As I led Barien toward Rosseth's home, I glanced at Rosseth and frowned. "If I'm to be someone else, we should decide on a name."

She nodded once. "Esgalnoron. I've already told Nana about you, and I had to make something up. You're a servant, like me, and you work in the kitchens."

"Esgalnoron," I murmured, testing the feel of it on my tongue. "Not bad. What else did you tell her?"

"That I'm bringing you here for the Silven Games, and that you want to enter with Rirosdir. Which means the whole family probably knows also. So...they'll be watching you from the beginning."

I smiled. For once, I didn't mind—not being a prince would be wonderful.

We approached a small building, and Rosseth inhaled deeply, a look of calm contentment stretching over her face. But instead of walking to the front door, Rosseth guided me around back, to a small corral and shed, giving shelter to two rugged horses. She helped me unsaddle Barien, then we loosed the mare with the other horses. After a brief squabble, the others reluctantly squeezed closer to let her in the shade. With a smug snort, Barien tugged a mouthful of hay from the manger and munched, her intelligent eyes sparkling.

Rosseth giggled and took my hand. "Come on, I smell supper." She pulled me toward the back door of the house.

"My hair still looks okay?" I tucked an odd-feeling lock behind my ear.

"Of course," she replied without even looking. Before I could argue, she opened the back door and pulled me through.

Inside was a madhouse. Three ellyn tumbled about the floor in a knot, yelling and laughing uproariously. An elleth, a little younger than Rosseth, cheered for all three in turn, looking as though she wanted to jump into the havoc. In the corner kitchen stood Faelel, the eye of the storm, absolutely serene in the midst of the insanity.

"Ai, will you ellyn shut up!?" Rosseth shouted, her voice barely competing with the din.

No one noticed, except Faelel. Turning to face us, she smiled and started walking across the war zone. Somehow, the tangle of ellyn flopped out of her way, and she barely spared them a glance as she passed. "Rosseth," she greeted warmly, pulling her daughter into a tight hug.

"Nana, this is Esgalnoron," Rosseth said with an innocent smile. Eru—I wouldn't have guessed she was such a good liar.

Faelel turned to look at me, and despite her calm smile, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "A pleasure to meet you, Esgalnoron," she said, holding my gaze. "I am Faelel, if you didn't already know." Maybe I imagined a look in her eye, but it certainly seemed like she had our whole plot unraveled.

When our eye contact lasted a moment too long, Rosseth chirped, "By the Valar, I am starving...when can we eat?"

"Immediately," Faelel replied. Spinning on her heel, she strode back to the kitchen, past the knot of wrestling ellyn. "Silence."

A deathly absence of noise descended upon the household, save one delayed "Hurrah!" from the elleth. Flushing brightly, she added, "Rosseth's home!"

Rosseth rolled her eyes and nodded at the tall, midnight-haired elleth. "Esgalnoron, this is my cousin, Daeris. And that's Rirosdir," she added, pointing at a gangly ellon disentangling himself from two older ellyn.

Rirosdir's foot caught in someone's tunic, and he nearly faceplanted. Finally finding his feet, he strode over to me and looked me up and down with a critical eye. Sharing his sister's black hair and lanky build, he stood nearly as tall as I did, but weighed half as much...if not a third. "Are you sure he can stand up to the trying trials of the Silven Games, cousin Rosseth?" he questioned in a self-important tone that threatened to make me snigger.

Rosseth groaned and shouldered past him. "That's my Adar standing up, and the one still on the floor is my uncle Goldir."

Her adar, a muscular ellon sharing her 'dull' brown hair and mischievous eyes, snatched Rosseth by the waist and tossed her a few inches into the air. He caught her again and kissed her forehead. "How's my sweet elfling doing?"

"Ada!" She pushed at his chest, flushing brightly. "I am not an elfling!"

He chuckled and held onto her, eyes turning to me. His eyes widened a touch, and he pressed his lips into a thin line.

Goldir, Rosseth's uncle, pushed himself up from the floor and walked over to me, clasping my arm with a broad, ignorant smile. "Any elf willing to enter the Games with Rirosdir, I consider a friend. You are very welcome here."

I forced a smile and nodded, clasping his arm in return. "Thank you, Goldir. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

Faelel cleared her throat loudly. "Come get your food before the stew gets hot."

