Chapter 3

Ellethana was extremely quiet the next morning, more than normal. Miriel did not know what was wrong, and she was worried about her new friend.

"Ellethana," Arwen sneered quietly, in order that her parents would not hear.

"Don't call me that," Ellie snapped loudly, using a contraction that she rarely used. "Ada Elrond, may I please be excused?" she asked formally, lowering her voice to a whisper and turning towards Elrond.

"Yes, Ellie. You may," Elrond replied. She had barely touched her food, but Elrond decided not to make a big deal about it. He knew Ellie did not need it that morning. Ellie nodded her thanks. As she left the table, Miriel saw her wipe a tear away.

As soon as Ellie reached the safety of her room, she burst into tears. She had not wanted to go to breakfast in the first place, but her presence had been required. At least Elrond had understood. At least he let her go. She knew she would have a visitor later that morning, but she was determined not leave her room, unless the need was dire.

Why was Arwen being so mean again? She knew it annoyed Ellie to no end when people called her by her full name, especially around this time of the year. So why had she done it?

"Celebrían, what's wrong with Ellie?" Miriel asked shortly after breakfast had finished.

Celebrían sighed, thinking of how to answer the girl without hurting Ellie's feelings. "I shouldn't be the one to tell you, Miriel. Ellie should, if she wants. I think you should go talk to her," the older elf replied.

"Okay. But will she talk?" the young Princess asked.

"Perhaps. I think you should go find that out," Cele answered softly.

Miriel walked slowed towards Ellie's room, not sure of how to approached her. "Ellie?" she said, knocking quietly.

Inside, Ellethana sat on her bed. She had known this was coming by the way Miriel had looked at her as she left. She did not want to open the door, but it would be rude if she did not. She slowly opened the door. "Hi, Miriel," she whispered.

"Hi," Miriel replied. "Could I come in?"

"Sure." Once they were inside, Miriel asked the question.

"What's wrong, Ellie?"

Ellie sighed. How could she answer that without opening herself up to so much pain? It was a long time before she answered. She blinked back her tears, trying not to cry. "It w…was f…four years a…ago to…tonight," she stuttered, shaking her head sadly.

"What happened?" Miriel asked softly, gently placing her hand on Ellie's shoulder.

Ellethana paused for a moment. Would Miriel understand? Yes, she would. She had recently lost her mother, not more than four months back. She would understand. "My Ammë d…died," she whispered finally. The older girl took a moment to compose herself. "She was so filled with grief; she just could not live without Ada. It was only a few months after he was killed," she added sadly.

Miriel gasped quietly. "I'm so sorry, Ellie," she replied. It was a terrible thing for someone so young to have to go through so much pain in such a short amount of time.

"She loved him too much to let go," Ellie said softly. "She loved him more than she loved me. I guess that makes sense, but I wish she had not died." Miriel nodded as Ellie continued. "It was so hard to lose them both, especially at that age. And so close together. It was only a few months apart."

"I understand how you feel, Ellie," Miriel replied. "It has been really hard on my Ada since Naneth died, and I miss them both. Before Naneth died, Ada was happy, and he used to play with us sometimes. But now, Ada is always busy, and he never has time for us anymore," she explained. "Except I think things will finally get better." These words were not more than a faint whisper, although Ellie's sharp elven ears heard it. She nodded, choosing not to comment.

"After Ammë died, I lived with Auntie Galadriel until I moved to Rivendell a few years later. She loved me very much and told me things I had never known before," Ellethana said. "She told me that whenever Ada left us, he had pain in his eyes. I had never noticed this before, since I was so young. It was hard for me after they died; I did not understand exactly what had happened with Ammë. I was confused, since I knew elves could not die, but Auntie Galadriel explain it to me. I still wish it was different though. If only I could go back and change things…" she murmured softly.

