Amon Lanc, the castle fort on the tall hill with its long stretching grey stoned corridors which were vast and wide; even from standing in one of the corridors, the end disappeared off into the distance. The halls and rooms which were situated within the fort like castle were as large as everything else within its walls. All the elves could fit within them for important meetings, shared meals and celebrations and still have room for more.

The one thing which captured and would always stay with a young mahogany haired elf was the acoustics, Liruliniel could stand in one room whistling away and her echo would bounce around her. A wide smile would appear on her face as she looked around trying to find which wall it had bounced from. Of course, it was something which she couldn't place. That's just how echoes worked. Much like most of her kin, she enjoyed things of a musical nature and when festivals happened within these halls, the music was great, beautiful and she had enjoyed the echoes bouncing around just as much as she did with her own whistle.

She had remembered the move here, the trek from the Blue Mountains, Ered Luin, had been long, arduous even. She had liked dwelling within those cavernous spaces. All manner of folk came and went, traded and lived. There was an old blacksmith, well, he maybe wasn't that old but to the young elf, the dwarf was ancient; but she had enjoyed many an afternoon watching him work away. So adapted and exceptional at his work, Liruliniel couldn't help but aspire. One day she wanted to find something she was good at, something she excelled in like the dwarf and his smith work.

She had been saddened to leave. It wasn't like she had any friends outside her own kin, but she had liked the space. The move over the Mountains and to this woodland space was long and seemed never ending. There hadn't been any casualties, thank Valar, but it had been tricky. Yet, as all who followed their leader, they trusted Oropher. They entrusted that he knew where he was leading them, that they would find a home; somewhere they could fully call their own, to dwell in for many years to come and be at peace.

That place, Greenwood the Great, stood up to its name because it was great. Truly, Liruliniel had never seen such lush forestry in her whole life before. The trees were as tall as they were large, she couldn't wrap her arms around the trunks. Not that she made a habit of going around embracing the trees, but she did make a habit of climbing them. And to do that, she needed to cling on and haul herself up. She could climb and jump from branch to branch for hours. The woodland stretched on for as far as she could see, the leaves a vibrant green, rich and gleaming in the sunlight and at night, the cool air was refreshing amongst the humidity of the foliage.

She liked this home more. She liked being able to have numerous places to hide even more. Amon Lanc was generous like that, so vast and stretching on its hilltop vantage point, that sometimes it took someone ages to pin someone else down. It wasn't that Liruliniel was avoiding anyone, but there was a long-standing thing going on, that thing being how long could she hide from her older brother until he found her. She had managed to survive for two days in Ered Luin before Thalion admitted defeat.

If she remembered rightly, he got their father involved, and he hadn't been too pleased when she reappeared dirty, scruffy and her clothes torn and tattered because she had climbed into a small crevasse on the mountainside. Her argument was: if the dwarves could do it, why couldn't she? And if she remembered rightly, her father's response had been blunt; "You are not a dwarf, and you need not act like one." Hérion wasn't pleased, and Liruliniel had been punished by having to clean out stalls for a week. After that week, she had grown quite fond of horses. So, it wasn't all that bad.

"If you keep whistling he will find you."

Liruliniel turned on her heels, her hair whipping about her as she did so. She didn't struggle to make friends, and there were many other young elves around. But the perk of her father being one of Oropher's personal guards, was that she and her brother too got to know the newly appointed royal family. Even if that was just Oropher and his son, Thranduil. Thranduil was more near Thalion's age than herself, but it didn't seem to deter the two from being civil. Honestly, pestering the older boys was entertaining to her. They got so stressed and grumpy, it made her laugh.

Liruliniel wasn't a pest, she wasn't annoying, but it sometimes came off like that. Unfortunately, she seemed to refuse to go to lessons, to be taught alongside others; finding enjoyment in running about in the wild, climbing her trees, whistling in echoing halls, politics and the like didn't interest her. Although, in the long run, they would be lessons which would come in useful later in life.