Rosseth wriggled free of her adar's arms and beckoned me toward a kitchen counter laden with food. As she took a wooden bowl and ladled steaming stew inside, then stuck a slice of stiff bread in as well, I followed her example. She then led me to a sofa located along the side wall and sat, patting the space beside her.

I sat beside her, taking advantage of the others' distraction to glance pointedly at my lack of utensils and give her a questioning, somewhat panicking glance.

She masked a grin and demonstrated how to use the stiff bread to spoon stew into the mouth. With only a couple of subtle mishaps, I figured out how to make it work. When I glanced up, I found Rosseth's adar watching me with unnerving scrutiny.

Before long, everyone had gotten their food and found somewhere to sit. Rosseth's cousin, Daeris, squished herself onto the sofa between Rosseth and me, and Rirosdir pulled a stool up and began telling me all about the last Game. I tried to listen, but when Rosseth's adar moved to stand beside Faelel in the kitchen and they began whispering back and forth, my concentration shattered.

They knew. My heart clenched within my chest, unready to surrender this hard-earned, fleeting freedom.

"So Esgalnoron," Uncle Goldir boomed from his armchair in the opposite corner, "what are your intentions toward my lovely niece?"

I went rigid, clutching my bowl. "I...she's...she's been a very good friend. The, um, kitchens get rather lonely sometimes." You know, being crowded...very believable, Thranduil.

Daeris snorted loudly and nudged my shoulder with hers. "Please. Even if he wanted to marry her tomorrow, he doesn't stand a chance. Has anyone else seen how she gets all flustered and wild around Prince Thranduil?"

Rirosdir's jaw slackened.

"Daeris!" Rosseth whined, flushing the shade of a beet.

One of my eyebrows inched up my forehead without permission as I fought the urge to laugh. A completely inappropriate reaction. Especially since her parents watched with fascination.

"Ooh don't deny it, Rossy love. The way you stripped him to almost nothing after his coronation...and that dance..." Daeris fanned herself with a hand. "Well, I can see why you'd be so attracted."

Rosseth's jaw flexed. I rested my chin in my palm, covering my mouth.

With a giggle, Daeris added, "How much have you seen of the eligible prince since moving into his home?"

Uncle Goldir cleared his throat. "Enough, Daeris. Your cousin fills a prestigious role in the day-to-day functioning of the royal family. Do not allow jealousy to speak for you."

Rosseth took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, then flicked a lock of hair over her shoulder. "To answer your question, cousin dear, I see a great deal of Prince Thranduil. However, I fear there are so many ellith attempting to strip him naked, he doesn't even remember me." Spoken with such a straight face, I might even have believed her.

A long, uncomfortable silence ensued. Rirosdir broke it. "Eru...that's just nasty."

All three parents exchanged a chuckle, while Daeris and Rirosdir wore mortified expressions.

Time to wrap up this conversation. "There you have it...I can't begin to compete with Prince Thranduil's perfection." I inserted a heavy shrug. "I can't even remember how many ellith I've lost to him. I just gave up after a while."

Rosseth covered her mouth for a burp that sounded suspiciously like the beginnings of a snicker.

Faelel shook her head and set her bowl inside a large bucket half-filled with water. "Rosseth, please wash the dishes while I arrange who sleeps where."

Rosseth nodded and took the last couple bites of her stew, then rose and went around, collecting bowls.

Her adar surrendered his, then strode toward the back door, catching my gaze and jerking his chin for me to follow.

I exchanged a worried glance with Rosseth, then reluctantly stood and followed him out.

We walked out to a well-shaded spot where several tree stumps in a circle had been carved into seats. He sat in one, and I reluctantly perched on the nearest to him.

"I didn't get to properly introduce myself," he said, making and holding eye contact. "I am Orelon of the Woodland Guard."

I nodded, reluctant to say anything.

He clasped his hands in front of him. "Who are you?"

Releasing a heavy sigh, I said, "You know who I am." If he actually didn't, that should be a safe answer.

Orelon gave a curt nod. "Indeed. I make a point of knowing what individuals it is my sworn duty to protect by my life or death."

Damn.

Staring at the grass by my boots, I considered my options. Slink back to the palace without a fight? Not a chance. Beg for mercy? There was an infinitely smaller chance of that. I was leaning toward demanding him to swear his silence on the matter. A prince could do that...right?

He continued, his words very deliberate. "What in Eru's name are you doing here, Prince Thranduil?"