Celebrían walked passed Ellie's guest room, checking up on the two girls. It broke her already fragile heart that both had so much pain as children. A child should be free to run and play, not have to worry about death and such things. She would have done almost anything to save Ellethana's parents or Miriel's mother. She hated seeing the girls hurt so much.

She heard the girls' voices through the door.

"I know. It hurts so much, doesn't it?" Miriel said.

"Yes, it does," Ellie replied quietly. Celebrían could almost see the tears running down Ellie's cheeks. She knocked gently on the door.

"It is just me, darling," she said. The door opened, slowly revealing two young girls with tear-stained faces.

"It is hard, Auntie," Ellie said. Celebrían nodded and walked over to give her a hug. Ellie wiped the tears from her face. "Especially today." The quiet words were whispered, and they broke Celebrían's heart. It was hard on all them today, for there had been many who loved the light-hearted healer. Wilwarin's death had affected Cele more than she let on, and now Laurelin's death only months ago just added to her grief.

"Everything will be fine," Cele murmured softly as she held the girl in her arms. Miriel sniffed. Celebrían, releasing Ellie, opened her arms up for a hug with the Princess. "Miriel, everything will be fine," she repeated in a quiet whisper. Ellie wrapped her arms around Miriel as well.

"I guess I feel a little bit better," Miriel said after a few minutes. It was true. It had been many weeks since she had had a mother-type hug. And it helped that it came from one of her mother's dearest friends while growing up.

"That's good. I know I feel a little better too," Celebrían replied. "How about you, Ellie?"

"I do not know. I feel the same, Auntie," Ellie said after a while. She sighed. "It still hurts a lot," she muttered to herself.

Celebrían paused as she heard the soft-spoken words of her cousin's daughter. She hated the fact that such a young girl had so much to deal with. "Ellie, what did Arwen say this morning that upset you so much?" she asked gently, deciding to change the subject. Ellethana needed something other than her parents' death to think about. The girl looked up at her, her expression sad.

"Must I?" she asked. Celebrían nodded. Ellie sighed again. "I… I… don't want to," was all she said. Celebrían noticed that Ellie used a contraction, which she did not usually do. Something was really bothering her.

"Come. I will not be mad at you, Ellie," Cele said softly.

"I do not want to," she repeated, her face mournful.

"Come, Ellie. It is alright. I will not tell anyone else if you tell me," Celebrían promised.

"Arwen… sh…she called me…" Ellethana's sentence was left unfinished as the tears choked her. They spilled over.

"What did she call you?" the older woman asked. Ellie glanced towards Miriel, as if she did not want the younger girl hearing her. Celebrían understood the motion. "Miriel, could we have a moment alone?"

"Of course," the Princess replied. Ellethana watched Miriel walk out, thankful Celebrían had asked.

"She called me… Ellethana," the girl said quietly, tears running down her face.

"Oh, Ellie," Cele said gently. "It will be alright. Don't worry." What else could she say? She did not want to hurt Ellie's feelings. She loved Ellie and knew it would hurt the girl if Arwen did it again.

"I do not like it, Celebrían." The voice startled the older elf, and she looked down. The tears on Ellie's face had increased, and the young girl wiped them away.

"I know, Ellie. I know." There was nothing else for her to say. And what could she do, other than reprimand her daughter for being mean?

"She knows how much it hurts, and how vulnerable I am, especially today," Ellie said softly. "She knew she could hurt me today. That is why she was so nice yesterday. I told her about how much this time of year hurts. And how much pain there is for me. And she used it to be mean," she added in a whisper. Celebrían gathered Ellie into a hug.

"It will be alright, Ellie," she said quietly. Celebrían did not want to call her by her full name, for, although she did not usually mind, it might upset her more at that point.

"Legolas! Are you coming?" A boy's voice could be heard shouting throughout the Halls of Mirkwood. Legolas winced, for he knew his father would be angry if he heard the yelling.

"Yes, I'm on my way," the reply said. "What is it, 'Dan?" he asked when he found the older twin alone.