"Not unless you keep silent." Liruliniel said, frowning and looking up at Thranduil. The older boy just rolled his crystalline eyes; he looked bored and shook his head. He was more her brother's friend, then hers in all honesty. She found him...what was the word she was looking for? Annoying. And quite frankly, Thranduil probably saw her as a chore. Unfortunately, whenever he spent time with her brother, she would often sneak and come too.

Once, not too long after moving here, the boys had been training in a newly made area. When it came to taking a break and leaning against one of hundreds of trees, who happened to appear hanging upside down from a branch asking if she could join in? Liruliniel. She had looked excitedly between the two, wide grin in place as she expected them to say yes. Both said no.

"And what if I don't? What are you going to do about it, little bird?" Thranduil pushed away from the doorframe he was leaning against. He walked into the large room; it was just a room which was used for meetings. It was tucked away in the far end of the castle and was rarely used unless something serious was happening. His guessing was that he presumed Liruliniel believed she was safe, if she stayed away from the more populated areas. If he found her, so could Thalion. In all honesty, the slightly more brunette-haired elf was in the corridor leaning against the wall. Did Thranduil mention this? No, where was the fun in that?

Liruliniel let out a huff, her mother named her after her favourite bird, the lark. Only, despite having a beautiful singing voice, they were a little drab at times. It was something which the prince liked to tease her over, and it annoyed her. He annoyed her. "I don't know, throw something at you?"

Thranduil raised a dark eyebrow. He looked amused, smugly amused at that. Not taking her threat to heart in the slightest. He was taller, stronger and faster than her. If she tried. She would fail. For as long as he could recall, he had been taught and trained by her father and others to fight, and to lead. He was going to take over from his father at some time in his life, and he needed to be ready for it.

Liruliniel just stood there, hands on her hips, aware that like usual her appearance was scruffier than his. He was seemingly perfect looking, not a hair out of place as he stood there with his hands by his sides. His pristine looking silver tunic and dark trousers didn't have a crease in them. Her clothes, well, the dark green tunic and dark brown trousers were askew and dotted in mud and stains, she did a lot of climbing and scampering around the woodland around their home. The two couldn't be more opposite if they even tried. That wasn't just in dispositions, of course Thranduil would act differently, he was royalty, she was not; she was the daughter of a royal guard, a young elf hellbent on avoiding lessons, opting to explore and expand the horizons of her homeland. Thranduil didn't have this luxury, and she pitied him for he could not enjoy the things she did.

His clear icy blue eyes just stared into a green-blue ones; dispositions weren't just the only thing in which they differed in. Thranduil was tall, blonde haired, blue eyed, usually quite stern faced and serious. There was a certain aloof aura to him which kept some at bay, but really, it was a wall waiting to be chipped down; he allowed those he trusted close, those he didn't were kept at bay by silent indifference.

Liruliniel, complete opposite; mahogany rich hair, much like his, it trailed down her back, green-blue eyes, she barely measured to his shoulders, and she was usually always smiling and getting up to something she shouldn't. She was a free spirit, and she was determined to stay as such for as long as possible. Whereas Thranduil had the sense to think before answering, Liruliniel didn't always have this tact. And sometimes that got her into trouble.

Thranduil just shook his head, looking over his shoulder he just glanced at her from the corner of his eyes before his lips turned up at the side. Liruliniel shook her head, her face going blank as he just continued to smirk at her. He backed off and even from where she was, she heard him talking as he sidestepped in the doorway. Then who came literally charging in? Thalion. The older sibling was much like Thranduil, well, in the sense that he was faster and stronger than her. She didn't stand a chance of escape.

She tried dodging and weaving, and Thalion was there to meet her. "Father wishes to see you! You can't keep avoiding him, try as you might, he will find you if you keep hiding." Thalion despaired, honestly, he did. His sister was happy in her own world, but the problem was she needed to come to reality here.

