"I've got you now!" I bellowed, cutting Arastor off between the head of the table and the dining room hall.

He laughed manically and plowed right in to me. We tumbled to the floor and rolled, each of us wrestling for the top. Arastor being older, stronger, and better trained, he always regained the upper hand the moment he'd lost it. I put up a good fight, though—and in putting up a good fight, my foot caught on a table leg. The table upended. Half a dozen seashells from the gulf of Lhûn, and a precious vase from Lindon, smashed onto the hard floor. Plus the wildflowers Adar had picked for Naneth on their walk two days prior and placed in the vase.

"Eru," I swore, our impromptu wrestle forgotten. I began trying to piece back together a flawless conch specimen—or, once-flawless. As if the pieces could possibly interlock and hold their perfect shape once again.

Arastor straightened and stared at the mess, then began gathering the shards into his hands. "I'm such a fool...let's get this cleaned up, then we'll tell your adar."

I shook my head, hard. "No, just help me clean this up. We don't need to tell him—let's just see if he doesn't notice."

"You don't need to tell me what?" Adar strode in, his eyes taking in every detail instantly. "Thranduil, what have you done?"

I flashed Arastor a panicked glance. He pursed his lips, but said nothing, as if to say, he asked you. Cringing, I met Adar's gaze again. "We were just playing...we were being careful, but my foot knocked over the table." Admittedly, I considered blaming Arastor and seeing if he'd take the fall—but that would come back around to bite me sooner or later.

"Thranduil," he groaned, rubbing his face. "This is not how a prince is to behave." I opened my mouth to protest, but he raised a hand, halting my argument. "Go romp around the forest, get all this energy out, before you destroy the entire kingdom."

I fled the room without a backward glance. Tears of shame rose to my eyes. This lifestyle, this title would be the death of me. I had to leave, get out, disappear and never come back.

But what would I do? Everyone within the Woodland Realm would recognize me, or at least recognize my fair hair and the lineage it indicates.

I didn't go to my rooms to change. Nor did I head for the outdoors. If I went romping through the woods, as Adar had delicately suggested, one of the guards would invariably follow me, and I needed to be alone.

So instead, I followed my feet around the palace. I'd not explored every nook and cranny since moving here, so I took the time to follow winding corridors to unexplored storage rooms and hidden herb and vegetable gardens. But with all the servants milling around, staring at me, none of these place provided the isolation I craved.

A whiff of something comforting altered my course to descend a staircase, and I wound my around a dim hallway until I stepped into a large underground room. Servants bustled between counters, preparing food, glancing at me in passing, but too preoccupied to particularly care that the Prince of the Woodland Realm had wandered into their midst.

"Prince Thranduil!" Someone called from the corridor behind me. "Prince Thranduil, the Queen wishes to speak with you!"

I bolted deeper into the kitchen and promptly smacked into an ellon balancing a fruit tray on one hand. We wobbled, and I snatched the tray before it could fall. Handing it back, I hissed, "Hide me."

He glanced at the doorway, then nodded once. "Under the counter. Only the servants will see."

"Bless you," I breathed, following his instruction and kneeling. Under the hollow counter, a few empty boxes waited to be burned or reused. I arranged them across part of the opening and crawled in, hiding the bulk of my body behind the boxes. My legs hung out a little, but I couldn't imagine anyone noticing. Better still, the ellon shouted a few instructions, and a myriad of servants' legs blocked the remainder of the entrance as they worked overhead.

Minutes passed with only the sounds of servants preparing the next meal. From what I gathered, this kitchen focused on the preparation of the noble families' meals, rather than the royal family's. The perfect hiding place.

I mulled over the events of earlier, processed the incident from beginning to end. If I got a little emotional, it wasn't for long, and no one noticed. Finally, I relaxed enough to lean against the corner and rest.

"...can't help you, I'm sorry miss."

The carefully-guarded tone of the servant ellon made my eyes pop open. Maybe it was paranoia, or maybe a gut feeling, but I pulled my legs in as tight as I could, scarcely daring to breathe.

Murmurs went around the servants overhead, and a moment later, a head poked past the box wall. Rosseth beamed. "Prince Thranduil, I've been loo—"

"Sssshhhhhhush, they'll find me...don't you people ever give up?" I snapped under my breath.

She shoved someone's leg out of the way, and she crawled in the rest of the way, sitting in the opposite corner and tucking her knees up under her chin. "They do. I don't."

I frowned at the close proximity. "Why not? I'm sick of being the Prince...is it so awful to want a break?"

Rosseth shook her head. "No, it's not awful. I just..." She blushes and lowers her voice. "I overheard what King Oropher said. I was worried you might be upset."