"Nothing," Elladan replied, shaking his head. "I just remembered something. But it is nothing. I can handle it." It seemed to Legolas that he was trying to convince himself as well as the younger elf.

"Elladan," Legolas said softly, placing a hand on his friend's arm. "What is wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," the older one replied. "It is nothing. I need to find my brother and sister," he said urgently. Legolas now knew something was wrong, for Elladan rarely needed to find his younger sister.

"Why do you need Arwen?" he asked.

"I need to talk to her, that's all," Elladan answered.

"Well, do you want any help?" the Prince asked.

"No. I got it." Now Elladan sounded relaxed, but the blond elf was not convinced. He was still sure something was wrong. "I just need to talk to them, although it may be too late. Arwen seems to have forgotten already, and we are only a few hours into the day," Elladan added softly, as if talking to himself. Legolas gave him a funny look, trying to understand what was going on.

"Elladan, something is wrong, and I'm going to find out what's up," Legolas said. "Although it would make my job a whole lot easier if you would just tell me." Elladan shook his head.

"I cannot, Legolas. I am sorry, but I have to find Elrohir and Arwen. Immediately," he added, rushing off.

"Arwen, why were you being so mean to Ellie this morning?" Arwen shrugged.

"I don't know," she replied, sounding bored. "Why do you care, Elladan?" she asked, her tone now turning snobby. "Did you decide that you're her protector now?"

"No," Elladan snapped. "I was just worried about her, because she hasn't been acting normal since we arrived here," her brother replied. Arwen rolled her eyes. Why should she care?

"Don't roll your eyes, Arwen. You know Ada wants her to feel comfortable with us," Elrohir warned. "Ada would be upset with you if he knew."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know," their sister responded, rolling her eyes again.

"Arwen, do not be disrespectful," a voice said from behind. All three elflings turned around to find Lord Elrond.

"Hi, Ada," Elladan and Elrohir said.

"Hello, boys. Hello, Arwen. Arwen, I want you to be nice to Ellie. It is extremely hard for her to adapt to living in a new home," Elrond said, looking from one child to another. "All of you need to make her feel welcome in our home. Especially now. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ada," Elrohir said, answering for both he and his twin. Elladan nodded. "We will," he added.

"Arwen?" her father asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Yes, Ada," she replied, groaning to herself.

"And Arwen, I want you to go apologize to Ellie for what you said this morning. You really hurt her feelings," Elrond added.

"Yes, Ada," she repeated. How did her father know? She glared at her older brothers. What a pain they were!

"Everyone always called her Wil." The words were whispered to an empty room. "Wilwarin," the girl said softly. "That was her name." She tried to stop them, really she did. But she could not. They fell no matter how hard she attempted to hold them back. She thought that after they died, she would have no more tears left. She was wrong. The tears and the hurt seemed to multiply, especially on days like this one.

It was time for lunch, and Miriel noticed one person was missing. She frowned. Where was Ellie?

Celebrían smiled sadly when Miriel looked towards her, the girl's face questioning. Ellie had decided to skip lunch that day, saying she did not feel well. Celebrían knew that, although that might have been true, Ellethana's real reason was simply the fact that this was a bad day for her, every year.

"Elrond," she whispered to her husband, "I am worried about Ellie."

"Where is she?" Elrond asked, looking around.

"She is in her room. She was not hungry, so I let her stay there. I hope you do not mind," Celebrían replied. Elrond shook his head.

"Why are you worried?"

"When I asked her why she wanted to skip lunch, she said she was not feeling well. Elrond, I know this is not unusual for her right now, but I am worried about her. Will you at least go and check on her after lunch?" Cele pleaded.

"Alright," Elrond replied after a moment. "I will." He sighed to himself. He knew Ellethana would not like it if he just barged in to her room, so he would have to handle this situation very carefully.