"No! I know what he wants, he's trying to get Lady Caladhiel to personally tutor me!" Liruliniel skidded around the room, her brother hot on her heels as she jumped and squirmed suddenly when he caught her in his arms.

The older sibling easily hauled her up, Liruliniel letting out a squeal as her feet left the ground. "Not fair, not fair, can you please stop?" Thalion asked when that's all his sister kept saying. "What isn't fair? You cannot keep venturing out on your own, Liruliniel. You need to learn the same things as everyone else. What makes you the exception?" Thalion furthered on asking while Liruliniel practically dangled in her brother's arms. She pouted and crossed her arms as he easily carried her away. She hated being small.

Thranduil just remained where he was, amusedly watching the siblings. He was used to this routine, and really, it was quite amusing. Especially Liruliniel's attempts of bribing her brother to let her go. That, and well, her pouting despondent face was amusing too.

"I don't like reading!" She exclaimed with a pained groan when Thalion adjusted his hold on her. Only that involved him squeezing her painfully around her waist. "Thalion, let me go!"

"Will you run?"

"No."

Thalion and Thranduil exchanged a look. The prince rolled his eyes and watched as the smaller girl was placed down. She hopped from foot to foot and even before she could dart off, Thranduil clutched onto the top of one arm while Thalion got the other. She whined and went full on dead weight, making both boy's eyes widen and adjust how they held her, more like carried her.

"Liruliniel, if mother were here-"

"If mother were here, she'd be teaching me herself. Yet she isn't, Thalion. She has departed, and we are here. Why should I learn? Why should I let Lady Caladhiel teach me? She will try and make me into something I do not wish to be." Liruliniel put her feet under herself and shrugged both sets of hands from her arms. She turned and frowned up at both, she really hated being small.

"And what do you want to be?" Thranduil asked, almost regretting doing so seems her eyes widened, and she looked excitedly at him.

"I want to be like father!"

Thranduil sighed heavily at that while moving around her. "You can barely defend yourself, I would not trust you to defend or protect me."

"Don't make me throw my boot at you." Liruliniel said, already hopping on one foot to try and unlace the shin-high footwear.

Thranduil just looked over his shoulder as he continued to walk straight backed down the corridor. "Instead of doing what you wish, you instead are threatening to bring me harm."

Liruliniel stopped jumping. She put her foot down and ran away from her brother's side to walk beside the tall prince. "You'd be able to dodge."

"True." Thranduil looked over her when Thalion joined her side, keeping the small elf in between in case she decided to run off again. "But how would you know?"

Liruliniel scrunched her nose up, "Because you're fast. Faster than me by far!"

"Yes, that may be a hindrance to you and your goals. How to look out for someone who is better than you."

"You're making me regret not throwing my boot..."

"Can you stop it, Liruliniel? You know as well as I do, that father does not want you to walk that path." Thalion said seriously, he couldn't deal with Thranduil annoying his sister and his sister being too childish to realise he's doing it.

Liruliniel frowned and looked at the grey stone below her feet. Their footsteps made very little sounds, that was just one trait of their kind, silent. "But why can't I? What is there to stop me from being like him? Who else have I got to aspire to? You're following suit, so why can't I?" Liruliniel frowned, her voice quiet for once as she walked between the two older boys, she glanced from one to the other expecting an answer.

She didn't expect one, the one on her left was going to be king one day, and the one on her right would be doing exactly as their father did, protecting him. Where did she honestly fit into any of this? Frowning and shaking her head, she jumped and turned. Walking backwards she grinned at them both. "I will prove you both wrong. Even if it means I must start off small."

"Smaller." Thranduil smirked and tucked his arms behind his back, putting emphasis on the word. Liruliniel frowned at him while Thalion sighed and ran a hand down his face, here they went again.