"I'm fine," I answered too quickly.

She arched an eyebrow.

I crossed my arms and scowled at the floor. "Look, Adar was right. I may not like it, but I had no business horsing around in the palace."

Rosseth opened her mouth, hesitated, then shut it and shook her head. Sticking her head out of our hiding place, she said, "Excuse me...Prince Thranduil would like two of the jelly-filled little crust-things." A moment later, she held a hand out, then pulled back with two delicate treats in her palm. She handed one to me.

There was only so much she could say in my defense, but as I bit into the warm, fresh treat, a lot of what had troubled me so deeply faded to the background, and I found myself smiling.

Rosseth stuffed the whole thing in her mouth and moaned. Peeking at me through her eyelashes, a hint of a grin came over her expression as she chewed through the sweet.

If anyone else had used my title to get us a treat, I would've been irritated. But instead, I was amused. As though she'd anticipated what I wanted and would've been too proper to ask for.

When we'd both finished licking the last sweet crumbs from around our teeth, Rosseth sighed. "Queen Laegeth wishes to speak with you—not about what happened, something else. I don't know what, but I don't think it's bad."

I nodded and gave Rosseth a small smile. "Then I should go to her. Would you take me?"

Her cheeks went pink. "As you wish." She crawled out of the cranny, and I followed her, dodging an abundance of legs. As soon as I stood, Rosseth led me back out of the kitchen and around the myriad of corridors and hallways.

Servants paused to watch us go back, and those in close proximity to each other would angle their heads closer and begin whispering. I sighed, but Rosseth didn't seem to notice—for which I was grateful. Every so often, she glanced back at me, I suppose to make sure I hadn't gotten lost.

We came to the royal wing through a back way I hadn't known about, and upon entering the all-too-familiar royal wing, Rosseth knocked on Naneth's door. "Your Highness?"

"Yes Rosseth, come in."

Rosseth opened the door and walked in. "I found Prince Thranduil, Your Highness."

Naneth sat on the edge of her bed, playing with a curl of her dark hair. She looked at me and smiled. "Excellent, Rosseth—would you give us a moment to speak in private?"

Rosseth flashed me a panicked glance that indicated she hadn't meant to betray me this way. But she nodded, dipped into a quick curtsey, and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

I was trapped.

Naneth held a hand out, beckoning me to sit beside her. "I am glad you came, Thranduil. I wish to know, how you are coping with being the Prince of the Woodland Realm?"

Reluctantly following her gesture, I sat beside her. "Well enough, I suppose. Why?"

She put her arm around me, a smile playing on her lips. "I will tell you, but first you must promise to tell nobody else."

More panic raced through my veins. "What?"

Naneth placed a finger on my lips. "Hold your voice down—promise me."

I swallowed hard. "I promise."

She lowered her hand, her smile growing until it overcame her entire face. "You're going to have a brother, or a sister."

"WHAT?" I lurched to my feet.

Annoyance flashed across her face. "Thranduil Oropherion, you are not an elfling. Sit down and spare me your theatrics."

A long moment passed, during which the only sound hanging between us was the sounds of our heartbeats. Finally, I forced my mouth to close, and I sank back onto the edge of the bed beside her. I didn't fancy the thought of what else this bed had tolerated in the recent past.

Naneth sighed. "You know how these things come to be—indeed, you are old enough to take a wife of your own. I fail to understand why you are so repulsed by the idea of having a sibling."

Heat rose to my cheeks, and I cleared my throat. "It's only because you're my nana." I hesitated, then added, "However, a brother or sister wouldn't be unwelcome."

Her expression softened to an affectionate smile once again. "Your adar will need to spend a great deal of time with me, to nurture the elfling's feä—but that will mean time away from the throne. Might I count on you to help him, as he helps me...and your sibling?"

Cornered. I couldn't say yes without following through, and I couldn't say no without disappointing Naneth. "Of course...how hard could it be?" I forced a smile.

She beamed and wrapped me in a hug. "I knew I could rely on you—my handsome Prince Thranduil." She firmly kissed my forehead.

A full blush raced up my throat. "Nana," I protested, pulling away.

Naneth laughed, a sound like harmonious music, and she let me go. "Run along, ion nin, I still need to tell your adar."

"Tell me what?" He pushed the door open and walked in. Behind him, a servant gave a quick bow and scuttled away—coward.

Naneth looked Adar in the eye, and they exchanged a lengthy silence. His expression morphed to one of understanding, and she grinned.

I cleared my throat and started for the door.

Adar's eyes snapped onto me. "Thranduil—go outside for a while, practice your archery or something."