"He called her Linny." Legolas was passing by his sister's room after lunch when he heard her quiet words. He nodded, for although Miriel may not remember, he did. His father had always called his mother Linny, unless he had been upset or something. If he was talking to her and they heard 'Laurelin,' then they all knew something was wrong. Except maybe for Miriel.

"Linny," he heard her mutter.

"Miriel," he said, opening the door.

"He called her Linny, Legolas," his sister said, tears in her eyes. "He talked about her."

"I know," her brother said softly. "I know."

"Did he always call her that?"

"Most of the time, he did. He didn't if he was mad at her, but he did all the other times. He really loved her," Legolas said.

"He apologized," Miriel whispered.

"I know," Legolas repeated. "I wonder why." Miriel nodded. She wondered too.

Legolas looked puzzled. It was not like their father to apologize. In fact, he almost never did. It had been a long time since Legolas heard his father say "I'm sorry."

Ellethana did not try to stop the tears from falling. She had skipped lunch that day, saying she was not hungry and did not feel well. It was true. She was not feeling well, but it was not unusual. She had been ailing on and off since her parents died. And she was not hungry either. That was true as well. There was a knock on the door.

"Ellie," a male voice said. She recognized the voice as Lord Elrond's.

"You can come in, Ada Elrond," she called quietly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Are you alright, Ellie?" he asked when he entered. He was concerned for her; he cared greatly for the girl. And it was not just for Celebrían that he did this. He needed to know himself that she was alright. She was as precious to him as Arwen or the twins. He loved her like his own, even though she had only been with them for a year. And it hurt him when she was like this. "Are you alright?" he asked again when she did not answer.

"I do not know," she replied. "I do not feel well today," she said softly. Elrond sighed silently to himself. Why did this always happen? He gathered her into his arms.

"Ellie, it will be alright," he muttered, almost as much to her as to himself. She looked up at him.

"How do you know?" she asked. Elrond was quiet for a minute then started slowly.

"My parents died when I was young. I had no one except for my brother Elros. Then Gil-galad came. He was always there for me." Elrond paused, thinking back over the many of thousand years, back to the First Age.

"Then what happened?" Ellie asked, for she had never heard this story before. Elrond sighed deeply.

"We had to make a choice. The choice that would decide our fates. To be elven forever or be a human. Elros chose a human. We only saw each other once after that day." Elrond stopped, unable to continue.

Ellethana looked up at Elrond, surprised to find tears in his eyes. She had never seen him cry before, and she was afraid. "Ada Elrond," she said quietly, "it will be alright."

Elrond took a deep breath and nodded. "I know," he replied with a smile. "It always has been. Le melon, Ellethana," he added.

Arwen went looking for her father, to tell him that she could not apologize to Ellie, since Ellie was nowhere to be seen. She was passing the girl's room when she heard her father say something. She moved closer to hear what they were saying.

"Le melon, Ellethana," she heard her father say. She knocked on the door. "Who is it?" her father asked.

"It's Arwen," she replied. "Can I come in?"

"Not right now," Elrond said.

"Fine. I'll come back later." She was annoyed that her father would not let her in to apologize, since he had been the one who told she needed to.

Ellethana paused when Lord Elrond called her by her full name. She was somewhat used to him calling her that, but she was not sure how she felt about it. It was painful for her to hear the words. "Ada Elrond, u-nalla," she said softly. "Please do not cry, Ada Elrond."

Elrond wiped a tear away from his face. He was surprised at himself, for it was rare for him to cry in front of others. He tried not to think of his twin, but when he did, the tears were difficult to stop. Only a few knew how emotional he really was. His brother had hurt him badly, and it was a pain that did not leave with time. He knew Ellie's was of the same kind. She had lost someone, two some ones, dear to her. What could he do to ease her pain?

"I know, Ellie. It is hard on all of us," he said quietly.

"Yes. Yes it is," she repeated.

Legolas left his younger sister's room, confused and needing to do something. "'Dan," he muttered when he came across one of the twins.