=

Lady Caladhiel was what Liruliniel would believe her father wished for her to be like. It wasn't anything personal to the elvish woman, she was polite, kind and seemed to have tolerance to put up with her. She had offered Hérion aid, and he had taken it. He couldn't be within the dwelling the three called home to keep an eye on Liruliniel all day, every day. Nor could Thalion. It was no wonder Liruliniel was running amok really.

Leaning her chin against her palm, Liruliniel blinked her eyes totally bored and looked up at the woman in front of her. At least Caladhiel allowed them to take lessons outside. The trees shadowed them, the day was warm, and the wind travelled through the leaves making them rustle. Liruliniel wanted to be up a tree running about. Not down here learning about, well, what even was she learning about? She had zoned out of Caladhiel's words a while ago.

The blonde elf continued talking though as she read out of the book in her lap. She sat straight backed, her hair neatly plaited from her face, her long fingers tracing words along the cream-coloured page below her. Her blue eyes were trained on the book, and not on Liruliniel sitting there pouting and pulling a very bored expression.

The previous day when Thalion and Thranduil had practically hand delivered her to her father, Liruliniel was expecting the worst. But Hérion was exasperated. Luckily for the lecture the two boys had left, Thranduil needing to find his father and Thalion just left because he didn't want to witness this. It wasn't that Hérion was a hard father, he could be stern, but he could also be light-hearted.

Since their mother passed, he had hardened himself to trying to do the best for them both. Which meant making sure Thalion kept training to perhaps enter the army or guards, and Liruliniel to learning to make sure she could find an occupation she wanted to do within her life. If left to her own devices, Hérion believed she'd just scamper about the woods all day, forever until she chose to cross the sea.

"Why do I need to know about those that wished to depart after the War of Wrath?"

"It isn't so much that which you are meant to be paying attention to, Liruliniel." Caladhiel's voice was soft but hard as she was trying to chastise her for putting thought into the wrong part of her lesson. Her blue eyes slowly looked up from the book and settled on the mahogany haired elf.

Liruliniel was sure to wipe the bored look from her face, instead she awkwardly smiled. Caladhiel sighed, she snapped the book shut and kept her hands on the front cover. It was a rough account of the events that had happened, from someone who was personally there. Liruliniel rocked from side to side slightly, "So, I'm meant to be paying attention to the ability to forge alliances with those which are different than ourselves?"

"It is important, in times of hardship, to have friends; to have allies that you can call upon, whenever you may need." Caladhiel said pointedly.

Liruliniel scratched her head, messing up her few braids which were present. Much to Caladhiel's displeasure. She had made her presentable, ordered the girl to bathe, to put on clean clothes that weren't covered in mud. Then she had combed her hair, not realising it liked to curl at the ends slightly. She had braided hair from her temple and those then led into another from the centre of her head. All then knitted and twisted together and was tied at the end with a simple ribbon.

When this battle happened, Liruliniel was young. Scarcely old enough to remember it, in fact. Yet Thalion would, Thranduil too. Neither took part, being too young. But their memories of it would be handy if she ever wanted to expand her knowledge. Liruliniel looked at her appointed tutor with a small frown. "I don't understand why it's this that you're opting to teach me."

Caladhiel rolled her eyes and looked astonished. "For someone who is clearly smart, you aren't good at seeing the obvious, are you?" Liruliniel's eyes widened, Caladhiel just remained staring at her. The skirt of her burgundy dress haloed around her as they turned silent. "Liruliniel, you wish to one day become a great warrior like your father, correct? Yes, see, for this you need to understand certain politics, or rather, how things work when and if fighting arises. You need to learn in situations who you can call a friend, and who you can call an enemy. Sometimes the line is easily blurred, sometimes not."

"You...you believe I could, do it?" Liruliniel asked, stunned really. The one person she didn't think to have faith in what others saw as a foolish, childish dream, was the only person to believe in her.

Caladhiel smiled, "Why not? Why you're being mocked for having such an aspiration for, I do not know."

