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"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." -Proverbs 17:17

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Arahaelon

"My prince, your father has requested your presence in his study."

I turn to look at the young servant standing in front of me, his head inclined in respect.

"Thank you, I will be there shortly."

I watch as the young boy scurries away, and I smile in amusement at his youthful innocence before going back to my drawing of Annalee. I sketch her small lips, marking the small dimple in her right cheek that appears when she smiles. I slowly create one last curl that falls down to her collarbone, making it shape her small, pixie-like face perfectly. I wipe my face tiredly.

I stare at the finished drawing for a moment, my heart swelling with love for her. Yesterday, when we touched, I was afraid that I had scared her away, and finding her in the garden crying killed me inside. But nothing compared to the elation I felt later when I was holding her in my arms. I never knew it was possible to feel this strongly for anyone. Her presence is something that I constantly long for, and when I am with her, I cannot keep my eyes off of her.

I close my sketchbook, sliding it under my bed, and I wipe the charcoal from my hands with a cloth laying on my nightstand. I leave my room, slowly making my way to Ada's study. I am sure he is probably going to further tease me about yesterday when he walked into the living room to see my siblings, Elrohir, and Nym running wild, with Annalee and I standing in the middle of the room, our foreheads touching as we laughed. He was a formidable character, standing in the doorway, his gaze smoldering, but after a few moment, he began to laugh.

I knock on the door, entering when I hear his voice. I shut the door behind me, walking over to a seat in front of his desk, and I sit. I wait patiently for him to look up at me. He sits very still, writing what seems to be a very long letter, and when he is finished, he slides it away from him, placing his quill back in its pot of ink, and meets my gaze.

His eyebrows furrow, his heavy eyes showing just how worn out he is. "Arahaelon," he begins, sighing slightly, "Do you know why I have called you here?"

I shake my head. "No."

He places his arms on the desk, intertwining his fingers. "I have finally come to a very hard decision, ion nin (my son), and I hope you will understand."

I swallow, my heart sinking in my chest. It all becomes clear as he studies me, as if he is afraid to say it, and suddenly my head is aching.

"I have decided to step down from my position as king."

The sentence is as heavy as an anchor, crashing through the silent room. My head spins, and my heartbeat picks up speed in my chest. This is it. This is the day I have feared since I was an elfling. I am finally going to be king.

"I believe you are more than ready to take the throne or else I would not have come to this decision. You have nothing to worry about," he says in an attempt to comfort me, but I am barely listening.

My head is spinning with images of feasts and coronations and speeches and wars, all of which I am king- not Crown Prince. I think of the long meetings and being woken in the middle of the night when things happen, and I will be the one making decisions. I will be the one in charge of the whole of Mirkwood, its people, its trade partners, and its allies. I think of marriage, of being wed to a silly wife that my ada surely has waiting in the next room for me to meet. I place my head in my hands, feeling dizzy and nauseous and utterly lost.

"Arahaelon!" Ada cries in shock, his chair screeching in protest as he jumps up and rounds the desk, sitting beside me and placing his hands on my shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine," I breathe, not meeting his worried gaze. "I am fine."

"You are taking this too hard, Arahaelon. I am telling you, there is nothing to be afraid of. You are more than ready. You are going to be a great king," he states seriously, still holding me by the shoulders as if I might pass out at any moment.

The door opens, and Naneth enters, rushing toward us when she sees my expression. "Oh dear, what has happened?" she questions sharply, glaring at Ada with accusing eyes, "I knew I should not have left you to break the news alone."

"He did not do anything, Naneth," I tell her as she sits down on my other side, and Ada's hands slowly leave me.

"Did you tell him yet?" she questions my father, and I furrow my eyebrows.

"Yes, he told me. I am to be king," I state firmly, wondering what she is talking about. I am obviously upset about it. I would not be reacting this way if he had not told me yet.

"No, there is more," Ada tells me, standing and circling his desk, and he sits down, sagging against the chair uncharacteristically. He places his head in his hand as if a sudden headache has formed.