"I'm Elrohir, Legolas," the twin replied quietly.

"Oh, sorry. So, do you want to do something with me?" he asked.

"Like what, mellon-nin?" Elrohir returned.

"Uh, I don't know. Practice archery?" he replied, obviously distracted.

"Um, sure." The two boys headed out towards the practice fields. Once they were alone, Elrohir grabbed Legolas's sleeve. "Legolas, are you okay?"

Legolas did not respond right away. "Legolas," Elrohir repeated, "are you okay? Really okay?" Still no response from the Prince. "Legolas! What's up?" he asked quietly. Elrohir knew he was pushing more than normal, but he had to know what was bothering his friend.

Legolas thought for a few minutes before replying. "Nothing, Ro. Nothing's wrong," he replied, not sounding very convincing.

"Legolas," Elrohir said softly, placing his hand gently on his friend's shoulder. "You know that isn't true. There is something bothering. Otherwise you wouldn't care what we're doing."

Legolas gasped softly and did not answer. He was surprised by Elrohir's insight to his feelings. "I… I don't know. Ada apologized last night," he said finally. His father's apology had made him uneasy. Something was not right.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Ro, Ada never apologizes for anything, at least not that I can remember. This is the first time ever!" Legolas replied, deciding it would do no good to lie to his friend anymore.

"Legolas, aren't you happy? I mean, you've waited this long for him to notice you, and he finally does. So what if he apologizes? Isn't that better than not apologizing?"

Legolas shrugged, turning away from the younger twin. He pulled away from Elrohir's grip. What difference did it make? He did not care one way or the other. It unnerved him to hear his father apologize. "I'm sorry, Ro. It just surprised me, that's all."

"That's okay, Legolas," Elrohir replied. "I understand."

"Ro, I don't think I want to do archery anymore," Legolas said. "I don't know what I want to do." He frowned. He turned around and headed back towards the Palace.

"Legolas! Wait up!" Elrohir called after him. But Legolas was too far away to hear him, for after a minute he broke into a run.

Legolas had to draw. It was the only thing to get his mind off his problems. As soon as he got to his room he grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil.

"Naneth," he whispered softly, recalling her lovely face. He drew a picture he was proud of. Sitting on their bed were his parents, the King and the Queen. They looked happy, and they were looking lovingly down at a baby. Miriel. Around them were Legolas, Turin, Caunion, and Aranhil. Everybody was happy.

He remembered all the times he had fought with his sister, and his mother had broken it up. He thought of all the lovely trips they had taken as a family, either to Rivendell or Lothlórien. He thought of all the wonderful memories of his fun-loving mother. All the times she hugged him. All the times she made him feel better after being hurt so many times. All the times she saved him from his father's wrath. All the times she had given him a hug after a hard day. All the happy times the family had celebrated. All their birthday parties. And all the hard times too. He thought of the time Caunion had almost died. Of the time he had slapped Miriel and gotten in trouble. Of the time Turin had almost hit Aranhil with an arrow, and Ada had gotten extremely mad. Of the time Miriel had gotten left behind in Lothlórien after a family trip. Of the time when, being dared by his older brothers, Legolas played a terrible trick on Miriel and made Turin take the blame.

"Legolas, what are you doing?" a voice asked from the doorway. He spun around, still holding the picture in his hands.

"What does it matter to you?" he returned.

"I was just wondering. But if that's the way you're going to act, then…" His sister whirled around and headed out.

"Miriel, wait," he said, reaching out his hand to stop her. "I'm sorry. I was just working on a drawing."

"You know how Ada feels about drawing, Legolas," she replied.

"Yes, I know. I just really needed to get this idea on paper, and…" His voice trailed off.

"You were smiling. You haven't smiled very much lately. Can I see the picture?" she asked, changing the subject. Legolas sighed. Did he really want Miriel to see it?

"I guess so," he said after a few minutes. He handed it to her.