"Maybe because I'm meant to be doing needlework somewhere instead of wanting to sword fight?"

"You could still learn to have that ability," Caladhiel pointed out, earning a wince from Liruliniel. "Or maybe not." She laughed softly, shaking her head despairing. This girl was truly one of a kind.

Liruliniel looked around herself, "Do you like it here?"

"What an odd question. Do you not?"

"I miss Ered Luin. I miss watching the traders, the visitors."

"You're bored."

Liruliniel nodded her head, "Everything seems the same here." She paused and looked uncertainly around, "Is this what King Oropher aspired for?"

"Do not mistake this mundanity as something else, Liruliniel. This is what peace is, this is what it looks like. Be grateful, others are not so lucky."

Liruliniel didn't understand, who else was suffering and where? "We got off topic," she smiled shyly. "Tell me how the alliance was made again." She shuffled and made her way to Caladhiel's side, taking to looking over her arm at the book, even more so when she opened it up and turned to the beginning.

Her father never spoke of the battle, likewise no one else seemed too either. Liruliniel, despite wanting to fight, wasn't totally stupid. Caladhiel was right, she was smart, in her own way; Liruliniel knew that war, battles of any sort, we're not glorious. The words which could be painted on the page, depicting all sorts of courageous events, perhaps weren't to whoever was doing it, or were there. War was not glorious. War was harmful, painful. No one truly won, casualties were on both sides. But between this, it was truly the innocents who suffered the most. Those caught in the crossfire. Yet, books and accounts hadn't spoken about them.

Liruliniel frowned, maybe it was these that Caladhiel was referring to? So kept at bay from those truly around them, she hadn't ever thought that the effects of this battle were far spreading. Caladhiel had stopped reading, Liruliniel hadn't seemingly noticed. Yet Caladhiel had noticed the troubled look on her face. She didn't know what was going through the girl's mind, but it couldn't be anything good.

"What is it?" Caladhiel asked, Liruliniel looked up at her confused. "What is troubling you?" Because something clearly was. She hadn't looked like this when she was reading to her earlier. So why now?

"It's just...why doesn't everyone aid afterwards?" Caladhiel looked confused this time. "Everyone rushed to aid each other, to fight against a common enemy, but afterwards? We all parted ways. Only communicating if we need to. And even this is strained business, trading as it were."

"Everyone tends to keep to themselves."

"I think that's wrong." Liruliniel said with a firm frown. "I don't know what fighting is like, I don't know what it's like to be left behind; but I know that it is troubling, just from thinking of all the possibilities from it. And, well, there are some who suffer more. I would want to help them."

"And who do you speak of?" Caladhiel was truly interested now. She hadn't known Liruliniel to be diplomatic. Yet here the young elf was surprising her quite a bit. She didn't think this lesson would turn into a slight debate.

"What of the race of Men?"

Caladhiel inhaled deeply. "They are a proud species, Liruliniel. They do not freely accept help, let alone ask for it."

"Dwarves?"

Caladhiel stuttered out a cough. "Valar no! Liruliniel, no. They would be just as bad, if not worse than Men."

Liruliniel raised an eyebrow. Her and her tutor stared at each other for a few moments before the younger of the two let out a groan. She threw her hands in the air and even collapsed backwards. Much to Caladhiel's displeasure, mainly because she now fully nestled in some nearby roots. Roots with mud, and mushrooms at the base. Liruliniel was cosied up in the cubby of the tree base, her eyes shut before she sighed and opened them.

"So, we just stick to ourselves, unless needed otherwise?" She looked up at the tree. Leaning away she turned and knelt. "That sounds dull. I don't like the sound of that. I'd rather explore, see how I can help and who. Make friends, share stories." She stuck out her tongue in thought as she rocked back and jumped up before leaping forwards. Her hands scrambled and clutched onto a branch; she wiggled her small legs and hauled herself upwards.