"And would you tell Rosseth she's dismissed for the afternoon?" Naneth added.

Bristling, I left the room without a word and strode across the hall to my room.

Rosseth, who had been waiting at the top of the stairs, followed me and stopped in the doorway when I went into my room. "Prince Thranduil?"

I avoided looking at her and collected my newest bow from its place of honor on my wall. "Naneth told me to tell you you're dismissed for the afternoon." Truth be told I was rather upset that she dragged me into all this. Not that it was her fault I wasn't offspring enough for my parents. I just didn't need to be so acutely aware of it.

"Prince Thranduil?"

"What?" I rounded on her, only to realize she wasn't whining or being clingy—she was genuinely upset.

Her eyes widened, and she backed. "Forgive me...I'll bother you no longer." She started to flee.

"Rosseth, wait." Guilt washed over me for taking such a sharp tone with her. When she stopped and gave me a wary look, I said, "Naneth is pregnant. She and Adar need time alone to connect with the elfling's feä." I grabbed a quiver full of arrows and slung it the strap over my shoulder. "We're both being sent out."

"Oh..." Her astute gaze swept over me. "Well...might I walk with you a ways?"

I shrugged. Perhaps her presence would motivate me to keep my cool and process all this new information. "If you wish." I left my room, and together we headed down the staircase to the primary palace exit.

We'd gotten about twenty steps along when Rosseth said, "He means well, you know."

I scoffed. "He demands too much." I should've stopped there, but I needed to be commiserated with. "It started when he decided I should become the prince—before that, we could talk, tell jokes, have fun together. Now...I can scarcely breathe without displeasing him."

"Not a month has passed since your coronation—such changes require adjustment, I'm sure. For both of you." Rosseth lifted her hand, hesitated, then briefly squeezed mine. I found the calluses on her hand vastly more intriguing than what she had to say on that particular matter.

We fell silent. Whether or not she gathered I didn't want to talk about Adar anymore, we didn't say another word until we'd gotten outside and walked along the stone path to the guards' training field. At this time of day—noon—no one particularly wanted to brave the heat and humidity.

Looking down at Rosseth, I said, "Will you visit your family while you've no duties to attend?"

She shook her head. "It's a four-hour walk back home...we live on the southern edge of the southernmost village."

I cocked my head. "Then where are you on your way to?"

A blush stained her cheeks. "Nowhere. If you no longer wish for my company, I will return to my room and take a nap...perhaps read."

She only wanted to walk with me—strange. And oddly kind. I shook my head. "You may remain, if you wish. Though you'll likely find my target practice boring." Shrugging off my bow, I headed for the target.

Her footsteps padded after me, taking almost two steps to keep up with one of mine. "I won't be bored. I can collect arrows, if you wish."

Tempted to smirk, I teased, "You're offering to be useful? Ai, you must be desperate."

Rosseth's little mouth popped open, her visible eye widening and flicking to me.

I flicked the bulk of her hair, hanging down her back, over her head to cover her line of vision. Unable to hold back a laugh at her sputtering, I sprinted toward the target.

The moment she parted the curtain covering her face, Rosseth bolted after me.

I couldn't run forever, so I stopped about a dozen paces from the target and turned to meet Rosseth's charge head-on. As she drew closer, a flicker of doubt crossed my mind—did she take my tease too seriously?

She ran right into my outstretched arms, and didn't resist the space I held between us. Stabbing a finger at her messy waves of hair, she said, "I insist you fix this."

Relief washed over me, and an idea took hold in my mind. "As you wish. Hold this." I handed her my bow and raked her fine hair back with my fingers. Moving behind her, I gathered the thick top section of her hair and divided it into three even sections. Then I twisted them into a tidy braid down over the loose bottom section. Reaching the ends of her lengthy hair, I had nothing to tie it off with, so I let her hair hold itself.

"There." I laid a hand on her shoulder, pulling her around to face me. And for the first time, I saw her face without her hair obscuring the view. The second half of her face was just as flawless, and frankly beautiful as the first half.

Rosseth ducked her head, lifting a hand as though to play with the hair that usually hung over her face. Finding nothing, she dropped her hand and hesitantly peeked up at me. "Here..." She held up my bow.

Remarkably satisfied, I took the weapon and checked the ground, where stakes marked different measurements from the target. I stood closer than I usually practiced, but I might as well start here. Drawing an arrow from my quiver, I notched it onto the bowstring, drew back, aimed, and released my shot. The arrow struck the center of the target—but at this distance, it would be humiliating to miss.

"Shall I fetch that arrow?" Rosseth asked, her voice strangely eager.

