"You're blond therefore you are transparent which means I know what you're thoughts are."

"Oh yes? Then what am I thinking at this very moment?"

"I'll let you figure that out first."

I watched in glee as Legolas slowly mulled it over, his eyes blinking as the wheels turned creakily in his head. Oh, how I loved teasing these poor elves (especially this one) since they couldn't understand what subtle jokes were.

"Tormenting the Prince again are we." A smooth, silky voice said behind me. Not bothering to quiet my groan of despair, I turned around and looked into the chocolate brown eyes of that OB clone, Eladan. "Torture is not something we elves condone, I would request you cease your torment."

"Humph!"

"Thank you, my lady." Eladan said with a gorgeous smile twisting his lips up. Gag how I did hate it when he flirted with me.

"You're incredibly not welcome." I replied, mad that he had ruined my fun. Sticking my nose up in the air, I swept out of the garden (no I hadn't finally let Legolas take me there, we just met up) followed by that bimbo's quiet chuckle. Ever since I (and consequently the healers) realized that my brother's time machine did not allow the traveler to age no matter how long said person was gone, that stupid Eladan had taken it into his mind that I was dateable once more. Ew… the very thought makes me shiver.

"Ah, there you are Kelly." Golan had snuck up on me and was now walking by my side. (May I add, Golan is the only one who calls me by my true name? Everyone else has taken after the Elvenking's Mierien). "The king has requested that you and Eladan go to his study immediately. By the way, have you seen the Prince or Eladan?"

I jabbed my thumb over my shoulder at the gardens and Golan turned around. "Oh, I see. Tell me, has the young Rivendell elf yet asked for your hand in marriage?" He grinned wickedly.

He ducked the inevitable fist that threatened to tear his head off and bounced away holding both his hands up. "I was joking, Kelly, merely joking."

"You had better be because if there was the slightest truth behind your jokes I would decapitate Lord Eladan without remorse!"

"Really?" I swear you could take his tone for silk.

"You weren't supposed to hear that." I said primly, beginning to walk faster as Golan disappeared down a convenient staircase. Good thing because I was ready to murder him for not telling me that the Prince and lord were behind me. "However, you must agree that it would rid the world of many difficulties after I was executed for such a dastardly thing."

"That would be lovely." Legolas sighed dreamily under his breath. I turned around just in time to see an amused Eladan kick Legolas in the shins.

A finger tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around, just in time to see Hanath and Lindwen (both looking scandalized) frowning down at me, the smiling Eladan; and the hopping, cursing Prince. "The king wishes to see all three of you. Now." Hanath said in a dangerous tone.

"Golan already told me, Han." Believe me, more than once I had suddenly given in to gales of giggles when I said that nickname. Unfortunately, no one understood why. This time was no different and I doubled up with restrained guffaws (something I just couldn't do out-loud in Lindwen's presence) while everyone stared at each other in confusion. (Legolas not included as he continued rubbing his shin and shooting daggers at Eladan's unprotected back).

"What is wrong with Prince Legolas?" Hanath suddenly asked once my snickering fit and ended.

"I believe he accidentally hit a large stone on our way inside." Eladan said smoothly, winking at Lindwen, who blushed beautifully.

Ignoring the two flirts, Hanath grabbed my shoulder and began pushing me up the hall and toward my doom. "Hurry up, all of you! The Elvenking was extremely impatient when I left him."

Legolas tore past us, his limp accentuated by his racing feet. Looking around I saw why he had retreated so fast: Eladan was holding Lindwen's hand and speaking softly while she continued blushing. See what I mean! The guy's insane!

Suddenly I remembered something that Golan had told me about and shouted a name that frequently cropped up in the narrative. "Orophin!" That seemed to do the trick as Lindwen jerked her hand out of Eladan's grasp and swiftly walked toward the gardens, her face flaming.

Eladan glared at me while I, oh so smoothly and sweetly, smiled back. My good deed for the day was done, much to my pleasure. From everything I'd heard, Orophin was a Lothlorien elf that had fallen hopelessly in love with Lindwen and begged this infamous Rhovanion to keep her under his thumb. When Rhov left, I'm afraid Lindwen has gone slightly by the board without a guiding hand. I decided that after today, I would take over this mythical Rhov's work and do my utmost to make sure there was never a single alliance with Rivendell and Mirkwood. At least in this avenue anyway.

We made it to the Elvenking's study without further mishap –just a couple daggers being passed back and forth between Legolas, Eladan, and innocent old me-. Hanath, who was completely nonplussed by our childish display, opened the door and ushered us in with little or no ceremony to speak of. "They are all here, your majesty." Hanath said and then closed the door with a little bit more than his usual briskness.

