Chapter 23

*****Bold ~ Elvish*****

Annelise was awoken from her rest by Tauriel standing next to her bed, resting a hand on her shoulder and shaking her gently.

"The feast is starting soon, and the King has sent me to help you prepare," Tauriel spoke quietly, seeing that Annelise was still in the process of waking fully.

"I have brought you a new gown, and will do your hair once you have changed into it," she continued smiling at the young girl as she finally stood from the bed.

Annelise saw that the elleth had laid out a cream gown on the foot of the bed. The neckline was similar to the dress that she currently wore, swooping down allowing her pendant to be on display. The sleeves were tight around the arms, down to the elbows before flowing down to the middle of her forearms. The entire dress seemed to glow in the candlelight that lit the room and Annelise knew it would shine even more in the lights of the banquet.

"It is beautiful, Tauriel. Thank you," Annelise said gratefully once Tauriel had helped her into it and seated her at the vanity once again.

Tauriel gathered the hair on both sides of her face and joined them in the back before braiding them together. The rest of her hair was left to flow freely down her back.

Just as the elleth finished smoothing a few hairs down and moved to retrieve Annelise's slippers, a knock sounded from the door.

"Ah, I see your escort could not wait any longer," Tauriel said, with a laugh in her voice.

"My Lord," she greeted as she opened the door, allowing Annelise to see Legolas standing at the door.

"Thank you, Tauriel," he spoke, and the elleth simply nodded her head at he and Annelise before making her exit.

"You look radiant, my friend," Legolas complimented, holding his arm out to Annelise to escort her out of the room.

"And you look very handsome, 'Ego," Annelise teased and was surprised to see a sad look come across the elf's face.

"Legolas, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"There is no need to apologize, little one. I just never expected to be called that again." He tried to smile at her, but Annelise knew that the use of that nickname had brought to mind the last 22 years of grieving that he had been through.

"I know you told me not to apologise. I just wish there was a way that you wouldn't have had to go through the grief of the last 20 years," Annelise spoke sadly, looking down at her feet.

Legolas reached over and clasp her hand that rested on his arm.

"I would go through it ten times over, as long as it meant that you would be here now," Legolas reassured, squeezing her hand before tipping her chin up once more.

Annelise smiled and blinked away the tears that had filled her eyes at his words, before allowing the elf prince to lead her the last few steps to the great hall where the banquet was being held.

Annelise was shocked at the sheer number of elves that were gathered in the hall.

Legolas quickly led her to a chair at the main table and she saw that she was seated at King Thranduil's left side, across from where Legolas sat once he had seen to it that she was settled.

Thranduil nodded at her with a slight grin on his face, before grabbing his cup and standing.

Instantly the entire hall seemed to quiet, and the King began to speak.

"Not only is tonight the night where we celebrate the stars that the Valar has blessed to shine upon this world, but it is a night to celebrate the return of a light amongst us. Our dear Annelise, the Jewel of Men, is home!"

With the last couple words, King Thranduil turned toward Annelise and inclined his glass toward her, Legolas and the other elves mimicking his actions, before taking a drink.

Thranduil quickly put his glass down once more before moving over to Annelise and pulling her gently from her chair into his arms.

"Welcome home, young one."

Once the feast was eaten, the King motioned for the musicians to begin playing and the elves around Annelise began getting up from their seats to dance.

Annelise was surprised when, not long after the dancing had starting, Legolas stood from his seat and offered her his hand, inclining his head in a silent invitation.

Although she was not entirely sure of the steps, Legolas was very patient with her and led her through them with ease. Soon she was dancing along with the others around her and having a great time, completely forgetting her earlier hesitation.

All this time the Elvenking sat in his chair slowly sipping away at his wine, watching the young woman dancing among his people.

Even while his heart was singing in joy at the girl's return, her presence brought memories of her parents to the forefront of his thoughts. Thorondil had been one of his closest friends along with Arathorn, and the loss of the latter man had brought the two even closer. Annelise's mother, Evelyn, had always been so kind to him, even when he knew he was being difficult. She had always had a way of seeing past a person's exterior into their soul, and Thranduil could tell just by looking into her daughter's eyes, that the trait had been passed on to Annelise.

Thranduil was unable to keep the smile off of his face when he saw the young girl approaching him, heading toward her seat to rest a moment from dancing.

"Are you enjoying yourself, my dear?"

"Very much, sire. Thank you for doing this. I have not had much opportunity in recent years to spend an evening laughing and dancing."

"No, I can imagine not," Thranduil responded coldly but, seeing the frown that was beginning to form on the girl's face at his tone, chose to change the subject.

"Legolas seems much happier now that you have returned," he said instead and watched as a small smile returned back to her lips.

"I am glad. It is strange to think that up until a couple months ago, I could not remember anything of my past. But now everything is so clear. With how vividly I remember everything, it is hard to believe that I could have forgotten about my time here or in Rivendell."

"You could not remember anything?," he asked astonished, realising that this was part of the reason that she had not returned to them sooner.

"Nothing," she confirmed. "When I met Gandalf a few months ago, I knew he looked familiar but I could not understand why when I had no memories of ever meeting him."

"I am sorry, my dear," Thranduil said, not knowing what else to say to the young woman sitting next to him.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, Your Majesty. The memories of my childhood are returning more with every passing day, and the life that I had after losing my parents was not bad. I grew up surrounded by family and friends who love me dearly, and am now discovering that I have even more family than I could have imagined."

