I'm not entirely happy with these next couple chapters, but that's what I get for posting a story without finishing it. Had to explain something I wish I hadn't put in. Anyway, I hope they aren't too terrible. Enjoy!

"I am sorry we are late mother," Tinwe said, kissing her mother on the cheek.

"You are very out of breath, my dear. What were you just doing?"

"Sparring with one of the Guards," she said, taking a seat at the table. Icaria sat next to her, her face a little flushed, from the run they had taken to Tinwe's home or from her recent encounter, Tinwe was unsure. Tinwe wished they had taken the time to get ready for dinner and clean up, but they were already late, and in any case her family was used to her arriving dirty for meals.

"Does that mean the Captain let you in?" her mother asked excitedly.

"No, one just asked if I would spar with him while we were on the practice fields. Tincore was not there."

"Well no doubt he will hear about it. I hope you didn't soundly beat his soldier, he might not have taken kindly to that," her father said softly.

"It was a draw. Icaria pointed out that we were going to be late for dinner so the guard was kind enough to let me off without determining a victor."

"Hmm, that is probably for the best. Either a victory or a defeat might have affected his decision negatively."

"I know," Tinwe said patiently, smiling at her father. To get him off the subject that was quickly becoming uncomfortable, she decided to pick on Icaria. "So did you learn anything from Thorontur?" Icaria turned as pink as her dress had been the night Tinwe returned home.

"Yes, he said I need to relax. Once everyone was watching you spar, I was able to do much better. At least, I was more consistent."

"Who's Thorontur?" Tinwe's mother asked with a smile, noticing the shade of color on Icaria's face.

"He is one of the Guards. He found my arrow for me," she said simply, looking down at her food, trying to hide her blush as it deepened. Tinwe and her mother's eyes met over Icaria's head, and Tinwe mouthed "love at first sight", making her mother beam, eyes fixing on Icaria again.

"How very nice of him," she said, returning to her own food.

Having left in such a rush for dinner, Tinwe had neglected Alagos. She returned to the stables after her meal to brush down the mare, knowing that Alagos would be upset with her if she went all night without the attention.

"I am sorry we had to leave so fast, my friend," Tinwe whispered to the mare. "I will try not to let it happen again." Alagos whinnied in response, making Tinwe smile.

"I hear you've been busy today," said a voice to her left. She turned and saw Legolas leaning against the stall, watching her work.

"To say the least," Tinwe replied, returning her attention to her mare.

"Did you have fun with the Home Guard this afternoon?" he asked, still watching her closely.

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Tinwe said, looking up at him with a smile. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her ear softly.

"Of course you do. I am a very jealous elf. I do not want to share you with anyone." Tinwe laughed, still brushing Alagos but enjoying Legolas being so close to her.

"You shall have to figure out how, because you certainly aren't going to be able to keep me away from my family and friends, and if Tincore does let me join the Guard, I will be spending a great deal of time with male elves other than you."

"I'm trying not to think about it," he said, resting his chin on the top of her head. "How did your talk with him this morning go, by the way?"

"Not well," she said with a sigh. "He just stared at me the whole time and dismissed me in a very neutral tone."

"Don't let that make you nervous. Tincore is very reserved and never displays emotions so openly. If it will help, I can vouch for your skills and try to persuade him."

"Please don't," Tinwe said, turning and looking up at him. He was surprised at how firmly she said this, and raised his eyebrows at her.

"Why not?"

"I don't want people to think I got handed the job just because of you, and I certainly don't want them to provide me any special favors."

Legolas smiled, kissing her softly. "If that is what you wish. I shall stay out of it. But I will be leaving with some of the Home Guard tomorrow to patrol the northern border for a few days, so I'm afraid I will not be able to keep you company like I promised."

"That's alright. I am sure Icaria will be able to entertain me for at least a week. By the way, will Thorontur be traveling with you."

"No, why do you ask?" Legolas asked, his eyes narrowed. Tinwe smiled at his jealousy. He really was going to be a handful if she had to spend any period of time with the Guard without him.