"I'm going to enter the Silven Games," I replied, my tone edging toward sullen. "I'm teaming with Rirosdir, as promised. But under the name Esgalnoron."

Orelon smirked. "You are aware of Rirosdir's penchant for losing, I hope?"

I nodded. "I don't care. Just, for one moment of my life, I want to be not a prince." I caught his gaze and held it, hoping he would see my need for freedom, fleeting though it be.

He tilted his head, still gazing at me. "You are also aware that this is a bad idea for a number of reasons."

"Yes." All too aware.

Orelon said nothing for a long moment. Finally, he sighed. "Well then, I see no way of convincing you otherwise. I do request you take care not to become injured—I would rather not have to report such a thing to King Oropher." Orelon shuddered.

I feared to believe what my hopeful ears reported. "Really?"

The ellon reluctantly smiled, a warm, adarly expression I hadn't seen in a very long time. "I was once young and eager, as you are. My best experiences and memories were on foolish expeditions like this...more than one being within the Games themselves. And, selfishly, I am pleased that you take interest in Silven tradition."

"Thank the Valar," I breathed, rubbing my forehead. I'd have a permanent stress headache if things kept going not according to plan. Something else occurred to me, and I met his gaze again. "Faelel knows, I assume?"

Nodding, Orelon said, "Blackening your hair doesn't mask your face—and you've a very familiar face. We'll have to muddy you up a bit if you want to remain anonymous."

I couldn't hide my ecstatic grin. "Muddy away. I'll love every moment."

Orelon chuckled and stood. "Good. Obviously, anonymity is wisest...if nothing else, for Daeris's fragile complexion."

Images of Daeris dogging my steps—maybe worse—made me cringe. "Agreed. This stays between you, me, Faelel, and Rosseth."

Orelon opened his mouth, reconsidered, then pursed his lips and nodded. "We will all need a full night of sleep—shall we return?"

I nodded and stood also, clasping my hands behind my back as we crossed the distance back to the small house.

When we reentered, Daeris glanced at me and batted her eyelashes. I barely noticed—I was more concerned with meeting Rosseth's gaze and giving her a small nod, confirming we were caught...but not in trouble.

At least...I wasn't. Not yet.

Orelon touched my back and led me down a short, narrow hall shooting off the living room. At the far end were two doors standing ajar, revealing two tidy bedrooms. In the room to the right, Faelel busily fluffed a thin feather pillow. Orelon motioned me inside and followed, shutting the door behind us.

Faelel wiped her hands on the front of her trousers. "I hope you will find these accommodations satisfactory for the evening," she said, avoiding eye contact.

I sighed, taking a moment to decide how to address this. Then I slowly walked over to her and placed a hand on her arm. "Faelel...I've come here to escape who I am. I wish for no special treatment—I would be happiest if you would treat me as you would treat a servant ellon from the palace kitchens."

She glanced at my hand, then looked to Orelon.

Orelon gave her a reassuring nod. "I believe the most convenient sleeping arrangement would be to have us in here, Daeris in Rosseth's room, my brother on the sofa, and Rirosdir and Esgalnoron on blankets in front of the fireplace."

Faelel opened her mouth, but before she could protest, I interjected. "That sounds perfectly reasonable."

She hesitated for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "If that is what you wish."

A knock came to the door. "Ada? Nana?"

Orelon glanced over his shoulder. "Come in, Rosseth. We need to talk."

The door opened, and Rosseth walked in, wearing a wary, worried expression. "What's this all about?"

Orelon and Faelel exchanged a look, and when they didn't immediately answer, I said quietly, "They know."

Rosseth's shoulders sank, and she shot her adar a guilty look. "What happens now? Rirosdir will be heartbroken if he loses his teammate."

Crossing his arms, Orelon said, "Esgalnoron is still entering. And this matter is staying between the four of us for the sake of safety and convenience."

A bright smile stretched across Rosseth's face.

"Not so fast," Faelel murmured, frowning. "Him, we cannot hold accountable for his choices and their consequences. You, we certainly can."

Orelon clasped my shoulder and nudged me toward the door. "If you'll give us a few minutes, I believe Faelel, Rosseth and I need to talk."

I didn't budge. "With all due respect, the deceit we've fabricated was not Rosseth's idea. I requested her help without thought of the consequences. Regardless of who I am within the palace, it is not Rosseth you should hold responsible."