"Yes." I smiled, pausing to watch her trot toward the target, her long hair bouncing with each step. I turned and walked to the next stake, this one about thirty strides from the target. Then I waited for Rosseth to return.

She plucked the arrow from the target with more ease than I would've expected, then she came jogging back to me. She wore a bright expression, as though running brought joy to her feä. As though the simplest things brought her the most pleasure.

"Here you are." She extended both of her upturned palms, the arrow resting across both hands.

I lifted it and gave her a grateful nod. "Thank you." Notching it to the string again, I drew back and took a moment longer to aim. Then I let it fly. It embedded itself a hairsbreadth below the center—I scowled. I always seemed to aim a little shy. Glancing back at Rosseth, I noted her questioning gaze and nodded. She again darted away to fetch the arrow for me.

Perhaps if I practiced more from farther away, I would master the calculation of long shots. Spinning on one heel, I strode to the next marker—fifty strides now. As I waited for Rosseth, I eyed the distance. As soon as she handed the arrow back, I strung it and drew back again. A long moment passed as I guessed approximately how high I should shoot. Then, with a mental shrug, I released the arrow to see where it would land.

It embedded itself in the lower rim of the target—barely. Embarrassingly far from the center. Growling, I whipped another arrow from my quiver. Strung it, drew back, aimed higher, and let it fly.

Then I realized Rosseth had already started running out to retrieve my first arrow.

"Rosseth—get down!"

She spun, eyes wide. Then she collapsed, covering her head.

The arrow thudded into the target, mere inches above the first.

I ran to Rosseth, who peeked up, her expression a mask of terror and confusion. Gripping her elbow, I helped her up. "Never, ever run out in front of me while I'm shooting—not unless we've communicated and I know you're out there. You could end up getting shot."

Understanding dawned in her eyes, then horror. She covered her mouth, blinking back tears and flushing red. "I...I am such a fool," she whispered, avoiding eye contact.

I swallowed hard—why must ellith always be so emotional about these things? "No harm done," I replied, trying to be sensitive. I really didn't want her to cry. "I suppose everyone does foolish things now and then. The important thing is that you learn from your mistake."

Rosseth looked up at me, big fat tears welling up on her lower eyelashes. "So...when someone is practicing with their bow, I won't go out in front of them unless they know I'm there and I know they aren't shooting."

I gave a tight smile. "Even more than that. Always be aware of your circumstances. Identify potential threats, and consciously think of how to avoid or eliminate risk."

She blinked, pushing those tears down her cheeks, and she hastily brushed them away. "Um...maybe I could just stay close to you?"

My cheeks heated a tad, and I hesitantly looped an arm around her in an awkward half-hug.

Rosseth softened to my touch, placing her small hands on my stomach and resting her head on my chest.

Nibbling my lip, I let my arm rest on her back, pulling her just a tad closer. "Staying with me would probably be safest," I murmured, a smirk stretching across my lips.

We stood like that for a moment, until Rosseth abruptly pulled back. "Look at me, hugging you like you're any old friend...forgive me, Prince Thranduil."

Any old friend—I liked the sound of that. Pulling a teasing grin, I retorted, "Well if I'm not a good enough friend for you, Lady Rosseth, forgive me for wishing I were."

Her eyes flicked up to mine, narrowing with skepticism. "You want to be friends?"

I tucked my hands behind my back, grasping my bow with both. "Hmm, I suspect perhaps we already are."

She couldn't hide her pleased smile—even when she pursed her lips, it spilled out through her eyes. "Well then, mellon nin, shall I collect your arrows, or shall I wait?"

I beckoned her back toward the marker where I clearly needed more practice. "As soon as I hit close enough to center that splitting arrows becomes a concern."

Rosseth hurried after me, folding her hands behind her back. We didn't touch, but we walked a little closer to each other, and when I glanced at her, she watched me with a content smile.

Perhaps my overactive imagination was giving me ideas—but I think she smiled because when she looked at me, not because she saw a prince, but because she saw a friend.

***Author's Note***

Hello all! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and I'm getting swept away in the bustle of getting presents ready.

I know I've been terrible about updating, and again, I'm very sorry. Organization, especially as it applies to my life, is not a strength of mine. :'D But I love you all and will endeavor to update more frequently.

Exciting news, one of my original novels is in the process of being edited, and I will begin pitching to agents soon! Not to worry, I will keep you all up to date as that progresses. :D

Last but not least, I'm reading a lotr fanfic that I feel the need to inform you of. The title is Love in a Time of Darkness, and the author is the lovely eme_the_writer123. Seriously, it's very different from any fanfic I've ever read. Go take a look. ;D

I hope to see you guys in the comments section!