wife has a moral?"

He chuckled. "Not like that! What I meant was, I have an idea as to why you are here and I, at the same time. Your mind is heavy with a situation that is beyond your control. The moral of the story is: Trust the Valar, for they shall never be daunted in the sight of a foolish elf. When in doubt, pray to Eru. It will give you reassurance and the Valar will know you are in need."

I sighed, but a small smile began to play on my face. I could hardly believe it, but he was actually helping. He's right, the situation is beyond mine, and Legolas' control. There was no going back from what was done. It was unfortunate, but if what he said was true, the Valar wouldn't be daunted by the bond I now shared with Legolas. The person we were meant to be with would come, and we would still work together, as we should.

I broke into a light chuckle, which easily grew until I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Oropher's smile lifted my heart as easily as my laughter did. "It seems my work here is done."

I smiled brightly, nodding. "It seems so. Thank you so much. I'm sure I would have dwelled on it for days, before I managed to calm myself down."

He cupped my face in his hand and kissed my forehead, in a very fatherly manner. "I am glad to be of help, Dear. Now, it is time to wake. Come visit again soon," he paused with a knowing smile, "but not too soon."

I nodded, then in a split-second decision, I wrapped my arms around my waist. "Thank you," I whispered. I closed my eyes, only to open them a second later, to the light that was filtering in from the window in my room at the Last Homely House.

I don't know who Oropher was, when he was alive, but he must have been very wise and powerful, and undoubtedly a very good father. And now, I felt like he was my father...well, another father. A father in my dreams.