Rosseth crossed her arms and cocked her head, one eyebrow raised. "I appreciate what you're trying to do. But the letter I sent, I created, and of my own free will. I told him about the Games, I told him about Rirosdir, and when he asked about entering, I advised him. Do not let him shoulder the blame for what I've done."

Faelel leveled her unimpressed gaze at Rosseth, who met her eye to eye. Ending the stare down with a disgusted shake of her head, Faelel muttered, "Well if our resident prince is so eager to share the burden of discipline, I've a mind to march you both out to the woodshed."

Blowing out a sigh, Orelon shook his head and went over to Faelel, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Ai, leave them be. They'd find pleasure in taking each other's punishments and be too busy toughing it out to learn from it. Plus, poor Rirosdir will need his partner in top condition if they hope to make it through the course."

Faelel seemed to wrestle with what he said for a long moment, then she nodded once. "I will abide by your adar's wishes, young lady, but this is never to happen again. If he needs to escape for a while and you decide to aid him, you tell us the truth, no matter what."

Orelon nodded in agreement.

Rosseth met my gaze, and with a hesitant smile, I said, "I've no objections."

"Good." Faelel smiled and said, "Daeris will be staying with you in your room, Rosseth. And Esgalnoron will be in the living room with Goldir and Rirosdir."

Rosseth's eyes rounded, but she said nothing. With a mute nod, she spun on her heel and walked out of the room.

I took a moment to make eye contact with both Orelon and Faelel. "Thank you both for your generous hospitality."

Orelon snorted and gave an amused smirk. "You better stop talking like that, if you want to blend in."

An uncomfortable chuckle slipped out, and I nodded. "I will try. Thank you." With that, I left the room and shut the door behind me. As I turned to search for Rosseth, the door directly across from Oropher and Faelel's shut, presumably with Rosseth inside.

I hesitated. Usually I was the one hiding in my room for one reason or another. I wanted to knock, but I didn't know if I'd say the right things for whatever she was facing. But when an elleth's muffled giggle reached my ears, I decided not to bother her and trudged back up the short hallway to the living room.

Goldir met me with a hearty smile and a folded blanket. "Here you are, go settle in front of the fireplace. The sofa is always mine when we visit."

Nodding, I shook out the blanket. A thin pillow fell out onto the floor. I took it over to the fireplace, in front of which Rirosdir had already spread out his blanket and placed his pillow. Without a word, I arranged my bedding the same way and stretched out on the hard floor.

* * *

(We Could Be Heroes—Alesso)

The nightmare named Daeris had already made herself at home in Rosseth's room by the time she got away from her parents and Thranduil. Stretched out across Rosseth's small bed, she finger-combed her black curls and wore a smug expression. Her eyes lit onto Rosseth, and she waggled her eyebrows. "You like him," she crowed.

Acutely aware that Thranduil was just across the hall, Rosseth shoved the door shut behind her and placed a finger over her lips with a threatening glare.

Daeris put a hand over her mouth and giggled.

Resisting the urge to swear—she'd learned a few new phrases from Thranduil not so long ago—Rosseth went to her small dresser and pulled a modest nightgown from the top drawer. Turning her back to her cousin, she pulled off her dress and pulled on the nightgown. After tucking the daydress into another drawer, she walked over to the bed. "Scoot over."

Rolling her eyes, Daeris sat up and stripped out of her dress also. Casting it onto the floor, she said, "How could you fall for a kitchen ellon when you have eligible royalty so nearby?"

Rosseth snatched up the discarded dress and hurled it at the wastebasket. "Because afore-mentioned royalty is somewhat preoccupied, ruling the kingdom and whatnot." She walked to the window and yanked the curtains shut, cutting off the dying light of dusk.

Daeris huffed and snuggled under Rosseth's well-worn quilt. "Don't be droll, of course he isn't doing that all day. Plus, isn't his ada supposed to be doing all that? What's the point of a King if the Prince does everything?"

Rosseth stormed over to the opposite side of the bed and yanked back the covers, crawling in beside her cousin. "It doesn't matter, because it's none of our business how they do things. As long as they do them well."

"Ugh, Rossy, you're crowding me!"

"It's perfect for just me," Rosseth snarled, resisting the urge to gouge out her cousin's eyeballs.