"Legolas!" she exclaimed. "It's beautiful! Is that…?" she asked, pointing.

He nodded. "Yeah, that's you. And that's me, Turin, Caunion, and Aranhil," Legolas replied, pointing at each one as he said the names.

"And look at Ada and Naneth. They look so happy," she whispered.

"They were. They were thrilled to have a daughter, and they were happy together," her brother replied. She had tears in her eyes, and her brother embraced her.

"I miss her, Legolas," Miriel said softly.

"Me too, Miriel. Me too."

Was it true? Did he not smile anymore? Was Miriel right? He frowned. It seemed like a frown was almost always on his face now. But how could he smile when his heart was broken?

It was not always like it was now. Once, he had rarely stopped smiling. His older brothers had teased him, saying that if he did not stop, his face was going to freeze into a smile. He smiled at the memory.

"Legolas?" The Prince turned around, finding Elrohir standing in the doorway.

"What?" He frowned. What was Elrohir doing here?

"Legolas, something is wrong. What's up?" the younger twin asked, gently laying his hand on the Prince's arm.

"Nothing is wrong, Elrohir," Legolas replied, his voice annoyed.

"You do not smile enough, mellon-nin," Elrohir said softly. "Your smile always made me happy." Legolas looked around the room, his face a light pink colour. So Miriel was right, and she was not the only who noticed. It was not his fault he did not smile. He just was not happy very often, and there was no reason to smile anymore. "I wish you would smile, Legolas," Elrohir added.

"It is hard, Ro," Legolas muttered. "I miss her so much. Before… before she died, it was easy to smile, because I was happy. But now, there is a hole in my heart, and I fear it will never be filled."

"I know, Legolas," Elrohir replied, gently laying his hand on the younger elf's shoulder. "But I think smiling will help heal you." Legolas nodded, knowing Elrohir was right.

"I can't," he said after a few minutes.

"Why?"

"It is too hard. She always knew just what to say, just what to do to make me happy. She was the only who really understood me," Legolas answered. "Now there is no one. Ada does not understand me, or my need to draw." The elf paused.

"The last time I tried to give him one of my drawings, he got really mad and yelled. I hate it when he yells. Especially at Miriel. She's so young, and sensitive. I know it hurts her when Ada yells and gets mad. It is also hard on Aranhil, since he's the oldest. But he is away most of the time."

"But what about you, Legolas? How are you doing?"

"It hurts a lot," Legolas replied, frowning slightly. "I really miss her, especially at night. She always loved us equally, never playing favorites. Ada, on the other hand…" his voice trailed off, his sentence left unfinished. Elrohir just smiled.

"Ada, on the other hand, doesn't like me. That's obvious. Anyone can tell that he…"

"Legolas, Legolas," Elrohir chided gently. "Now, you know that's not true. He still loves you; he just has a hard time showing it."

"How do you know?" Legolas asked, raising his voice.

"Legolas, calm down," Elrohir said. "I think we should go outside for a while." With that he grabbed Legolas by the arm and dragged him out towards the practice fields.

"Elrohir," Legolas said some time later. "It is getting dark out. Perhaps we should head back before we're missed."

"Yes, you're right." Elrohir's face fell immediately. "Legolas! I think we may have missed dinner!"

"Oh my gosh. I think you're right!" Legolas replied, his voice tense. "Ada is going to kill me."

"Well, let's get going!"

Ellethana sat quietly at the dinner table, waiting. They all sat waiting at the table, the food set out in front of them. All except Elrohir and Legolas. Where could they be?

Arwen frowned at Miriel. Where were the two boys? This was not the first time Elrohir had been late for supper, but that time he and Elladan had gone exploring and gotten lost in the woods. Now it was Elrohir and Legolas.

Ellie sighed softly. She wished she could excuse herself, but Elrond would not allow it. She had already missed lunch; she did not want to upset him further by missing dinner as well. She turned around when she heard voices.