Thranduil stared at the three in front of him and did his utmost best to stifle an amused smile at their different faces. Legolas was apparently in some pain and continued rubbing his shin with the heel of his leather boot, Eladan seemed particularly irritated with something and judging by Mierien's completely fake innocent expression, the little cat had something to do with his exasperation. The Elvenking tapped his fingers together and regarded the three miscreants, and was pleased to see their faces melt to a unified look of unease.

"You're probably wondering why I called you here today." Their heads nodded in unison and Thranduil continued. "Eladan, your father has sent me word that a meeting is to be held in Rivendell and it is vital that you are there when it takes place." Legolas sighed and a dreamy, content expression clouded his eyes. Thranduil had to stop and hold himself in check as a huge laugh bubbled up in his throat. It took several minutes to suppress it and then, "Legolas, as I cannot attend as other things here need my watching, you must go in my place to the meeting and Mierien will be accompanying you both since, after all, she was supposed to go to Imladris fifty years ago."

Legolas' face became one of complete dejection and he sadly shuffled out of the room by an excited Mierien and Eladan continued to uphold his uneasy expression as they all trooped out at the Elvenking's wave of dismissal. It wasn't until the door had been closed and ten minutes had passed that the Elvenking let loose a long, hard laughing fit. The following year would not allow the Elvenking to laugh at anything and he knew it, to some extent, and he enjoyed it to the fullest only stopping when tears ran down his face in rivers and his ribs ached from the effort. Only Rhov had ever been able to bring such a reaction from the elf who was famous for his solemn character.

"O, this is just wonderful!" I muttered as I followed the two elves down the hall, "Just perfect. Traveling with a pair of bonafide jerks all the way to Rivendell and then being left with both of them for who knows how long. Why me?"

"Possibly because the wicked get their just deserts." Legolas said scathingly. Darn…I'd forgotten how good elven hearing was. But wicked? "Wicked?" I spluttered. "When have I ever been anything but sweet and beautiful?"

"In all honesty, I think you're beautiful but your sweetness is another thing…" Legolas sniggered.

"Eladan!" I whined. "Do you really think name-calling should be allowed; especially when it isn't true?"

Eladan turned toward me and said softly, "Perhaps he is right, Mierien. You have been very wicked to me during my stay." His eyes had turned puppy-dog brown and let me point out right here, that if it had been anyone else, even Orlando Bloom for goodness sake, I could've have stomached his sweet expression. However, this is Eladan we're talking about and, after all, I couldn't help but think of him as anything but a big brother something he apparently hasn't figured out yet. You'd think that after 50 years… But we won't go there.

I decided the time had come to introduce Eladan back to the real world. "Actually, I'm always particularly wicked to brothers."

Legolas had caught my implied meaning right off the bat and covered his mouth to morph his sniggers into a pretty convincing cough. To both of our amusement, Eladan took it all wrong. His brow wrinkled in confusion as he motioned to the bronchiatic Legolas and said, "I can understand your torture of the Prince as he has been nothing but brotherly to you but I myself see you as…"

"Prey, a prize, possibly a great white emu (and emu just sounded right, don't ask me why)?" I asked, my hands clasped in front of me as my eyes lit up as if he were asking a silly little question. Which, of course, he wasn't.

"Prey? Nay, lady, you are no prey to be devoured and I assure, my advances have been nothing but honorable." Eladan said, perfectly flummoxed. By this time, I had joined Legolas in his state of hysterical coughing (translation: laughing fit to burst) and tears began to run down both of our faces as Eladan's face changed from one of utmost confusion, to surprise, to horror. It didn't surprise either of us that he ran off, screaming bloody murder for the healers.

Knowing what would happen if the healers got their hands on us, Legolas and I ran out of the palace to enjoy the fresh air, away from Eladan and everyone else. After a while, both of plopped down next to a little stream and dabbled our feet in the cool water. After a companionable silence, Legolas spoke, "Is what you said true, Mierien?"

"What?"

"When you told Eladan that you thought of us as brothers. Did you mean that in jest or perhaps you actually have forgiven me for past wrongs and adopted me into you inner circle?"

"Inner circle? I have no inner circle." I said bitterly, picking up a stone and throwing it savagely into the middle of the stream.

"No inner circle?" he questioned. "Then who are Lindwen, Hanath, and Golan, mere acquaintances?"

"Leggy…" I sighed, using my nickname for him when I actually pleased with him. Actually, since neither of us could stand Eladan for more than a couple days at a stretch, this period had brought us closer together and yes, I think I could call Legolas a big brother. Believe me, I don't hand out adoption papers that easily, I'm a very picky person.

"Thanks." Was all he said and we sat for several hours in complete silence, just reveling in a new-found affection that would last for a very long time. A VERY long time.