`Do you know what happened to my parents? Please can you not tell me?´ Tauriel looked at Legolas pleadingly, the latter still starring at the ground.

Legolas felt ashamed that he had to lie to her. Eventually he raised his head but did not look into her eyes.

`I'm very sorry but I do not know what happened to your parents. I am sure my father knows and will tell you everything soon just like he said...´

Tauriel could sense that he was lying. She could tell from the expression on his face and the look in his eyes. However, she thought it would do no good to keep on urging him to give her an answer. After all, he was her prince and she did not want to offend him.

Legolas desperately wanted to make her feel better but he knew the only way to cheer her up was by distracting her.

`You said to my father you are not too familiar with these halls. I was born here and know all of its paths and hiding places. It would be my pleasure to show you around, Tauriel!´ He looked at her expectantly.

Tauriel nodded and faintly smiled at him. `That would be very kind, my prince.´

`You don't always have to call me "my prince"! Do call me Legolas!´ he said.

`Of course, my prince!´ Tauriel noticed her mistake. `...Legolas!´

He laughed. Tauriel's cheeks burned. It was strange to call him by his name and she could not think of a reason why he would allow her to do so. She was a Silvan elf, living outside in the forest with her parents and he was the son of the great elven king, prince of the Woodland Realm.

Legolas sensed that she was feeling uncomfortable so he quickly put an end to her thoughts by taking her hand, leading her towards the door and out of his father's chambers.

They stood in a passage lit with torch-lights. Tauriel could not remember the way she had come here with the king yesterday so she let herself be guided by Legolas who cheerfully walked ahead along the passages and around several corners until they eventually ended up in the main hall.

Tauriel looked stunned at the beauty emerging in front of her. She looked up at the seemingly endless high pillars and the imposing waterfalls splashing down the cave walls. Then she noticed there was a fast river flowing below the several bridges which were leading to the centre of the main hall, the throne room of the king.

Legolas was very pleased by her reaction and eager to show her more. He led her across the bridges and down several staircases until they found themselves at the river. From down there, the ceilings of the halls looked even higher. Tauriel put her hands into the clear water, it was ice cold.

Legolas assumed that due to the fact that she had been born outside in the forest, Tauriel was most likely even more connected to nature than he was, so he really wanted to impress her by showing her some of his most favoured hiding places inside the halls. One of them was a small limestone cave which could be entered through a barely visible gap near one of the waterfalls. It had an underground pool in it and Tauriel stood stunned at its crystal clear water and the great stalactites at the ceiling. The little hall was lit by a stream of light flowing through the cave walls from outside. Tauriel had never seen anything like it before.

`It looks so beautiful...´ she whispered. Legolas smiled at her.

The two elflings lingered on for a little, talking to each other and Legolas eagerly questioned Tauriel about her life in the forest. She too knew many beautiful places out in the woods and promised she would show him someday.

Legolas proceeded to present the rest of the halls to make her more familiar with them. He thought it was important to help Tauriel find her way around so that she wouldn't feel so lost and uneasy anymore. And indeed, Tauriel became more lightheartedly. She did notice however that there were very few elves walking the king's halls and she wondered if it was always this quiet. Legolas knew most elves were attending the entombment ceremony by now. He led her to the stables which were connected with the halls. Although the horses were free to go outside and roam through the woods in an area protected by the elves, most horses stayed inside now that it was winter and freezing outside.

There, Tauriel encountered Thranduil's elk and he instantly recognised her. She slowly walked over to the animal while Legolas was watching the two curiously. The elk lowered his head towards her and started tickling her by running his sniffing nose through her hair and over her face. Tauriel laughed and reached out her hands to run her fingers through his soft fur. Then the elk lowered himself to the ground, lying down in front of her. She wrapped her little arms around the big animal and nestled up to his back whilst continuing to caress him. Legolas giggled and was happy at the sight in front of him. It was the first time he had seen Tauriel laugh.

After they had spent some more time in the stables and further explored the halls, Legolas thought it would be best to take Tauriel back to his chambers to wait for his father. The day had gone by quicker than he had thought.

The two elflings had been playing in Legolas' chambers for a while when they heard a knock at the door and saw Thranduil enter the room.

He was glad to see that his son and Tauriel had started to bond already. Thranduil glanced over at Legolas. He knew that he had kept his promise not to tell her anything.

Then he turned his attention to Tauriel who was bowing to him. She was in a much better state than she had been in this morning.

`So, did you have a pleasant time with my son today, Tauriel?´he asked.

She nodded. `Yes, I enjoyed your son's company very much. He showed me around your halls which are quite astonishing indeed, my lord!´ She looked up into his enigmatic eyes and wondered what he was thinking.

`Well, I'm glad to hear that. Please follow me now, I would like to speak to you in my chambers. Legolas, say goodnight to Tauriel!´ Legolas took Tauriel's hand and gently kissed it.

`Good night, Tauriel...´ Even Legolas had a very serious expression on his face now. He knew hard times lay ahead of her.

Thranduil silently led her back to his chambers. Tauriel was aware there was something wrong and when they were back inside the king's private rooms he clasped his hands behind his back and looked at her thoughtfully.

`Tauriel, did your parents tell you about orcs?´ She winced when she heard the name.

`Yes, they told me they are evil and foul creatures...´ she said in a low voice.

`Indeed, they are!´ Thranduil replied. `They are very cruel and their minds are very weak. I always thought they were unworthy and I have lived for many hundreds of years, still I can not think of a reason why they should have the privilege to exist in this world.´ Darkness spread over the elven king's face and Tauriel felt increasingly uneasy.

`A lone orc wandering through the forest might not be a very serious threat to a skilled elven warrior but when they roam through the woods in packs, which they often do, they are dangerous and they will not hesitate to kill our kind. Your home was attacked by such a pack, Tauriel...´

She had a horrified expression on her face and Thranduil did not know how much she had seen of the attack, although he was sure her mother had fled with her into the thicket as fast as she could, otherwise they would not have survived that long. Undoubtably, Tauriel's mother had sacrificed herself to the orc that was following them to give her daughter time to run away and find a place to hide.

`I know your naneth and adar did everything they could to protect you...´ Thranduil looked down at Tauriel, straight into her eyes. The front he had built up so as not to let her in on his thoughts came crumbling down. That's when she understood.

`Tauriel, your parents are not coming...´

Her eyes welled up with tears.

`No...´

`No!´

`They can't be...´

Tauriel burst out crying and sank to the floor, hiding her face behind her hands. She could not believe she would not return to her home in the forest and see her naneth and adar awaiting her there. She could not believe she would never again sit in her adar's lap and fall asleep, his strong arms wrapped tightly around her. She could not believe she would never feel the soft lips of her naneth against her cheek and forehead or hear her soothing voice singing her songs. She could not believe they were gone and that she would never again see their faces or speak to them. They had left her all alone.

It pained Thranduil to see the little elfling weeping on the ground. He gently lifted her up into his arms, carried her over to a couch and sat her down onto his lap. He hugged her tightly and softly whispered tales of Valinor into her ear to calm her. He told her that her parent's spirits had remained unharmed and that she would see them again someday. Tauriel was too distraught to truly understand what he was saying. Nobody would have been able to ease her pain. Bitter tears kept streaming down her face and she was locked inside her mind which was now in utter darkness.

Yet somewhere she heard a low voice saying `I'm here. I'm here. I will protect you...´

And there Thranduil sat, his arms tightly wrapped around Tauriel's little body who had burried her face in his chest, rocking her back and forth, trying to console her. Much like her adar would have done...