"Adaaaaaaaaaaa!!"

Thranduil turned his head towards the figure emerging from the doors to the throne room and so did three of the merchants discussing trades with him.

The little figure had his bright almost silver blonde hair and eyes that burned like the fire inside her. She was running, dressed in a dress that fluffed around her and made her look more like a running ball of cloth and ruffles than a child.

His lips twitched lightly upon seeing her face once filled with panic turning into a curious glance at the humans that stood before her. She stopped, her eyes scanning them curiously before she refocuses on him on his throne.

She huffs, ignoring the fact that she had just interrupted a meeting and proceeded to take wide steps towards him, her small feet making her take too long climbing up the dias. The guards watched, worry and confusion etched on their faces. Thranduil never wanted to be disturbed during meetings but they didn't know if they could actualy stop the princess from approaching her father. They waited and watched, cautiously and ready as the little elfling finally reached her fathers throne, breathing hard and cursing her small legs before pulling out a letter from the pockets of her gown.

Thranduil took it from her before the queen entered the room, causing most of its occupants to bow deeply in her presence.

"It may seem your daughter is very adamant in making you adhere to your part of a contract," she says as she stalked towards the throne but doesn't ascend the stairs. "She is already taking matters into her own hands, I am afraid she wishes to dethrone you someday, love."

Thranduil raises a brow before opening the letter in his hand. Annuniéls writing needed work, was his first thought before finally finishing the letter that requests the company of the king for a walk in their kingdom- outside. Thranduil straightened, his daughter wanted to go into the forests? He glanced at her behind the letter, despite watching him intently with her chin up, Thranduil noticed how she fidgeted with her fingers.

"Well," he says finally. "I, myself, would not be able to deny such a royal request."

Annuniél practically beams at this and Mantheniel shakes her head but there is a smile on her lips as Thranduil carefully folded back the parchment and hid it in his robes. He stands, his hand ready to dismiss the merchants when Mantheniel raised her own hand.

"I'll take care of business here," she says as she finds Annuniéls eyes and gives her a wink. The little girl giggles before quickly wrapping her hand around Thranduil's and pulling him with her.

"Alright, alright my little sun," he says as they descend the stairs. They exit but not before Mantheniel stops them, her expression stern.

"No going beyond the borders," she tells them both. "And no walking near wild animals. Also no weapons-"

"Ada will keep me safe, nana," Annuniél pipes up as she waited for her mothers agreement. Mantheniel sighs, shakes her head and gives Thranduil a look he knew all too well. He chuckles nervously.

"I promise," he says quietly before placing a soft kiss on his wifes worrying temples. She nods and watched Annuniél drag Thranduil away, a small excited fluff and a King. She smiles before turning towards the merchants who flinch at her attention. She was going to enjoy this.

--

Thranduil waited by his daughters room as she changed into more appropriate wear for a walk in the forest. She emerged later in an old tunic, that used to belong to Legolas, and pants that Mantheniel had made for her because she didn't believe Annuniél should be condemened to wear dresses all her life. Legolas helped Annuniél tighten the tunic around her waist with a small belt of leather and off she went, giving her older brother a quick peck in the nose.

"Please be careful, Leggy," she says before running towards her father. Legolas waved them off before he proceeded to gather a few men for a scout outside the borders with Falasdir.

They walked out the back gates of the kingdom, with three royal guards close behind. Thranduil watched as Annuniél ran and bounded down the dirt path, her face filled with so much excitement like their whole kingdom was not surrounded by the very forest she was now exploring. She stops and turns towards him, a smile on her face before Thranduil quickened his steps as he chased her down the path, her laughter in the air surrounding them.

Thranduil caught her, making her squeal and squirm in his arms. She struggles before wrapping her small arms around his neck and giving him a big kiss on the nose. He laughs as he crouches to place her small feet on the ground, but doesn't let her go.

"Why do you like kissing the nose, my little sun?" He asks curiously, causing the small girl to blush.

"Because I cannot reach the forehead, Ada," she says quietly, as if it were something to be ashamed of. Thranduil leaned close to her to place his forehead on hers.

"Of course you can," he says causing her to smile and place a soft kiss on her fathers forehead before her attention is caught by something else. She gasps and points to one of the animals Thranduil was very found off. His Elk. It stood there, watching the two of them as if it were trying to figure out what they were doing there. Its eyes land on Thranduil first, an acknowledgement before it finds its way to Annuniél. To Annuniél it was intimidatingly beautiful, but she was not ignorant of the creatures existence. Legolas has talked about the Elk in some of his stories, when they would sleep in the library and he would tell her about the adventures he has had. He would always have a certain sadness in his voice when he talked about the days before and now, as Annuniél watched the Elk she could somehow feel her brothers sadness...his loneliness.