Daeris sighed and tugged a few inches of quilt toward her side. "Tell me about Esgalnoron. Why do you like him so much?"

Fingers curling around her territory of the quilt, Rosseth clenched her jaw and shut her eyes.

"Oh come on, I've no one else to talk about romance with," Daeris whined, squirming around and pressing her legging-covered buttocks against Rosseth's hip.

"Perhaps because you're more annoying now than when you were ten," Rosseth snapped.

A sharp inhale confirmed the blow landed true. "Perhaps you deny feelings for the Prince because you are his whore."

Rosseth's eyes went wide in the dark. Her heart thudded. Not with fear. Rage.

Daeris sniffled and pulled again at the quilt. When the attempt proved futile, she pulled harder, a furious sob rising in her throat.

Rosseth held tight until she felt Daeris draw back to give a particularly hard pull. Rosseth let go, causing her cousin to teeter on the edge of the bed. Rosseth kneed Daeris in the backside, sending her onto the floor in a tangle of flailing limbs and excess quilt.

Breathing hard and barely able to conceal tears of fury, Rosseth rose and strode to the door. Yanking it open, she stepped across the hall and banged on her parents' door. "Ada! Nana!" She didn't bother keeping her voice down. She would happily shame Daeris before the entire household.

Orelon answered the door, his shirt tails pulled out of his waistband. "What's wrong, love?"

"She," —Rosseth stabbed a finger back at the dark room— "is no longer welcome in my bedroom. She called me a whore and said inappropriate things. I want her out."

Faelel appeared in the doorway behind Orelon. "This must be some kind of misunderstanding—"

"She shoved me off the bed!" Daeris shrieked, coming into Rosseth's doorway, holding the quilt up over her undergarments.

Rosseth rounded. "Because you were insulting me—I will not be called a whore by an elleth as useless as you."

Daeris's hand flew out and caught Rosseth across the cheek.

Rosseth scarcely flinched. She stared Daeris in the eye for a long, silent moment, then launched toward her and slammed her fist into her mouth. She would've punched her cousin again, but an arm caught around her waist and pulled her back.

"That's enough," Thranduil murmured into her ear. Calming. Pulling her to the eye of the storm.

Falling back against the wall, Daeris cradled her mouth, and a sob bubbled between her fingers. She slid down the wall to sit on the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Rosseth!" Faelel exclaimed, gaping at the elleth on the floor.

Thranduil pulled them backwards, just into the living area, and Goldir shouldered past to kneel before his daughter. He tried to move her hand aside to assess the damage, but Daeris swatted at his hand with a sobby snarl.

"Is she all right?" Orelon asked, his voice calm and quiet.

Goldir sighed and straightened, gently pulling Daeris to her feet. "All but her pride, I'm sure."

Faelel maneuvered herself in front of Orelon. "What are we going to do about this? Our daughter can't just go around...assaulting people."

He placed a hand on her arm and nodded. "I know." Looking to Rosseth and Thranduil, he evaluated their stance in a quick glance. "Daeris, you'll get Rosseth's room for the night, if you find that agreeable?"

Rosseth opened her mouth to argue, but Thranduil tightened his arm around her.

Daeris let her hand drop, revealing a small trickle of blood from her lower lip. "Where will that violent creature be sleeping?"

Orelon made eye contact with Thranduil and answered, "She'll be with the ellyn. I'm sure her friend can keep her from impulsive decisions for a few hours?"

Thranduil answered with a single nod.

Daeris sniffled and squared her shoulders, shrugging off Goldir's assistance. "Very well. But I should like her whipped." Snatching up the quilt, Daeris sauntered back into Rosseth's room and snapped the door shut.

Sighing, Orelon said, "Try to get some sleep...tomorrow would've been trying enough without this mishap."

Goldir grunted and walked back to the living room. He gave Rosseth a small frown and paused to murmur, "I know she's trying sometimes, but you need to get yourself under control."

Thranduil pulled Rosseth around, angling himself between her and her uncle. "Come on," he muttered, guiding her to one of the blankets on the floor. Sprawling out on one side—and leaving a generous amount of space for her—he moved the pillow so they could share that, too.

Her heavy heart tried to ignore its own flutter of happiness as she stretched out beside him. Laying close to Prince Thranduil, but not touching, her lips twisted into the slightest of smiles.

Thranduil inched closer to breathe into her ear, "Just so you know...I never forgot you."