"You are late, Legolas," the King said, his voice full of anger.

"Yes, I know, Ada. And I'm sorry. Really sorry. It won't happen again," the Prince muttered, staring at the ground.

"Legolas! Look at me when I am talking to you," Thranduil said sternly.

"I'm sorry, Ada. Elrohir and I lost track of time, and…" His voice trailed off. Elrohir looked at his father pleadingly.

"Ada! Really. That's what happened. We went out to the practice fields late this afternoon and lost track of time. We're sorry," Elrohir said, his clear grey eyes beseeching his father's.

"Alright," Elrond finally said after a moment of searching his son's eyes. "We will talk about this later, Elrohir." He glared at his younger son, informing the young elf his father was being serious.

"Ada?" Legolas said softly.

"We will discuss this after supper, Legolas," his father said in the same stern voice.

"Yes, Ada," the Prince replied obediently as he sat down.

Ellie gave a small smile when she saw Miriel looking her way. She knew she must look terrible. Her eyes were red from crying, her cheeks were tear-stained, and her whole demeanor was sad. She looked down at her lap, her hazel eyes sad. She looked up again when she felt a hand gently touch her shoulder.

"Ellie, Arwen has something she would like to say to you," Lord Elrond said, his hand resting gently on her shoulder.

"Ada! Must I do it now? Can't it wait till we're alone?" Arwen implored. Elrond shook his head.

"No. Now, Arwen," he said after a minute of silence, his deep voice growing impatient.

"Fine. I'm sorry, Ellie," she muttered, her face hot with embarrassment. Why did her father have to make her apologize in front of everyone?

"Thank you, Arwen," the other girl said softly.

It was a little bit later, and the group had just started eating. Ellethana looked up suddenly and gently fingered her necklace. Her eyes went blank, and she frowned.

"What is it, Ellie dear?" Celebrían, who was sitting next to her, asked softly, placing her hand on the girl's arm. This kind gesture startled Ellie.

"I…I… I must go." The young girl's face was pale, her eyes filled with pain. Celebrían shot a look at Elrond who nodded.

"You may be excused, Ellie," he said. Ellie stood up and nodded her thanks. She could not speak. Then, blinking back tears, she ran out of the room.

Back in her room, Ellethana's tears overflowed. Tonight was going to be a very hard night, long as well. For, it had been four years ago when her mother died, late in the night. She remembered it like it had happened yesterday.

Her mother lay on the fleet, asleep.

"Ammë!" seven-year-old Ellethana cried, the tears flooding her eyes. "Ammë!" Her mother opened her eyes and tried to smile. Then she died.

"Ammë! Wake up!" Ellie said, unable to contain the tears filling up her hazel eyes. She knelt down by her mother's body and spent the rest of the night crying until she cried herself to sleep.

She stopped the memory, tears threatening to overtake her. She had not believed her mother was dead, not even when Galadriel came and said so. It was too much to handle for the little girl.

She felt sick, even though she had barely eaten anything that day. The tears spilled out. She did not even bother wiping them away this time.

Legolas closed his eyes, trying to block out his father's angry voice.

"Legolas!" his father said. "Are you listening to me?"

"Yes, Ada," Legolas replied, his voice annoyed. He took a deep breath. And things were just starting to get better.

"Legolas, you are grounded for two weeks."

"What? Two weeks? Ada, that's not fair!" Legolas complained. His father held up a hand, signaling for the elven boy to stop.

"Enough, Legolas. Do you want it longer?" The boy shook his head. "Good. Then no complaining. Do you understand?" Legolas nodded; what else could he do?

"Yes, Ada. I understand," he replied, rolling his eyes. "May I be excused now? It's been a long day, and I'm tired."

"Yes, Legolas. You are dismissed." Thranduil sighed. To be honest, he hated having to punish his children, but sometimes there was no other choice.