Caladhiel couldn't help but smile as she looked upwards. "And what if people do not wish to be friends? Or accept your help?" She asked out of curiosity, she wanted to know if she had an answer.

Liruliniel peeked down, "Well...then it's their loss." She shrugged, "You can't force people to do things they don't want to. Just accept that they do whatever they wish." She shrugged again and stood up, walking along the branch with ease as she looked around herself.

From where they were taking lessons, she could now spy the training ground. More importantly, her father. With a smile she looked down at Caladhiel, her eyes widened. She shot up and exclaimed her name just as she took off sprinting. Liruliniel laughed all the way she went, hopping, climbing and jumping. Caladhiel was following her, she could hear her call her name.

Soon reaching the trees which encompassed the training grounds, Liruliniel jumped down and skidded along the ground. She tumbled, arms and legs flailing in every direction before she leaped up and continued running. Caladhiel crashed through the foliage with more grace and narrowly missed grabbing the girl's shoulder. No, with a laugh, Liruliniel ducked and continued going.

Clearly hearing the ruckus, Hérion turned and frowned. He wasn't surprised, "Liruliniel." He watched his daughter leap and stop by his side with a grin.

She blew a breath out, successfully flicking hair and wayward escaped braids out of her face. "Hello, father."

He should be annoyed, but her happy face was too much. Placing a large hand on her head, he simply tussled the hair. Caladhiel kept a small distance, Hérion just sent her a knowing look. With a small smile and a nod, the female backed off. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"I was learning about the alliance, father. Were you present when any of the meetings happened?" She asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

Hérion shook his head, with a heavy sigh he looked around. The training ground was large, a separate section to practice bow work and aim. A large space a little distance from this was where sword practice happened. He was here on his own, he had taken a training session earlier. But he seemed to rarely rest these days. The battles may have temporarily ended, but even still...

He readjusted the hold he had on his sword hilt. "Of course, but unless this is for some writing purpose, I do not think the details are needed right now."

Liruliniel pouted, "Where's Thalion?"

"And here I thought you came all this way to see me." Hérion smirked, kneeling, he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Liruliniel, he's busy." She looked saddened. Being one of the youngest children within the cluster of elves which lived here, Liruliniel struggled. She was bored. She wanted her brother, but her brother wanted to do other things.

"He's doing something boring with the Little Prince, isn't he?"

"Liruliniel, don't be like that. You know the Prince asks for him in return. They're friends."

"But he's my brother." Liruliniel frowned, "I have no friends. Not really." Hérion's heart broke a little from this. He knew it was true, but what could he do? He couldn't force his daughter to calm down and make friends. "I don't like it here, father. At least back in Ered Luin I could socialise with others. I could form some bonds with people around me. Here all I get told to do is stop running in the corridors, sit and listen to lessons, I am bored!"

Hérion sighed, he looked at the sword in his hand. "People are telling you those things, for good reason."

"To behave?"

"Yes." Hérion frowned, "You can't run about like you did back in the Mountains." She had run around to her heart's content back there. But here, no. Here she was needing to present herself in a way which was not coming natural to her.

Liruliniel looked saddened, Hérion inwardly honestly thought she was about to cry. Her expression was so cutting, so despairing. Her eyes looked distantly at him, watery and glazed over as she twitched her nose and took a step back from him. Before he could even say her name, she turned and ran off. Her little legs carried her quite fast, she had speed on her side as she ran up the stairs and entered the large, dark grey building before them.

She continued running, not knowing where she was going until she got there. By that, she mainly meant the library. Amon Lanc was still relatively new; the library wasn't vast but there were enough books and scrolls within to read and amuse whoever wanted to peruse the pages. It was also maybe the one place people wouldn't think to come looking for her. She hadn't shown interest in academic studies after all.