Before Thranduil could comment on Annelise's statement, he heard his son call out her name and turned to look over at him. Legolas was motioning for her to join him among the dancers once again and Annelise shot a large smile at Thranduil before standing from her seat and joining the elf prince once more.

'Evelyn, Thorondil, I hope you can see this,' he thought to himself, taking another sip of wine, thinking of his dear friends and the small child that had grown into the woman he was watching dance before him.

As the night went on and some of the elves began to retire to their rooms, Annelise began to grow anxious for the little Hobbit that was wandering somewhere around the palace trying to free their companions.

She knew it was time for her to begin distracting the Elvenking and his son while Bilbo tried to set up whatever plan he had come up with.

When she took her seat next to the Elvenking again for another break from the festivities, she was provided with the perfect opportunity to do so. Legolas had decided to join her this time, and instead of sitting across from her on his father's right side, had chosen to sit next to her in the chair that had been vacated some time ago. As soon as both were settled into their chairs, King Thranduil began speaking to Annelise.

"My dear I know that it is getting late and you are likely still tired from your ordeal, but would you accompany Legolas and I to my study so that we can finally discuss how this all came about? Legolas mentioned that you had already spoken with him about it, but I would like to hear the story from you and I'm sure my son has more questions to ask."

Knowing this would be the perfect way to keep both elves distracted while also avoiding any suspicion being placed on her, Annelise readily accepted. The Elvenking offered her his arm, and his son followed the pair out of the great hall and to the king's private study.

What followed was somewhat similar to the events that had transpired when Annelise first related her story to Legolas earlier that day. She started with everything Gandalf had mentioned about what occurred just after she and her parents had left the palace of the Woodland King and how she came to be under the protection of Thorin Oakenshield.

King Thranduil was much more critical of her stories about being raised by the dwarves than his son had been. He asked many more questions, as if trying to see if there was anything about Annelise's treatment by them that he could somehow use to sway her opinion of the race.

Annelise knew that the grudge between her father and the elf sitting before her was strong, but as his questions continued, Annelise realised that the hatred between the two peoples was even greater than she could have imagined.

She quickly tried to steer the conversation away from her adopted family, and began to speak more about the journey that led her to his woods, particularly the few days spent in Rivendell.

Speaking of the other Elven kingdom seemed to calm Thranduil a bit, and Legolas was able to ask more about Annelise's time among Lord Elrond and his children, as well as how she was beginning to remember more of her time there and in Mirkwood with each day.

The conversation soon evolved into reminiscing about the year Annelise had spent in the Woodland Kingdom with her parents.

With each remembered story, Annelise watched as Thranduil began to relax more and more, until he was laughing right along, albeit a bit quieter, with his son and the young woman who were both occupying the lounge in front of him.

The atmosphere around the three soon grew somber though when the conversation turned to remembering Annelise's parents.

Thranduil spoke quietly as he related to Annelise the story of him meeting her father for the first time.

Thorondil had been a young man at the time, close to Annelise's age, when he first visited the hall of the Woodland King. Arathorn had been sent on an errand by the Dunedain to deliver a message to King Thranduil and, as Arathorn's second-in-command and close friend, Thorondil had joined him.

The Men spent two months in what was then known as the Greenwood, and quickly gained the respect and friendship of the Elvenking. Legolas confessed to Annelise that he had never had the opportunity to meet Arathorn as whenever the Man visited, the Prince was either away as a messenger for his father, or out in the forest training with the Guard. Annelise could see that Thranduil regretted his son never making the Man's acquaintance by the look in the Elvenking's eyes when Legolas mentioned this to her.

The Prince had, however, met Annelise's father and was able to tell her plenty of stories of the man she would never have the opportunity to get to know. Her eyes began to water the longer the two elves went on about her parents, and a tear finally escaped when Legolas confirmed that she looked exactly like her father, apart from the bright blue eyes that she knew came from her mother.

Hearing all of these things, and the stories that the two elves shared with her, made her feel a lot closer to the parents she had lost at such a young age.

She became so engrossed in listening to the stories that she completely forgot about any ulterior motive she had previously had in talking with the two elves. As the evening passed on into early morning, Annelise found her head drooping closely to Legolas' shoulder next to her as Thranduil related another story of her father.

"It seems we are about to be lose Annelise to her dreams. Take her to her room so she can sleep properly, Legolas."

At these softly whispered words, Annelise felt the form next to her shift and opened her eyes a bit. Before she could move to stand, Legolas had reached down and lifted her from her spot on the lounge. Too tired to protest, Annelise simply laid her head against the elf prince's shoulder and smiled sleepily at his father who was standing in front of the chair he had been occupying.

"Sleep well, young one," he said, laying his hand on the side of her face gently before nodding to his son slightly in dismissal.

The smooth rocking motion of Legolas' steps through the hallway toward Annelise's quickly lulled her back to sleep, only to be awoken again by him lowering her down gently onto her bed.

"Thank you, Legolas," she said, grabbing onto his hand tightly.

He placed a soft kiss onto the back of the hand holding his, and reached down to pull a light blanket over her.

"I am so happy to have you back, my friend. May the Valar bless you with happy dreams," he said, before moving over to the door and leaving her to sleep.