Legolas groaned as he walked back to his room. He was grounded for two weeks, just because he had been hanging out with Elrohir. Two full weeks just for being with a friend. It was completely unfair.

Laurelin would not have allowed Thranduil to punish Legolas for that long, just for hanging out with the sons of Elrond.

"I must sit down," he said to himself, for suddenly he felt light-headed. He was just a few yards away from his room, so he continued towards it quickly. Upon his arrival, he lay down on his bed and placed his hand on his forehead. It was warm.

Miriel's face fell as she thought of her mother again. The fact that her father had called her mother Linny was no surprise to her. She had heard them talking often, for they loved each other greatly. Legolas had said the only time he did not call her Linny was when he was mad at her. Miriel could not remember a time when her father had yelled at her mother.

The girl climbed down from her tree, the tree she sat in whenever she was upset or sad or just needed some time alone. She started to head back towards the palace, as it was growing darker by the minute. She was not afraid of the dark; she just did not want to be caught outside late at night. Once she arrived in her room, she lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

It was late at night, and one young girl sat silently on her bed, tears spilling out of her eyes. It was impossible for her to sleep. Would it always be like this?

It had not always been like this. There was a time when she was the happiest elf in Middle Earth. She used to laugh and run and play, just like any other young elfling. But that all changed four and a half years ago, when, after being gone for five months, he was killed.

More tears spilled as she thought of the day she found out her beloved father had been killed.

"Are you sure, Galadriel?" Wilwarin asked.

"Yes, I'm sure, Wil," Galadriel said. "I'm sorry, but Gil-gond was killed by orcs."

Young Ellethana burst out in tears. Her mother walked over and hugged her. "Ammë, is that what really happened?" she asked.

"Yes, Ellethana, dear. It did happen," Wilwarin replied. Galadriel came over and put her hand on Ellie's shoulder.

"Ellethana," she said in a firm voice, "remember this your entire life: your father loved you very much. I could see it in his eyes when he had to leave. It pained him to go away, because he loved you and your Ammë."

Ellethana choked on her tears, caught up in the terrible memory of her father's death. She took several deep breaths, attempting to calm herself. Why was it so hard?

She still could not believe her precious parents were dead, not even after four long years without them. She loved Lord Elrond and the Lady Celebrían dearly, but it was not the same as having her own parents with her, to watch her grow, to love her. She knew Elrond and Celebrían loved her, for both had said so earlier that day.

Ellie sat upright in her bed, grabbing her journal off the nightstand. If there was anything that would help her right now, it was writing.

My Butterfly,

I cannot sleep tonight, and I know the reason. It was four years ago tonight that my beloved Ammë died. It has been extremely hard for me since her death, and I miss both she and Ada greatly. Especially on nights like tonight. It must be hard for the Princess Miriel, for she lost her mother just a few months before. Actually, I know it is hard for her. She told me about her Naneth, and Auntie Celebrían and the Lady of Mirkwood were good friends. I think Ammë was too.

Ammë told me stories about how sad she was when Laurelin left Lothlórien, and then when the Lady Celebrían left. She and Celebrían were cousins, and best friends too. I know she misses my Ammë a lot.

Will the pain never leave? Will it always be there? It seems like it. I cannot make it go away, and I do not know what to do. Although I am an elf, and I require little sleep, I do wish I could sleep at least a little while tonight. That does not seem possible, for the pain is too great. It also annoys me that Arwen thinks I have no feelings. Why must she be so mean? Does she not know my feelings are delicate? Sometimes I hate her, even though I know I should not. Ammë taught me that I should love everyone, but how can I love someone when it is obvious that they hate me? I do not know what to do about her. It is hard living with someone who hates you like Arwen hates me. Why does she hate me so? I cannot understand what I have done to her to make her hate me like she does. Perhaps I should ask. Do you think that would be a good idea?

She stopped writing as the tears fell once more. She hated it when this happened. She hated having tears that never seemed to stop. And there were everlasting tears that would never leave.