"Tell him, Thranduil. He needs some happy news to cheer him up."

I look between them in confusion. "What? What has happened?"

Ada's icy eyes meet my own. "Yesterday, I spoke with Annalee's father."

My eyes widen slightly, surely mishearing. He cannot be implying what I think he is!

"Since the two of you share a bond, I asked for Rhistel's permission for Annalee to marry you, if she so desires. Mirkwood needs a new king, as well as a new queen."

I stare at him in utter disbelief. "And what did he say?"

A slow smile pulls at his lips, his eyes shining in sudden amusement. "He said yes, of course. If Annalee wishes to marry you, you have his blessing-," he looks at naneth, and they smile, "-and ours."

I turn to look at Naneth who is watching me with a beaming smile, tears in her loving eyes. "But Annalee and I have only just met," I say to them both, "She will not agree to marry me."

Ada chuckles deeply, rolling his eyes. "You do not need to worry about her response for one moment, Arahaelon. I have no doubt in me that she will say yes. She may not yet realize that she is in love with you, but she knows it deep in her heart, which is going to urge her to accept your hand."

"Thranduil is right, Ar," Naneth says, running her fingers through a strand of my hair, "Who cares if you only just met? You are in love with her, and you share a bond, which guarantees that she will fall in love with you eventually. Plus, you will be marrying Annalee, not a stranger for the sake of the kingdom's safety."

I nod after a moment, smiling widely. "You are correct. 'Tis perfectly normal for royalty to enter into arranged marriages with strangers, so surely marrying Annalee is not strange at all for me to do since we have our bound."

"And that is what you should tell her if she is concerned when you propose," Naneth says with an excited smile, "Oh, I cannot wait for the wedding. As a mother, I have been dreaming of my children's weddings since each of you were born."

Propose. The word creates a funny feeling inside of me, and heart thumps loudly in my chest. I have fought in hundreds of battles and slain orcs and vile men, but the thought of asking Annalee to marry me is scarier than any of the things I have done in my long life. What will I say to her? And when should I propose? Should I propose at her house or here in the palace? What will I do if she declines?

Ada chuckles deeply once again. "I wish you could see your face. You look terrified."

"Thranduil!" Naneth exclaims, trying to hide her smile, "Have mercy on your son. He has just learned that he is to be king, and he has to propose. He has every right to be afraid."

"I realize that, but there is nothing for him to be afraid of. He will make a wonderful king, and Annalee will agree to marry him," Ada says seriously, no doubt nor insincerity in his voice.

"Thank you, Ada," I reply, his praise making me feel better, but my head is still aching. I turn to Naneth. "When should I propose to her?"

"Whenever you wish, darling," she says, her smile growing, and she fishes a small box out of a pocket in her dress folds, "Here. This is a ring I had made a long time ago for whichever of my children married first. You will have to have the wedding bands made, but I thought that Annalee's betrothal ring should be something sentimental."

I open the box to see the betrothal ring. It is small, but the dozens of white gems sparkle like thousands of stars in the sunlight that streams in from the window. The ring is simple, yet radiant, a perfect fit for Annalee. I grin, imagining myself slipping this onto her finger and knowing with that action, she will be one step closer to being mine for eternity.

"Thank you, Naneth. This is perfect for her."

She nods, her eyes crinkling with merriment. "Well, you better go somewhere to be alone for a while. You have a lot to think about, ion nin (my son)."

I lean in and kiss her cheek, smiling warmly. I stand and incline my head to my father. "Thank you, Ada," I state, meaning it from my heart, "For everything."

His reply comes in the form of an amused smirk and blue eyes sparkling with pride, and he inclines his head in return.

I turn, striding to the door quickly, and I tighten my grip around the tiny black box that will seal my fate.

I find Legolas sitting on the floor outside of Ada's study, his back pressed against the wall and a gleam in his eyes. He grins when our eyes meet, small dimples in his cheeks forming and reminding me, as always, of that adorable little elfling he used to be. He stands, straightening to his full height that is a few inches shorter than me, and he tilts his head slightly. "How are you faring?"