She walked down the tall aisles. Some were stacked, some weren't, but all of them reached the high ceilings above. Liruliniel ran her hands along some of the spines as she slowed her pace down, it was so silent in here. With a sigh she paused, sitting at a table at the back of the room was perhaps the one person she was not wanting to see.

Thranduil. The blonde elf-Prince leaned against one hand, while the other held a page before flipping it over. He hadn't noticed her, Liruliniel walked over. She purposely scraped the chair back, the noise echoing painfully in the stony room. Thranduil's eyes just stared at her, even as she just simply plopped herself into her seat. Seeing as how he was clearly going to have company, Thranduil didn't even bother reading anymore. Instead, he pushed the book away from himself and rested back. His long legs crossed at the ankles as his hands entwined in his lap.

Liruliniel wasn't the picture of calm, unlike him and his perfect composure. Thranduil tilted his head slightly, his blue eyes assessing her as a light frown appeared on his face. "You've been crying." He stated blatantly. Her cheeks and eyes were reddened from both running and crying, even if she didn't realise it, and she clearly didn't as she patted her cheeks. "Who's upset you?" Thranduil asked, someone must've said something to her. Although, he didn't mean it in a rude way, she probably did something.

Liruliniel wiped her eyes on her sleeve before sniffing. She didn't know she had started crying in frustration as she made her way through the corridors. Unlike him, her legs didn't quite reach the floor, so her legs swung simply as she fidgeted. "To begin with, you."

Thranduil looked perplexed. The last time they crossed paths; he had led her to her father. He hadn't said anything awful to her. Or was it the general handing over to her parent that upset her? Thranduil didn't know. He just knew that Thalion's sister was quite confusing. "What is it that I have supposedly done?"

Liruliniel shrugged, Thranduil leaned forwards against the heavy oak table. He looked expectedly at her, she inhaled slowly. "I am jealous." Thranduil's eyes widened, he was not expecting that as for a moment his blank mask slipped, and he looked truly miffed. Liruliniel smiled, it was a watery thing, it wasn't a smile of happiness, just a hollow thing. Thranduil honestly didn't quite know how someone so young could look like that. It didn't look right. But also, he realised it was perhaps the first time he had seen her genuinely upset. Even if it was apparently because of him.

He frowned, the moment of his composure slipping now passed. "Of me? I find it somewhat hard to believe, considering most times in the past, you have openly mocked me for having something to do. Even if that something is important, may I add?" Thranduil recalled times in the past, before coming here, that if his father had asked for him and she and Thalion were nearby, she would comment while Thalion would put a hand over her mouth to silence her. "Are you jealous of me, of having things to do?" Thranduil's eyes narrowed as he looked at her, Liruliniel nodded silently. She looked sad still, yet a little lighter now she had admitted to that.

"But also, you see Thalion all the time."

"Not all the time," Thranduil's lips quirked slightly. "I do like my own space."

"I'm invading your quiet time."

"You are. But Liruliniel, I am used to it." Thranduil rolled his eyes, crossing his arms, he wasn't sure whether the younger elf knew she did that quite often. Narrowing his eyes in thought, he looked over to her. Liruliniel perked up, Thranduil sighed and thought over what had crossed his mind. It didn't go past him that this was maybe the longest they had got along. They seemed to spend most times exchanging sarcastic comments. Turning and placing his arms on the table, Thranduil tapped his finger against the wood and looked at her unblinkingly. "Would you like something to do?"

"Well, yes."

Thranduil nodded, honestly in some ways he believed that his suggestion would keep her out of trouble, curb any tendencies to try and remain a free spirit and genuinely give everyone peace of mind. In that sense, he meant her not leaping and appearing from nowhere making people jump. "You will take your lessons with me. Caladhiel is most accommodating, I am sure she would not mind. You will do this, Liruliniel without question. Because if you don't, then the second part of my suggestion is not even getting contemplated." Thranduil said while pushing himself out of his seat and slowly moving off. Of course he left his words lingering, capturing her attention.