"I do not ask for myself," she assured him, putting her hand on his chest and kissing him. "Icaria and I met him this afternoon and it is quite obvious that she fancies him." Legolas smiled, his jealousy fading away quickly.

"He is quiet but dependable. I think he would be an excellent match for Icaria. He has the patience to put up with her."

"That's good to know," said Tinwe with a laugh.

"Speaking of guards you met, I hear you sparred with Faelon and nearly beat him."

"We were very evenly matched. I think we ended on pretty even footing."

"Hmm, am I going to have to watch out for Faelon? You sound like you admire him."

"You really are going to be a bother about this jealousy thing aren't you?" she asked. "Faelon seemed like a kind elf, but you have nothing to worry about, your highness. You know I love you and I hope that I can convince you that I am not going to go around flirting with every member of the guard I lay eyes on just because I may eventually work with them."

"I can't help it. You are far too beautiful and wonderful to not catch the eye of every male you meet." He kissed her lips softly, taking considerably longer to pull away this time.

"And should I be jealous of the fact that every female who crosses your path swoons at the sight of you?" Tinwe teased, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"There's no need. I only have eyes for you, my love," he said, picking her up and carrying her out of the stall. Alagos snorted, upset that her brushing had been cut short, but Tinwe was too absorbed in her current conversation to notice. She would have a disgruntled mare in the morning, but it would be easily remedied with a fresh apple.

"You should know that I feel the same way about you, Legolas, so you should stop being so paranoid," Tinwe said with a smile, happy to be safe in his arms as he carried her back inside.

"I trust you, my love, but I don't trust the other elves who have their eyes on you."

"You should know me well enough by now to know that I can take care of myself," she said. But his words reminded her of what Icaria had said earlier about the rumors and angry ladies. "Icaria mentioned there were already rumors about me going around, about having used black magic on your heart and other such nonsense. Have you heard any of them?"

"No I haven't," he said with a smile, apparently amused by the news. "I think people are probably afraid to tell me."

"Hmm, lucky you," Tinwe said sarcastically. "When Icaria told me, I must admit I was rather disappointed. I thought the rumor mill would turn out something more interesting, or at least believable. Icaria said that eventually they will come up with something, but so far I'm not impressed."

"I'm sure there will be some interesting stories that circulate," Legolas agreed as they turned a corner on their way to her home. "You shouldn't go out of your way to generate them either though. I can only imagine what is going to pop up after your match with Faelon earlier."

"Well as long as you know that they aren't true I don't care what other people say," Tinwe said, kissing his cheek. Legolas smiled and set her down as they reached her door.

"And even though I may act jealous, I do trust you and know you will not do anything to intentionally hurt me," he said, putting his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes with a smile on her face, content to be so close to him. He kept watching her, breathing in her earthy smell, taking in every fleck of dust and grime on her face and loving the fact that she did not care how dirty she was.

"Will you eat breakfast with me tomorrow morning before I go?" he asked finally, running his fingers along her jaw line. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Only if you come here and eat with me and my family." Legolas smiled and leaned down to kiss her.

"Of course I will. I'm sorry to rush off but I have a meeting to attend. Goodnight love." He gave her another kiss and pulled away, disappearing down the hallway. Tinwe sighed happily before turning and entering her parent's house.

"Naneth, Legolas will not care if your hair is not perfect," Tinwe said with a smile, watching her mother fidget in the mirror for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. "You look lovely."

"Thank you dear. But he is the Prince and I feel terribly underdressed."

"It is breakfast, naneth, not a festival. Calm down and help me bring the food out of the kitchen so you keep yourself busy."

Compared to her mother, her father Rissa appeared tranquil. He sat at the head of the table, pouring over a stack of parchment which Tinwe guessed contained a great deal of information about blacksmithing. Even though her father was retired, he still occupied most of his time thinking about smithing. Glad that he was not trying to reorder the house to make it perfect like her mother, Tinwe kissed his head as she passed back into the kitchen to grab plates. She had just set them all on the table as her mother looked in the mirror again when she heard a soft knock at the door. She quickly answered it, expecting Legolas, but was surprised when Glorothond appeared at the door.