"Better than I thought I would," I reply honestly, and he falls into step beside me as I begin to walk. "How did you know? Were you eavesdropping again?" I tease him.

He shakes his head. "Sadly, no. I could not hear a thing through that door, but maybe that is because I am not learned in the art of eavesdropping as Lossenel and Naneth are," he says, and I laugh. "But Lossie is the one who told me. You know how Naneth tells her everything."

"So you know everything?" I ask him pointedly, and I am answered by his smirk.

"We all are excited to welcome another sister into the family."

A grins forms on my lips as I am unable to hide my delight. "I am glad of it."

"We all spoke about it behind your back," he says matter-of-factly, "And every last one of us loves her. 'Twill be strange to see you married."

"I have not yet proposed to her," I remind him patiently, my anxiety reaching my eyes, and my smile drops.

Legolas places his hand on my shoulder. "She will marry you, Arahaelon. I have no doubts."

"I do not know what to say to her," I confess, frowning slightly.

"Tell her the truth: that you love her and wish to have her by your side," he replies simply.

My lips quirk up into a short smile. "'Twill not be enough. She told me yesterday that she is not ready to further our relationship."

Legolas ponders this for a moment with pursed lips. "I still believe she will say yes. Tell her that you must marry to inherit the throne, and if she does not wed you, you will be paired with someone else."

I think for a second, knowing that this is the truth and what I will eventually have to tell her, but it does not feel right. "It seems almost like blackmail."

"'Tis the truth. Normally, if we had a father different than our own, you would have no say in the matter. You would be married off to an elleth of his choosing, and that would be it."

"I know, but I want her to marry me because she wants to." Because she loves me. "Though, I know it cannot be."

"She loves you, Ar," he snorts, rolling his eyes, "If she said otherwise, it is because something is holding her back."

"Love is holding her back. She does not love me. She practically told me that yesterday," I reply quietly, my heart aching at the thought.

Legolas shakes his head, stubbornly refusing to believe. "You know she is painfully shy. Confessing you love someone takes a lot of courage-courage that she does not yet possess."

"Why do you believe so ardently that she loves me?" I question him softly, meeting his open, deeply blue eyes.

"'Tis obvious, Ar," he says with a smirk, his eyes gleaming in the light as we step out into the gardens. Neither of us spoke of the destination, but after years of going to the gardens for privacy, we found ourselves here by habit.

We take a seat on one of the swing benches covered in vines and flowers of pink and purple, and we both sit and watch a fluffy brown rabbit scurrying across the richly green grass.

"Explain," I murmur after a few moments pass.

"I do not know how. Just-," he sighs, waving his hands around as if the action will bring the words to his mind, "-the way she looks at you is the same way you look at her. You naturally gravitate toward one another. Most of the words that leave her lips have something to do with you. Her eyes light up like stars when you look at her."

I process his words, a slow smile forming on my lips. "You will help me practice then?"

His eyes widen in surprise and confusion. "Practice what?"

"Proposing to her," I respond, standing and pacing, "It must be perfect. One wrong word could ruin my chances."

"Alright, then tell me what you are thinking," he replies, standing awkwardly.

I clear my throat. "Annalee, I know that we have not known each other for long, but-"

"-wait. Do not start with such a statement. The 'but' will make her nervous, not knowing what you are going to tell her. If she is already anxious, she will be more likely to get flustered and refuse."

"Then what do you suggest?" I question, raising my eyebrow.

"Tell her that Ada has made the decision to give up the crown. Let her react to that first."

I nod, smiling widely. "You are much cleverer than I give you credit for."

Legolas shrugs slightly. "You always discredit me. It is what siblings do."

I open my mouth to respond, but he just grins and shakes his head.

"Now, start over."

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A/N: Oooo ;) I'm so happy to finally get the ball rolling. Y'all don't know how long I've been waiting to write this and the next chapter! I know this is short, but just you wait ;)

 Hope y'all enjoy! Love y'all and God bless!

Love,

Josie