"Little Prince, wait up!" Thranduil frowned and shot narrowed icy eyes down at her. Liruliniel just smiled up at him, even now she barely reached his shoulders. "What's the second part?"

Thranduil crossed his arms behind his back and looked forwards again. By now they were leaving the library behind them, turning and proceeding down the corridor. "You wish to train. You wish to guard my father and myself," although honestly, Oropher was a formidable opponent. "I'll give you that opportunity. But, when and there will be one, you no doubt get beaten in sparring matches, do not complain to me."

Liruliniel just looked at him with wide eyes, she was nodding before frowning and tilting her head. "Is that because you're the one who's going to be besting me?" She asked, a knowing smirk slowly appeared on Thranduil's face as he remained silent. "That is...probably true," she was going to disagree, only to hang her head and sigh. "Why are you doing this, sire?"

Thranduil just gritted his teeth for a moment. Do her a favour, and she still liked to push buttons and hit nerves. Liruliniel looked at him thoughtfully though, she just liked to cover worry, or genuine care with humour. Thranduil guessed that's how she made sense of the world around her. "Do not get me wrong, I do not owe you anything. But if doing this will stop your father becoming steadily more concerned, then it is the least I can do. He is a good man, and you are wearing him down, Liruliniel. I heard him speaking with my father about perhaps sending you away. I hear Imladris is nice this time of year-" Thranduil cut his sentence short to lift a hand up and catch her small fist which was going to hit him on the arm. "Perhaps, on second thoughts, I'll second his musings."

"Don't you dare!"

"Then be quiet and listen to me. Do you think it brings anyone any joy seeing you unable to find a place here? You are the only one who has yet to settle. Do I find your aspiration ridiculous? No. Do I think you will fail? That remains to be seen. You and Thalion could be a formidable team. You are siblings; therefore, you could make a strong team. You both aspire for the same thing, makes sense to keep you two together to make a better unit." Thranduil said, tucking his arm behind his back again. He had spoken calmly and seriously; he had put thought into what he was suggesting. And he couldn't help but think it may come back to bite him. But if it got her to stop for five minutes and focus, surely it couldn't be bad?

Liruliniel smiled, "Will you feel better with me guarding you, if I actually managed to train?"

"You can't threaten to throw your boots at every enemy, Liruliniel." Thranduil said, a small chuckle escaping him as he shook his head and looked downwards at their feet and matching pace. Maybe, just maybe Liruliniel wasn't as bad as he first thought. She was a lonely child, not having anyone to spend time with she pestered her brother, and by extension him.

She needed company, she needed a goal, she had one and all Thranduil was doing, was putting the start into place. Although, he just had to figure out how to persuade her father to agree, and his father for that matter. "Prince?" Hearing her be genuine, Thranduil looked down at her. "Thank you," Liruliniel smiled, she clapped her hands together while they stopped and turned to face each other. "I will not let you down!" She exclaimed and Thranduil stood stock still as she suddenly leaped and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She practically hung from him before she jumped back, "Honestly, I won't!"

Thranduil straightened out his tunic and turned to commence walking again, aware to Liruliniel running to walk beside him with the biggest smile on her face that he had ever seen. Thranduil's lips threatened to turn up too, but he remained stoic faced as they silently walked the corridors of Amon Lanc. He was going to hold Liruliniel to it, after all this was being followed through with because of his recommendation. She failed, or slipped up, by extension it would come back on him too.

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(A/N: Idk why I decided to edit this, I think I was feeling bored. So, this story first started on 29/Nov/2019, was originally 82 chapters, including an epilogue and finished on the 6/Oct/2020. All I've really done is condense it down. So, most chapters now are what was perhaps two, I've just merged a few together to make the new chapters longer, and for the story to maybe flow better. If you've already read this story and are by chance reading again, you'll prob see the differences more than new readers!)

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Edited: 19/June/25