"Would you like to ride him?" Thranduil asks her suddenly and she found herself nodding before really understanding the question. She is swept up before she could say anything else and was promplt placed on the magnificent creatures back. She stills, her hands still gripping on to her fathers robes.

"He will not hurt you," he reassures her as they move, now with her on the Elk, deeper into the forest. It took time but eventually, Thranduil let her go and she was left clinging on to the Elks neck.

"Ada?"

"Hmmm?"

"Did you ever feel...alone?"

Thranduil thought for a moment, his daughters words seemed far away from him but, still,  in his heart he felt  it.  The loneliness he endured in the past.

But what he could not understand was why his daughter was asking him.  Was she feeling alone?

"I think it is only normal,  my little sunshine, " he begins.  "To feel like that.  I have endured the feeling for many years despite having your older brother with me.  You see,  loneliness isn't more of not having company but more on feeling like you do not belong where you are."

"Why do you ask? "

Annuniel shrugged,  as she rode the Elk silently beside her father. 

"I do not want anyone to feel lonely anymore, " she says quietly and it hit him. She was talking about her brother,  not herself.  He watched her from the corner of his eye,  she was in deep thought as she had the same habit of her mother. Worrying her lip.

"But I am too young to do anything, " she says,  her frustration showing.  "Ada. When I become older, you would still be here right? And Big brother?  And naneth? "

"Of course, " he tells her immediately.  She nods,  accepting his words before they reach a pool. Before Thranduil could stop her, she jumped off the gigantic Elk and skipped towards the pool only to stop and turn towards him, her eyes holding more questions and wonder than Thranduil has ever seen in any child's eyes. 

His heart seems to constrict at the sight. Her innocence and purity, was exactly like the sun that now bathed the trees of their kingdom in a warm glow. The same warmth emanating from her smile. She walked back over to him, her hands reaching for his and proceeding to wrap her hand around one of his fingers. 

"Ada, show me again how you make things beautiful." 

Thranduil smiles, utterly helpless against his princess and let her pull him towards the edge of the clear pool. Their reflections swivel against the surface, he could see all the battles, and struggles he endured was worth it. It was all there, in a single child. He was reminded of everything he had sacrificed, and it was worth it. He crouched behind her, making sure  he had a firm grip so she wont fall and proceeded to touch the water, their hands clasped. 

He could hear her faint giggle as vines uprooted from the deep pool, growing slowly around their clasped hands. She didn't know it yet, but her connection to the forest was stronger than even his. It was like the whole forest welcomed her, and was happy to have someone so new and so perfect. 

"Ada, why are you crying?" 

His focus returns to her worried expression. Her thick brows almost stitched together in confusion as he breathed out before his laughter echoed around her and wrapped her around a familiar kind of comfort. 

"Because this kingdom has you." 

Annuniel smiles before she lets out a squeal as Thranduil picks her up and begins throwing her up into the air and catching her again. 

"Adaaaaaaa!" 

--

"My goodness, Thranduil you are going to give me a heart attack!"

Both father and daughter stop and turn to find the Queen emerging from the thicket of trees. Thranduil gives her a smug look before placing Annuniel on his back, her legs wrapped around his neck as she held fast on his crown. She always liked the crown, for it gave her an easier hold whenever her father decided to do this. 

Mantheniel watched them sternly before she sighs and raises her hands up in defeat. "It is not like you two listen to me anyway." 

"Little Sun?" Thranduil looks up to find his daughter staring at him. "You asked me a question earlier, right?" 

Annuniel nods as Mantheniel walks away from them and towards the Elk, her hand resting on its head. Thranduil turns to his queen, and his expression changes. 

"There will be days that you will feel lonely," he begins. "Even if you are surrounded by the people who love you the most. The people you love the most." 

"These are one of the hardest days you will have to get through, in this eternity that you live in," he continues, smiling as Mantheniel laughs as the Elk snuggles closer to her face. "But all it takes is one person, my little sun. To make you feel like eternity isn't enough." 

Annuniel stops, and stares at her parents. The smile on both their faces, the hidden sadness in their eyes. Why were they sad? Then she remembers her brother, the way he smiled when he talked about someone he once knew, who had sailed away. 

The trees seemed to sing with the breeze as King and Princess reunites with the Queen. As his thoughts travel to his son and heir, he feels something inside him click into place. Something lost and forgotten. 

Something he finally remembers, forgetting what loneliness even felt like. 

-- 

Authors note: Sorry it took forever. Kind of short, but hope you guys still like it. :) 

next chap will be bonding time with her big brother....and it is going to get sad. BECAUSE WHO AM I WHEN I DONT PUT A CHAPTER TO MAKE YOU GUYS CRYYY.