"Glorothond, what are you doing here?" she asked, moving out of the way so he could come in. Isawen came and kissed her eldest son's cheek before disappearing back into the dining room, muttering to herself about her hair.

"I came to see father about some reports he wanted to give me," Glorothond said, his brow furrowed as he watched his mother gliding in and out of view. "Why is naneth so agitated?"

"Legolas will be joining us shortly for breakfast, and she is convinced that everything must be perfect," Tinwe said with a smile. Glorothond, however, frowned.

"He's coming to breakfast?" he asked, looking down at her, still frowning.

"Yes he is. I don't know what your problem is with him but if you're still here when he arrives, please act civil."

"No promises," Glorothond said, following her into the dining room.

"If you don't tell me what the issue is then I can't very well do anything about it can I?" she said, glaring at her brother. Isawen watched her children carefully, noticing the tension rising between them.

"You will not listen even if I do tell you," Glorothond said, looking away from her as her father handed him the papers he had been looking at. He retained his tranquil face throughout his children arguing. It had been no different when they were young. He would sit by passively until they shouted themselves hoarse and then would calmly find a solution that both could agree on. Of course, it was always Tinwe and Glorothond who fought. Angsol had rarely ever raised his voice to anyone. He may have taken his mother's profession, but he had inherited his father's calm.

"How can I listen if you won't tell me?!" she shouted, following Glorothond as he made to leave again. "Why can't you just answer the question?"

"I will not have this conversation with you in front of our parents," he said stiffly, making for the door. "If you can calm down and have a civil conversation with me at a later date, I will tell you." Tinwe snapped.

It wasn't long before Legolas arrived. He knocked on the door, which was answered by Isawen, who smiled at him, though she looked weary.

"Do come in, your highness. I apologize for my children," she said, sighing as she looked over her shoulder. Legolas followed her gaze and was surprised to see Tinwe on the ground with Glorothond in a headlock as he lay half on top of her, trying to pry her hands off of him.

"Do I even want to know?" he asked, looking at Isawen, who just shook her head, sighing again as she entered the dining room. Legolas was unsure what to do, as it appeared that neither of the combatants on the floor had noticed his arrival. He cleared his throat loudly, making both of them look up. Tinwe instantly let go of her brother and pushed him off of her, standing up and coughing lightly, attempting to look like nothing had happened.

"Good morning Legolas," she said brightly, her eyes following her brother as he walked purposefully towards the door, leaving without another word. "How are you?"

"Better than you apparently," he said, noticing a bruise blossoming on her cheek. He walked up to her and touched it gently. She flinched at his touch but didn't pull away.

"It was nothing. We haven't had a good fight in a while, it was bound to happen. Anyway, I hope you are hungry. Mother made enough food to feed an army."

"That's very sweet of her," he said, following Tinwe into the dining room.

"Good morning my Lord," said Rissa calmly, watching as Legolas pulled out a chair for Tinwe and then sat on her other side.

"Good morning," Legolas offered. "And thank you for allowing me to intrude on you this morning."

"We are happy to have you, though I apologize that your timing coincided with my children arguing."

"I'm sure that whatever it was about was will not cause any lasting rift between them," Legolas said, noticing the glance that Isawen gave her daughter at his comment. He was very curious what the argument was about but thought it best not to ruin breakfast with such a personal question. Tinwe would undoubtedly inform him later anyway.

"There have been many fights in this house over the years. Sibling rivalry is always an adventure," Rissa said with a smile. He himself had three brothers who would always fight. He was the one who would try logic and reason to solve problems, and end up getting pinned to the floor for his efforts.

"I would not know," Legolas said with a small smile. "Being an only child I never got to have such adventures. From what my parents told me, I would terrorize the nursemaids instead."

"You could not have been worse than Tinwe. We thought that after Glorothond, we would have been ready for anything. But Tinwe was far more trouble than either of the others."

"I was not!" Tinwe said indignantly. "Even Legolas knows that. I was a timid little elfling who only ever got in trouble by accident."

"Which you did quite frequently," Isawen said smiling. "You were timid out in public but around here you were a bossy little terror."

Legolas laughed at the look on Tinwe's face.